Random MLB news that is pointless to say anywhere else thread

[logan82]

I dont mean to sound like a jerk but who else would have paid a 41 year old closer $30m over 2 years? Maybe it isn't about the money but that is still a lot of money for a closer let alone one that age.

[Principessa21]

I dont mean to sound like a jerk but who else would have paid a 41 year old closer $30m over 2 years? Maybe it isn't about the money but that is still a lot of money for a closer let alone one that age.

Supposedly the Red Sox offered 3/51 and another team (supposedly the Angels) offered 3 years. Still Mariano Rivera is the only player I would believe when he says 'it isn't about the money.'

[danzig6767]

I dont mean to sound like a jerk but who else would have paid a 41 year old closer $30m over 2 years? Maybe it isn't about the money but that is still a lot of money for a closer let alone one that age.

Maybe the agent was was flat out lying, but in the article it said

 

"But

within hours, a deal came together, perhaps expedited because Rivera

had recently received a three-year deal and more money (believed to be

in the neighborhood of $17 million per year) from another team,

according to the source. The source added that Rivera wanted to

maintain his ties to the only team he has ever played for, and went

with less money and fewer years to continue wearing pinstripes.

"

[TooLiveBrew]

Mo Rivera is amazing. Maybe beyond amazing. I love him.

[RightFieldCoder]

I always disliked him because of the team he pitches for, but I have much respect for him because of this.

[logan82]

My mistake. I still think that is a ridiculous amount to pay a reliever let alone one in his 40's.

[TooLiveBrew]

I just caught a re-aired segment (from this past Tues.) of a MLB Network interview with Jamie Moyer. This guy has instantly skyrocketed up to being one of my favorite non-Brewers players. I never really cared one way or the other about the guy, but he couldn't have possibly been more well-spoken, intelligent, or grounded. Really, really impressive... and excellent interview overall.

 

He had reconstructive UCL surgery this past week*, and is going to rehab & attempt a comeback. I'll be rooting for him, without question.

 

 

* - This surgery was the FIRST Moyer's ever had on his pitching arm in his 24 year career

[danzig6767]

My mistake. I still think that is a ridiculous amount to pay a reliever let alone one in his 40's.

Not when you're the Yankees or Red Sox, they can easily afford to have a lights out closer. Both teams are in business to win titles, not just hope to contend for a playoff berth and a great closer can be very important in that goal.

 

As for his age, did you see his numbers last year?

 

1.80 ERA

.83 WHIP

.183 BAA

 

The guy is amazing. He's 40 and pitching as well as he ever has.

[endaround]

Just like Trevor Hoffman in 2009!

[logan82]

My mistake. I still think that is a ridiculous amount to pay a reliever let alone one in his 40's.

Not when you're the Yankees or Red Sox, they can easily afford to have a lights out closer. Both teams are in business to win titles, not just hope to contend for a playoff berth and a great closer can be very important in that goal.

 

As for his age, did you see his numbers last year?

 

1.80 ERA

.83 WHIP

.183 BAA

 

The guy is amazing. He's 40 and pitching as well as he ever has.

You are right. Closers are very, very important. That's why the Twins fell completely apart when Joe Nathan got hurt last year. They had no chance to make the playoffs let alone win their division.

How many times will a team have to take a good reliever and make him into a serviceable closer before people stop overvaluing the position?

[danzig6767]

My mistake. I still think that is a ridiculous amount to pay a reliever let alone one in his 40's.

Not when you're the Yankees or Red Sox, they can easily afford to have a lights out closer. Both teams are in business to win titles, not just hope to contend for a playoff berth and a great closer can be very important in that goal.

 

As for his age, did you see his numbers last year?

 

1.80 ERA

.83 WHIP

.183 BAA

 

The guy is amazing. He's 40 and pitching as well as he ever has.

You are right. Closers are very, very important. That's why the Twins fell completely apart when Joe Nathan got hurt last year. They had no chance to make the playoffs let alone win their division.

How many times will a team have to take a good reliever and make him into a serviceable closer before people stop overvaluing the position?

I agree with you in a general sense for a sizable percentage of teams out there who often have tight budgets and thus an expensive closer isn't worth the amount of the budget that they eat up.

 

Teams like the Yankees and Red Sox though are different animals from say the Brewers or Indians. The Yankees have such vast revenues that they have no reason to take chances on hoping that a cheap reliever ends up being able to be a reliable closer. If the Yanks went that route and it backfired, thus losing a few extra regular season games via more blown saves that cost them a playoff berth by a game or two or that reliever blew some saves in the playoffs/World Series, they'll look and feel stupid given their insane revenues easily allows for the luxury of a proven reliable closer. Rivera has been a highly paid closer for awhile now and certainly has earned his money for the franchise regardless if closers as a whole are overpaid.

 

Now if the Pirates, Brewers, Indians, Rockies, Rays, or a number of other much smaller revenue teams tie up a significant chunk of their budget on a closer, that i'd agree will often end up being a poor use of funds.

[Funketown]

John Kruk just said Adam Laroche will be better going forward than Derrek Lee, because he is a consistent 30HR/100RBI guy. He has only once hit 30 HR's, and only once 100RBI's, and he's not done both in the same season.

[Thurston Fluff]

You are right. Closers are very, very important. That's why the Twins fell completely apart when Joe Nathan got hurt last year. They had no chance to make the playoffs let alone win their division.

 

By that reasoning I guess first basemen aren't important either. Morneau missed half the season and they didn't fall apart after that either. Many teams can overcome virtually any single injury and good teams more than one. That doesn't mean the players who are lost aren't important or worth their money just that the team is deep enough to overcome the loss.

[logan82]

That doesn't mean the players who are lost aren't important or worth their money just that the team is deep enough to overcome the loss.

 

and most teams are deep enough to replace a closer. An average reliever is likely to very closely match an elite overpaid closer. Year after year after year we see teams bring in no name guys and they work well as closers. If you can get a guy for under $5m why pay $15m?

[Thurston Fluff]

Every season there is a team or two who don't find that average reliever who can come close to matching that and it hurts them. Or they find him after trying three guys, all of whom fail, and you end up losing 4 or 5 games you wouldn't have before finding the right one. If you have one who has shown himself to be more than a one year wonder it isn't unreasonable to pay him. Going through three options before you find the right one in a pennant race might get you the guy in the end but all those games lost in the process may be to much to overcome in a tight race.

we can debate the relative value of the closer but I don't think using the "Twins won without one," argument works because that same argument can be applied to all star first basemen. Let's trade Prince for prospects. After all the Twins proved all star first basemen aren't all that important.

[logan82]

I know you disagree. I think you are wrong. I will leave it at that. I have no desire to go through a circular discussion about it.

[CheezWizHed]

I dont mean to sound like a jerk but who else would have paid a 41 year old closer $30m over 2 years? Maybe it isn't about the money but that is still a lot of money for a closer let alone one that age.

 

You are forgetting to adjust the dollar amounts for the NYY inflation. This would be similar to:

- Boston or Chicago spending $25M over 2 years

- Brewers spending $10M over 2 years

- Pirates spending $1.25 over 2 years.

[TooLiveBrew]

Saw this on jsonline. Carlos Villanueva, supercool photobomber:

 

http://media.jsonline.com/images/285*213/DSC00937.JPG

[Funketown]

Boof Bonser still exists.

[GAME05]

it just occurred to me that not a single soul on bf.net has wanted the Brewers to sign Manny this year. finally it ends!

[bigredrobbo]

Saw this on jsonline. Carlos Villanueva, supercool photobomber:

 

http://media.jsonline.com/images/285*213/DSC00937.JPG

Caption Contest - "I'm being dealt to the AL East? Cool. Who? The Orioles? Crap...."

[Patrick425]

Right now they are airing a replay of the Brewers 20-0 romp of the Pirates from early last season on FSN. The description on the Time Warner guide reads "From April 22, 2010...Original air date: 5/24/10" Huh?

[hawing]

Maybe May 24 was the first airing of the game as a Brewers Classic, instead of a live broadcast?

[JohnBriggs12]

I watched most of game 7 from 1960 World Series that was shown on Baseball Network last night.

 

I was watching specifically to see changes in the game from then to now.

 

Some observations:

 

Unlike today, pitchers did not expand the zone with 2 strikes in order to record strikeouts. Oh they threw breaking balls with two strikes, but they got batted outs by spotting the pitches at the knees and not in the dirt. In fact I don't recall a single instance in the game where pitches ended up in the dirt. On the other hand, hitters didn't do as much chasing of high heat either.

 

Vernon Law, the Pirate starter in that game, was ahead of his time in that he didn't use the windup. Virtually every other pitcher in the game used a full windup which is rare in today's game.

 

There was a very limited amount of stepping out of the box by the hitters. If a hitter got 4-5 pitches into an AB, he often would step out to grab some dirt (batting gloves were not in use in 1960), but that was about it. The game moved a lot more quickly especially considering it was the 7th game of the World Series. None of this staring down the hitter and wasted stuff.

 

Yogi Berra did something you never see today. He strode up to the plate swinging two bats to ready himself. Then he'd give the batboy the extra just as he stepped into the box.

 

Also notable that after outs were recorded with the bases empty, the infield did a much more involved "around the horn" with the baseball. I remember that as a kid.

[TooLiveBrew]

I have this queued up on the DVR, & can't wait to watch it. Thanks for pointing this stuff out JB, I'll have to take notice of the elements like this.