Are Diamonds a Girl's Best Friend? The Big Spending 2006 Toronto Blue Jays thread

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From BP:

STAT OF THE DAY

Bottom 5 2006 AL Second Basemen, by PECOTA Projected VORP

Player, Team, Projected VORP

Aaron Hill, TOR, 11.4
Mark Grudzielanek, KCA, 13.3
Adam Kennedy, LAA, 13.4
Ron Belliard, CLE, 15.2
Jose Lopez, SEA, 18.3

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 20:03 (twenty years ago)

That's some elite company he's in.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 20:40 (twenty years ago)

Is Hinske really going to play LF on a regular basis? The only decent fielders in our everyday lineup will be Wells and Molina.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:19 (twenty years ago)

BP staff down on getting rid of Orlando Hudson; not enough hitting to win (they see 2d if NYY or BOS implode).

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:24 (twenty years ago)

Well ... BP is also down with the White Sox route to success (great starting pitching, great defense, home runs) and the Jays should have been able to follow that model if they wanted to. They certainly play in the right ballpark for it. This year's team will be lucky to finish in the top five in the AL in runs, which probably won't be enough to compensate for what they're giving up in defense.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:42 (twenty years ago)

I thought BP was more down w/ what the White Sox appeared to be built to do (decent pitching, great defense, slappy small ball offense) in conjunction w/ what folks thought they were doing (OH THANK GOD FOR REAL BASEBALL), not what their numbers actually revealed (the great pitching / defense / homer trifecta).

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:46 (twenty years ago)

I don't think so ... when has BP ever been high on a small ball team?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:51 (twenty years ago)

"down ON" Hudson's absence ... they don't think the Jays have the '99-04 Delgado-like thumper they need to win (this was said at the Yogi Berra Museum panel).

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:54 (twenty years ago)

OK, I misunderstood you ... I thought you (and BP) meant that they didn't have enough hitting to win with Hudson, so trading hitting for defense vis a vis Hudson/Glaus made sense.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

uh oh:

Bottom 5 2006 AL Starting Left Fielders, by PECOTA Projected VORP

Player, Team, Projected VORP

Reed Johnson, TOR, -2.4
Scott Podsednik, CHA, 3.2
Shannon Stewart, MIN, 5.2
Jeff Conine, BAL, 9.5
Garret Anderson, LAA, 16.6

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 18:03 (twenty years ago)

Fortunately the Jays have 173 outfielders so they'll be able to spread out the damage among them.

Johnson had a good season last year but I'm not sold on him as a 400-AB per year guy, and definitely not if it means AB's taken away from Cat or Hinske.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

And Stewart's intangibles are worth at least an extra 20.0 in VORP. The guy nearly won an MVP award, how inspirational is that?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 18:14 (twenty years ago)

Burnett on the DL already! Just 'cautionary'... Talk about pre-Opening buzzkill...

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 30 March 2006 14:33 (twenty years ago)

He's going to pitch one more time (3-4 innings, or so they say) in spring training and then go on the DL. Something does not compute.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:51 (twenty years ago)

They want to really make sure he's hurt before they waste a DL slot on him?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

They want the transition from 15-day DL to 60-day DL to be seamless?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 30 March 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

what's that bullshit about podsednik, the guy was my MVP in '05

― gear (gear), Saturday, 1 April 2006 05:57 (twenty years ago)

< / http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:N1C3a5pSEwwKZM:espn-att.starwave.com/i/page2/v2/columnist/kruk_35x48.jpg >

― gear (gear), Saturday, 1 April 2006 05:58 (twenty years ago)

podsednik, the guy was my MVP in '05

heh, ESPN sez YR HIRED!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 1 April 2006 16:15 (twenty years ago)

http://www.moldova.net/images/smilies/Dance_Emoticon.gif

― gear (gear), Saturday, 1 April 2006 18:06 (twenty years ago)

Aahhh what a good game last night.
Over 50,000 attendance!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 5 April 2006 13:12 (twenty years ago)

Halladay = teh man

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 5 April 2006 16:32 (twenty years ago)

First heartbreaker of the year -- blowing a 6-0 lead to the DRays and losing 9-8.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 8 April 2006 01:09 (twenty years ago)

Halladay will miss his next start due to a muscle strain in his arm. The season is falling apart already.

OK, not really. The Jays don't need a fifth starter from now until the end of the month, so once Burnett comes back they can use their #2-#5 starters until Halladay comes back. Still, fuck an arm injury.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 01:37 (twenty years ago)

Well Lilly is back now. so there's that. i guess. hurrah?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 03:56 (twenty years ago)

This coming week is $2 Tuesday, Yanks @ Jays. Anybody interested?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 17:38 (twenty years ago)

I have $2!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 17:55 (twenty years ago)

Awesome. I can't run down to the box office tomorrow, but I can do it on Friday. There should still be tickets left then.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 13 April 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

Sounds good, dude.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 13 April 2006 02:18 (twenty years ago)

Jays are in a rain delay, Josh Towers is getting rocked, so I'm hoping for the rainout.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 16 April 2006 17:55 (twenty years ago)

Jays fall behind 4-0 in the first, now they lead 10-5 and counting. Cue the TV commentators talking about how the "old" Jays would be dead and buried with a 4-0 deficit, but the "new" Jays are confident that they can make comebacks if they have to. They've been saying some variation of this during almost every game this year. I have one problem with this: they said exactly the same things LAST YEAR TOO.

The Jays' offense overperformed in the first half last year, and they're definitely overperforming right now. However, I'm encouraged by the SEXEE HOME RUNS, which were lacking last year. The pitching staff's ERA is one of the highest in baseball, and they're definitely better than that. Once the pitching and hitting numbers start to ressemble their actual talents a little more, I think the jury is still out as to whether we may have something here.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 00:37 (twenty years ago)

Never would I have predicted Rios to get off to the start he has.
Shame we couldn't get into today's match, eh? (how often can you say that about the J's?!)

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 01:23 (twenty years ago)

Rios has one motherloving walk so far. That sexxy .382 is gonna dip to a hungover .260 quicklike unless he starts sipping the Garrett juice.

WTF is up w/ Molina hitting fifth? And Overbay hitting 7th?

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 01:55 (twenty years ago)

xpost
Yeah, this would have been a great game to see live. Next month I think the $2 game will be against Tampa Bay, which is too bad because Boston and Oakland are playing on other Tuesdays during the month.

I was thinking the exact same thing re: Rios and The Angry Walk. Francoueur-esque, even.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

What are you two on about?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 02:20 (twenty years ago)

We're harshing your buzz, obviously. :)

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 02:23 (twenty years ago)

Alex Rios (through today's game):

.390 BA
.386 OBP

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 18:55 (twenty years ago)

Tight like Tom & Katie!

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 19:13 (twenty years ago)

That was one hell of a game. The good = bullpen looked great, big Jays comeback fueled by HOME RUNS. The bad = Burnett injured again.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 22 April 2006 03:25 (twenty years ago)

What exactly happened to him?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 22 April 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

he left with right elbow discomfort. he's meeting with dr. james andrews on monday (uh oh).

― maura (maura), Saturday, 22 April 2006 17:14 (twenty years ago)

I hope this doesn't turn into Al Leiter all over again.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 22 April 2006 17:47 (twenty years ago)

apparently burnett thinks that the problem is stemming from built up scar tissue from his last tommy john surgery.

― maura (maura), Saturday, 22 April 2006 18:43 (twenty years ago)

So the J's go for the sweep tonight. That coupled with a BoSox loss would tie them for the AL east lead! GO new guy!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 27 April 2006 15:10 (twenty years ago)

New guy has a 4+ ERA in the minors so far this season. Did they bring him up in September last year? The name doesn't sound familiar.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:02 (twenty years ago)

I don't think so - I've never heard of new guy* either. His other stats (K/BB, whip) and his AA, A numbers are better than what his current era would indicate.

*you do realize this is what we're going to have to call him from now on... even if he becomes the next Halladay

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:10 (twenty years ago)

FIRST PLACE, SUCKAZ!

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 29 April 2006 03:33 (twenty years ago)

*HOORAY CURRENT HALLADAY!*

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 29 April 2006 05:28 (twenty years ago)

I hope this game wraps up by sundown. I really wanted to go shopping today.

It's 10-6 in the fifth, Towers will take the L, and now I can start openly rooting for ARod to hit a grand slam. I could use the fantasy stats.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 29 April 2006 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Traitor!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 29 April 2006 20:18 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 94 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Now that the Jays have essentially blown their season on the current road trip, what do we have to look forward to for the rest of the year?

-- players saying "ah, fuck it" and telling the press what they really think about Shea Hillenbrand

-- more "fire Ricciardi, he's a chump" talk from Toronto sportswriters

-- someone writing an article comparing Florida's trio of rookie pitching sensations with AJ Burnett, followed by "calculations" that point out that Burnett makes 28972398 times more money than all of them combined, and therefore Florida received a 185298745982% return on their investment by letting Burnett walk.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Friday, 4 August 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

there's always Halladay's hope of beating out the Twins for the Cy...

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 15:19 (nineteen years ago)

How long until Reed has enough AB's to qualify for the batting race? (i think he's still ahead of Ichiro)

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

If Liriano goes on the DL, then it helps Halladay's cause, er maybe. Liriano/Santana might have split votes, whereas now, Johan might pick up the support of people who

1) were stupid and didn't vote for him last year ("what a comeback for the Twins and Santana following an off-year")
2) don't think a rookie should be winning the CY (an offshoot of the "pitchers shouldn't win the MVP award" "argument" that robbed Pedro of the award in 1999)

xpost

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

I'm voting for Liriano for ROY, MVP and CY.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

Even if he's out for the year (just for argument's sake)? What if he melts down in the last month a la Chris Carpenter 2005?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:11 (nineteen years ago)

Then he's voting for Barry Bonds for MVP, ROY, and CY.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

Nope, Gagne.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:14 (nineteen years ago)

pwned

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

Shastax has precedence!

― c('°c) (Leee), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:30 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, I'd never seen that pre-ILB snippet.

Dig the ironing of one S. Shasta Esq., who has been known to misrepresent a Small Sample Size, arguing against Gagne's CY by singling out his few bad appearances from that year.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

(and I say that with luv)

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 17:59 (nineteen years ago)

i don't think a closer--or at least a closer utilized in the manner they are now--should ever win the cy young.

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 18:05 (nineteen years ago)

In what way could a closer be utilized to be worthy of a Cy Young, in your opinion?
Closing out the game from the 2nd inning on or something?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 18:44 (nineteen years ago)

sure!

i wouldn't give a kicker the mvp in football, either*

unless the kicker is really, really awesome and there are no other decent candidates among the every-down players (so yes, closers should win the cy young in certain cases, i guess) : /

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

like Mike Marshall usta!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

Football parallels do not compute!
Hockey?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

Awww... Hinske gone?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

You'd think he could have gotten more for Hinske than a player to be named later and cash.

Rios' season could very well be a fluke.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 17 August 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

Agreed!

This may sound weird, but I'm going to miss Hinske.
BTBNL is a bullshit deal and we still have to pay part of his salary next year!
And Boston of all places.

Schoeneweis, however, I will not miss. A BTBNL is a steal for that clown!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

i welcome hinske as his arrival helps to usher out trot nixon. i see a wily mo/hinske platoon in right for the bosox next year.

― otto midnight (otto midnight), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

Reed's now on the leader board in 6th place with a .331 avg

― francisf (aaron ef.), Thursday, 17 August 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

Gibbons and Lilly are fighting now? When did John Gibbons turn into Billy Martin?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 10:37 (nineteen years ago)

Steve effin' Phillips said last night "the players can't always be wrong." hmmmmmm?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 12:08 (nineteen years ago)

WTF is going on with this team!!??

Didn't expect to be saying this, but it looks like Gibbons might have to go!

And who wil replace Lilly as our "proven" #3 next year?

Tune in tomorrow for another episode of... the J's of Our Lives

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

I guess Shea wasn't the clubhouse cancer after all...

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 18:28 (nineteen years ago)

Unless it spread!

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 18:30 (nineteen years ago)

He was the tumor.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

But what kind of cancer was he? Skin? Lung? Throat? Ovarian?

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 18:55 (nineteen years ago)

What's the most useless organ in the human body?
Whatever it is - that's what he was the cancer of.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

tonsil, appendix or male nipple.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

Nipple cancer would totally suck.

Just like Shea does.

OH YEAH

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=lilly+gibbons&c=news_photos

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 20:23 (nineteen years ago)

did you mean BILLY GIBBONS?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 06:10 (nineteen years ago)

So every article I've read on the "incident" has mentioned the look on Halladay and Burnett's faces as Gibbons went down the hall to fight Lilly. Any idea where i could see a pic of this - I can't find one anywhere!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 24 August 2006 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

From the recap of yesterday's Red Sox-Jays game:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260903102

"We expect improvement over last year, manager John Gibbons said, thinking back to his team's 80-82 finish last season. "Plus, if I'm not mistaken, there's playoff money when you finish in second place. So that ain't bad. There's a lot of trainers and some of those guys who could use that money."

Really? Playoff money for finishing second and not making the playoffs? This can't only be news to me.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 4 September 2006 09:42 (nineteen years ago)

"if I'm not mistaken"

I guess he's mistaken.
Still - I'll be pretty happy if they can finnish second.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 4 September 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)

That was my question -- is he talking out of his ass or is there any truth to it?

Finishing second with only about 85 victories (looking like a possibility) would ring a bit hollow though.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 05:47 (nineteen years ago)

So hard to please! It's all about breaking up the Yankees/BoSox monopoly on 1st/2nd in the AL East, for me.If they somehow did it with 45 wins it wouldn't make a dif to me!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 11:58 (nineteen years ago)

Jesus Christ didn't Halladay play dodgeball in school? That should be a major part of his offseason regiment if you ask me.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 10 September 2006 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

OH JESUS

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 10 September 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

SRSLY HOW R TEH BLUEBIRDS STILL 2 BEHIND TEH DEADSOX FOR 2ND IN TEH EASTS?

― Jimmy Mod's Champion Erotic Fantasy Team 2006 (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Thursday, 14 September 2006 02:54 (nineteen years ago)

haha omg meatloaf just sat in for two innings of the jays' radio broadcast. here's a sample:

(aaron hill comes up to bat)

meatloaf: "hey, someone told me that aaron hill hit home runs in all three games against the devil rays this weekend."
jerry howarth: "actually, it was just a couple, but boy were they memorable."
meatloaf: "well, you know what they say -- TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD!! HAHAHAHAHAHA"
jerry howarth (totally doesn't get it): "uh, no. no it's not."
meatloaf: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

― ^@^ (map), Monday, 18 September 2006 23:29 (nineteen years ago)

That did not seriously happen, did it?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 00:20 (nineteen years ago)

you aint lived until you've heard jerry howarth shill for bat outta hell 3 (out october 31st btw)

― ^@^ (map), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 00:35 (nineteen years ago)

SECOND PLACE??!!??

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 05:57 (nineteen years ago)

A two-hitter no less – I'm glad I went to the game.

I'm not sure if they can hang on tho - the J's (Halladayless) will be playing the Tigers and Yankees; while the BoSox have a "mighty strugle" ahead vs. the Devil Rays and the Orioles.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

The Yankees will be playing their B-team, so we've got that going for us.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:02 (nineteen years ago)

Yankees B-team > Orioles

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

BP published their Marginal Payroll/Marginal wins data today. Assuming that a team of replacement players making the MLB minimum would win 48.6 games (.300 winning %age), their calcs show how much money a team spent to gain each win over that minimum.

AL East results:

            
          W  L   Payroll       Marginal Payroll  M-Wins Cost per M-Win
NY Yankees  97 65  $194,663,079  $185,507,079      48.4   $3,832,791
Toronto     87 75  $71,915,000   $62,759,000       38.4   $1,634,349
Boston      86 76  $120,099,824  $110,943,824      37.4   $2,966,412
Baltimore   70 92  $72,585,582   $63,429,582       21.4   $2,963,999
Tampa Bay   61 101 $35,417,967   $26,261,967       12.4   $2,117,901

The Jays were by far the most efficient spenders in the division, and in the entire AL only Oakland, Minnesota, Cleveland and Detroit were more efficient (the latter two just barely, by about $50K/M-win).

Maybe BP will now STFU about the Jays (= Ricciardi) spending money frivolously and predicting the team's downfall on a weekly basis. When they're paying Ryan and Burnett $10 Million each to be on the DL and/or post 6.00 ERAs for all of 2010 it might be a different story, however.

Full article here : http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5600

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 9 October 2006 21:24 (nineteen years ago)

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