Real Rambling

[DOUGHBOYS]

LaStella is the Angels leading home run hitter...That was hard to write....Am I the only one who thinks every new NFBC contest involves less than 15 team leagues?....So much for dancing with who brung ya.....We're too old...they need a younger demographic....We veterans are the cheated-on wives of the NFBC....Baseball is less fun for me....whooda thought that more home runs would mean less fun.....Adam Dunn'ing of baseball..... whooda thought that Dunn was ahead of his time?.... So many new free agents coming up for this weeks FAAB.....what to do!....who will actually perform the rest of the year?....who will be sent down next week?...Lots of money being spent this coming week!....Bryce Harper has an owwie on his knees....so do his owners ....from them hitting their knees and praying to the fantasy god for a hit....just a hit....Actually, Harper has seven hits in May...It's May 15....do the math....but.... he has 10 walks...Enjoy!
The press loves streaks....Kris Bryant has the longest on base streak in baseball....you know what that tells me?...That tells me that hitting streaks are so futile that the press has to resort to on base streaks....way to go, press! .......part of the Adam Dunn'ing of baseball....I want statcast to tell me how many inches batters are missing pitches by in swinging and missing....MLB talking heads say that Alex Gordon had a great game last night....Danny Duffy owners are saying, "Screw You!".....Gordon let a pop up drop, scoring two runs.....two earned runs....baseball has a different definition for the word 'earned'....As I'm writing this LaStella just hit another homer....seriously....LaSTELLA!!!!.....he hit the homer off one of the best pitchers in baseball....Jake Odorizzi.....writing that made me hurl a little bit.....The only thing funnier than us missing on players like LaStella and Odorizzi is watching talking heads explain why they are so good this year....so full of shit.....indeed, we live in an era of over analyzation....there is now a reason for everything.....almost like baseball is a religion....religion has their god....baseball has their fantasy god....our god may be the only one who uses his middle finger in answering our prayers.....

So Pittsburgh is losing 11-0....they put together some hits and score a run....you guessed it...."This team never gives up"....C'mon Man!....they happened to get some hits against a shitty reliever and a broadcaster tries to build up his club...gotta love today's spin...
A Sabr told me today that Joey Votto has the numbers to get into the Hall...you'll have to excuse me....
I'm going to WalMart and buy a chair and some rope and a book about knot tying.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Just saw this.....
'Kenta Maeda fanned 12 in 6 2/3 innings as the Dodgers blanked the Padres 2-0 on Wednesday.
The 12 strikeouts tied his career high, which was achieved against the Padres three years ago. He's had five career 10-strikeout games in the majors. Maeda improved to 5-2 with a 3.51 ERA. He'll land on the IL at some point, but he should remain rather valuable until then.'
First, I own Maeda on my Main Event team so Screw You...........
Second, why do these assholes have to rain on my parade?..............
Third, Sombitch is probably right............................
I hate that...........................................
I watched the Yankees-Orioles yesterday...not both games...i'm not a masochist...lots of home runs....gee, lots of home runs off baltimore pitching...imagine that....baseball is boring....that comes from one of the biggest baseball fans i know....the smart guys have turned an entertaining game into who can piss the farthest in the snow....pissing in the snow last seconds....baseball, forever.,,,seriously, if not having a fantasy team or a bet, why watch?...there is no beauty to the game any longer...no elegance...almost literally like Bugs Bunny pitching to the Brutes....
Speaking of that...we used to love to watch pitchers like Ryan or Chapman throw harder than everyone else....now, everybody throws like that...except for the guys with the lowest ERA's....
Earl Weaver just rose from his grave and pointed to the Heavens like a player today would do after hitting a single with his team trailing 11-1.
Billy Martin, a tear in his eye. Smallball dead....
I believe that the Oakland A's are breaking their Treinen toy.....I believe that Old Miggy is a big baby and crappy hitter....I believe that Old Joey has become a sad excuse for a player near the top of any lineup....I believe that Noah Syndergaard pitches like he is doing the mets and fans a favor in being on the mound....
I tried to buy an over the counter medicine yesterday....I couldn't find it....I asked the pharmacist where it was...he said behind the counter....
?......he told me that it was used for meth and they hade to be sure that I was 18 before buying it...I told him that made sense....after all, nobody does meth after their 18th birthday.....And as I walked out of the store with my meth product..... a fella was proudly buying a shotgun....luckily he was older than 18.
Now the Rox are bringing up Brendan Rodgers.....gee, could enough time have elapsed for these teams to get one more year of control on these kids?...
This FAAB period is going to be EXPENSIVE.....something for everybody...that is unless money was blown on Kieboom...or Fried...or Nate Lowe...or Toussaint....or Cole Tucker....maybe MLB has it right....when calling those kids up before their time, they mostly failed....
when i talk to myself, nobody listens..... probably the same here.....

[DOUGHBOYS]

'Bryce Harper will bat second for the Phillies on Thursday afternoon against the Brewers.
Harper has hit third in each of his first 42 games in a Phillies uniform, but manager Gabe Kapler will switch things up for Thursday's matinee game versus Milwaukee. Harper owns a somewhat underwhelming .220/.368/.433 batting line on the season, but he hit a double on Wednesday night and is capable of going on a tear at any point. Jean Segura is batting third on Thursday.'

Are these writers afraid to say something bad about this guy?....I heard about his grand slam a week after hitting it....during that week....he again...SUCKED....quit it....call a spade a spade....it's as if nobody wants to be Ron Shandler in calling out Trout.....harper is no trout...geez....right now harper is no harper....he couldn't possibly hit up to the hype.....so make sure the double is accentuated while the .220 average is an after thought...EVERY HITTER IN BASEBALL IS CAPABLE OF GOING ON A TEAR....crissakes fellas.....quit hyping and babying this guy at the same time.....it is like Harper is a mob boss and his henchman have guns pointed at every writer....take the gloves off, writers!.........
....flat out, it is pussy-writing

Edit- Harper is in the top 10 in two categories....strike outs and walks....at least he's got two of the three true outcomes down....
I will not be writing any longer.....one of Harper's henchman just came through my door....at least I'll die knowing I didn't write....."he is capable of going on a tear!".....a little dignity, at least.....goodbye cruel world and you pussy writers.......

[DOUGHBOYS]

i just got a text from an asshole....that is what i call some of my best NFBC friends....at least the one's who piss me off....here is what the text said......"Joey Votto, Hall of Fame?"......bastard!.......
but in case somebody has taken that thought seriously....may I just expound how the OBP SABRS have gotten out of hand.....i promise I'll make this quick....
....my guy Vada Pinson got no love from the Hall of Fame......it is because when Pinson was eligible, REAL hall of famers were being elected...guys like Mays and aaron and mantle......now harold baines....harold freakin baines.....seriously.
So, here is Votto's numbers....308/949/273/905/75
Here is Vada Pinson's...........286/1365/256/1169/305
Pinson makes Votto look like a chump....
So the sabrs will scream "OBP! OBP! OBP!"
And indeed, Votto drills Pinson by a .425 to .327 measure....
And I answer....."BFD! BFD! BFD!"....for the younger generation....that means...... Big Freakin' Deal....sorta.....
Votto has a On Base Pecentage 100 points higher than Pinson but Pinson STILL kicks his ass in counting stats.......Votto should be ashamed.....sabrs should be ashamed....and the asshole that sent the text....I love you buddy....should be ashamed too.....

[DOUGHBOYS]

I'm watching the Brewers-Phillies.....they make a big deal outta harper hitting second....he pops out.... and they swoon over his swing....he fouled a ball and 30,000 fans sounded like the girls on the Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles hit America....where does it stop?....Harper hitting second is like me eating my cauliflower early in the meal....get the bad taste over with!
In the meantime, Christian Yelich hits a home run ....and they gloss over it like he's lucky...WAIT A MINUTE! WE DIDN'T HYPE THIS GUY!....HOW DARE HE BE THIS GOOD WITHOUT OUR HYPE!....
It's Zach Davis vs. Zach Eflin......or.....smoke vs. mirrors.....what's funny is that these two Zach's have had a better year than Zack Wheeler......who is getting pummeled right now by the Mets.......Wheeler is Zack with a 'k'.....I guess cuz he gets more strike outs than Davies or Eflin....
...totally unrelated, Zachary Taylor was our 12th President....his nickname was..."Old Rough and Ready".....sounds like Wade Davis game....
Want to hear a good 'on pace' ?....The Miami Marlins are on pace not to have a batter hit 20 homers....or even 50 RBI.....seriously...
Jeter followed the Astros-Cubs script.....sell off players.......what was forgotten was to first have an anchor like Rizzo or Altuve....oh, and to get something of value back for those players....other than that....AWESOME!
Executive of the Year....Derek Jeter....book it.....but it will be for a trump organization in the future...not in baseball.....

Love the powder blue uni's in all sports....Phillies wearing them today...brings back thoughts of Michael Jack....

The Royals were just so cute today....they removed Ian Kennedy and put in Chris Owings....
First, it's cute that they think they have arms that need saved.....they could DFA three relievers...not SAVE them...
Second, it's cute that they found yet another position Chris Owings can fail at.....
Third, it's cute that we found out that Rougned Odor can only hit when his team is 10 runs ahead.....
On a serious note, using a position player in front of home fans is bad form....almost like saying, "You think we suck? Watch this!"...not a good message....
What used to be an oddity in bringing in a position player is now an eye roll......although the argument does hold that one arm is as good as another on either the Royals or Rangers....that also said, there are going to be teams lined up for Mike Minor and Danny Duffy if they are healthy at the trade deadline....

[DOUGHBOYS]

I'm making a decision whether to continue writing on the Boards any longer......Like me, these Boards themselves have become a dinosaur.....
It's nobody's fault.....Other technology like Facebook and twitter have become the meeting place for most....I choose not to go that route.....
These very boards have deteriorated ....whenever somebody posts a picture....the boards are tougher to navigate.....
We can't readily read things now, like we did in the past.....
We don't know who is on the Boards or even reading the Boards....
And worse, a bunch of people have no idea in how to get on the Boards as a contributor......
There are folks in the contest lobby saying they try to get into the Forums, but get little help.....
Heck, the baseball lobby is more about football now...blasphemy!.....Flintstones.....Jetsons......
When going to these Boards, the number one priority was saving the old messages....What good are these messages if they're so hard to bring up again?
They're there, but they're not 'there'.... Maddening......
But, why should I care if nobody else seems to....

Truth is, I feel like I'm pretty much talking to myself now.....My wife tells me I already do that in yelling at broadcasters on tv.....................stupid broadcasters.....I do the I know I'm getting some views....the Message Boards still knows how to count those.....
But those could be the same people checking in several times.....
I love the NFBC Community....It's too bad that these Boards have become so dilapiDATED that folks don't want to take the time it takes to give them a look...

The Main Page used to be filled with baseball talk....
Now, just a selling space or sandwich Board-type advertising for new leagues by the NFBC....BORING!.....
We have zillions more teams than when starting the NFBC, nobody talks about those teams....
I'll keep contributing in the near future.....but if feeling like a Lone Wolf, most likely I will stop soon.....
Thanks to the few of you who were loyal and take the time to navigate these Boards.....
It is appreciated and I thank you.....

[DOUGHBOYS]

I had a couple of spirited conversations yesterday.
One, was through texts with two other NFBC diehards.
During the course of those texts, it was intimated that DJ LeMahieu mist be my favorite player in that his one category of specialty is batting average.
I must admit, I have become an advocate for batting average.
It's the forgotten stat.
Baseball minds are playing for home runs with trajectory and launch angle being the talk of the day.
And on the smart side, sabr's are trying to dismiss batting average while championing the base on balls.

The second conversation was with a sabr friend I know. I yelled. I yelled a lot. He goaded me and I yelled.
As you (and he) knows, I am very passionate about the walk being regarded as a victory as much as a hit.
Does a single and walk both put you in the same place?
Yes, first base.
The difference being that there is a 100% chance that the pitcher did not want the batter to reach first base via a single.
That cannot be said of a walk.
Walks are given, sometimes, because of circumstances.
Let's take Justin Smoak.
Smoak is having a horrible year. Just the same, he is a powerful switch hitter.
When Smoak comes up with two outs and a base empty, while the batter behind him is of same handedness as the pitcher, Smoak will see little to hit.
Somehow, sabrs regard this as a victory.
It's a damned walk.
If Smoak had laced a single, RBI would be involved, but as is, a walk is a strategic way to avoid that from happening.
I sound nice printing this now, but I was yelling this on my phone yesterday.

Let's look what these walks do for fantasy....
Smoak's OBP is .366
Acceptable by sabr standards.
Smoak's batting average is .214
That blows by any standards.
Eduardo Escobar also has a .366 OBP BUT he has 20 more hits than Smoak!
Here are their roto lines.....
Smoak.......214/18/5/20/0
Escobar......293/26/9/27/0
Smoak has walked almost twice as much as Escobar...but to what end?
Has it helped Smoak?
Has it helped Toronto?
Excuse the French, but Fuck NO. Those walks have helped kill both Smoak and Toronto.

Now, I'll yell through print....
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF WRITERS TELLING ME HOW SUCCESSFUL OR UNSUCCESSFUL BATTERS ARE BY USING WALKS AS A DENOMINATOR.
I BELIEVE CARLOS SANTANA IS THE MOST PATIENT HITTER IN BASEBALL (sorry joey), DOES THIS MAKE SANTANA A GREAT HITTER?
HELL NO!!!
IT MAKES HIM WHAT HE IS...A PATIENT HITTER, NO MORE, NO LESS.
YES, HE WILL GET MORE WALKS IN BEING A PATIENT HITTER. WOO FREAKIN HOO!
IN THE MEANTIME, HE MAY HAVE LET PITCHES GO BY THAT HE COULD HAVE DRIVEN OUT OF THE PARK!
WE'LL NEVER KNOW!
RONALD ACUNA JR. IS WALKING MORE THIS YEAR. WHO FREAKIN CARES!?
THERE IS NOT A FAN ALIVE WHO HAS EVER SAID, "HURRY UP HONEY, I WANT TO BE THERE FOR THE FIRST PITCH, I'D HATE TO MISS JOEY VOTTO TAKING A WALK!"
IT IS SICKENING WHAT SABRS (THESE ARE THE FELLOWS WHO HIT NINTH IN LITTLE LEAGUE AND HAD COACHES PRAY THEY WOULD GET WALKED, HENCE, THE PHRASE, "A WALK IS AS GOOD AS A HIT.") AND NOW THAT THEY GOT INTO BASEBALL THROUGH SABR, BY GOD, THEY'RE TRULY TRYING TO MAKE A WALK AS GOOD AS A HIT.
A HIT IS STUDYING YOUR WAY THROUGH SCHOOL, TAKING PART TIME JOBS TO GET YOU THROUGH COLLEGE AND TAKING EVEN MORE PART-TIME WORK TO GO THROUGH LAW SCHOOL.
A WALK IS HAVING YOUR RICH PARENTS BRIBE PEOPLE TO TAKE YOUR S.A.T.'S, THEN BRIBING PROFESSORS WHILE PARTYING.
A PLAYER WHO HAS A 10 PITCH AT BAT, THEN WALKS, IS ALWAYS SAID TO HAVE A GREAT AT BAT...ALWAYS.
THE FELLA THAT GETS A HIT ON THE FIRST PITCH OFFERED IS NEVER SAID TO HAVE A GREAT AT BAT....NEVER.
A BASE HIT IS EASILY DISMISSED. A WALK CHAMPIONED. THE GAME HAS CHANGED. FOR THE WORST.

[DOUGHBOYS]

What would you say about a player who steals 10 bases and hits under .200?
Billy Hamilton-like, right?
What would you say about a player who has stayed in the Major Leagues, despite hitting .181 over his last 300 at bats?
Poor team? Blackmail? Chris Davis?...Nope.
In fact, we're talking the opposite of Chris Davis when it comes to NFBC drafts.
We're talking about the guy who was selected third overall in a lot of drafts.....Jose Ramirez.

Ramirez plays baseball like a kid who just had his toy taken away.
Protruding lip. A smile, rare.
But, he did what fantasy folks salivate over. Hit with power and run with speed.
The problem being that Ramirez quit doing his usual baseball things last August.
He sucked at the end of last year, hitting .165 over the last part of August and all of September.
He totally crashed in the playoffs. 0-11.
NFBC drafters forgave that and selected him third in most drafts.
The suckage continues.

It'll be interesting to see where he is taken in next years drafts.
I don't believe Ramirez will suck all year.
I believe he'll have a couple of streaks to remind us that he was a damned good player.
Hey, starting May, he had a five game hitting streak....but it was one of those 'soft' streaks with no Runs or RBI.
Ramirez has shown us that he can good streak and bad streak.
He is unlike all the other first rounders taken this year.
JD Martinez, Scherzer, deGrom, Acuna, and Sale have not played up to first round standards, but they haven't killed our teams and we expect them to come back.
Turner, Altuve, and Lindor have gotten hurt, but we expect them to come back.
It is harder with Ramirez. Ramirez has been down so long, it is hard to think of him giving us first round numbers.
The sour look on his puss has been passed on to his owners.
A season ending at .250/82/19/74/26 may be considered a victory for his drafters.
If ending with close to his numbers, I would guess that he falls to the third or fourth round in next years drafts.
His best attribute being a running third baseman.
One last thing. The Indians organization is known for being 'smart'. Most of their moves are judged to be so excellent by the press.
In giving up on Edwin Encarnacion, it wrecked their offensive capabilities and also hurt one of their best players in Ramirez.
Few ever say anything negative about a team so smart.
Maybe they should.