Jorge Julio!

by tobytobytoby on Jan 31, 2008 11:49 AM EST Comment 65 comments

The Tribe has made their big move for the off-season....they just signed Jorge Julio. Yes that's right, THE Jorge Julio.

In all seriousness, another quality bullpen arm is always a welcome addition...a team can never have enough.

http://www.cleveland.com/sportsflash/local/index.ssf?/base/sports-32/1201796358191300.xml&storyl ist=clevelandsports

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Re: Jorge Julio!

You'd think O'Dowd would hang onto guys who suck UNTIL they get into the thin air of Denver.

by JulioBernazard on Jan 31, 2008 11:55 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

non-roster. minor league deal. some history of mild success. no risk. me likey. he was one of a few guys out there i thought 'it'd be cool to get that guy to give us a minor league deal'.

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 11:55 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

this is a signing that actually makes sense to me in some twisted fashion. its just too bad we couldnt have traded marte for him.

by rustyparts on Jan 31, 2008 8:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

STOP IT!!!!

You're honestly second only to E5 when it comes to annoying repetition.

by supermarioelia on Jan 31, 2008 8:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Don't insult E that way. At least some of his posts are interesting.

Burn on, big river, burn on...

by Turkmenbashi on Jan 31, 2008 9:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

It's funny when someone calls him E, I picture this. And then I cower in fear.

by supermarioelia on Jan 31, 2008 9:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

with repetition comes acceptance---of course last year at this time i figured carmona to bust so i may never be a talent scout or sportswriter.. signing julio franco makes good sense.

by rustyparts on Jan 31, 2008 9:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I wouldn't count out your future as a sportswriter.

by supermarioelia on Jan 31, 2008 9:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I have accepted that you can be annoying.

"With repetition comes acceptance" is COMPLETELY an E line.

by nickjs21 on Jan 31, 2008 10:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Huh? With repetition comes annoyance?

With repetition comes entertainment, anyway... and with any luck with repetition comes another shot at the World Series.

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 9:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Wait, I'm confused. Are you actually under the impression they signed Julio Franco? Or are you just looking for a Julio Squared experience?

by NickFantana on Feb 1, 2008 10:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Holy Cow! I, like almost everyone else, completely missed the "Julio Franco" typo... Good Call!

How about this: Julio(Julio) = ?

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I just assumed he was being intentionally erroneous.

by supermarioelia on Feb 1, 2008 11:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Julio(Julio) = Championship!!

by Nat on Feb 1, 2008 11:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a little surprised Julio is only worthy of a NRI at this point. He's only 28 and while he's got the two-headed problem of giving up too many walks and too many homeruns, he's managed to have reasonable success by striking lots of guys out.

by APV on Jan 31, 2008 12:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Seems like a decent low risk move.

Because he was a Class B FA we lose a draft pick.

But Shapiro has a decent record on these sorts of moves, so I can't really object very much.

by KevinV on Jan 31, 2008 12:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I take that back.

The Rockies did not offer him Arbitration

So there is nothing to dislike about this move.

by KevinV on Jan 31, 2008 12:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Also, to decrease the disincentive to signing free agents the free agency compensation rules were tweaked in a number of ways in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. Specifically in this case, teams signing Type B free agents no longer lose a draft choice to the other team. The losing team simply gains a supplemental 1st round pick. So we wouldn't have lost a draft pick even if Julio had been offered free agency. I thought that was a great rule change though last year Delluci and Hernandez were both inexplicably Type A free agents and we lost two draft choices.

Sorry. Went off-topic.

by Kenyafan on Jan 31, 2008 2:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Good move. Low risk, high reward. Typical Shapiro.

I swear, next year is it.

by fwembt on Jan 31, 2008 12:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Um... have we seen the reward yet?

by JulioBernazard on Jan 31, 2008 12:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

No, I merely meant that there is a chance for a high reward and we entail a very low risk.

I swear, next year is it.

by fwembt on Jan 31, 2008 12:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Looking at this numbers a little more closely...

Julio's success last season in Colorado was largely based on an increase in his GB%. Most of his career he's sat around 40%, and as a result, has given up a lot of home runs. In Colorado his peripherals were largely unchanged except for a GB% increase up to 55%, meaning he gave up far fewer homers (a drop from about 1.5/G to 1.0/G - which given his control problems is pretty significant).

Hopefully that was a real effect from Julio's pitching and not an effect of Colorado's humidor or something else external. If he can keep that up this year, I could see him being very useful. If not, he seems like the kind of guy destined to lose one or two games in April (enter the game in the 7th, K, BB, HR...) and be permanently exiled away from the circle of trust.

by APV on Jan 31, 2008 12:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Your last sentence was hilariously realistic. He'll likely follow in the steps of Mota and Oldberto, but I guess the good news is that he'll at least have to prove himself in the spring before he's given the chance to piss away any regular season games. I can't argue with this signing.

by supermarioelia on Jan 31, 2008 12:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

The other potential cost associated with Julio (or any signing) is the roster implications. We haven't yet moved any of our AAA/ML guys off the roster this off-season (Choo, Francisco, Aubrey, Snyder) which means we have something of a roster crunch (hence the Barton/Whitney loss).

by APV on Jan 31, 2008 12:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I think all four of the players you mentioned will be in the Big League camp at the start of spring training along with Julio, and will have every chance to earn a spot on the 25-man roster at their positions. Signing Julio has no effect on any of those four unless Shapiro and Wedge decide to keep an extra middle releiver instead of a position player.

Even then, the spot on the 40-man roster would not go to Jorge unless he pitches his way into it. At this point, roster-wise, he is in the same boat with the other four that you mentioned. On January 31, I don't see the Indians paying much of an opportunity cost by signing Julio now. The team has very little to lose by inviting a live arm into spring training and offering a chance to pitch his way into the team's plans. Barton and Whitney are long gone, and were long gone well before the team extended a paid spring training invitation to Julio.

Basically, they are buying Julio's rights through the end of March. Everything else, he earns on his own. Nothing wrong with that.

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

that he was focusing more on keeping the ball on the ground.

Hello APV,

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure the humidor causes pitchers to give up more groundballs - I haven't heard that idea before, though I suppose it's possible - not sure; Colorado is still one of the better hitting parks in the league due to its thin air.

I'm thinking Julio's GB% increase could be due to the fact he (and the COL coaches) put more emphasis on his trying to keep the ball down and keeping it from being elevated in the rarified air, since he's had trouble with HRs in the past, and Colorado is more of an extreme ballpark for giving up HRs.

If Julio can maintain his ability to keep the ball low and harder to elevate, he could be a very good sign for the Indians, as Jacobs Field isn't near the launching pad Coors Field is, especially since our ballpark has become more neutral in recent years.

Just my 2 cents. :-)

May the Tribe be great in 2008! :-)

by indiansfan on Feb 1, 2008 3:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

cough Progressive Field cough.

by nickjs21 on Feb 1, 2008 6:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

does that mean when we enter the ballpark, we will all be ProField? I thought profielding was illegal. (can't believe I'm typing this bad a stretch of a pun...)

Of course, I remember several years at the old Stadium where it seemed like Pro Fielding was illegal, and this takes both the Indians and the Browns (on kickoffs and punts, let alone passes in the mid 70's) into effect...

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks! :-)

Hello nickjs21,

Oops - thanks for the catch! :-) It probably won't be the last time I do that either.

I'll correct - "Progressive Field is not the launching pad Coors Field is." :-)

May the Tribe be great in 2008! :-)

by indiansfan on Feb 1, 2008 5:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

Not sure if anyone saw the Mythbusters episode about the humidor at Coors, but this article seems to refute what they discovered on the show. I'll take the word of the physicists over the television personalities for now.

by supermarioelia on Feb 1, 2008 9:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

Never underestimate the power of positive - and negative - psychology, on the average human being.

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 11:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

Well they didn't publish their findings yet, and the author of the article (not the physicists, but the journalist) noted that another "expert" noted that humid baseballs may not accelerate as quickly off the bat. Without the initial acceleration its likely that the ball will in fact travel a shorter distance even if it decelerates slower, the other expert claimed anyways.

by hans on Feb 1, 2008 12:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

I'm still taking their word over the Mythbusters guys. The guy wears a freaking beret.

by supermarioelia on Feb 1, 2008 5:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: His lower GB% might have been due to the fact

I suspect Madame Curie also wore a beret on occasion, and nobody questions her scientific accuracy.

Free Andy Marte!

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Feb 5, 2008 8:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

He led the NL last year in pitches over 95mph (Bill James Handbook)

Just because you throw hard doesn't mean you're good. But it does mean you'll be on a roster.

by chodson28 on Jan 31, 2008 12:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Among NL RPs, or the entire NL?

by JulioBernazard on Jan 31, 2008 2:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

From chodson28:

"He... pitches over 95mph... it does mean you'll be on a roster."

Truer words were never spoken.

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

My guess is there's a roster-or-released date written into the deal, or he's been promised the first open spot if he's healthy, or both.

Very interesting signing ... there is a small but very real possibility that he becomes an impact reliever this season.

by Jay on Jan 31, 2008 2:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

ah, so that clause is already probably in there...?

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 2:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Given his propensity to walk guys and give up HRs, I think there's a decent chance (say 2 in 5) that the impact he has, if has a significant one, will be negative.

by APV on Jan 31, 2008 2:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I'd be willing to go with the "roster or release date", not so sure on the "promised first open spot on the roster if healthy" clause. No real hard data to go on, just that I don't see Shapiro guaranteeing a roster spot to anyone not currently on the 40-man roster.

If this was 2003 and we were chatting about a pitcher with Julio's track record, maybe the perception would be different. At this point, however, I don't see Shapiro guaranteeing a roster spot to any releiver not on last year's 25-man roster, let alone the current 40-man roster. Just my $0.02 (which never bought enough to begin with...)

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

so what's the protocol on guys like this?

if he pitches great in spring training, you move someone off the 40 man and option mastny.
if he pitches okay but not great, you try to send him to give him one of those - we'll add you to the roster by a certain date deals or you're free find a major league job elsewhere deals - ala mike koplove.
if he sucks, tell him it's buffalo or go. no promises and hope he gets real good in buffalo and you have him there in case of injury or inefectiveness all season.

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 2:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

4. You expect somebody to get hurt.

by Jay on Jan 31, 2008 2:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Pitching depth is always a good thing, especially when it doesn't cost the team anything

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Jorge Julio down by the schoolyard...

by Voltaire on Jan 31, 2008 3:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Put it on the board.

Championship.

by nickjs21 on Jan 31, 2008 4:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

all semi-close-to-hawkisms should be outlawed at LGT. Motion for new ground rule.

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I started to second this, but there has to be an agreement that we can post hawkisms in game threads against the Sox as needed.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jan 31, 2008 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Seconded as amended.

by CU Adam on Jan 31, 2008 4:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

What, you think there's rules? Oh, there's no rules here.

by Jay on Jan 31, 2008 8:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Shame we can't have Hawk and Arch call a game together. No offense to Mike, or to either Hammy or Jim.

How about a broadcast crew of Herb Score (in his prime) on the Play By Play with Hawk and Arch keeping Herb in line, umm - I mean - providing the commentary?

I think I'd be too busy being entertained, and mostly ROTFLMAO to pay attention to the game itself. That team would easily be better than Harry Caray and Steve Stone on Harry's most lucid (or even most livid) moments.

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 10:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

I read it as a reference to that ESPN commercial about fantasy football. About knowing how to pronounce your draft picks? TJ Whosyermomma?

Disclaimer: this post doesn't mean what you think it means.

by AngG on Jan 31, 2008 4:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Thank you, it was

by nickjs21 on Jan 31, 2008 4:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

It also is dangerously close to "You can put it on the board, yes." As delivered by Hawk. I think that is causing the issue here.

TJ Houshamazilli

I swear, next year is it.

by fwembt on Jan 31, 2008 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

yes. the put it on the board was the offending text. and yes, i like the ammendment.

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 5:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

and yes, i got what i like to call the John Koronka Joke

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 5:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

It's like sometimes people don't remember the history of this fine blog.

by nickjs21 on Jan 31, 2008 6:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Hawk didn't invent/doesn't own "Put it on the board," just as Paris Hilton does not own "That's hot."

Had I added, "YYYESSSSS!" afterwards, then we'd have a problem.

Hawkisms are not to be used unless during game threads or some kind of thread reporting the firing of one Hawk Harrelson.

by nickjs21 on Jan 31, 2008 6:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Actually if Hawk was somehow promoted to a position within the White Sox organization, I think that would be better than firing him.

by hans on Jan 31, 2008 7:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

they remind me of the tool though. and that raises my blood pressure. i did use the phrase "semi-close-to-hawkisms" citing that i recognized you weren't intending to allude to DJ's buddy.

by Brick. on Jan 31, 2008 8:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

TJ Where'sMyChili?

How come... we would all love to see Bob Feller show up at a Cavs game wearing a Detroit Pistons hat? --Les Levine

by Casey Jones on Feb 1, 2008 11:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Only on LGT can a discussion about signing a pitcher to a minor league deal evolve into the finer points of Hawk Harrelson's catch phrases, along with parliamentary motions to change the rules and bylaws of the organization.

I don't know if this link is the authority on the topic, but it points out that the complete phrasing is: "Way back, he looks up, you can put it on the board...YES!"
Hawkisms

by Spidey on Jan 31, 2008 8:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jorge Julio!

Not entirely sure re-signing Casey Blake is worth its own diary. Principally because I know I couldn't fill the limit. My only observation is that he was looking for 6.9, they offered 5.4 and settled a little below 6. Shapiro wins again.

by NickFantana on Feb 1, 2008 10:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs