The Swamp

Turns out there wasn't one yet!

I wish I knew what the fuck the Angels were doing by hiring Brad Ausmus. Yet another GM/owner is suckered into to thinking that an Ivy League education makes you smart or competent.

So...this Mariners thing. I believe her.

https://deadspin.com/ex-mariners-employ ... 1830406290

Tend to as well. GM +manager are both lifers and we know that specific stereotype has historically existed in baseball.

Dan Gilbert just sold his casino in downtown Detroit for $1B, presumably (according to speculation) to raise money to buy the Tigers.

brian wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:50 am Dan Gilbert just sold his casino in downtown Detroit for $1B, presumably (according to speculation) to raise money to buy the Tigers.

IMO, Dan Gilbert is a somewhat better sports owner than he gets credit for. He spent a ton of money on player salaries during LeBron’s 2014-2018 run with the Cavs and in so doing really maximized that team’s results. They wouldn’t have won the 2016 title without his willingness to pay a premium to keep guys like Tristan and JR (for as much of a laughingstock as JR can be, he was without question one of their four best players in that Finals). But at the same time, he meddles too much in the day to day and his unwillingness to ever give a GM a second contract hurt the Cavs when they lost David Griffin.

Anyone would be preferable to the Ilitch kids. I've met two of them personally and the apples fell far away from the tree with that family.

Maybe Gilbert can buy the Tigers and some Michigan kid can be the next baseball prodigy and Gilbert can waste his pre-UFA years then shit on him when he leaves then be lucky enough the kid cares so much about his home team that he comes back and single-handedly wins the Tigers a World Series.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:57 am Maybe Gilbert can buy the Tigers and some Michigan kid can be the next baseball prodigy and Gilbert can waste his pre-UFA years then shit on him when he leaves then be lucky enough the kid cares so much about his home team that he comes back and single-handedly wins the Tigers a World Series.

Too far fetched.

Mostly the part about a good baseball player from Michigan

Ryan wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:01 am Mostly the part about a good baseball player from Michigan

True. Pretty sure they produce average compilers at best.

I've looked at exactly one state, but it seems like Michigan has a high ratio of near-HoF to actual HoF.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/MI_born.shtml

Hey, Pat Hentgen turned 50 yesterday.

For as cold of a state as it is, it definitely has more HoF/Hall of Very Good players than it should. Though I'm not sure if that will remain true since I'm not aware of too many really good current major leaguers from Michigan.

brian wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:50 am Dan Gilbert just sold his casino in downtown Detroit for $1B, presumably (according to speculation) to raise money to buy the Tigers.

Was their any mention about him possibly buying Fox Sports Detroit, possibly as part of buying both the Tigers and the Red Wings? That region is tailor-made for a team-owned network. Tigers and Red Wings play mostly complementary schedules, Pistons can be worked in, MAC football and basketball can help fill out the schedule.

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:53 pm

brian wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:50 am Dan Gilbert just sold his casino in downtown Detroit for $1B, presumably (according to speculation) to raise money to buy the Tigers.

Was their any mention about him possibly buying Fox Sports Detroit, possibly as part of buying both the Tigers and the Red Wings? That region is tailor-made for a team-owned network. Tigers and Red Wings play mostly complementary schedules, Pistons can be worked in, MAC football and basketball can help fill out the schedule.

I know the Ilitches have talked about building a new RSN, but it would seem to be easier to try and buy Fox out, especially if they have the threat of starting their own network as leverage. (Beyond that I don't know. Just that there's a lot of smoke to go with the rumor that Gilbert is interested in the Tigers. Not sure if the Ilitches sell if it would be the Tigers and Red Wings together or what.)

brian wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:57 pm

DSafetyGuy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:53 pm

brian wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:50 am Dan Gilbert just sold his casino in downtown Detroit for $1B, presumably (according to speculation) to raise money to buy the Tigers.

Was their any mention about him possibly buying Fox Sports Detroit, possibly as part of buying both the Tigers and the Red Wings? That region is tailor-made for a team-owned network. Tigers and Red Wings play mostly complementary schedules, Pistons can be worked in, MAC football and basketball can help fill out the schedule.

I know the Ilitches have talked about building a new RSN, but it would seem to be easier to try and buy Fox out, especially if they have the threat of starting their own network as leverage. (Beyond that I don't know. Just that there's a lot of smoke to go with the rumor that Gilbert is interested in the Tigers. Not sure if the Ilitches sell if it would be the Tigers and Red Wings together or what.)

I would think in the case of buying the network, of those two, Tigers would be more appealing due to the sheer amount of inventory (nearly 200 games a year, plus pre-game and post-game shows) and being able to have the Pistons and Wings negotiate against each other, if necessary, including as to which one gets primary network placement if they're both on board.

hahaha

rass wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:27 am hahaha

For the record, Steve Somers comes off like the idiot in that sequence, which is no small feat considering the writer's daunting task of having to explain his vote.

However long we decided it would take to sufficiently explain why Mike & the Mad Dog are treated with weird reverence in this area, it would take twice that to explain just what the fuck Somers is.

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:50 pm However long we decided it would take to sufficiently explain why Mike & the Mad Dog are treated with weird reverence in this area, it would take twice that to explain just what the fuck Somers is.

I would've looked forward to the futile debate about how wins are the most important statistic. But yeah, instead I got introduced to Steeeeeeeve Sooooommmmeeeerrrrrrsssss.

Every media market has a long standing local sports personality/institution. Just figure out who one is from wherever your Schmoozer virgin is from and say "he's kind of like that guy".

And I laughed at the damn video.

Yeah, what the fuck was that? Was he talking at the bottom of an ocean while drugged?

He's here and you're there, TB.

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:49 pm He's here and you're there, TB.

I am so very confused about what I just heard.

This is a really good summary. Best and most accurate line: "... a man who talks like a tape recorder playing at half speed and always sounds like he got drunk and time-traveled here from 1971."

I just realized the reason I'm for-no-good-reason convinced Trout won't have a long career is because I think of him as a white Bo Jackson.

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:59 am I just realized the reason I'm for-no-good-reason convinced Trout won't have a long career is because I think of him as a white Bo Jackson.

But Bo Jackson's career was effectively ended by a football injury, right?

Right, that's why it doesn't make any sense.

Could be because I think he LOOKS similar to Joe Mauer (well, a younger Joe Mauer), but I also can't help thinking his career is going to be derailed by injury somehow. Could be the comparisons to Grady Sizemore too (though he's obviously much better than Sizemore every was).

BR Similarity Scores
22. Duke Snider (984.1) * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
23. Duke Snider (968.2) * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
24. Mookie Betts (968.4) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
25. Barry Bonds (947.5) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
26. Barry Bonds (956.1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
27. Reggie Smith (957.3) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
28. Reggie Smith (945.9) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
31. Dave Henderson (937.1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
32. Michael Cuddyer (955.7) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
* - Signifies Hall of Famer

[sobbing uncontrollably]

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:29 pm

BR Similarity Scores
22. Duke Snider (984.1) * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
23. Duke Snider (968.2) * 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
24. Mookie Betts (968.4) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
25. Barry Bonds (947.5) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
26. Barry Bonds (956.1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
27. Reggie Smith (957.3) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
28. Reggie Smith (945.9) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
31. Dave Henderson (937.1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
32. Michael Cuddyer (955.7) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C
* - Signifies Hall of Famer

[sobbing uncontrollably]

He's rare in that he's both elite with the bat and glove. But imagine how off-the-charts some of those Trout seasons would be if they were played in Fenway, instead of Anaheim. Still, kid's a flat-out stud.

50/50 would legitimately be in play if he played in Fenway.

That's Sizemore

L-Jam3 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:43 pm 50/50 would legitimately be in play if he played in Fenway.

That and his BA would soar. Remember, the last pop fly that was caught in foul territory occurred when Yaz popped out to Nettles to end game 163 in 1978. (o;

Ryan wrote: ↑Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:44 pmThat's Sizemore

The craziest thing about those BR comps is that Sizemore, Trout, Machado and Harper all have Andruw Jones on their top 10s. Just wildly underrated even if he did peak early.

Speaking of Duke Snider, I was recently perusing my collection of ancient Sports Illustrated magazines from the mid 1950s, and found a 1954 article in which the writer argued that Duke Snider was the best centerfielder playing in New York. Beating out both Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. Wow.

If you look at their careers, midseason 1954 is probably the exact last time that's a defensible argument.

Snider: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?p ... osition=OF
Mays: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?p ... osition=OF
Mantle: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?p ... osition=OF