The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 12/02/2009
More photos » by George Nikitin - AP The rumor mill just keeps on churnin'... Browse more photos » What's weird about the past couple of days is there have been a TON of baseball-related stories, but not a whole lot going on. Sure, Kelly Shoppach gets traded for a PTBNL and Billy Wagner signs a one-year deal with the Braves . Other than that? Just a bunch of clubs offering arbitration....
SportsJustice (Free subscription) | 11/29/2009
You don't like my ideas. You don't like Tal and Ed's ideas. You don't think Drayton ever had a good idea, which is ridiculous because I have inside knowledge he's working on a plan to add corny dogs to the menu at Minute Maid Park. You don't like Tommy Manzella and Chris Johnson. You don't like Lance Berkman and Michael Bourn. You think Brad Mills was a terrible hire. You don't like ticket prices,...
The Hardball Times (Free subscription) | 11/28/2009
This is a look at baserunning runs, excluding stolen base attempts. Here's the basic method: For all plays, we consider the lead runner only. We figure out the average change in run expectancy for the lead runner for each non-discretionary running event - typically a ball in play (either a hit, error or out). Those plays are grouped by: The number of outs in the inning. The type of event - single,...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
by Pat Sullivan - AP How well can these two guys evaluate talent with a month of games that don't count? View full size photo » Richard Justice recently opined on his blog that the Houston Astros are going to take a 'wait-and-see' approach to top prospects Jason Castro and Chris Johnson . Neither will have a job locked up going into spring training and will need solid performances there in order...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
More photos » by Morry Gash - AP What's Balester Doing Down There? VOTE ZIM!!! (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Browse more photos » You have until December 11, 2009 to vote for Washington Nationals ' third baseman/Face of the Franchise™, who's up for This Year In Baseball's Defensive Player of the Year after an '09 season that's seen Ryan Zimmerman win the ESPN Web Gem title; take home Bill...
SportsJustice (Free subscription) | 11/23/2009
The Astros are going to give 3B Chris Johnson and C Jason Castro every chance to be in the Opening Day starting lineup. But they're prepared to send one or both of them to AAA if they have tough springs. At the moment, the Astros are set at just four of eight positions: LF Carlos Lee, CF Michael Bourn, RF Hunter Pence and 1B Lance Berkman. Every other position is open. Some are less open than others....
FishStripes (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
This might seem like a far-fetched idea, but I'm sure there were at least a few people who were disappointed when The Bonifacio Experiment ™ finally ended last season. You know, like... maybe some of the members of Emilio's immediate family. If you were one of those three people, our friend JCR at the Sun Sentinel has dug deep into the Bill James Handbook to find a reason for you to be filled...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
by David Zalubowski - AP That's no whiffle bat Bourn is swinging... View full size photo » Let's open with a rather long note from Buster Olney's column on Michael Bourn . Since it's protected by the ESPN Insider firewall and I don't know how many of you subscribe, I'll reprint the high points: Before joining Aguilas in winter ball, in the Dominican Republic, he started to unravel the puzzle...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 11/14/2009
In today's blog post at ESPN.com, Buster Olney writes about Michael Bourn, and how he went from hitting .218 with a .273 OBP in the first half of 2008 to hitting .285 with a .354 OBP in 2009 thanks to a suggestion from Astros' coach Dave Clark. Here's a roundup of Olney's rumors... The Angels last offer to John Lackey was a $72MM package, made earlier this year. Olney's educated guess is that the Mariners...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009
More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP Some people can't leave well enough alone, Michael. Browse more photos » Astros fans probably aren't going to have all that much to cheer about in the coming seasons. We've come to accept that. Accept the losing, accept the fact that Drayton McLane, Jr. is still pulling the strings. It comes with the territory. This week's announcement that our...
The Political Game (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
The Rawlings Gold Glove awards have been handed out and break down as follows (parentheses note the number of awards won by each player): National League: P: Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (1st) C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals (2 nd ) 1B: Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres (2 nd ) 2B: Orlando Hudson, Los Angeles Dodgers (4 th ) 3B: Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals (1st) SS: Jimmy Rollins,...
Hair Balls (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
Congratulations are in order for Michael Bourn. Yesterday, he became the first Astros outfielder since Cesar Cedeno in 1976 to win the Gold Glove. And anybody who has seen Bourn roam the vast Mi...
FishStripes (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
And the final SB Nation baseball awards was released, this one being the NL MVP. Rk Player Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th Pts 1 Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals 31 - - - - - - - - - 434 2 Hanley Ramirez Florida Marlins - 6 8 11 2 1 2 - - - 220 3 Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies - 7 11 2 3 1 - 1 - 1 192 4 Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers - 5 4 4 7 7 1 - - - 186 5 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
by Matt Rourke - AP Is this Pujols? No. Is it an incredible dick-ish picture of Jayson Werth that I've been waiting ages to have a legitimate use for? Yes. View full size photo » Unanimity for presidents has been reserved solely for Washington. For Albert Pujols in 2009, all the denizens of SBN nation who cast a ballot lauded him with the honor being the unanimous NL MVP. Can anyone even make...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP This was the coolest picture of Bourn I could find. Browse more photos » That's right ladies and gents, an Astros player took him some awards season hardware. I have to admit, I was a little suprised when my phone lit up with a text from HLP informing me that Michael Bourn had won himself a gold glove. Why? I don't know. It makes sense, but I guess...
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