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Remember when we were undefeated, and the World Series Trophy was our destiny? Yeah, all gone. Now we are 0 for our last 3 and our pitching/defense have given up 34 runs. So now - NOW! - you can start saying and believing that Spring Training games don't mean anything. What we should pay attention to, instead, are individuals. And, really, it's too early for even that. Well, except for those guys who are going to start getting cut already, as some teams are now doing. And Danny Espinosa. Yeah, Espinosa. Him we can worry about. His slash line of .091 / .231 / .091 is sure underwhelming, but has lots of time to turn around, I suppose. But those 3 errors already? What is this, 2011 (when he committed 14)/ Or 2016 (when he committed 18)?
By the way, when I was looking at Espinosa's career fielding records, I notice something interesting. The number of errors he has committed at each position played, in each season played, do not total up to the same number assigned to him for his entire career. This is true for both MLB and BBR stats.
Give me some deteriorating math skills Links:
A Little Bit of Angels News
Jeff Sullivan must read HH. And I must have pissed him off. Because just days after I noticed that the over the past decade leading up to the anomaly that was 2016, the LAA ST results were just as good as PECOTA in 8 out of 10 tries, Sullivan puts out a whole bunch of numbers reminding us that ST results are crap.............
Albert Pujols is up to running the bases, and we might even seen him on the field in a practice game this week..........
Cameron Maybin is looking at the upside. Which is pretty much what the rest of us our doing...........
I am still searching my 2016 calendar for that day when Shit-The-Bedrosian became the great shutdown stud. I ain't arguing that he ain't. I just missed the memo. Because lots and lots of you AND the LAA coaching staff are believers. Maybe I just got lost in the morass of the lost season.............
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Everywhere In Baseball
Follow all the EBC stuff over here. I got enough on my plate.............
Maybe we can believe that we will be better this season than not just the A's, but the Mariners?..........
Don't be surprised that there are a lot of guys getting hurt already, now that they have broken the fast and started working their bodies hard. We have our own Huston Street, of course. And there is a growing rain of clips from around baseball. Yesterday it was David Dahl of the Rockies, and Michael Fulmer of the Tigers. But maybe a bigger name to watch is Scott Kazmir of the Dodgers, who went out with a hip injury after one inning and one pitch. Since Kazmir is on the wrong side of 30, and has already been around the injury block enough times, this is the kind of thing you don't want to see happen to a guy. It's riskier. Might be nothing, which is what we should be hoping for............
But none of those guys got nuthin' on David Price. Because David Price got his injury, took a deep breath, went into the doctor where the doctor found out that Price was healed!! It's a miracle!..........Maybe somebody should tell Price's cutter about that miracle?..........
We are about to get a new museum to add to our Baseball Bucket List. The Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City just got its starter fundraising money.............
All I need now is to learn that this young Thyago Vieira throws at 168mph. Then the story would be complete...........
Oh this will be fun. Seriously. The Cards and the Pirates will play a game in Williamsport, PA., and they will be playing this game while t he LLWS is going on..........
Baseball heals. It has in the past, and it can again today. And maybe that is just what is happening already by the very nature of the sport in today;s world............Because it ain't like that in most other parts of the sport world...........
You know yesterday how I linked to MLB StatCast and BAM working to make a fan-accessible version of WAR? No. Of course not. You didn't read that one. Well, go back and get it done and then come back here. Dave Cameron talks about it too. But as I read his piece, I cannot get the notion out of my head that Cameron is wanting the stat to remain among the more wizened, or at least held for the educated and qualified, lest it be misinterpreted and misused..........
In the world of sports business, we have two items. First up we got DirecTV going to rock your baseball world, and give you a discount on their 2017 MLB Extra Innings Package. A whopping buck twenty...............And the second item we can blame on all you cord cutters. Shame on you. ESPN is rumored to be on the verge of significant layoffs. And all because of lowered earnings...........
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The Duffle Bag
Ah, Spring Training Baseball. Simply the best!............Do you like numbers? Do you like baseball/ Do like writing? FanGraphs has launched a new residency program. They say it's paid. They don't say how much............Ballplayers need to spend ST time working on their arguing skills..........Anybody but me find it interesting that Ivan Rodriguez NOW wants everybody to put PEDs in the rear view mirror?..............Leonys Martin had himself a decent birthday...........The MFY, one of the last bastion of "high and tight". Maybe they think they can recall 1927 if they just keep the hair cuts...........Watch how fast it is that a window can close on an up and coming team phenomenon...........Chipper Jones, ticket hawk...........
OT: California bicyclists might soon be able to roll through stop signs? Apocalypse.............
Beer Times: It's a long read, but worth it. Because Heady Topper truly is one of America's nectars. If you can get your hands on one.............
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Halo-Oppo-ly
Week 5 of our Chance/Community Chest cards!
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