The Last Man on the Staff
by Grant Brisbee on Apr 1, 2009 1:28 PM PDT
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PrintAl Levine was on the 2002 Angels team that won their division in a strike-shortened season.
Al Levine was a right-handed reliever with miserable K/BB ratios and mediocre stuff.
Al Levine was invited to spring training with the Giants. He had no shot at making the team. But he kept…hanging…around.
Again, Al Levine was a right-handed reliever with miserable K/BB ratios and mediocre stuff. The only thing he had going for him were intangibles. He "knew how to pitch." Or, "he perspires the sweet yet salty musk that you’d come to expect from a true veteran." He was guaranteed to give up runs by the metric ton, mind you, but there was a veteran je ne sais quoi about him.
When the season started, and the games counted, Al Levine was lit up like a right-handed reliever with K/BB ratios and mediocre stuff. The organization then said, good gravy, this guy isn’t good! Then he was released.
It was an amazing journey. If, say, I ran a baseball team, I might file this story away so it wouldn’t be repeated in the future. Joe Martinez might make the team as a long reliever, which isn’t a bad idea in the Earl Weaver tradition. Keiichi Yabu might come back as the long man, which is a role he did fine with last season. Ramon Ortiz? Especially after his awful spring? Especially after reading the Parable of Al Levine? Get outta here.
I’d go with Yabu, but I’d be all for Martinez, who could be a magical mop-up man in the Joe Roa mold.
My only strong preference: no Ramon Ortiz. Sorry, Ortizophiles. There isn’t a data point in his favor.
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My only strong preference: no Ramon Ortiz.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 1, 2009 1:31 PM PDT reply actions
Of course Grant’s statement pretty much guarantees he makes the team now.
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 1, 2009 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions
I was thinking of Al Levine recently. I think he had a 0.00 ERA in Spring Training, and there were fans clamoring for him to be on the team. I knew nothing good would come of it though.
Judgment Day is coming
comics | art | Nattowear
those responsible for the hiring of ortiz have been sacked
velez in compare it will resemble posterity of the mutant of effigy and tin person, who tries to grip monkeys in flight
candy Buddha, if ortiz enters into ANY game, which is close one in this year, I will tear all chapters of barbies of my sister and will force them to carry out vorpal [fellyatsiyu] on the plastic packet of the meat of skeletor…, and then I will decompose the universe
by Headhunter Rollins on Apr 1, 2009 1:34 PM PDT reply actions
“those responsible for sacking those who hired ortiz have been sacked” sabean said in subtitles
by shaolinironlion on Apr 1, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions
lama bites kan be evin nastir.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Kevin Frandsen should be with the big team.
The directors of the team responsible for hiring the people who sacked the people who hired ortiz
wish it to be known that they have now been sacked. The rest of the roster has been filled out in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute
he did make an appearance on the Giants in ’05 IIRC. I think it was the last stop of his ML career. Could be wrong though.
Baseball is a lot like life. The line drives are caught, the squibbles go for base hits. It's an unfair game. -Rod Kanehl
by j14 on Apr 1, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Did you look at his numbers in Japan?
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
I’d go with Joe Martinez. I’m not entirely clear why Miller and Medders aren’t in the equation, though.
I always had a soft spot for Joe Roa. Well, if by “always” I mean the one year he was a Giant.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
+1
Nothing against Yabu, but might as well give the youngster a shot.
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on Apr 1, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
JOEY MARTINEZ!!!!
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
My name is marcello.
And I support this message.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
Eagles fly together!
Wow. A new low for me. And I love BC.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
I agree Martinez is probably the better call, but the triple play that one time was just so awesome. My head says Martinez but my heart shouts YAAAAAABBBBBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!
YES YOU DO
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Kevin Frandsen should be with the big team.
WALRUSMAN SECRETLY PREFERS ASHLEE SIMPSON TO LED ZEPPLIN.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
I have not tried Platinum yet, because I’ve been playing Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, but I’ll be starting it up soon.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
id rather start the season with yabu. although i like the idea of getting the younger martinez mlb experience, i still naively cling to hope of competition within the division this year. so that being said i go with yabu for his experience and his ability to get the ground ball, he was good at stranding runners last year.
Martinez gets more groundballs than Yabu and is honestly the better pitcher right now.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
I AM WRITING YOU ALL IN MY DEATH NOTE!!!
by Lars The Wanderer on Apr 1, 2009 5:55 PM PDT reply actions
I vote for Yabu
Just for the simple bragging right of being able to say:
“You know the guy who injured himself with an exercise band? Yeah – well he plays for my team”
72-90 - TIMMY FOR CY YOUNG!!!
Adopted Giant: Daryl Maday - The roller coaster ride continues - Augusta to Norwich to San Jose, the latter of which has been a success so far. 1.59 ERA.
OMG no Ortiz
He’d be the mop-up man that brings his own messes.
I'm spent, just can't rosterbate anymore.
Martinez has earned the shot, and this could be a great way to get him in to face some MLB’ers and become an emergency spot starter. Yabu did fine last year, but I think the Giants will benefit more if Martinez get innings.
Giant Dirtbags: Brian Anderson, Todd Jennings, Steve Hammond, John Bowker
Wronghanded Affeldt doing it right
by Giant among Angels on Apr 1, 2009 7:25 PM PDT reply actions
and then.....
he pitches in the 4 spot and Zitooooooo goes to mopup as Jebus intended….
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
by natteringnabob on Apr 1, 2009 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I love me some YABUUUUUUUUUUUU
But he probably won’t mind tossing in Fresno for a few weeks, coming up if Joe M blows chunks.
My main concern is that the mop up guy STAY the mop up guy. I was happy to see Fassero and Wright in that role, and they did fine… it was when they were asked to do other things that it got ugly.
And where I come from, the mop up guy comes in to pitch 3+ innings in blowouts. Not to pitch one inning every day for the first 6 months of the season. OK Botchy? (Although to be fair Yabu threw so much at the beginning of last season because Hennessey et al were going so poorly)
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
Al Levine has a lot in common with Ted Levine
“Would you hit me?
I’d hit me.
I’d hit me hard.”
Gooooodbye Base-balls
more runs in
runs in
Goooooodbye base-balls
Billy Ripken is not a fuck face
Considering starters take a bit to hit their stride whoever gets that spot should get some fairly regular work the first month or so of the season thus Martinez or Yabu is fine with me. If the starters are going 7+ and just devouring innings then at that point then I would rather Martinez is getting regular work as a starter in Fresno in preparation for last month or so of this season and to be a possible candidate for the bottom of the rotation next spring.
R. Ortiz is not the Run Dingerz.exe we are looking for.
HOW CAN YOU ROOT AGAINST THIS MAN
http://www.yabulog.net/photos.html
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
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