tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83871112011-09-04T05:44:26.152-04:00"I don't set the rosters, I just make fun of the the guy who does." -Rob NeyerMarc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.comBlogger1361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1115906113948141252005-05-12T09:52:00.000-04:002005-05-12T09:55:13.953-04:00

You can now find Marc Normandin, Dan Scotto, and Matt Kizner's work at Beyond the Boxscore, part of the SB Nation.You can also find Marc Normandin at Sox on Deck, a site on the Most Valuable Network devoted to up and coming Red Sox prospects and the state of their farm system. Thanks for making Baseball Rants a launching pad for the three of us to bigger and better things! Visit us often at our

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1115048098793884912005-05-02T11:02:00.000-04:002005-05-02T11:34:58.796-04:00

When Mike Cameron returns from his wrist injury and rehabilitation, it will be time for manager Willie Randolph to make some important decisions. Cliff Floyd is healthy (at the moment) and hitting the ball well, Victor Diaz is sporting an impressive line (and showing plate patience, which he never used to seem to have) and that Carlos Beltran guy in centerfield. How do you mix in at-bats for

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114916365210164732005-05-01T10:49:00.000-04:002005-04-30T23:08:43.280-04:00

After the most recent debacle from Mr. Zambrano, we see a hearty 5.81 ERA through 5 starts, through which he's averaged less than 5.1 IP in each one. Here's some info, though:4/8: 5 IP, 2 ER4/14: 6 IP, 3 ER4/19: 6 IP, 2 ER4/24: 5.1 IP, 7 ER4/30: 4 IP, 4 ERThe two most recent starts are abysmal, but the first three weren't too bad. Looking further, though, we see the problem.4/8: 5 IP, 10 runners4

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114917762066206232005-05-01T10:06:00.000-04:002005-05-01T10:07:12.016-04:00

The second edition of my 2005 AL Roundup series; remember, these are coming every other week, with the NL Roundup filling in the other weeks. It gives it some time in between the posts, and allows records to develop as well as rankings. On to the numbers again...AL East Actual Standings1) Baltimore 16-7 (.696) 137 RS, 109 RA2) Boston 12-11 (.522) 130 RS, 104 RA3) Toronto 13-12 (.520) 122 RS, 118

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114869771553604172005-04-30T10:02:00.000-04:002005-04-30T12:08:49.863-04:00

Reading The Daily Quickie at Page 2 the other day, I saw a part on the right that said, "Arguably the best LHP ever" in regards to Randy Johnson. I see it, and go well it may be true, but of course now I have to know for sure. On to the numbers!What I did to start is take every lefty on the top 100 for career wins; I figured I would get more than I need and not miss out on anyone (Note: I

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114779741314681782005-04-29T09:00:00.000-04:002005-04-29T09:04:04.203-04:00

Much as my colleague did an article on interesting starts, I find myself engrossed in a similar endeavor, on a different end of the spectrum. Let's take a look at a few players off to extremely surprising starts over the next week. Today I'm going to start with arguably the biggest surprise of both leagues:Brian Roberts 2B-BALBy now, if you haven't been living under a rock, and know what a

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114746014236455172005-04-29T08:12:00.000-04:002005-04-29T08:13:58.856-04:00

Zach Greinke is one of my favorite players already. I already ordered a shirt from mlb.com with his name and number on it to add to my fledgling out of town collection (consisting of Brian Giles, Adam Dunn, and now Greinke). There are many interesting Greinke tidbits that not everyone knows:1) He started pitching his senior year of highschool2) He's still only 21 years old3) There is no one close

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114788470446337052005-04-29T08:05:00.000-04:002005-04-29T11:29:49.913-04:00

While I love to read and write about baseball, I don't always have a good idea about what to write. I try not to do stuff that other people have done, and if I do, I tend to cite them (at some point) or I probably haven't seen the article that is similar.So when someone says something in passing to me about baseball, if it looks like something worth exploring, I do.I was talking with a high

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114658303660418582005-04-28T11:35:00.000-04:002005-04-28T15:41:53.623-04:00

I made a bit of a lineup of guys who have had slow starts:1. Ray Durham (2B) - .203/.346/.2502. Erubiel Durazo (DH) - .214/.295/.2863. Mike Lowell (3B) - .187/.225/.3204. Victor Martinez (C) - .221/.308/.3685. Steve Finley (CF) - .169/.259/.3386. Carlos Pena (1B) - 167/.328/.2597. Jermaine Dye (RF) - .181/.213/.3198. Todd Hollandsworth (LF) - .214/.313/.3399. Jack Wilson (SS) - .157/.192/.171Some

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114648943983306062005-04-28T08:51:00.000-04:002005-04-28T08:52:00.743-04:00

Mark Bellhorn can only play baseball in even years. 2002 and 2004 are acceptable; 2003 and 2005 make me sick to my stomach. I love Mark Bellhorn, especially since all he does is walk, strikeout, or hit homeruns. But in 2003 and 2005 so far, he is missing one of the key elements of a Three True Outcome player; that being the homeruns. Somewhere, Rob Deer is crying. Bellhorn's last 5 seasons,

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114611897304721162005-04-27T10:07:00.000-04:002005-04-27T10:54:46.136-04:00

Some of the names at the top 0f this list are most likely names that will not stay there all year. For example, Jacque Jones (.387) and Brian Roberts (.373) have the top two EqA's in the American League...Roberts might have turned a corner (not one that will keep him as high as he is, but a corner nonetheless) while Jones has gone through spurts of usefulness before. They will both fall back down

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114455621572420592005-04-26T05:56:00.000-04:002005-04-26T16:08:27.336-04:00

I've never been too good at coming up with titles, although I didn't mind the R&J&CP from a few days back....Anyway, I was thinking about it last night, and I realized, for the first time in years, the Yankees don't have a backup plan for a starting pitcher. There's no 6th starter on the roster, no David Cone in the bullpen or Orlando Hernandez or Ramiro Mendoza. There's nothing. It's looking

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114269924176894482005-04-26T04:44:00.000-04:002005-04-26T07:11:07.383-04:00

I was reorganizing my baseball bookshelves and came across my Baseball America's 1999 Baseball Almanac. I purchased this back in the day because of McGwire and Sosa's homerun chase. I decided to do a Prospect Retrospective from the "Top Prospect" from each organization...why did I do this? Because when I first flipped it open I saw Peter Tucci for Toronto...who the hell is Peter Tucci? I hate to

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114438675329690232005-04-25T10:06:00.000-04:002005-04-25T11:34:59.873-04:00

The auto induction period is complete, and the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame's original membership is set at 268 hitters and pitchers. I have one thing to say, before you ask, "Where are the aces of the 19th century?" Well, here goes: I posed the question of why the difference between Win Shares and WARP3 was so great to Clay Davenport, who replied: "There are two big reasons why the

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114404202946786802005-04-25T00:42:00.000-04:002005-04-25T00:46:01.206-04:00

Comedy.Looking for the perfect player around which you can build your team? Start at the logical place: the top.That was from Sean McAdam at ESPN.com, in this article from a few days ago.Now I'm probably one of the biggest Ichiro supporters among stat-oriented fans out there. I think that the stats don't necessarily tell the whole story, we don't have good enough fielding metrics to show Ichiro's

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114220349519275532005-04-25T00:38:00.000-04:002005-04-25T10:06:27.430-04:00

Updates on Kazmir vs. Zambrano and Mulder vs. Haren...Scott Kazmir 20054 GS, 22.0 IP, 3.68 ERA, .241 BAA, 1.00 K/BB (12:12), 4.91 K/9, .248 BABIPLast Seven Days: 7 IP, 5 K, 3 BB, 6.43 K/9Victor Zambrano 20054 GS, 22.1 IP, 5.64 ERA, .337 BAA, 1.36 K/BB (19:14), 7.66 K/9, .401 BABIPLast Seven Days: 11.1 IP, 9 K, 6 BB, 7.15 K/9Zambrano's BAA and BABIP are extremely high, so his ERA is inflated

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114183365471290392005-04-24T00:32:00.000-04:002005-04-24T20:37:28.440-04:00

The Reds have a situation most teams would kill for; that is, to have too many very talented outfielders. Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., Wily Mo Pena, and Austin Kearns all have different strengths and weaknesses, and all seem to be essential to this offense. So what does a Reds team with a struggling pitching staff (and at the moment, a surprisingly struggling offense) do? They are going to have to

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114273706960877832005-04-23T09:25:00.000-04:002005-04-23T13:26:56.320-04:00

Dire Straits would say, "When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?"The man picked the WORST possible time to have a slump. A man seemingly destined for great heights just couldn't get it to work early on this year, almost as if he drank the poison and found the "cold and drowsy humour" of a very bad slump, but Baird and Co. don't realize that it's just temporary.In this case,

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114267208930097362005-04-23T09:24:00.000-04:002005-04-23T13:49:30.816-04:00

While I was sifting through the list of pitchers for the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame, I stumbled across what seems to be a problem. The Win Shares totals for 19th century pitchers are quite high in some cases, while there WARP3 and JAWS scores are extremely low. Pitchers with WS totals equaling or surpassing David Cone and Frank Viola have WARP3 totals 40-50 points less. I e-mailed Clay

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114262110926505212005-04-23T08:21:00.000-04:002005-04-23T09:15:10.936-04:00

Time for the first National League roundup of the year, with the AL's second posted next weekend. I have a lot of ideas for articles today, so I might post another or wait until tomorrow; either way today is a busy baseball day for me because I am going to run through the list of pitchers for the RLWHF until I'm done, and then post all of them into the hall. You could get anywhere from 2-4 posts

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114179772263181632005-04-22T10:11:00.000-04:002005-04-22T10:42:49.716-04:00

I finally have the qualifications for the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame regarding pitchers. Starting pitchers require 175 WS to be considered for induction, and to get in automatically their JAWS score must clear 50. Basically this came from looking at a few pitchers, notably Bret Saberhagen, David Cone, Chuck Finley, Frank Viola, and Danny Darwin. Darwin's JAWS score of 54.45 seemed

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114176742984784122005-04-22T09:30:00.000-04:002005-04-22T09:42:16.430-04:00

1997 was the year of the Mets' turnaround as they improved 18 games from their 1996 season and finished 88-74. But they weren't quite complete as a team; they had some flaws. As the Mets began their ascent, financial realities set in for the Marlins, who had run into the difficult problem of not being able to pay for their team.The Mets added three players to their team from the Marlins' fire

Dan Scottohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14813432531234510420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114092893385332812005-04-21T09:31:00.000-04:002005-04-21T10:18:18.250-04:00

As a Red Sox fan, I do my best to avoid defending A-Rod. I'm usually very objective when it comes to evaluating New York, as I want to give clear-headed analysis. But I usually throw A-Rod to the wolves when something bad happens. My curiosity is getting the best of me this time though, as I read this article at the NY Daily News. I had no idea that A-Rod was getting a reputation as someone who

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114010120837229072005-04-20T11:11:00.000-04:002005-04-20T11:15:20.836-04:00

Some new links on the sidebar from a few bloggers whose stuff I really like:Rays PrognosticationsBaseball BabbleI've asked both of these bloggers if they want to do guest posting on Baseball Rants, and I hope they both agree. Make sure you check out their sites, because thats what I'm going to be doing. At some point I might try to make this a multiple-author site (I know it is already, with 2

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1114008979598345492005-04-20T10:26:00.000-04:002005-04-20T12:48:40.953-04:00

In honor of Tim Wakefield's new contract, the subject today is knuckleballers. I do not plan on bringing any new information together regarding knuckleballers, but I want to try and tie some loose ends up of other writers who are much smarter than I.Voros McCracken told us in 2001 that "There is little if any difference among major-league pitchers in their ability to prevent hits on balls hit in

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113915378101402002005-04-19T08:39:00.000-04:002005-04-19T08:56:18.106-04:00

With Mark Mulder finally ending his slide as whipping boy for lineups across the nation, I have decided to run a Mulder/Mulder Trade Bait comparison that I will follow much like the Kazmir/Zambrano debacle. At least this one makes sense. Mulder PECOTA2005: 30.82006: 19.22007: 18.52008: 16.02009: 15.2PECOTA seems very pessimistic after 2005, and well it should. Mulder's strikeout rates have been

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113854906398684292005-04-18T23:21:00.000-04:002005-04-19T08:21:34.106-04:00

170 hitters made it through the filter lineup. That gives the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of 179 members total, before pitchers are thrown into the equation. Now that hitters are out of the way (once I put them into the actual Hall) I can get started on pitchers. I think I've decided on a 4-man rotation to base my pitchers off of, as well as a trio of closers whose Win Shares I'll average out

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113742325740748902005-04-17T08:15:00.000-04:002005-04-17T08:56:18.430-04:00

Since Scott Kazmir is pitching against the Red Sox today, I thought it would be a fun idea to project his performance versus Victor Zambrano's for the life of Kazmir's initial major league service contract. Simply using the projected VORP for the two over the next five seasons gives you this:Kazmir2005: 15.52006: 12.52007: 10.52008: 15.02009: 11.6Zambrano2005: 4.72006: 5.32007: 4.72008: 1.32009:

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113566159656378502005-04-17T00:45:00.000-04:002005-04-16T23:27:15.210-04:00

Bi-weekly I'll go over the standings for each division. So this week I'll cover the AL, and next week I'll tackle the NL; that way we get some distance between the roundups. I'll take the standings that are there, compared to those I predicted, as well as with the pythagenport standings. Pythangeport is different from Bill James pythagorean standings, in this aspect:"A modified form of Bill James

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113579020941789582005-04-15T11:21:00.000-04:002005-04-16T17:21:15.946-04:00

4/16/05 afternoon: Since plans A-D didn't work, I moved on to Plan E. This consisted of replacing Johnny Pesky with Jim Fregosi to up the average on Win Shares and allow me to stay at players 90% the value of the Filter Lineup for now. The limit is roughly 200 Win Shares now to get in, unless your Mickey Tettleton and your JAWS score is better than many players with more WS. So basically what I'm

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113407219088593862005-04-14T09:29:00.000-04:002005-04-16T17:07:45.596-04:00

I think I have it figured out, as to what the qualifications are going to be for automatic induction into the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame. Ray Lankford has 227 Win Shares in his career (and if he adds anymore it is likely the number will only top 230) and a JAWS score of 52 on the nose. What does it all mean Basil? Well, I think since the RLWHF is named after Ray Lankford, you should

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113394111811074062005-04-13T07:34:00.000-04:002005-04-13T11:43:07.310-04:00

I had a few readers send me comments regarding Tim Raines as a candidate for the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame, and in some ways that disapointed me greatly. I think Tim Raines belongs in Cooperstown, not just stuffed onto some list of really good players (no offense to my own invention here; it has a purpose and it is going to do it, but Tim Raines is part of something greater I think.)

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113377791112714822005-04-13T03:13:00.000-04:002005-04-13T03:40:00.843-04:00

Normally, I try and steal from one of my favorite writers, Bill Simmons, and try and start my columns with something witty or satirical to peak your interest and grab your attention. I digress from this trend, and start my article with a giant WTF.Man, that felt good. Onto the rantings. If one more person tells me Mariano Rivera is washed up, I'm going to beat them to death with his numerous

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113338113875976162005-04-12T16:29:00.000-04:002005-04-12T16:35:13.876-04:00

I apologize for not posting as of yet today, but I am compiling the entire list of nominees and players eligible for voting for the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame using Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups, The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers, The Bill James Historical Abstract, baseball-reference.com, my Total Baseball Encyclopedia, as well as players nominated by minorleagueball.com

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113232680484762582005-04-11T10:56:00.000-04:002005-04-11T11:47:34.026-04:00

There are ten new additions to the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame: Mark Grace, Will Clark, Matt Williams, Darryl Strawberry, Cecil Fielder, Frank Viola, David Cone, Dwight Gooden, Orel Hershiser and Darryl Kile.I had a huge post detailing all of their careers, but Blogger decided to eat it, so I'm slightly demoralized.The players are all linked up to their Baseball-Reference cards, so you

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113111239321701872005-04-10T01:33:00.000-04:002005-04-10T15:57:30.453-04:00

After reading my Baseball Prospectus 2005, and seeing the section on Ray Lankford and the fact that he had a Not Good Enough for the Hall of Fame, but Really Damn Good career, I've decided I want to make up an entire list of that type of player. I want to make an Almost Hall of Fame, a Hall for the Very Good, for the guys who had great peaks but short careers, long careers but short peaks, 3 year

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113101637548347652005-04-09T22:43:00.000-04:002005-04-09T22:53:57.550-04:00

I figured since Wells got hit hard today I would follow up the Yankee rotation post with the Sox one. Here goes:Baseball Rants1) Curt Schilling 3.712) Matt Clement 3.873) Bronson Arroyo 3.974) Tim Wakefield 4.235) Wade Miller 3.916) David Wells 4.77PECOTA1) Curt Schilling 3.762) Matt Clement 3.973) Bronson Arroyo 4.224) Tim Wakefield 4.575) Wade Miller 4.446) David Wells 4.60ZiPS1) Curt

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113051362784593332005-04-09T08:43:00.000-04:002005-04-09T09:19:42.443-04:00

I ran my projected ERA's for the Yankees starters a few articles back, but I want to throw the PECOTA and ZiPS projections at you as well with mine next to it. I made mine way before I checked out PECOTA and ZiPS projections, so I'm going to find out how close (or way off) I am now at almost the same time as you.Baseball Rants Projection1) Randy Johnson 2.83 2) Mike Mussina 4.04 3) Carl Pavano

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112974043631062442005-04-09T08:25:00.001-04:002005-04-09T08:56:25.253-04:00

The Red Sox mid-levels have some really good prospects in them, with players like Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Brandon Moss, Jon Papelbon, and hopefully someday Charlie Zink. I thought it would be interesting to constuct a team comprised of current young Red Sox players, a few Paw Sox players, and a couple of Portland Sea Dogs, and then gauge its performance using some projections.C - Kelly

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1113049520425514692005-04-09T08:25:00.000-04:002005-04-09T08:25:20.426-04:00

That...is sexy. 

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112983328680427482005-04-08T13:57:00.000-04:002005-04-26T09:28:58.750-04:00

The Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame is a place for the "no real shot at the Hall of Fame, but a great career nonetheless" players, like Lankford. This was inspired by Lankford's entry in the Baseball Prospectus 2005 book, and many individuals and books helped make this project of mine come to a close:Andrew Jalbert, a buddy of mine for helping me get this off the groundRob Neyer's

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112969204773194642005-04-08T08:55:00.000-04:002005-04-08T10:28:34.630-04:00

Sorry I did not post yesterday, I was loaded with schoolwork prior to class and didn't get the opportunity. Before I get going today, I'd like to recommend this article at The Hardball Times by John Brattain for everyone reading today. I plan on running this type of exercise with a few players soon, possibly Tim Raines since his time is coming soon (even though we know he's HOF caliber, we are

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112802468143664702005-04-06T09:59:00.000-04:002005-04-06T11:47:48.150-04:00

Due to spring training samples, or a reluctance to go with youth at a certain position, there are many position battles that I would not consider finished even though the season has started. I'll explain my take on these in detail, as well as throw a few hypothetical ones in there for kicks at some point.Let's start off with Mark Ellis versus Keith Ginter in Oakland for the second base job. Ellis

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112753290428175222005-04-05T22:01:00.000-04:002005-04-05T22:08:10.430-04:00

With my partner Matt Kizner taking over the ranting portion of the website, I have decided that I am going to lean heavily on statistical articles for awhile and see how it turns out. That way, the baseball fan who does not always want to see numbers alone has something to read as well as the stathead that hides in each and every one of you...except Buster Olney.Matt and I will do our best to

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112736271988854722005-04-05T17:09:00.000-04:002005-04-05T17:24:31.990-04:00

As part of my new, what I intend to be weekly columns, I'm going to be filling the role of the obligatory ranter. A lot of things happen over the week, and I'm going to take the time to address them here in as long winded and caustically sardonic fashion as humanly possible.Now, not to get off on a rant, but am I the only one sick of the apocalypse talks after 2 losses to the Yankees? I didn't

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112572519527169352005-04-04T00:05:00.000-04:002005-04-04T08:08:44.260-04:00

John Sickels of minorleagueball.com , Down on the Farm, and The Baseball Prospect Book series fame agreed to do an interview/Q&A for Baseball Rants. The questions come from both Matt and I, as well as a slew of reader questions. I recommend John's work for anyone who does not already enjoy it daily; I catch myself looking through my copy of The Baseball Prospect Book 2005 everytime I want to look

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112624206110931732005-04-04T00:01:00.000-04:002005-04-04T10:41:29.826-04:00

This is too good to be true in a way, when it is guys like Alex Sanchez who get officially caught redhanded in the present tense as a steroid user. Sanchez received a 10 game suspension, and MLB's new steroid policy is officially in effect. Sanchez of course is fighting the decision, but why shouldn't he? His career slugging line hasn't cracked .350 yet, and you all know how much I love his "

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112513451664185782005-04-03T03:06:00.000-04:002005-04-03T03:40:24.300-04:00

The day is finally here...its Opening Day! I've been waiting since the World Series ended for this, so I'm pretty excited damnit. On that note, I want to discuss the Yankees rotation.Steve Phillips at ESPN believes the Yankees have the best rotation...and the Braves have the second best. I'm reading this and my head wants to explode to be honest. 1) Randy Johnson 2.832) Mike Mussina 4.043) Carl

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112369510823266642005-04-01T09:51:00.000-05:002005-04-01T10:32:30.333-05:00

These last few days before the season starts are nothing but agony, especially since I've been writing and you have all been reading for the past few months with the previews and the spring training notes...I think I'm going to explode. But on a good note, today is the day for the John Sickels interview! If you have any questions, please post them and I will send in the questions this afternoon (

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112397191479578192005-04-01T06:07:00.000-05:002005-04-02T08:22:17.073-05:00

Congratulations to Billy Beane, new minority owner of the Oakland Athletics. Beane also received a contract extension through 2012, thanks to new A's principle owner Lewis Wolff, whose purchase of the team was finalized today. It'll be interesting to see Beane's moves if he has a little extra revenue to work with, since we know what he can do with one of the lower payrolls in baseball. Maybe it

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112281179688400052005-03-31T09:44:00.000-05:002005-03-31T09:59:39.693-05:00

Bunch of little stuff to get to today. I added a link to the sidebar for Baseball Rants Interviews, which will number more than 1 total this weekend, and hopefully will have many more after that. So if you ever want to read the Will Carroll interview after it falls off the main page, and don't feel like searching through the archives, there it is.Byung Hyun Kim's trade was finalized, with the Sox

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112283140907580572005-03-31T09:40:00.000-05:002005-03-31T10:36:29.593-05:00

Much on the same sentiments of Marc, I bring unto you the awards, as predicted by well, err, me?AL MVP- I'm running on the same premise as Marc here. The guy who leads his team to victory in the AL West picks up the MVP. I've got the Angels winning the west, and Vlad repeating as the MVP.NL MVP- No Bonds opens the floodgates, but either way, I saw Albert Pujols finally stepping up, and taking his

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112256196840447802005-03-31T03:03:00.000-05:002005-03-31T09:40:33.816-05:00

Since I didn't spend the better part of a month analyzing teams and giving my picks, I'm going to take a few minutes (mostly because I'm sick of doing homework) to offer my picks, predictions, awards, and totally unsubstantiated analysis (the best kind)!AL EAST1) Red Sox (to hell with Steinbrenner)2) Yankees (With a payroll of x, where x is a really big freaking number)3) Orioles (Proof that you

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112210930041127392005-03-30T14:13:00.000-05:002006-03-21T19:37:52.063-05:00

I made predictions for the regular season standings of all the teams in the team preview, but with the end of spring training creeping up on us (of course, not nearly fast enough) and some roster changes/injuries and the like occuring, I want to put all of the predictions in one, neat and tidy post so I can look back on it and pretend it never happened come October.AL East1) Red Sox2) Yankees3)

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112197240542198032005-03-30T10:17:00.000-05:002005-03-30T14:00:15.570-05:00

Sorry for the later post today, but Blogger was having some...issues.I want to start out by saying I hope everyone took some time to read the Will Carroll interview, and I am going to have the John Sickels one on Friday, posted this weekend or sometime early next week. If you have any questions for John, please (for the love of everything) post a comment or e-mail me. I had people sending me

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112105497535113162005-03-29T08:53:00.000-05:002005-03-31T07:37:38.823-05:00

Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus fame, and author of "Saving the Pitcher" and the upcoming "The Juice: The Real Story of Baseball's Drug Problems" agreed to an interview on this website, and I am quite pleased with the results and what I learned from it. Here is the interview for your viewing pleasure, and may I recommend Carroll's work to anyone with an interest in baseball, and especially

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com72tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112027697029607062005-03-29T08:00:00.000-05:002005-03-29T09:31:51.840-05:00

Tim Redding was traded from the Houston Astros to the San Diego Padres for catcher Humberto Quintero. Redding was somewhat of a disapointment last year, sporting a 5.72 ERA and a bullpen demotion midseason after a successful past. He had been competing for the 5th spot in the rotation, along with Carlos Hernandez, Ezequiel Astacio, Dave Burba, and the recently released Peter Munro. Humberto

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1112023160724872082005-03-28T09:48:00.000-05:002005-03-28T10:19:20.733-05:00

Something cool for all of you out there...Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus fame, and author of Saving the Pitcher and the upcoming book The Juice, has agreed to a Q&A/interview for this site, so if anyone has any ideas for questions then please comment on this post. The John Sickels interview should be coming up sometime in April as well, so any questions for that should also be sent here. It

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111917894531183182005-03-27T04:55:00.000-05:002005-04-04T19:08:51.513-04:00

I built a team out of 2004-2005 free agents, using their actual salaries for the 2005 season (which would seem like a serious hindrance, unless you buy smart). I think it came out pretty decent, considering the cost:C: Doug Mirabelli 2/$3 = $1.5 million per year1B: Carlos Delgado 5/$52= $10.4 million per year2B: Todd Walker 1/$2.5 million3B: Eric Munson 1/$250,000SS: Placido Polanco 1/$4.6LF:

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111914607069575032005-03-27T03:12:00.000-05:002005-03-27T13:31:48.446-05:00

I read Marc's team, and was immediately prompted from my posting slumber (also known as binge drinking and Diablo 2 playing), into research and response.First teamC- Jason Varitek - Nothing cements your spot like making Gay-Rod your ragdoll bitch in a brawl. Honestly, I would have given him 11 million if he'd promised once a year to incite a riot and level a Yankee. What ticket price could be too

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111910323521519622005-03-27T02:25:00.000-05:002005-03-27T02:58:43.533-05:00

I'm going to post a team (or two) comprised of my favorite Red Sox players, and then throw a few honorable mention before my time players in there (I don't mean Ted Williams and Yaz, I mean guys two or three years before I paid attention, you know, when I was eating mud). No judging me either! Well go ahead, but I won't be swayed here. Remember, I said favorites, not best.First Ballot FavoritesC:

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111844706594894932005-03-26T08:23:00.000-05:002005-03-27T19:44:32.706-05:00

...for Opening Day. I'm tired of spring training games, and the what if lineups, and questions about the Opening Day starter, etc. I just want to see some baseball that counts for something. This year is going to be pretty busy, with all Sox fans holding on to see if their team can reach the playoffs and (gasp) have a shot at repeating as World Champions. Luckily, many BP writers think they can,

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111755539993759112005-03-25T07:31:00.000-05:002005-03-25T09:18:20.283-05:00

According to Friendly Fenway's blog, Johnny Damon wants cash, and lots of it over an extended period of time. How does 6 years, $66 million sound to you guys for a centerfielder who is already overpaid at $8 million a year and has a skill set that should start declining once the ink dries on the new deal? The Sox have a rule about no contracts past 4 years, and they certainly won't give Damon 6

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111672645517671112005-03-24T08:45:00.000-05:002005-03-24T08:57:25.520-05:00

Jon Papelbon will make a spring training start for the Red Sox today, and with Curt Schilling and David Wells (read: old) in the rotation, we should see him as a member of the Red Sox sometime within the next two years. John Sickels gives him a B+ in his 2005 Prospect Book. He is slated for Double-A action this year, and if successful there (like you could say about all minor league pitchers) he

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111671418244662642005-03-24T08:21:00.000-05:002005-03-24T08:36:58.250-05:00

The pitcher slated for the Cubs's closer job, Joe Borowski, is the proud new owner of a non-displaced fracture in his right ulna. The Cubs will most likely give the job to LaTroy Hawkins, which as I've said before, is not what I want to happen. Granted my fantasy team now has a closer for almost two months, but it isn't the result I wanted. Hawkins is by far their best reliever, and since the

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111591842926378962005-03-23T10:07:00.000-05:002005-03-23T10:30:42.933-05:00

The news that Barry Bonds could miss half or all of the season makes me very angry, very sad, and slightly crack a smile at the same time. I am very angry, because I want to see him playing and hit homeruns and do everything that makes me happy to be a stathead. I am sad, because I fear everyone will now miss out on Bonds and start to devalue his contribution to the baseball world. But I am ever

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111590391732625182005-03-23T09:55:00.000-05:002005-03-23T10:06:31.733-05:00

The Red Sox made an interesting move yesterday that probably won't register as a headline, but bears some attention. They traded Adam Hyzdu, who is 33 years old and doesn't really have much to offer the Red Sox this year (hot spring training stretch aside) for Blaine Neal, a pitcher from the San Diego Padres. Neal had a 4.07 ERA last year in 42 IP, with a 36:11 K:BB ratio. He also put up some

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111502497835640712005-03-22T09:28:00.000-05:002005-03-22T16:51:39.946-05:00

I am obsessed with knuckleballers. Maybe it is because Tim Wakefield is my favorite player, or maybe it is because when you use Tom Candiotti or Wakefield or Charlie Hough in a video game, no one can stop you unless by accident. I root for knuckleballers whenever I come across them (Jered Fernandez, Steve Sparks, Dennis Springer, and the Red Sox own Charlie Zink) and try to read what I can about

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111500255306234812005-03-22T08:45:00.000-05:002005-03-22T09:04:15.310-05:00

Normally I wouldn't post rumors, since there are so many of them, but this is just too good to pass up. Apparently the Reds are searching for some pitching help (which they very desperately need) and are willing to swap Wily Mo Pena or Ken Griffey Jr. for it. Now what makes this interesting is that the supposed destination for Griffey would be Houston in exchange for a handful of prospects. In

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111428788522458132005-03-21T12:43:00.000-05:002005-03-21T13:13:08.526-05:00

Since Marc saw fit to post his fantasy baseball team (and we're in the same league), I extend to all of you the Stoddard Draddots (my team)!C- Johnny Estrada. Not the finest catcher in the league, but considering he hit 314 last year, on an Atlanta team that I feel got better (yay for Andy Marte), and considering I picked him up in the 12th ROUND, it's not a bad pick.1B- Albert Pujols. Ok, so at

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111422568763084392005-03-21T11:08:00.000-05:002005-03-21T11:29:28.773-05:00

I plan on writing some sort of fantasy baseball article on a weekly basis, but since I still have one draft coming up on March 26th (as well as one of the other writers for the article) I will put that on hold for now. For now, I will simply list my team and my aspirations for each player:C - Jason Kendall. I expect some of his average, and therefore his OBP to decline in his move to Oakland, but

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111419214402119362005-03-21T10:15:00.000-05:002005-03-21T10:33:34.406-05:00

The week started off busy for a few baseball teams, with the Mets and Dodgers making a trade (much to the chagrin of Yankees executives, who despise Paul DePodesta getting anything done after the Johnson debacle), Lance Berkman getting a massive extension, and rumors of Juan Encarnacion finding a new outfield corner to poison. Steve Trachsel requires back surgery to fix the discomfort and pain he

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111327690137605932005-03-20T08:33:00.000-05:002005-03-20T09:08:10.173-05:00

Robert Alomar announced his retirement yesterday, ending his 17 year career. His last good season was in 2001, and he had been drifting from team to team the past few seasons, but that should not take away from what is essentially a Hall of Fame career. Alomar is one of the best second basemen of all time, and probably the second best of his time next to Craig Biggio. Alomar amassed 2724 hits,

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111236345375618732005-03-19T07:23:00.000-05:002005-03-19T07:49:09.556-05:00

*sigh* The last 2005 season preview. I think the Rockies could come in fourth or fifth place in the NL West, but it all depends on their lineup. Their lineup is actually pretty bad at the moment, only because it is waiting for some kids to develop. Once that happens, the Rockies hope it will be more formidable and they will be able to contend...we'll see. Forgive me if I'm in a rush; I'm trying

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111163766119573442005-03-18T11:34:00.000-05:002005-03-18T11:36:06.120-05:00

I have a few more things to announce regarding this site. I added a few more links (and organized them better) to the links section, and I'm in the midst of scheduling something I'm very excited about for some time in April. Its a surprise to most, and I'll be sure to announce when its coming so everyone can see.Thanks for reading everyone, and as always, I appreciate feedback.-Marc Normandin

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111162403404697522005-03-18T10:53:00.000-05:002005-03-18T11:13:23.416-05:00

Ugh...I've been waiting to do this one the entire time I've done team previews. Honestly I can see it happening that they don't even pull themselves out of the cellar, but with the youth movement in Colorado and the few positive signings in Arizona I can't see myself getting away with saying it. Just know that I am not picking them for fourth place, but rather saying we have two teams capable of

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111161023584248592005-03-18T10:31:00.000-05:002005-03-18T10:50:23.596-05:00

With the second knee surgery on Barry Bonds yesterday, and the addition of such hitting machines as Mike Matheny to this lineup (mild sarcasm there everyone) I am smelling a third place finish in the NL West. Or maybe that is just the smell of the Old Folks Home that is SBC Park. Either way, on to the transactions...Mike Matheny, C: He can't hit at all. His defense is good, but will probably

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111106005310428842005-03-17T19:31:00.000-05:002005-03-17T19:42:04.090-05:00

...take a look at the All-Baseball and Most Valuable Network sites. I have started browsing through them daily, and the work there is excellent. I'll do my best to get a writer or two from those sites to work with me here on occasion.http://www.all-baseball.comhttp://mostvaluablenetwork.comThe owner of these sites is a huge Red Sox fan by the way, if you want some motivation to click. :) Also,

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111091053889073802005-03-17T15:22:00.000-05:002005-03-17T15:24:13.893-05:00

Will Carroll is running a liveblog of the Congressional Hearings on his website, http://postmessenger.baseballtoaster.com I think everyone would benefit from checking this out at least once today.-Marc

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111071236906341772005-03-17T09:23:00.000-05:002005-03-17T09:53:56.920-05:00

How can you pick the Padres for second place with a straight face Marc? Seriously? Well, I saw Bonds could only play part time in April, and I think the gap for second place, depending on how well the Padres come out of the gate, could be too big for the Giants to close. I am not saying it is because the Padres are that much better than San Fran, it is just that I feel they are close enough to

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111068876262164902005-03-17T08:54:00.000-05:002005-03-17T09:16:08.936-05:00

I am confident the Dodgers can repeat as NL West Division Champs this season, because they improved a few pieces of their team, and no longer have to worry about Juan Encarnacion's bat. The rotation is improved greatly, and the lineup will miss Adrian Beltre, but not too much considering J.D. Drew will be around, and as I already mentioned, Juan Encarnacion won't be. On to the transactions and

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1111003346633983862005-03-16T14:34:00.000-05:002005-03-16T15:02:26.636-05:00

Another week goes by, and the normal excitement surrounding spring training finds itself surrounded in a haze of steroids.Tomorrow, numerous baseball players (possibly including Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, and Curt Schilling) and even Commissioner Bud (I plead the 5th!) Selig will be testifying in front of Congress's House Reform Committee. Will we get answers? Will the players come clean?

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110989243035738152005-03-16T11:04:00.000-05:002005-03-16T11:12:50.843-05:00

I added a few new links to the site. Joy of Sox and Friendly Fenway are two really good Red Sox blogs that I plan on reading daily from now on, and if you haven't checked out the Most Valuable Network sites yet you definitely should. The Twins one gives a great view on how that organization is run, which is fascinating in its own right. Small celebration for me, as this blog was added to the

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110989050481453602005-03-16T10:46:00.000-05:002005-03-16T11:14:25.163-05:00

The 2005 Pirates will bring you more of the same: last place with a few inspiring players chugging along surrounded by mediocrity. This time around, its Jason Bay rather than Brian Giles, and Oliver Perez instead of Jason Schmidt. Recognizing this trend keeps me from optimism, sadly. Todd Ritchie, SP: Ritchie is returning to the place where he originally became overrated. He hasn't done anything

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110987357494148912005-03-16T10:06:00.000-05:002005-03-16T10:35:57.500-05:00

The Milwaukee Brewers. There is no team I would rather see rise to power in the NL Central, besides maybe the Reds, and overthrow the rule of the Cardinals and Cubs. The Astros would be overthrown, but they did a good job of starting that one by themselves. The Brewers time is not now, but hopefully for the sake of sausage lovers everywhere it is soon.Rigo Beltran, RP: 8.97 K/9 in 100 IP…2.46 K/

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110960614125531562005-03-16T02:49:00.000-05:002005-03-16T03:10:14.130-05:00

The Reds are funny. They have so much talent on the offense that they could somehow win the division if everything fell into place (although highly unlikely), or they could come away with the Wild Card. The problem is the offense always gets hurt, and then the team falls to pieces. It is basically perfectly balanced to win despite their pitching, but once its effectiveness goes down due to injury

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110918164693776442005-03-15T14:51:00.000-05:002005-03-15T15:22:44.703-05:00

A funny thing happened when Carlos Beltran chose the Mets over the Astros; in the time it took Beltran to sign his contract, the Astros went from playoff contender to 3rd or 4th place team. I'm not saying Beltran is worth 3 spots in a division, but his bat and defense and youth would have helped an aging Astros team considerably. The Astros problem is not a lack of identity; they might have a

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110916024556548372005-03-15T14:30:00.000-05:002005-03-15T14:47:04.560-05:00

A small victory for stat heads everywhere: The Detroit Tigers released outfielder Alex Sanchez today. Sanchez batted .322 last season with a .335 (shudder) OBP and awful defense. His .322 was hollow. Completely hollow. Singles and almost no walks. Here are some stats that give away how poor his .322 average actually was. His Isolated Power (Slugging Percentage minus Batting Average) was .063. His

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110817468222963142005-03-14T10:59:00.000-05:002005-03-14T11:26:17.233-05:00

The Cubs are one of the teams who will probably fight for the NL Wild Card, but I don't think they have the offensive weapons to win it this year. With the Marlins and Phillies stacked lineups, I would put the Cubs on a level above the Mets, based solely on the strength of their rotation...of course that rotation has to remain healthy for it to be most effective. With Dusty Baker calling the

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110720098738395742005-03-13T07:49:00.000-05:002005-03-13T08:21:38.746-05:00

I am not picking the Cardinals to repeat as division winners because they improved the most; I am picking them because they regressed the least. There was a huge shift of talent out of the NL Central this year, and the team that may have improved the most was probably Milwaukee. Sadly, they are not in a state where they will compete for the division yet, so St. Louis gets my call for first place.

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110631531065020222005-03-12T06:54:00.000-05:002005-03-12T07:46:09.563-05:00

Jim Bowden got the job as the interim G.M. of the Washington Nationals, and that makes me a sad panda. Not only because I did not get the job (like that was possible) but also because of what he did after getting it. If he was going to waste money on overrated players, they might as well have given me the job.Carlos Baerga, IF: Baerga had his uses as a pinch hitter, but he really does not do

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110602864859275572005-03-11T23:19:00.000-05:002005-03-11T23:47:44.876-05:00

The Mets are very capable of finishing in second or third as well, but as previously mentioned this division is swamped. The Mets improved greatly in a few areas, but are very capable of becoming a more talented fourth place team. If they can build on the success of this offseason as old contracts end, then the Mets will be a dangerous team to deal with in the next few years.Carlos Beltran, CF:

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110463377804573812005-03-10T08:59:00.000-05:002005-03-10T09:06:29.456-05:00

I want to host a chat of some sort at some point. Obviously I'll need questions to answer for this, so if anyone has any baseball related questions (or whatever, who cares) then either post it via comment on this post or e-mail me the question. If I get enough I'll do a Q&A sort of thing, and if there are a lot of responses maybe I'll do it every now and then. I plan on getting Kizner involved

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110462741088762222005-03-10T08:31:00.000-05:002005-03-10T08:52:21.110-05:00

The Philles firing of Larry Bowa will probably only add a win or two on to their total, but that is usually what they need at the end anyways. I have an issue picking the places of the five teams in the NL East, because with a few lucky bounces here and there four of them are capable of securing a playoff spot. Terry Adams, RP: Adams did nothing but make me worried in his time with the Red Sox in

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110289123354208512005-03-08T08:20:00.000-05:002005-03-08T08:38:43.363-05:00

I am saying that Florida will come in second, only because I have to choose someone. I am actually not really sure yet if Florida or Philly will take second place, but based on the past few choke jobs of the Phillies I'll go with Florida. Antonio Alfonseca, RP: Gives the Marlins another competitor for the closer position along with Guillermo Mota and Todd Jones. That is all I have to say really,

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110269460403475302005-03-08T02:53:00.000-05:002005-03-08T03:11:50.686-05:00

Since I had a lot of small thoughts today, I decided to blatantly rip off Peter Gammons and do some quick hits, Kizner style.--A great point about the asterisk being brought into question for stats of the steroid era. When you think inflated stats in baseball, you think the 60's and the 90's. In the 60's the mound was higher, and pitchers dominated. In the 90's there may or may not have been

Matthew Kiznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04753477813058656665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110210330663986432005-03-07T10:18:00.000-05:002005-03-07T10:45:30.666-05:00

I don't think the Braves are the most talented team in their division. At all. But I figure everything is going to magically fall into place for them like it does every year, and until they don't win the division I'm picking them to win it. I would rather be wrong in saying they will win then ignoring them and having them make me look silly...so my guess is now they will blow it since I'm taking

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110118198010523772005-03-06T09:00:00.000-05:002005-03-06T09:10:38.356-05:00

Many people think that Seattle is going to contend after signing Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson because the lineup has two "power" bats in it. Well, run scoring was a problem last year for the Mariners, but so were runs allowed, and they did not do squat about their rotation. Also, Richie Sexson is a guy who already hit his peak, is coming off labrum surgery, and is coming to a pitcher's park. I

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1110116607579607192005-03-06T08:19:00.000-05:002005-03-06T08:43:27.586-05:00

I expect the Rangers to basically do the same thing as last year. The only free agent they really added who will have any impact is Richard Hidalgo; Sandy Alomar Jr. and Robert Machado don't count as impact signings, even if they take the pressure of Barajas (who probably shouldn't be a starting catcher anyways). Third place again unless Seattle really improves, instead of just misses being a

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387111.post-1109948092368063332005-03-04T23:12:00.000-05:002005-05-07T09:49:43.203-04:00

Oddly enough, the Athletics have not signed a single free agent to a major league contract. They have made multiple trades and let some people go though, like Jermaine Dye and his albatross of a contract. Many people expect the Athletics to fall on their face this season, since the "Big Three" has been dismantled. Did anyone notice that Mulder fell apart the second half of last season, and that

Marc Normandinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050992424809461497noreply@blogger.com1