122 thoughts on “July 20, 2011: Juice”

      1. i still say we should make that a general image repository, replete with art from the citizenry.

            1. If everyone's cool with it, I might change the WGOM Achievements to a drop-down as well, one page for competitive achievements (fantasy leagues, Spooky Surivors, etc.) and the other for milestone comments.

                2. You just had 29,000 last night and 30,000 isn't far away. We're averaging just shy of 304 comments a day.

          2. if you search under Season Graphics on my blog, you can find all the past K images, etc. I guess I should eventually post my 2011 draft post...

          3. I created the "Our Images" page and it has two children: banners and strikeouts. On the Our Images page there are a few hypothetical categories included for the future.

            1. i'm not sure how to phrase it, something like "player accomplishment" or "XXX do good!", but something for individual player stuff, like rhu-ru's kuby smacks or the butters image, etc. is another i'd throw up there.

              1. I opted for "Player accomplishment" on the page. Might shorten it to "Player Event" for the drop-down.

                1. heh, "player event". for some reason, i like how sterile that is compared to the absurdity of most of the images.

                  (by the way, to add images to the site, you just "add new" in the media library, right?)

                  1. It's bland, but the idea was there could be images for good or bad things.

                    Yes. Select "Add New" in the media library and fill out the information (just title is fine). Then you can insert it into the page for use.

    1. Funny. Then there's this:

      "Right when it was hit, I had to go. I made the decision," Cuddyer said. "If I would have been doubled up, I would have been the goat, and that’s the way it would have been. Fortunately it didn’t happen."

      Interesting insight. Initial quote by socal on the gamelog.

      1. It wasn't all by the seat of his pants. Here's another quote:

        ``Valbuena's not an outfielder, nothing against him or whatever, but I know he’s a second baseman, and he’s playing outfield,'' Cuddyer said. ``And I knew he was playing in no doubles with me at the plate (that means deep), and any outfielder -- it doesn’t matter if it’s an experienced outfielder or a guy who’s filling in for injury is playing no doubles - so I knew he was playing deep

        That refers to his AB but also played into his decision to go for home. It was mentioned a bit in the game log last night but the outfielder was playing too deep when the bases were loaded. Cuddy noticed that and took a risk, but a calculated risk based on his knowledge of who was playing left and his positioning.

        I was thinking last night is the "no doubles" outfield alignment like the prevent defense in Football? Can be exploited by a dink and dunk offense?

        1. I think it makes sense only when a double will cost you the game (say Ben Revere is on first with two outs, game tied), just like a prevent defense only seems to make sense when the hail mary is the other team's only chance. If it otherwise was sound strategy, while wouldn't it be used all the time? It's not used because it doesn't maximize "outs" which is the currency that defenses should operate by at almost all times.

          I don't think they should've used it at any time last night.

        2. However, the one time a defense doesn't guard against extra bases they can get burned just as badly. For example, I'm still amazed that Ozzie didn't have Konerko guarding the line in the 8th inning on Span's triple. (I still can't believe how amazing that game plus Game 163 a year later proved to be. What are the odds of having two regular season games with such wild endings and huge implications in consecutive seasons?)

      2. I know the results worked out but I think it was a poor decision by Cuddyer. He beat the throw so easily that he didn't have to take off on contact. He could have gone halfway and still beaten the throw.

        If the leftfielder lays out and catches that ball, Mauer would have been able to score the tying run. If Cuddyer would have been doubled up on the play, it would have cost them the ballgame.

    2. The Giants have a surfeit of futility infielders to offer, but I'm not so sure about the middle relievers. They are actually pretty good (Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez).

  3. I've been a bit sparse around these parts for the past couple of months--a lot of life changes, including a wedding and a move to St. Paul--but I'm planning on easing back into things. Hope I haven't missed too much...

    And! I was able to take up AMR on his offer of a ticket to this afternoon's game. Very excited about getting to Target Field for the first time!

    1. Congratulations on the wedding and welcome to St. Paul! Cornsilk and I find that it's a very nice place to live.
      I kid, I kid. Welcome back & to the neighborhood.

              1. But then this cheered me up.

                I bought a doughnut and they gave me a receipt for the doughnut. I don't need a receipt for the doughnut. I'll just give you the money, and you give me the doughnut... end of transaction. We don't need to bring ink and paper into this. I just can't imagine a scenario where I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. Some skeptical friend: "Don't even act like I didn't get that doughnut! I got the doc-u-men-tation right here... oh, wait it's at home... in the file... under 'D'... for doughnut."

                1. “i was at a casino. i was minding my own business. this guy came up, he said, ‘you’re going to have to move, you’re blocking the fire exit.’ as though, if there were a fire, i wasn’t going to run. if you’re flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. and you can write that down, and put a dash in front of it, and put my name at the bottom.”

                  -mitch hedberg

                  (i could do this forever)

                2. Would have loved to see him live. Only 1 four-letter here, but probably still worth a NSFW.
                  httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWkhmw_PLTw

                    1. I would have liked to see him live, but I'm pretty sure I eventually heard everything in his act, anyway. The last couple of times I heard a show of his, it was all material I already knew. For a couple of years there I was obsessively searching for all things Hedberg.

  4. Yesterday, Moorhead, MN was the hottest, most humid place on earth, with a heat index of 133 and a dew point of 88. Truly, all extremes are available to you up here.

    I knew it was damned uncomfortable up here yesterday, but I didn't realize how uncomfortable. The dewpoint of 88 was a record for the entire state of Minnesota, all time.

    1. On the other hand, it was a dry heat: in Las Vegas this June, the air temperature reached 107, with a dew point of -22, meaning that the relative humidity was 1%.

        1. The numbers were especially hard to read. The rest of the uniform didn't really bother me, but my opinion of things isn't real valued, just binary.

      2. I didn't like the name when they announced it, but it's starting to grow on me a little. They pretty much go by "Chasers". I still prefer Omaha Royals myself.

        1. I don't mind "Storm Chasers"...maybe that's because when I worked in MiLB, I knew how ridiculous it could get. Dust Devils! AquaSox!

          1. AquaSox is kind of clever in an Eighties kind of way, seeing as they would otherwise be ColorSox. The only thing better might be Hol(e)ySox or DirtySox.

        2. I also can't believe how far away from Omaha they play. Elkhorn/Millard? Really? I suppose no one was wandering over to see them from Counciltucky and this allows them more access to Lincoln, but still...

  7. SBG, you still have access to the files WGOM That Was, right? Is there still any copy of any of the Comment Plaques you could retrieve and email to me?

    1. I do have access. When I get home later this week, I'll try to remember to do this.

    2. I was thinking it might be fun to have a "Best of the Old Basement" feature in the new digs. At your leisure, once a month, or something, you could find something from the old site and move it over here. Your call, I just thought it would be kind of fun.

      1. that would fall under the jurisdiction of the staff historian DPWY, i believe.

  10. From the TJ archives:

    -In 2008, he wrote "the obvious questions about the Packers/Favre/Vikings imbroglio [include] Where will Favre end up, and was Greta Van Susteren's facelift worth the money?" Again, Wait... What?!

    -In 2007, he explained, "[Johan] Santana, unlike [Torii] Hunter, is not thought to be eager to offer a discount to stay in Minnesota." Remember Torii's hometown discount offers. Ya, me neither.

    -In 2003, we learned that "[Ariel] Prieto is a utility-type player who was hitting .259 at Rochester and is considered a good fielder." I guess his editor that day was Bert.

    -In 1999, he was very prescient when describing the upcoming decison by the umpires: "The umpires are threatening to resign Sept. 2, to take their severance pay and never return. Two questions: Is that a promise? And can we get that in writing?" He added, "If Derek Jeter, whose signed bat is worth a small fortune, and Chad Allen, whose signed bat is worth almost as much as an unsigned one, take the same pitch, who is more likely to get a favorable call? Especially if Jeter just signed a bat for the home umpire, as he is often asked to do?" Really? I wonder if any of the signed Jeter bats on Ebay are being sold by Ken Kaiser.

    -I guess I was too hard on Crapps because in 1996, "The last 11 batters to face [Dave] Stevens, before Friday night had three home runs and five walks."

    2. I like how you are digging way back on TJ's writing, not just the past few years. He was a decent beat reporter, I think, but once he became a columnist his annoying-type tendencies really came to the fore.

    3. TJ was totally buffaloed by Hunter. He's so willing to skewer Mauer, going so far as to criticize him for endorsements while his latest man crush Cuddyer is praised for his charity work, as if Michael Cuddyer doesn't do commercials (LASIK!). Did he write one column chastizing Hunter for his "I'd like to play in [insert name of city he's currently in] next year" tour? I like Cuddyer, so I'm a little uncomfortable with TJ's man love for him, but can you ever imagine Cuddyer, the soon-to-be free agent conducting a similar tour? Yeah, me neither.

      2. "(Cuddyer's agent Casey Close) knows I love this organization and all things created equal, I want to be here for my whole career, no doubt. I've made no secret about that from Day 1."

        "I care so much about this organization," said Cuddyer, who wants to remain a Twin.
        So much, he says, that if it made sense and helped the organization, he'd even accept a deal to a club on his extremely limited no-trade list.
        "I do," said Cuddyer, who is hitting .282 with 10 homers and 27 RBI. "I care so deeply about this team, that if it helps the organization. ..."

      3. TJ uses Cuddyer quotes so often and speaks so glowingly of him, I can't help but think he's the "little birdy" saying that Mauer is a wimp. I don't want to believe it but the cynic in me says it has to be him.

        Plus, the more stories we get about Cuddyer being the real leader and Mauer being a wimp, the more irreplaceable Cuddyer becomes.

        1. Cuddyer's tried playing through a bunch of nagging injuries (and generally played like horse manure while doing so), so your theory wouldn't terribly surprise me.

  11. Right after I pray for an end to the NBA lockout, I pray that the following is true (from 4LTR's article on the NBA schedule):

    March 21: New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
    The Knicks may have more media coverage, but the 76ers, now under new ownership, could very well be the better team next season.

    1. In semi-related news, the coaching search begins.

      Terry Porter
      Mike Woodson
      except:

      He also is one of two finalists — former New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank is the other — for the vacant Detroit job and could be using the Wolves interview as leverage to persuade the Pistons to choose him.

      1. things are bad when a coaching candidate is using the T-pups as "leverage" to get a job coaching a roster as screwed up as Detroit's is right now. Mmm, they mutinied on the last coach; I think I wanna go there!!!

  14. Pertinent to the number retiring discussion I missed yesterday: the Blue Jays are retiring Roberto Alomar's number, the first ever for the franchise. I find this much more interesting than the case for or against Bert's number being retired, which I admittedly support, because while Alomar will be enshrined as a Blue Jay, he was actually worth (marginally) more as an Indian - 20.6 rWAR over three years in Cleveland to 20.1 rWAR over five in Toronto. Frankly, I'm inclined to agree with Rob Neyer on this:

    Dave Stieb was a Jay from 1979 through 1992 (and then again briefly during his bizarre comeback in 1998). Stieb was a full-time starting pitcher from 1980 through 1990, and in those 11 seasons he led all major-league pitchers in Wins Above Replacement (or was third, if you like the other WAR).

    Both were obviously fantastic players, but Stieb was more fantastic for the Jays for a lot more years. Frankly, unless the franchise has some sort of rule about a guy being in the Hall of Fame, Stieb's number 37 should have been retired years ago.

    Stieb totaled 53.6 rWAR as a Blue Jay. The next closest players are Roy Halladay (47.4) and Carlos Delgado (33.8), Tony Fernandez (33.3), and Jimmy Key (27.8).

    1. He was the first guy who jumped to mind for number retirement for the Jays, but I wouldn't have guessed his numbers were that impressive.

      1. He's outside the Hall of Fame, but just, and even then there's a pretty good argument for his career as HOF-worthy. Limiting it to starters, Stieb actually has more rWAR than Hall of Famers Early Winn, Eppa Rixley, Clark Griffith, Waite Hoyt, Lefty Grove, Bob Lemon, Addie Joss, Dizzy Dean, Chief Bender, Burleigh Grimes, Herb Pennock, Jesse Haines, Jack Chesbro, Catfish Hunter, Rube Marquard, and Monte Ward (basically the 19th century Babe Ruth).

        Stieb makes Hunter in particular look like an atrocious HOF selection. Stieb finished with 53.0 rWAR, Hunter 32.5.

        1. Winning 20+ games five consecutive years, including a Cy Young for a WS champion will get you remembered by voters. Hunter's career looks similar to Stieb, just played for better teams and cut short by injuries.

          1. I think I get what you're saying, but winning more games because he pitched for better teams but had a shorter career is an awfully silly reason for Hunter to get any individual accolades. Stieb got seven HOF votes. He might as well have been pitching on Saturn for all the BBWAA noticed.

      2. He was a compiler. His career ERA+ was 96. That's why his number wasn't retired. He pitched a ton of innings, but was an average pitcher over his career as far as people remember. I'm surprised he didn't have a higher K rate (4.8). For some reason I was thinking of him as a guy with a lot of strikeouts. He did finish in the Top 10 in the AL in Ks five consecutive years, but that was mostly because he finished in the top five in IP all five years.

        1. Whoops!! Wrong line. He tried to make a comeback at age 40 and B-Ref put a line in between his last year and the previous time he pitched, so I thought that was the career total. His ERA+ was 123. His career K rate was 5.2, so a little better. Yeah, he was very good and should have had his number retired.

        2. You're looking at his 1998 comeback attempt. Stieb's career ERA+ was 123, not 96, and he managed a 1.245 WHIP over sixteen seasons while throwing nearly 2900 innings. He lead the league in pitcher rWAR three times, was second twice, and finished in the Top 5 six times in all.

          You can add Alomar's time in Cleveland to his totals in Toronto and he's still not within 12 rWAR of Stieb's mark.

    2. I agree that Stieb is a better candidate than Alomar to have his number retired by the Jays. I think the issue here is similar to why Radke won't have his number retired for the Twins. Stieb is better than Radke (higher peak and more total value), I don't think there's any arguing that, but they both had underwhelming win totals thanks to poor run support, bad luck, etc. And also thanks to those underwhelming win totals, he got little to no consideration for end-of-year awards.

      For instance, in '85 he could really have made a name for himself. Led the league in ERA and the Blue Jays made the playoffs for the first year in their history. But Stieb went 14-11 in the regular season and finished in a tie for 7th place in the Cy voting. (To be fair, Saberhagen was probably good enough to deserve it that year, but you just know that if Stieb had 23 wins that year, the Cy was his, and Stieb should have been top 4 at least, certainly not behind a relief pitcher (Quiz) with a similar ERA.) Then, in the ALCS, as the staff ace, he pitched games 1, 4, and 7. The Jays won Game 1 on an 8-inning, 0-run Stieb effort. They won Game 4 on a 6.2-inning, 1-run Stieb outing for which he got a no decision. Then in Game 7, Stieb didn't have it (or was unlucky or was let down by his defense, or and gave up 6 runs in 5+ innings.

      Had Stieb gotten 20 wins that year and gone all Jack Morris 1991 in the '85 ALCS Game 7, and led the Jays to a WS title, then he surely would have had his number retired by now. As it is, maybe he gets remembered as the guy who couldn't quite get the job done. Basically, the performance was there, but he didn't have the story to go with it.

      Radke vs. Hrbek is a good analogy here, I think. Radke's got a higher bWAR than Hrbek pretty handily, but Hrbek has two WS rings and Radke has none. Stieb has a higher bWAR than Alomar easily, but Alomar has two WS rings, and his arrival coincided with those two WS rings (and he had back-to-back 6+ bWAR seasons in those years.) Twins fans probably remember Hrbek more fondly than Radke just because they remember Hrbek's teams more fondly, even if Radke was better on the merits of his performance.

      1. Hrbek was also the hometown kid. That's probably worth pretty close to a third WS ring all by itself in the eyes of fans (and perhaps the organization).

        Your comparison between Stieb and Radke is a pretty good one, though. Incredibly, Radke is third all-time in pitcher rWAR not just for the Twins, but for the entire franchise going back to 1901. He's even tied with Goose Goslin for 10th most rWAR all-time.

        1. Good call on the hometown angle, that definitely matters. If Stieb had been from anywhere in Canada even, he'd probably have had his number retired by now.

    1. My parents gave me a subscription to SI last winter. The baseball covers since March have been: DiMaggio, the Phillies rotation, Starlin Castro, Berra, and Jeter. Yes that's right. There have been as many covers this season of retired Yankees as the rest of the baseball world.

            1. I have the new JoePos article waiting for me on my Kindle at home. I wish I had WiFi here at the office or I would have read it already.

  16. the Tigers make a move (twitter)

    jonmorosi Jon Morosi
    #Tigers have acquired Wilson Betemit from #Royals for two prospects.

          1. hmm. now only if we had a place where we could store these images for all to see and use at their leisure...

    1. Thanks, man. That wasn't my first time making that one and it was quite good the first time around as well. I only hope the brown ale lives up to it as well.

    1. DudeYerGettinADelmon: BOOM BITCH /grounds out to second

      I will be laughing about for a long, long time.

  21. Did anybody catch this from Reusse last week? (About Slowey)

    "OK, he has balked at pitching out of the bullpen. He's a know-it-all in the clubhouse. His condescending manner agitates media members who choose not to laugh at such things."

    Since when is a ballplayer in the doghouse because he doesn't play nice with the media?! I get so tired of Reusse and TJ deciding they don't like someone and then just obliterating them in the paper on a daily basis.

    I seem to remember Slowey pitching out of the bullpen this year. He just didn't have much success. He wouldn't be the first player that wasn't able to make that transition.

    1. I had the misfortune of catching Dark Star on KFAN for about 5 minutes and his view of Slowey was very similar. It certainly explains the media's willingness to take the company line and pile on.

      Dark Star also raved about Dumatrait. Maybe he tells dirty jokes to the media.

      1. I like Reusse because, while he's a crotchety old man, he's at least a crotchety old man who knows baseball as opposed to guys like Dark Star.

        1. Reusse's non-idiocy, for me, is more than made up for by his whining.

          Dark, Star, though...ugh, the horror. I actually somehow never heard him once until I was about 27 (sports radio was never really my thing), and when I did, I thought I was going to puke. He knows nothing about the game. Nothing.

        2. I wish I could just filter out all Reusse and Souhan columns where they are clearly trolling (for lack of a better word.) When they actually decide to seriously talk about baseball and not soap opera drama BS like whether Kevin Slowey likes to hold hands with members of the media, they are interesting (Reusse more so than Souhan, but still.)

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