Friday, March 30, 2007

TBG's Free Agent Relocation Program – The Results Show

Five months ago, I wrote a weeklong feature over at Tailgate Crashers in which I predicted where 50 of the top baseball free agents would land. As we go through the results, keep in mind the following words which I wrote in the very first part of the feature:

"…but I'm pretty sure I can get at least 10 out of 50 without even trying."

Let's see how I done did, working our way backwards from part five to part one, with comments where needed and a target of 10 Points Total


Aramis Ramirez - 3B, TBG said: San Diego Padres, Signed with Chicago Cubs: In my blurb, I said "…he stays in the NL and ends up on the West Coast…" I was 1 for 2, with a home run and a warning track flyball. Points: .5

Adam Kennedy – 2B, TBG said: Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Signed with St. Louis Cardinals: Points: 0

Kenny Lofton - CF, TBG said: San Francisco Giants, Signed with Texas Rangers: Points: 0

Julio Lugo – SS, TBG said: Toronto Blue Jays, Signed with Boston Red Sox: Points: 0

Orlando Hernandez - RHP, TBG said: NY Mets, Signed with NY Mets: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 1.5

Jose Valentin – 2B, TBG said: NY Mets, Signed with NY Mets: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 2.5

Steve Trachsel - RHP, TBG said: Cincinnati Reds, Signed with Baltimore Orioles: Points: 0

Ron Belliard – 2B, TBG said: Cleveland Indians, Signed with Washington Nationals: Points: 0

Ray Durham – 2B, TBG said: St. Louis Cardinals, Signed with SF Giants: Points: 0

Roger Clemens - RHP, TBG said: Retires, Signed with N/A: Umm, close enough…Points: 1, Cum. Total: 3.5

Trot Nixon - RF, TBG said: Boston Red Sox, Signed with Cleveland Indians: Points: 0

Juan D'Vaughn Pierre - CF, TBG said: Chicago Cubs, Signed with LA Dodgers: Points: 0

Jay Payton - LF, TBG said: Atlanta Braves, Signed with Baltimore Orioles: In my original comment, I wrote: "He remains a good enough glove man and his 1980s National League skill set should serve him well with a team that doesn't know any better." That's pretty much the O's mission statement, right there. Points: .5, Cum. Total: 4

Rich Aurilia - IF, TBG said: Cincinnati Reds, Signed with SF Giants: Points: 0

Aaron Boone – 3B, TBG said: San Diego Padres, Signed with Florida Marlins: Points: 0

Doug Mientkiewicz – 1B , TBG said: Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Signed with NY Yankees: Points: 0

Sean Casey – 1B, TBG said: Detroit Tigers, Signed with Detroit Tigers: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 5

Shannon Stewart - LF, TBG said: Toronto Blue Jays, Signed with Oakland A's: Points: 0

Craig Biggio – 2B, TBG said: Houston Astros, Signed with Houston Astros: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 6

Andy Pettitte - LHP, TBG said: Houston Astros, Signed with NY Yankees: Points: 0

Daisuke Matsuzaka - RHP, TBG said: Seattle Mariners, Signed with Boston Red Sox: Points: 0

Carlos Lee - LF, TBG said: Houston Astros, Signed with Houston Astros: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 7

Tom Glavine - LHP, TBG said: NY Mets, Signed with NY Mets: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 8

Luis Gonzalez - LF, TBG said: Texas Rangers, Signed with LA Dodgers: Points: 0

Jason Schmidt - RHP, TBG said: Texas Rangers, Signed with LA Dodgers: Points: 0

Kerry Wood - RHP, TBG said: Houston Astros, Signed with Chicago Cubs: Points: 0
Miguel Batista - RHP, TBG said: Milwaukee Brewers, Signed with Seattle Mariners: Points: 0

Kevin Millar – 1B, TBG said: Seattle Mariners, Signed with Boston Red Sox: Points: 0

Jeff Suppan - RHP, TBG said: Chicago White Sox, Signed with Milwaukee Brewers: Points: 0

Tim Wakefield - RHP, TBG said: Boston Red Sox, Signed with Boston Red Sox: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 9


Greg Maddux - RHP, TBG said: LA Dodgers, Signed with San Diego Padres: Points: 0

Mark Mulder - LHP, TBG said: St. Louis Cardinals, Signed with St. Louis Cardinals: Points: 1, Cum. Total: 10


Mike Mussina - RHP, TBG said: New York Yankees, Signed with New York Yankees: I also came within $1 million of NAILING his contract (2 years, $23M). That's another .5 points. Points: 1.5, Cum. Total: 11.5

Dmitri Young – 1B, TBG said: Baltimore Orioles, Signed with Washington Nationals: But, really, how far apart are the two cities? No…I'll not make a mockery of this. Points: 0

Moises Alou - LF, TBG said: LA Angels, Signed with NY Mets: Points: 0

Alex Gonzales - SS, TBG said: Chicago Cubs, Signed with Cincinnati Reds: Points: 0

Gary Matthews, Jr. - CF, TBG said: Baltimore Orioles, Signed with LA Angels: Points: 0

Darin Erstad – 1B, TBG said: LA Angels, Signed with Chicago White Sox: Points: 0

Cliff Floyd - LF, TBG said: Washington Nationals, Signed with Chicago Cubs: Points: 0

Nomar Garciaparra – 1B, TBG said: LA Angels, Signed with LA Dodgers: Points: 0

Frank Thomas - DH, TBG said: Detroit Tigers, Signed with Toronto Blue Jays: Points: 0


Barry Zito - LHP, TBG said: NY Mets, Signed with San Francisco Giants: Points: 0

Chan Ho Park - RHP, TBG said: San Francisco Giants, Signed with NY Mets: Points: 0

Ted Lilly - LHP, TBG said: Oakland A's, Signed with Chicago Cubs: Points: 0

Mark Loretta – 2B, TBG said: Boston Red Sox, Signed with Houston Astros: Points: 0

Mike Piazza - C, TBG said: San Francisco Giants, Signed with Oakland A's: Points: 0

Dave Roberts - CF, TBG said: San Diego Padres, Signed with San Francisco Giants: Points: 0

Jeff Weaver - RHP, TBG said: St. Louis Cardinals, Signed with Seattle Mariners: Points: 0

Barry Bonds - LF, TBG said: Retires, Signed with San Francisco Giants: Points: 0

Alfonso Soriano - LF, TBG said: Chicago Cubs, Signed with Chicago Cubs: There was NOBODY that called this one but me. Every team from Anaheim to San Francisco and back to the east coast were mentioned, while I was reviled for suggesting Chicago. If I may paraphrase Billy Madison, everyone in this room is now smarter for having read it. I award myself 9.5 points, and may God have mercy on your soul. Points: 8.5, Cum. Total: 20

Mission accomplished.





4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Way to grade yourself with some generous point totals.

Going with straight numbers sabermetrics man, I'll give you 11 for 50 for a .220 average.

You're officially the Bobby Crosby of free agent predictions.

Greg Wind said...

My favorite part...

No…I'll not make a mockery of this.

This while putting up more zeros than Gil Meche.

Well done and thanks for being accountable. I'll take your opinions way more seriously from now on. Or not. At least I'll believe you mean it.

Aaron C. said...

Wait...you mean, I met my goal of 10 without all the tomfoolery?! Hell, I'll be Bobby Crosby for that since, as we all know, brittle white ballplayers who hit .220 are "gamers" and "gritty".

Anonymous said...

Some white guys also;

"Play the game the right way"

"Do all the little things"

"Help the team in ways the may not necessarily show up in the box score"

I think several braindead Carribean hitters may take offense to those generalizations.