Saturday, May 10, 2008

Wrist Injury Pun

Ho Hum another right handed bat
He won't be any worse at the dish than most Jays.

Brad Wilkerson - bargain basement lefty option has suddenly transformed into Brad Wilkerson - starting right fielder. Vernon Wells won't be in the lineup today, and Wilner reports he could be out for the rest of this series. I think we picked the wrong season to start blogging about the Jays. Anytime Roy Halladay can't throw a strike to Consonants Cabrera in a bunt situation, something is up. And by up, I mean down. My hope is they've hit the lowest point now, when the impact is "lessened". As we've all said a million times, there is plenty of baseball left to play.

I definitely recommend checking out L'Homme Du Sports' podcast this week, featuring Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus. 40 odd minutes of baseball nerditry. If you weren't sold on Sabrmetrics or Moneyball or whatever before, Sheehan holds Simmons's hand and make it seem even more logical and essential than before.

Later, the pair discuss the growing trend in baseball moving towards more athletic, five tool players at all positions around the diamond. With cornerstone pieces such as Alex Rios, Aaron Hill, Vernon Wells, Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan, the Jays seem to be a study in this movement. Former shortstops, pitchers who are used as pinch runners, each one a multi-talented player. Alex Rios may never hit 40 home runs but he does a wide variety of things well. Strike out, for instance. I kid, I kid.

Simmons and Sheehan also discuss the increased value on health and the ability to keep players on the field. I wonder about the links between the athleticism and injury. Are more athletic players more prone to nagging injuries, having asked so much more of themselves physically? Or are players with better bodies and increased fitness more likely to ensure a greater ROI for those that sign the checks? I know one thing for sure, some five tool athletes are victims of a cruel, cruel god.

As an aside, I can't believe I hadn't read this article about Rocco making the most of his time on the DL. Rocco Baldelli - Renaissance Man.

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