Sunday Notes: MLB Executives Weigh in on the Implications of MiLB Contraction

Posted On Feb 12, 2020 By admin With Comments Off

Almost inexplicably, the proposed contraction of 42 minor league crews has largely become second-page news. Baseball’s biggest tale only a few short months ago, a potentially cataclysmic difference of the game’s landscape has noted itself marred by cheating gossips, ministerial havoc, and the contentious market of a superstar by a deep-pocketed team. In arguably one of the most-tumultuous off-seasons ever, a hugely-important issue lies almost dormant within the news cycle.

Here at FanGraphs, we’re doing our best not to let that happen. My colleague Craig Edwards is taking an in-depth look at the situation — expect those articles in the coming daytimes — and what you’re seeing here performs as a lead-in to his efforts. My own sentiments aren’t included. What follows are the conceptions of a handful of high-ranking MLB directors, the largest proportion of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In the opinion of one GM, lawsuits are likely, if not inescapable. Speaking on the record would thus be an invitation to trouble. Another said that the ongoing discussions are at the organization position, and independent of individual units. For the above reasons, offering a public opinion wouldn’t is in conformity with his best interest.

With no exclusion, each ministerial expressed that his organization’s bottom line is to optimize player development, regardless of the structure of the minor league. An American League GM put it this channel 😛 TAGEND

“I don’t reflect[ reduction] would change our operations that much in terms of what we’re focused on internally. We want to articulated the best resources in front of our players, and whether “weve had” 10 bush league teams, five minor league teams, or somewhere in between, we’re going to do the same thing.”

Continuity came up multiple times. Asked if all organizations would be impacted equally by contraction, one exec pointed out that some organizations have multiple DSL squads, or multiple rookie-league teams, while others don’t. As he framed it, “I’m of the clique that the more consistent we are in terms of number of units, and number of musicians across minor-league baseball … that’s something I’d be supportive of.”

All agreed that losing a short-season team could prove problematic in matters of promotions. For speciman, what do you do if a participate in the Gulf Coast League is deemed ready for the New York-Penn League, but not for the South-Atlantic League? In essence, you’d either have to leave him stagnant or double-jump him to a degree potentially deleterious to his change. Again, the importance of continuity. If all organizations face the same challenges, you have a more-level playing field.

A National League GM who weighed in on the question agreed. He also rued the notion that an undetermined number of potential overachievers would never get that chance.

“There is definitely a subset of musicians that shouldn’t be inducing that double leap. With a great deal of affiliates, you don’t face that challenge. The more players you have … it utters for a great deal of good legends. People come out of nowhere. In that ability, I don’t affection the idea of reducing it down.”

And then there are the towns. Losing a baseball unit impacts their home communities , not just in terms of the fan experience, but also economically. One ministerial in particular was thoughtful when addressing that issue:

“Philosophically, is minor-league baseball alone for musician developing, or is it also a business for these towns? We have expectations now, but we also have 12 kids who were drafted in order to give those other 12 someone to play with. Are we OK that this is part development, segment presentation business? We’re spending money on kids who are drafted and developed, in order to give players to that business. This is a philosophical question that needs to be answered.”

It is widely recognized that MLB owneds have the money to continue “subsidizing, ” and they could afford to do so more generously. This is especially true when it comes to minor-league wages, which are a drop in the bucket compared to other uses. Eliminating affiliates isn’t necessary for that to happen. Therein lies the business part of the equation, which is intertwined with “the worlds largest” good of the game. One executive I spoke to freely admitted that the best interests of MLB owneds and the best interests of baseball as a whole aren’t the same thing.

The timing of June’s amateur draft came up multiple times. The consensus was that the draft should be pushed back, perhaps to the All-Star break, and that’s whether constriction vanishes forward or not.

Which raises us to the contentious negotiations between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball. As one of the aforementioned ministerials pointed out, those are taking place beyond the purview of individual crews — all he and his brethren can do is wait for a resolution, and then act according. Which doesn’t intend there aren’t things they’d like to see happen.

“I simply demand it to be well thought out, ” expressed one of the NL execs. “I don’t want the fanny to wag the dog. I think that’s the route it is now: the fanny humorists the dog. We have all these short-season affiliates, we have to draft 40 rounds, we’re filling out rosters. What we have now isn’t ideal. The behavior it’s set up could certainly be optimized.”

—-

Aaron Civale doesn’t facet many four-seam fastballs. The Cleveland Indians right-hander threw the tone really 3.2% of the time in his rookie season. And while upping that usage in 2020 isn’t definitely a destination, having a higher-quality four-seamer is. Cognizant of the fact that he’s ”always been able to spin a baseball, but not really backspin a baseball, ” Civale has been working out at Cressey Sports Performance in hopes of converting that dynamic.

As for his primary fastball, the 24 -year-old Northeastern University product doesn’t throw a traditional two-seamer. He described the clutch as “a little bit offset, creating almost one-seam spin; I invent at a different axis to create more of a lateral progress, versus time depth. The better I spin it — I do spin the missile well — the more it moves in the direction I want it to.”

Not surprisingly, engineering is playing a role in his efforts to improve his sporadically-thrown four-seamer. The Indians sent Civale an Edgertronic to use over the offseason, and it’s helped him work on his release stage.

“I’m often on the two sides of the pellet at secrete, so I tend to get a little baby trimmed on the ball from the invent axis, ” said Civale. “The direction it’s spinning isn’t genuinely conducive to carry. Having the Edgertronic and the Rapsodo allows me to see the immediate results of the spin axis and direction, which allows me to quantify possible small changes.”

Again, those small changes aren’t intended to remake the righty’s repertoire.

“It’s not something that’s being prioritized, ” showed Civale, who entered a 2.34 ERA in his 10 begins with the Indians. “The goal isn’t necessarily for it to be a plus tar, it’s more to help realise my other pitches better. And because I do mix it in, I need to make sure it’s there when I need to go to it.”

—-

RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUP

Pee Wee Reese exited 34 for 100 against Lew Burdette.

Joe Torre disappeared 35 for 100 against Juan Marichal.

Irish Meusel became 37 for 100 against Jesse Haines.

Paul Waner travelled 40 for 100 against Pat Malone.

Joe Adcock became 42 for 100 against Johnny Klippstein.

——

Tim Kurkjian told a duo of good Greg Maddux stories on Friday at a Foundation To Be Named Later interest event in Boston. The first laid bare just how well the Hall of Fame right-hander could predict the tendencies of certain hitters. According to Kurkjian, Bobby Cox had come out to the mound to remove Maddux from a postseason game in a tense situation.

“You can’t take me out against this guy, ” Maddux told his director. “I know what he’s going to do. He’s going to pop out to the third baseman on the first pitching. You can take me out after this, but don’t take me out now, because he’s going to pop up to third base on the first pitch.”

What happened? He popped up to third on the first pitch.

The ESPN analyst proceeded to share another claim that comes down to fruition.

“Greg Maddux went 999 guys in his busines, ” recounted Kurkjian. “He had 999 with three starts to go, and he told Derek Lowe, frisking golf one day,’ I’m not treading anybody else. I’m not marching 1,000 guys in my career.’”

Maddux use 18 innings over those last three outings. He didn’t saunter anybody.

——

An historical comp 😛 TAGEND

Mookie Betts’s last three seasons before being dealt from the Red Sox to the Dodgers:. 299/.389 /. 535, 85 home runs, 140 wRC +, three Gold Gloves.

Fred Lynn’s are three seasons before being dealt from the Red Sox to the Angels in January 1981:. 311/.396 /. 540, 73 home runs, 148 wRC +, three Gold Gloves.

Lynn was 28 years old at the time. The three musicians Boston acquired in the transaction — Jim Dorsey, Joe Rudi, and Frank Tanana — went on to combine for 0.1 Crusade while wearing Red Sox uniforms. Betts, arguably the best player in baseball not worded Mike Trout, is 27 years old.

——

NEWS NOTE

Sean Foreman, who founded baseball-reference.com in 2000, is likely to be status with the 2020 SABR Analytics Conference Lifetime Achievement Award.

Major League Baseball has promoted Chris Young to Senior Vice President. Per a press release, the former big-league right-hander will oversee MLB’s on-field operations, and umpiring, agencies. Young had been serving as Vice President, On-Field Functioning, Initiatives& Strategy.

Maura Sheridan has been hired as the new play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Indians’ Carolina League affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats. The 23 -year-old Syracuse University graduate squander last-place season as the No. 2 broadcaster with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

Blaine McCormick will be joining the Richmond Squirrels broadcast team this coming season. A recent alumnu of Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, McCormick called recreations for the Boise Hawks last summer. The Squirrels are San Francisco’s Eastern League affiliate.

Gil Coan, an outfielder for four units from 1946 -1 956, died earlier the coming week at senility 97. Coan’s best times came with the Washington Senators, for whom he batted. 303 in both 1950 and 1951.

Last Sunday’s column noted that the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame would be announcing their 2020 inductees on Tuesday. They did so, and the honorees are Justin Morneau, John Olerud, Duane Ward, and Jacques Doucet.

——

A random shoutout to a Kelowna, British Columbia native who had a short-but-successful big-league career that concluded with an elbow injury 😛 TAGEND

Jeff Zimmermann is out of the Texas Rangers bullpen 196 durations from 1999 -2 001, with yearly impression totals of 65, 65, and 66. In the last of those three seasons, Zimmermann was credited with 28 saves. His path to MLB was unique.

Undrafted out Texas Christian University, Zimmermann sloped for Team Canada, and for Barracudas de Montpellier in France’s Division Elite. He then returned to this side of the pond and sloped for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the Northern League. The Rangers bought Zimmermann’s contract from the indie-league club in January 1998.

——

Last Sunday’s column included a peek at the brand-new player-development-focused class that Andy Andres is schooling at Boston University. Noted within those paragraphs was the facts of the case that Peter Bendix, Mike DeBartolo, and Jeremy Greenhouse are among the 12 former Sabermetrics 101 students who have been hired by MLB squads. Of the nine not mentioned, here are the six who remain in noteworthy stances 😛 TAGEND

Ethan Bein, Senior Analyst R& D, Milwaukee Brewers Joe Harrington, Coordinator Performance Discipline, Los Angeles Dodgers Matt McGrath, Assistant Director Player Development, Los Angeles Dodgers. Alex Merberg, Director of Baseball Action, Cleveland Indians Julia Prusaczyk, Analyst Baseball Development, St. Louis Cardinals Will Vandenberg, Bio-mechanical Quantitative Analyst, Los Angeles Dodgers

——

LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

How do baseball teams exchange medical information, and what does it means for the Mookie Betts trade? Alex Speier explained the process at The Boston Globe.

Chris Welsh sloped in the major league before becoming a broadcaster with the Cincinnati Reds. Jim Leeke profiled the southpaw-turned-analyst for SABR’s BioProject.

Janie McCauley of the Associated Press wrote about how Alyssa Nakken is cuddling her persona as MLB’s first female manager. Nakken’s official title with the San Francisco Giants is Major League Assistant Coach.

Sticking closer to home, Stephanie Springer wrote about “The Astros, mental safety, and MLB front office culture, ” for The Hardball Times.

Over at The Tampa Bay Times, John Romano wrote about how all the Rays exes live in Texas … and in Boston and Los Angeles.

——

RANDOM FACTS AND STAT

Babe Ruth stumbled 29 home run in 1919, his final year with the Red Sox. Mookie Betts affected 29 home run in 2019,[ presumably] his final year with the Red Sox.

Mookie Betts has 37.2 Fighting through his age-2 7 season. Andruw Jones had 47.1 Combat through his age-2 7 season.

White Sox outfielder Leury Garcia scored 47% of the time he reached basi last year, the highest rate in MLB. The league average was 31% .( Per ESPN’s Sam Miller .)

Whit Merrifield has slashed. 352/.382 /. 590 in 295 busines layer images against the Detroit Tigers. The Kansas City Royals infielder is a combined 30 for 62 versus Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris.

Larry Walker had 8,030 dish forms, 383 home run, and 230 theft bases. Ryan Braun has 7,199 sheet appearances, 344 home run and 215 plagiarize bases.

Dom DiMaggio extended 29 for 101, with 10 paths, against Early Wynn. Joe DiMaggio moved 29 for 102, with 10 saunters, against Early Wynn.

In 1929, Chicago Cubs infielder Woody English had a 72 OPS +…. and tallied 131 runs.

On this time in 1946, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Preacher Roe suffered material fractured skull upon hitting the storey after being perforated by a referee during a high school basketball game. Roe, who was coaching one of the teams, had feuded a call.

The Seattle Mariners traded Ken Griffey Jr . to the Cincinnati Reds on February 10, 2000 in exchange for Mike Cameron, Antonio Perez, Brett Tomko, and Jake Meyer.

Charlie Wilson, an infielder for the Boston Braves and St. Louis Cardinals in the the 1930 s, was nicknamed “Swamp Baby.”

var SERVER_DATA= Object.assign( SERVER_DATA || );