Around Baseball 2015

[Grant77]

Last post here:

 

I didn't say Marcus Stroman can't succeed. I obviously want him to succeed.

 

The team says he is 5'8 and pitchers that short have found limited success in the majors, a clear and obvious fact. The best pitchers anyone has come up with are disappointing based on the sample size. These pitchers (Norman, Shantz, Phoebus) have found some success, but have spent significant amounts of time in the bullpen. What does this mean? Why does it happen? I don't know.

 

What we all should know is that history repeats itself. The odds are against Stroman, let's hope he continues to defy them. He's sure looked good so far even with the missed season due to injury.

[Boxcar]

Lol I f***ing knew he'd start arguing because of a single goddamn inch discrepancy. Lmfao.

[Orgfiller]

You know which pitcher also missed large chunks of multiple seasons for one reason or another?

 

All of them

[Laika]

Either way, it proves that your statement was wrong.

 

What statement?

[Laika]

... The odds are against Stroman, let's hope he continues to defy them. He's sure looked good so far even with the missed season due to injury.

 

The odds are against basically any pitcher breaking into the league, of any size, to have sustained success mostly injury free as a starting pitcher.

 

You have done nothing to show that Stroman faces taller odds because of his shorter stature. Nothing scientific, nothing logical, not even in a common sense sense.

 

Would you even give half a mind to the notion that the only reason to ignore pitchers *slightly taller than Stroman would be to fit your narrative? There would be no discernible functional difference between the heights of Stroman and, say, Eddie Cicotte, or Pedro, or whoever (in terms of effect on their health or whatever).

[Jimcanuck]

Hey wasn't there a short, fat guy that was one of the better CF'ers ever? 5'8" and 220 lbs? Stats are great for projections, as long as you understand there will always be exceptions.

 

A wife abuser also, as i recall.

[Chappy]

Stroman has already proven over a SSS that he can be dominant. There is little reason to think this won't continue given the quality of his work. Anyone watching him pitch can see how effective he can be and why that is. Size certainly plays a significant role with SP, but it isn't definitive. For all we know several undersized SP probably and likely were never given a legitimate opportunity because of stereotypical opinions.

[Olerud363]

Marcus Stroman is listed as 5'8. What part of 5'8 and under don't you understand? You can't change the facts just to add players to your sample and make it look like you are right.

 

My grandpa was at that game by the way, tells me about it all of the time.

 

If you are going to compare someone to anything you have to make that someone the middle... for example if I am going to compare you to guys in your town with an IQ of 150 (your IQ), it is doubtful I can find enough geniuses like yourself, with an exact IQ of 150, in your small town to get a large enough sample. So I'd have to get some people who have close to, but not exactly your IQ.

 

If I compared you to guys with your IQ and below I'd get you and 10 people obviously inferior to your genius. If I compared you to guys with your IQ and above you'd be the dumbest of the group.

 

So I'd need to make a group where you are average, the group would have you, some guys close, but below you, and some guys (and girls too) close but above you... so you are the average representation of the group.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Olerud363

[Olerud363]

Bobby Shantz had exactly one full season as a starter...

 

You actually notice a very common trend with guys like him, Fred Norman, and Tom Phoebus. Injuries and transition to the bullpen. Maybe there's a reason for it.

 

You also need to consider co-factors... for example maybe shortness is correlated with velocity... and velocity is the important factor...

 

Take a simple 2 parameter model using velocity and height... it could be that height just predicts velocity, but does not predict anything independent of velocity... velocity predicts future performance.

 

It's not that simple, but that's the road you have to go down to do it properly.

[TheHurl]

Paul DePodesta leaving the Mets to become the Cleveland Browns Chief Strategy Officer. Same job Shapiro was offered last Summer

[King]

Fantastic story about the doping

 

Includes a lot of MLB stuff as well.

 

Interesting follow up to this documentary: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/06/sports/baseball/al-jazeera-peyton-manning-derek-jeter-charles-sly.html?_r=0

 

tldr - All the guys Charlie Sly mentioned as PED users in the documentary, have connections to a certain fitness trainer in Florida, who is a business partner of Charlie Sly. The players appear in pictures on the business website/instagram, some of which have been removed.

[burlingtonbandit]

Nice find. I find it hard to believe Sly was lying about all of those claims. He had a much larger reason to lie in his youtube video than when he was being recorded unwillingly. There are tons of athletes taking PEDs in all sports right now, its naive to think it doesn't happen.

 

No one cares athletes take PEDs including the owners themselve. Owners only care when players get caught and the perception of their franchise. Painkillers and cocaine are just as bad if not worse than PEDs yet are abused by athletes all the time and no one blinks an eye. Hell, for NFL the damage done on the field is 3x as bad as the damage done by PEDs.

[RealAccountant]

Only a minor league deal for Ramos

[burlingtonbandit]

Zimmerman and Howard have filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera. This is going to be really interesting.

[RealAccountant]

Zimmerman and Howard have filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera. This is going to be really interesting.

 

Well they are completely innocent. Athletes would never take peds designed that can evade drug tests lmao.

[burlingtonbandit]

Well they are completely innocent. Athletes would never take peds designed that can evade drug tests lmao.

 

personally I don't think they are innocent at all. The lawsuit will open a huge investigation which will include their testimony which is the part I find interesting.

[Abomination]

personally I don't think they are innocent at all.

 

Swiiinnnggg and a miss.

[GD]

personally I don't think they are innocent at all. The lawsuit will open a huge investigation which will include their testimony which is the part I find interesting.

 

THANKS TIPS

 

​cf

[Spanky99]

personally I don't think they are innocent at all. The lawsuit will open a huge investigation which will include their testimony which is the part I find interesting.

 

Do you think, before you post BB?

[HERPDERP]

Maeda's medicals are bust, contract is getting delayed a bit

[Spanky99]

Maeda's medicals are bust, contract is getting delayed a bit

 

Why do you never deliver a source?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initially.

[HERPDERP]

Royals resign Gordon, 4 years 72m

[HERPDERP]

Why do you never deliver a source?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initially.

 

cause I'm lazy

 

[BTS]

Good for KC. They get to keep their best player. Surprisingly cheap contract too.

[Frenchsoup]

Seems like a real nice deal for KC.

[RealAccountant]

Good news for a Bautista extension

[HERPDERP]

Good news for a Bautista extension

 

After seeing this I think he should ask 4 years, $20million at least.

[L54]

Nice deal for KC. They really needed to bring him back.

[glory]

Royals got a good deal, likely in large part to Gordon wanting to stay there.

[xposbrad]

After seeing this I think he should ask 4 years, $20million at least.

 

New York won't even touch that, so what other AL team would be willing/have the money to do that for a 36 year old DH? Maybe Red Sox, that's it. I don't mind 3/60 and even that could be risky but that extra 4th year for strictly a 39 year old DH is a tough pill to swallow and a huge gamble. Even years 37 - 38 could see JB declining quite rapidly as most players have already retired by that age.