Hahaha, Cafardo you dolt. "Kicked the bucket" definitely means "died."
I wish Cafardo's writing career would finally kick the bucket. What a dunderhead.
I wish Cafardo's writing career would finally kick the bucket. What a dunderhead.
The Gray Eagle said:Hahaha, Cafardo you dolt. "Kicked the bucket" definitely means "died."
I wish Cafardo's writing career would finally kick the bucket. What a dunderhead.
NICK CAFARDO | ON BASEBALL
Many healthy signs in Yankees camp
John Marzano Olympic Hero said:Cafardo is the type of guy who looks at an aging Yankee team that is somewhat healthy in Spring Training and immediately calls them a World Series contender. When the injuries mount and the wheels inevitably fall off in August and September, he will be completely blindsided.
"They looked so healthy in Tampa! I guess, that's baseball for you, the best team doesn't always win!"
Cafardo ignores that because Sabathia is a "veteran", "a gamer" and "knows when to turn it on". The guy is the greatest cherry picker since George Washington.daveuk said:
SSS but Sabathia has only managed 10 IP this spring with a rather hefty 8.10 ERA. I would guess that he is only somewhat healthy.
CC also gives you a different look...which is pretty special.John Marzano Olympic Hero said:Cafardo ignores that because Sabathia is a "veteran", "a gamer" and "knows when to turn it on". The guy is the greatest cherry picker since George Washington.
BannedbyNYYFans.com said:CC also gives you a different look...which is pretty special.
WenZink said:
For the sake of argument, if CC was a free-agent, right now, what would he command on the market for a 1 year deal? Would his championship caliber and "different look," earn him anything, in the hopes that he could re-invent himself? Or is he just worth a minor league contract with incentives and an opt-out during the season? (And I can't believe I'm trying to defend Cafardo's honor, which is "certainly more than he's ever done.")
Next up: Nick's column on crybabies with arm injuries and JP Ricciardi's proposal to limit hitters to two foul balls per AB.minutes off game times but won’t address the real issues of why games have become long and tedious. There are too many relievers and hitters who have been taught to grind out at-bats.
5. We’re told James Shields already is improving the culture in the Padres’ clubhouse. So many teams, including the Red Sox, missed the boat on this guy. It’s amazing how numbers can override common sense sometimes.
CoffeeNerdness said:
5. We’re told James Shields already is improving the culture in the Padres’ clubhouse. So many teams, including the Red Sox, missed the boat on this guy. It’s amazing how numbers can override common sense sometimes.
From the Bill Chuck files:[snip]... Also, “Ryan Howard was fourth last season in the NL with 95 RBIs in 648 plate appearances. The average major leaguer with 648 PAs last season had 66 RBI.”
CoffeeNerdness said:
5. We’re told James Shields already is improving the culture in the Padres’ clubhouse. So many teams, including the Red Sox, missed the boat on this guy. It’s amazing how numbers can override common sense sometimes.
Also Nick could wait for, you know, a single regular season game before putting his dick on the buffet.
5. We’re told James Shields already is improving the culture in the Padres’ clubhouse. So many teams, including the Red Sox, missed the boat on this guy. It’s amazing how numbers can override common sense sometimes.
JGray38 said:Maybe Ben Cherington didn't think "improving clubhouse culture" was worth $18m a year.
Red(s)HawksFan said:Because a clubhouse with Ortiz, Pedroia, Napoli, Victorino, and Sandoval needs "improvement".
Most scouts from other teams agree. It’s good to get more time in Triple A (Swihart has 71 plate appearances). But catchers with similar pedigrees — Ivan Rodriguez, Joe Mauer, even Jason Varitek — were not finished products when they got to the majors. They were promising defensive catchers who could hit and they refined their craft at the big league level.
Swihart might be better served learning those things with major league pitchers he’s going to have to learn to catch, anyway.
I asked an American League scout if Swihart was close to becoming a major league catcher.
“Well, no, not really,” he said “He could get back there and be fine. But I understand the Red Sox’ point of view that they don’t want to cram it down his throat and just have his normal development at Triple A. If he needs work on calling a game, he can get that experience.”
E5 Yaz said:...So, he starts with a question -- Is Swihart ready defensively? -- has it answered by someone who knows ... then questions that opinion and goes for a second opinion ... and gets told again that Nick, you're wrong.
Then he finishes that segment by wondering whether Swihart will change positions in the majors.
charlieoscar said:
I asked an American League scout if Swihart was close to becoming a major league catcher.
“Well, no, not really,” he said “He could get back there and be fine. But I understand the Red Sox’ point of view that they don’t want to cram it down his throat and just have his normal development at Triple A. If he needs work on calling a game, he can get that experience.”
That strikes me as being a rather hedged response from the unnamed AL scout: No, but he could get back there and be fine and IF he needs works on calling a game...not he needs work.
I'm not arguing whether Swihart does or does not need Triple A experience; rather, I am saying that the scout's argument is not persuasive.
Laser Show said:https://twitter.com/nickcafardo/status/585233482223329280
Except for the fact that he can test free agency at the age of 30, $82 million from now.
joe dokes said:http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/04/05/phillies-cole-hamels-set-show-his-stuff-red-sox-opener/fQGOYeanWsHIQRDOumPngP/story.html
Cole Hamels is great....Cole Hamels is great.....
and no mention of what it would (have) take(n) to acquire him...that the Phillies started off with Betts, and maybe moved to Swihart, whose importnace grew by about a million percent when Vazquez went down.
Laser Show said:https://twitter.com/nickcafardo/status/585233482223329280
Except for the fact that he can test free agency at the age of 30, $82 million from now.
Well from the standpoint of pace of play it kinda is a negative one. I realize its not new, but you can't argue it speeds up the game. To the average American sports fan, it's a problem.CoffeeNerdness said:I was watching Reds v. Pirates last night and Reds' announcers Jeff Brantley and Thom Brennaman were having a discussion about the rules to speed up the game. Brantley, like old friend Nick, lamented the fact that batters are now taught to grind out at bats and that working the count is one of the main causes of games being so long. Is anyone else outside of the post-game buffet brigade making such a stink out of this issue?
I played Little League is the 80's and coaches were always repeating the mantra "a walk's as good as a hit". Why do people that have been around the game for so long think this is some new concept let alone a negative one?
Merkle's Boner said:Well from the standpoint of pace of play it kinda is a negative one. I realize its not new, but you can't argue it speeds up the game. To the average American sports fan, it's a problem.
CoffeeNerdness said:
5. We’re told James Shields already is improving the culture in the Padres’ clubhouse. So many teams, including the Red Sox, missed the boat on this guy. It’s amazing how numbers can override common sense sometimes.
Merkle's Boner said:Well from the standpoint of pace of play it kinda is a negative one. I realize its not new, but you can't argue it speeds up the game. To the average American sports fan, it's a problem.
CoffeeNerdness said:
It’s amazing how numbers can override common sense sometimes.
The fact that A-Rod is becoming a centerpiece for the Yankees offense is probably not a good thing. At 39, he should be a complementary piece. Headley, Jacoby Ellsbury, Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann . . . these are veteran players who have moved slowly out of the gate.
Nick is talking to his sources at McLean Hospital again. I would guess that there may literally not be a single relevant person who thinks this.There are folks who think Cole Hamels stinks because he allowed four solo homers to the Red Sox on Opening Day. All of a sudden he’ll never be good again and the Red Sox should never trade for him.
According to Nick, Dave Dravecky had "trouble adapting" to being a lefty with no left arm.The Yankees have all kinds of other things to adapt to.
Their ace, Masahiro Tanaka, is now throwing his fastball 88-91 miles per hour. He used to throw it at 95. So far he hasn’t been able to make that transition from power pitcher to finesse guy because of a balky elbow.
The 'A' lineup with ARod as its inappropraite centerpiece? (centaurpiece?)Sunday night Tanaka will oppose Clay Buchholz, who pitched so well on Opening Day against the Phillies, possibly the worst lineup in baseball. The Yankees will have their “A” lineup against Buchholz, so we’ll see if the Game 1 Buchholz is as good as the Game 2 one.
joe dokes said:Timothy Leary (not the pitcher, the other one) would be impressed with Nick's Yankee optimism:
Beltran is staring into the professional abyss; Teixeira (who of course knows something about starting gates, thanks Nick) at 35 isn't likely to move much more than slowly, except into the decline of his career. The other 3 are 31; they aren't going to get better.
Nick is talking to his sources at McLean Hospital again. I would guess that there may literally not be a single relevant person who thinks this.
According to Nick, Dave Dravecky had "trouble adapting" to being a lefty with no left arm.
The 'A' lineup with ARod as its inappropraite centerpiece? (centaurpiece?)
E5 Yaz said:So, Nick spends the morning debating with himself as to whether Jon Lester's troubles throwing to bases will turn him into Steve Blass, Steve Sax or Rick Ankiel. Or not be an issue at all. Unless it becomes one. Or not.
Remember: Nick isn't debating with himself... 'We' are debating with 'ourselves'.E5 Yaz said:So, Nick spends the morning debating with himself...
Otherwise know as "mass debation"Dick Pole Upside said:Remember: Nick isn't debating with himself... 'We' are debating with 'ourselves'.