Friday's Frosty Mug
It's quiet this morning, but it likely won't stay that way for long as today is the first day teams can offer contracts to free agents from other teams. Brewed Sports wants the Brewers to make an early splash by signing Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson. Tyler Maas of Bugs & Cranks wants the Brewers to sign Eric Hinske. I'm just hoping the Brewers don't sign anyone who will join Eric Gagne, Jeff Suppan and Jeffrey Hammonds on a future version of this top ten list of worst contracts in Wisconsin sports history.
Baseball Digest Daily released their free agent rankings today. Since lists make a short Mug seem longer, here are the Brewer highlights:
- CC Sabathia is the top rated starting pitcher.
- Ben Sheets is the third rated starting pitcher.
- Russell Branyan is ranked third among third basemen.
- Ray Durham is ranked fourth among second basemen.
- Brian Shouse is the fifth rated lefty reliever.
- Mike Lamb is ranked fifth among third basemen.
- Gabe Kapler is ranked sixth among right fielders.
- Guillermo Mota is the sixth rated "utility reliever."
- Eric Gagne is the eighth rated closer.
- Craig Counsell is ranked eleventh among shortstops.
Technically, Salomon Torres could have been a free agent as well, but the Brewers exercised his option so he will be under team control if he decides to return. The Official Site has an overview of the bullpen situation.
As noted in the FanShots, Ryan Braun became the eighth Brewer in franchise history to win a Silver Slugger Award yesterday.
If Braun lives up to his Bill James projection for 2009, he might win another one: .301/.364/.620. Bill James projections for individual players are available on the player pages at FanGraphs. If you want the whole collection, you're supposed to buy the book. I sat down yesterday with a notepad file and Baseball Musings' Lineup Analysis tool and discovered that, despite low projections for Mike Cameron and Bill Hall, a 2009 Brewer lineup featuring Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder, Hart, Cameron, Hall, Kendall and the pitcher's spot projects to 4.965 runs per game. The 2008 Brewers only scored 4.630.
While I'm on the subject of stats, R.J. Anderson of Beyond the Box Score is working on numbers to quantify the volume of wins or losses added by a manager. His initial numbers have management costing the Brewers approximately .04 wins in 2008. I'm pretty sure Yost was responsible for more than that.
Does the entire Brewers' organization have defensive problems? No less than five Brewer prospects appear on Recondite Baseball's leaderboards for errors in the minor leagues this season.
Two trades were completed yesterday, one sending Nick Swisher to the Yankees and one sending Kevin Gregg to the Cubs. Two other stove notes today:
D-Backs: Negotiations with Randy Johnson have apparently hit an impasse, leading Johnson to declare free agency.
Marlins: The team is reportedly listening to offers but not actively seeking a trade involving Jeremy Hermida or Dan Uggla.
Do you love physics and want to use it to understand why a sidearmer's pitches have different movement? It's a bit much for me, but maybe Matt Lentzner of The Hardball Times' article is just what you were looking for.
Oh, and NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum is perpetuating the theory that he's only 15 by spending the offseason getting braces and a puppy.
Drink up.
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17 comments
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Comments
Keith Law's rankings up
You have to be an insider to get 11-50, but MLBtraderumors.com lists relievers: Wood-13, Affeldt – 15, K-Rod- 16, Fuentes – 18.
by Supertramp on Nov 14, 2008 9:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
I saw that and disregarded. I like Keith Law more than most, but I’m unwilling to pay for ESPN content because, as the Mug illustrates daily, there’s so much content out there for free.
I don't specifically articulate my motives, because that wouldn't travel as well as a boo does.
by KLSnow on Nov 14, 2008 12:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
But.. but..
Who’s going to do the interviews? I really enjoyed his MiLB stuff…
by SgtClueLs on Nov 14, 2008 12:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Opps.. wrong thread...
Need more coffee.
by SgtClueLs on Nov 14, 2008 12:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well,
For one, I’m assuming BK will be back. So in the long term, the answer to your “Who’s going to do interviews?” question is hopefully still BK.
For two, though, I’m actually working on lining up an interview of my own as we speak. It won’t be a big deal, but I’m hoping it’ll be interesting.
I don't specifically articulate my motives, because that wouldn't travel as well as a boo does.
by KLSnow on Nov 14, 2008 12:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Wait..so is battlekow no longer a moderator?
Eric Gagne DL time: May 23-June 29 Brewers record in that span: 20-9
by NoahJ on Nov 14, 2008 9:26 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Battlekow is taking a break from baseball.
I’m hoping he’ll be back soon, but I have no idea when.
I don't specifically articulate my motives, because that wouldn't travel as well as a boo does.
by KLSnow on Nov 14, 2008 12:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Anyone have a CC Pool?
How long till he’s gone?
by SgtClueLs on Nov 14, 2008 9:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
No
But I think you can get one here.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
by TheJay on Nov 14, 2008 10:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That's just sad
And I thought I was the only one to make Google jokes.
"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"
by roguejim on Nov 14, 2008 11:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh crap...
Two mods show up to a post with the same joke…is there going to be a rumble?
I don't specifically articulate my motives, because that wouldn't travel as well as a boo does.
by KLSnow on Nov 14, 2008 12:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
[snaps fingers menacingly]
"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"
by roguejim on Nov 14, 2008 1:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I enjoyed the Recondite article
Besides the recondite bits, a balanced common sense discussion of an odd statistic. It’s either worthless or very important depending on the conversation and whether the subject is a favorite player.
Mark Reynolds probably wishes his achievements were not so well known – damn, 30 errors and 204 Ks.
Omar Vizquel had 25 errors one season – I can imagine the fan forums at the time “I don’t know where the excitement over Vizquel comes from, he can’t play defense.” I wish it meant that Gamel was close but not quite as good as him.
The only thing I’d add is that often when people talk about errors in the minors they talk about the poor conditions of some infields. And hey, maybe Brendan Katin has been playing a position where the grass hasn’t got enough sun (sarcasm).
by ol Pete on Nov 14, 2008 4:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
if that Mike Cameron for Melky deal were to happen
what are the chances the Crew makes taking Suppan and his salary part of the deal. If they miss on AJ and/or Lowe, it could happen.
Rays 2009 Slogan: "Come back with your shield or on it"
by PriceMultiCyYoungs on Nov 15, 2008 8:18 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Than we are down two starting pitchers.
That’s just another spot to fill if you give up Suppan.
Eric Gagne DL time: May 23-June 29 Brewers record in that span: 20-9
by NoahJ on Nov 15, 2008 11:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Jeffrey Hammonds was a dick.
Sorry. I’m morally obligated to say that since I attended an offseason tour event in 2003 and watched Hammonds refuse to sign autographs for 3 kids who stood in line for 45 minutes to get them, all so he could run to his chair on a panel in which he answered exactly one question: (Fan: “How’s your shoulder?” Hammonds, glaring at fan: “It’s fine.”) A few nervous chuckles from the crowd successfully covered my half-drunk buddy saying, a little too loudly, “what an a—hole.”
Seriously. Jeffrey Hammonds was a dick.
I have an unreasonable dislike of Bill Hall.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Nov 15, 2008 11:19 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
wow
that list is sure to put any Wisconsin sports fan in an awful mood. And I am guessing that being a major league failure hasn’t improved Hammonds’ disposition so I would guess that Jeffrey Hammonds IS a dick.
September 15: Not a bad little Monday
by molitorfan on Nov 15, 2008 2:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

























