The Inanity of ESPN

I was watching ESPN's Baseball Tonight the other day, and they mentioned Brett Favre. By itself this wouldn't be particularly surprising, as it's ALWAYS appropriate to work the 40-year-old quarterback into media coverage of any kind. No, what was shocking to me was the context of the mention, when they implied that the impact Jim Thome would have on the Twins would be comparable to the impact Favre had on the Vikings.

Lull in the conversation? Let's talk about Brett Favre!

There are so many things wrong with this that I hardly know where to begin, so let's start with the obvious: comparing baseball to football is like comparing apples to tires. Take the sport with by far the most games, and compare it to the one with the fewest, and then take it one step further and take a DH and compare him to a quarterback. If you had to choose the position on the diamond to dub the "quarterback" it would be catcher, and maybe pitcher, center fielder, or shortstop, but never designated hitter.

Then there's the sheer inanity of the idea that one [aging] hitter could have a season-changing effect on a team. In 2008, Thome had a WARP of 2.9. To put that in perspective, his new teammate Joe Mauer had a WARP of 7.1. Bill James predicts that Thome's 2010 line will look something like this: .245 BA, .374 OBP, 29 HR, 81 RBI. I'm not trying to belittle a line like that, since it would be rather impressive, but (as much as it pains me to say it) what Favre did for the Vikings was pretty special, leading them to a 12-4 record and the playoffs. If Thome can have that kind of impact on the Twins season, expect them to finish some where around 122-40.


I actually hope Thome does well with the Twins: I like them (unless they're playing us), and I'm always impressed with their ability to field such a good team for reasonable cash. However, the ESPN analysts need to do some work on their comparison skills, and here's a special tip: I never turn on Baseball Tonight to hear about Brett Favre.

Channing Tatum: Sox Prospect...?

Is it just me, or is the resemblance between Channing Tatum (left) and Sox prospect Ryan Kalish (right) uncanny? (Somehow, this is the largest and best quality photo I could find of Kalish, so if any of you have a better one, send it my way!)

Stop teasing me, Connecticut!

Today, it was fifty degrees and pouring rain in Hartford. There's no snow to be found; indeed, there's even green grass. All these things conspire to make me feel like baseball is closer than it truly is, and I'm not a fan.

As of tonight, there are twenty-three days until Spring Training. There are more than two months left until Opening Day [Night?] on April 4th.

I don't know about you guys, but as much as I try to distract myself with basketball, football, and hockey, the reality is that I spend the entire winter counting down the hours until I get to see baseball again. Winter break is a temporary respite, as I can take solace in the MLB Network, but all too soon I have to return to Trinity College and the realm of basic cable.


I got some good baseball books and movies for Christmas, and I received some Red Sox themed games for my birthday, but there's nothing like the real thing. I even stooped to the level of watching Sportscenter's "All Favre, All the Time" coverage for half an hour just to hear the thirty second blurb about Johnny Damon (but that's another post).

The moral of the story? It was rainy and miserable all day, Hartford is trying to trick me, and there's no baseball in sight, so if any of you have any quick cures for the offseason blues, please let me know!

The Bay Breakup

The Globe (online) has a feature on the front page of their sports page this morning describing the "Worst Sox Breakups." The photo gallery includes players like Johnny Damon, Nomar Garciaparra, Wade Boggs, and, for some inexplicable reason, Jason Bay.

Obviously, I would have liked to keep Jason Bay in Boston, but with all the conversation about his suddenly suspect knees lately, I think the front office made the correct choice. You know the whole story by now: the Sox apparently pulled their 4-year, $60 million deal off the table this summer because of concerns about the left fielders knees, and came back with several offers that contained "medical contingencies." Bay refused those offers, as is his right, and signed with the Mets for 4 years and $66 million, with a club option for a fifth year. Maybe everything didn't work out as planned, but I would hardly call the situation a contentious breakup.

According to this story from WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, posted on Thursday, Bay had several independent physicians examine him, and none found any cause for concern:

"Listen, I could understand the club wanting all these medical contingencies if I had spent any recent time on the DL, but I had no history of being a risk for injuries and I wasn't hurt."

Bay has a valid point, but the Sox medical team saw something, and they've seen things other teams have missed in the past (Hello, Pedro Martinez!). However, unlike most of the other players and coaches in the Globe's gallery, Bay fired no parting shots at the Red Sox, which makes his situation vastly different from, say, Manny Ramirez's. Bay also was diplomatic throughout his year and a half in Boston: though he'd admitted he liked the idea of staying in Boston, he had never promised anything to the fans, a la Johnny Damon.

It seems to me that the Globe might be trying to stir up some drama where none exists. Both Bay and the Red Sox seem ready to move on. The Jason Bay era was short and often sweet: this wasn't a franchise face that was snubbing the Sox, it was a difference in medical opinion, and, if you recall, the Sox medical team was right, and the Mets' wrong, about Martinez a few years back. For now, I stand by the decision to let Jason Bay walk... if he rakes for the next four years without injury (though in cavernous CitiField, that's a BIG "if"), that will be another story.

Dustin "Daddy" Pedroia

It's official. Dustin Pedroia is a homebody. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, and his obvious devotion to his wife and son is refreshing, so long as he's also still devoted to winning (I don't think that's ever going to change). I stumbled upon this piece by the Sacramento Bee's Joe Davidson yesterday, and I just can't let it go without comment.

"It's been the greatest thing. Having a baby really changes you. You feel so fortunate. I look at life differently. I feel more at ease, more laid back, and I love the idea of being a great father. It's fun watching him grow every day." - Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia? Laid back? I didn't think I would ever see those words together, but there it is.

It seems that Dustin "Daddy" Pedroia circa Mike Lowell's 2007 charity event has been replaced by Dustin Pedroia, Daddy.

The before.... and the after...

I'm sure it's all for the best: Pedey isn't the type to let his work suffer. In fact, it's probably good that he has something besides baseball to be enthusiastic about. And if Dylan's anything like his father, he's going to be one cute kid:

Sorry, couldn't resist... but in all seriousness:

Clearly, the focus was acquired at an early age...

As was the hustle...

And that smile!

Perspectives on Paps

Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I think Jonathan Papelbon is an excellent closer, and I'm very pleased that he's wearing a Red Sox uniform for the time being. However, I wrote a post yesterday entreating the young pitcher to get some perspective, and I stand by what I said.

Papelbon is one of the top closers in the game, right now. However, closers don't tend to have long shelf lives, and he's already twenty-nine years old. You can toss out Mariano Rivera, because he is either a freak of nature or an android (the jury's out), and Papelbon has yet to touch the dominance that Mo reached his very first year in the majors.

According to baseball-reference.com, Papelbon's most similar player is Takashi Saito, and his most similar player through age 28 is Bryan Harvey (9 seasons in the majors, ending in 1995). The "godfather" Rivera? Didn't crack the top ten on either list, so everyone STOP throwing out that comparison. In fact, if last year was what we can expect in the future, count me out: his walk rate more than tripled, and he was absolutely painful to watch at times (that said, I'll admit that he got it done... except in ALDS Game 3).


Earlier in the offseason, I wrote this piece rattling off reasons Paps could be traded... Not that I think he SHOULD, necessarily, but Theo has done stranger things. Please don't get me wrong: I value Papelbon a lot, but his attitude gets on my nerves at times. Just because the market dictates that he make $9 million dollars does not mean he "deserves" it. (I don't have the time to get into this now, but baseball's pay scale needs an overhaul.) Papelbon is one of the least involved members of the team when it comes to charity, and I think he would benefit a lot from some volunteer work and/or fund-raising. You're nearly thirty years old, Paps... it's time to grow up and realize something we all learn at some point: the world doesn't owe you anything, nor does it revolve around you.

What Papelbon Deserves

Theo Epstein kept his arbitration-free streak intact, as the Red Sox came to terms with Manny Delcarmen (one year, $905,000), Ramon Ramirez ($1.1 million), and Jonathan Papelbon ($9.35 million). I'm a big fan of Ramon Ramirez (though I refuse to call him "Ram-Ram"), and we've all heard the "MDC has the best 'stuff' on the team" company line. I have no problem with either of their contracts.

Really, I have no problem with Papelbon's contract, either. Numbers seldom lie, and he's definitely a quality closer. It's his attitude about such things that really rubs me the wrong way sometimes:

"Understand, I'm in the prime of my career. Why would I give up something? I'd give up something if it's fair to both sides, but I want to do things for my fellow closers, just like [Mariano Rivera] paved the way for me. I want every closer out there, man, to get every penny they deserve.'' -via Gordon Edes, ESPNBoston.com

Let's be honest here, Pap... You don't want to do anything for your fellow closers. You want to take care of Number One, and that $9+ million goes a long way. And what, exactly, do you think you "deserve?" You think that because you throw a ball with accuracy and velocity, you deserve to make more money than any reasonable human being needs?

Here's a newsflash for you, Jonathan: people don't always get what they deserve. In fact, most people never see a fraction of it, and a huge portion of the world lives on less than a dollar a day (you might have heard something about Haiti...?). Most people work much harder than you do, Paps. Let's see some humility, or at least some gratitude... because right now? The only thing you deserve is a healthy dose of perspective.