Attention to detail is the foundation of journalism

The New York Daily News polls its readers. Nice work, fellas:

How many games will C.C. win for the Yankees in 2009?

0-5 4%
5-10 4%
10-15 18%
15-18 36%
18-20 2 7%
more than 20 12%

I think C.C. [sic] will win exactly 15 games.

So I voted twice.

Because I think he will win both 10-15 games and 15-20 games.

The biggest fraud in baseball.

Cash in with a stupid GM while you can:

"A far better way to measure a reliever’s value is a statistic called Win Probability Added, which compares a team’s chances of winning a game before a pitcher takes the mound to the same figure once he departs. So the closer who protects the three-run lead in the ninth is credited with only 0.035 wins — the difference between the 96.5 percent likelihood of victory when he entered and the 100 percent when he left — while the setup man keeping a game tied in the eighth gets 0.113 wins, for increasing his team’s odds of victory from 36.5 percent to 47.8 percent.

Rodríguez’s 3.33 W.P.A. was only the fourth best among American League closers last year, trailing Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria and Bobby Jenks."

I don't need Win Probability Added to know that K-Rod is not the best closer in the AL.

The End of Logic.

"It would probably cost the Mets $20-22 million a year for five years, but they are getting $25 million a year for 20 years from Citigroup, which is getting $45 billion from our wonderful government. Call it a Federal Bailout of the Mets."

Either Manny is worth that much money or he is not.

The value of the product is not determined by the source of the funding.

The Mets can probably afford to pay Manny $22M, and it's likely a good idea. But that's also $22M in opportunity cost -- like an entire bullpen.


"I know Manny laid down at times last year because he was unhappy about his contract status (just ask Mariano Rivera and every member of the Red Sox), but there are a lot of people who believe Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado did the same thing because they were unhappy with Willie Randolph."

So Manny's negative is no longer a negative because Reyes and Delgado share the same negative.


I love logic. This guy stumbled into the right answer and can't give a good reason why.

It's not even really that difficult to figure out why Manny is worth it: He hits good.

Took you long enough.

"If Pettitte signs elsewhere, regardless of the dollar figure, he should be viewed as a world-class phony forever around here.
...

In his moment of need, when it was revealed Pettitte was both a liar and cheater, the Yankees stood by him last season. At that time, Pettitte was only too happy to say the Yankees were the only team he ever wanted to play for any more. He did not say he only wanted to play for the Yankees unless they offer him a paycut.The Yanks have indeed offered that cut. Pettitte made $16 million last year and, according to sources, he was offered $10 million to return in 2009. So far, Pettitte has rejected that bid while his camp has done nothing to dispel reports linking him to Joe Torre and the Dodgers."

Good article, but it's five years late.

Awww, shucks.

This guy's a trip:

"Before seducing free-agent CC Sabathia with a six-year, $140 million pitch, the Yankees made an offer to Pettitte. The offer was less than the $16 million the 36-year-old left-hander made last year, when he was 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA in 33 starts.

...

Nevertheless, the Yankees received word that Pettitte didn't want to take a pay cut."

So he's going to go play for the Dodgers and blame Steinbrenner again.

Did Roger Clemens give you permission to do this?

2008 AL MVP.

Love the vote for Jason Bartlett, a player with 48 runs scored and 37 runs batted in. That's for the entire season, and he wasn't a pitcher.

Them		Us
Dustin Pedroia	317	Dustin Pedroia	20
Justin Morneau	257	Josh Hamilton	19
Kevin Youkilis	201	Justin Morneau	16
Joe Mauer	188	Kevin Youkilis	12
Carlos Quentin	160	Carlos Quentin	6
Francisco Rodriguez	143	Miguel Cabrera	4
Josh Hamilton	112	Alex Rodriguez	4
Alex Rodriguez	45	Joe Mauer	3
Carlos Pena	44
Grady Sizemore	42
Evan Longoria	38
Cliff Lee	24
Miguel Cabrera	17
Vladimir Guerrero	16
Jermaine Dye	14
Aubrey Huff	12
Milton Bradley	9
Jason Bartlett	6
Mike Mussina	3
Raul Ibanez	1
Ian Kinsler	1
Ichiro Suzuki	1
Mark Teixeira	1

Fielding Statistics.

"But Abreu will be 35 when next season starts and his range in right field has become glacial. The video scouts at Baseball Info Solutions charted every play this season. On six occasions, Abreu allowed a ball to deflect off the wall over his head, allowing a runner (or runners) to take extra bases. That was tied with overrated Pirates center fielder Nate McLouth for the most in baseball."

Right field at Yankee Stadium compared to center field at PNC Park.

314 feet compared to 590 feet.

It was Pettitte or me.

"Country singer Mindy McCready claims she broke off her relationship with Roger Clemens when the former baseball star wouldn’t marry her ..."

I think Pedroia will win AL MVP.

I think Youkilis will be second.

I didn't do much research. Just a hunch.

According to Tom Singer, the favorites are Francisco Rodriguez and Josh Hamilton.

I think one of these so-called "favorites" will not crack the top five.

As for the lunacy of Rodriguez's MVP qualifications:

"K-Rod had a hand -- or, rather, a right arm -- in almost two out of every three Angels wins."

Pedroia scored 118 runs and played in almost every game.


"His record of 62 saves wasn't the result of greater use -- he appeared in a similar number of games each of the prior four seasons."
We agree. It was just a statistical fluke because his team happened to play in a lot of close games. His save% was under 90%, if I remember correctly.

"Rather, as manager Mike Scioscia pointed out, it was owed to the amazing number of situations begging for his specialty that presented themselves."

Statistical fluke.


"The Angels won 63 games by one or two runs; K-Rod saved 51 of them, and he picked up the victory in two others."

No mention of the blown saves or the losses.


"No one else in the league, obviously, has directly affected as many team wins."

Dustin Pedroia scored 118 runs and played in almost every game.

"By definition, no one else has been as valuable."

True.

Except for Pedroia, Youkilis, Hamilton, A-Rod, Mariano, Mussina, Mauer, Morneau, Sizemore, Bradley, Kinsler, Ordonez, Cabrera, Quentin, and probably Carlos Pena, too.

2008 NL MVP.

Wow.

Not much divergence this year in the "Them vs. Us" awards voting.

Them		Us
Albert Pujols	369	Albert Pujols	32
Ryan Howard	308	Ryan Howard	28
Ryan Braun	139	Lance Berkman	6
Manny Ramirez	138	Ryan Braun	6
Lance Berkman	126	Manny Ramirez	5
CC Sabathia	121	David Wright	5
David Wright	115	Chipper Jones	3
Brad Lidge	104	Hanley Ramirez	3
Carlos Delgado	96	Matt Holliday	2
Aramis Ramirez	66	Jose Reyes	1
Hanley Ramirez	55
Chipper Jones	44
Geovany Soto	41
Johan Santana	30
Chase Utley	30
Ryan Ludwick	17
Brandon Webb	14
Adrian Gonzalez	13
Matt Holliday	13
Prince Fielder	11
Derrek Lee	10
Carlos Beltran	10
Tim Lincecum	9
Jose Reyes	3
Jose Valverde	3
Stephen Drew	2
Nate McClouth	1

Peter Gammons uses the word "juxtapose."

"Yet the logic behind Hank Steinbrenner's announcement of the offer could be to scare others away.

But scaring people won't happen. Sabathia is in no rush. He went to a high school football game outside Houston on Saturday with Adam Dunn, Orlando Hudson and other friends. And whether Steinbrenner realizes it or not, Sabathia will give the West Coast teams every opportunity to make him an offer that his family lifestyle cannot refuse. Signing him will take a while.

Sabathia is fascinated by the Dodgers and the Angels, and knowing the Dodgers are in it offers him the chance to make due diligence on his opportunities for his financial and familial futures. It's clear this weekend, as he relaxes with friends, that he isn't stirred up by the immediate frenzy."

After reading this, I'm even more convinced that Sabathia will be a Yankee.

My bold prediction.

CC will sign with the Yankees.

2008 AL Cy Young.

Them		Us
Cliff Lee	132	Cliff Lee	44
Roy Halladay	71	Roy Halladay	18
Francisco Rodriguez	32	Francisco Rodriguez	9
Daisuke Matsuzaka	10	Mike Mussina	7
Mariano Rivera	3	Daisuke Matsuzaka	5
Mike Mussina	2	Mariano Rivera	3
Ervin Santana	2	Joe Nathan	1
		Ervin Santana	1

2008 NL Cy Young.

Them		Us
Tim Lincecum	137	Tim Lincecum	33
Brandon Webb	73	Johan Santana	20
Johan Santana	55	Brandon Webb	20
Brad Lidge	10	CC Sabathia	15
CC Sabathia	9	Ryan Dempster	2
Ryan Dempster	4	Eric Gagne	1

Compare and Contrast, Election Edition.

Harry Carson, Giants Hall of Famer:

"I voted for Barack Obama at 7:30 this morning. ... I've always taken voting seriously because people died to give me the right to vote."

Chris (Mad Dog) Russo, Sirius XM sports radio:

"I voted for McCain. Tough call. Eenie-meenie-miney-moe thing."

Errr ...

How about no?

Teams that got rid of Bob Abreu: 1.

Teams with Bob Abreu: 0.

Best Player in Baseball 0-for-Series.

But he's definitely clutch. He's the kind of player you build a Championship Team around.

Tampa is too tight. I mean, too relaxed. I can't keep track.

They lost one game, and they even almost won:

"And yet there comes a point at which relaxation runs into complacency, where one loss turns into two and then three and four, and then the inherent flaw in their thinking – espoused by Bob Marley – gets exposed: Every little thing isn’t gonna be all right."

I must say that the Rays are definteily in trouble in the 2008 World Series if they lose four games. It's happened to other teams in World Series over the years. One loss turns into two and then three and four.

As for the Rays/Bob Marley attitude problem ... I can't follow the logic. Read that sentence again and try if you want to lose your mind.