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Around SBN: Full Coverage of 2012 Coke 600

Pre-Spring Training Chatter Roundup: New Contracts, Enthusiasm, Roster Talk, Etc

A raft of stories to grab onto as we near ever closer to the start of Spring Training. Positives and negatives included below. It's hard not to feel the enthusiasm.

Beyond our Royals, there's talk of the Cubs playing at the Cell, a look at the young Tribe, and a strange move by Billy Beane.

Royals:

Baseball:

Star-divide

  • About the Cubs playing at U.S. Cellular Field in 2013 - South Side Sox
  • MLB -- Theo Epstein sets tone with 'The Cub Way' - ESPN
  • The Age of the Indians - Let's Go Tribe
  • Grab Bag:

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    Good interviews with Danny Duffy and Luke Hochevar.

    http://www.610sports.com/Audio—Royals-Spring-Training/12323388

    Danny Duffy is optimistic. Luke Hochevar says “Y’know” a lot.

    I'm a 15 year old freshman in high school with a love for all things Royals and Packers.

    2012 is the year we shine (hopefully. If not, then it will be 2013).

    by Jack Marsh on Feb 20, 2012 11:38 AM EST reply actions  

    Duffy has some good things to say.

    It seems like he’s getting it. He isn’t afraid to say he has good stuff, but understands his control issues. The mental part of the game is talked about too often, but I am glad that Duffy understands his strengths and weakness, and that he has done something in the offseason to get better. We’ll see if it works.

    by hawkinscm87 on Feb 20, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions  

    I am bullish on a good season from him

    Like 4.30 ERA or so in 120 IP.

    Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

    by RoyalsRetro on Feb 20, 2012 3:00 PM EST up reply actions  

    The Problems I

    Saw Duffy have should be corrigible, especially for a pitcher his age, I hop we get 150+ innings from him.

    I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

    by philofthenorth on Feb 20, 2012 10:22 PM EST up reply actions  

    OT - but I figured this thread wouldn't be a bad spot.

    From a chat with ESPN Fantasy writer AJ Mass on Feb. 16:

    Jim (Boston)

    You buying Doug Fister this year? With him being a ground ball pitcher, the defense behind him scares me, but that lineup should help get him wins.
    AJ Mass (11:07 AM)

    I am. The way I see it, if the defense is that bad and commits a ton of errors, then his ERA actually goes down!

    I think he may have missed something.

    by hawkinscm87 on Feb 20, 2012 12:13 PM EST reply actions  

    By the way...

    Does anybody else read ESPN fantasy columns on occasion? I think I’m going to stop. Their fantasy staff doesn’t seem competent sometimes. Like the example from the AJ Mass chat I just posted: Is it really that difficult to understand how a bad defense could bloat a pitcher’s ERA? The official scorer isn’t giving Miggy Cabrera an error when he doesn’t get within 5 feet of the ball. Another example is their rankings. If you sort their rankings by position, and click on DH, you’ll find that they include Michael Young. Okay. Except they rank Michael Young higher (better) than Billy Butler. What?! Then you look at the fantasy stats from 2011. Then you look at their projected stats for 2012 – and Billy is better in almost every one. wtf

    by hawkinscm87 on Feb 20, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions  

    I don't

    but I dont play fantasy and am even worse

    by Freneau on Feb 20, 2012 12:35 PM EST up reply actions  

    Then you look at the fantasy stats from 2011. Then you look at their projected stats for 2012 – and Billy is better in almost every one. wtf

    young 338 11 106 88 6
    butler 291 19 95 74 2

    now, which fantasy categories was butler better than young in again? 1 out of 5?

    Fire Everyone

    by billybeingbilly on Feb 20, 2012 1:08 PM EST up reply actions  

    and the projections slightly favor MY

    8 more runs, 4 more steals, 4 less homers and 2 less RBIs

    Fire Everyone

    by billybeingbilly on Feb 20, 2012 1:29 PM EST up reply actions  

    Projections are in favor of Billy.

    Not sure how you reach the opposite conclusion.

    by hawkinscm87 on Feb 20, 2012 2:03 PM EST up reply actions  

    4 more homers and 2 more rbis

    versus 8 more runs and steals….those are in no way in favor of billy….they’re essentially the same but if not, they’re in favor of MY

    Fire Everyone

    by billybeingbilly on Feb 20, 2012 2:21 PM EST up reply actions  

    I think they are considering the home runs are more important

    I’ll admit I probably looked at the projections and also thought about how stupid they were. Billy’s batting average is projected to be higher also, and probably with more at-bats.

    by hawkinscm87 on Feb 20, 2012 2:40 PM EST up reply actions  

    im learning so much 298>298

    argue that the projections arent good all you want…but arguing that their projections favor billy is absurd

    Fire Everyone

    by billybeingbilly on Feb 20, 2012 2:44 PM EST up reply actions  

    Was the BA the same?

    I thought Billy was projected higher with more at-bats. Oh well – in that case, the projections suck. Although Young’s ADP is 71 while Billy’s is 120. I guess everyone else is wrong, and I’m right. Not uncommon.

    by hawkinscm87 on Feb 20, 2012 3:09 PM EST up reply actions  

    Doesn’t position eligibility play into a fantasy player’s value? Young is more flexible and can play some positions where good numbers are more scarce.

    You may know me as NYRoyal.

    by Scott McKinney on Feb 20, 2012 4:14 PM EST up reply actions  

    Young should compared to hitters in the the scarest position he is qualified at (positional adjustment).

    He will probably compare decently to 2B or 3B. If you need more details, I can go into it.

    Doubting Thomas, the patron saint of sabermetrics

    by Jeff Zimmerman on Feb 20, 2012 2:50 PM EST up reply actions  

    I steer clear of the baseball stuff because I get what I need elsewhere...

    but for football Tristan Cockcroft & Matt Berry & Nat Ravich are fine for me…even though Matt Berry must be taken in small doses

    I am the one who knocks.

    by PhattStairs on Feb 20, 2012 9:05 PM EST up reply actions  

    I feel like I have to read it because my competition is reading it...

    then I go to the third party sites and do the real research

    I am the one who knocks.

    by PhattStairs on Feb 20, 2012 9:06 PM EST up reply actions  

    OT - Funniest person on Twitter

    Go.

    Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

    by RoyalsRetro on Feb 20, 2012 3:01 PM EST reply actions  

    @meganamram

    Or @borkowitzreport

    Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

    by RoyalsRetro on Feb 20, 2012 3:27 PM EST up reply actions  

    gselevator

    Fire Everyone

    by billybeingbilly on Feb 20, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions  

    Summer Camp Mitch

    Needs to start tweeting.

    There are literally DOZENS of us!

    by Tracer Bullet 82 on Feb 20, 2012 3:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions  

    Alec Sulkin

    @TheSulk

    We should trade for Vance Worley.

    by JKWard on Feb 20, 2012 8:32 PM EST up reply actions  

    robdelany

    and it’s not even close

    Sporadically musing on the Royals at both Royals Review and Royalscentricity, pop culture at Inconsiderate Prick, SVU at Munch My Benson and on Twitter at Old Man Duggan

    by Old Man Duggan on Feb 21, 2012 3:45 AM EST up reply actions  

    Do enjoy him as well

    Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

    by RoyalsRetro on Feb 21, 2012 10:11 AM EST up reply actions  

    Shit My Dad Says?

    Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
    Rock Chalk Talk

    by Warden11 on Feb 23, 2012 10:05 AM EST up reply actions  

    I said "how funny he is"

    Shit My Dad Says is about someone else being old and crazy, not about the Tweeter actually being funny himself.

    Sporadically musing on the Royals at both Royals Review and Royalscentricity, pop culture at Inconsiderate Prick, SVU at Munch My Benson and on Twitter at Old Man Duggan

    by Old Man Duggan on Feb 24, 2012 1:23 AM EST up reply actions  

    Ah, gotcha.

    Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
    Rock Chalk Talk

    by Warden11 on Feb 24, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions  

    Depressing Baseball Stat of the Day?

    Top 10 in Wins By Royals Draftee Since 1990
    131 Lieber
    76 Greinke
    67 Rusch
    57 Bankhead
    38 Durbin
    37 Rosado
    35 Affeldt
    30 Hochevar
    26 Simontacchi
    24 Rupe

    by sterlingice on Feb 20, 2012 3:53 PM EST reply actions  

    Some Thoughts on It

    -Put together by someone on a message board I frequent, so not my work
    -Zack will be at the top of this list in the next few years, hopefully. He’s a legit KC Royal and prospect and will one day be in the Royals HOF, I suspect.
    -0 of Jon Lieber’s wins came with the Royals
    -I wish Joe Pink (Jose Rosado) had a more healthy arm
    -I wish Jeremy Affeldt would have solved the blister problems sooner
    -Who is Jason Simontacchi?
    -Ryan Rupe and Scott Bankhead were Royals draftees?
    -Wow, what a depressing list :(

    WAIT: I botched this. Bankhead was drafted in 1984 (I was pulling off a list from 1980 forward):
    That means #10 is 23 Matt Guerrier (minors)

    by sterlingice on Feb 20, 2012 3:58 PM EST up reply actions  

    Rupe was a DRays draftee

    You may know me as NYRoyal.

    by Scott McKinney on Feb 20, 2012 4:16 PM EST up reply actions  

    I thought so

    But I wonder if it was one of those where the Royals drafted him one year and he chose to stay in school or something like that.

    Could also just be a typo…

    by sterlingice on Feb 20, 2012 4:23 PM EST up reply actions  

    Rupe and Simontacci

    Both drafted by the Royals, but I don’t think either signed.

    Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

    by RoyalsRetro on Feb 20, 2012 4:30 PM EST up reply actions  

    Yeah, the same way Hochevar was a Dodgers draftee.

    You may know me as NYRoyal.

    by Scott McKinney on Feb 20, 2012 7:37 PM EST up reply actions  

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