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Facial Hair Watch: David Price

From Fox Sports:

Taking note of his beard, I told Price he’d have to shave if the Yankees traded for him.

“I wouldn’t stay there very long then,” he responded. “I wouldn’t sign a long-term deal there. Those rules, that’s old-school baseball. I was born in ’85. That’s not for me. That’s not something I want to be a part of.”

Anyone want to take part in a David Price facial hair contest? Make your best David Price facial hair jpegs, send ’em to [EDITED: me, because I didn’t mean to overwhelm the NotGraphs tips account with David Price beard pictures], and I’ll post the best on Monday.

price


Spring Training Questions

Brennan-Boesch

1. Who will be the starting leftfielder for the Tigers?
2. Were there always three outfielders?
3. Who decided that the Tigers should be named the Tigers?
4. Did Tigers roam the streets of Detroit in the late 19th century?
5. Do Tigers roam the streets of Detroit now?
6. Is that why no one lives in Detroit?
7. Do any of the Tigers players actually live in Detroit?
8. There’s a Broadway musical with a character named Nathan Detroit, right?
9. Is there a reason I know that?
10. Have any Tigers players seen any Broadway musicals?
11. Why is Brennan Boesch’s name so hard to spell?
12. In fact, with Jhonny Peralta, Quintin Berry, Brayan Villarreal, Drew Smyly, and Al Albuwhatever are the Tigers collectively the hardest-to-spell team in the majors?
13. Has anyone measured that?
14. Is Al Alburquerque the only major leaguer whose last name is also a major city?
15. No, even the Tigers have at least one more in Ramon Santiago, so that’s a stupid question, no?
16. And there’s always at least a couple of players named Washington, I guess, right?
17. Plus I’m forgetting about Austin Jackson, yes?
18. Should these even count as questions when some of them are really just statements?


Elderly Gentleman, Near Death, Brings Veteran Experience To Pennant-Chasing Team

Niekro

Inspired way too much by this article. Sorry, Ty Wigginton.

MESA, Ariz. — There he is, next to the oxygen tank, with a paramedic by his side at all times. Yep, it’s Oscar Grimstone, 102 years young, trying to fit his arthritic feet into a pair of cleats for the 83rd consecutive spring, stretching his artificial hip on the field, getting ready to play for the residents of a state that didn’t even exist when he was born, in the uniform of his 57th different major league team.

Though Grimstone is unlikely to play with any degree of regularity, or even play at all, his experience, grit, determination, pacemaker, moxie, desire, dementia, and large supply of powerful medication are all likely to help his team reach its dream of the postseason. Especially the medication. But also the grit.

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Justin Turner: Probably Not Taking Steroids

In other Mets news, the very excellent Metsblog has a couple of photos from the Mets team bowling night. But it doesn’t say who won– the team with David Wright, Ike Davis, and owner’s son Jeff Wilpon? Or the team with Collin McHugh, Rob Carson, and Josh Edgin? Any guesses?


Crowdsourcing Your Spring Training Leaderboards

giavotella

Here is a pointless exercise I just thought of.

Every year there are a handful of fringe players who go crazy in the spring. Andy Dirks, Lorenzo Cain, Colin Cowgill, Joe Mather, Luis Mendoza last year, to name a few.

Who will 2013’s spring surprises be? Throw some picks in the comments, and six weeks from now I’ll revisit and see if any readers picked out the unexpected stars.

My picks, based on nothing: Johnny Giavotella, Adam Rosales, Michael Bowden.

(Okay, based on slightly less than nothing… reasonably young, and a potential job to win with a good spring.)


Strangest Spring Training Tweets


Excerpts from Mike Piazza’s New Memoir

mike piazza eating cereal

“…and so I knew it was time to hang it up once I realized my O-Swing % with the A’s in ’07 was way higher than my career norms.”

“…the numbers might say I was -62.9 fielding runs for my career, but my off-the-cuff calculations had me at something closer to -40. Then again, I was a late convert from Total Zone to UZR.”

“…sure, you could say my numbers were a little low in high leverage situations. But if you look at how I did with men in scoring position, you’ll see there’s no statistically significant difference with how I did when no one was on base.”

“…did I use steroids? Let’s just say I did a comprehensive cost-benefit calculation and made the economically rational decision, taking into account the risk of getting caught and the reputational effects factored out over the rest of my expected years of remaining life.”


…News Ticker…

rotoworld

…Mets sign Ben McDonald to minor league contract…Jimmie Foxx arrested for DUI…Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says, “Steve Yeager will probably end up playing somewhere else this year”…Jack Morris returning for comeback attempt as backup second basemen and right-handed hitter off the bench…Infielder Jose Oquendo avoids arbitration…Padres claim C Terry Kennedy off waivers and invite him to spring training…Diamondbacks prospect D’Angelo Jimenez says his right testicle is “100 percent” after a winter of rehab…Nancy Pelosi told by a “team source” that Mike Boddicker will be available for the second week of spring training games…Agent Scott Boras has denied planting a rumor that Michael Bourn is the son of God and should therefore be signed by someone immediately…Albert Belle ready to report for spring training despite continued hip pain…Nick Esasky told WZBG radio that he was “not encouraged” by failure to learn a knuckleball in the offseason…R.A. Dickey contemplates building mountain behind Rogers Stadium, climbing it…Tigers general manager Randy Smith says the position of first base coach will be “mix and match” for the start of the season…Blue Jays manager Preston Gomez announced that Rollie Fingers will open the season as the team’s center fielder…Jeffrey Loria is named in records from the Miami-based Biogenesis clinic, which reportedly distributed the chicken pox virus to players and their children…The Astros are considering forfeiting the 2013 season…Cecil Fielder released a statement denying any involvement in the Watergate scandal…Mike Maddux is available and drawing interest from 16 teams…Rays designated three bags of sunflower seeds for assignment…Brewers prospect Cecil Cooper gives birth to a baby daughter…Russ Canzler placed on waivers, claimed, placed back on waivers, claimed again, placed back on waivers, once again claimed, and then placed on waivers…


“Added Some Bulk”

Chris Getz

Chris Getz has apparently “added some bulk,” according to Ned Yost.

Since the “best shape of my life” beat is already taken, maybe I can compile the “added some bulk” collection.

Chris Sale

and… that’s it. Or at least that’s all Google can help me find.

Okay, this will not be a big collection. Also, Chris Sale is not very bulky.


“We Have Players!”

Slogan

The Royals announced their 2013 slogan on Monday: “Come to Play.” Inspiring. SB Nation has a post that collects some of the most ridiculous slogans over the past 15 years. “Come to Play” was also used by the 2004 Rangers, who actually didn’t play so badly. The historically bad ’03 Tigers: “We Come to Play.” Okay then. The 2002 Orioles: “Give us an O!” The 2001 Brewers: “It’s All Here Under One Roof.”

Made me want to try and invent some of my own. Add yours in the comments and we’ll vote on the best later in the week!

“We Have Players!”

“There Will Be Games!”

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