2011-12 Hot Stove Thread

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

If Dan Shaughnessy had written this certain people here would have lost their fucking minds screaming about his biases, vendettas and unfairness.

Edes was unnecessarily cruel here. It's not like baseball in Israel is a slam dunk [/mixed metaphor]. The independent team Duquette owned is in a league that is low-rent even by the standards of independent leagues. I'd say he deserves credit for taking risks in order to try and stay in the game instead of being mocked for his efforts falling short.

And the toxic mess Duquette left behind was no worse than the one Lord Theo left behind. Duquette might have failed to make inroads in Asia, but was it really any more damaging to the Red Sox than the Lord's inability to identify and sign decent free agents? And Duquette looked kind of foolish acting like he was still the sheriff after Henry and Co. bought the team, but at least he saw his job through to the very end instead of quitting with the team he built in complete disarray.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

BYH, I agree it was mean-spirited. Duquette seems to bring that out in writers.

He ought to be able to find some place in MLB again, but this Orioles job is a sad outpost by now and it's questionable any other organization would have given him a chance to be a GM. The Angelos toadies will never be cleaned out and now he might become another one of them. They need someone with a firmer hand.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

The Orioles had no interest in hiring someone with a firmer hand though. Duquette probably (rightly) views this as his last chance at a MLB GM job, even if it is the Siberia of jobs, in terms of the degree of difficulty.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Duquette is a smart fellow with sound baseball instincts who has less social and people skills (or had, anyway) than anyone I ever covered. This led to needless alienation of people within the Sox who outranked him (like Pedro Martinez). But if allowed to do his job, I see no reason why he couldn't improve the Orioles. I also doubt Angelos and Showalter will let Duquette do a damn thing.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Rhodes pitched in 47 games for the Tribe in '05.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Even if I badly want back into something, I'm not going to take a job working for an idiot and getting cut off at the knees.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Ron MotherF'ing Washington is quite the motivator...


NSFW -- this speech would make Quinten Tarantino blush...
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/06/a-recording-of-ron-washingtons-speech-before-game-7/

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Sanchez has unbelievable talent. He gets swing throughs on 90-91 fastballs and a devastating slider. His change has become at least above average. Yet, there is nearly a 50% chance he walks 5 in the first three innings while giving up 1 hit. He just could/would not get his mechanics to where he would just throw it smoothly. I give Righetti and Bochy credit for getting what they could out of him.

He pitched the penultimate game in 2010, the last day start with the Giants and Padres in a dead heat; he was consistently spectacular in Aug./Sept. 2010. For that I thank him. His no-hitter is something my boy and I shared and will always fondly recall.

I know why he was traded, I read that apparently he had no interest in pitching after he sprained his ankle in Aug. 2011. Did not know that at that time but if that's his attitude, then thanks for the memories.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Lee Elia says "that's nothin'"

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

SI's Jon Heyman writes that Jose Reyes will meet with the Marlins on Wednesday, with the Brewers possibly next on his visit list:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/11/08/marlins.brewers.jose.reyes/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Red Sox are supposedly interested in Beltran:

http://tracking.si.com/2011/11/08/red-sox-targeting-carlos-beltran/?sct=hp_t2_a7&eref=sihp

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/yankees-red-sox-rangers-interested-in-buehrle.html