Sorry, about the lateness. Life and everything, you know.
The Baseball Preview issue. Yes!
So, of course, you’re going to have the team profiles. Yada, yada, yada. One-page wonders that list the projected starting lineup, a statistical nugget, a “player to watch,” and a “modest proposal” on how to make the team better.
The major profile concentrates on new Phillies ace Roy Halladay, written by Tom Verducci. How soon before there’s a headline about “Gunfight at the ___ Coral?” assuming that editors aren’t too worried about using weapons-related verbiage.
There’s also a Joe Posnanski article on “The Virtues of Patience” about batters who work the count. It’s too bad there are no photos in the on-line SI articles because there’s a nice illustration on the Twins’ Denard Span’s batting zone that’s reminiscent of this Ted Williams photo:
Of course, this being the 21st century, there’s a lot more info crammed into Span’s graphic, including the number of pitches he saw in each part in or out of the strike zone and how many times he swung at those pitches.
Best feature: “Value Judgments,” which employing the Wins Above Average stat to determine the relative monetary value of a player. The piece lists “all-star” teams by price range: Up to $1 mil The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw is the “face” of the group); $1-$2 mil (pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies); $2-$3 mil (centerfielder Michael Bourn of the Astros); $3-$4 mil (Angels’ catcher Mike Napoli); $4-$5 mil (Cards’ starter Adam Wainwright); $5-$7.5 mil (Phillies’ right fielder Jayson Werth; $7.5-$10 mil (Kevin Youkilis, first baseman for the Red Sox); and $10 mil and up (Ichiro!)
is available on Amazon.com,
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