SnakeBytes, 8/30: Home Front Edition

by kishi on Aug 30, 2010 2:28 PM EDT in Snake Bytes

Giants catcher Clark Kent is unable to tag out Gerardo Parra at home.

So, we go on the road to face two teams fighting for playoff spots, and we come home after splitting the trip while averaging over six games at two pitcher's parks? I don't know about you, but I'll take that. Now let's build on it.

Previews:

[cbssports.com] Padres-Diamondbacks Preview - The Padres are looking to end their longest losing streak of the season, which is... four games? Four games? Oh, boo hoo!
[ktar.com] Diamondbacks return home, host Padres - Interestingly, the Padres are 2-4 at Chase this season. I haven't heard if it's true that Jon Garland starts to cry whenever he hears the music from the roof opening, though.
[cbssports.com] San Diego Padres (76-53) at Arizona Diamondbacks (52-79) - Wade LeBlanc is 4-6 on the road this year, but 1-0 against the DBacks in four career starts. He attributes his pitching success to lessons he learned from a chimpanzee in the minor leagues.

DBacks News:

[azcentral.com] Thicker grass not an option at Chase - Not enough sunlight means they can't grow thicker grass to slow down groundballs. Sounds like something science should solve for us.
[fanhouse.com] Kinder, Gentler Kirk Gibson Trying to Turn Around Diamondbacks - A look at what Kirk Gibson is doing to improve the team. "The menality has to change. He's trying to instill some intensity and some enthusiasm." Making the players grow mustaches is not mentioned.
[mlbtraderumors.com] 5 Surprises: Arizona Diamondbacks - MLBTR lists five things that caught them off guard about the Diamondbacks season this year. One good, two bad, and two that depend on your point of view.
[The D-blog] Upton Is In Rare Air - Given that Upton is in his fourth season in the majors, it's interesting to consider that he's still younger than anyone who played a game for the Reno Aces this season.

Around Baseball:

[nytimes.com] Feeling Empathy for Stephen Strasburg, Mark Prior Makes His Comeback - A pitching prodigy, called a once-in-a-generation talent, given a record draft bonus, he shot through the minors and was derailed by injury- Mark Prior knows how Stephen Strasburg feels.
[latimes.com] Frank McCourt's donation to L.A. police is to protect (his tarnished image) and to (self) serve - Frank McCourt donated 40,000 tickets to the Los Angeles police- is he being generous, or filling the stands as attendance drops?
[chicagotribune.com] Manny Ramirez could add spice to the Chicago White Sox's stretch run - "Well, this will be interesting, maybe even fun." Good luck with that, Chicago.
[washingtonpost.com] Roger Clemens arrives in D.C. federal court for arraignment in steroids case - If you thought you heard calliope music this morning, it's just the circus beginning.

So, we face off against the Padres again tonight. Here's to seeing that offense we saw in San Francisco show up.

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Kinder, gentler Gibson?

But FIERY! SYNTAX FAIL! DIVIDE BY ZERO. WILL I DREAM DAAAVEE…….

Bad doormat! No stock options!

by Clefo on Aug 30, 2010 3:29 PM EDT reply actions

so MLBTR

says they got an e-mail from Webb’s agent, which said that Webb will be expecting an incentive-laden contract with a base salary comparable to Penny, Harden, Sheets, and Hudson got

Penny and Harden had base salaries of 7.5 million, Sheets got 10 million, and Hudson got 9.33 million

Harden and Sheets weren’t even close to producing at that level. Penny’s year looked promising to start but then he got injured, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to make his value either. Hudson on the other hand, was worth his salary and then some.

i’m guessing that means webb will be looking for an 8 million with incentives one year contract.

if we somehow get webb for 8 million, and laroche for 8 million, combined with our arb raise guys (saunders, drew, kj, miggy) we would basically have our starting five pitchers and all our position players plus at least 3 relievers (carrasco, demel, vasquez) for around $53 million

while i do think webb for 8 million is a bit of a risk, and slightly more expensive than i would hope to get him at, it might be better than the other options, as next year’s starting pitching market is basically cliff lee and the rest

by blue bulldog on Aug 30, 2010 4:06 PM EDT reply actions

Well, given we paid him an advance of $8.5 million this year

I figure that means we just have to give him the incentives next season?

[Click]

Hello? Hello? Brandon Webb’s agent? Are you still there?

"It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." -- Brian Stimpson

by Jim McLennan on Aug 30, 2010 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

that would be the funniest conversation ever

by blue bulldog on Aug 30, 2010 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah...

See, everyone thought the As were crazy for offering Sheets $10 million, and it’s pretty much been shown that they shouldn’t have given him that much, so…

I wouldn’t mind seeing Webb back. But unless he comes back and is incredibly lights-out in the bullpen, I can’t see offering him that much plus incentives.

"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."

by kishi on Aug 30, 2010 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

i do think giving sheets 10 mil was a bad idea (and the harden contract was a big risk too)

but sheets was not exactly in the same situation as webb is. sheets had tons of injury history. webb doesn’t. moreover, even this injury is pretty questionable, as no doctor really thinks there’s any worrisome structural damage. moreover, once scouts get a chance to look at him and see his movement and velocity back, there will definitely be a market for webb, and i’m just not convinced that we shouldn’t give him 8 million (the incentives aren’t a big deal, because if there are incentives and he’s making them then i assume that means he’d be performing)

my point being, we are a pretty long shot from contending next year, so it seems pretty low risk to throw money at what could be a very high reward. if webb sucks next year, so what? we wouldn’t have contended anyway. unless you think there are better options to spend 8 million on……….

by blue bulldog on Aug 30, 2010 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions

do not seek the treasure

regardless of him being a Dapper Dan man or not.

His agent can seek that…just not sure he’s gonna find it.

I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused....

by piratedan7 on Aug 30, 2010 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

He

can climb a tree.

'Skins, I forbid you from hitting on Ramona!

by soco on Aug 30, 2010 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

facepalm!

Looking at a 4-6 mil base based on prior track record alone. The DBacks owe him no favors in Sept. A re-sign at the upper end of this scale for the DBacks will make me write an angry letter somewhere.

No Gutierrez, Sherlock!

by Reynolds rapper on Aug 30, 2010 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Adventures in Ads on Snakepit:

“Average Giants IQ: 90”

That seems about right

Bad doormat! No stock options!

by Clefo on Aug 30, 2010 5:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Here's an equation:

Average Giants IQ=Sandoval’s weight/4= (approximately) 70 x # of Lincecum pot busts.

No Gutierrez, Sherlock!

by Reynolds rapper on Aug 30, 2010 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions

OT

They really need to show your last vote in the Fan Confidence poll. It’s much easier to say “ten less than last week” or whatever. Just sayin’.

My value over a replacement poster is approximately 10.5 runs.

by Wailord on Aug 30, 2010 6:23 PM EDT reply actions

too bad we can't

have a “FlashForward” event to get a peek at next season. that could sway my vote.

Anyone who attempts to generate random numbers by deterministic means is, of course, living in a state of sin.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Aug 30, 2010 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions

A flash forward to next season

would involve Baxter, a hanglider, Randy Johnson Bobblehead night and 5 HR surrendered by Zombie Kris Benson and me on the kiss cam with a celebrity I don’t recognize.

What does it mean!?

No Gutierrez, Sherlock!

by Reynolds rapper on Aug 31, 2010 4:04 AM EDT up reply actions