Recent content by Eric Van

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    Grantland

    I actually did give series-by-series lineup advice to Jed Hoyer and Zack Scott, who then made their own recommendations to Tito -- not five hours before a game, a day before the start of the next series. But I knew enough to never recommend sitting the regulars on a national TV game against the...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    Is the Globe aware that this guy is stealing their money? A.J. Pierzynski is ranked the third best FA catcher because he is "Still a good offensive player." The average MLB starting catcher has a .256 TAv; Pierzynksi since 2003 has gone .247, .244, .255, .243, .251, .257, .242 (which was .270...
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    30 for 30

    Sox were slight faves for gamblers who of course would be influenced by the respective team mythologies. Big faves by expert analysts, IIRC, and the better the analyst, the more they liked the Sox. .
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    30 for 30

    I'm with you almost all the way, but some actual expert talking heads are really helpful in a doc like this. For instance, you need to get across how much the Sox were favored based on their incredible play since early August and how startling it was for them to go down 0-3; you want to be able...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    In the last week, Nick has informed us that both Darnell McDonald and Rich Hill will be free agents. Which I suppose will be true -- if we release them. Re the whole Saltalamacchia remote diagnosis, having studied my fair share of psych I can opine (state with absolute confidence?) that the...
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    30 for 30

    Folks may recall that my Dad, who was born in 1919, passed away on October 4, 2004. I just watched that trailer and I broke down in tears over that for the first time since it happened. Perhaps it's the compression of the saga into one minute, with all the best sound bytes to boot. It looks...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    Wow, Nick said nothing stupid for nine whole days? Today he declares Toronto a deadline winner in part because they "stuck to their guns" and didn't deal Downs for "pennies on the dollar." Oh, really? Every team in MLB desperate for bullpen help, and no one offered them anything remotely...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    I'm shocked that there has been no commentary on Nick's "valuing the human element" argument against expanded replay. Two questions for Nick: 1) If there were an umpire in a video booth making rulings, would he still be a human? Or would that somehow make him, say, a mollusc or cephalopod...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    QUOTE (johnmd20 @ Sep 27 2009, 11:52 AM) Not great either. Could the Yankees lose to the Tigers? Sure. Could Verlander pitch well? Sure. Could the Yankees lose 15-0 every game? Sure. The whole "could this happen" is weak, because, of course, anything could effin' happen. Except he asked...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    QUOTE (mabrowndog @ May 20 2009, 08:03 AM) Are these lateral corrections made from the pitcher's vantage point or the umpire's? From the ump's. The zone and gray areas are wider to the left because the usual head position is to the right of the catcher.
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    QUOTE (URISoxFan @ May 19 2009, 08:40 AM) I have the time. When you get a second, can you post them, as well as the explaination? I'm pretty interested in this, and I've fallen behind the curve on the pitch f/x stuff...I'm begging to be taught. First, the de facto strike zone, derived from...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    QUOTE (DieHardSoxFan1 @ May 18 2009, 10:56 PM) Indeed, Pitch f/x measures pitch break from the point of release to the front of the plate, but it also provides a three-dimensional view of each specified strike zone as well as home plate. In other words, this detailed view allows one to view the...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    QUOTE (SoxFanInCali @ May 18 2009, 11:42 AM) It's not really fair to use Koufax as an example of someone who has no minor league innings pitched in order to prove this point. The main reason he never pitched in the minors was the "bonus baby" rules of the time, which meant he had to be on the...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    QUOTE (DieHardSoxFan1 @ May 18 2009, 11:47 AM) Jnai offers the data tracked by Pitch f/x, correct? Because if that's the case then he's offering equally as much as your sophisticated interpretation. The Pitch f/x system takes into account every relevant wrinkle, including break and plate depth...
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    Protecting the Shields -- The Nick Cafardo Thread

    I'm amazed that no one has mentioned this gem from Sunday. It's like there's a stipulation in his contract that he must invent at least one eye-bleedingly, patently untrue, completely nonsensical assertion in every column: QUOTE One of the problems with young pitchers these days is that they...
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