What the Figgins deal says about the Mariners
Keith Law...or so), but I wonder if the Figgins signing and the departures of Adrian Beltre and Raul Ibanez indicate that the Mariners' front office believes that power is overvalued, or just so fully valued...
Blog Entry | Conversation | December 05, 2009
The Polanco deal might end poorly
Keith Law...s fetish as a GM seems to be giving three-year contracts to hitters in decline; Raul Ibanez's deal isn't looking so hot after his second-half swoon, and now he's...
Blog Entry | Conversation | December 04, 2009
M's pursuing Bay ... but why?
Rob Neyer, SweetSpot...ranking defensively in the outfield. Bay is particularly weak coming in on balls, something that plagued Raul Ibanez in his latter years playing the cavernous left field spot at Safeco Field. Bay is also...
Blog | December 03, 2009What's next for Phillies?
Rob Neyer, SweetSpot...who turns 29 in a few weeks. The Phillies are not old. Only Feliz (34) and Raul Ibanez (37) are beyond their early 30s. But every single regular is theoretically past his prime, and...
Blog | November 05, 2009Obstacles to a World Series rematch
Buster OlneyCharlie Manuel quoted a general after Game 6, in pronouncing that the baseball world has not seen the last of the Phillies. "I'll tell you something -...
Blog Entry | Conversation | November 05, 2009
Six key matchups for Game 6
Buster Olney...is Victorino will play, and if he doesn't, Ben Francisco will be in center and Raul Ibanez will be in left, and the Phillies' late-inning defense will be diminished. Victorino may have...
Blog Entry | Conversation | November 04, 2009
Kneejerk Reactions: Game 1
Rob Neyer, SweetSpot...hitters to a .197 batting average. So why didn't Joe Girardi summon Coke to face Raul Ibanez with the bases loaded in the eighth inning? Granted, David Robertson did induce a ground ball...
Blog | October 28, 2009Will Howard get a pitch he can hit?
Rob Neyer, SweetSpot...the inning's still alive, whichever lefty didn't get Howard will be summoned to retire Raul Ibanez ... after which we'll see yet another righty to face the three (weak) right-handed hitters...
Blog | October 28, 2009The top matchups of the World Series
Buster OlneyThese are my top matchups of the World Series, beyond the battle of old friends CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee: The Yankees' hitters against Cliff Lee's f...
Blog Entry | Conversation | October 28, 2009
McGwire has a road map, but also a guide
Buster OlneyWe saw again Sunday night an example of how others have talked about their past use of performance-enhancing drugs and moved on. Yankees pitcher Andy ...
Blog Entry | Conversation | October 26, 2009
Replay for the World Series could work
Buster OlneyDon Denkinger, an umpire who had one of the most famous blown calls in history, tells Bob Klapisch: It's time to go to replay. Here's the thing: Even...
Blog Entry | Conversation | October 22, 2009
How the Yankees can slow the Angels
Buster OlneyThe Yankees' internal conversation about how to slow down the Angels' running game in this postseason started a little while back -- before spring tra...
Blog Entry | Conversation | October 16, 2009
Questioning Torre's Game 2 starter
Rob Neyer, SweetSpot...some pretty good left-handed hitters. Between Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez, Padilla's going to be staring down one of the best collections of left-handed bats...
Blog | October 15, 2009Top 10 matchups of the LCS
Buster Olney...The Phillies have a murderers' row of left-handed hitters, with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, and they all are very good at hitting left-handed pitching. But late in games, Dodgers...
Blog Entry | Conversation | October 15, 2009
Kershaw is the great X factor
Buster OlneyThe first inning that Clayton Kershaw threw in the major leagues lasted 32 pitches. He was 20 years old at the time, working too quickly, and learning...
Blog Entry | Conversation | October 14, 2009
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