tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619Wed, 28 Aug 2024 10:16:47 +0000OverheardSteak at StakeWho I'm WatchingArizona DiamondbacksBloggersCincinnati RedsMinnesota TwinsProspectingTampa Bay RaysCorey PattersonDetroit TigersJeff KeppingerJustin UptonKansas City RoyalsRocco BaldelliRoster ConstructionThis Just InToronto Blue JaysBaltimore OriolesBarry ZitoBert BlylevenBlog status reportBoof BonserBrian GilesCarlos GomezCarlton FiskChicago CubsCollege BaseballColorado RockiesColorado Springs Sky SoxDan UgglaEdinson VolquezEntrance MusicEric ByrnesEvan LongoriaFailFantasy BaseballFlorida MarlinsHall of FameHanley RamirezHouston AstrosJacoby EllsburyJay BruceJeremy HermidaJoe MauerJohan SantanaJohn PattersonJose ReyesJosh WillinghamKen GriffeyLos Angeles DodgersMiguel CabreraMiguel TejadaMorgan EnsbergNew York MetsNew York YankeesNolan Ryan Beating The Holy Hell Out of Robin VenturaPeter GammonsRandomRich HillRick ManningRobin VenturaRoto Authority LeagueSan Francisco GiantsTexas RangersTodd HeltonTom SeaverTony PenaTravis SniderWashington NationalsWhat I'm ReadingThis is a blog about baseball. I hope it's interesting for you. I don't know why it would be.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (TK)Blogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-5462300035031255435Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:35:00 +00002009-01-11T11:41:55.157-08:00Blog status reportGreetings, faithful readers. Baseless Speculation is back and, hopefully, better than ever.I'd like to apologize for leaving all three of you high and dry in the middle of the season last year. Unfortunately, the travails of the newspaper industry hit your friendly neighborhood paper-boy pretty hard. In a cost-cutting move, the paper in my town decided to have the morning edition delivered by a http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2009/01/im-baaaaaaackk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-1261195073549164115Mon, 12 May 2008 19:58:00 +00002008-05-12T13:04:38.505-07:00This Just InRead this. It's so worth it.Hat tip to: Shysterball.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/05/this-just-in-carlos-delgados-agent-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-3975960091753355615Sun, 04 May 2008 18:42:00 +00002008-05-04T12:09:53.933-07:00Chicago CubsRich HillWho I'm WatchingSorry for the light blogging, been out of town at a paperboy convention.Lefty curveballer Rich Hill of the Chicago Cubs has struggled to start 2008, and was recently sent to AAA. The Cubs are hoping that history repeats itself, as Hill was demoted during the 2006 season and proceeded to tear up the minors for 2 months before excelling down the stretch for the Cubs.Hill started 4 games for the http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/05/who-im-watching-rich-hill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-5101105665582248171Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:07:00 +00002008-04-27T20:32:33.432-07:00Detroit TigersOverheardPeter GammonsTonight on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball game featuring the Los Angeles Angels at the Detroit Tigers, Peter Gammons made the following report:The Paper Tigers were supposed to roar through the 2008 season with the second highest payroll and a lineup that many projected to score 1000 runs only to lose their first 7 games and 10 of their first 12.Little could they have imagined that they would have http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-imagining-unimaginable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-2167380179542143325Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:16:00 +00002008-04-27T14:18:10.149-07:00Steak at StakeUpdate: unchanged.Sabathia makes a fine start today but takes the loss. C.C. went 8 strong innings, allowing just 1 ER on 4 H and 1 BB, but lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel to the Yankees and Chien-Ming Wang.Thanks for nuthin, Indians.Ground rules here.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/steak-at-stake_27.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-3803532223058929743Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:34:00 +00002008-04-27T14:38:13.616-07:00Barry ZitoSan Francisco GiantsWho I'm WatchingI'm only watching Barry Zito in the sense that you can't always avert your eyes from a train wreck while it's happening.Here on Sunday afternoon against the Reds, Zito just gave up 6 earned runs in the first inning on 5 hits and a walk. That ups his season ERA to 7.42 and while you could argue 26 2/3 IP is a small sample, reports of diminished velocity give credence to the theory that Zito is http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/who-im-watching-barry-zito.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-4345079860808368766Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:28:00 +00002008-04-25T16:34:58.915-07:00Steak at StakeNicely done, big fella.C.C. Sabathia's line on Tuesday, April 22: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2BB, 11 K, W.Running tally:Sabathia 101Willis 68Mmmm, steak.Once again, ground rules for newbies are here.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/steak-at-stake_25.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-4763679452563360308Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:16:00 +00002008-04-25T16:41:01.596-07:00BloggersToronto Blue JaysWhat I'm ReadingOne of the baseball blogs I read daily is Drunk Jays Fans, which is a reliably solid source of entertainment and Blue Jays info.The excerpt here is a nice example of how they manage to be smart and profane at the same time, which is no mean feat if you think about it.I think we've successfully driven away most of the Chicken Little types from this site by calling them retards in our comments http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/little-wisdom-in-between-profanity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-4757849140459325500Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:36:00 +00002008-04-20T12:15:03.930-07:00Arizona DiamondbacksEntrance MusicEric ByrnesEvery time Eric Byrnes comes to bat at Chase Field in Phoenix, his home field, the public address system plays the same song: Your Love by The Outfield.If you've somehow forgotten the lyrics to this classic, let's examine the opening stanza: Josie's on a vacation far away,Come around and talk it overSo many things that I wanna sayYou know I like my girls a little bit olderI just wanna use your http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-on-extra-innings-eric-byrnes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-1667834220558326219Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:22:00 +00002008-04-18T19:22:09.882-07:00Carlton FiskOverheardRick ManningTom SeaverDid you know Tom Seaver won both games of a doubleheader once? True story.On tonight's Sports Time Ohio broadcast of the Indians-Twins game, the announcers were reminiscing about 20+ inning games of the past, apropos of, well, you know.STO color man and former MLB outfielder Rick Manning described a 25* inning game he played in for the Brewers against the White Sox in 1984**, which at 8:06 is thehttp://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-on-extra-innings-tom-seaver.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-6984515135237550034Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:32:00 +00002008-04-17T20:31:35.122-07:00Dan UgglaFlorida MarlinsHanley RamirezJeremy HermidaJose ReyesJosh WillinghamNew York MetsThis Just InI must admit I somehow missed the original prohibition on Reyes-fun, but reading this made me realize just how grave the situation was:Carlos Beltrán had seen enough. So in a quiet moment Tuesday afternoon, he pulled a chair beside Jose Reyes's locker and offered some unsolicited advice. Recalling their conversation Wednesday night after the Mets' 5-2 victory against the Washington Nationals, http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/this-just-in-jose-reyes-now-allowed-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-9208751389798622137Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:19:00 +00002008-04-17T20:28:53.487-07:00Baltimore OriolesHouston AstrosMiguel TejadaOverheardThe interwebs are abuzz today with word of Miguel Tejada's age-based revelation.My first reaction: I bet the Orioles are happy; Tejada was only 31 when they traded him. Once he went to Houston, he began aging in dog years or something."I'm old enough to be your poppy, Papi."You know, I've always liked Miguel Tejada. He plays hard, he has fun and he's pretty darn good. Good note for up-and-coming http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-miguel-tejada-is-100-years.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-7447003515995380803Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:54:00 +00002008-04-17T20:16:56.430-07:00Steak at StakeFor the newbies, here are the Steak at Stake ground rules.Update: Much like his opponent in this wager, C.C. Sabathia sucks.You heard me, big man. You are costing me steak.Last night, Sabathia gave up 9 earned runs on 8 hits and 5 walks in just 4 innings to raise his season ERA to 13.50. His season line is 0-3, with 32 hits, 14 walks, 27 earned runs, 5 home runs and 14 strikeouts in 18 innings http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/steak-at-stake_17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-6724616242117974477Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:23:00 +00002008-04-16T19:19:30.598-07:00Colorado RockiesColorado Springs Sky Sox...come crashing down to Earth.Or do they?The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are the AAA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. As such, Sky Sox players are both very near and very far from fulfilling their major league dreams.Denver:Colorado Springs:As a paper boy, it's in my nature to be fascinated by the thin line between triumph and setback. One morning you're rolling down the road like it's paved withhttp://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/sky-high-sky-sox.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-5403060699401337455Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:09:00 +00002008-04-14T09:06:14.278-07:00Cincinnati RedsJeff KeppingerKansas City RoyalsTony PenaBoy, Jeff Keppinger is making me look pretty good. He's also making the Kansas City Royals look pretty foolish.Let's have some fun with small sample sizes, shall we?Data set 1: Jeff Keppinger, starting SS, Cincinnnati Reds2008 stats: 47 at bats, .340/.396/.532, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 7 RData set 2: Tony Pena, starting SS, Kansas City Royals2008 stats: 27 at bats, .037/.071/.037, 1 hit, 2 RBI (he's http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/still-watching.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-435701042202684102Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:43:00 +00002008-04-14T07:50:02.357-07:00Arizona DiamondbacksDetroit TigersJustin UptonMiguel CabreraWe’re back again, with a totally contrived creative and enlightening statistical comparison between Justin Upton and the greats of baseball past. This has quickly become a regular feature, partly because Justin Upton is just that kind of prodigious talent and partly because my friends at Fox Sports Arizona can’t seem to stop coming up with this stuff. I call Daron Sutton and Mark Grace my http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-do-al-kaline-and-justin-upton-have.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-2706459079679808486Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:45:00 +00002008-04-13T23:07:58.574-07:00College BaseballTodd HeltonSorry for the light blogging recently, I've been doing a double paper route with my friend Billy in the hospital for mono. If I find out he's been kissing Jenny Ipswich, I'm going to egg his mom's Buick.Here's a fun piece of trivia for you - and, just to be fair, I'm going to utilize my multi-farious blogging skills and hard return like 67 times so you can't see the answer from the question. Herehttp://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-swear-im-not-making-this-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-237156362061557290Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:09:00 +00002008-04-07T18:06:04.876-07:00Los Angeles DodgersOverheardThis one's a couple days old, but worth the wait.On Thursday's broadcast of the Padres-Astros' game, the Channel 4 San Diego broadcast team of Matt Vasgersian and Mark "Mud Cat" Grant were reminiscing about bullpen usage patterns in the past. They invoked the name Mike Marshall, and suggested that he used to pitch nearly every day out of the bullpen for the Dodgers. [Incidentally, there was http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-on-extra-innings-mike.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-2976962961745196201Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:59:00 +00002008-04-06T18:08:55.965-07:00Cincinnati RedsJeff KeppingerWho I'm WatchingIt happens sometimes in the MLB, a guy does everything he can to earn an everyday job but never gets the opportunity. Case in point, Jeff Keppinger.He's not a star in the making, but he is a solid contact hitter who can play a decent shortstop or second base. Keppinger has hit for average at every level of professional ball and has a career minor league line of .321/.374/.420 over parts of 6 http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/who-im-watching-jeff-keppinger.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-2871313581396156426Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:39:00 +00002008-04-06T18:01:21.751-07:00Arizona DiamondbacksJustin UptonBefore going 0-4 today, Justin Upton had homered in 3 straight games, making him just the 4th 20-year-old ever to accomplish the feat.The complete list:Jimmy Sheckard, 1898, BrooklynMel Ott, 1929, New York GiantsWillie Mays, 1951, New York GiantsJustin Upton, 2008, ArizonaMel Ott did it twice. Upton will be 20 until late August.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-do-jimmy-sheckard-and-justin-upton.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-851636407968832212Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:30:00 +00002008-04-17T22:11:11.856-07:00Steak at StakeSteak update: no change.Check out D-Train's line from yesterday's game: 5 IP, 1 H, 7 BB, 3 ER. No decision.7 walks? Really?He only went 5, but this might be in the running for the worst 1-hitter of all time.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/steak-at-stake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-1446068258419147935Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:26:00 +00002008-04-06T11:57:39.744-07:00Corey PattersonEdinson VolquezKen GriffeyOverheardOn this afternoon's FSN Ohio broadcast of the Reds-Phillies game, George Grande mentioned an FSN interview with Mario Soto, a former Reds' hurler who now helps the team as an informal pitching coach.In the interview, according to Grande, Soto said that Edinson Volquez was rushed to the major leagues three years ago in the Texas system, and that it was a disservice to him.To which Chris Welsh http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-on-extra-innings-impossible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-5374149847593724923Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:15:00 +00002008-04-06T11:56:47.067-07:00Boof BonserJohan SantanaKansas City RoyalsMinnesota TwinsOverheardRandomDuring the Royals-Twins game last night, the Kansas City broadcast crew noted that the trade of Johan Santana to the Mets wasn't as big a windfall for Royals' batters as you might think.Despite being division rivals, the Royals faced Santana only once in 2007. On the other hand, they faced Boof Bonser six times.Six times Boof.That's random.http://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-on-extra-innings-johan-who.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-7238355489984467897Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:33:00 +00002008-04-06T15:58:21.791-07:00Morgan EnsbergNew York YankeesOverheardOn last night's YES broadcast, in the later innings of a 13-4 drubbing of the Yanks at the hands of the Rays, Michael Kay and Kenny Singleton were chuckling over a story about Morgan Ensberg.Ensberg, new to the New York area, was apparently frustrated by getting a traffic citation. He wrote the following on a white board in the Yankees' clubhouse:Contract with Yankees: $1.75 millionCost of my carhttp://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/overheard-on-extra-innings-morgan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951450225717134619.post-436208585542489588Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:52:00 +00002008-04-01T20:03:46.227-07:00Nolan Ryan Beating The Holy Hell Out of Robin VenturaRobin VenturaI love how this is an autographed picture.Hat tip: R.J. Andersonhttp://baselessspeculation.blogspot.com/2008/04/just-because.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK)0