I realize he isn’t a shill for the team, but sometimes his arguments seem so narrow minded, he makes it sound like he is.

I usually don’t read Seattle press (Pirates fan), so I had to double check that Baker doesn’t work for the team as a PR guy or something. I didn’t realize that I’ve been spoiled by the Buccos’ beat writer for the Post Gazette.

Holding off an extra year before Clement “free agent-hood” is a good thing for the M’s future. Next time he comes up, he’ll probably be more effective because he will be less anxious and will be more and more likely to face pitchers for a second time. And, the next time he comes up, the M’s will have realized what most of already know and will be preparing for the future.

Just heard on KJR that the two best teams in the NL right now are being managed by Lou Piniella and Bob Melvin. Also, Jorge Campillo (!), Joel Pineiro, and Gil Meche all had good outings yesterday….

Also, Cairo has no business being on this roster, and we’re reminded of that with every move.

But, but, but….he has the best line there!!!

jzalman, good call with the ‘same pitcher twice’ difference as well. I just wish we had more examples, I bet the stats would look a lot more favorably on Clement.

Re Clement’s facing a pitcher twice:

He face Vincent Padilla twice. First time he flied out, SO swinging, SO looking. Second time he singled, lined out, then doubled (causing Padilla to be pulled).

Sooo, maybe an adjustment? Of course an incredibly small sample. Also, to be fair, it could have just been an off day for Padilla in general. He pitched 7 shut out innings in the first game against us, then 5 innings giving up 7 hits, a BB, 6 runs, 3 earned. Still interesting to see that the only pitcher Clement faced twice he improved drastically from 0-3 with 2 K’s (Padilla’s no artist) to 2-3 with a double and a line out.

“..while other organizations would take young players and develop them, none of the Athletics’ young performers would ever progress an inch from the point at which they entered the league … Over the years, I have noted this effect, that when a good organization comes up with a young player that young player will develop, but when a weak organization comes up with a good young player he seems less likely to progress.”

He went on to cite the reasoning: Bad organizations put undue pressure / undue expectations on young players, and the minute those aren’t met, they’re shipped out. Whereas a good organzation waits, teaches, is patient. Bad organizations have “..extreme instability, resulting in a truly remarkable lack of committment to their best young players.”

Very many of them apply to the current M’s, who seem determined to be the last team in baseball not to employ a sabermetrician / modern day stats analyst to assist with their decision making

QFT, dammit!!!!

These guys don’t know how to develop young players, and it’s been systemic, persisting through decades.

And don’t go quoting A-Rod or Jr…if a system is 50% worse than others, that still means it will OCCASIONALLY produce a good player.