Sunday, June 16, 2013
Mark Appel signs under slot deal with Astros
(tracking.si.com)
$1.44M sounds like a lot of savings to spend further down their draft. And a rare example of a top pick going back in the draft and making a ton more than the previous teams offer.
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1. The Long Arm of Rudy Law posted on October 01, 2012 at 04:58 PM # hit 0 | hit 0Is it just me or is the quality of DHs way down? Its almost like there was something allowing players to enjoy more productive careers in their twilight years that is no longer available.
That's like trying to prepare for Double Christmas. Just let it happen and enjoy.
Well, yeah, you have to start these things in advance. Otherwise you might show up at the wrong stadium for your first road series.
The 2 wild cards in the AL may well come out of the AL West for a couple of years, by virtue of TX-LAA-OAK playing Houston early and often.
You know the heavy offense era is really over when Ryan Lavarnway with his OPS+ of 31 is occasionally being used a DH.
How do their fans know the difference between that and when half of their other players batting?
You know the heavy offense era is really over when Daniel Nava with his OPS+ of 99 is occasionally being used a LF.
You know the heavy offense era is really over when Mauro Gomez with his OPS+ of 95 is occasionally being used a 1B.
You know the heavy offense era is really over when Danny Valencia with his OPS+ of 18 is occasionally being used a 3B.
You know the heavy offense era is really over when Che-Hsuan Lin with his OPS+ of -40 is occasionally being used a CF.
You know the heavy offense era is really over when Jose Iglesias with his OPS+ of 16 is occasionally being used a SS.
Best record of any AL division for 10 of the past 13 years. It'll be nice to get a doormat, at least for awhile.
"Don't get any big ideas
They're not gonna happen
You paint yourself white
And fill up with noise
But there'll be something missing
Now that you've found it it's gone
Now that you feel it you don't
You've gone off the rails
So don't get any big ideas
They're not gonna happen"
I assume this is a reference to noted roiders Edgar Martinez, Frank Thomas, Chili Davis, Paul Molitor and Harold Baines. From 1995 to 2003, there were only 43 player-seasons where a player had 100+ games at DH. 24 of those 43 were by those 5 guys. From 1995 to 2003, Palmeiro had one season with 100+ games at DH and Canseco two.
Of those 43 player-seasons, only 27 had an OPS+ of 120 or higher. 8 of those were by Edgar. Of those 43 seasons, only 18 were by players older than 35 -- Burks and an Eddie Murray season being the only one outside those 4.
So, fewer than 5 "full-time" DHs per season. 3 per season who hit well enough to justify being full-time DHs. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Jaha, Fullmer, Burks or a couple of other guys used in their 1-2 good DH seasons.
From 2004 to 2012, there have been 41 player-seasons of 100+ games at DH. 24 of those 41 had an OPS+ of 120 or better, a smidgen lower rate. Of those 41 seasons, 12 were from players 36 or older, a lower rate. Of those 41, 8 are by Ortiz and 5 are by Hafner. Otherwise you get the tail end of Edgar and Thome and 3 by Matsui. The roidiness of those involved is left as an exercise for the reader.
2012 is rather down in part because there are only 2 qualifying guys this year -- Delmon Young (ick) and Butler.
And just for our comparative kicks, from 85 to 93 (fewer teams), there were 57 full-time DH seasons -- still only about half the teams. Baines with 7 and Downing with 4 are the leaders. Only 21 of the 57 had an OPS+ of 120 or higher. 23 of 57 seasons were by guys 36 or older.
8675309
and whassup with all this "exciting" stuff - is that the new kewl word around baseball? everything is "excited/exciting" except the astros downgrade to the DH league, which is depressing, horrifying, soul chilling.
they are supposed to have this "ceremony" nov 5 where they are letting people into the Box for free (they need to get SOME bodies there) to show off the new unis and the new mascot now that they are dumping that stupid rabbit along with the train. They're also setting up lots of places where anyone who wanders in to the "exciting" ceremony can buy new jerseys. like whoopie like doo
you ask, am i gonna go?
whatever for?
now, if they had one of those booths where craney-poo sits in a dunking booth, hey, I'd be all for it. trouble is that one of my fastballs just might could miss and hit the miserable SOB where it hurts...
I would pay to see this.
The third option would be to trade some of the Astros' surplus talent for a player from another team. That about covers it. I am betting on option 2.
donlock,
apparently, crane, the owner is the one who picked bo porter, not luhnow and gang. so obviously, the idea is to lose as much as possible next year. also, porter is not getting to choose his coaching staff. just like the previous 2 managers.
there is no surplus talent on the astros. that is what is called an oxymoron - with most of it being the moron part
OPS+ Year Age Lg G PA PosCraig Biggio 104 2005 39 NL 155 651 *4/D
Barry Bonds 263 2004 39 NL 147 617 *7/D
Chili Davis 108 1999 39 AL 146 554 *D
Steve Finley 109 2004 39 NL 162 706 *8/D
Andres Galarraga 123 2000 39 NL 141 548 *3/D
Rickey Henderson 78 2000 41 ML 123 519 *7/D
Rickey Henderson 94 1998 39 AL 152 670 *78
Rickey Henderson 128 1999 40 NL 121 526 *7/D
Edgar Martinez 92 2004 41 AL 141 549 *D/5
Edgar Martinez 141 2003 40 AL 145 603 *D
Paul Molitor 104 1997 40 AL 135 597 *D3
Paul Molitor 116 1996 39 AL 161 729 *D3
Paul Molitor 86 1998 41 AL 126 559 *D/3
Eddie Murray 87 1996 40 AL 152 637 *D/3
Rafael Palmeiro 108 2004 39 AL 154 651 *3D
Cal Ripken 70 2001 40 AL 128 516 *5D
And as Tex Ritter put it, that's all she wrote. One of the most unconsidered memes of the PEDs era is that there were hordes of ancient guys wandering around impervious to the effects of age.
That doesn't follow as an indication of era. OPS+ is relative to league average. A reduced league average does not decrease the scale of OPS+ numbers.
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