"Turd Throw" and other stories from the rancid NLC.

[Dave B]

At least one of them.

Seriously though, we disagree because of your love of stats. I say there is more to it than just numbers. Bonds hasn't been in the playoffs since 2003. His stats have shown that he produces at the plate well enough, but he is NOT even an adequate LF. Add that to all of the intangibles I mentioned and there's your reason why he is still unsigned.  

[EG]

At least one of them.

Seriously though, we disagree because of your love of stats. I say there is more to it than just numbers. Bonds hasn't been in the playoffs since 2003. His stats have shown that he produces at the plate well enough, but he is NOT even an adequate LF. Add that to all of the intangibles I mentioned and there's your reason why he is still unsigned. 

I think the fact he's unsigned is totally because of the Feds.  Which is a perfectly good reason, of course.

I'm not really "in love" with stats.  I'm more in love with good baseball players (well, not like that).  And it's just my preference to evaluate them through objective measures like stats. 

My original point was that while Bonds sucks in the field and is a douchebag, he's still a good enough hitter to be a better option than Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel or Ryan Ludwick. 

[Andy]

I think the Giants playoff drought isn't because Barry was selfish or a prick, it's more that when he was healthy during those years he was younger than half the team of ageds that they put around him.  He'd probably fit in in St. Louis, given their historic love of guys on the juice, but he's far better suited to be a DH now.  Tampa's not a bad place for him, given that they perennially piss DH at bats away on stiffs like Greg Vaughn, Fred McGriff or Greg Norton, so he wouldn't be stealing at bats from anybody who actually needs them.

And, with the media horde no longer following him, he's probably less of a distraction to a team than a guy like Sammy who wants every TV camera pointed at him.

And, when he goes to prison, he'll do it in a Tampa Bay Rays cap.  It's a win-win!

[Dave B]

Speaking of St. Louis and juice, check out this tidbit from the Post-Dispatch:

One feud between the Cardinals and a local media outlet has ended, but another
brouhaha involving the club and a St. Louis sportscaster is festering.

In recent days, KTVI and Albert Pujols made peace following a contentious two
months after Channel 2 went full-bore with coverage of an erroneous report in
December that Pujols would be included in the Mitchell Report, which named
players suspected of taking illegal performance-enhancing substances.

But a skirmish between Cards manager Tony La Russa and talk-show host Kevin
Slaten is simmering. Slaten wanted La Russa to be a guest recently on his
afternoon drive-time program at KFNS (590 AM, 100.7 FM) but La Russa turned him
down â€" as he has in the past.

Slaten has been harsh on the air about La Russa, lately about him overseeing
many players who have been tied to using performance-enhancing substances â€"
including players who have been signed by the club after the release this
winter of the Mitchell Report, which investigated use of such substances in
baseball.

"He has proven to me that he is not fair with members of our organization,
including me,'' La Russa told a Post-Dispatch reporter this week in Florida.
"He is just interested in getting on guys just for the sake of getting on guys.
That's his thing.''
Slaten shot back Friday.

"He is full of you know what,'' Slaten said in an interview. "Have him ask
(Cardinals president) Mark Lamping if I'm unfair to everybody in the
organization. Have him ask (team chairman) Bill DeWitt, who has been on the
show repeatedly. Have him ask (pitching coach) Dave Duncan, who was on the show
(recently). If he thinks I'm so unfair, it's amazing all these people will come
on. In fact, everybody with the team comes on except him.

"He's the only guy who thinks I'm unfair. If he thinks it's unfair that I point
out that the Mitchell Report named him'' let him defend himself. "If he thinks
his consistent defense of Mark McGwire isn't the most absurd thing I've ever
heard, if he thinks that's unfair, have him come on and address it. ...
Basically the Mitchell Report called him a liar and he's never been held to
account to it, certainly not by the Cardinals.''

La Russa said Slaten isn't credible.

"There's fair criticism that's thought out, and that's fine, and then there's
what he does,'' La Russa said. "He hasn't earned any credibility."
But Slaten said he thinks La Russa merely doesn't want to face Slaten's
questioning.

"He doesn't want to answer any questions other than softballs that are tossed
to him on a daily basis,'' Slaten said. "He doesn't want to answer fair,
legitimate questions about his connection to the steroids era or how he
threatens media people with a fungo bat. Because he doesn't want to answer any
of those questions, he decides to slander me by saying I'm unfair. La Russa's a
coward. The invitation is open ... any time he wants to come on and prove he
has a spine.''

[Mike Douche]

I think the Giants playoff drought isn't because Barry was selfish or a prick, it's more that when he was healthy during those years he was younger than half the team of ageds that they put around him.  He'd probably fit in in St. Louis, given their historic love of guys on the juice, but he's far better suited to be a DH now.  Tampa's not a bad place for him, given that they perennially piss DH at bats away on stiffs like Greg Vaughn, Fred McGriff or Greg Norton, so he wouldn't be stealing at bats from anybody who actually needs them.

And, with the media horde no longer following him, he's probably less of a distraction to a team than a guy like Sammy who wants every TV camera pointed at him.

And, when he goes to prison, he'll do it in a Tampa Bay Rays cap.  It's a win-win!

Fork?

[Andy]

Actually, I don't blame LaRussa for the part of that with the TV station.  The morning of the Mitchell Report release that fake list came out and some pretty dumbassed TV and radio stations ran with it like it was gospel.  The Score had Murph and Stone pointing fingers at Kerry Wood for more than an hour because of it.  Murph said he "knew" Wood was on something all along, and Prior, too.  I'd have sued him so hard his voice would go up yet another feminine octave.

[Dave B]

Albie was pissed at the TV station, and rightfully so. But it looks like they've smoothed that over.

The Genius just wants to duck the radio guy. Tony's silence speaks for itself.

[Oleg]

Actually, I don't blame LaRussa for the part of that with the TV station.  The morning of the Mitchell Report release that fake list came out and some pretty dumbassed TV and radio stations ran with it like it was gospel.  The Score had Murph and Stone pointing fingers at Kerry Wood for more than an hour because of it.  Murph said he "knew" Wood was on something all along, and Prior, too.  I'd have sued him so hard his voice would go up yet another feminine octave.

I agree with you.  The radio guy obviously has an agenda.  It's kind fo a classic line of questioning.  How do you prove that you're NOT a racist if someone accuses you of being one?

I bet this radio host and Marriotti could have a fine circle jerk together.

[Three times a JD]

How do you prove that you're NOT a racist if someone accuses you of being one?

You talk about how many black friends you have.

[Gil Gunderson]

How do you prove that you're NOT a racist if someone accuses you of being one?

You talk about how many black friends you have.

[Taylor]

LaGenius defending his 'roid boys.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/bryanburwell/story/257D3FB69C6D805F862573FB0010BBCD?OpenDocument

With the passion of a baseball man and the arguments of a lawyer â€" he's both â€" La Russa steadfastly refuses to believe that Mark McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs. He manages five players in spring training who were implicated in the Mitchell Report â€" three more than any other team in baseball. He tried to bring in Barry Bonds, endorsed the signing of Juan Gonzalez and compares McGwire to Roger Clemens as if it were a good thing.

And makes no apologies about any of it.

I interrupted him.

"Wait a minute, Tony. You still don't believe McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs?"

"Absolutely not."

"Come on."

"Absolutely not," he said. "If you see Mark today, he still looks like he did then."

"No, he doesn't," I said.

"Yes, he does," La Russa said.

"No, he doesn't," I repeated.

La Russa tossed his hands in the air and looked at me in frustration. "Are you asking for my opinion or yours?" he said.

"I'm asking your opinion," I said. "But we're having a conversation, and I'm disagreeing with you."

[Kwyjibo]

I think the Giants playoff drought isn't because Barry was selfish or a prick, it's more that when he was healthy during those years he was younger than half the team of ageds that they put around him.  He'd probably fit in in St. Louis, given their historic love of guys on the juice, but he's far better suited to be a DH now.  Tampa's not a bad place for him, given that they perennially piss DH at bats away on stiffs like Greg Vaughn, Fred McGriff or Greg Norton, so he wouldn't be stealing at bats from anybody who actually needs them.

And, with the media horde no longer following him, he's probably less of a distraction to a team than a guy like Sammy who wants every TV camera pointed at him.

And, when he goes to prison, he'll do it in a Tampa Bay Rays cap.  It's a win-win!

Fork?

McStiff eats ass.

Never too late.

[Taylor]

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/02/23/kendall-hitting-ninth-possibly.aspx

Manager Ned Yost has said for a week that he has a brain-full of ideas when it comes to his batting order, but it is way too early to commit to any one of them.

But one of the most interesting of possible orders would have Ryan Braun batting second, a pitcher batting eighth and catcher Jason Kendall batting ninth. This idea isn't set yet, and it may not ever be used. It is just one of a flurry of ideas whizzing around inside the skipper's head. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has done this some during the last few seasons.

Yost's reasoning is that he wants Braun to have more plate apperances, but still be able to have guys on in front of him. So with Kendall's ability to see pitches and get on base, it would essentially translate to Braun still batting third while racking up about 40 more plate appearances, as stats show. In this lineup, Prince Fielder would bat third in the order, but it would be like having him in the clean-up slot.

"Common sense tells me you want your best hitters to have the most at-bats," Yost said.

For a more detailed explanation of the theory, check out our spring training notebook in tomorrow's JS.

Just keep following that common sense of yours Ned. I hope it tells you to use Turd Throw a lot this year.

[Slaky+]

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/02/23/kendall-hitting-ninth-possibly.aspx

Manager Ned Yost has said for a week that he has a brain-full of ideas when it comes to his batting order, but it is way too early to commit to any one of them.

But one of the most interesting of possible orders would have Ryan Braun batting second, a pitcher batting eighth and catcher Jason Kendall batting ninth. This idea isn't set yet, and it may not ever be used. It is just one of a flurry of ideas whizzing around inside the skipper's head. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has done this some during the last few seasons.

Yost's reasoning is that he wants Braun to have more plate apperances, but still be able to have guys on in front of him. So with Kendall's ability to see pitches and get on base, it would essentially translate to Braun still batting third while racking up about 40 more plate appearances, as stats show. In this lineup, Prince Fielder would bat third in the order, but it would be like having him in the clean-up slot.

"Common sense tells me you want your best hitters to have the most at-bats," Yost said.

For a more detailed explanation of the theory, check out our spring training notebook in tomorrow's JS.

Just keep following that common sense of yours Ned. I hope it tells you to use Turd Throw a lot this year.

I'm just giddy for the more detailed explanation of this complicated theory. Oh boy!

[Corn-fed]

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/02/23/kendall-hitting-ninth-possibly.aspx

Manager Ned Yost has said for a week that he has a brain-full of ideas when it comes to his batting order, but it is way too early to commit to any one of them.

But one of the most interesting of possible orders would have Ryan Braun batting second, a pitcher batting eighth and catcher Jason Kendall batting ninth. This idea isn't set yet, and it may not ever be used. It is just one of a flurry of ideas whizzing around inside the skipper's head. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has done this some during the last few seasons.

Yost's reasoning is that he wants Braun to have more plate apperances, but still be able to have guys on in front of him. So with Kendall's ability to see pitches and get on base, it would essentially translate to Braun still batting third while racking up about 40 more plate appearances, as stats show. In this lineup, Prince Fielder would bat third in the order, but it would be like having him in the clean-up slot.

"Common sense tells me you want your best hitters to have the most at-bats," Yost said.

For a more detailed explanation of the theory, check out our spring training notebook in tomorrow's JS.

Just keep following that common sense of yours Ned. I hope it tells you to use Turd Throw a lot this year.

I'm just giddy for the more detailed explanation of this complicated theory. Oh boy!

I don't know... All this crazy math is making my head hurt.

So, what he's trying to say is, the ninth batter bats before the second? Wha?!

I was just getting my mind wrapped around Phil Rogers' system, now this?