MVN: Most Valuable Network

So you've probably noticed there hasn't been activity here in almost a month. Between work, writing at Beyond the Boxscore and other things I haven't had much time for this blog. But now you won't have to worry anymore about when I'm coming back, as I won't be for a while. I've accepted an internship with a team and thus the blogging has come to a halt.

It was less than a year ago I started this site, suggesting that the A's should sign Barry Bonds (still stand behind that one by the way). A month later when SFGate first linked here, then Rob Neyer, Catfish Stew, THT, the list goes on. I never was really sure how they, or anyone really, found the site at first, and truth be told I'm still not sure. But I'm glad they did, and am very thankful for their help in making it grow. Thanks also to MVN for hosting me for a few months, Athletics Nation for giving me a larger site to post some of my A's writing and Beyond the Boxscore for giving me a few months to showcase my non-A's baseball writing. And of course thanks to all the readers and commenters out there, your comments and criticisms were always helpful.

To close with the same bit I did at BtB:

Now since these things always end in a bit of sagely advice, here's my go. I think most of you have probably heard the Glengarry Glen Ross bit about the ABC of sales, Always Be Closing. Well I live by the ABQ of life, Always Be Questioning. Never just accept what you hear or bow to conventions, always think about why something is the way it is, and if it can be improved. Remember it was thought for a long time that RBIs and Fielding % were the best measures of offense and defense (and probably still in too many places really), and only after someone questioned these beliefs were we able to see that's not the case. It's similar to a Jamesian approach to baseball, which seems to have worked out pretty well. Always be questioning what you read, what you hear, and even what you yourself do. You'll only be better off for it.

Spring Training is the time for optimism is baseball, no one is eliminated from playoff contention yet and everyone remains hopeful for the season ahead. Typically it is also a time where everyone tells us they're in the best shape of their lives, how they lost 25 pounds playing a video game or how they've improved their swing working out with much better hitters. Basically, a time for a lot of reporters to just mail it in with regards to investigative journalism.But one thing that caught my eye in a recent Susan Slusser column was this tidbit about RHP Dallas Braden:Braden hopes his new cutter can be effective against right-handed hitters. He said he doesn't have the velocity for a really nasty slider and he didn't think his curveball was the answer, so he wanted something with some extra movement and he likes the looks of it.Which got me thinking... Read more

No, no I did not. I realize it's been a while since I've posted anything here, but it's been pretty busy around these parts. Work, a Vegas Vacation, stuff piles up. But expect the material to start flowing next week, especially with pitchers and catchers reporting and spring training underway.So for now I'll just do what any good blogger does when they don't have any original material, post a bunch of links!Part of the reason I don't have anything here recently is I've been doing my writing for Beyond the Box Score lately. My two part series on the outside part of the strike zone, first to LHB then for RHB.Word on the street is that the A's won't be getting a new stadium until at least 2014. Looks like the team will be taking advantage of the massive foul ground for a little while longer. Moneyball author Michael Lewis... Read more

Continuing the trend from my last post on the A's called strike threes, I originally wanted to do this looking at the whole team. But apparently I need to brush up on my querying and graphing skills first because this took too much time as it was, and that was just for one player! Granted he happens to be the best player, but there's only so much time in a day.So last time we learned that the A's like to strike out looking a lot relative to most of the league, with Jack Cust leading the pack. But even though it seemed like it happened all the time, Cust doesn't always just sit back and take strike three down the middle when he has two strikes on him. He can also go down hacking too!OK, so that was a bit of an exaggeration as Cust did a lot of other... Read more

Last Thursday the A's signed RHP Russ Springer, 40, to a one-year $3.3 million contract. He likely slots in as a 7th inning guy and right handed specialist. Springer is not strictly a ROOGY though, his usage the past few years suggests otherwise. Year % PA vs LHB % PA vs RHB 2005 0.410569106 0.589430894 2006 0.3625 0.6375 2007 0.299610895 0.700389105 2008 0.356097561 0.643902439 While he may have been trending more towards a right handed specialist in 05-07, he still faced nearly 1/3 lefties at his lowest point and the downward trend stopped in 08 anyway. I fully expect Geren to use Springer for multiple batters.How has Springer been successful?Springer, after years of sucking, has really put it together the past few seasons. While most will mention the 3.47, 2.18 and 2.37 ERAs the past 3 seasons I don't fancy reliever ERA much. Fortunately he's had good peripherals to support... Read more

One phrase I've seen way too often on the A's blogosphere is "How could he take that strike three right down the middle?!" I figured this was just angry fans venting their frustration about a particular pitch, but then it kept appearing again and again until it became almost cliché. If it's one thing in particular that gets under my skin it's clichés, especially ones that have little basis in reality. Why espouse the same thing over and over with almost no factual information to back it up? I mean do these people even have any proof for their ridiculous claims?Ok, well that's just Matt Cain owning Daric Barton's soul. But one instance of an A's player striking out looking does not make the statement a fact. And in this information age, why should we settle for speculation and heresy when there's oodles of data to use instead? The information... Read more