The 2013 Gold Gloves and the SABR Defensive Index - Beyond the Box Score

Congrats to all the BBTF members who contributed to the process!

Well, last year Rawlings announced that they would be using input from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) to help decide the winners of the Gold Glove awards going forward. At the time, there was quite a bit of healthy skepticism about the who, what and how of this new methodology, but then the 2013 Gold Gloves came out, and most sabermetrically-minded folks had precious little to complain about.*

* - Little to ...

Don Malcolm: QMAX AL 1972: STEVE KLINE, EPHEMERAL ACE

Embryonicin’ electric eels! The 1972 Yankees, Steve Kline, Michael Burke and Don Malcolm!

That trend was arrested, briefly, in 1969 when both the strike zone and the pitching mound were modified. And a retrospective look at that time frame reveals a surprising, little-known fact about just what team was in the forefront of that short-lived “counter-movement” towards finesse pitchers.

So who was it? The New York Yankees—the recently fallen Yankees, in what we might now term their “CBS ...

Golebiewski: Can Brandon Phillips Stand the Heat?

Paging Dusty Baker…

Brandon Phillips is reportedly on the trading block, with the Reds second baseman being mentioned as a possible replacement for the Yankees should free agent Robinson Cano cash in elsewhere. Phillips is coming off a 2013 campaign in which he drove in a career-high 103 runs, ranking second to Cano among all players at the keystone spot and trailing only Joe Morgan (111 RBI in 1976) on the single-season list for a Reds second baseman.

That’s where the comparisons to Cano and ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-11-2013

Pittsburgh Gazette Times, November 11, 1913:

President Ban Johnson and the entire American League are enthusiastic over the selection of Gov. John K. Tener of Pennsylvania to succeed Thomas J. Lynch as president of the National League.
...
Meanwhile the Federal League has decided to make a definite proposition to Mr. Lynch to accept the presidency of that circuit.

It takes some stones for an upstart outlaw league to try to bring the departing NL president on board. It didn’t work out, though, ...

Dave Parker on success, failure, fight of his life

Cobra…still spitting to all fields.

“I know when I was younger people use to want to come up to me and talk about being the best player in the game in the seventies. I said you’re doing the right thing if you want to know how good I am ask me cause I believe in my ability.”

He began his major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, taking over right field after the death of Pirates’ legend Roberto Clemente.

“I just went in trying to play within myself I had won three batting ...

Cardinals expected to discuss possible Troy Tulowitzki trade at GM meetings - Yahoo Sports

The Cardinals surely have the pieces to make this deal work.

Certainly the Cardinals have the pieces to land him – or, if the Rockies balk, one of the Rangers’ shortstops. Between a logjam at first base and a surplus of hard-throwing, young arms, St. Louis has stockpiled the sort of talent to pull off a 3- or 4-for-1 deal. In a previous conversation between the teams about a possible Tulowitzki deal, first baseman Matt Adams’ name surfaced, with Colorado needing a long-term replacement for the ...

A glimpse inside the Seattle Mariners’ analytics department - Lookout Landing

Sabermetrics in Seattle will not produce a higher box office than Moneyball.

But for those who have built the belief that General Manager Jack Zduriencik has turned his back on the analytics department, that doesn’t seem to be the case. As is standard across baseball, information from the team does travel up through Zduriencik and down to the coaching staff and the players, Zduriencik always solicits the analytics department’s guidance.

“[He] has always explicitly encouraged us to point out ...

Nationals are willing to listen on center fielder Denard Span - CBSSports.com

This is a quick turnaround.

Span was acquired a year ago from the Twins for top pitching prospect Alex Meyer when folks figured the Nats might go for a free-agent center fielder such as Michael Bourn. The Nationals wound up having a disappointing season.

‘X’ marks spot, but which one? | Boston Herald

From what I’ve seen of Bogaerts in Pawtucket, he has more than enough glove at short to stick there. I don’t believe he’ll be winning any Gold Gloves but he certainly has enough glove to be, at the least, an average defender. An average defender with his bat would be a very valuable shortstop.

But what if Drew gets bigger bucks elsewhere? Butterfield, for one, believes the Sox can feel comfortable with Bogaerts at shortstop.
“The short look-see that I’ve had of him there, he’s been ...

Albom: Former Tigers manager Jim Leyland reflects on long career in exit interview

Take a long drag…before an extensive interview with Jim Leyland.

The utterly amazing Miggy

M: The day you found out you got Miguel Cabrera — did you know what you were getting?

J: It was at the winter meetings and I think — as the story goes — that Mr. Ilitch said something to Dave about, hey, can we get that guy Cabrera? The funniest thing about that was there was no talk. No rumors. Nothing. And then it happened.

M: Was there something you had seen with Cabrera that impressed you ...

Murray Chass On Baseball: ANTI-MORRIS MOB IN ACTION

For irritating Murray Chass so deftly…I now put SocraticGadfly on a pedestal next to Obnox!

Having just gone through an election cycle, I received dozens of telephone calls urging me to vote for candidates for governor, state senate, state assembly, county freeholder, borough council, sheriff. No one called asking me not to vote for someone.

However, the day before Election Day, someone sent me an e-mail asking me, almost pleading with me, not to vote for someone – Jack Morris.

“Please ...

Rosenthal: Kinsler, Andrus in Texas squeeze-out?

Latest wrap-up from Robothal…

The Rangers’ willingness to trade a middle infielder does not merely stem from their logjam at the major-league level. Two of the team’s top prospects also are middle infielders, and it’s not out of the question that both second baseman Rougned Odor and shortstop Luis Sardinas could be ready by 2015.

Something has to give, which is why a trade of second baseman Ian Kinsler or shortstop Elvis Andrus is starting to look inevitable. Another option is to make ...

Glen Mickens looks back on baseball career

Glen Mickens remembers the only two ML home runs he gave up…to Ted Kluszewski & Ralph Kiner. And much more…

The first time Charlie Dressen brings me in from the bullpen, we’re playing Cincinnati. He brings me into face Ted Kluszewski. Here’s a guy who had bigger arms than my legs. I’m looking at this big guy thinking, “What the heck, Charlie, what are you bringing me in against this guy for?” I get a couple of strikes on him, I don’t want him to hit the ball back up the middle, ...

Crasnick: The growing rivalry between Scott Boras and Jay-Z

Yeah, yeah, I’d love to know how you emphasize “in” in “in July”.

in July, [Scott Boras’] name appeared in a tune by rapper Shawn Carter, aka Jay Z. The song “Crown,” on the CD “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” includes the following lyric:

“Scott Boras, you over baby
“Robinson Cano, you coming with me.”

In April, Cano dropped a big one, revealing that he had left Boras and would be represented in his baseball dealings by Creative Artists Agency and in his off-field endeavors by Carter’s Roc Nation ...

WTOP | Ex-major leaguer Offerman missing amid attack suit

Six years after attacking two opposing players with a bat during a minor league baseball game in Connecticut, ex-major leaguer Jose Offerman is nowhere to be found.

As a federal lawsuit over the attack heads to trial, the attorney for the journeyman catcher whose career was ended with a swing of Offerman’s bat doesn’t know where the two-time All-Star is—and doesn’t expect him to show up for court.

Future’s Game: What will White Sox baseball look like in 100 years?

Uhh…they still won’t have built a weena?

Your time traveler from 1913 might be taken with the physical appearance of today’s ballplayers. The game is integrated, of course. Ballplayers are also taller, faster, and stronger than their counterparts from 100 years ago. Our knowledge of nutrition and fitness has improved exponentially in the past century.

Our time traveler also comes from the deadball era. U.S. Cellular Field would probably be too small compared to the cavernous dimensions of ...

red sox - How much can Red Sox spend this winter? A 2014 payroll breakdown - WEEI | Alex Speier

I see the Sox getting Napoli back and then cracking open the piggy bank to add Brian McCann.

So, the total amount of available money the Sox have to spend while staying under the luxury tax threshold appears to be roughly $32 million. Hence, as the roster currently stands, the team could afford to have both Napoli and Drew accept its qualifying offers (which would account for $28.2 million), but it couldn’t afford to have Saltalamacchia back on a similar salary with those two.

Value Over Replacement Grit: The “Nate Silver Slugger Award”

This almost makes up for Indiana in 08!

It began, as it so often does, with a seemingly innocent tweet, this time from Dan Szymborski of ESPN:

  Dan Szymborski @DSzymborski

  Never been interested in the Silver Slugger award, but I would like to see a Nate Silver Slugger award.

. . .  which begat this:

  Dan Szymborski retweeted

  dianagram @dianagram

  Any player who slugs . 538? RT @DSzymborski: Never been interested in Silver Slugger award, would like to see a Nate Silver ...

Gammons: MLB power at the plate; can supply meet demand?

“What we’re not seeing is much power in the draft,” says a general manager. “We had the one big college power bat in Bryant.” It could be that the Yankees and Mariners felt they had to overdraft outfielders Aaron Judge with the 32nd pick and Austin Wilson with the 49th because they were college players with massive power potential, and as rare as power may be, it sometimes develops late; after Miguel Cabrera, Bautista and Davis are second and third in the majors in homers over the ...

CCO: Theo Epstein and Crane Kenney Discuss the Cubs with Season Ticket Holders

Spritzn’ Fritz Mollwitz! There’s a lot to digest here.

As for Wrigley Field turning 100 this year, the team is planning a year-long celebration for the 100th birthday of Wrigley Field. They plan on singing “Happy Birthday” the entire season as Crane Kenney put it. Kenney explained not only is Wrigley where they work and where people watch games but it is the biggest house on the block and it’s definitely going to be the party of the century. The screen behind Kenney said, “We’re ...

Nashville Biz Blog: Boyer: Mayor Dean strikes agreement for new Sounds ballpark

Mayor Karl Dean has reached an agreement for a public-private partnership to move ahead on building a new minor league ballpark for the Nashville Sounds at Sulphur Dell in the Jefferson Street/Germantown area.

The plan includes agreements with the state, which owns property at the proposed location; the Nashville Sounds, which would lease the ballpark from Metro; and Embrey Development Corp., a multi-family developer that has agreed to swap property at the proposed location with Metro.

The ...

Rise of the Machines?

Very good, thorough piece on the pros and cons of automated ball/strike calls.

The goal, of course, is no error, or as close to that ideal as we can possibly come. And so the best solution might be a hybrid approach that combines tradition with technology. Not robot umps, but regular umps with input from robot brains.

Umpires are already more closely acquainted with pitch-tracking technology than is often assumed. “We currently use technology for both evaluation purposes and training ...

Bill James Mailbag - 11/7/13 - 11/9/13

Steve Garvey is dumber than ten worst selections to the Hall of Fame in the last 30 years.

Hey Bill, Did your folks have the opportunity to see baseball when they were young- either major league or the minors- and what teams or players might they have shared memories of with you?

No.. .well, I never knew my mother, who died in 1954, and my father was not a baseball fan.  He grew up on a farm in Kansas, hundreds of miles from the nearest baseball team.  He was interested in baseball in a very ...

Posnanski: The Finalists: Miller and Steinbrenner

“Cumberland”!  So formal!

Marvin Miller…

Comparable Hall of Famer: Bowie Kuhn, if by “comparable” you actually mean, “person who the candidate destroyed every single time they competed for anything.” As has been written before, putting Bowie Kuhn in the Hall of Fame but not Marvin Miller is like putting in Wile E. Coyote but not the Road Runner.

George Steinbrenner…

Comparable Hall of Famer: Best I can tell, there are eight men in the Hall of Fame primarily for being baseball ...

Goldman: The Yankees, Derek Jeter, and ‘Our Plan’

It wouldn’t be the same without you (needs slapback, echo…and juice).

As Emily Dickinson might have written, hope is the thing with pinstripes. In today’s New York Times, Joe Girardi does some aggressive wishcasting in regards to Derek Jeter:

  “We’re hoping that he’ll be back to where he was in 2012 before the injury took place,” Girardi said. “We’ll go through the off-season and allow him to do the things that he needs to do and then keep our fingers crossed in spring training that it’s ...

Grantland (Baumann): Don’t Bother Trying to Grade Baseball’s New Managerial Hires

The more attention analysts pay to on-field tactics, the less important they seem to be in the minds of GMs when selecting managers, apparently:

Managers matter less and less in baseball today. I wrote about the disappearance of the managerial cult of personality back in August. Sports on Earth’s Jack Moore just explored the new model of manager, while Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief and Grantland contributor Ben Lindbergh noted that as we learn more about baseball’s tactics, the men who ...

StL Today (Goold): Cards name Leveque minor-league pitching coordinator

This is the bit in the article that led me to post it:

Johnny Rodriguez, the Cardinals’ High-A Palm Beach manager this past season, will move to rookie-level Johnson City. His pitching coach there will be Paul Davis, who will also assist Leveque as the team’s “Minor League Pitching Coach and Coordinator of Pitching Analytics.”

Davis has an interesting background. He was a college pitcher at Creighton in the mid-80s, later a successful HS and college coach, but he’s also been an adjunct ...

Ervin Santana seeking five years, $100 million in free agency

I want five minutes with Kate Upton.

Right-hander Ervin Santana, who entered free agency after a bounce-back year with the Royals, is seeking a five-year deal for $100 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
    
An asking price is just that — an asking price — but, if true, the Royals are likely to escalate their efforts to find a replacement rather than work to retain Santana, who was 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 32 starts.

Santana, who turns 31 in December, made $13 million ...

King: Red Sox making aggressive push for Carlos Beltran

The world champion Red Sox aren’t getting fat.

According to a person who knows Carlos Beltran, the switch-hitting right fielder has drawn strong interest from the Yankees’ blood rivals.

The person said the Yankees and Orioles are in on Beltran, too, but the Red Sox have been more aggressive.

Of course, it’s early in the process and that could change. Beltran, 37 in late April, is expected to turn down the Cardinals’ $14.1 million qualifying offer Monday. Teams signing him will ...

Chicago Cubs vs. WGN-TV – Doesn’t Matter Because It’s About the Broadcasters, Not the Station

Funny, I never got worked up like this over Bob Gamere.

Brickhouse grew a mustache while I was at WGN, and he asked me if he should shave it.  I was smart enough to know that people who ask if they should change something about their appearance are looking for affirmation, not honesty.  I said, “Jack, I think it makes you look young and hip.  You aren’t my Dad’s Jack Brickhouse with that thing.  Keep it!”

Whether Brickhouse had a mustache or not was of no consequence to me, but I ...