Red Sox > Tigers

[BeerAndPoker]

Leyland has said a few times he was probably done and came back. Sometimes it's hard to get rid of these old guys they just keep on coaching but the team adding Hunter, a few other guys, and having VMart playing the expectations were to win a World Series and it didn't happen.

What if Illitch told him: "We want you back Jim! We will shell out more money for bull pen pitching and declare ourselves in the race for Cano will you coach another year?" While this move is the correct one the fact is upper management loves Leyland and it would not surprise me if they actually would have tried to keep him.

I never thought they would fire him but many fans are critics who wanted that to happen. It's so much of a "what have you done for me lately" type of mentality that fans have not really seeing the big picture of what was accomplished in the Leyland era.

They did tell him they wanted him back, he was just done. Think about it though, 50 years of it. That's a hell of an accomplishment.

I'm just throwing a scenario out. I agree 50 years is a long time especially in baseball where you play 162 games a year, a month of spring training games, weeks of practice before spring training, and are still working some in the off season,etc... It's a very taxing job.

[Hockey Guy]

This could turn into a terrible contract if his play continues so

That was a terrible contract the day it was signed. It just may be easier to stomach in the long run if he helps deliver a title.

[chinamaniac]

This could turn into a terrible contract if his play continues so

That was a terrible contract the day it was signed. It just may be easier to stomach in the long run if he helps deliver a title.

ya I am never against these contracts if the team has unlimited money because if you pop a series win then all is forgotten. Right now it has been worth the 24 mil per year but another 7 years to go. The pujols contract looks like it could be a hugggggggge disaster if he doesn't rebound and LOL @ the Arod deal, crawford and there are some more.

These contracts are never good but if guys don't get the money one place they get it somewhere else.

[BeerAndPoker]

Ten minutes of my life well spent watching this Leyland retirement clip:

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31169135

Leyland didn't want his retirement to become a distraction on September 7th when told Dave Dombrowski he was done but another thought comes to mind would it have been motivational if the players knew?

[chinamaniac]

Ten minutes of my life well spent watching this Leyland retirement clip:

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31169135

Leyland didn't want his retirement to become a distraction on September 7th when told Dave Dombrowski he was done but another thought comes to mind would it have been motivational if the players knew?

Worked for Ray lewis

[BeerAndPoker]

Tigers Hired former player Brad Ausmus as their new manager.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/detroit...1753--mlb.html

I thought they might go with someone who knows a bit about the franchise and that will understand the team isn't that far away from finally winning the World Series so you don't want to do a complete turn around with how things are done which will fuck things up more then help them.

[WillieMcFML]

i thought this was pretty interesting

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...aluations.html

phillies were so behind the saber math curve that MLB force fed them someone?

[Sanlmar]

i thought this was pretty interesting

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...aluations.html

phillies were so behind the saber math curve that MLB force fed them someone?

In 2002 when the Boston Red Sox failed to woo Mr. Beane to the East Coast, it promoted to general manager Theo Epstein, who brought in Bill James and adopted Billy Beane's approach, only with more money. Two years later they won the World Series.

I believe Bill James & his wonks have made a huge difference in the Red Sox 3 recent championships. Not just from a drafting & trading perspective but game to game matchups & strategies.

It is difficult to explain the Red Sox success from a talent perspective alone - with all due respect to Druff and his "toss out the ball and let them play" view of baseball.

On a side note, I have loved anything written by Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball. I think the book was far better than the movie.

First book I read by him was "Liars Poker". It was fucking awesome. It lit my fire with day trading. This was 15 years ago. Sigh. It documented his personal experience as an unqualified participant amongst the frat boy traders on Wall Street while raking millions in salary & commission. It gives you a feel for the fucked up trading houses that we all later bailed out.

Michael Lewis wrote "The Blind Side". It was moneyball for football. Book was far better. The movie focused on Michael Oher. Oher was a great story but he was just a metaphor for the sabermetrics of football.
It is an examination of how offensive football strategy has evolved over the past three decades in large part due to Lawrence Taylor's arrival in the 1980s and how this evolution has placed an increased importance on the role of the left tackle. How's the leg feeling these days Joe Theismann?

The best Lewis book is "The Big Short". Like "Liars Poker" another Wall Street story. This time he documents the real estate derivatives market in a character driven way. He introduces you to Michael Burry, a guy with Aspergers & one blind eye who raked billions off his early bet. Any story where people are gambling millions or billions is a good read, IMO. Makes a dry subject gripping & understandable. You will truly understand why your house value tanked & why our economy is so fucked up now. It is another book worthy of a Hollywood script.

Lastly, BNP, I am pretty lazy about the math for all games. Poker, day trading & sports betting. I know better and have an aptitude for the math but its work. I don't want a job, lol. Painful losses drive me to pay attention. I have a kid who pitches for a D1 team. He is decent but not the 6'5" flamethrower scouts drool over. I started following his stats and played a rationalization game with FIPS & WHIP and such. Those stats started to mean something personal to me & helped my success with baseball betting enormously.

I simply cannot find the same concrete stat driven analysis for football that works consistently.

[chinamaniac]

hof thread

[BeerAndPoker]

Like their was any doubt.

[Hockey Guy]

Like their was any doubt.

I had doubts because he didn't have the best WAR in the league & all awards should be given out based solely on that & nothing else.

 

Just kidding. Totally deserved.

[lewfather]

[lewfather]

prince for kinsler?

[BeerAndPoker]

Tigers trying to move Prince Fielder. I hope the cash they have to shell out with this deal isn't too extreme but Texas is one team that don't mind spending money.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...rs-ian-kinsler

[Sanlmar]

Tigers trying to move Prince Fielder. I hope the cash they have to shell out with this deal isn't too extreme but Texas is one team that don't mind spending money.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...rs-ian-kinsler

Now you need a bat to protect Cabrera?

Who?

[JimmyG_415]

Tigers trying to move Prince Fielder. I hope the cash they have to shell out with this deal isn't too extreme but Texas is one team that don't mind spending money.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...rs-ian-kinsler

This went down, and Texas ate the whole thing.
All of a sudden $$$ for Scherzer isn't a problem.

I bet this ends up being a great deal for Detroit

[Detroit]

Tigers trying to move Prince Fielder. I hope the cash they have to shell out with this deal isn't too extreme but Texas is one team that don't mind spending money.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...rs-ian-kinsler

Now you need a bat to protect Cabrera?

Who?

Cano

*dreaming*

[BeerAndPoker]

Tigers trying to move Prince Fielder. I hope the cash they have to shell out with this deal isn't too extreme but Texas is one team that don't mind spending money.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...rs-ian-kinsler

Now you need a bat to protect Cabrera?

Who?

I'm sure they will weigh their options but the only reason the Tigers signed Fielder in the first place is because Victor Martinez went down with a season ending injury so Mike Illitch said fuck it we want to win now and need a bat to protect Cabrera. VMart is still a .300+ hitter with the capability of producing 25-30 homers a year, and a lot of doubles so for the moment he would be the #1 choice to protect Cabrera.

The Tigers hope prospect Nick Castellanos who got a small amount of time in the big leagues last season will be able to bring some pop to the lineup as well but they couldn't really bring him up to play third and now that option is open.

[BeerAndPoker]

Tigers trying to move Prince Fielder. I hope the cash they have to shell out with this deal isn't too extreme but Texas is one team that don't mind spending money.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...rs-ian-kinsler

This went down, and Texas ate the whole thing.
All of a sudden $$$ for Scherzer isn't a problem.

I bet this ends up being a great deal for Detroit

Rumors are floating around the Tigers will pay $30-40 million which really isn't that bad regardless because it frees up $65-75 million to lock in deals.

[gut]

Great trade for both teams, assuming Detroit locks up Scherzer now. Detroit can move Cabrera to 1B or DH, where he belongs, and Kinsler is no slouch of a hitter as well.

Texas frees up 2B for Profar while adding a big middle of the order bat.