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Geoff Young
I write about the San Diego Padres at Ducksnorts.com. My general baseball work shows up at The Hardball Times, Baseball Daily Digest, and Baseball Prospectus. Web Site: Ducksnorts BallHype Member since April 2, 2007 |
Comments Posted
Two emerging talents
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Geoff Young +1Good point about his coaches. That definitely could be a factor in the development of any young player.
Historic comparables (Volume 1)
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Geoff Young I am such a sucker for this sort of thing. Good stuff, guys.
All or nothing in overtime: Part 1, winless in Montreal
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Geoff Young Yep. I should mention how I found that in the next article. It's a great tool and lots of fun. For example, I love the '59 Pirates, who went 19-2 in extra innings but had an overall record of 78-76.
Critics, criticism, Cloninger
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Geoff Young Thanks for the info, Steve. Either way, it certainly couldn't have helped matters. It's a shame that these lessons have to be learned at the expense of actual people -- sometimes more than once.
Backstopping and roaming wide (Part 2: 1935-1970)
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Geoff Young Fun article, Steve! Regarding three catchers, the Padres carried Josh Bard, Rob Bowen, and Mike Piazza for most of the 2006 season. If Piazza started and reached base late in a game the Padres were winning, Bowen would almost always come in to run for him and finish out behind the plate.
Shouldn’t a closer, you know, close?
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Geoff Young Yes, Williams had a nice run from 2000 to 2002. And he wasn't a bad pitcher, but as closers go, it's hard to find many who lasted as long as he did while pitching worse. Williams' curse was being just good enough not to lose his job sooner. Had he been as bad as, say, Shawn Chacon, Williams never would have gotten the opportunity to save so many games. Kind of cruel, really.
Shouldn’t a closer, you know, close?
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Geoff Young Because he actually managed to win games despite not pitching very well. Cloninger is the only man in MLB history to win more than 100 games, post a career ERA+ below 90, and have a winning record. Patten's winning percentage was .451, while the other two were below .400.
Once upon a shortstop
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Geoff Young Thank you, sir. Glad you enjoyed!
Why I love the World Baseball Classic
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Geoff Young I had a blast at the championship round at Petco Park in '06, but I just can't muster much enthusiasm for it this time because the ticket prices are insane. My regular seats (upper tank behind the plate) that normally cost $19 are being sold (by the promoters, not by scalpers) for $50. I can afford it, but on principle, I won't pay $50 for a $19 seat. Too bad; it was a lot of fun last time... but not enough fun to make me forget how much my seat is supposed to cost.
Book Review: Wally Yonamine: the Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball
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Geoff Young Good stuff, Chris. Yonamine is regarded as something of a folk hero in Hawai'i; good to see him get recognition elsewhere.
50 great potential closer songs
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Geoff Young I like the idea of "Train Kept A' Rollin'", but it's got to be Aerosmith's version. "Mama Said Knock You Out" would be pretty sweet.
Anatomy of a player: Trevor Hoffman
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Geoff Young Good stuff, Josh. One thing about Hoffman is that since his 2002 shoulder surgery, he hasn't had as much success against lefties. He used to consistently handle them better than right-handers, but no longer. I've actually got a little bit about this up at Ducksnorts if you're interested.
Hitler. Stalin. Garvey.
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Geoff Young Funny. I grew up rooting for the Dodgers when Garvey was a fixture, and I didn't like him then. I've been a Padres fan for most of my adult life, and I still don't like him
It's a bit irrational, I admit. My main gripe with the man is something that isn't even his fault: The Padres retired his uniform number #6, which I find appaling given that he's about the eighth best first baseman in club history.
What did the future once hold?
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Geoff Young Thanks, glad you liked it. I always enjoy looking back at stuff like that.
As for Pujols, I'm no great fan of his, but what he is doing is simply amazing.
Superduperswingmen (Part 4: 1970-2008)
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Geoff Young Ah, missed it by *that* much. Too bad; those were great seasons. Fun stuff...
Superduperswingmen (Part 4: 1970-2008)
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Geoff Young Fun article, Steve. You could add Dave Dravecky '84 and '87 to this list as well, if I understand your criteria.
The Hardball Times:Knuckleballers unite
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Geoff Young Fun stuff, Josh. I'm assuming Detroit's Eddie Bonine hasn't pitched enough in the big leagues to make your list.
The Hardball Times:What’s the deal with Khalil?
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Geoff Young True, although Greene doesn't fit the description.
The Hardball Times:What’s the deal with Khalil?
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Geoff Young Thanks, guys; glad you enjoyed it. Hard to know what's going on with Greene off the field -- he's an intensely personal guy who doesn't seem to enjoy the spotlight at all.
Joe Morgan Laughs at the Mention of Silly OPS
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Geoff Young Yep, I've been saying it like a word for years, as have many people I converse with on a regular basis. Didn't realize that was wrong.
