Conor Glassey

YouTube Friday #41

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:48:06 GMT

So, Paul DePodesta is now blogging, which is awesome. I wonder what he thinks of the wave. Anyway, he pointed out some awesome YouTube videos earlier this week, so I thought I would make this an all-Hardball-Made-Easy YouTube Friday. Enjoy!

Taking one for the team…
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Blocking the plate…
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Getting all defensive…
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No excuses!
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Scrappyness…
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Upton is special

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:09:00 GMT

Justin Upton is currently hitting .345/.404/.546. Those would be great numbers for an all-star in the prime of his career, but when you consider that Upton is a 20-year-old in his first full season in the bigs, you'll have to pick your jaw up off the floor. If Upton can keep up this pace, he would join some extremely elite company. Here is the short list of 20-year-olds who have hit better than .300/.400/.500 over a full season in the Major Leagues:

Are you ready for this?

Al Kaline, Alex Rodriguez, Ted Williams, Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx. That's right...only five guys — all Hall of Famers.

A minor complaint

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:31:31 GMT

I know it's almost sacrilegious to complain about Dave Niehaus, but I have to say something. I absolutely can't stand it when I'm watching a Mariners game and the Aflac trivia comes up and Niehaus answers the question immediately. Doesn't he know the trivia is for the viewers? Even if I don't know the answer, I'd like at least a second to think about it. But no — Mr. Know-it-all has to jump in with the answer right away!

Transactions

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:26:14 GMT

Matt Garza was recently taken off the disabled list by the Rays and the Diamondbacks just called up Max Scherzer. But, you might not know that if you look at ESPN's MLB transaction page, because those moves just flat-out aren't there. Worldwide leader, my ass...

YouTube Friday #40

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:52:04 GMT

Sorry this is a little late. I had a busy day at work and then went out and saw “Baby Mama” with some friends tonight. Good flick!

Marissa Miller throws out the first pitch at a Cubs game.
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Just your typical 1-2-4-2 triple play!
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They don’t make commercials like they used to! Here’s an old commercial for R.B.I Baseball on NES…
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In honor of the two kids who, no doubt, got arrested at Thursday night’s Mariners game, here is some YouTube “baseball+streaker” action!
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Batting tip: Don’t overstride. Here are the effects of overstriding and what young hitters can do to correct the common mistake.
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Interview with Ryan Lavarnway

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:24:02 GMT

Ryan Lavarnway is a catcher and outfielder for the Yale Bulldogs. So, if baseball doesn’t work out for him, he’s got a nice fallback plan. But, it looks like he’s going to be just fine. Last year, as a sophomore, the 6-foot-3, 210 pound Lavarnway hit .467/.531/.873. He led the NCAA in batting average and slugging percentage and was named a third-team All-American by Baseball America. This year, he picked up right where he left off and is again tearing up the Ivy League to the tune of .398/.541/.824. I caught up with Ryan via e-mail and here is what he had to say…

Start off by telling everyone where you grew up, how you became interested in baseball and a little about your prep baseball career.
I grew up in Southern California. My parents took me to a field when I was five and I've been in love with the game ever since. I played at El Camino Real High School where we won CIF my senior year and were ranked number one in California.

So, you grew up in California, but traveled all the way out to Connecticut for school. How would you compare life on the east coast to life on the west coast?
Coming to Yale was an easy decision. Firstly because there was no way I could turn Yale down. Secondly because this was my only real offer to play D-I. Life on the east coast is definitely different — from not being able to play outside all year, down to the way people dress. It’s a lot different, but I like it.

Yale isn’t exactly known as a baseball hotbed. What is life like for an Ivy League student athlete? What are you studying?
I’m studying philosophy, and life as an Ivy League student athlete is not easy. We don’t receive any special academic privileges, so you learn time management and life management really fast!

You’ve played both outfield and catcher — which position do you prefer?
I prefer to play catcher. Being in the game on every pitch and being captain on the field are both things I love.

You’re putting up some ridiculous numbers as a hitter this season. How would you describe yourself as a hitter to someone who hasn’t seen you hit? What is your approach at the plate?
I don’t know how I would describe myself as a hitter…that’s a job for journalists! My approach is simple: I just stay balanced, get a pitch I can drive and put a good swing on it. I think that’s all I can do.

Baseball players are known for their superstitions. Do you have any? I have some, but nothing too ridiculous. For example, I don’t walk under a ladder and, if I see a black cat, I walk the other way. I also believe that if you tip well, you'll hit well.

Did you play summer ball last year? If so, what was that experience like? I've played summer ball the last two years and loved every minute of it. (ed. note: in 2006, Lavarnway played for the Monroe Channelcats in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League. Last year, he played for the Manchester Silkworms in the New England Collegiate Baseball League) Between the atmosphere, the families you stay with and the other players, it is very enjoyable.

What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career? My most memorable moment would be hitting a bomb against my high school’s rival, Chatsworth, to tie the game at five with a full count and two outs. As “Zombie Nation” blasted on the speakers, everyone (including me) was going crazy!

Do you have a favorite MLB team?
I’ve got to go with my hometown boys, the Dodgers.

Who is your favorite pro baseball player? Is there a player that you try and model your game after?
I love watching Chipper Jones play, but I don’t try to model my game after anyone in particular. I just try to play hard all the time.

What do you like to do when you’re not playing baseball?
In my spare time, I love to go bowling or to the beach with the guys and play pick-up football.

WTF Boxscore of the Day

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:14:25 GMT

Tony LaRussa must have Albert Pujols on his fantasy team. That's the only explanation I can think of for this.

Question for the Diamondbacks

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:03:07 GMT

Why does Micah Owings' bobblehead look more like William H. Macy?