Review Post: Indians Annual 2009
Since I think a lot of folks will get their first looks at the MSP Indians Annual 2009 today, I thought I'd post this helpful link to where reviews can be posted on the MSP site.
On that other site, I would be surprised if LGT folks were inclined to post much critical content. Here at LGT, however, the group is more sophisticated, and to a great extent we're among friends, so criticism can be understood in context.
I think it has to be considered okay and within LGT etiquette to be critical of the book, expressing freely any disappointments or shortcomings that you may find, or at the very least being willing to ask critical questions of the authors and especially of me as the editor. Indeed, you would not be doing me any favors as the editor by withholding your feedback. (I guess if there's something you'd rather say privately, that's okay, too.)
I'm very proud of the result, especially as a first attempt, but there are mistakes in the book and things I wish had come out better, and you will find them. So feel free to discuss the whole thing, good and bad, openly at LGT. Like it or not, we're an even bigger part of the Indians media now, and we're subject to the judgment of Indians fans like anyone else.
almost 3 years ago
Jay
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Well, here’s the good news: You’ve now read half of it, at most.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Is the plan still to post the unpublished portions at different times?
I really hope to get mine today, can’t wait to see it.
Il faut d'abord durer.
Yes, all during spring training.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
by Jay on Feb 23, 2009 4:21 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
The amazing aspect to me is that you can tell Antonetti won’t answer certain lines of questioning, but if you look closely enough, there are certain phrases he uses that to me confirm that stuff this website has focused on are actually things the Indians org values as well.
The most striking example of this to me was the BABIP discussion. It sounds like they have a formula that really does a nice job of removing statistical noise. I would go into it further, but I’d rather people read it for themselves in the Annual
Had you considered using 2007 numbers for some profiles. I couldn’t help but think that Victor’s spray chart, hitting zone, etc., were essentially meaningless, due to (a) the low number of plate appearances and (b) the effects the injuries had on him while he was on the field.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 3:09 PM EST reply actions
Pretend the first sentence was a question.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 3:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t want to speak for Jay but the charts provided were pretty much out of our hands, I believe. MSP created them and they are awesome for the most part. They went with 2008 to create uniformity across the publications, I believe and also to reduce themselves headaches-what’s the cutoff for ABs, who gets their 2007 numbers besides DLed players? Players who had nagging injuries? Etc.
What they do is really hard and I think this was one corner they needed to cut to get the best product forward in the appropriate time frame. This way, they’re only dealing with one set of data, not moving among two, and they’ve got the aforementioned uniformity.
Jay, if that’s wrong, delete this comment I guess.
The short answer is, we only had the 2008 data.
I did consider, for example, putting Sowers in the full-page section rather than the short-profile section, perhaps swapping with Westbrook, just because his 2008 data would be more interesting than Westbrook’s. But I ultimately decided that kind of thing would just be confusing to most people, that they would interpret full page = key players.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Then, a suggestion for MSP- add in at least two more seasons of raw stats and/or a career line for context.
I actually want to go the other direction with it. We had access to some good projections, 20°-50°-80°, and I would have preferred to use those instead of the splits. Splits and career stats are on, like 400 different websites.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
This would be a great idea.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 24, 2009 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
Sounds great. And I vote for throwing in Dogg’s suggestion as well.
by dgcambridge on Feb 24, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions
I’d get behind the projections. I just think the career line or a career average or something would make the one line of 08 stats mean a little more. How much can you really tell about Victor Martinez only using his 08 stats?
I know there are other resources, but it just seems like this would be an easy one line to add on each page that would add a lot of comprehensiveness to the book.
by Ryan Kelsey on Feb 25, 2009 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
I can see that. I can also see doing three seasons instead. The space constraint is more significant than you may realize.
I lean toward the projections simply because all the historical stats are so widely available. There are many things in the book that are comparable to what’s available online. Wherever possible, we tried to make every piece either different from what you can get elsewhere, or demonstrably better than the online version.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Just got here, very impressive, just skimmed so far.
Most glaring error: On page 9, Ryan Garko’s position was listed as “1B.”
by SuddenSam on Feb 23, 2009 4:26 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
Initial thought:
A huge congrats, again, to Jay. Your letter from the editor was perfect, and I’d love for you to share your dad’s pre-knowledge-of-James version of OPS. Love the shout out to LGT folk.
Congrats also to Tyler, Adam, Andrew, Ryan and everyone else that worked on this thing. Well done. And thank you.
Oh, and I’ve only paged through the first third and the wheel of fortune picture had be giggling for 5 minutes.
I’ve only been able to skim as well, definitely will be giving it its first thorough reading tonight, but I had the same reaction to the Wheel of Fortune pic, and caught a couple of other LGT nods in some of the captions and pictures.
It looks amazing, congrats to everyone involved and thank you. I had the Notre Dame MSP publication for the football season, though I didn’t realize that it was MSP until I got this one in the mail today. It was a great thing to have before the season, but it seems like the depth of this one puts it to shame already.
Il faut d'abord durer.
Paul/DiaTriber and Greg/woodsmeister. And Chris, who is very possibly lurking right now, and JoePos, who probably isn’t. And my Dad.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
He only recently has started venturing into the Comments. I lured him into the original book announcement thread with promises of a grammar debate.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
I didn’t want the book to be very in-jokey at all, but for some reason, I just had to include the Wheel of Fail. It worked out very well that the guy who created it, Greg/woodsmeister, was someone I also had in mind to write an article. Greg went back and created a new version of it with higher resolution, so it would be suitable for publication, and in fact that piece of art was part of his official contract for the book (and check the fine print in the margin, he is credited for it). So yes, not only did he get paid to write about the Indians, he got paid to create a jokey graphic of a meme from an Indians blog. Now that’s a real milestone.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
You successfully underpromised about the photo captions. You said Andrew had to keep most of them serious – maybe it’s selection bias, but I think almost half are jokes of some sort.
"Less of an Indians fan" - Jay
More specifically, I got paid to go back and refine to publication quality a jokey graphic of a meme from an Indians blog that I created months earlier for free for the sole reason that I thought it would make people on said Indians blog laugh uproariously.
Being able to use my degree in English to pretend to be a journalist for a couple days and get paid for it as well was also a nice bonus.
Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. It was fun to take part in this project.
by woodsmeister on Feb 24, 2009 12:18 PM EST up reply actions
Wow, loving this. Quick takes:
1) Wheel of Fail is the best thing maybe ever.
2) Blyleven’s shirt and accompanying caption are unreal.
3) I freaking love Adam’s prospect work, and the averge fan will just skip to the Best / Worst / Best section, which is eminently useful.
4) Andrew rocks. Just the right touch with selected photos and captions.
5) The editor’s note had me actually cheering and wanting to buy Jay a beer.
And a couple longer points:
1) I’m a little surprised that Shoppach eschews charts completely. I’m not saying he’s wrong to do so. I’m just saying that with such great information out there, you’d think players would be soaking it up. Antonetti addressed the too-much-information factor in his interview with Jay, but I assume the Tribe staff could help pare down the noise.
2) The Antonetti interview is golden. It makes me want to be in the room so badly when they’re talking about their formulas regarding luck, line drives, BABIP, etc.
Jay, don’t make us wait too long to get more of the Antonetti stuff, eh?
I REALLY NEED TO FIND ONE OF THESE — when do they hit newsstands? next week?
Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.
Andrew,
Kerry Wood piece is wonderful. Some specifics:
ManRam and Dusty Baker lines are legit LOLs. Loudly.
I’m curious to know if you purposely dropped an LGT reference in there when talking about Borowski. You wrote that Borowski “stood up for Cleveland and was counted.”
To me, this instantly recalled one of the most emotional posts in the history of this website. I don’t even think I need to look it up — I bet I can recall it exactly.
When we were heading to the ninth and about to lose to Boston in game seven of the ALCS, Jay wrote: “This is it. Stand up and be counted.” I had chills when I read that. I know it’s kind of hokey, but it was a bittersweet, proud moment for LGT. Was that in your mind when you wrote the Borowski line?
i was in full on drunk sob by that time
So 2009.
by Gradyforpresident on Feb 23, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks a great deal. I owe a lot to a great deal of very keen insight from Jay.
No, I didn’t have that comment in mind when I wrote that but I don’t think it’s a coincidence. The idea of raising your hand and with a straight face saying “I like/believe in/care about Cleveland” is a thread in Cleveland fandom, Indians especially perhaps. It’s part of who we are-a rather nice part.
Andrew, this quote:
“Off the field, Wood is exactly what Cleveland fans want – he wants to be in Cleveland, and he believes in the Cleveland Indians. That sort of thing still matters here. There’s not enough money around for players here to be pure mercenaries; they have to care about the Indians the way the city does.”
Absolutely is grand. I hope you don’t mind I stuck it on my Facebook favorite quotes, with proper attribution, of course.
So 2009.
by Gradyforpresident on Feb 24, 2009 5:39 PM EST up reply actions
i almost cried during that Borowski part. i’m at work.
So 2009.
by Gradyforpresident on Feb 24, 2009 5:32 PM EST up reply actions
I got mine. Sorry to everyone who I hated previously, and also to those who haven’t yet received. I’ve also already christened it.
Mrs. Tabs, who is currently curled up with the Annual: “This is going to be the best resource ever for me. We are keeping this within arm’s reach during every game this season.”
On the layout: “This looks way better than most of the other magazines you buy every spring. The charts and graphics are amazing.”
so, i got mine. it is beautiful, but mine arrived badly kinked. i’m both upest and glad i didn’t order two now – but mostly that this one isn’t perfect.
do you know if these will be available in Canton where my folks can pick one up?
my arrived far less than mint as well. it just looks pre-loved, as i’m sure i’ll beat the thing up beyond recognition before ST is over
"Less of an Indians fan" - Jay
andrew, despite my threats, i’m looking at the pictures first. bravo.
also! if the fausto bug shot didn’t get in there, i would have hunted you down.
i think i saw that originally on paul’s site.
“Cliff Lee ponders the nature of dominance” is my early leader in the clubhouse for favorite caption.
I’m highly partial to all of the “historical pitchers” captions. It was one area where I could do whatever I wanted because most of the people being captioned were deceased.
Whoever picked the pic between Milton and Russell on the Acquiring the Champs page couldn’t have found a funnier pose without breaking privacy laws
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 9:27 PM EST up reply actions
Oops, it’s not called that anymore. But it will be in seven months.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Actually, I followed Ryan over from the Compendium
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 24, 2009 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
Wow, seriously old school for this place. Pre-school even. So you lurk for, like, five years, and then start posting several times a day? Did you get laid off or something?
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
I also didn’t delve into the comments until early ’07—strictly the front page content until then.
I avoided posting because I was afraid when I started, I’d never get anything done. I have an addictive personality. You know what? I was completely, 100% correct.
This is also why I don’t smoke.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 24, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
Hey, I have a question about the lurking — pardon the “ask the new guy” habit this week, but I’m always curious how people experience the site. Before you registered, did you have any idea that the very act of registering would make it 10x easier just to follow the discussion, even as a lurker? Or is that totally a surprise to anyone who first signs up after lurking for a while?
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Well, I knew that two things would change:
(a) The “z” would make it easier to keep up with a discussion, and
(b) I wouldn’t have to constantly refresh game threads. (On the other hand, I never got time-machined).
But even knowing that, it’s made the experience even easier/better than I’d surmised. So to everyone out there, register already. Seriously.
And as an aside: I didn’t get into the comments because, well, blog comments tend to be worthless or offensive. I didn’t realize LGT was different until an APV prospect post got promoted to the front page early in ‘07. Then I said, hey, there’s more here than Jay and Ryan. Soon, I wandered into a gamethread and was smitten.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 24, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Quick thoughts:
1. It is better than I hoped.
2. Epic typo on page 95, unless Josh Rodriguez really is 45 years old.
3. I love how Pavano is pictured with the team he last played for in 2004.
"Less of an Indians fan" - Jay
See note below. Also, we specifically discussed that it was appropriate to put him in jackass attire for that specific place, where the accompanying text was Pavano’s time and standing specifically with the Yankees. There are actual reasons for a whole lot of choices in the book, and the photos definitely are no exception to that.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
son of a…I’m going to choose to blame the publisher for the type, but I think I probably should have caught Josh Rodriguez’s age in one of the proofs. (looks it up). Yes – I should have.
J-Fraud.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 9:28 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with all the praise heaped above. Page 44’s chart of club control is a tremendous resource. Any questions on this in future game threads should be answered with a simple “44”
And the caption page 78, love it.
I’m both excited for opening day and worried about Choo’s, Shoppach’s, and to a lesser extent DeRosa’s high 2008 BABIP. Awesome work guys.
Just got mine today as well. Looks great, just diving into the Antonetti interview now. And even though it was posted last summer, I still love the “timeline”, and the comment that the acquisition of Joe Smith was 30 years in the making.
Liked Antonetti’s “I would prefer not to” Bartleby the Scrivener routine when talking about other stuff they look at with pitching beyond K rate.
by cheech99 on Feb 23, 2009 10:33 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Here’s hoping mine is somewhere over the Pacific Ocean?
One day I'll get over to watch the Tribe play
by new zealand tribe fan on Feb 23, 2009 10:42 PM EST reply actions
Whatever you ended up paying in shipping, you won’t regret it.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 10:47 PM EST up reply actions
Credit card shows $60 NZD for purchase and shipping.
One day I'll get over to watch the Tribe play
by new zealand tribe fan on Feb 23, 2009 10:55 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, I thought it’d be a lot worse than that. And yes, I just looked up the exchange rate.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 11:02 PM EST up reply actions
WOW. I don’t know the exchange rate, but hopefully that’s not as much as it sounds. It’s awesome, but $60 is $60.
Il faut d'abord durer.
nit pick alert!
i think i’d have bolded santana and toregas on the timeline since they’re on the roster, but i think huff too, so nah it’s fine.
i want to know which of the two andrew humphries wrote the garko blurb
i think the antonetti artcile could easily have been longer without feeling like too much.
Wait, what? Does Andrew have a doppelganger?
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 11:05 PM EST up reply actions
well, most of the articles seem to be written by both andrew humphries, but this one work is by a singular andrew humphrie. i’m just curious if it’s the one i know.
I was so focused on the Dante I missed it completely
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 23, 2009 11:08 PM EST up reply actions
I applied different standards to different sections. The profiles section was everyone on the 40-man who played in the majors last year. The timeline boldface was just for anyone I expect to contribute in 2009. That means LaPorta and Huff, despite not being on the 40-man yet, but not Santana or Toregas.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Me too on Antonetti article. That left me wanting much more.
by cleveland teamer on Feb 24, 2009 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
Although I wish he had picked a different body part for this example:
For instance, if a guy has a deficit in his shoulder, there are some things we can do with a shoulder strengthening program that would minimize the chance of him suffering from a shoulder-related injury.
by cleveland teamer on Feb 24, 2009 9:49 AM EST up reply actions
Received it yesterday and the first picture I noticed flipping through it was Huff’s awesome mustache. Gosh darn I wish I could grow a mustache like that.
i’m hoping Huff makes it to the bigs in a major way this year and that we can start inserting Huff as a commonly used prefix. As in, “I’m a huffster sporting a huffstache in these huff times”.
by APV on Feb 24, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
adam, first – your top 20 article is so good. this is so far the number one thing i need get in front of casuals like my dad and brothers.
and gaub and archer are listed in your other’s to watch. shouldn’t i be still watching stevens, too?
In what probably will become a familiar refrain … the one not-great part of the production process was that the final round of proofing was a little lacking. We submitted a big batch of final revisions to Adam’s piece, mainly removing Stevens (originally #15 I think), inserting Valbuena, and shifting the old #9 to #14 each down a slot to compensate. Along with all of that was a series of revisions to the text of the piece, removing two other references to Stevens (you’ll find them) and the two bits you mentioned.
This is all more complicated that it may seem at first glance. Gootz/Valbuena trade, now we have to add Valbeuna to the prospects list, add him to the “Next Wave: The Hitters” sidebar, and add a profile for him in the main section. At that point, however, we think he’s going to compete for a starting/platoon job on the big-league roster, because the Indians seem to have failed at acquiring an infielder.
Next thing you know, the DeRosa trade goes down. Now you have to revise all three Valbuena spots to account for different expectations for his season. You have to remove Stevens — not just the main entry, but references to him under “Next Wave” and in other prospect profiles (“will compete with Stevens for playing time”). Plus, in that “What Went Wrong” piece, there’s a section on the “2009 Outlook” for the bullpen … Joe Smith in, Jeff Stevens out.
A lot of moving parts.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
End of first paragraph wasn’t clear … they production staff did the major revisions that we submitted just before the deadline, but they dropped the ball on the smaller text revisions, they just plain forgot to do them.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
of course this was going to happen – and obvious that’s what did. (i’m actually really amazed with how up-to-date it is.) it was just a more of an oportunity to make a joke. i’m just game-threading this thing as i go. actually, i was more upset adam pegged all three as important guys.
Well, there are things that we/I screwed up, not the production staff, this just wasn’t one of them, but it also isn’t something to be particularly upset about.
As for the deal itself, I think can speak for (and in agreement with) Adam on this. Based on the prospect rankings, none of the three guys traded was among our best five pitching prospects (Huff, Miller, Rondon, Lewis, De La Cruz), and of course this is counting guys like Laffey, Sowers and Jackson as post-prospects. Stevens was among the next group of three, along with Sipp and Meloan, but after that, it’s defninitely Mahalic and Gomez to round out the Top 10 pitchers.
So Stevens was Top 10 but not Top 5, and the other two were Top 15 but not Top 10.
I actually have been thinking of this deal and the Gutierrez deal in a sort of combined way, so for me it’s:
- Position players: lost Gootz, gained DeRosa and Valbuena.
- Pitchers: lost Stevens, gained Smith.
Looks awesome, right? Well, that’s how I see it. Note there’s no Gaub or Archer in there, and that’s because I consider their present-day value to be close to nothing. Between the time value of money and TINSTAAPP, I just can’t get worked up about pitching prospects that distant and that un-elite.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
And just adding, this doesn’t include any of our 2008 draft pitchers – who I basically don’t even consider until we see them in extended professional action – and yet who a bunch of scouts think are a pretty good bunch.
Of the really young guys in Lake County last year, Mahalic is definitely more interesting than Archer. Instead of having 3 raffle tickets in the good reliever competition (Stevens, Meloan, Sipp) we now have two, but we also have a good reliever in the form of Joe Smith.
Gaub is interesting only in that he put up insane strikeout numbers last season. He’s old for his level, he’s a reliever, he’s got questionable control, but he put up big sexy Ks last season. Still a long way from the majors, though.
And just adding, this doesn’t include any of our 2008 draft pitchers
Very good point. There’s a good argument that House, Putnam, Stowell, and Haley are all ahead of Gaub and Archer in the pecking order, plus CC Lee.
I see the “good reliever competition” as also including Miller and Rundles, hence still four raffle tickets. And that’s still not counting Salas and Jackson and Mujica and whatever NRI guys we have floating around.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
oooooooh tomorrow can’t come soon enough!
So 2009.
by Gradyforpresident on Feb 24, 2009 1:38 AM EST up reply actions
This is epic so far. I’m still going through the player profiles, everything in order… don’t want to skip around and spoil anything. Just a few minor nitpicks, though:
Looking at the “Hit Zones” charts… I think it would have been useful had they adjusted their baselines according to the league average for the respective player’s position. “Cold zone” is always defined as hitting under .250, but isn’t that a little less relevant if you’re say, an SS rather than a 1B?
Also, in terms of the “scouting report,” I’m curious as to why BA was chosen vs. OBP or OPS.
Overall, though, very minor things. I’m really enjoying the profiles so far and, from the sounds of this thread, the best is yet to come.
Oh, and Andrew is credited as Andrew “Humphrie” on Garko’s profile.
Actually, one last thing… I want to get one of these for my old man’s birthday on Saturday. Since I’ll be in Cleveland, would it be easier to just pick one up at a newsstand or will it likely get there on time if I order tonight/tomorrow?
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
Again, the InsideEdge charts were the one part of the book that I had little involvement in. I will say that OBP (and by extension OPS) doesn’t really make sense when you’re only trying to show what happens when the hitter swings the bat (and ends the AB) on that pitch. More important, I would argue that it doesn’t matter much. What the charts are doing here is characterizing a hitter rather than quantifying or quantifying him. Ideally, we’d have “hard hit ball average,” but batting average is okay in this usage.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
That’s kind of what I figured, but just wanted to ask. Thanks for clarifying.
And obviously, not a knock on you guys at all. More of a curiosity. Apologies if that came off as nagging.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Feb 24, 2009 12:18 AM EST up reply actions
I haven’t read the entire article yet (just the sidebar) so if it’s in there and I missed it I’ll feel like an ass, but for those not familiar with the PTM points system, the numbers given seem pretty arbitrary.
"Less of an Indians fan" - Jay
That’s pretty funny, if disturbing. I’m not sure the analogy is apt, and I shivered when I heard the narrator say, “He is heading for certain death.”
Oh, wait, the penguin is Hafner’s baseball career. Uh oh.
I wonder if “Deranged Penguin” will stick.
Typos probably don’t fall in the “constructive criticism” category, but Sowers and SLewis have GF listed instead of GS.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 24, 2009 8:04 AM EST reply actions
I think only one of those is a typo. Sowers’ Games Failed number seems about right.
by cleveland teamer on Feb 24, 2009 9:45 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
the party quote from hafner will make everyone love him again. our guys just seem to get it.
evan, i like your print writing style a lot.
Thanks Bricker. He is so mind-numbingly bland as an interview — so guarded, and when he starts to give a little away or let someone in, he almost instantly retreats. Amy offered to “translate.” Heh.
In other words, there are miles of pabulum on the cutting room floor that didn’t get used.
But I agree with your take — I really think Travis gets it. He wants to succeed becasue it’s his livelihood and he loves baseball, and he wants to succeed because he truly seems to enjoy what fans get out of it. He was most animated in talking about the 2007 playoffs and the buzz in the city. He clearly thrives on it.
This is why Pronk’s return is the biggest think I’m rooting for, even if totally irrationally. We haven’t had a guy this seemingly fun since Omar, and I just freaking love him.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Feb 24, 2009 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
Absolutely. Great layout. Excellent intros to the stats used.
by dgcambridge on Feb 24, 2009 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
That’s great to hear. That part was carefully handled. It seemed both more necessary and more appropriate to get more stat-crazy on the prospects than on the major leaguers.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
oh god the mustache makes Huff look like he could have fit right in at the show I went to on Saturday
So 2009.
by Gradyforpresident on Feb 24, 2009 4:31 PM EST reply actions
oh man i hadn’t looked at Atom’s numbers in a while. wow he is good
So 2009.
by Gradyforpresident on Feb 24, 2009 4:34 PM EST reply actions
How long does US First Class mail typically take to get up north? I could really use some reading material after my exam on Friday…
Yeah it looks like Priority mail takes 6-10 days, so early next week is probably more realistic.
by supermarioelia on Feb 24, 2009 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
finally finshed.
i ended with ryan’s piece, which i can easily say i learned the most from. it was fun to see the overlap at different generations picturing these staffs. the ‘17-’20 group, i found the most interesting.
It was, and in a way I wish we had emphasized that more. An interesting follow-up might be to rank the best pitching staffs or rotations by year. We talked actually about ranking the best relief performances as a companion piece, but later realized it was just way too big and complicated of a subject to deal with that way. Perhaps once Wood, Betancourt, Perez and Miller unleash a torrent of historic relief performances on us this year, that will be a timely article for next year.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Finished? Mine STILL hasn’t arrived. Evidently NC is BFE.
-Erik
by drerikbrady on Feb 25, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
I still haven’t read all of it, but I’ve read a good chunk of it. The choice of articles was spot on. So far, they have all been very good, especially the Hafner and Antonetti pieces.
I wasn’t as crazy about the choice of stats and charts for the player profiles. It was almost information overload, yet I felt like some important stuff was missing, most notably GB% for the pitchers. It would also be nice to have something about defense, though in the profiles you guys did a good job of talking about it.
This is nitpicky, but Raffy Perez is the most underrated in the Annual. I would have spotlighted him at the expense of Jensen Lewis. He’s really, really good. So far, in his career: 149.1 Innings, 26.94 K/BF, 7.27 BB/BF, 55.3 GB%, and a 2.89 ERA.
I would actually argue that if you want to talk about impact vs. word count, Sizemore and Lee are the most underrated. They were among the very best players in baseball last year, and they didn’t get much specialized attention at all, other than a few giant photos.
What do you write about Perez? He was a good prospect, he was a phenom in 2007 and really good in 2008, we expect him to be good in 2009. Where’s the story? He wasn’t even a “What Went Right” story … he wasn’t any better than he was expected to be. It’s not that Perez wasn’t better or won’t be better, but it would have been a glaring omission not to talk about the way Jensen finished the year.
I wanted to focus on Hafner and Shoppach because they are at pivotal moments in their careers, right now. Either one could be an All-Star this year, and either one could basically just fade into obscurity. Miller and Huff also could be pivotal, and we don’t really know which way it will go. If we do this again next year, I do hope to have a few more player profiles in general, in all three sections. Thing is, feature stories are fundamentally harder to write than “list” articles with short profiles.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
If we do this again next year
WHEN you do, the biggest thing i would try and keep is the balance. it was impressive. history vs. present vs. future. last season vs. this season. stats vs. verbiage. pictures vs. text vs. graphics. personal vs. objective. organizational philosophy vs. fan persception…. need i go on. it seemed to have a little bit of everything, yet not too much of anything.
As I posted in one of the Game Threads today … the link at the top of this FanShot (this) is actually a link to the MSP website, where you can post a review of the Indians Annual.
I really appreciate the feedback posted here, but it would also be nice to get some reviews up on the MSP site, where people who are considering purchasing the book will see it. So if you have a spare minute or two, it would be cool if you posted a review there.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Mine still hasn’t arrived either.. Shipped last Friday.. I’m in Philly and Jay offered one for pick up (thanks, should of taken it)… hope it comes tomorrow
It came today! Just read up through the Shop-Vac interview. Great stuff. The captions are great too. Hope this becomes a regular thing.
by Clevo's Finest on Feb 28, 2009 2:56 PM EST up reply actions
Mine arrived this morning safe and sound. Fantatsic read, well done to everyone.
One day I'll get over to watch the Tribe play
by new zealand tribe fan on Mar 2, 2009 3:31 AM EST reply actions
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