gdp's Comments

Fire Brand of the American League : Coast to Coast Tickets 6/30: Save us Obi-Jon, you're our only hope

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:43:20 +0000

Finally, I get to catch a game of this series live. Maybe that\\\'ll equal a win.

My prediction: Sox win 3-1, scoring twice in the late innings.

Fire Brand of the American League : The Captain is Back

Fri, 3 Dec 2010 10:39:45 +0000

Barajas is close to signing with the Dodgers, so Russell Martin looks like a real possibility at this point (he was non-tendered).

I hear your point with Salty developing under Varitek, but can the Sox afford to take that liberty? Tek is a solid backup regardless of who the main man is behind the plate, but I\\\'d prefer if that main man has a bit of a track record.

Either way, it looks like the Sox won\\\'t spend a ton at catcher, so they\\\'ll be putting more $$$ into a bigger name free agent.

Fire Brand of the American League : Fire Brand Predictions: Crawford, Beltre, V-Mart

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:19:33 +0000

I think this would be next to impossible given that Wright has a reasonable contract through 2012. Plus, new GM Sandy Alderson (smart man) is not likely to deal Wright, who is a cornerstone five-tool player.

Without a doubt in my mind it would take way more to get Wright (if even possible) than to get A-Gon, who the Padres won\\\'t be able to afford past 2011.

There is nothing wrong with wishful thinking -- I think every Red Sox fan would LOVE to see Wright hit at Fenway -- but this just isn\\\'t a realistic scenario.

Fire Brand of the American League : Cheap Alternatives (Crazy Idea #1): Dontrelle Willis

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:29:51 +0000

I\'m not sure you\'re getting the point of the exercise here. Willis would have to earn a spot on the team and therefore have to pitch well enough to do so. The risk is a minor league contract, nothing more. If he fails you cut him with no real loss.

But to respond...

A) In order to take someone else’s spot he\'d have to pitch better than that player. Wouldn\'t you want the better pitcher?
B) I have never read a single report about Willis being a discouragement in the clubhouse. If a discouragement is having a struggling reliever, then every team has one or more.
C) Again, the cost is almost nothing. So who cares? We\'re not talking about bringing in Bartolo Colon to be the third starter.

Reward: a shut down lefty specialist, which just about every major league team wants to have on their roster.

Failed starters move into bullpen roles all the time, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn\'t. Again, where is the risk here to try it out?

What is the point of using Manny as a reference. I\'m not suggesting brining in Willis to be the centerpiece of a World Series team, but merely a \"possible\" piece to the puzzle. The Sox can ill afford to live in the past.

Fire Brand of the American League : The Replacement Brigade: Eric Patterson, Angel Sanchez, et al

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:54:48 +0000

He had a sacrifice fly in '06 while with Kansas City, which doesn't bring down the average but counts against the OBP.

Fire Brand of the American League : The Replacement Brigade: Eric Patterson, Angel Sanchez, et al

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:19:45 +0000

I'd say that's a fair analysis of Getz. However, I think the additional cost to acquire him would be offset by his superior talent and low ML service time. Unlike the others, he could have a future with the team as a utility infielder or could be off-season trade bait for a club in search of a young second baseman - much in the same vein of a Casey Kotchman. I've never been a fan of half-year rentals - much less six week ones - but Getz could have value beyond 2010 for Boston, which would validate his higher price tag.

Fire Brand of the American League : Injuries Mounting, Boof Bonser to the Rotation? Nava Who?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:49:08 +0000

I'm sure he's a hard worker, but please, don't ever say that a Major League Baseball player has been told he's too small his whole life. It's a 100% certainty that he was far and away the best player at every level he's played up until the professional ranks. Once he got there, he had to fight - and he deserves all the credit in the world for that - but please don't tell me he knew what adversity was before then. As for inconsistency, it mainly has to do with his power output at varying stages of the minors. His was great in Chico during the '07 campaign, decent for Lancaster in '08, non-existent in '09, and very good this year so far. Had the power not fallen through the floor in '09, I'd agree with you and chalk it up to normal fluctuations, but 5 homers in 227 ABs in '09 versus 12 over 256 ABs in '07 is inconsistent.

Fire Brand of the American League : Chris Iannetta, Michael McKenry good targets for Red Sox

Wed, 26 May 2010 03:15:51 +0000

Didn't know about the opt-out clause. Thanks for the info. In terms of taking at-bats away from Beltre, what I meant was that Iannetta would get the at-bats that Mike Lowell is currently getting (72 PA), so it wouldn't affect Beltre's playing time. It would only require that Youkilis shift over to third when Beltre gets an off day or in the event of injury. Lowell's played 4 games at third this season, so, while not a substantial amount of time, the team would likely prefer to have someone other than Bill Hall play there. Like you said, I don't think it would make a whole lot of sense to make a grab at Iannetta as an upgrade for this season. They'd likely have to give up a considerable amount to get Iannetta. However, if they made the judgment that they can get him cheap due to the demotion, it might be worth it to snag him while they can and set up the team for 2011-2012 - even if its a bit of unorthodox timing.

Fire Brand of the American League : Daisuke Rolling, Ellsbury Back, Colorado Catchers

Tue, 25 May 2010 20:51:17 +0000

Let's get something straight. First, they didn't "bludgeon" anyone. They squeaked out a win against the Yanks, then won a few games against the Twins and Phillies. A good stretch, yes, but even the Royals can win 5 out of 6. And let's be reasonable here. They just lost their Ace. That's a momentum killer no matter how many games in a row you've won.

Fire Brand of the American League : Daisuke Rolling, Ellsbury Back, Colorado Catchers

Mon, 24 May 2010 15:28:30 +0000

HaHa. I hope they're coming soon. I'm awaiting approval on that portion of the article to make sure that nothing sensitive gets through on the Sky Sox side. Don't need any conflict of interest or leaks getting through.

Fire Brand of the American League : Fixing J.D. Drew, Darnell Who?, Hermida Behind the Plate?

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:50:39 +0000

No, I'm not joking. When your catching battery allows nine stolen bases in a game, and 37-39 on the season, there's a serious, serious problem. And without any available solution on the roster, you have to think outside the box. As for whether or not Hermida could actually handle duties behind the plate with Wakefield on the hill, that's anyone's guess. However, getting him some work in practice, working on his footwork and mechanics, and giving him several weeks or a few months to see if he can hack it in practice could return some dividends. At the very least, its impossible to be any worse than 0-9 when it comes to gunning down baserunners. Further, it's ridiculous to automatically assume he can't be taught throwing mechanics and techniques that are taught to thirteen year-olds at catching camps in a matter of days. He's a professional athlete, has been playing ball his whole life, and, who knows, might have a natural aptitude. If we were talking about catching Lester or Beckett, it would be out of the question, but catching a knuckleballer isn't the same and affords the team an opportunity to try a creative solution. Throw him into a game right now? No. But the current battery obviously isn't working - and short of cutting lose Varitek or V-Mart, or waiting for an injury, this team has no options. Unless you want another 9 steal debacle, you'd better start thinking outside the box.

Fire Brand of the American League : Lowrie, Bowden Face Crossroads in 2010

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:16:17 +0000

Agreed. He's young and has time to develop. However, since we only have one rotation spot available through 2012 and Beckett will be the guy vacating that one spot, it seems unlikely that Bowden will be the guy the team wants to replace his production.

Fire Brand of the American League : The Red Sox's Christmas List

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:57:04 +0000

Nice. Love the D-Ped and Scutaro ones.

Fire Brand of the American League : Sox Fans Grab Mallets While Theo Prepares to Be The Whack-a-Mole

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:19:05 +0000

Agreed on the fact that the deals aren't done and that the team is very good as is. I think I made that clear in the article. I disagree, however, with the statement that the post is out of line. In fact, I think it's a very accurate portrayal of how fickle the sports media can be. Maybe I didn't phrase my words clearly enough, but the article is not a condemnation of Theo Epstein. On the contrary, I think he's doing a great job. It is a critique of how sharply the sports media can criticize and destabilize a front office. I, for one, have little reason to be angry with Theo. I like Scutaro and Cameron a lot. I don't like Lackey in 2013 and 2014, but hey, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. The point is, Theo will lose a lot of supporters if either Lackey or Scutaro don't pan out. I won't be one of them, but there is significant risk here.

Fire Brand of the American League : Sox Fans Grab Mallets While Theo Prepares to Be The Whack-a-Mole

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:46:09 +0000

The point I'm making is just how unforgiving the sports media is - especially the Boston one in particular. Everyone in a decision-making role is influenced by the media whether or not they should be. Pessimistic? Yes. But there is reason to be as, no doubt, the media can turn in a second on a good player or coach and not look back. I feel that we don't take the power of the media into account enough when analyzing top-level decision making. Here's a couple people off the top of my head who have had their job security hurt in the sports media in the last few months: Wade Davis, Head Coach Dallas Cowboys: Despite an excellent record and team, Owner Jerry Jones has openly discussed firing the coach because he hasn't won a playoff game. It would be a bad, misinformed move, but the rumor has been growing all season. Jim Zorn, Head Coach Washington Redskins: Zorn is taking all the heat for a team that is underachieving. By all accounts a good coach, the owner needs to satisfy his fan base by pretending that change is coming. This is an excellent example of "You can't fire the whole team, so you'll have to fire the coach." And history tells us time and again that if anyone in the sports world faces failure - they get turned on very quickly. Ask Grady Little, who took us to the ALCS but still got fired. Again, like I said in the article, Theo is nowhere close to getting canned, and I think he's doing a great job. But, when people make mistakes, everyone shows up to say "I told you so." And, there's going to be a lot of them this time, especially if Scutaro or Lackey have struggles.

Fire Brand of the American League : Fire Brand adds writers (plus other notes)

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:32:03 +0000

Thanks guys for all the support. I've loved writing at FireBrand, and the intelligent, passionate readership is a big reason why I'm going to continue despite the location change. There's nothing better than reading all the comments - good and bad - to every article. You guys make writing fun and I couldn't imagine not being a contributor.

Fire Brand of the American League : That Damn AL East Superiority Complex

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 17:23:57 +0000

That is something I would like to study and I have a feeling that you're right, that pitchers entering the AL East will have a more difficult time.

Fire Brand of the American League : That Damn AL East Superiority Complex

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 15:09:28 +0000

The point wasn't that the AL East has better hitters. The point was that players who perform well in other divisions shouldn't be treated with skepticism because they will perform just as well in the AL East as they did in their previous division. The way this is gleaned from the data is that they hit just as well against AL Central pitching as against AL East pitching, showing that they will hit just as well from moving divisions.

Fire Brand of the American League : Red Sox heading down under to Australia

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 18:24:57 +0000

I think this is another sign why the MLB needs me in their front office. I did a research assignment about a year ago about the possibility of expanding the MLB into Australia. They're going to have to put a lot of money behind RBI and Little League baseball if they want to build the game in the region and make sure that Charley Lau's books aren't still being misinterpreted.

Fire Brand of the American League : Fireside Chats #66: Where we celebrate a Happy Arbitration Day with the sizzle of the hot stove

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 01:39:49 +0000

Yeah Paul. I'm still not sure if seeing the Sox swept or my dream of being an "ESPN contributor" going to shreds was the worst part of the Angels series. Absolutely horrible.