Dale Murphy 2011 Topps 60 Years Of Topps 60YOT
Back

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 29 October 2012 01:50:34 PM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Dale Murphy 2011 Topps – ’60 Years Of Topps’ – 60YOT Back It has been way too long since I featured a baseball card of Dale Murphy on this blog – 5 months to be precise. So, let’s jump right … Continue reading →

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Venezuelans salute Sandoval as World Series MVP
(Yahoo! Sports)

post from MLB News Blog on 29 October 2012 01:30:39 PM. © MLB News Blog

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan fans are celebrating the selection of San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval as the first-ever Venezuelan most valuable player in a World Series.

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Yankees exercise options for Cano, Granderson
(Yahoo! Sports)

post from MLB News Blog on 29 October 2012 01:18:02 PM. © MLB News Blog

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have exercised their $15 million contract options for second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Curtis Granderson for next season.

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Poll results: Who BBD readers want to see stay
and go

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 29 October 2012 01:09:58 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

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Byron Buxton Prospect Profile

post from Beyond the Box Score - All Posts on 29 October 2012 01:02:24 PM. © Beyond the Box Score - All Posts

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When the Twins took Byron Buxton, it represented a step in the right direction for their farm system. Buxton should bring a breath of fresh air to a system that for the most part lacked toolsy, high-ceiling talent.

Scouting Report

Buxton is a rare up-the-middle player who could have five average to better tools.

Defensively there is no doubt in my mind that he can stick in CF, using his 70 speed to cover up for his rawness. As his reads and routes improve he should develop into a player that will provide defensive value in center field.

At the plate he is very raw, but actually was a pleasant surprise in his pro-debut this year as he showed a much better approach to hitting than scouts were expecting. He has elite bat speed and because of that has a chance to hit for some power, as well as cover for other deficiencies. His strong wrists should also help him hit for power as well.

Buxton has a small bat load, but has good hand positioning despite the small load. He has a wide stance, which may be closed a little bit so that he doesn't have as much pre-pitch movement. This could help him be more balanced at the plate and not have to lunge occasionally.

In terms of his athleticism and raw movements, he reminds me of former number one overall pick Tim Beckham, although I would hardly compare the two as prospects.

Also worth noting that John Sickels shared his thoughts on Buxton recently, you can find that here.

Statistical Analysis

Not a lot to look at here, as 189 PAs spread across the GCL and the Appalachian League is hardly a sample to draw any conclusions from, but here are a few interesting things on Buxton in bullet-point form (table below):

He didn't show the worst plate discipline, posting an OBP of .344 despite an AVG of .248. Worth noting that in the Appalachian League and GCL you aren't going to find the highest quality of pitchers.
He went 11/14 on stolen base attempts, including 7/7 in the more advanced Appalachian League.
Four errors in 73 chances for Buxton in CF, which may be SSS noise or a sign of his rawness in center. Something to watch moving forward.

Overall Summary

Buxton's ceiling is that of a plus defensive centerfielder that can hit for average and power; that's a damn good player. He could be a star, but still is a long way off.

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Yankees exercise options for Cano, Granderson,
and Aardsma

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 29 October 2012 12:52:18 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

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The offseason officially starts today

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 29 October 2012 12:47:49 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

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Jeremy Guthrie: Should He Stay or Should He Go

post from Royals Review - All Posts on 29 October 2012 12:01:37 PM. © Royals Review - All Posts

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We now appear to have the parameters of a negotiation with Jeremy Guthrie, according to the latest from Bob Dutton. Guthrie, who posted a 4.76 ERA between Colorado and Kansas City, is believed to be seeking a three-year deal after resurrecting his dismal season in Kansas City. The Royals seem content to let the thirty-three year old right-hander explore free agency, and have indicated they are unwilling to go more than two years on a deal with Guthrie.

"Right now, the logical conclusion is we’re still working for a comfort level. We have to be (interested in him). Anybody who improves our rotation, we have to be interested in."

Anybody! You there, tossing balls for a stuffed animal at Worlds of Fun. We are interested in you!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/27/3887921/royals-notebook-guthrie-appears.html#storylink=cpy
Th

While Guthrie is very likely to be an upgrade over, say Luke Hochevar, its unclear whether he would justify the $6-10 million in annual salary required to sign him. The Royals do have to be given some credit for not rushing to lock down the first shiny item that gets their attention as Dayton has done in past off-seasons. The Royals retain an exclusive negotiating window with Guthrie through the end of the week, but after that Guthrie is free to negotiate with other teams.

My guess is Scott McKinney is right and Guthrie will find offers not as lucrative as he thinks, as teams still retain the memory of him sucking out loud in Denver. Waiting Guthrie out and possibly signing him late in the free agent period may prove to be a steal. And if the Royals miss out on signinga multi-year deal on an aging 33-year old whose upside is an "innings-eater"? Well that wouldn't be so bad now, would it?

You're happy when I'm on my knees
One day is fine, next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/clash/should+i+stay+or+should+i+go_20031789.html ]
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

Poll

Should the Royals offer Jeremy Guthrie a three-year contract?

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Monday Rockpile: Meet The New Boss, Strikingly
Similar To The Old Boss

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So the stupid Giants won the World Series last night, meaning that the 2012 baseball season is over...and the 2012 Hot Stove season can officially begin. There will be plenty of time to discuss all of that during the next 4-5 months (Spring Training is but 120 or so days away), but today I'd like to introduce myself officially as the new managing editor of Purple Row. That means you'll have to read a short story (or not, it's a free country).

The Rockies have been my obsession for a long time now -- I think that's a commonality that most of us share. I was five years old when I attended one of the first home games in Colorado's history, the perfect age for me to get hooked on the team and on baseball. Baseball became the avenue through which I was taught many important lessons.

I learned how to read in large part because I wanted to understand how the Rockies had done in the Sports section every morning. Math was only interesting if it involved baseball statistics. Listening to broadcasts on the radio was my reward for doing household chores. Baseball history instantly (and later regular history) became one of my greatest interests, leading to a life-long infatuation with the genre. I think you get the picture.

As I grew older, the childhood fascination developed into a deeper fandom, trading some of that passion for a deeper understanding of the game. My childhood desire to become a professional ballplayer was looking more and more like an impossibility, so my focus shifted to wanting to be a part of Colorado's baseball operations staff. In order to be qualified for a position like that though, I needed to bone up on my baseball knowledge.

Enter Purple Row. In college, I had seen the promising 2006 team and followed the 2007 squad with great anticipation, but it was not until Rocktober that I first discovered this great community when I absolutely could not get enough Rockies news and analysis. I lurked for much of the 2008 season (under the Jabberwocky pseudonym), posting only occasionally (and tentatively at that), but I was encouraged by the consistent quality of not only the writing but of the commentary from the site's members.

When Russ and Rox Girl announced the Purple Row Writer search, I saw that the opportunity had come for me to finally put some of the baseball knowledge I had acquired to the test in front of some of the most passionate and knowledgeable Rockies fans on the internet. As those of you who read my first entry might remember, I had quite a bit to learn (and still do). It's an opportunity that I hope to impart to others who were in my shoes in the future.

During my first few months in particular I became much more knowledgeable about baseball statistics and the business of baseball because I had to stay one step ahead of the community. The MLB transactions series on Purple Row Academy was written by a professor who had read only a chapter or two ahead of the class. As time went on I became more and more confident in my ability to get that Rockpile up in less than an hour on 4 hours sleep, which has in turn helped my communications skills in my real job.

Writing for Purple Row has been such a blessing for me, first giving me something to do with my idle college hours and then giving me a break from the working world a few times a week. I've corresponded with Keith Law, got a shout-out from Bill Simmons, name dropped by Dave Krieger in the Denver Post, and I've even been on the radio on a couple of occasions. I've made some new friends with the wonderful community members and have a great staff to lean on. I might not be on the front office track, but I feel like I'm right where I was meant to be.

And now it's time for me to take on some more responsibilities to make sure that Purple Row can continue to bring you daily the best Rockies analysis on the web, by fans and for fans. It's been more than a little strange how the Rockies' manager situation has mirrored our own -- though at least Colorado gave an interview to a few outsiders unlike here on Purple Row!

Andrew Martin was a phenomenal blog manager and great evangelist for Rockies baseball and Purple Row. I thank him so much for the opportunity to take on this new challenge and hope that I am up to the task.

As many of you may have gleaned from my writing, I consider myself to be an unsentimental pragmatist, rooting for the laundry more than the individual players, but I've been known to have a soft spot for the under-appreciated talents (I see you Chris Iannetta and Dexter Fowler). I ground much of what I write on statistics and/or economics, though I certainly won't claim to know more than the people who get paid to do this. Also, I make guarantees that have been more and more incorrect as time has gone on, so there's that.

The site will run much as it did under Andrew, with Rockpiles every day during the off-season as well as some semi-regular features (he 2012 Player Reviews are scheduled to begin sometime next week, for instance). That's not to say that I don't have a few new ideas to grow the site and improve the content (hey new tagline and masthead). They just aren't ready for public consumption yet. Much as I did when I first made it on staff in early 2009, I have much to learn about this new position. I only ask for your patience and your continued support of Purple Row and the Rockies.

A Link

In actual Rockies news, Terri Frei wrote that Walt Weiss is a good compromise manager candidate given his ties to the team (but not the 2012 team).

Off-Topic.

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Arizona Fall League Update: Matthes, Woods
Fighting For Fringe Chance at 40 Man

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Outfielder Kent Matthes is headed for his first year of Rule 5 eligibility, and with spaces for Tim Wheeler, Joe Gardner and Cristhian Adames already in demand, Matthes is fighting for just a sliver of a chance at a 40 man roster spot at the Reserves Deadline. Thus far, the news is good for Matthes as he is the Rockies best offensive contributor to the Rafters. A down week was capped off with a 3-4 game on Friday that included two doubles, and Matthes is hitting .302 with two home runs, and has only struck out five times in 43 at bats.

Another Rockies outfielder, Corey Dickerson, isn't fairing as well. Dickerson has had less playing time than Matthes, but hasn't performed as well offensively regardless. Though he's not striking out frequently either, he is making a lot of outs off the bat, and in particular is struggling to take the free pass. Dickerson is hitting .235 with one home run and six strikeouts in 34 at bats. That home run is one of just two extra base hits in the AFL so far. Dickerson's play of late has improved, and he is riding a five game hitting streak.

The final two Rockies position players are catchers Lars Davis and Jose Gonzalez, neither of whom is putting up a great showing so far. Davis has caught six games for the Rafters, and after going hitless in his first three, has put up one hit in each of the following three. He is hitting .167 in 18 at bats. Gonzalez, who was re-signed by the Rockies this offseason before heading for MiLB Free Agency a second year in a row, was an interesting choice for the AFL, but with the Rafters short on catchers and the Rockies short on traditional position player prospects to send, especially with Kyle Parker unable to make his appearance, the team volunteering to send an extra catcher made sense. Gonzalez has caught five Rafters games, and only just recorded his first hit in the most recent affair on Saturday. He is hitting .059, 1 for 17.

The Rockies also have four pitchers on the Rafters this year. Tyler Chatwood represents the only MLB player representing the Rockies. MLB level players must be granted special permission to play in the AFL, and Chatwood's age, in spite of his experience, makes him an excellent candidate for the AFL. A member of the Rafters' rotation, Chatwood has put up excellent strikeout numbers thus far, but alongside disastrous walk numbers. Worse yet, Chatwood's hit numbers are also high, suggesting that he's pitching in some sort of uncomfortable middle ground between the triangle of effectively wild, ineffectively wild and not wild enough. He leads the team in innings pitched.

Isaiah Froneberger, Cory Riordan and Coty Woods have been throwing out of the Rafters bullpen, with Woods leading the pack. The reliever's solid season at Tulsa was forgotten by many after his struggles with a promotion to AAA, but in six and a third innings pitched in the AFL thus far, he has allowed only one baserunner, and it was via the base on balls. He remains free of allowing a hit moving into this week. Woods is also a fringe candidate for a roster spot this offseason.

Riordan has not demonstrated especially clean command nor stuff in the past three weeks, but has avoided punishment in the form of hard hits scoring runs, and is therefore pitching cleanly enough to be having a successful AFL sting. Froneberger, on the other hand, who has a fantastic 2012 season bouncing back from an injury plagued 2011, is struggling mightily. His ten hits and two walks in seven innings pitched has not been kind, and he has allowed runs in three of his six appearances. The left handed reliever has struck out only three batters so far.