SB Nation - Login for mobile commenting

The Crawfish Boxes

Super Sunday Links 19 February 2012

CHON BURI, THAILAND - FEBRUARY 16:  Na Yeon Choi of South Korea plays a shoot on the 17th hole during day one of the LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club on February 16, 2012 in Chon Buri, Thailand.  (Photo by Victor Fraile/Getty Images)

While conroestro was educating us on sophomore slumps I was putting together these links of education.

Learning

Joe Posnanski » Posts Aging (with chart!) «
By Joe Posnanski

Prospect Analysis: Lessons Learned - Minor League Ball
By John Sickels

Hoffman: Former Astros manager Larry Dierker grew to love reading - Houston Chronicle
By Ken Hoffman

Five Guys Who Played For and Managed the Astros « The Pecan Park Eagle
By Bill McCurdy

Spring is Almost Here

Competition will be theme of spring for Astros | astros.com: News
Brian McTaggart has a very in-depth look at what to expect for Spring Training

Quadruple A: AstroBrit's Astros from Across the Atlantic: Astros Fanfest links
I was going to grab all the links for Fan Fest, but Josh appears to of already done that.

Astros County: Your Neighborhood Astros Blog & Grill: Prospects to watch in 2012
By Juvenile Count Clerk AKA Bryan Trostel

Tips and notes for the Spring Training traveler. « Alyson's Footnotes
By Alyson Footer

Farmstros: So You Want to Go to Minor League Spring Training
Another Spring Training guide

The Grand Old Game: Player Interview: Jordan Scott, OF, Tri-City Valleycats (Class A-, NY-Penn League)
Jordan Scott talks about his time in the Minor Leagues.

Astro History

Quadruple A: AstroBrit's Astros from Across the Atlantic: Shift of ownership may present opportunity to get J.R. Richard's #50 retired
By Joshua Powling

Five Guys Who Played For and Managed the Astros « The Pecan Park Eagle
By Bill McCurdy

Bob Watson's success did not come easily | astros.com: News
Twice an All-Star, Bob Watson became baseball's first African American GM when the Astros named him to that post. But the journey was not without its struggles.

Draft links after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

24 comments

Super Sunday Links 12 Feb 2012

ALTENBERG, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 10: Tristan Walker (front) and Justin Snith (back) of in action during the men's double run in the Luge World Championship on February 10, 2012 in Altenberg, Germany.  (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)

While CRPerry13 was educating us on slugging I was putting together these links for a delightful Sunday afternoon.

The Offbeat

Astros exec asking $3.2M in Bunker Hill Village | Ultimate Memorial
Tal's home is up for sale.

Rangers Mistakenly Attempt To Woo Roy Oswalt By Touting Dallas' Gay Nightlife Scene | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Astro fans will appreciate this.

You May Say I'm A Dreamer: Houston Astros | January
By Garrett Wilson

Ultimate Astros " Hoffman: One Astro’s short but stellar career
By Ken Hoffman

The Platoon Advantage: 2012 Topps: My Last Year of Collecting
By Cee Angi

The Non-Astros

Money and wins
By Dave Studeman

2012 Sabermetric Teams: The Market for Saber Players | FanGraphs Baseball
By Bradley Woodrum

The State of Sabermetrics in the College Game | FanGraphs Baseball
By Eno Sarris

What Is Sabermetrics? And Which Teams Use It? | FanGraphs Baseball
By Bradley Woodrum

How Much Risk Is Worth Additional Upside? | FanGraphs Baseball
By Dave Cameron

Draft and Astro links after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

10 comments

Super Super Sunday Links 5 Feb 2012

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 03:  "Philadelphia Phil" plays his guitar for tips for fans visiting a giant Super Bowl XLVI logo at Monument Circle February 3, 2012 in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The New England Patriots will play the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2011 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

While Clack was educating us on the possibility of Chris Johnson returning to form I was putting together these delightful links for your viewing pleasure.

Interviews

What the Heck, Bobby?: An Interview with Adrian Houser
More interviews!

What the Heck, Bobby?: An Interview with Brandon Barnes
Brandon Barnes talks about his experience in Australia.

The Grand Old Game: Player Interview: Brandon Culbreth, RHP, Houston Astros (MiLB)
A very good interview in which Clubreth discusses his draft day and what got him to that day.

Astros Stuff

Analyze this: Houston Astros' Sig Mejdal takes on unique role | astros.com: News
An interesting look at Sig Mejdal.

Hometown ties add motivation to Cosart
By David Dalati

Houston Astros Complete Organizational Chart - MLB Daily Dish
A complete, live chart of the Astros organization -- leadership, rosters, salaries, arbitration and options, as well as prospect rankings.

Other Stuff

Bryce Harper, Opening Day Starter? | FanGraphs Baseball
This is probably something we as Astro fans should keep in mind.

Joe Blogs: A Chain Experiment
An interesting experiment by the Poz.

Stress and Anxiety in Baseball | FanGraphs Baseball
By Jim Breen

8 comments

Super Sunday Links 29 Jan 2012

VILLARREAL, SPAIN - JANUARY 28: Sergio Busquets (R) of Barcelona is tacked by Castellani of Villarreal during the la Liga match between Villarreal and Barcelona at El Madrigal on January 28, 2012 in Villarreal, Spain.  (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)

While conroestro was comparing the Astros and Cardinals drafts I was putting together these delightful links.

All About The Astros

Richard Justice: Astros' name connects with fans' pride in city | astros.com: News
A good article by Richard Justice. I'm curious to know though why he choose two playoff loses as memories.

Broadcaster Jim Deshaies chats with Astros fans | astros.com: News
J.D. answered questions from fans in an online chat this past Tuesday. This is the transcript of that chat in-case you missed it.

Ultimate Astros " Best individual seasons in Astros history? The envelopes, please
By Steve Campbell

S2S 2012 Team Prospect Lists: Houston Astros - Seedlings to Stars - A Minor League Baseball Site - Draft and Prospect News, Blogs, Opinion and More
By Nathaniel Stoltz

The 1986 Astros reunion: celebrating good times and great baseball memories. " Alyson's Footnotes
Alyson Footer covered the 1986 Houston Astro reunion.

Delino DeShields Jr. Resembles Dad… Sort Of | FanGraphs Baseball
By Mike Newman


Not The Draft

Younger Is Not Always Better in the Dominican | FanGraphs Baseball
By Jim Breen

Pre-Season College Top 100 Draft Prospects - Minor League Ball
Ranking the college pool before the first pitch of the season.

Appy Astros: Age in the Appy and Making the Show
AppyAstros looks at the age factor for all teams in the Appy League.

53 comments

Super Sunday Links 22 Jan 2012

WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 21: Mikael Samuelsson #26 of the Florida Panthers shoots the puck past Ondrej Pavelec #31 of the Winnipeg Jets for the winning goal during a shootout in NHL action at the MTS Centre on January 21, 2012 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Marianne Helm/Getty Images)

While Brooks was educating us on injuries I was putting together these links to finish off your weekend.

Last Minute Links

How Sarah Burke would have wanted to be remembered - espnW
By Alyssa Roenigk

Interviews

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | MLB Rookie Prg: Paul Clemens, HOU RHP - Video | astros.com: Multimedia
2012 MLB Rookie Career Development Program: Houston Astros prospect Paul Clemens on being traded and joining a new organization

What the Heck, Bobby?: Interview with Rafy Valenzuela
Q&A with utility Minor League player Rafael Valenzuela

What the Heck, Bobby?: An Interview with Jarred Cosart
Q&A with Astros Minor League pitcher Jarred Cosart

Taking Care of Business

As 2012 MLB Season Approaches, Blackout Policy Likely to Remain
File this one in the “broken record” department: prepare for yet another season of MLB’s blackout policy remaining in place. This probably doesn't affect those of you in the Houston area. For those outside the Houston area: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Die Hard Astros Blog: Loyalty: A Response to Maury Brown
Matt has some issues with some of Mr. Brown's thoughts on the Astros fan base. He makes a good point.

The Inner Workings

Creative Destruction and Scouting in Baseball - Beyond the Box Score
Technological breakthroughs typically bring about disruptive effects on industries and labor pools. It's no different when it comes to scouting and evaluating talent in baseball.

Do Coaches Shape Pitchers in Their Own Images? - Beyond the Box Score
It makes intuitive sense that a pitching coach's own playing experience would affect how he mentors his staff. But does such an effect actually exist in baseball?

The Platoon Advantage: Leave other fans aloooooooooooone
By Jason Wojciechowski

23 comments

Super Sunday Links 15 Jan 2012

While Jeff Luhnow was throwing 97 MPH, I was putting together these hot links for your viewing pleasure.

Statistics

What Starting Pitcher Metrics Correlate Year-to-Year? - Beyond the Box Score
By Bill Petti. Some pitching metrics are more descriptive than predictive. Here's a quick reference for which metrics correlate year-to-year for starting pitchers.

Aging Strikeouts: You’ll Never Be This Good Again | FanGraphs Baseball
By Eno Sarris

Hitters Age Like Wine — Power Like Cheese? | FanGraphs Baseball
By Eno Sarris

Debate Is A Good Thing

Hall debate spawns a new stats superhero, Saberboy
Fantastic!

Baseball Prospectus | BP Unfiltered: Watching Jack Play
By Colin Wyers

2012 Hall of Fame Vote: BBWAA Should End Secret Ballots - Beyond the Box Score
By Lewie Pollis | Don't think the BBWAA's secret ballots matter? Writers who revealed their picks voted quite differently than voters who remained anonymous.

The Hall of Fame and the Myth of Exclusivity - Beyond the Box Score
There's this myth that the Hall of Fame is super exclusive and should be reserved for only the elite players in history. Only thing is, it's not. And it hasn't been in a long, long time.


Coming And Going

Dennis Liborio: loyal employee, clubhouse staple, one of a kind. " Alyson's Footnotes
By Alyson Footer

The Journey of Fernando Martinez - Minor League Ball
By John Sickels

26 comments

Super Sunday Links 8 Jan 2012

CHILECHITO, ARGENTINA - JANUARY 04:  KTM MRW Rally Factory Team mechanics attend to the motorbike of Marc Coma at the bivouac after stage four of the 2012 Dakar Rally from San Juan to Chilecito on January 4, 2012 in Chilecito, Argentina.  (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Here are some links to hold you over while we wait with bated breath for the Hall of Fame voting results.


Hall of Fame

Next week’s Cooperstown election results today
By Chris Jaffe

Joe Posnanski » Posts The Future (and Past) of the HOF «
By Joe Posnanski. A good history lesson on the BBWAA voting process.

The Platoon Advantage: Update: Three More Suspected Plagiarists Slither Out From Under Their Rocks
By The Common Man

Denying Jeff Bagwell would be a travesty - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN
By David Schoenfield

Astros County: The Only Astros Blog That Matters: Dive into the inner workings of Phil Rogers' mind, won't you?
Miss Fire Joe Morgan? Can't wait until they take over Deadspin again? AC provides your fix.

Everything Else

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Winter Baseball: Winter Wonders: Winter Wonders: Brian Bogusevic Gets Some Needed At Bats
Brian Bogusevic on his time in winter ball.

Golden anniversary: Astrodome groundbreaking
By Chris Jaffe

Offseason Notes: Houston Gets Its Nerd On | FanGraphs Baseball
Rate J.D. and Brownie.

Appy Astros: Quote: Sig Mejdal
A very nice find by Appy Astro.

Ultimate Astros » On behalf of Astros fans, see you in hell, 2011
By Zachary Levine

3 comments

The Crawfish Boxes Best FanPosts Of 2011

KREFELD, GERMANY - DECEMBER 30: Sinan Akdag of Krefeld attends the ice during the DEL match between Krefeld Pinguins and Eisbaeren Berlin at the Koenigspalast on December 30, 2011 in Krefeld, Germany.  (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

One of the great things about this site is that readers are given an opportunity to contribute content to this site and I gotta say a lot of it is absolutely fantastic. It seems like this year we've had more contributions than in previous years so unfortunately I can't highlight all the outstanding work, but I will link the most popular ones.


The Front Office

Ed Wade - The Trade Edition - The Crawfish Boxes
By conroestro - A look at the value of Ed Wades trades.

In Defense of Ed Wade - The Crawfish Boxes
By CRPerry13 - It's unpopular to defend Ed Wade, but that doesn't mean you can't make a solid argument.

Part 2: The Case AGAINST Ed Wade - The Crawfish Boxes
By CRPerry13 - And now the bashing of Ed Wade.

Springer pick - evaluating the Astros' BPPA strategy - The Crawfish Boxes
By Pacbellpilgrim - A look at the Astros selection of George Springer.


Change of Scenery

The Bud Selig hate. It burns. - The Crawfish Boxes
By StephS - Realignment was an emotional topic for Astro fans this year.

Bring Back Orbit - The Crawfish Boxes
By Byrontye - I don't know why everyone hates on Junction Jack.


Major League

Jordan Lyles scouting reports - The Crawfish Boxes
By AstroAndy - Everything you wanted to know about Jordan Lyles and more.

Conspiracy Theory: Jose Altuve - The Crawfish Boxes
By Ntn - Jose Altuve's call up was certainly an exciting time.

How Does Jordan Lyles Minor League Stats Compare? - The Crawfish Boxes
By Conroestro - Comparing the Minor League numbers of Lyles to other successful Major League pitchers.

Altuve's High Contact Rate Hurting his Overall Production - The Crawfish Boxes
By CRPerry13 - Jose Altuve and his ability to put bat on ball.

More links after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

3 comments