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Rice4HOF

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 21, 2002
1,887
Calgary, Canada
I'm teaching my kids to be lefties and throw a slider at 85.

It's a lot tougher than you think. Seriously, I wanted my son to be a lefty. As a baby I'd gently correct him when he picked anything up (baby bottle, toys.....), and held his right hand behind his back. I thought it worked. When he started playing tball he had a left handers glove. To my dismay, halfway through the season he started dropping his glove to throw the ball with his right hand. He's now pitching in college. But a "crafty righthander" doesn't quite conjure up images of Tom Glavine. Specially when he doesn't even quite touch 85.

As an aside, I told Bill Lee this story when I met him, and he shook his head, called ME crazy and walked away.
 

SaveBooFerriss

twenty foreskins
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 9, 2001
6,179
Robin' it
Rice4HOF said:
It's a lot tougher than you think. Seriously, I wanted my son to be a lefty. As a baby I'd gently correct him when he picked anything up (baby bottle, toys.....), and held his right hand behind his back. I thought it worked. When he started playing tball he had a left handers glove. To my dismay, halfway through the season he started dropping his glove to throw the ball with his right hand. He's now pitching in college. But a "crafty righthander" doesn't quite conjure up images of Tom Glavine. Specially when he doesn't even quite touch 85.

As an aside, I told Bill Lee this story when I met him, and he shook his head, called ME crazy and walked away.
 
Obviously, you should have just beaten him everytime he threw with his right hand or just broken his right arm.
 

rembrat

Member
SoSH Member
May 26, 2006
36,345
The Twins securing at least another 3 years of Yankee dominance over the Twin Cities.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
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Jul 15, 2005
70,745
He had much better road numbers than home, both in 2013 (6.32 ERA home/3.88 road) and career (4.96/4.10). He is still only 27, hasn't had any major arm issues, and will certainly benefit from a bigger park, plus it won't hurt that he's away from the expectations of Yankee fans. I wouldn't be thrilled about signing him for three years, but not the worst roll of the dice in the world.
 

Dionysus

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2007
6,690
Bryn Mawr, PA
I like the dollars on the deal, but the length...

But I'm finding myself saying that a lot this winter so far, so maybe I need to adjust my expectations
 

Minneapolis Millers

Wants you to please think of the Twins fans!
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,753
Twin Cities
I was hoping the Twins would get him, given his youth and upside.  Would have preferred 2 + an option but the money makes it a reasonable risk.  
 

nattysez

Member
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Sep 30, 2010
8,436

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
nattysez said:
Kazmir to A's for two years.  Very curious to see the $ (Passan says the deal is >$16mm).
 
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/02/as-close-to-signing-scott-kazmir/
https://twitter.com/timdierkes/status/407586180612370432
 
Willie Bloomquist to the M's for two years and between 5 and 6mm.  Yikes.
 
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/407570415541039104
 
Don't really understand Kazmir to the A's.  They seem stacked full of cheap starters.
 
Bloomquist on a multiyear, multimillion dollar deal?  BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
It's probably not a bad deal for the O's either. 2nd seems like it was a black hole for them last season. 
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
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Apr 25, 2002
90,032
Oregon
Johnson's big problem was HRs, no? Might fare better in Oakland
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
Just a thought. Oakland could use a lineup upgrade, had Ryan Cook that could close and has a surplus of young starters. So instead of spending 20 mil on a player such as Ellsbury or Choo or 13-14 mil on Napoli you sign Kazmir and take on 10 mil in possible salary for Jim Johnson who lead the majors in blown saves.

Somehow this all makes sense
 

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
Duquette or his handlers (Never know how much irrationality Angelos is going to introduce) blew that deal, I think.  Weeks is a terrible return on a good pitcher available for a 1 year arb number.  I am shocked that Detroit wouldn't have offered a better return for a proven closer like Johnson.
 
Err, nevermind, just saw the Nathan news.
 

nattysez

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 30, 2010
8,436
Josh Reddick just got himself a platoon partner.
 
Full trade:  The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has acquired outfielder Michael Choice and infielder Chris Bostick from the Oakland A’s for right-handed pitcher Josh Lindblom and outfielder Craig Gentry.
 

Joe D Reid

Well-Known Member
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Jan 15, 2004
4,209
Greg29fan said:
 
Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal44s
#Reds trading catcher Ryan Hanigan to #Rays, sources tell me and @jonmorosi. May be three-team deal.
 
Being reported now as:
 
Rays get: Hanigan (who signs a $10.75/3 contract) from CIN; Heath Bell (picking up $5.5m of Bell's contract for this year) from AZ.
 
Reds get: David Holmberg from AZ.
 
Dbacks get: Justin Choate and a PTBNL from TB.
 
So Tampa and Oakland have each picked up expensive relievers this week. There really must be a lot of money rattling around MLB.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
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Apr 25, 2002
90,032
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Gregerson must have fallen off the map, if all the Pads could get was Seth Smith
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
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Apr 25, 2002
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Oregon
Saltalamacchia will get $6MM in 2014, $7MM in '15, and $8MM in '16, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
 
In typical Marlins fashion, they can deal him after a year and not pay the bulk of the contract
 

Robert Plant

New Member
May 2, 2011
699
Santa Barbara, California
MakMan44 said:
Luke Gregerson coming back in exchange
 
EDIT:https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/407986206098460672
 
Godawful trade for the Padres. 
It does seem pretty bad. However the Padres need someone who can hit righties and Seth Smith fits the bill. He has a .845 career OPS vs right handed pitchers.
 
Perhaps the Padres have reason to believe Gregerson is going to turn into a pumpkin? Although statistics don't bear it out, I never felt like a lead was safe with Gregerson on the mound.
 

rembrat

Member
SoSH Member
May 26, 2006
36,345
E5 Yaz said:
 
In typical Marlins fashion, they can deal him after a year and not pay the bulk of the contract
 
I wonder why they don't just front load their deals to make them even more valuable come trade time. 
 

radsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 9, 2009
13,622
rembrat said:
I wonder why they don't just front load their deals to make them even more valuable come trade time.
Because they're cheap and would rather pay less money.

They aren't looking for a valuable trade chip, they are looking for someone to dump the contract on if something goes wrong.

After all the talk, amazing the best Salty could do in 2014 is 6M....
 

HriniakPosterChild

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 6, 2006
14,841
500 feet above Lake Sammammish
Willie Bloomquist, the pride of Port Orchard, Washington, has returned to the M's:
 
 
The Seattle Mariners and free agent utility infielder Willie Bloomquist have agreed to a two-year contract worth $5.8 million, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
 
Bloomquist, 36, hit .317/.360/.367 last season in 150 plate appearances after hitting .302/.325/.398 in 338 PA in 2012 for the Diamondbacks. He's played every position on the field in his career except pitcher and catcher, though he's mostly played second base and shortstop the past two seasons.
 
Heading back to Seattle means a reunion, as Bloomquist spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the Mariners. In those seven years, he hit .263/.322/.324.
 
Link
 
Think of Bloomquist as the Pacific Northwest version of Lou Merloni and you'll get the idea.