Archive for April 3rd, 2009
New York Mets Preview 2009 – The Bench Addendum
Gary Sheffield: 2008 – Detroit Tigers. 2009 – $400k: Take it away Mr. Hulse.
So let me get this straight….
If the Mets sign Sheffield for $400k and he sucks, they cut him and lose $400k.
If the Mets sign Sheffield for $400k and he finds the Wayback Machine (i.e: “flaxseed oil”) and hits like .295 with 35 HR, 110 RBI, and decent enough defense, it’s the steal of the year. Like, all time steal. Epicsteal.
The fact that he’d be playing one year in the hopes of getting another contract, coupled with the fact that he’s a malcontent which means he’ll bust his ass just to prove Jim Leyland wrong because in his screwed up head that’s how you do business…I might have to say I’m on board with giving it a shot. Besides the fact that he’s a massive douchenozzle…. I’m failing to see the issue here.
To the locker room cancer argument — henceforth known as “The Marbury Effect” in New York.
I’d say the fact that Marbury played for 21 million more than free hurt more than his attitude. The lack of any discernible leadership to control him on the Knicks let his attitude destroy the team. Plus they were on the hook for the kind of money that makes cutting that player impossible. Bottom line, I’m not saying he’s gonna light it up, and if his glove is that bad he may pinch hit. If he becomes an issue, he’s cut and they move on at a bargain rate. Ultimately this is as low risk as it gets with a really high reward ceiling. Like I said, what if he comes along, hits .295, 35 bombs, 100 RBI, and his glove work isn’t so horrific it makes him useless?
Also, long as i’m the only one selling this as potentially good….a couple years ago I remember reading an article about Jason Giambi who claimed that he didn’t like to DH because he didn’t get his head into the game as much and he felt uncomfortable at the plate. If you look up his numbers, (ed note: .246/.387/.478 at DH vs. .303/.426/.566 at 1B) his DH splits are really bad compared to his 1B stats. Part of that of course is that he played 1B in his prime, but still, part of it makes sense that sitting around doesn’t help a guy. Sheff has similar splits (.256/.361/.457 at DH vs. .29.413/.537 at RF), so maybe he’s just not good to DH because he needs to play both sides of the ball to stay in the game mentally.
Also it’s ultimately a contract year which is always a good thing to get on the cheap, a la Pudge in 2003 (when everyone said he was done and he rejuvenated his career to the tune of 40 mil from Detroit).
PECOTA’s got him at .247/.344/.420 for 2009. For $400k and a serviceable glove in right field? Sure, why not?
Prediction: 90 starts. .276/.340/.490 — 20 HR, 85 RBI.
Friday Beer Snob – 12 Beers Of Winter 2008 Series: Saranac Belgian Ale
Name: Saranac Belgian (style) Ale
Brewed By: Matt Brewing Company
Brewed In: Utica, NY
Type: Belgian (style) Ale
ABV: 5.9%
What They Say: Saranac Belgian Style Ale is deliciously fruity. It is brewed with a generous amount of Belgian aromatic malt, hand selected hops, and a traditional Belgian Ale yeast. Brewed in the “trappist” style.
Website: Saranac passes my muster for a good website. Navigation on top, everything easily noticeable and findable without much work. Well done, guys.
Why I Picked It: Part 4 of The 12 Beers Of Winter. This was definitely in last year’s incarnation of the 12 Beers and, according the website, this is it’s only availability. Another odd choice for me in a winter pack because I’ve always filed Belgians in the warm weather folder.
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Presentation: A light red bordering on dark pink label. The watercolor of choice for the Belgian is a small bit of whitewater with a rowboat off to the side — obviously to remind the drinker of Belgium. 3
Originality: It seems like every brewery is in a rush to get out a Belgian (don’t you DARE say Trappist) Ale of some sort. Very few of them (read, only breweries located near the Baseball Hall Of Fame) do them particularly well. With the relative robust availability of Chimay, Leffe, and Corsendonk — I really don’t know why American Breweries waste their time. 1
Taste: The primary reason I never really go out of my way to find great Belgian beer is because I find most of them taste the same. I like the flavor, but they all follow the same early citrus, late clove, bitter drymouth at the end formula. I like the beer, I like the experience, but most of them end up being OK interpretations of 1000-year-old recipes. They do a fine job duplicating the flavor here, but it’s not an addition to the 12-pack I’d miss. 7
Body: If you’ve had one of these, you’ve had most of them. The relative weight of a Belgian’s body remains hard for me to nail down. It feels lager-thin when you pour it and drink it, but by the time the aftertaste rolls around, it feels like you’ve eaten a meal. I’m just a simple caveman, I don’t understand your complex brewing processes. 6
Efficiency: I find Belgians to be near the pinnacle of craft beer efficiency. Their flavor is generally light and refreshing with only a moderately bitter aftertaste. Even that bitterness is generally countered by the citrus clovey sweetness of the other ingredients. The only downside is they generally dry your tongue and wear out their welcome. This beer is no different. The flavor is fantastic and the sandpaper-tongue is muted terrifically. That said, other Belgians do this with much stronger ABV. 8
Versatility: The relative difficulty in obtaining this beer in anything other than the 12 Beers significantly limits its versatility score. You wouldn’t use it to impress your friends. You wouldn’t show up at a Belgian (style) party touting it as your favorite Belgian. If anything, it’s a cheaper imitation of really good Belgian ales. Unfortunately, since you have to buy a 12-pack to get two of them, the regular Belgian 22s probably work out to be cheaper by volume. 2
Final Grade: 27 (of 50) – Good beer.