2011 Blue Jays/MLB Thread

[Nik the Trik]

Because he doesn't want to cloud of suspicion hanging over him for the rest of his career.

Realistically, there's only so much he can do on that front. It's not like the people who are inclined to be suspicious of someone for PED use need any actual proof to have it. Look at the "questions" about Bautista or what's happened with Jeff Bagwell in the HOF votes.

Braun will take more drug tests throughout his career. If he's doing anything that can be caught he'll be caught. If he's clean, he won't be. If there are people who are going to see that cloud hanging over his head despite whatever will happen in subsequent tests then I'm inclined to think nothing Braun could have done would have lifted it anyway.

[hockeyfan1]

Using Sabermetrics in the quest to solve the DL....

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7603159/dodgers-injury-guru-stan-conte-wants-end-dl-espn-magazine

In a post-Moneyball world," he says, "injury risk assessment is the final frontier."

On this frontier, Conte is attempting to discover in advance who will get hurt and who won't -- or at least give accurate odds. With enough well-analyzed data from the past to inform roster decisions in the present, he believes, it's not outside the realm of possibility to assemble a team that goes an entire season without losing a day to the disabled list.

...since 1996... Giants...Conte looked to see whether he could help lower the team's injury rates, which led him to surmise how San Francisco's DL stacked up to that of other teams. Trouble was, nobody kept those kinds of records. This was before everything was on the Internet, so I was trying to track down every paper copy of that newspaper I could find."

...one day...Conte...noticed a big red book on his desk from an insurance company in Cincinnati. I look inside and it had everything: time lost, DL dates, dollars lost. It was unbelievable."

After reviewing the data, Conte couldn't believe what he'd found. Though most teams had full strength-and-conditioning programs for the first time, injury rates had increased every season from 1989 to 1999. 

...rising injury rates were likely not a trainer's fault. Injury numbers in baseball peaked in 2001, dipped the following year, then plateaued until 2006. They've been higher ever since.

 The Giants, whose clubhouse during Conte's years was no stranger to steroids, were among those whose injury rates fell.

Conte's research deals in percentages...he can tell you that $22 million was lost in 2011 to oblique injuries that took an average healing time of 35 days for pitchers and 26 days for position players. He also knows that players almost always injure the oblique on the side they lead with (left for righthanders and vice versa) and that hitters account for 56 percent of those injuries.
...he can say that a player put on the DL with that malady has a 12.2 percent chance of being DL'd with it again.  Due to a lack of data, Conte has no way of isolating other variables that predict aggravation of the injury.

Major League Baseball is coming around too. In 2010, partly at Conte's behest, the league introduced a centralized database of injuries. Using this system, trainers can't pull up a guy's name and root around, but they can finally see the rate of right labrum tears or triceps strains across the majors.

This wealth of shared data often makes it easier to assess a player's medical records before a trade...now the database has made exchanging histories far more common.

 Conte's fundamental task is to identify the lowest-risk players available.
 

[hockeyfan1]

The Jays J.P. Arencibia…hockey and Maple Leafs fan…


http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/bluejays/article/1136957--griffin-toronto-blue-jays-catcher-j-p-arencibia-stickhandles-questions-about-beloved-maple-leafs

[BMan]

MLB expanding to 10 playoff teams starting this season.

No more excuses about playing in the same division and the Yanks and Bosox now.

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=389157

[hockeyfan1]

MLB expanding to 10 playoff teams starting this season.

No more excuses about playing in the same division and the Yanks and Bosox now.

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=389157

Good news for teams like the Jays.  At least, this arrangement should give the Blue Jays some impetus to try and earn a wild card spot. 

[Dr. Bobby Leafer]

Good stuff.

[Peter D.]

I don't know where I stand with the extra wild card spot.  Not the spot itself, because I love the fact they are expanding the playoffs.  It's the 1-game playoff -- I am torn whether that is a good compromise or if it's better served to have a best 2-out-of-3 mini series.

[Andy007]

I don't know where I stand with the extra wild card spot.  Not the spot itself, because I love the fact they are expanding the playoffs.  It's the 1-game playoff -- I am torn whether that is a good compromise or if it's better served to have a best 2-out-of-3 mini series.

Yea the extra spot is great but I agree, that 1-game playoff sounds a little fishy to me. Will be interesting to see how the season unfolds.

[Nik the Trik]

I'm fine with the 1 game playoff. I think 1 game playoffs are exciting but also I think it adds emphasis on winning your division.

[Manson]

Watch this be the year the Jays legitimately get the 1st Wildcard spot and lose the 1 game playoff.

[L K]

Watch this be the year the Jays legitimately get the 1st Wildcard spot and lose the 1 game playoff.

I'd settle for meaningful baseball at the end of August into September. 

[Potvin29]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/spring2012/story/_/id/7641576/toronto-blue-jays-benefit-mlb-new-postseason-format

Very complimentary article on the Jays.