<p>Good catch for the As!</p>
<p>I always believed that Duquette was an excellent talent evaluator and that he was hamstrung by 2 things in Boston: the hideous ownership and the open dislike by the media who disliked his stiff manner and ham-handed PR. Funny that they sucked up the PR the new owners put out as a matter of course … until this season. The Yawkey ownership was terrible. I didn’t become a Red Sox fan until the club was sold. While the current owners have screwed up, they have a history of rebuilding clubs and I was encouraged they decided to start over rather than papering over the huge mistakes. </p>
<p>I thought the Epstein regime’s weakness was talent evaluation. They chased shortstop after shortstop looking for some marginal improvement and ended up with an out-of-place Edgar Renteria and a highly over-rated, overpaid Julio Lugo … and this past season traded away the competent Marco Scutaro to play Mike Aviles, a guy cut by Kansas City. Scutaro had a typical year, OPS of .753, OBP of .348, while Aviles was at .653 and .282. An OBP of .282 is terrible. </p>
<p>Compare the Yankees. People focus on the Texeira signing but their real big move was trading for Curtis Granderson. They identified him as a young power hitter who could play a good centerfield, both difficult things to find. His power has exceeded expectations, which as he’s now over 30 is suspicious, but the power increase has been matched by a large increase in strikeouts even as his walks have also increased. That rationally means he’s swinging harder and freer, which is likely what the Yankees want from him. So it seems the Yankees found a guy in Detroit who they thought could hit for more power and it seems they’ve encouraged him to develop that power. He fits the new stadium. Good talent evaluation.</p>
<p>this is why I thought the Nats backed into the playoffs…</p>
<p>still a game to go, but Nats are being outplayed in every part of the game.</p>
<p>lergnom, i couldnt agree with you more about granderson, yet home runs fly out of yankee stadium seemingly 2 or 3 times a game</p>
<p>Ibanez is now officially on my **** list.</p>
<p>I’m convinced Ibanez is a big user. He’s 40 and hitting home runs. His power went up in his mid-30’s, which is against the entire history of non-drug using statistics. His peak power numbers are from ages 34 - 37. </p>
<p>If you go back over his stats, it looks like he was relatively unsuccessful until he started using. His peak power years passed with him as a part-time player and then he improved in his 30’s with power increasing as he got older. I note his power numbers were affected by playing at Safeco; if he’d played at a smaller park, the hard to believe increase in power in his 30’s would have been much more obvious. </p>
<p>By comparison, a guy who got caught way too often is Manny Ramirez. But look at his numbers: he declined as you’d expect a top power hitter to lose ability. From 45 to 35 to 20 at ages 33, 34 and 35. Then a sudden resurgence at age 36, capped by the unreal 2nd half for the Dodgers with 17 HR’s in 53 games, which is a pace of 50 per season. Had to be using. Got caught that winter.</p>
<p>BTW, though a Red Sox fan, I don’t trust David Ortiz’s numbers either. He’s at the boundary now and should show decline. The general rule for a guy like him, who is a one tool player, is they tend to decline rapidly when they go. </p>
<p>But Ibanez? My guess, not following it at all, is that people talk about his incredible workout regimen and all that other cover stuff for using.</p>
<p>Tigers. Sad, but not surprised. Not in the least.</p>
<p>Valverde’s blowing the save is pretty much the story of the Tigers’ season. But when he’s good, he’s still very, very good, and that’s the other part of the story of their season. They’ll go as far as their pitching carries them. Good to have Verlander taking the mound in Game 5. Not so good that, if he wins, he won’t be available for Game 1 of the ALCS.</p>
<p>OK, are there ANY other Yankees fans here?</p>
<p>I’m on my way down to watch my DVR’ed game from last nite.
TWO more home runs from Raul Ibanez. Just wow.</p>
<p>Very exciting to live in the S.F. bay area and see both our “resilient” teams come back from 2-0 deficits and play a game 5. Is this the year for another Bay Bridge series?</p>
<p>"Very exciting to live in the S.F. bay area and see both our “resilient” teams come back from 2-0 deficits and play a game 5. Is this the year for another Bay Bridge series? "</p>
<p>Hopefully without the earthquake.</p>
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<p>And a ton more salt in the wounds of the poor Texas Rangers fans. ;)</p>
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<p>You might be discounting the divine intervention that has helped the As all year long. Perhaps of divine retaliation for a team in LA calling themselves Angels, Texas thinking and acting like Gods, and Seattle … well being the same old Mariners. </p>
<p>This A team is a blessed bunch riding a high cloud. Now, if they could a fan base, all be well in Oakland. But that would be too much to ask from above!</p>
<p>“OK, are there ANY other Yankees fans here?”</p>
<p>Raises hand. </p>
<p>Last night’s game was :)</p>
<p>Well, we’ll see how the A’s karma stands up against Justin Verlander’s 99 mph heater tonight. And his curve, which many describe as the best in baseball. And his slider. And his change-up. When he’s “on” he gets good ball movement and can paint the corners with all four pitches, and change velocity on each of them. My money’s on Verlander.</p>
<p>Unless he doesn’t go all nine, in which case there will be plenty of opportunity for the bullpen to blow it. 
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<p>Verlander was 8-6 with a ~3.50 ERA away this year, which is pretty good but not unhittable.</p>
<p>I just said ok for S’14 to see Game 4 tonight with some friends. Yes, it’s a school night, but this is an important game. I’m either a terrible mother or a real Yankees fan…</p>
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You’re a terrible mother for letting him be a Yankees fan. :D</p>
<p>j/k</p>
<p>I am the OP and happy that a FEW Yankee fans have showed up to join me.</p>
<p>Wonder if Phil Hughes can do it tonite?</p>