I know they're desperate but I never knew they were that desperate.

Next thing I know, they'll woo Matt Clement and Scott Williamson out of retirement...

Dinobot: I know they're desperate but I never knew they were that desperate.

...it's a minor league deal. It costs the team effectively nothing.

DeWayne Mann: Dinobot: I know they're desperate but I never knew they were that desperate.

...it's a minor league deal. It costs the team effectively nothing.

Yeah, I know, but still...

I will never, in my life, forgive Dusty Baker for breaking the arms of Prior and Wood.

Dinobot: Yeah, I know, but still...

Still what? He's not blocking any prospects. Just a depth move, like Ross Ohlendorf.

Best case scenario, he comes up during September to fill out the pen. Worst case, his arm falls off tomorrow and he gets released.

I get it, it's good for a chuckle, cuz, hey, he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2006. But it's a non-move.

/seriously?
//WTF?!?!?

fatalvenom: [i3.kym-cdn.com image 400x300]

/seriously?
//WTF?!?!?

Why do I even bother....

For some reason, people always seem to read "signed to a minor league deal" as "signed to a 10 year, one billion dollar contract so that he can be the team's ace"

Rex_Banner: For some reason, people always seem to read "signed to a minor league deal" as "signed to a 10 year, one billion dollar contract so that he can be the team's ace"

I think it's because baseball is really the only sport in which minor league deals are a thing.

DeWayne Mann: Rex_Banner: For some reason, people always seem to read "signed to a minor league deal" as "signed to a 10 year, one billion dollar contract so that he can be the team's ace"

I think it's because baseball is really the only sport in which minor league deals are a thing.

True. It doesn't help that news organizations know that a headline like "(Big market team) signs (Guy that was good 8-10 years ago)" will get clicks. Those headlines gives people the wrong idea, though.

/That, and "(Big market team) signs (Guy that was good 8-10 years ago)" is always good for the lulz

The Sox are as close to the Mets as you can get without being the Mets

Odd that they would give him a billion dollars.

Rex_Banner: DeWayne Mann: Rex_Banner: For some reason, people always seem to read "signed to a minor league deal" as "signed to a 10 year, one billion dollar contract so that he can be the team's ace"

I think it's because baseball is really the only sport in which minor league deals are a thing.

True. It doesn't help that news organizations know that a headline like "(Big market team) signs (Guy that was good 8-10 years ago)" will get clicks. Those headlines gives people the wrong idea, though.

/That, and "(Big market team) signs (Guy that was good 8-10 years ago)" is always good for the lulz

Like I said, definitely worth a chuckle.

I just want the Sox to call him up for a game to confuse the heck out of baseball-refernce. They've already marked him as retired.

beantowndog: Odd that they would give him a billion dollars.

It's an investment scheme. Pay him a billion, insure his arm for 2, wait a day...

beantowndog: Odd that they would give him a billion dollars.

It's like they think it's still 2003 or something!

DeWayne Mann: beantowndog: Odd that they would give him a billion dollars.

It's an investment scheme. Pay him a billion, insure his arm for 2, wait a day...

Randolph, Mr. Valentine just made us a billion dollar profit.

beantowndog: DeWayne Mann: beantowndog: Odd that they would give him a billion dollars.

It's an investment scheme. Pay him a billion, insure his arm for 2, wait a day...

Randolph, Mr. Valentine just made us a billion dollar profit.

I don't know why a team hasn't hired me for these brilliant ideas. There's no way that could go wrong, right?

Now let me tell you about my plan to throw the World Series....

TheZorker: I will never, in my life, forgive Dusty Baker for breaking the arms of Prior and Wood.

As much as I dislike Baker, and he deserve need some of the blame, the mechanics of both of them are pure terrible (from a health perspective).

This guy knows his stuff:
Kerry Wood
Mark Prior

machoprogrammer: TheZorker: I will never, in my life, forgive Dusty Baker for breaking the arms of Prior and Wood.

As much as I dislike Baker, and he deserves need some of the blame, the mechanics of both of them are pure terrible (from a health perspective).

This guy knows his stuff:
Kerry Wood
Mark Prior

FTFM. Preview is my friend

machoprogrammer: TheZorker: I will never, in my life, forgive Dusty Baker for breaking the arms of Prior and Wood.

As much as I dislike Baker, and he deserve need some of the blame, the mechanics of both of them are pure terrible (from a health perspective).

This guy knows his stuff:
Kerry Wood
Mark Prior

Eh, there are some serious problems with the Inverted W theory, starting with a lot of confirmation bias in his "study." I'm not gonna say he's wrong, but it's really hard to say he's right.

DeWayne Mann: Eh, there are some serious problems with the Inverted W theory, starting with a lot of confirmation bias in his "study." I'm not gonna say he's wrong, but it's really hard to say he's right.

True, but when he says a pitcher is going to have arm issues, he seems to usually be right. He predicted, at least, Wainright, Garcia and Strassburg before they went down.

machoprogrammer: DeWayne Mann: Eh, there are some serious problems with the Inverted W theory, starting with a lot of confirmation bias in his "study." I'm not gonna say he's wrong, but it's really hard to say he's right.

True, but when he says a pitcher is going to have arm issues, he seems to usually be right. He predicted, at least, Wainright, Garcia and Strassburg before they went down.

Look, in general, if you predict a pitcher to get hurt, you've got a decent chance at being right. But, look at this:

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/P itchingMechanics101/Essays/Pitch e rInjuryAnalysisProject/Predictions.htm l

All are predicted injuries, unless marked by (healthy)

Sidney Ponson: Ponson was coming off an injury. Didn't make a lot of starts in 2006, but this was more due to performance
Barry Zito: 34 starts in 2006, didn't have less than 33 until 2011
Felix Hernandez: 31 starts in 2006, hasn't had less than 30 since.
Billy Wagner: 70 games in 2006, then two more years before having an injury
Oswalt (healthy): Did not get injured in 2006, so I suppose he got this right.
Scherzer: In college in 2006, he updates it himself. But he's had no problems in the majors
IPK: Also in college, does not appear to have been injured in 2006, hasn't had any major problems in the majors.
Anthony Reyes: A rookie in 2006, made a total of 30 starts in 2006, 26 the next year, then was removed from the rotation for performance reasons.
Zach Duke (heathly): 34 starts in 2006, though he suffered a minor injury the next year.
Freddy Garcia (healthy): 34 starts in 2006, a TOTAL of 28 over the next 3 years, including minors. O'Leary said, and I quote, "I believe that this reduces the strain on his pitching arm and should keep his pitching arm healthier than average over the next few years."
Mark Prior: YAAAY HE GOT ONE RIGHT

That...that's terrible.

It's a nice little theory, but there's very little to back it up.

DeWayne Mann: Freddy Garcia (healthy): 34 starts in 2006, a TOTAL of 28 over the next 3 years, including minors. O'Leary said, and I quote, "I believe that this reduces the strain on his pitching arm and should keep his pitching arm healthier than average over the next few years."

I should note that he changed his mind on Freddy Garcia after he started getting injured. Decided that he "missed" something in Garcia's delivery.

TheZorker: I will never, in my life, forgive Dusty Baker for breaking the arms of Prior and Wood.

CSB

In 2004, I went to my first game at Wrigley Field. It was a double-header on a Friday afternoon. Kerry Wood pitched game 1. Mark Prior pitched game 2. Un-freaking-believable. I drank a bunch of Olde Style, watched the fans boo Sammy Sosa, and listened to a season ticket holder explain the Bartman incident as if it was his grandfather's funeral. One of the best baseball days ever.

The thing I learned from that day: Dusty Baker absolutely wasted away Wood and Prior.

I thought with the Yankees signing him, the pitching coach could repair and get him back to health as they done to many players abused.

But the Red sox? Is this some sort of reverse babe ruth i haven't heard about?

Misconduc: I thought with the Yankees signing him, the pitching coach could repair and get him back to health as they done to many players abused.

But the Red sox? Is this some sort of reverse babe ruth i haven't heard about?



HAI GUYZ...

might fill the seats in the minor leagues.

DeWayne Mann: It's a nice little theory, but there's very little to back it up.

Well, he never predicted in that link, just said the injury risk was higher than average (or lower than). He usually makes a more blanket statement like "pitcher x will probably wind up needing TJ surgery within the next few years". Predicting it for 1 specific year is pretty tough, since even bad mechanics can hold out for a few years.

machoprogrammer: DeWayne Mann: It's a nice little theory, but there's very little to back it up.

Well, he never predicted in that link, just said the injury risk was higher than average (or lower than). He usually makes a more blanket statement like "pitcher x will probably wind up needing TJ surgery within the next few years". Predicting it for 1 specific year is pretty tough, since even bad mechanics can hold out for a few years.

...It's labeled as "Predictions." And it's not just 1 year, Prior is the only guy he listed who had a serious injury with THREE years (and he already had an injury history).

machoprogrammer: He usually makes a more blanket statement like "pitcher x will probably wind up needing TJ surgery within the next few years". Predicting it for 1 specific year is pretty tough, since even bad mechanics can hold out for a few years.

And it's pretty easy to predict a pitcher is going to be injured over the next few years.

In fact, with no analysis whatsoever, I'll say that every pitcher in the league who pitches more than 100 innings per season will be injured sometime within the next 5 years.

Sure, I'll be wrong in some cases, but I'll probably be right about a majority of them! Hell yeah, I'm an expert!

My theory about modern arm problems is that pitchers have been told to cut down on their windups and deliveries so much that they are throwing with too much arm.