He said in his conference call with the media Tuesday that he didn’t make the Clay Buchholz deal with Philadelphia for 24-year-old second baseman Josh Tobias to give him flexibility to make another move and still stay under the luxury tax. But really, what’s left to do on this team other than replace David Ortiz and that monster production that has now left the Red Sox’ offense?
But if they did "repeat them," would the first year still be a "career year"?He’s been around long enough to know that players who had career years don’t always repeat them.
3. Great to see Zach Kapstein, a 24-year-old outfielder from Tiverton, R.I., hook on with the White Sox organization.
Jose Bautista, who apparently could play the corner infield spots in Nick's 2017 Red SoxWho said 2016 was a shit year?
Ninety nine times out of one hundred, I'd agree with you. I normally don't like this petty, thin-skinned stuff but this IMO is different.I agree with all your points, except the one about Cafardo "tsk-tsking his colleagues for not voting for Schilling." He's talking about a subset of writers -- including CHB -- who have voted for Schilling in the past but who now aren't because of Schilling's recent statements, retweets, political beliefs, etc.
Those writers deserve a special place in hell. Don't vote for Schilling if you don't believe he's HoF worthy. But vote for him one year or for multiple years and then not vote for him because of something he did or said or tweeted after his baseball career was long over? To me, that's absurd. Whatever one thinks of Schilling's recent perceived "offenses," we're not talking Aaron Hernandez-level offenses here. I think CHB, Heyman and all the rest are only embarrassing themselves, far more than anything Schilling has recently done to embarrass himself.
But I don't mean to distract from the underlying point that Cafardo is an imbecile.
My personal favorite. Take him? Take him where? Lets discuss what the market should be for a 1 dimensional slugger with strikeout/OBP issues and negligible defensive value. Or lets not and continue to slap together a bunch of throwaway lines and anonymous quotes with little substance and keep on cashing that 6 figure paycheck.Take Chris Carter. He hit 42 homers for Milwaukee last season. Yet he was designated for assignment and nobody traded for or signed him.
It is insane to me that he can see those series of events- 42 HR, DFA'd- and not at least wonder why. That the Brewers would not have a reason and he's the first one to notice.My personal favorite. Take him? Take him where? Lets discuss what the market should be for a 1 dimensional slugger with strikeout/OBP issues and negligible defensive value. Or lets not and continue to slap together a bunch of throwaway lines and anonymous quotes with little substance and keep on cashing that 6 figure paycheck.
You don't even need to take a deep dive into sabermetrics, just look at the back of theIt is insane to me that he can see those series of events- 42 HR, DFA'd- and not at least wonder why. That the Brewers would not have a reason and he's the first one to notice.
Starring Tom Donohoe as JP Ricciardi.Edited for content: Nick's Patriots run was brutal--he brought the same repetitive bad habits to his football coverage.
And Lawyer Milloy as Zach Kapstein!Starring Tom Donohoe as JP Ricciardi.
Worth mentioning that Nick's speech was the longest of the night and a rambling mess. After being introduced by a friend extolling Nick's tireless work ethic (can you believe that he once covered a game right after getting his tooth pulled in the third inning?), he started by polling the audience on which was better: yellow or brown mustard. He began with a story about Shank comparing Steve Crawford to a bag of doorknobs and then, can you believe it, seeing Crawford at Grossman's buying doorknobs! Then he talked about Lou Gorman giving him a scoop as he woke up from a narcoleptic haze and not having the heart to break it to Lou a few days later where he got the scoop (best part of the speech, bar none). He followed that by telling a story about watching cock fighting in Puerto Rico with Ivan Calderon – and ended both stories with "Then he died shortly thereafter and so that was the end of that," at which point Dombrowski was almost falling out of his chair with laughter. At which point my dad looked at me and said, "Ok, I'm ready to leave."
All in all, it confirmed everything about Nick Cafardo that I've always believed: that his lack of insight into the sport of baseball and the people in it is matched only by his lack of self-awareness at how fortunate he has been to have covered the game for so many years. On the good side, he did thank an editor named Jack Sullivan for allowing him to write all this time so at least we now know where to direct our hate mail.
They gave him a different look.At least no one mentioned his writing skills.
Beyond the fact the article was vanilla and completely uninteresting, he continued to perpetuate the myth that "nobody saw the power coming" when trying to explain the PED whispers. Plenty of analytical writers of the day including Bill James recognized the New Britain park factors and predicted his high doubles totals would play well in a more favorable hitting environment, James was on record writing that Gorman would rue the decision the day the trade was made. Alex Speier's piece last month interviewing amateur scout Tom Mooney about Bagwell's potential shows what a motivated Globe writer can do with an interesting topicHis article about Jeff Bagwell contained a couple of beauties. Mentioned the Sox had a bunch of 3rd base options including Steve Lyons....who wasn't re-acquired by the Sox until the season after Bagwell was traded. Oh, and his 3rd base options managed NOT to mention Wade Boggs.
Yeah, point out how hard winning the East is by comparing it to the Tigers' not winning the World Series. And fail to mention that the Tigers won the AL Central 4 years in a row after DD basically resurrected the team.The Red Sox will enter spring training as the favorites to win the American League East, but it may not be a cakewalk, even with Chris Sale heading Boston’s elite starting rotation.
Nobody knows this better than Dave Dombrowski, who put together an elite staff in Detroit — Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Rick Porcello, and Doug Fister. While the Tigers had success and even reached the World Series, they didn’t win it all. So the Red Sox will face similar scrutiny.
Had he spent another minute's thought on this, he could've made the perfectly reasonable point that during that four-season stretch the Tigers only really ran away with the division in 2011, while in '13 and '14 they just managed to squeak out the win with a one game margin both seasons.Yeah, point out how hard winning the East is by comparing it to the Tigers' not winning the World Series. And fail to mention that the Tigers won the AL Central 4 years in a row after DD basically resurrected the team.
Oh yeah? Have you ever heard of GARY SANCHEZ!?!?!?!?I don't think anyone can make a credible case for the Yankees contending....but Nick goes ahead and tries anyway....because, well, they're the Yankees!
I think he's eating more small meals. But caring about each one?Nick told me that Pablo cares now! But he's not as hungry. I'm so confused!
It's manager ranking week!
It's manager ranking week!
IT'S MANAGER RANKING WEEK!!!
Phone books also have some reasoning in the order that the names are listed.New phone books are more interesting
Indeed.Phone books also have some reasoning in the order that the names are listed.
"Buck Showalter did what he always does, so even though it very possibly cost his team a playoff, its not a bad thing."I'm pretty sure there were zero direct criticisms of a single manager in that column.
Can you imagine of being so afraid of someone you peripherally work with that even when that person messes up big (especially compared to the way Francona and Maddon used their bullpens in the same postseason) that you won't say that Showalter screwed up?"Buck Showalter did what he always does, so even though it very possibly cost his team a playoff, its not a bad thing."
But Nick is oh so clever. watch how he uses "fat and lazy" in this subtle way:Can you imagine of being so afraid of someone you peripherally work with that even when that person messes up big (especially compared to the way Francona and Maddon used their bullpens in the same postseason) that you won't say that Showalter screwed up?
It's not a bad thing, Nick? Why don't yo u rustle up some Orioles fans and ask them if it was a bad thing. Nick Cafardo is as gutless as Cam Neely.
Farrell is smart to create this scenario. You never want your players to be fat and lazy. They need to know they could lose their jobs. Sandoval probably never thought he would lose his job to Travis Shaw a year ago, but he did.