I'm totally late with this Oakland preview. I was originally going to write it up like... it's hard to explain. But it would have been funny if I could have made it work. Now, though, I'll just be happy if I can put the analysis together in some kind of coherent way.

I think Head said it best when he said, "QQQQQQQQ! Is having Billy Beane! Oakland Athletics or death!"

The following is not a preview so much as an attempt to start a conversation about Cleveland’s chances in 2006, in light of some different projection systems and expectations produced by the free market.

Last year in this space, I did a run-down of some of the available “investment” markets that pertained to the team and how various projection systems felt about the futures markets and propositions. This year, I will do the same.

The plot thickens?

Wait 'til next year.

The 2007 Tampa Devil Rays stand on the verge of accomplishing something unprecedented....

For all the (more than 240 now!) Hall of Names teams we've built here at Batter's Box, only upon noticing that the recent All-Born-on-St.-Patrick's-Day squad had an outfielder named Jimmie Hall did it finally occur to me that we might build a team of players named Hall. And as it turns out, if you search the greatness of BaseballReference.com for players named Hall, you find there have been 25 such major leaguers -- and that's a nice roster-friendly number, isn't it?

But actually, we'll have to expand our search just a bit, to include the 13 other players who had last/family names that started with "Hall" -- say, a pretty fair RHSP familiar to Blue Jay fans just became eligible -- as we take time to meet ....

I am now running Community Forecasts, and participation among hardcore fans is appreciated.  I've already taken an initial look at Redsox Fans' feelings on Pedroia, Papelbon, and their relievers:

http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/community_forecasts1/

As soon as I get 20 ballots for the Jays, I'll do likewise.

The Twins won 96 games in 2006 behind the pitching of Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan and the batting of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Can they do it again?

Earlier today in the ongoing Trivia Challenge thread, Bauxite Calig23 posed what he called a "St. Patrick's Day themed question," regarding Blue Jays born on this day. It made me realize, shame-facedly at that, that for all the holiday-themed Hall or Names all-birthday teams we have produced here at Batter's Box, we've never done one for St. Patrick's Day.

So, while we still have a few minutes left of March 17, here's a roster made up of the 36 big league players (through the 2006 season) born on March 17; it's a team that we can only Dublin ... er, a team that we can only dub ...

"Well, we're screwed now."
--White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, on PECOTA's projection of 72 wins for his team.

Well that's not good. I was thinking a rain out would be the worst news of the day.

Chacin was stopped by Tampa Police at 3:43 a.m., booked, then released on a $500 bond later in the morning.  Police reports said his blood alcohol content measured .15 at the time of his arrest, almost twice the legal limit of .08.

Pitchers and catchers report for our first trivia question today.

The usual rules apply ...

 

I should make one thing very clear as we begin this preview for the 2007 Texas Rangers … I live in North Texas, work in Arlington about three or four miles from Ameriquest Field, and soak up all the media – radio, TV, newspaper – associated with living in a "major league city."

For all that, I must admit, I am not a Rangers "fan," per se, though I do root for the hometown nine (wait, this is the A.L. -- make that the hometown ten) in most cases. Having a World Series here in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex would be something I'd really enjoy, but for the most part, though the Rangers are live, local and available – they are not "my" team of choice.

Now, you want to meet a Rangers fan? Check that – want to meet the Rangers fan? Then sit back and enjoy this '07 sneak peek as we discuss all things Ranger with the man who has probably written and published more words about that team than anyone else in the Internet age …

Another bunch of meaningless games. Can we tease out some meaningful stuff?

The man who was commissioner of MLB when the Blue Jays were born, Bowie Kuhn, has passed away at the age of 80.

Though he may be a bit nervous today, wondering what havoc Charlie Finley has wrought in the afterlife in his 11-year head start on the ex-Commish, there's no question that Kuhn wrote well his own epitaph: "I want it to be remembered that I was commissioner during a time of tremendous growth in the popularity of the game," he said, "and that it was a time in which no one could question the integrity of the game."

If you remember back that far, share your remembrances of the man who once said of the job he held, "You've got to develop a sense of humor. You have to be able to stand back and laugh. That's invaluable, or you're apt to go slightly balmy."