LLWS and Pitch Counts: Some Questions??

Really, I hate always coming off like an old-man on the porch shooing kids off the front yard, but it's hard for me to watch the Little League World Series with this issue as a major backdrop. And Erin Andrews sniffing an overly ripe parent in the right-field bleachers, while interesting, doesn't make for entertaining television.

It's the new Pitch Count Rule and it's effect on arm injuries juxtaposed with how the new rule effects the viewing product. Early returns are the effect is somewhat akin to peeing in your gas tank. Watching the aluminum bat swing mechanics (close to horrible) that produce 245 foot home runs just tosses me into a twisted rage. Anyway, here it goes.

FROM THE ST.PETE. TIMES: Little League pitchers: How young is too young?

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/01/Sports/Little_League_pitcher.shtml

Little League and the University of North Carolina are in the second year of a five-year study that examines the effect of breaking pitches. Eaton said developing ulnar collateral ligaments typically can withstand about 35 pounds of pressure and throwing a fastball "with a goodly amount of speed" exerts around 65 pounds of pressure. Eaton said twisting the elbow to throw a curveball weakens the muscles' stability that surround the UCL.


Little League recommends pitchers under the age of 14 not throw breaking balls, but that advice has fallen mostly on deaf ears. At the Section 7, 9-10 All-Star tournament last month, breaking balls weren't an uncommon sight.

"I watched a 9-year-old kid throw two curveballs for every five pitches," Southwest coach Ron Rhoads said. "Then I look in the dugout and see the (opposing) coach is calling them. Absolutely crazy."

This goes back to my rant about the answer rarely comes from the source of the problem. Rarely, if ever.

All of the following questions (derived just from watching a couple of un-watchable games) have the potential to pollute the numbers obtained from the "pitch-count during games only" survey. I wonder how each of these conditions are accounted for in the survey. In reality, most of them are beyond the control of the researchers.

Unless, you survey the parents/coaches and they are willing to verbally account for every pitch or throw their child/player makes in "chasing the dream", I'm not sure you have the proper environment to make reasonable conclusions regardless of what the data shows.

And not many parents/coaches are going to openly admit to the lengths they go to in order to get the perceived "exposure" their child/player needs to succeed. Most are borderline delusional or incompetent in these matters. Notice I'm not sure where you can separate the parents and coaches complicity, and in some cases, parent and coach are one and the same. Anyway, the answers would get massaged in order to avoid the perception that they are knowingly putting their child at additional risk of injury.

MY QUESTIONS:

SIDE GAMES OR THROWING:
1) The announcers talked about some of the side games between the teams in the tournament that were played in between the "regular" games where the pitches were being counted. Presumably there are pitches thrown during these games that don't count against the total. If coaches are involved, the top pitchers are likely throwing, hey you might face these teams down the road, you need to establish dominance and all.

PITCHING COACHES AND THROWING DURING TRAINING:
2) Players from one team mentioned how all the pitchers had "personal pitching coaches" who work on their mechanics. You have to throw to work on your mechanics and some of the tosses are under stress and duress levels comparable to games.

TRAVEL TEAMS/MULTIPLE TEAMS AND YEAR ROUND THROWING:
3) Much was made last year of one of the teams participation in travel baseball. The cameras actually showed the Mom of one of the prominent pitchers, in the stands, keeping score, and wearing the pullover of the TRAVEL TEAM. How are these pitches accounted for in the pitch count survey.

KIDS WHO PLAY MULTIPLE SPORTS:
4) This year, one the teams feature stories revolved around the fact that their football team was waiting for most of the members of the baseball teams season to conclude so they could get some of their players back on the field. I actually think this is a positive. But I wonder if the researchers are accounting for the multi-sport athlete vs. the specialist athlete. Are they parsing the data to account for these sub-groups? It would be interesting to see how the data fell among these two groups.

TV INFLUENCE ON THE RULE:
5) Gary Thorne was quick to bemoan the constant pitching changes extending the time of the games. The pitching changes are an unintended change to the game resulting from the rule. The other one is the prevalence of 10-run rule games resulting from the 7th or 8th pitcher on the roster pitching so coaches can navigate the #1 and# 2 pitchers through the constraints of the pitch count rules. How much of an influence will TV have on further changes to the rule, the result of the apparent changes
in the quality of the product as a made for TV event?

I hate to always sound like a skeptic, but until they can bring all these factors under the umbrella of the research, I'm not sure the results of the study will have much value in stemming the rising tide of arm injuries among youth baseball pitchers.

And I worry that the result will be unduly influenced by how the future product is received by Big Daddy Warbucks (ESPN) and his bag of corporate sponsors. Stay tuned.

VICK PLEADS TO CHARGES

There are no winners in this situation unfortunately. Oh I'm sure in some ways PETA and the ASPCA will have some measure of victory for a cause they've been fighting to bring to light for many years.

But if some real good is to come from this, my hope is that young players on the collegiate and high school level realize that behavior is important regardless of who you are, that character counts. However, the coaches and administrators at those levels have to show the same desire to do the right thing as the federal prosecutors showed by swooping in before the Surrey County prosecutors had the chance to allow this crime to be washed away by using their "favorite-son" home court advantage with Michael Vick.

Now it's Roger Goodell's turn to show that his newly-minted conduct policy applies to star players as well as the 53rd man on the roster. If his policy is to have any teeth and any hope of modifying behavior, he has to show the same type of discipline he showed Pac-Man, Tank and Chris Henry. Because to my knowledge, other than Tank, nobody else went to jail yet for what they did to bring the NFL wrath down on them. And like Tank's time-out, the Vick punishment has to run consecutively with the federal sentence, not concurrently. If it runs concurrently, it will send the message that they aren't really serious, that there are two tiers of rules, one for the marquee players and one for the replacement parts. Watch what they do, not what they say. It's was easy to say they wanted to be tough on bad behavior when the player was easily replaceable. Let's see how easy it is now.

Finally, on a side note, it's my opinion that unless Vick gets some serious psychological counseling and maybe some spiritual counseling, that there is no chance that he comes back, never mind as a player, but as a person. I see all the talking heads speculating on "How soon will he be back?" instead of focusing on what kind of person will he be when he does get back? How are we going to go about changing the heart and mind of a person who would do the type of things that were done without conscience and remorse? It's always easy to be sorry after you got caught. Something is wrong in the heart and the soul of a person who would do the things he would do when he thought nobody was looking. When he thought he wouldn't get caught.

But he has taken the first step on the road to rehabilitation and gaining back the respect of the fans. Some are focused on what he's lost. A lot of money, endorsement, prestige and fame. And yet when I heard he had taken that first step, I heard the words from Tony Dungy's book "Quiet Strength: Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life" running through my mind.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"
--Matthew 16:26

Michael Vick needs to focus not on the world he just lost, but instead on finding his own soul. I hope at sometime during his rehabilitation that Michael hears those words and understands those words. Because at that point he will have taken the most important step back. Peace.

Are Baseball Umpires Racist?

I suppose we should have seen this one coming a mile away after the NBA officials racism study, by the same authors, I believe. Here goes. I have the entire study, but I'm going to wait until after I relax a little before going over it in depth.

What I read on the first run through indicated that Questec had an effect on reducing the number of "bad" or "biased" calls. That's kind of a "No, duh" conclusion. Questec was intended to get umpires, who years ago had strike zone's as unique as their personalities, back to the rule-book definition. So it's not unusual to report that the device is doing what it was supposed to do.

Secondly, they report that higher attendance tends to reduce errors. Well, who'd have thought that? You mean during a big game, your adrenaline wouldn't pump, your focus wouldn't increase versus a poorly attended game? I would not have guessed that researchers. I guess that's why you fellas get the big bucks. Excellent Stuff.

Third, from the Time article:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1652338,00.html

Hamermesh, who has studied discrimination at all levels, says that bias is instilled in infancy — much like enduring personality traits such as shyness or high self-esteem — as an essential part of human behavior. "We all have these subconscious preferences for our own group," he says.

Does this remind you of the phrase "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Selection Bias on Line Three.
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http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/51336

Are Baseball Umpires Racist?
1 day ago :: 1344 Views
Time magazine is reporting that, "According to a new
study led by Daniel Hamermesh, a professor of
economics at the University of Texas at Austin, Major
League Baseball umpires tend to call more strikes when
the pitcher is of their same race. When they're not,
umps call more balls. It doesn't happen all the time -
in about 1% of pitches thrown - but that's still one
pitch per game, and it could be the one that makes the
difference."

The magazine goes on to say that Hamermesh reached
this conclusion after he and his team of researchers
"analyzed the calls on 2.1 million pitches thrown in
the Major League between the 2004 and 2006 seasons."

What's your initial reaction to the report?
------------------------------------------------------------
One call per game? And that shows bias? The only way
they could be less "Biased" is if they were perfect.
So does this show anything other than they are
somewhere between human and total F-ups, but closer to
perfect than anything. What am I missing here?

And even Questec has a margin of error on what it
considers a "bad" call and a "right" call, because by
definition the calls have some bit of subjectivity
involved.

I umpire games and I've played before with umpires I
thought were biased against me (because I'm short) and
you'd have to mess up 1 call per at bat to take the
bat out of a teams hands, that would be a ratio of
around one bad call per 6-7 pitches on average.
Otherwise, even if you were trying to hose a team, the
batter still has the bat in his hand and can
reasonably insure that the ball doesn't even get back
to the home plate umpire. No calls in that situation.

I'd have to see more than this or more than 1% before
I'm convinced
----------------------------------------------------------
1% of 75 calls is actually less than 1 call per game. Seems like we're really splitting hairs here and imaging a Bogey-man in that one call. The only way you can do better than one call in error per game, it seems to me, is to call a perfect game. Laudable goal. But a goal nonetheless.

When I umpire, my goal is to have only one ball/strike call per game per team that I would like to have back. That I think I missed for reasons that never have to do with race. Catcher moves and blocks your sight, pitch fools you (it happens), check swings, etc.

SI did a story where one of it's reporters umpired MLB pre-season games, he reported Questec showed a 5% error rate among umpires vs. the computers subjective opinion. Seems high but I suppose it's possible.

Zambrano got the benefit of two ?? calls vs. Pujols last night. Either the ump was clearly off-center with his positioning, or he was delivering a message to Pujols re: complaining about calls.

Sometimes academic studies don't include a good grasp of what happens "down in the trenches".

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

From the Baseball Prospectus Website, an interesting display of the odds of each MLB team making the playoffs from August 15th to the end of the season.

Unfortunately, most teams are clearly out of it. Only 6 AL teams have better than a 3% chance of making the playoffs. In the NL, 10 teams are left with hope. So in total, 16 of 30 teams are still alive.

We are at approximately the comparable equivalent of week twelve in the NFL season. In most seasons, by week twelve, virtually no teams have been eliminated. So much for competitive balance.

I still think this is the #1 issue for both the owners and the players to solve before fans in the "no-chance" league get tired of watching the "modern day St. Louis Browns" and really do have to fold the tent due to lack of interest.


http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

Average wins by position in AL East: 98.6 90.9 82.7 76.7 61.8
AL East W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Red Sox 72 47 .619 98.4 63.6 91.68000 7.59686 99.27686
Yankees 67 52 .579 90.9 71.1 8.24590 60.59689 68.84280
Blue Jays 60 58 .539 82.2 79.8 .07305 2.25895 2.33200
Orioles 55 63 .530 77.3 84.7 .00105 .06524 .06629
Devil Rays 45 74 .439 61.8 100.2 .00000 .00000 .00000

Average wins by position in AL Central: 90.6 86.5 80.9 74.3 69.3
AL Central W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Tigers 66 53 .527 88.9 73.1 56.24541 4.29476 60.54016
Indians 65 54 .518 87.8 74.2 41.18094 5.75573 46.93667
Twins 59 60 .503 81.0 81.0 2.55227 .40866 2.96093
White Sox 54 64 .436 73.4 88.6 .01961 .00176 .02137
Royals 52 66 .420 70.4 91.6 .00177 .00011 .00187

Average wins by position in AL west: 93.1 87.4 80.3 71.9
AL West W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Angels 69 48 .532 92.4 69.6 78.60670 5.63387 84.24057
Mariners 66 51 .493 87.9 74.1 20.86130 13.01564 33.87694
Athletics 58 62 .529 80.3 81.7 .53115 .37144 .90259
Rangers 52 66 .458 72.1 89.9 .00085 .00010 .00095

Average wins by AL Wild Card: 91.6

Average wins by position in NL East: 92.5 88.1 84.4 76.8 71.3
NL East W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Mets 66 52 .568 91.6 70.4 70.72263 16.16317 86.88580
Phillies 63 55 .525 86.2 75.8 12.55288 22.10151 34.65439
Braves 63 56 .548 87.1 74.9 16.67778 27.65551 44.33329
Marlins 56 63 .478 76.4 85.6 .04530 .13982 .18512
Nationals 54 65 .434 71.9 90.1 .00140 .00204 .00344

Average wins by position in NL Central: 86.7 83.0 78.6 74.2 70.9 66.9
NL Central W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Brewers 62 57 .502 84.8 77.2 52.19562 1.62170 53.81733
Cubs 60 58 .511 84.1 77.9 41.36327 1.81828 43.18155
Cardinals 56 60 .466 78.6 83.4 6.02625 .21537 6.24162
Astros 54 65 .433 73.3 88.7 .28139 .00214 .28353
Reds 51 67 .456 71.5 90.5 .12698 .00020 .12718
Pirates 49 68 .417 68.1 93.9 .00649 .00003 .00653

Average wins by position in NL West: 89.7 86.6 84.0 80.7 70.6
NL West W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Diamondbacks 67 53 .470 86.6 75.4 32.97483 10.17778 43.15261
Padres 64 54 .526 87.3 74.7 42.99795 9.54745 52.54540
Rockies 61 57 .526 84.5 77.5 16.47985 6.75708 23.23693
Dodgers 60 59 .533 82.7 79.3 7.54648 3.79743 11.34391
Giants 50 69 .479 70.6 91.4 .00089 .00049 .00138

Average wins by NL Wild Card: 88.8

© 2007 Prospectus Entertainment Ventures

BASEBALL AMERICA TODAY

If you heard the following description for a new sports supplement:

- POWERFUL NEW FORMULA
- HIGH ANABOLIC CAPACITY
- THREE TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN STEROIDS
- INCREASES MUSCLE MASS (7-10% in only 10-20 days)
- DECREASES BODY FAT (4-6% in only 10-20 days)
- FAST ACTING STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE FORMULA
- PLAY DOUBLE HEADER AFTER DOUBLE HEADER AT PEAK MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE
WITHOUT EVER GETTING TIRED

Would you guess that you had just learned about:

A) BALCO's newest product to help Barry Bonds crush HR's and test clean?
B) a perfectly legal product tested as safe and steroid free by MLB, the NFL and the International Olympic Committee?

Now be honest, 95% of sports fans would choose A), and of course would be wrong.

The claims listed above come from a full page ad appearing in the August 26,2007 edition of "Baseball America".

The product is marketed by Larry Mayol of Star Care Inc. Sports Training in St. Petersburg, FL. I met Larry around 1990, when he did an arm-care clinic for Little League Baseball at the Southern Regional Headquarters in Gulfport FL. So I know he cares for kids and their long-term health.

It turns out the product is a natural sports supplement, and it's perfectly legal. It does not contain any substance listed in MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. And it has been tested and approved by Major League Baseball. Sound too good to be true? It's even been used to improve the performance in astronauts. I would think NASA scientists would know a thing or two about what is good for their most precious cargo.

Whenever strength coaches, who are concerned about getting results but also doing things the right way, get together and discuss the state of training and sports performance, the conclusion you hear mentioned most often, that makes the most sense, is that we won't be able to remove steroids from the sports landscape until we are able to replicate the results one would expect to obtain from steroids, without the risky side effects. And I don't think you have to even beat the results steroids could deliver, given that they carry the baggage of the known side effects.

This is true whether you're talking about nutritional supplements or developing training protocols. In the real world, you're talking about combining improved methods and knowledge in both areas to get the best results for athletes.

The early returns for substances like this product, which contains ecdysterone, or other past product hopefuls like creatine, is that you are able to closely approximate the results of anabolic (muscle-building) agents like steroids, without the negative side effects.

I know most people do not want to believe that advances in legal nutrition and supplementation could possibly have taken us this far. but if you believe the numbers quoted:

A 200 pound athlete - with 15% Body Fat - would begin with:
170 lbs. of lean muscle mass and
30 lbs. of Body Fat

After 10-20 days, 10-20 days now, not an entire off-season, 10-20 days, he would end up with:

187 lbs. of lean muscle mass (170 lbs + 10% increase = 187.7 lbs.)
28 lbs. of Body Fat ( 30 lbs. to start less 6% = 28.2 lbs. )
which equals
215 lbs. Total Body Weight - 28 lbs. Body Fat (13.5% BF) and 187 lbs. of Muscle Mass

So our hypothetical athlete would have gained 15 pounds and improved his body composition overall in 10-20 days. And we hear all the time how impossible it is to put on 20 pounds in one off-season ( 3 months off-season equals approximately 90 days).

Again, I'll say in conclusion, I think the people that pontificate the most about the issue of performance enhancement in sports, know the least about the issues and the realities that are out there in the real world today. They are stuck in the disco era or prior, rubbing rosary beads and praying for a return the way things were and will never be again.

Ecdysterone


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More about Ecdysterone from Athletes.com


http://www.athletes.com/store/ecdy.html

Studies conducted in the Soviet Union in 1988 showed ecdysterone helps "increase hepatic protein synthesis and subsequently promote positive nitrogen balance!" How does this lead to more muscle mass? Simply: "the more nitrogen your body maintains and the greater rate of protein synthesis, the more mass, period." How, exactly, does ecdysterone do this? V. Smetanin, researcher of the Smolenk State Medical Institute in Russia speculates that ecdysterone decreases urea concentration in the body and increases hemoglobin levels by increasing a process called erythropoiesis. Erythropoiesis is the development of mature red blood cells. This leads to a stimulation of the anabolic process in protein metabolism, which in turn leads to a positive nitrogen balance in the body.


Increase Lean Muscle Mass While Reducing Body Fat
The most often quoted ecdysterone scientific study was published in Scientific Sports Bulletin by S. Simakin in 1988. The objective of Simakin's famous study was to determine the effect of ecdysterone on muscle tissue mass and fat mass, while testing for hormonal changes in the subjects. For the study, three control factors were used: a placebo, protein, and ecdysterone with protein. The results were significantly in favor of the third factor. Of the 78 highly trained male and female athletes who consumed just protein, they showed only a slight increase in muscle mass for the 10 day period of time. Those who used a placebo lost a slight amount of lean muscle, while those who used protein plus ecdysterone showed a 6-7% increase in lean muscle tissue with nearly a 10% reduction in fat! Let me say that again: A 10% reduction in fat and a 7% increase in lean muscle tissue in just 10 days! Safety testing was conducted during the same time period which showed no difference in hormonal balance. Wow, if ecdysterone plus protein can do this for highly trained athletes, just think what it can do for the average person!

It's interesting to note the amount of Ecdysterone these Soviet Studies used. According to Derek Cornelius, "Most of the experiments used 5 mg per kilogram of body mass per day as the dosage." To find out how much you would need to take to supply this same amount of ecdysterone, use this equation:

MG/KG X Your Weight = Dosage:
In Kilograms: 5 mg X 78 kg = 386
In Pounds: 5 mg X 170lbs / 2.2lbs = 386


So, the average person should consume 300-600 mg of ecdysterone per day to meet this dosage. This compound is so non-toxic that this is a perfectly safe amount to consume. Syntrax Syntrabol is currently the only product that supplies enough mg of ecdysterone (200 mg per capsule) to effectively supplement at the 600 mg level.


Increase Stamina, Endurance, and Energy
Ecdysterone was tested in another study performed in 1986 by B.Ya Smetanin. For this research, 117 highly trained speed skaters between the ages of 18 and 28 were tested for work capacity, body weight, lung capacity and VO2 max. The results speak for themselves: all of the said parameters increased as well as an increase in the O2 pulse max and an increase in the exhalation of CO2. Basically, they received more oxygen to their cells! This equates to decreasing recovery time, maximizing performance, permitting optimal muscle anabolism and maximum fat reduction. It also means the athletes using ecdysterone compared to those on a placebo experienced increased stamina, endurance and energy.

That's not all! A study conducted using 112 athletes performed by B.G. Fadeev in Russia showed some very impressive overall results. However, by this time, the results should come as no surprise. 89% of those who supplemented with ecdysterone versus a placebo reported less fatigue, greater performance, more motivation, greater speed, and improved strength. How long did it take before these athletes reported these effects? Months? Weeks? No, five days. To make matters even better, no adverse side effects were reported.


Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?

Bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts will find the extra gains in lean muscle mass and reduction in body fat very beneficial. Based on all the research, Ecdysterone looks to be not only incredibly effective as a performance enhancer on all facets, but also very safe. Since it is not a required nutrient, there are no symptoms of deficiency. However, if you would like to experience more energy and strength gains in less time than you've probably ever experienced, grab some ecdysterone and protein because you are the perfect candidate! Check out the section below to learn more on side effects and recommended dosages.

How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?

What about side effects? That's the best part! As you already know by now, research studies show no negative side effects, no hormonal interactions, and a very low toxicity level for ecdysterone. When tested by ICN Biochemicals on December 31, 1998, a complete safety test was performed to determine the toxicity. The data showed the amount of ecdysterone one would have to take in order to reach toxicity. The amount? 6400 mg/kg! In other words, an average 170lb person would have to take 494,528 mg of the compound to reach this point! This is 4,121 times as much as the recommended dose.
So, as you can see, it's very safe with an incredibly low toxicity. Furthermore, endocrine testing showed that ecdysterone caused no effect whatsoever on the mammalian hormonal system. Testing was measured on testosterone, cortisol, insulin, ACTH, growth hormone, and leutinizing hormone. The data not only shows ecdysterone to be extremely safe, but effective as well! The recommended dose of ecdysterone is 80-120 mg per day and upwards of 400-600 mg per day. We've even heard reports of people receiving amazing results working up to using as much as 1200 mg safely per day. Bodybuilding.com recommends Syntrax Syntrabol for higher doses of ecdysterone because each capsule contains ecdysterone standardized for 200 mg, the highest potency on the market. Remember, ecdysterone should be taken with protein-rich meals for best results!

MLB DRAFT PICKS TURN INTO PUMPKINS AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

According to MLB.com the Devil Rays have signed first overall pick David Price.


http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070815&content_id=2150900&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb

BOSTON -- With an 11:59 p.m. ET signing deadline approaching, the Devil Rays brought David Price into the fold around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, signing the top pick of Major League Baseball's June 2007 First-Year Player Draft to an $11.25 million deal.

Price, whom the Rays selected with the top pick in this year's Draft, signed a big league deal that covers six years (2007-12).

Price's signing bonus is $5.6 million. Within the contract is Minor League salaries that add up to $2.9 million and Major League salaries adding up to $5.65 million. A total of $8.5 million -- the bonus, plus the Minor League salaries -- is guaranteed.


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Of local interest, the Tigers signed their First Round pick Rick Porcello and a flurry of other players of note, including local product, Kaneland High School left handed pitcher Casey Crosby.


http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070815&content_id=2150111&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

CLEVELAND -- As the days whittled down for teams to sign their picks from the First-Year Player Draft, Tigers vice president of amateur scouting David Chadd summed up his club's stance succinctly last week.

"We took these players," he said, "to sign them."

It took a lot, and it sent ripples through the rest of the baseball, but they are signed.

The Tigers' four-year, $7.28 million Major League contract for Seton Hall [N.J.] Prep right-hander Rick Porcello was still generating talk around clubs on Wednesday while the club formally introduced its newest pitching prospect. Yet while the merits and effectiveness of Major League Baseball's unwritten slotting system continue to be debated, the talent that the Tigers just added to their farm system is more tangible.

Detroit put at least three players' worth of talent into its system with deals finalized this week. In addition to Porcello's big-league contract, the Tigers finalized agreements with high school lefty Casey Crosby and infielder Cale Iorg, taken in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively.

All three players were projected to be taken higher than they actually were, but fell due in no small part to signability concerns. All three signed for money that well exceeded MLB's recommendations for their pick.

Wednesday's conference call to introduce Porcello became the Tigers' stage to make their case when the topic arose. Their argument was that while they understand the slotting system, they also believe in the idea of different cases for different players.

Crosby, a lanky southpaw out of Kaneland High School in Illinois, has pitched this summer and is expected to be ready sooner. Chadd said he could end up pitching in the Gulf Coast League by season's end.


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Congratulations, to Casey. It's great to see this type of success come to this type of youngster who is as good a person as he is an athlete, and that's saying something.


http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/draft/2007/statebystate/states/illinois_leadin.aspx


Rank Player Pos. Yr B-T HT WT School Hometown Drafted/(Commit) B’date
1. Casey Crosby LHP Sr. L-L 6-5 200 Kaneland HS Elburn (Illinois ) 9-17-88
SCOUTING REPORT: Crosby grew four inches and gained 10 mph on his fastball during his junior year, which quickly put him on the prospect charts. He’s still fairly raw as a pitcher but throws up to 94 mph consistently and fairly easily, which gives scouts plenty of opportunity to dream. Crosby’s arm action is long and flowing from a high three-quarters release point, and he is still working on his off-speed pitches. He throws both a curveball and slider, and his slider shows the most potential with mid-80s velocity and some two-plane bite. Crosby also throws a couple of types of changeups that are works in progress. He is regarded as an above-average athlete and was a star football wide receiver who caught 76 passes for 19 touchdowns his senior year. That, in combination with his height, easy velocity and improved curve should get him drafted in the top two rounds.



The early returns showed most teams following the slot strategy, but the Tigers aggressively went after the talent they targeted and, as we discussed in our "draft day coverage", ended up with two guys, in Porcello and Crosby, who fell to them as "value picks" in the first and fifth round, despite being ranked higher by most prognosticators than where they were drafted.

Crosby in effect, is paid at approximately the slot money for a 40th pick overall, which is where Baseball America had him ranked, rather than slot money for a fifth rounder. The Crosby's stuck by their guns and found a team that was willing to pay market value for his talent rather than stick to major league's slot system.

Any time you can thumb thumb your nose at Bud Selig, your having a good day in my book. This de-facto collusion that the MLB owners practice, in attempting to implement that which they cannot negotiate at the bargaining table with the players (as the NBA does with it's rookie salary slot system or the NFL with it's rookie salary cap) is so transparent and comedic that it's a wonder any team continues to hamstring itself by going along. It renders the whole purpose of the draft, which is to allow the teams that finish last to draft first and in theory get the best talent to attempt to compete in the future. Savvy players and agents are able to dictate what teams they go to and circumvent the original and main purpose of the draft.

UPDATE: AFTER THE SMOKE FOR THE LAST-MINUTE SIGNING FLURRY CLEARED, 14 OF THE TOP 30 PICKS (1ST ROUNDERS) SIGNED FOR OVER THE RECOMMENDED SLOT MONEY. I REST MY CASE.


http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/sports/510518,2_2_AU15_CROSBY_S1.article

Crosby signs with Tigers
Kaneland star pitcher gets $748,500 contract, plus college money

August 15, 2007
BY RICK ARMSTRONG Staff Writer

Now that the money games have been played, Casey Crosby can get about the business of playing baseball games. His patience paid off.

The touted 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-handed pitching prospect out of Kaneland High School agreed to terms Tuesday with the Detroit Tigers, who in the process again thumbed their nose at Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.


Crosby was taken in the fifth round but has been described as having first-round talent. If that proves true, his $748,500 signing bonus along with funding for his college education to the tune of $21,000 per-semester for eight semesters and additional bonus incentives could be a steal for the Tigers.

However, that package is a significant step up from the maximum $126,000 Selig's office had slotted for the University of Illinois recruit's draft spot. He had until Wednesday to sign or would have headed to school in Champaign.


BONUSES FOR FIRST TEN ROUNDS: FROM PERFECT GAME WEBSITE (PRIOR TO TONIGHT'S ACTION)


http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/draft/2007/signing_bonuses/sb2007.aspx

WITH LOVE TO STEROID NATION - THE SLAV

Just so you don't think that I only notice the negative things that go on in this world, I want to note a great article that seems to mirror what I've been saying for years and years. Now that the Great Satan, Barry Bonds, is removed from our daily news and sports broadcasts, we may have time to reflect on some other pressing issues that effect both the world of sports and our nations youth.


http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2007/08/steroids-arent-.html


Steroids aren't the only problem in public health

08/14/2007
Steroids aren't the only problem in public health
We blog about steroids as a public health problem here. However, there is far more wrong in the USA public health domain than just steroids. Recent reports show that health care in the US is #42 (by one measure) and falling. The New York Times editorial is found here:

Here's a wrenching fact: If the U.S. had an infant mortality rate as good as Cuba's, we would save an additional 2,212 American babies a year.

Yes, Cuba's. Babies are less likely to survive in America, with a health care system that we think is the best in the world, than in impoverished and autocratic Cuba. According to the latest C.I.A. World Factbook, Cuba is one of 41 countries that have better infant mortality rates than the U.S.

The author cited many health issues that deserve our attention on a national level. Some that I really haven't thought about much, I have to admit. I've often said that when it comes to our nation's health, especially the health of our kids, the following topics rank as high or higher than steroids:

1. Concussions in football - really in almost any sport
2. Alcohol and tobacco use and abuse - I don't give it a pass because it's legal)
3. Other recreational drug use - amphetamines, cocaine, crack, inhalants, etc. have not gone away. Just because they aren't abused by sports stars, doesn't mean they don't deserve our attention and vigilance
4. Youth Obesity - again, just because it doesn't strike the athletic population as hard, doesn't mean it's not worthy of attention. You go, Shaq!!

Just in these areas, we could be facing a veritable tsunami of health issues in our future that will overwhelm an already rickety national health system. In a sense, the best thing to happen, the night Bonds hit #756 (other than Aaron's message) is we may finally be able to focus more attention on these issues.

OH LORDY!! Barry Bonds is going to go all Lance Armstrong on a MF'er!!

And it looks like the first MF'er is going to be that noted Wizard of Words, the current President of the "Why Didn't Barry Sue? - Why Didn't Barry Sue?" Club, none other than Curt Schilling.

These folks have the same simplistic logic and magpie-like talking points as the late Johnnie Cochran used to sway a jury in favor of Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson, many years back.

"If glove doesn't fit, you must acquit." becomes "If Barry didn't sue, it must be true." Both quotes succeed in creating a diversion in the minds and the ears of the listening audience. And we like our logic to be simple don't we now? Otherwise, we might have to go to Bob Costas and Mike Lupica to explain stuff to us, and we don't want that.

In the Simpson case, it was the "mountain of evidence" pointing to his guilt. In the Bonds case, it is ANY PIECE of evidence or logical train of thought that would explain a scenario different than that which the listener would be inclined to believe about Bonds.

And now it appears that very shortly, the "Why Didn't he Sue?" crowd will go to wherever the "Hank Aaron doesn't approve" crowd is hanging out these days.

The good folks at Steroid Nation are breaking details of this story (along with a more restrained tone then they've exhibited in the past against one Barry Lamar Bonds):

http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2007/08/barry-bonds-to-.html

08/14/2007
Barry Bonds wants to sue you, but settles on targeting Curt Schilling
Alleged (note 'alleged') roid-monger Barry Bonds, the recent career home run king, announced that he contracted with two Bay-area lawyers to track down miscreants who would besmirch his good name. The accused juicer threatens to sue Curt Schilling or anyone making false statements about him or his large head.

A local Bay-area TV station(CBS5) first carried the story:

Now that Barry Bonds has passed Henry Aaron to become baseball's all-time home run king, he's threatening to sue anyone who makes false or misleading statements about him, two Bay Area attorneys said Monday.

Attorneys John Burris of Oakland and Todd Schneider of San Francisco said Bonds has retained them "in connection with legal issues arising from the myriad of false statements attributed to him by players, the media and others."

The attorneys, who are veteran civil rights litigators, said they believe "such statements are defamatory and have legal consequences."


I GUESS THIS MUST BE WHAT BONDS MEANT WHEN HE SAID, MY DAY WILL COME. These lawyers are going to busy for quite some time, I hope they're getting paid by the hour. But now that Bonds has the all-time HR record, I guess he can spend his money however he wants to.

Interesting to note that in the Steroid Nation commentary was this paragraph:
"According to The San Jose News, Bonds' old attorney, -- Michael Rains (maybe feeling some jealousy?) Note: words in parenthesis added by Steroid Nation


I posted this comment on their site, If they respond I'll let you know:
Explain to me why Rains would feel any jealousy that Bonds retained civil rights lawyers. Rains is a criminal defense lawyer, whose plate is rather full I'm sure.

The others are civil rights attorneys.

Attorneys specialize in narrow areas of the law. Rains may feel he has little or no competence in this arena.

Are you sure it's not some jealousy or envy or bias that you are showing?

I'M GUESSING THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT THE ANSWER (IF ANY) POSTED WILL BE SOME SORT OF J.K. LINE OF BULL. A TACTIC DISGUISED AS A J.K. IS A TACTIC NONETHELESS.

Barry Bonds 756 Entire at-bat, Message from Hank Aaron

Barry Bonds 756 Part 2/ Hank Aaron Speech

HANK AARON'S MESSAGE:

“I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on becoming baseball’s career home run leader. It is a great accomplishment which required skill, longevity and determination.”

“Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball, and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years. I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historic achievement.

“My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams.”

Good for Hank and good for baseball. It's too bad that all those erroneous reports documenting and interpreting Aaron's feelings regarding Bonds and the record turned out to be so close to the mark.

It just goes to show that you can't read what is inside a man's head or his heart merely by what he says. I'm sorry for the way these jokers made me feel about Aaron given the way the reports of his "feelings" were broadcast as fact. It was totally irresponsible to speak for the man by many who portrayed themselves as "insiders" and people who "knew" exactly how he felt, even when his spoken word conflicted with what they were reporting.

It seems like in hindsight as if many "responsible journalists" felt free to throw in liberal doses of their own personal animosities toward Bonds when speaking on behalf of Aaron. Yet you won't see any step up and offer any apologies. You won't see any retractions, you won't see any shame. But in fact, they all should be ashamed of themselves.

And it won't be too difficult to go back and find out who spoke out of turn and when. That's the fun part of the modern world, it's hard to run away from your record. That would be a fine research project to indulge in, wouldn't it?