http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/ Media, Baseball, Boston, the Red Sox, Music, Literature, and Mnookins Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:59:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-104090 The Jason Kendall Trade « The Bad News Cubs Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:45:40 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-104090 [...] In other news, I’m going to address defense once again.  I’m dumbfounded in how little value the Long Ball Loonies have for it.  The amazing thing is…  their icon, their hero, Bill James, who started the revolution, has enormous value for defense.  Even just this year, he wrote on how one Red Sox player’s defense had a dramatic effect on overall team performance.  Here’s a link and some highlights: [...] [...] In other news, I’m going to address defense once again.  I’m dumbfounded in how little value the Long Ball Loonies have for it.  The amazing thing is…  their icon, their hero, Bill James, who started the revolution, has enormous value for defense.  Even just this year, he wrote on how one Red Sox player’s defense had a dramatic effect on overall team performance.  Here’s a link and some highlights: [...]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-103837 Coco Crisp, defensive wizard? « Red Sox Talk Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:18:00 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-103837 [...] This year, the highlight reel catches have continued, but he seems to be improving in center field. A lot. Apparently, Bill James has been raving about his defense, and Seth Mnookin has officially named him the Red Sox first-half MVP. Baseball Musings has done an analysis on Crisp’s defense, and has quantitatively determined that he is significantly better this year than last year. [...] [...] This year, the highlight reel catches have continued, but he seems to be improving in center field. A lot. Apparently, Bill James has been raving about his defense, and Seth Mnookin has officially named him the Red Sox first-half MVP. Baseball Musings has done an analysis on Crisp’s defense, and has quantitatively determined that he is significantly better this year than last year. [...]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-96141 The Feeding the Monster Blog — In which the author discusses Boston, the Red Sox, the media, and very occasionally popular music. » Midseason report: it’s Coco in a landslide! Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:29:48 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-96141 [...] But what’s made Crisp the first half’s MVP is what he’s doing on defense. This is something I’ve been paying attention to since May, when Bill James wrote that the Sox’s surge happened at precisely the same time that Coco became the best center fielder since Micky Mantle. As Bill wrote, “It seems to me that the BIGGEST factor in our team’s performance over the last week or so has been that Coco has been just unbelievable in center field…he’s just catching EVERYTHING that looks like it might be trouble. There’s been no gap in right center, no gap in left center, nothing getting over his head and nothing has been landing in front of him.” [...] [...] But what’s made Crisp the first half’s MVP is what he’s doing on defense. This is something I’ve been paying attention to since May, when Bill James wrote that the Sox’s surge happened at precisely the same time that Coco became the best center fielder since Micky Mantle. As Bill wrote, “It seems to me that the BIGGEST factor in our team’s performance over the last week or so has been that Coco has been just unbelievable in center field…he’s just catching EVERYTHING that looks like it might be trouble. There’s been no gap in right center, no gap in left center, nothing getting over his head and nothing has been landing in front of him.” [...]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-64637 The Feeding the Monster Blog — In which the author discusses Boston, the Red Sox, the media, and very occasionally popular music. » Dice-K’s mediocre Saturday start…and this week’s readings Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:16:41 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-64637 [...] * Manny’s two home runs were great to see, but even better was the authority with which he was swinging the bat. He was back to the showing off perhaps the most beautiful swing in the game. Historically, when he finds that swing, he doesn’t lose it for a while. Ortiz, on the other hand, still looks like he’s swinging from his heels too much, and he’s also beginning to look over anxious. Yesterday’s two ground-rule doubles were great, don’t get me wrong…but they weren’t the kind of majestic drives we’ve come to expect from Papi. * JDD continues to miss badly on some pitches, but the balls he is hitting, he’s hit squarely and with authority. All season I’ve been a guy who’s preached patience with Drew; you don’t put up the kind of track record he does and suddenly forget how to play ball. Coco looks much more confident at the plate too, and he continues to play good-to-great center field. (Lugo is a whole other story; he looked desperate and confused.) [...] [...] * Manny’s two home runs were great to see, but even better was the authority with which he was swinging the bat. He was back to the showing off perhaps the most beautiful swing in the game. Historically, when he finds that swing, he doesn’t lose it for a while. Ortiz, on the other hand, still looks like he’s swinging from his heels too much, and he’s also beginning to look over anxious. Yesterday’s two ground-rule doubles were great, don’t get me wrong…but they weren’t the kind of majestic drives we’ve come to expect from Papi. * JDD continues to miss badly on some pitches, but the balls he is hitting, he’s hit squarely and with authority. All season I’ve been a guy who’s preached patience with Drew; you don’t put up the kind of track record he does and suddenly forget how to play ball. Coco looks much more confident at the plate too, and he continues to play good-to-great center field. (Lugo is a whole other story; he looked desperate and confused.) [...]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-43453 Fire Brand of the American League | MVN - a Boston Red Sox blog » Blog Archive » Rich Harden to Boston? Tue, 22 May 2007 04:03:04 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-43453 [...] We all know what Crisp brings to the table offensively: not much (.236/.289/.321). He’s simply not viable, and he’s lost whatever offense he had in Cleveland. However, he’s cost-controlled at $15.5 million through 2009, and he’s been quite the defensive whiz this year. To expound on that link (seriously, click it), here are the numbers for the most popular defensive metrics out there: fielding percentage, range factor and zone rating: [...] [...] We all know what Crisp brings to the table offensively: not much (.236/.289/.321). He’s simply not viable, and he’s lost whatever offense he had in Cleveland. However, he’s cost-controlled at $15.5 million through 2009, and he’s been quite the defensive whiz this year. To expound on that link (seriously, click it), here are the numbers for the most popular defensive metrics out there: fielding percentage, range factor and zone rating: [...]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-39430 Flavor of the Month: Hot Coco » The Red Sox Times: The Destination for Red Sox Nation News, Information, Statistics, and Content » Blog Archive Tue, 08 May 2007 23:06:15 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-39430 [...] So in here we sit on April 14th after the first home stand, and fans are revolting in the bleachers in center at Fenway against Crisp and he isn’t doing anything to prove them wrong. But then, what do you know, he quietly starts turning it around. Before we get to the details, I think it’s important to make note of a couple of people around the blogosphere who not only noticed the signs of Coco’s “resurgence”, but also put it out there. I’m not sure if the mainstream media was ready to gamble on a feel good Coco story and risk the backlash of latent negative fan opinion. But to his credit, Seth Mnookin prompted by an email from Bill James put it out there; Coco was more than turning it around, he was making it happen. This morning, Bill James wrote in an email, “It seems to me that the BIGGEST factor in our team’s performance over the last week or so has been that Coco has been just unbelievable in center field…he’s just catching EVERYTHING that looks like it might be trouble. There’s been no gap in right center, no gap in left center, nothing getting over his head and nothing has been landing in front of him.” [...] [...] So in here we sit on April 14th after the first home stand, and fans are revolting in the bleachers in center at Fenway against Crisp and he isn’t doing anything to prove them wrong. But then, what do you know, he quietly starts turning it around. Before we get to the details, I think it’s important to make note of a couple of people around the blogosphere who not only noticed the signs of Coco’s “resurgence”, but also put it out there. I’m not sure if the mainstream media was ready to gamble on a feel good Coco story and risk the backlash of latent negative fan opinion. But to his credit, Seth Mnookin prompted by an email from Bill James put it out there; Coco was more than turning it around, he was making it happen. This morning, Bill James wrote in an email, “It seems to me that the BIGGEST factor in our team’s performance over the last week or so has been that Coco has been just unbelievable in center field…he’s just catching EVERYTHING that looks like it might be trouble. There’s been no gap in right center, no gap in left center, nothing getting over his head and nothing has been landing in front of him.” [...]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-39296 Fire Brand of the American League | MVN - a Boston Red Sox blog » Blog Archive » Lugo’s slump, Dice-K’s new month, the Rocket Tue, 08 May 2007 04:03:58 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/05/05/bjcc/#comment-39296 [...] Now that Coco Crisp has silenced his critics by playing incredible defense and seemingly hitting better (which isn’t supported by the facts, but he did go on a tear for a bit), the critics have been casting about for a new goat on the Red Sox. [...] [...] Now that Coco Crisp has silenced his critics by playing incredible defense and seemingly hitting better (which isn’t supported by the facts, but he did go on a tear for a bit), the critics have been casting about for a new goat on the Red Sox. [...]

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