Odds and Ends: Ibanez, Dunn, Blake, Stewart

As a jays fan let me thank you for continuing to mention Dunn's lack of passion and dislike for baseball at every reference... cracks me up.

Tim,

Think Ari was talking about posters on this site, not this particular article or even this thread. The names discussed in the article were, generally speaking, pretty modest...really just guys to get the club from point B to point A's (thanks folks, tip your waitresses, I'll be here all week!!!). I did think the author of the piece was clearly biased (expected for a fansite) and a bit too hasty to proclaim the dynastic glory of the baby A's coming up- I love their farm system as much as anyone (without a rooting interest) and think they've got a SHOT to be great, but there's a big difference between dominating in the minors and doing it in the show- but at least he held off on "let's sign CC!" type talk; completely out of keeping with Billy Beane's grand design.

Like my O's, Oakland (or whatever they're going to be called) is building for 2010 and beyond. Thus far, they've done a tremendous job (I only wish Baltimore had been so active at the trade deadline) and seem positioned well. Baseball is a funny game- things never seem to work out like they're 'supposed' to- but with a genius like Beane at the helm, the A's have stacked the odds in their favor.

On a side note, I've found Beane's moves- and draft picks- interesting over the past year or so. Obviously no team in baseball has done more to improve the quality and depth of their farm over the past year, but what's so fascinating is the way Beane and his Moneyball mentality/philosophy have evolved. Rather than stubbornly sticking to the rigid tenets established a decade ago, he's allowed himself to learn and grow and to use those experiences to further mold and tweak his ideology for player acquisition. At its heart- its foundation- it's still Moneyball. This baseball 'God' is in the details.

Like I have said before, Blue Jays General Manager J. P. Ricciardi might not know Adam Dunn but Reds ex-General Manager Wayne Krivsky sure does.

Since the Mets had no interest in Dunn and Sherman cites his lack of passion as one of the reasons why then you can darn well bet that Wayne Krivsky had a say in NOT bringing Dunn to the Mets since he is NOW working as a Special Assistant in THEIR Front Office.

I have said this all along, Krivsky got fired from Cincinnati because he DIDN'T want Dunn on the team in 2008 but the old grouch Bob Ca$htellini (who has a man crush on Dunn) did and since Ca$htellini is the Owner, the Owner won and Dunn's option was exercised.

Some of you are missing the point. "Dunn doesn't like baseball" is a knock at Ricciardi and other bad management, not Dunn himself.

Dunn probably doesn't like baseball because his manager tells him to swing at pitches he doesn't like, tells him he's clogging up the basepaths with those walks, and asks him, a 40 HR hitter, to bunt in the bottom of the 9th with two men on.

"what's so fascinating is the way Beane and his Moneyball mentality/philosophy have evolved. Rather than stubbornly sticking to the rigid tenets established a decade ago"

That's the entire point of it. Moneyball exploits inefficiencies in the market. People catch on to the inefficiencies (OBP, for example) so you have to find new things they're undervaluing to stay ahead. The whole point of Moneyball is to always change and adapt to the market.

"Give me a player like Dunn that apparently hates baseball but is out there every day putting up solid numbers over someone like Manny that loves baseball but will intentionally tank just to get what he wants."

Are you kidding me that you would prefer Dunn over Manny? Dunn can't carry Manny's bats.

"Are most of those Japanese/Chinese people listed on the bottom mostly pitchers or hitters??"

They are all Japanese (a little racial insensitivity there, eh?) and they are all pitchers. Darvish is the most promising of them all.

Dunn can't carry Manny's bat when Manny is trying. When Manny is in operation shutdown because 20 million isn't enough for his services then Corey Patterson could carry his bat. So yes if I had to pick a LF give me Dunn, I know he'll be out there every day doing all he can..he played half a year with a broken hand, over someone like Manny who quit on the team just to get his way. Its about trust and after that I just can't trust Manny to live up to his word. The Sox didn't put a gun to his head and force him to sign that deal. Kind of wish money wasn't a factor so the Sox could pick up both options and use him as a pinch hitter in blow out games only

I really dont know what the big deal is about Dunn liking baseball or not. Who is anybody to complain fo a guy thats goin to hit 40 homers this year. Hey I like baseball but I'll admit it is kind of boring. 3 players are playing and the rest are just sleeping, waiting for the ball to come to them and they mess up the play, like Jeter.

Can someone tell me when the final deadline is for Barry Bonds being able to sign and make post season roster?

the dealine for someone to be on a post season roster is september 1st i believe. im pretty sure that the rays are going to be interested considering that crawford went down and longeria.

bank street,

Right after Krivsky was fired, he said before the 2007 All-Star break he had a trade for Dunn worked out but that deal was quashed. Gee, I wonder who did that.

Before the end of the 2007 season, Ca$htellini and Dunn had lunch together and Dunn was quoted as saying they talked about the future of the team. Notice Krivsky was NOT at that lunch.

Now, if Dunn were going to be a Free Agent then WHY would the Owner of the team sit down and have lunch with him and talk about the future of the team IF the Owner had not already decided he was going to pick up the club option on Dunn??

WIth Krivsky coming from the Minnesota Twins organization, an organization that routinely lets big dollar veterans go, either vie trades or Free Agency, then WHY would Krivsky want to bring Dunn back, at $13.5 million a year, when he could have just let him go, pick up the Amateur Draft picks and use his money on Pitching or to fill OTHER holes the Reds had? It makes NO sense.

No, Ca$htellini wanted Dunn back for the 2008 season and Krivsky didn't. The Owner and the GM butted heads and the GM lost. Plain and simple.

Again, since the Mets NEEDED a power hitting Outfielder and Dunn WAS available, then WHY didn't the Mets go after him?

The Mets had a need.
The Mets had the money to pay him.
After the late season meltdown last year, the Mets had a good excuse to go out and overpay for somebody like Dunn.
Finally, with the Mets having a good shot at making the Play-Offs and the Yankees missing the Post Season, the Mets could have used that as another excuse to overpay for Dunn.

But. they didn't and I think Wayne Krivsky working in the Mets Front Office was a HUGE reason why Dunn wasn't brought in.

Ricciardi might not know Dunn but Krivsky saw Dunn day in and day out for over two years.

"Dunn can't carry Manny's bat when Manny is trying. When Manny is in operation shutdown because 20 million isn't enough for his services then Corey Patterson could carry his bat."

Your "operation shutdown" Manny was still producing at a higher level than Dunn when he was allegedly loafing with the Sox. The fact is, Manny is always giving his best when he is out on the field, which can't necessarily be said for Dunn.

Obviously Adam Dunn won't be joining the Mets this season, but I think that a player such as Dunn or Pat Burrell would be a great fit on this team next year. I stand by the belief that Carlos Delgado will be a Met next year given his surge and the way the team is run in its current state, and Dunn or Burrell could serve as the team's first baseman after Delgado moves on. I think that, since Fernando Martinez probably wouldn't be ready next season, a player such as Dunn or Burrell could fill the role as the left fielder next season and perhaps at first or left in years to come after a guy such as Martinez is ready.

I also believe that Wayne Krivsky didn't exactly get fair shakes in Cincinnati, but a dislike of a certain player shouldn't hold the Mets back from making the right signings or trades. I don't necessarily want Nick Evans anywhere near left field for the rest of the season.