"When I was hurt and afraid I couldn't catch up to some pitches, I lost what I had developed in terms of never being afraid to hit with two strikes," says Hafner. "That allowed me to sit and wait for what I hit. But I couldn't turn on balls, and I became afraid to get to two strikes, so I was waving at the first pitch I saw. I feel just the way I did before I got hurt. With me, the best way to judge how I feel is watch how I take pitches."
From Peter Gammons' piece naming the Indians one of six from the Cactus League likely to be better than you think. In other news, Gammons is still impressed with Acta's sabermetric acumen.
about 2 years ago
FredOx
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You do realize that if he returns to 90%, there’s a significant chance he’ll be exchanged for less expensive players with upside?
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Tough to move that contract, even if he does return to 90%. Four months isn’t much of a track record, $35 million still owed as of this August … and the entire NL is out of the running. Hafner has a pretty good shot of never playing a game for any other team.
And hey, that’s good for baseball.
by YoDaddyWags on Mar 29, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Obviously unlikely to happen. But what Hafner says is true – the prodigious rise in his power closely tracked his patience at the plate, and the past two seasons were terrible (his 10.7% BB% in 2009 was the 2nd worst of his career). He has 10 walks this spring, leading the team, for whatever that’s worth.
You know what Patty? I think he just might fool us all and revert to Pronk again this year.
I think I got Spring Fever.
Resident LGT results-oriented boob.
by mauichuck on Mar 30, 2010 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Based on past predictions, I’m going with Chuck this year.
"You are an LGT success story" -- Jay
by Turkmenbashi on Mar 30, 2010 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Absolutely
"You are an LGT success story" -- Jay
by Turkmenbashi on Mar 30, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Which Chuck projection – the +.900 OPS or the under .600?
"...maybe this year, there's no gorilla" - YoDaddyWags
by woodsmeister on Mar 30, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
“I look at the Dodgers, think about [Rafael] Furcal leading off, …” says one GM.
And you think, “Why are they leading off a .335 OB guy?”
by YoDaddyWags on Mar 29, 2010 3:01 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Weren’t they just at 16-18k a few seasons ago? We picked a terrible time to trade Vmart and Cliff Lee.
I will say that my 20-game package included 4 FREE tickets to Opening Day this year…and still the game is not “sold” out.
by The DiaTriber on Mar 29, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
It sure would be nice if a non-Wedgeian fast start led to modestly-larger crowds.
... Paul Hoynes is a really great guy ...
No, it’s good. If the FO adopts a Sartrean attitude, understanding that mistakes are made through self-deception, that one learns by confronting the resistance that comes from other beings, and that MLB is the convergence of external facility and the individual franchise confronting its own internal history, then, by declaring oneself rid of the Sowersian, by embracing the non-Wedgeian, by deliberate proActaivity, the franchise can emerge as autonomous, as a “being-for-others” together with others with a goal to attain personal freedom vis-a-vis the others. And can thus kick Yankee, Twinkie, Tiger and Chisox ass.
Hafner’s quote has some similarity to what I’ve been saying for almost the past three years. Check this comment out from 6/12/07. The comment came before we knew about the shoulder issue.
He might not have felt pain yet in 2007, but I remain convinced the loss of strength in that shoulder began then.
Enough resting on your Fausto and Pronk laurels: it’s time to fix Sipp. You have one week.
by YoDaddyWags on Mar 30, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
every time i come to this thread, the beginning of that quote makes me think of aflac
by Brick. on Mar 30, 2010 12:09 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
I guess, on this blog, we just ignore the fact that Milton Bradly offered Gammons “remarkable support” when PG was fighting for his life?
Sounds like Bradley was one of the players who contacted/helped Gammy most during that time?
by JulioBernazard on Mar 30, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I know Gammons talks about this and I’m glad he felt supported but I’ve always wonder: what could these guys really do for him? Gammons is wealthy and well-insured. I assume they didn’t keep vigils with his family or call daily.
So, they sent emails? Baked pies? Flowers? I’m not
trying to be snark here, I really can’t get my head around it.
by afh4 on Mar 31, 2010 9:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Probably a phone call and/or card. You’d be surprised how many players probably didn’t acknowledge Gammons’ plight.
STBNL
So, if a guy does something very minimally supportive in terms of the real world, it suddenly translates to "super supportive’?
I’m just trying to figure out what would be “super supportive” between a player and a reporter.
by afh4 on Mar 31, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I gave you a rec here just to show that I am super supportive now, and not some Johnny-come-lately after the fact kind of guy.
by YoDaddyWags on Mar 31, 2010 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Are we putting this under the microscope too much? If you’re in a hospital bed, or rehabbing, or whatever it was that Gammons was doing, you’re going to remember the people that sent along any words of kindness or support.
Steel Nick
Totally agree. Not sure why we’d question someone who said someone else was being supportive in a time of need.
"You are an LGT success story" -- Jay
by Turkmenbashi on Mar 31, 2010 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
THIS. At some point, enough analysis is enough.
by JulioBernazard on Mar 31, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
To be fair, you are the one poking the bear. If you want to bring up such a confusing quote as evidence of MB’s good-nature then it would help if someone could explain what it actually means (or anything it could even possibly mean and actually be a feather in Milton’s cap).
Whatever he did, it touched Gammons enough that Gammons felt the need to tip his cap to him in a national column. That’s enough for me.
by JulioBernazard on Mar 31, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions
And given Gammons history of impulsive, instantaneous hagiography of individual players, whatever he did probably wasn’t all that much.
Or we just think that MB doing good works for Peter Gammons doesn’t change the fact that he is insane. That the guy walking in circles talking to himself under the overpass takes care of a stray cat doesn’t mean he’s not a crazy guy under a bridge.
by FredOx on Mar 30, 2010 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Yeah, right. Why would we take the account of someone who’s actually, ya know, interacted with Milton Bradley.
by JulioBernazard on Mar 30, 2010 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Because they’re alive and not too traumatized to speak to us.
by VA tribe fan on Mar 30, 2010 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Oops, I thought there was a “never” in your post that there isn’t.
by VA tribe fan on Mar 30, 2010 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Gammons doesn’t always have the most credibility on things like this. He gets huge man-crushes on about half the league every year.
But certainly he has much more credibility than anyone on this board.
by JulioBernazard on Mar 31, 2010 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions
This old argument? Really?
Just because someone is well placed doesn’t mean that he always makes sense.
Otherwise, we can just get rid of all the blogs, and for that matter, all written criticism on every subject.
Well, for interaction and a guy’s personality, I’ll go with the eyewitness.
by JulioBernazard on Mar 31, 2010 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Somewhere Buzz Bissinger just got his wings.
by cleveland teamer on Mar 31, 2010 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
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