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Marc Normandin drops by to take your fantasy questions, of course, but also to talk about baseball in general and probably the Red Sox in particular.
Marc Normandin: Hello folks, nice to be here today. I'm excited the baseball season is finally here, so let's talk about what's been happening in the early goings. Of course, feel free to also send me questions about some of your hobbies outside of baseball, especially video games (given I can pretend to be an expert on that sort of thing now!)
mattymatty (Philly): Thanks for chatting, Marc. Quick question with probably a not-so-quick answer: are you worried about our Red Sox?
Marc Normandin: Nah. It hasn't even been two weeks yet. It takes me awhile to get worried about teams unless people are getting hurt a lot.
hanjna (CT): Mark, have you heard anything about a new approach from Kevin Millwood this year? Tweaked windup? New pitch? I know its only two starts, but hes been virtually perfect
Marc Normandin: I haven't, but if this is something you would like to take a look at with Pitch f/x, then I will. What does everyone think? I want to start doing a lot more with Pitch f/x, but I would like your feedback on just what you want to see me do with it.
ccweinmann (seattle): Justin Upton. Have you seen him? Not just his numbers, but his at-bats. He really looks awful. Unable to hit breaking balls, really just not looking good at the plate at all. No doubt he's supremely talented but he's clearly way out of whack, and seems to have been so from the start of spring training. I'm having a hard time figuring out how a 21 year old is going to be able to make the necessary adjustments on the fly. Comments?
Marc Normandin: If he's that out of sorts, maybe they should send him down for a bit to get him consistent playing time, rather than messing with his playing time in the bigs. We've got a guy who has the talent to be the next Big Thing, so it's a shame to see his development messed with.
Ken (Washington, DC ): Is it only here in Washington that Lastings Milledge is the *bad* seed and yet he gets replaced in CF by Elijah "Rapsheet" Dukes?
I say Dukes assaults a fan in the stands by Memorial Day...
Marc Normandin: I think Milledge was sent down because he plays center field at about the same level as I do. They want him to learn the position, but not if it means he's going to ride the fail boat while Dukes rides the pine. They did this because they have two players they are trying to develop at the same time but just one position, and from what I saw, this sends a message to "all players" that they need to be working to improve.
Aaron (YYZ): How excited are you about Josh Johnson's hot start?
Marc Normandin: I love Josh Johnson, and his stuff has been just filthy so far. He's inducing a ton of grounders, striking out plenty of hitters, and has his velocity up from last year. I don't expect him to keep that absurd walk rate, but as long as Johnson's healthy, he's capable of being awesome.
ashitaka (long beach, ca): In 3.3 innings, Octavio Dotel has 9 strikeouts and a pop-up. That 24.3 K/9 looks pretty cool.
Marc Normandin: April is the best sometimes.
Chad (NYC): Joey Votto. I'm stacked at the position and could use some help on the mound. What's his value on the trade market? Anybody in particular I should be buying low?
Marc Normandin: Well, I think Joey Votto = Justin Morneau, but you're going to have to convince whoever you're trading with that it's true.
mattymatty (Philly): "It takes me awhile to get worried about teams unless people are getting hurt a lot."
I assume this was an attempt at humor.
Marc Normandin: Who is hurt of serious consequence? Mr. Regression himself, who just went on the DL, or Jed Lowrie, who's wrist has very little to do with his complete lack of strike zone recognition? The Sox are pretty deep at starter, and as much as I don't like seeing Nick Green out there, he's one guy.
John (Cambridge): Any thoughts on Adam "not Pacman" Jones? Is the hot start for real? Would you push him up in your rankings for outfielders?
Marc Normandin: I remember having him higher than people liked to begin with. He's not hitting more flyballs or anything, but his power looks to be jumping up. It's something to keep an eye on, and something I can look at deeper when we have some more plate appearances to work with.
mhixpgh (Pittsburgh): In fantasy baseball I usually wait until June 1st to assess the standings in any particular league. This allows for home/away schedules, weather quirks and a few times through each team's starting rotation to sort things out. What is your calendar date for taking stock of fantasy standings?
Marc Normandin: I tend to have one rotating roster spot that I use to try to capture the "hot hand"; other than that, June is about the time I start to seriously tweak my roster around (assuming I haven't suffered major injuries or anything of the sort). That's when I start to look at what I seriously need to fix, or strengths I can deal from to shore up other areas of my team.
BL (Bozeman): Is there any measurable element of offense - I'm wondering about walks - to which 'sample size' doesn't apply at this time of year?
Marc Normandin: I think sample size still applies for walks this early. All it takes is one pitcher who doesn't have good stuff that day to walk someone twice and double the player's rate from last year. Now, if you've got someone who is being more patient--cutting down on pitches outside of the zone, or taking more pitches overall--then that has a little more credence to it than simply more walks.
Oranguntang (Sevilla): I think the Padres have a real chance of making it this year!
Marc Normandin: I wish. Sadly, I see more of Jake Peavy and Chris Young doing well with no one caring, and Adrian Gonzalez and Brian Giles being top 15-20 hitters in the NL again while most of the rest of the lineup lags behind (but not you Jody Gerut, we love you).
bateman19 (boston): Marc, I understand that as a major component of the TERRIBLE Holliday deal that the Rockies need Street to build up trade value, but how long before they just decide that he is terrible and let Corpas close? Would you drop a set up guy like Putz or Kuo to stash Corpas now?
Marc Normandin: I don't like Corpas much, job or not. I tend to pick up a few relievers with lots of K's rather than draft SP that may hurt my rate stats, so I'm not up for ditching guys like Putz or Kuo who may help you in other areas besides Saves. That's just me, though.
gregg (New York): J. Upton or Dukes in a 12-team mixed H2H league with no bench?
Marc Normandin: Gah...hmm. I love Upton more long-term, but if it's one-year, Dukes. This is only because the D'backs aren't helping his value with his playing time. Teams should tell me what they plan on doing before I make rankings, you know.
Tommy (DRaysBay): Troy Percival sucks, Dan Wheeler isn't much better and J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour haven't been good...yet. What do you make of the early struggles of the Rays pen?
Marc Normandin: Wait, a bullpen couldn't repeat its performance from last year, one which was above and beyond expectations during its successful run? I liked the Rays to be better than last year for reasons outside of their bullpen. I think we'll see Howell and Balfour pick it up a bit, but if you expect them to replicate last year again, you're in for a long season.
Tony (Brooklyn, NY): Will Kouzmanoff get traded somewhere were he can rake a bit?
Marc Normandin: I'm not sure, considering they moved Headley to left field. What do you do if you deal him? I don't know if Kyle Blanks is going to work in left field.
Rob (Brighton): Gotta love it when the top 3 guys in the Sox lineup all tread the Mendoza line. I think the most frustrating part has been watching Francona be passive in the midst of it. I know it's probably the right choice...it's just hard to be patient. How about you, what's been the worst part of watching this past week?
Marc Normandin: Dice-K.
mhixpgh (Pittsburgh): Scherzer looked ordinary the other night. Are you still a believer?
Marc Normandin: Ordinary? Okay, so he gave up three runs in five innings. He also induced a ton of grounders and pop ups instead of getting strikeouts. If this had happened in June after a string of starts, no one would even notice.
TheSportsIdiot (Philly): Do you think the Phils should go after Pedro? With Hamels being a question mark healthwise, and the rest of the rotation being question marks themselves, do you think it would make sense? They have Happ and Carrasco waiting in the wings, but while Happ is ready now, Carrasco is not.
Marc Normandin: I want to say yes, but all I can think about is Pedro's diminishing stuff and 1.6 HR/9 last year. That would be pretty ugly, were it to repeat in that teeny stadium.
jlarsen (Chicago, IL): Jason Bartlett, hitting for average and some actual "pop"....could he be having a career year this year?
Marc Normandin: April folks. April. I'm not going to lie, I think his career year was 2006. Give him some more time in 2009 to prove me wrong before we go looking to deep into that.
Phillip (Anatolia): How about Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox for the fruit of their farm system? That would be a winner for everybody!
Marc Normandin: That's so tempting, but with Lars Anderson on the way, I'm not sure it's a good move for the Red Sox. Gonzalez is amazing, but when you balance what they would have to give up to acquire him and then measure that against what Anderson could give you...
metty5 (Albany): What do you think of Vernon Wells long term? Obviously he isn't going to justify that contract, but he power seems great so far.
Marc Normandin: The power is the same as last year's (.209 ISO against .197). It's just a matter of if he can keep his BABIP and average up, as he occasionally has years where he doesn't hit many liners.
Reese's (Peanut Butter Cup): If you would have to draft an entire pitching staff from an MLB team as your fantasy staff which MLB staff would you select?
Marc Normandin: Ooh, good question. I'll give you a couple: Rays, Red Sox, Braves (if Hudson/Glavine don't work out, you've still got Campillo), Cubs.
Goo Goo the cat (My Lap): The AL East standings come September 1st will be?
Marc Normandin: Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Jays, Orioles.
Steve (Detroit): Is Fernando Rodney on his way to 30+ saves? He's looked very good so far this year. Thanks Marc!
Marc Normandin: I like the strikeouts, but he's going to have innings where he gives up homers and walks (he hasn't given up any of either). If he keeps the job though, it's not like 30 is some incredible number to reach.
Cadbury (Creme Egg): If you would have to draft an entire outfield from an MLB team as your fantasy outfield which MLB outfield would you select?
Marc Normandin: Also good! Red Sox is a good balance of power and speed. Cubs have a lot of great hitting in theirs. Rays are worth it just for Crawford/Upton. Blue Jays are interesting, with Rios/Snider/Wells/Lind. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone.
Somewhat related, I wish I could watch the outfield's in Seattle or Baltimore daily, just for their defense.
mattymatty (Philly): Josh Reddick is tearing it up down in Portland. It's only six games but he's hitting .400/.444/.1000 with four homers. What is his ETA in Boston and what kind of player do you think he can be?
Marc Normandin: I'm pretty excited about having Reddick in Boston. I think he's the kind of guy who hits for a high enough average that you can deal with the lack of patience. He won't have great power, but it will be good enough, especially when you combine it with his defense and ability to put the bat on the ball with solid contact.
Jim Clancy (Exhibition Stadium): I own Percival in a deep league that counts holds, too, meaning there aren't as many good relievers available as there are in other leagues.
Is he the rare instance of a droppable closer nonetheless? He's looking combustible, and he's not even getting all of his own team's chances.
Marc Normandin: I think you would want to drop him, as Saves are literally the only positive thing he has going for him, and in Tampa Bay, he may not get all of those opps as you said.
Steve (Detroit): If you had to include a defensive stat in a fantasy league (H2H), which one would you choose, and why? The one I'm in now uses errors.
Marc Normandin: Well, that's the thing. We can't really use the ones I would like to use. If we could incorporate UZR/150 or the run value of UZR into fantasy leagues, I would be all over that.
ted (the cubicle): Best fantasy outfield has to be the Dodgers, right?
Marc Normandin: See, I knew I was forgetting someone obvious. And I even have Kemp on my team.
Tony (Brooklyn, NY): Kawakami has 7 Ks in 5IP today. Will he be fooling teams that aren't the Nationals or the Marlins?
Marc Normandin: He lacks an out pitch, but if he can utilize his offspeed stuff effectively then he can be a useful starter for the Braves. We'll probably see a lot fewer of those 7 K days though.
bateman19 (boston): RE: Adrian, include Lars in the deal, wouldn't Lars plus Masterson/Bowdon have to get that done? Adrian and Youk would be superior at the corners, and you could let Lowell split DH time with Papi, who me must face may be entering a rapid decline phase.
Marc Normandin: Yeah, but that's my point. Why trade two big prospects like that when it's not a need so much as something you want to do? Plus, the Padres' organization doesn't spend much, and have Gonzalez tied up in a cheap contract, so they are absolutely going to want to take everything they can in return.
Bree Olsen (Will's Lap): Marc, do you dance well?
Marc Normandin: I am not a dancer, no. My girlfriend is though.
Rob (Alaska): Plus if the Padres take Lars they have no place to put their best/only prospect, Kyle Blanks. Crazy trade ideas - always entertaining.
Marc Normandin: They also have Allen Dykstra, though he's a lot further away.
Rob (Brighton): What was it like watching Pedro back in the day? I really wish I could've seen that.
Marc Normandin: He was the best pitcher I've ever seen. It was incredible. Starts of his pepper my list of favorite starts ever/most memorable performances/what have you. His game in relief in the ALDS against the Indians is still my favorite game ever, even with the Sox having more success in the future.
It was a weird situation, where you knew you could not miss a Pedro start, but at the same time, you knew if you missed it that the Sox were probably going to win anyways. That's not a feeling I can say I have about very many people.
mhixpgh (Pittsburgh): Are you coming to Pittsburgh to have your first Primanti's sandwich and watch the Pirates this season?
Marc Normandin: I have no plans as of yet, but I really do want to get out there to see the park. I should be going to Florida to catch a Marlins/Rays game in May; that will be my first time at that park.
Goo Goo the cat (Stalking an unsuspecting rabbit): Who has a chance to be this season's Cliff Lee? Perhaps that fellow in KC?
Marc Normandin: Which fellow now?
Goo Goo the cat (Outside chasing rabbits): The guy on your fantasy teams who you will wait to long to replace is _______ .
Marc Normandin: Randy Johnson. Not that I think he will turn out poorly in the long run, it's just that if there was one guy on there who I think I'll have a hard time ditching, it will be him.
Goo Goo the cat (Snoozing under the steps): Greinke.
Marc Normandin: I do love Zack Greinke, but I think this year's Cliff Lee would need to be someone a bit more under the radar. AKA, not someone I have owned a shirt for the past 3-4 years.
krissbeth (watertown, ma): If you designed a 5x5 category fantasy league using only advanced stats for batters and pitchers, which 10 stats would you use?
Marc Normandin: Great question! I'll think it over, but I wanted to post this for everyone to see so they can give me their own answers.
Jake (Chicago): The only thing worse than Shi...I mean Pittsburgh is Pimanti's...overrated.
Marc Normandin: I keep expecting that when I go to Pittsburgh it's going to look like The Pitt from Fallout 3. I'm not going to be attacked by mutants on my way to the game, am I?
TheSportsIdiot (Philly): I find it interesting that of the Braves pitchers-in-waiting you select Campillo as the one you single out. It looks like Reyes will get the call to replace Glaves, because he's also a lefty, but I think Charlie Morton deserves a shot first. Do you think it matters more that dude is a lefty, or do you think Reyes is a better option? OR, do you really think Campillo is the way to go?
Marc Normandin: I just like Campillo a lot. Solid stuff, groundball pitcher. I think the Braves want to see what they have with Reyes too, though.
Bill (Toronto): Doesn't Toronto have to be mentioned in the pitching staff argument as well? Between Halladay, Marcum, McGowan, Purcey, Cecil, Romero, Litsch and Mills there has to be a strong 5 somewhere in there.
Marc Normandin: True, I was thinking more about the actual top 5/6 starters than the entire package. If they settled on one (healthy) rotation, they would definitely be in the discussion. Thanks, Toronto defense!
Paul (LA): Will Mark Teixeira ever put two halves together? He sucks in April and May.
Marc Normandin: But it's oh so worth it by year's end, in any league format. His final lines are always great, even if the bulk of it comes during certain months.
john (ct): Speaking of Baltimore's outfield, what's your take on Adam Jones? He appears to be making giant strides very quickly. Think there's a Sizemore-like player here?
Marc Normandin: I love Adam Jones, I just want to see him start to consistently hit for power. I have faith that this will happen eventually, but the sooner the better. I'm not sure Sizemore is the right comp here, but that's mostly because I'm not sure what Jones actual ceiling for power is yet. Hell, I would be satisfied with 15-18 given the rest of his skillset.
Mr. Jangles (High Plains): Is my man crush on Clayton Kershaw justified?
Marc Normandin: I don't think he will be striking out 14+ guys per nine all season, but he is one of the few players I was upset about missing out on in my own drafts. He's going to be great.
Goo Goo the cat (Dreaming of rabbits and catnip): At some point is an MLB manager a finished product. For instance, does Dusty Baker still have a learning curve? Will Joe Maddon continue to grow and learn? Is Joe Torre the same guy who was in NY 5 years ago?
Marc Normandin: That's a pretty interesting question. I wonder if who is the boss of the manager has anything to do with their own growth/stagnation. Like if you don't have a front office that pushes you towards certain strategies, would the manager fall into a routine of sorts and never learn any new tricks/strategies? Is Joe Torre different in LA than he was in NY because his bosses treat him differently? What do you guys think?
Craig (Decatur): Is it safe to assume that the chibigamer site is done for good?
Marc Normandin: Yeah, I think so. I haven't been using it, since I'm now the gaming editor over at Blast Magazine. We've been putting up a lot of news, reviews and previews though, so there's more there than if I had just done it myself. If there's any kind of content you would like to see at Blast though, let me know, because I'm in charge of that stuff.
derek (Ohio): Also, I'd love to see more work done with pitch f/x. I thought the article on Lincecum's struggles possibly being linked to his change in release point was interesting. Where can we find the pitch data online?
Marc Normandin: The Pitch f/x info comes from Gameday. I assume you're talking about R.J. Anderson's piece on Lincecum; he knows his stuff. I love the graphs you can make with it, and think there's a lot to learn from them that we, as non-scouts, may not be able to pick up just by watching. That's the value-add with Pitch f/x, in my mind. If you guys want to read it, then I'm up for working with it.
bateman19 (boston): I feel that managers tend to keep their tendancies, and it is up to the organization to select the type of manager that agrees with their philosphy. A key example is the Sox ditching Grady, who simply refused to follow Theo's stats based approach.
Marc Normandin: This is true, but let's think of the Reds and Dusty Baker. I'm assuming they put him through a battery of tests before hiring him, many of which involved electrodes and being hit on the nose with a newspaper while someone said, "No! Bad Dusty! Take the starter out now!"
Scott (Detroit): I'm in a H2H league for the first time this year (and don't much like it). When is it too early to start tinkering? I want to be patient like in Roto, but a slow start seems like it may ruin me.
Marc Normandin: I'm assuming top six teams make the playoffs? You've got time to make up ground in H2H, even if it doesn't feel like it at first. That's part of the reason I go with a "hot hand" unlike in Roto play, so you can make up for some lost ground early on.
Tim (DC): 2009 "Cliff Lee Award" Nominee: Kyle Davies
Marc Normandin: Tim in DC has his vote in. Everyone remember, for possible future shaming/praise.
mattymatty (Philly): "let's think of the Reds and Dusty Baker. I'm assuming they put him through a battery of tests before hiring him, many of which involved electrodes and being hit on the nose with a newspaper while someone said, "No! Bad Dusty! Take the starter out now!""
I know you're kidding, but if even some (not electrical) version of that is true, then why even hire Baker in the first place? Why not just hire someone you know has a track record of thinking and acting in which ever way the organization values?
Marc Normandin: Because he does the other things right (media, clubhouse) and if they think they can make him do what they want in the other areas--basically saying you get this job if you do what we tell you--then you end up with the best of both worlds (assuming the people calling the shots know what they are talking about, of course).
mhixpgh (Pittsburgh): 2009 "Cliff Lee Award" Nominee: Paul Maholm
Marc Normandin: We've got a vote for Paul Maholm, and another vote for Davies from Jonathan in New York.
Bill (New Mexico): A short answer to the question about managers learning from their mistakes: Tony La Russa. Alan Benes. Adam Wainwright. Does the answer make sense?
Marc Normandin: I can't tell sometimes if Tony La Russa is brilliant or the luckiest manager alive. Or both/neither. His career and the choices he has made are strange.
Tony (Brooklyn, NY): Isn't the Cliff Lee award really the Esteban Loaiza award?
Marc Normandin: If Lee is only great for one season, then yes. By the way, this reminds me. We do need some kind of classification system for these awards named after players. We have the Brian Giles Award for Unheralded Excellence from Eric Neel, if I'm remembering all of that correctly. We can go with the Cliff Lee award, assuming he puts together another great season (of course, if he has just one year, then we can name the award the same but with different meaning). Nominations for other awards? Let's get these in quick!
Goo Goo the cat (On the couch listening to Bob Costas): The Yankees just left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 4th. They are going to do this alot, I think. Is there a place to find which teams strand runners OR hit poorly with RISP?
Marc Normandin: Ask and you shall receive (thank you David Pinto).
dianagramr (NYC): The Mariano Rivera "Nothing But Class" Career Achievement Award
Marc Normandin: I was thinking more performance based, but we'll take whatever.
Gamorrah (Wilksbourough): Re: Adrian to BoSox... But is it really a 'want' for the Red Sox? The Yankees and Rays are tough competition. An upgrade in the offense might become a 'need' if anybody falters.
Marc Normandin: That's true. I just think you're subtracting too much from other places for an upgrade that may not be as big as you would think.
Tim (DC): The Lou Gorman Ineptitude in Front Office award. It can be presented over lunch, in honor of Lou's famous quote "The sun will come up, the sun will go down, and I'll have lunch"
Marc Normandin: Presented without comment. Except for my giggling.
Mr. Jangles (High Plains): I drafted Andrew Miller on the cheap as my last starter. What do you expect out of him? I didn't have him active last night, but plan to for his next start against the Pirates.
Marc Normandin: I think he still needs a third pitch to compliment his fastball and slider. He was pretty good in spots last year, except for that stretch at the beginning and after his injury. I have faith in him coming around though.
dianagramr (NYC): The David Eckstein "Scrappy, gritty, his worth isn't measurable in the boxscore" Award
Marc Normandin: Always up for the jabs at Mini Eck.
OldBean (Boston): I have the first waiver claim in my fantasy league (roto, non keeper, mixed, 11 teams). I was waiting to use it on Matt Wieters when he gets called up, but someone just dropped Chien-Ming Wang. Do I spend it on him instead? I have Joe Mauer on the DL, btw.
Marc Normandin: Unless you're in my league, the answer is no. If you are in my league, yes, please God yes, use your waiver pick on Wang.
Zac (Land of Milk and Honey): The Julio Lugo Award, for unluckest player. Between his "balls in play" numbers, injuries, and being replaced by not one, but two people who can't hit. I can't think of too many others up to his level.
Also, the Ian Kinsler/Chase Utley Award for injuries ruining MVP seasons.
Marc Normandin: Carlos Quentin feels like he got screwed out of that award despite being injured.
Scott (Detroit): The Jay Bruce "Make a Splash, Then Stay All Wet" Award
Marc Normandin: "Make A Splash, Oh No I Can't Swim" award also works. Don't worry, we can take his floaties off someday.
Jim Clancy (Exhibition Stadium): I take it you're not hopeful for Wang in 2009?
Marc Normandin: It's not that he's a bad pitcher, I just don't like him for fantasy purposes much, especially with that infield defense the Yanks have.
Bree Olsen (Not Telling): Who dances best amongst the BP staff? I have a certain feeling about Jay Jaffe. Am I on to something.....? *grin*
Marc Normandin: Jay is actually a member of a secret dance society, and is responsible for 19 of the top 20 dance crazes of the past 20 years. The Macarena was not his doing.
Tex Premium Lager (NJ): Jack Cust "3 True Outcomes" Award? Or does Rob Deer have the rights to that?
Marc Normandin: I think Rob Deer has that nailed down. I mean, he should. He was a pretty good ballplayer people tend to forget about.
What's strange about him too, is that you tend to think of goofy players that can't field or run when you think of some TTO guys, but Deer could field pretty well. His value wasn't just wrapped up in his homers and walks.
Tim (DC): Hey Marc, once again will be down the Cape this summer for a week or so...any word/hints are who will be filling out the Cape League rosters yet?? Go Kettleers!
Marc Normandin: I really should get down there for that some summer. I know nothing about it, but would like to.
By the way folks, really quick lightning round starts now.
Aaron (YYZ): Be straight with me, Marc: Is Matt Wieters really switch-hitting Jesus?
Marc Normandin: I'm posting this solely to see if anyone e-mails me photoshopped pictures within the next few days.
Tony (Brooklyn, NY): Darin Erstad "Fantasy Hero for a season, kill owners for next five" award
Marc Normandin: It's kind of sad that we forget some of these players we turn into punchlines used to be pretty good.
Rob (Alaska): Lightning round! David Ortiz: diminished bat speed or small sample size nonsense?
Marc Normandin: I haven't decided yet. Too soon, as they say. One thing I would like to note here: When Hit f/x comes out, if it doesn't have the hitters bat speed, I'm going to be upset.
dianagramr (NYC): Hopefully Wieters isn't really switch-hitting Jesus Flores!
Marc Normandin: Har har
Goo Goo the cat (Still watching the game....and listening to Costas): You know....., Bob Costas and Harold Reynolds, they seem like nice enough guys. But... Heck..... I am switching over to Michael Kay et al.
Marc Normandin: You're right, but I'm still a bit upset about Harold Reynolds fighting PECOTA/statistics while using other statistics as his weapon.
Aaron (YYZ): The Justin Morneau "Not even the best player on his own team / The gaudy numbers are a direct result of hitting behind players better than me" award. And the David Wright Award for "Punishment in MVP voting because his teammates are terrible"
Marc Normandin: Both solid entries. I like where this is going.
myshkin (Sunnyvale, CA): Have you had a chance to see Michael Almanzar? Does his plate discipline take a step forward this year? The start is promising...
Marc Normandin: I haven't seen him play yet. Soon I may be in a situation where I can get to more minor league games more often, or when I feel like.
TheSportsIdiot (Philly): How do you like that I use the Prior List instead of the DL?
Marc Normandin: Poor Mark Prior. I wish him the best (and not just because he's on my Padres).
Zac (The Land of the Ice and Snow): after Last Year we have to include the Jason Giambi award for performance enchancing facial hair.
Marc Normandin: Ah yes, the PEFH. Congress is going to be all over that one by 2013. Facial hair is ruining our children!
TheSportsIdiot (Philly): Your Padres? I thought the Red Sox were yours? But wait, did I read that you are from Philly? How many teams do you actually root for, and am I wrong about Philly?
Marc Normandin: Red Sox and Padres for me, that's it. Where did you hear Philly? Usually people assume I hate them.
I'm a sports bigamist, at least in baseball. My mom loves the Padres, and my dad loves the Red Sox, and rather than pick favorites I just went with both growing up.
Jack (Beacon Hill): After last night, I'm really hoping Wakefield has a few more years in him (so he can hold every Red Sox counting stat record besides strikeouts). Are there any recent comps besides Niekro or are we just in uncharted elderly pitcher territory?
Also if you can somehow make a BP event happen here in Boston I will buy you all the beer you can drink
Marc Normandin: Charlie Hough? I hope he keeps it up too, he's been one of my favorites through almost all of my baseball fandom.
Not that I need to be bribed, but I'll mention this to the people upstairs, and we'll see what we can do. I will totally hold you to that bribe though, now that you've offered.
dianagramr (NYC): The Andre Dawson "Imagine what his career stats would have been if not for artifical turf" Award
Marc Normandin: He should have grown a better 'stasche, like Giambi. Then his knees would have better.
Marc Normandin: Alright folks, it's been fun, but I need to get working on some other things sadly. Thanks for coming by, and I hope you enjoy your team's baseball this year (unless they are facing my teams). Sorry I couldn't get to every question, but as always, there were loads of them! Feel free to e-mail me though!
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