Monday, December 1, 2008

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Long Weekend Links

BONUS LINK

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving links

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Links

Monday, November 24, 2008

Monday Links

Saturday, November 22, 2008

More Weekend Links

Friday, November 21, 2008

Weekend Links

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Midweek Links

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Links

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Links

Monday, November 17, 2008

Links

  • Damn.  Jeremy Affeldt got signed (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • LaRue on front-office changes.  Looks like they are changing the player development philosophy.  Good call. (Mariners Insider)(Seattle Times)
  • Ben Davis is trying to become a pitcher? (Mariners Insider)
  • Manager rumors (Mariners Insider)
  • The BBWAA sucks.  Yea they got Pujols right, but Ryan Howard?  Chase Utley 15th?  Can we create a real MVP award and just stop reporting anything the BBWAA does? (Lookout Landing)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Weekend Links

Friday, November 14, 2008

TGIF Links

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Links

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Veteran's Day Links

I know this is two days late. Sorry.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Weekend Links

Friday, November 7, 2008

Daily Links

Thursday, November 6, 2008

New Future Forty!!!! Links, too

  • Dave with a Future Forty update.  After I look at it closer I might post some thoughts (U.S.S. Mariner)  Basically, this is the best resource around in terms of assessing the Mariner's talent depth, along with...
  • PROSPECT INSIDER! It's back!  Great news all around.  Go check it out, it is updated with tons of content that I havn't linked to (Prospect Insider) (Bleeding Blue & Teal)(Mariner Melee)
  • Baker with some surprising accurate and unexpected criticism of the Gold Glove system.  With his recent endorsement of the Fielding Bible Awards, is Baker coming around to some of the stat heads perspective?  And the term "Rust Glove" is my new favorite baseball term.  (Seattle Times)
  • Jon Shields on the Gold Gloves.  Same criticisms as everyone else.  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • LaRue.  (Mariners Insider)
  • Melee on the Gloves (Mariner Melee)
  • Jim Street on the Gold Glove winners (Official Site)
  • Conor Glassey on the Gold Gloves. (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Jeff Sullivan compares Mark Ellis and Manny Ramirez (Lookout Landing)
  • Sullivan on Gold Glove voting (Lookout Landing)
  • Looks like Zduriencik reads Derek Zumsteg (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Please let this rumor be true.  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Depressed Day After Postings

For the record, yesterdays election was historic.  For social progress, yesterday will always be a historic day.  That said, the media coverage of the entire Obama campaign, and his performance during it sickens me.  Never before has a candidate been allowed to lie outright to the American people without fear of media backlash.  Never before has a Vice Presidential candidate been vetted more thoroughly by the media than a Presidential candidate, especially when the other VP choice is the one who has been making the ridiculous statements (for 30 years no less).  America will survive Obama, just as it survived FDR, LBJ, and Carter.  Hopefully the trajectory follows the Carter path, which is likely, given Obama's troubling similarities to the peanut farmer.  But the real legacy of the 2008 election will be the death of the mainstream media, or at least that the general public now recognizes the medias obvious biases.  Just like in sports, alternative media exists, providing vastly superior news coverage to that of the MSM.  That will be the real Obama revolution.

Now, Mariner Links
  • LaRue.  You know what to expect. (Mariners Insider, More)(And more)
  • Dave Cameron on a rumor that probably has no real source but would cause extreme jubilation in the Mariner's blogosphere: unloading Yuni (biggest black hole on the roster excluding pitchers) for the USEFUL Billy Butler.  (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Larry Stone comes up with a list of FA's for Zduriencik to consider.  He stole abot half this list from Dave Cameron, and the other half is pretty much exclusively bad ideas.  (Seattle Times)
  • Overbay to Seattle?  No doubt he is an upgrade, but couldn't we equal his production with guys like Brad Nelson?  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Derek Zumsteg on Ned Yost.  My feelings exactly.  (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Beyond the Box Score on the best RFs in baseball.  He says the advanced metrics underrate Ichiro, is this true?  I have never heard this from Dave or Derek, or anyone on LL, so I'm not sure.  (Beyond the Box Score)
  • Jim Street reports the Mariners met with Junichi Tazawa (Hot Stove Blog).  Street also says that R.A. Dickey will work with legendary knuckler Phil Niekro in the offseason.  If his knuckler can improve, I am all for keeping him around, having a knuckleball in the bullpen is a rare weapon that could be especially effective after our flamethrowers (King Felix and Morrow).  Plus, it keeps an emergency starter on the roster, which, given the state of the Mariner's pitching depth, is extraordinarily valuable.  (Official Site)
  • Baker on RRS.  Good read, Baker at his finest (Seattle Times).
  • Mariner Melee on Yuni-Butler.  Of course he is all for it (Mariner Melee)
  • Derek Zumsteg on longtime USSM commenter scraps, who is recovering from a stroke.  Our thoughts go out to him (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Now Jon Shields is reporting on the Yuni to Roayls rumors.  Please let this talk continue (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Shields on a deal that would bring Matsui to Seattle for RRS.  I like Matsui, and based on contributions to winning, then it makes sense, but Matsui makes a ton of money and doesn't fit in to Mariner plans for rebuilding.  Plus he sucks in the outfield and the last thing we need is another Ibanez.  Although, now that I think about it, if he only has one more year left on his deal and can put up Ibanez numbers, then maybe we could get draft picks.  But, really, trading RRS without getting a pitcher back given the state of our rotation is gonna be a tough sell.  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • NL Gold Glvoes are out.  As usual, they suck.  Although I have heard that Beltre and Ichiro are gonna get them tomorrow, which doesn't suck.  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Official Site on the manager search.  (Official Site)
  • Jeff Sullivan on the hilarity that is Willie Ballgame being represented by Scott Freakin' Boras (Lookout Landing)
  • Mariner Melee on Matsui (Mariner Melee)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day Links

  • Jon Shields on Putz suitors (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Larry LaRue has (surprise!) unsubstantiated rumors (Mariners Insider)(More) And, more manager rumors (Here)
  • Dave Cameron on LaRue (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Larry Stone on offseason goals (ESPN)
  • Geoff Baker on rumor mongering and its place in baseball.  I agree with his larger point (that rumors should be reported, and that sources who continuously report bogus rumors lose credibility) but his initial inspiration to the post was in response to USSM's Dave Cameron posting about Bob Boone now being a managerial candidate simply because he said he wanted the job.  That is the kind of rumor that should not be published.  (Seattle Times)
  • Willie Ballgame is represented by Scott Boras.  One more reason not to resign him.  (Seattle Times)
  • Baker on Ibanez (Seattle Times)
  • Derek Zumsteg on Carl Pavano of all players (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Mariner Melee on Mike Wilson (Mariner Melee)
  • Lookout Landing's Jeff Sullivan on defense and Adrien Beltre (Lookout Landing)

Monday, November 3, 2008

More Mariner Links

  • Mariner Melee on possible off-season moves.  Don't like some of his major league ideas, but the minor league contracts are smart and low-risk (Mariner Melee)
  • Derek Zumsteg with a chart of Gillick built team ages, he promises more to come (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Jim Street has a new mailbag (Official Site)
  • Larry LaRue on the lack of action before the winter meetings (Mariners Insider) UPDATE: Zduriencik is callng other organizations (Here) UPDATE:  Bob Boone says he would like to manage the M's. Ugh. (Mariners Insider)
  • Mike Cameron's option picked up, throwing a wrench into a lot of off-season Mariner plans.  For the record, Dave Cameron predicted this on FanGraphs by demonstrating the value that Cammie provided the Brewers with could not be found on the open market for cheaper.  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Dave Cameron on the high point of the M's season: King Felix hits a grand salami off of Johan Santana! (FanGraphs)
  • Dave Cameron on the current Mariner rotation candidates (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Where will Raul sign? (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Larry Stone on the winter meetings and the 40-man (Seattle Times) UPDATE: (More)
  • LaRue on Mike Wilson, new addition to the 40-man (Mariners Insider)
  • Jon Shields on managers (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Derek Zumsteg reports that Gillick is returning to Philly as an advisor.  Good.  Stay there.  (U.S.S. Mariner)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Mariner Linkage

  • Zduriencik's first personnel move: minor league FA.  A center fielder that he draftecd in Milwaulkee.  (Bleeding BLue & Teal) More on it from Larry LaRue (Mariners Insider).  The consensus seems to be that he is a phenomenal defensive player.  It doesn't seem like he has much of a shot at the majors, but the idea of a guy being picked up by the M's for his defense is a refreshing change.
  • LaRue on Mariners free agents.  Cairo, Bloomquist, and Ibanez so none figure to be back.  (Mariners Insider)
  • Jim Street talks to Griffey's agent.  I read USSM's piece last night on him, and followed the comment thread, and I have to say I side with Dave.  No matter his cost in dollars, the opportunity cost of taking at-bats away from a potential contributor to a successful Mariner team guarantees that Junior will not ever be a bargain. (Official Site)
  • Junichi Tazawa, a 22 year old Japanese pitcher, has asked not to be drafted and will attempt to make the jump to the majors next year.  Jon Shields reports the Mariners have a meeting scheduled.  With Engle around, I am very comfortable with any international signings made by the Mariners.  I'll keep an eye on this. (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Derek Zumsteg on Pat Gillick.  This post is great.  USSM is by no means a fan of Gillick, yet Derek is still able to perfectly capture Gillick's strength while highlighting his penchant for wrecking player development. (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Larry LaRue on the fate of the Mariner coaching staff (Mariners Insider)
  • USSM and Lookout Landing on the Elias Rankings.  Raul is Type A.  Let hime walk, get the draft picks (U.S.S. Mariner, Lookout Landing)
  • Jon Shields on a potential offseason plan.  Basically a rip-off of what Dave Cameron has been saying, but doesn't make it any less true, and the more people pushing for it the better in my mind.  (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Another link roudup (Mariner Melee)

Friday, October 31, 2008

Essential Influences on Baseball Thought

I am a huge Seattle Mariner fan.  Recently, the team has been woeful, and many of the solutions the franchise has tried have backfired immensely.  During the anomaly that was the 88-win 2007 season, I got excited about the Mariners contending.  I had recently embraced TrueHoop, an NBA blog, and was learning quickly that ESPN and the mainstream print media are not the only ways of following a team (ironically, TrueHoop, the site that initially alerted me to the knowledge bloggers bring, only came to my attention when ESPN began hosting it).  In reality, especially in baseball, these mainstream media sources can be woefully ignorant of new, more effective analysis.  As I spent my 2007 summer following the Mariners, I started looking for better coverage than I was getting from ESPN and Southern California media.  I found U.S.S. Mariner.  It is easily the best, most comprehensive coverage of a specific topic I have ever encountered in my life.  The primary writers, Dave Cameron and Derek Zumsteg, have embraced sabermetrics and their applications in baseball.  For those unaware, sabermetrics is the use of statistical analysis in baseball evaluation, beyond the tradtional statistics such as batting average, RBI, ERA, etc.  They brought to my attention the (now) obvious fact that defense is important, as saving runs is as beneficial to winning as scoring runs.  I will probably create some sort of primer on the importance of sabermetrics in baseball that includes a definition and a limited history of the field, but essentially, U.S.S. Mariner and their allies in the Mariners blogosphere represent the next phase in the Moneyball era.

Anyway, U.S.S. Mariner ensnared me with its criticism of Jose Vidro.  I had felt the entire season that he was not hitting as well as his traditional numbers bore out, and Dave and Derek agreed.  I kept returning, eventually read the USSM Orientation materials, and ended up over at Lookout Landing.  Now, when I say that U.S.S. Mariner is the best coverage of a specific topic I have ever encountered, a significant amount of that credit goes to the community that regularly reads and contributes to the site.  U.S.S. Mariner is the only blog that I can read through the comments section and not feel dumber, as ignorance is not tolerated.  Aiding this is the presence of an extremely educated group of contributers, several of which are the operators of Lookout Landing.  Lookout Landing may feel more like a fanboys blog, but the content is extraordinary.  The guys at LL are phenomenal at statistical analysis at its most basic level: creating the statistic.  The staff of LL essentially created one of the most accurate measures of pitching available in tRA (and tRA*).  Browsing these sites eventually led me to FanGraphs, which Dave Cameron of USSM and Matthew Carruth of LL write.  FanGraphs is probably the most useful and fan-friendly stats site around, and the writers do a great job of posting interesting and concise entries on a wide variety of topics within baseball.  FanGraphs, more than anything, has helped me understand alternative methods to results based analysis.

The sites I described form the basis for my understanding of baseball beyond the traditional model perpetuated by ESPN and the rest of the traditional media.  They by no means represent my only influences.  Take a look at the links I have posted in the sidebar.  A pretty large amount of them are dedicated to the Mariners.  Most of the Mariners blogosphere has embraced sabermetrics.  However, each blog has its own specialty.  USSM has an incredible ability to take a complex problem or idea (such as win values) and present in easy to grasp, everyday terms.  LL is incredibly statisticaly proficient and posts at a higher frequency than most.  Prospect Insider is Jason Churchills prospect blog, using his experience as a scout to evaluate Mariners prospects.

If you are interested in my baseball thoughts, then start at USSM with their orientation materials.  If you enjoy it, check out a few of their posts or head over to Lookout Landing.  You might be intrigued.

Mariner Link Roundup

  • Jon Shields wonders if Zduriencek is going to try to bring in JJ Hardy amid rumors he is being shopped.  As long as its not an Adam Jones style disaster, I'm a fan (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Official site article on Justin Thomas (Official Site)
  • Mel Stottlemyre wants to stay with the Mariners.  Only if he promises to end his obsession with "establishing the fastball."  (Official Site)
  • Ibanez, Cairo, and Bloomquist file for free agency.  Mike Morse was added to the 40-man roster.  Get Morse out of the organization.  He can't hit.  He can't field.  He took steroids.  He is injury prone.  What are his positives? (Seattle P.I.)
  • Larry LaRue on Ken Griffey, Jr. (Mariners Insider)
  • USSM on Griffey (U.S.S. Mariner)
  • Beyond the Box Score finds that Adrien Beltre was the fourth most valuable third baseman of 2008.  Please stay.  We need you Adrien. (Beyond the Box Score)
  • Are the Mariners going to make a play for Hank Blalock? (Bleeding Blue & Teal)
  • Dave Cameron lists some free agent bargains (FanGraphs).

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Mavericks Game #1 and Tom Ziller

Just got back and there are about 3 minutes to go, not looking good for the Mavericks...and thats it.
Aaron Brooks can score.  Damn.  Looking at the box score, Carlise wasn't lying about running, the offense looks great, especially Dirk and Josh Howard.

About Tom Ziller, he is one of the smartest writers in basketball.  I have had debates with Laker fans (I go to UCLA) about whether Ron Artest represents fair value for Lamar Odom.  Their argument always centered around Lamar Odom not fitting in with the Lakers because he needs the ball.  However, if this is the contention of Laker fans, Ron Artest would fit even worse with the Lakers.  Odom needs the ball to be effective, but he does not demand it.  He recognizes that despite his talents on the ball, he is not Kobe Bryant.  Ron Artest is more effective when the offense does not run through him.  However, he demands the ball.  He does not recognize when his team is better served by him playing a secondary role on offense.  Tom Ziller of NBA FanHouse and Sactown Royalty (one of my favorite NBA blogs) spent an entire season pointing this out.  Despite the presence of Kevin Martin, one of the most efficient scorers in the league, Ron Artest repeatedly would operate outside the offense and act as the focal point.  Now, how does this relate to tonight?  With about three minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Ron Ron waved of Rafer Alston and isolated himself on the perimeter while Yao battled Erick Dampier for positioning.  Artest took a contested three.  It went in, the Rockets went nuts, and it was essentially the final nail in the coffin for the Mavs.  The fact that it went does not excuse Artests actions, however.  One of the main things that I have learned since I started following baseball more closely is the folly of results based analysis.  Let's say that I have a test and am given three potential essays to study for.  I choose to study for only one.  When I get the test, that essay is the one I am given.  Does that mean my method of studying is correct?  Ron Artest initiating the offense instead of Rafer Alston or T-Mac is not the most effective offense Houston can run.  The fact that he made that three does not prove otherwise.  I have gotten way off topic, and I feel like I am driving a point home that does not need to be, but I have heard defenses of Artest as a potential member of the Lakers far too many times, plus it was a chance for me to plug Tom Ziller, who is without a doubt one of my favorite writers in basketball.

Now, the real question: where was Gerald Green?

Welcome to Mariner Maverick

Welcome, my name is Alec, and I am a die hard fan of both the Seattle Mariners and the Dallas Mavericks.  An odd combination, I know, but I follow them both religiously.  While my fandom for both is equal, I am at heart a basketball fan, and I feel much more comfortable making observations and comments on the NBA than I do on the MLB.  In light of this, my content will initally contain more analysis of the Mavericks.  I will use the blog to create link roundups of the Mariner blogosphere (the most knowledgable community I have come across in any sport for the most part), and voice my inexpert (and generally superficial) opinions on what has recently been one of the worst run franchises in sports.  As I begin my blogging, my posts will focus on the Mavericks (convenient as the season is just beginning, but I will try to expand my horizons.

Enjoy!

Oh, and I will have more posts writing about other blogs and/or writers who influenced me/I respect.