15salmon

Scott Spiezio in Game 6 vs. SF 2002

It doesn't always require a big splash.  How about just having a capable player in LF and at 2b to counter the combined -1.0 WAR those two positions have given us for the year (LF -0.8 ranked 27th, and 2b -0.2, ranked 29th)?  

Pro tip: if you wanna look skinny, pose between two Molinas.

The Los Angeles Angels of Planters

yes, yes these are very nice players...very nice players
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
for me to poop on!

If he looks like anyone from that team, its lackey

Uh oh, I just thought of something. Remember BDP (before Dipoto), we never really made trades at the deadline to add offense. It seemed year in and year out our offense would struggle, then a couple weeks before the trade deadline our offense would blow up and score a ton of runs giving us a false sense of security, only to go back to mediocre after the deadline. This weekend could be the start of that.

If anyone thinks this was about MS's unwillingness to use advanced metrics then the big picture has been missed.  
 
I actually think MS will use certain metrics and it's clear he's implemented some of this into his style.  
 
This was about the fact that Dipoto wanted to run the show and he was handcuffed in several directions.  He even said that he wasn't able to help the club the way he wanted to.  
 
his budget was pulled out from under him by the pujols and hamilton signings
he was forced to use a pre-existing manager and coaching staff
his farm director wasn't of his choosing
he tried to provide data to the team to help them win and it wasn't implemented to his liking
 
so every little thing he did was a battle.  he was constantly forced to compromise the way he wanted to do things.  
 
Not only did that wear on him (clearly), but it undermined his authority and bred a lack of respect and trust for what he was trying to do.  It was an accumulation of headaches that shouldn't have been.  He was constantly asking permission to do things he shouldn't have needed to.  
 
When your owner effectively brings in big named players
and your manager gets to pick and choose the which of your ideas he wants to implement 
and you have to ask supposed subordinates if its ok to do certain things
 
then who are the guys on the field accountable to?  
 
this organization set him up to not receive the respect he was entitled to based on his position.  
 
and when he held a meeting with his coaches and manager indicating 'this is how I want things done' he got inappropriate resistance from someone who should have been keeping their mouth shut for fear of losing their job but that persons job wasn't accountable to Jerry. 
and when he held another meeting with the players indicating 'this is how I want things done' he got inappropriate backlash from someone because that someone is more accountable to the owner and manager than the gm.  
 
and like that.....he's gone.  

There's just something that happens to people who have been told their whole life that they're better than everyone else.  Harper's had to experience that.  I mean he was even on the cover of SI at 16.  If that doesn't tell you as a kid that you're above everyone else, then nothing else does.  Plus he had to grow up around the glitz and glam of Vegas, where everything and everyone that's "good" is eccentric and displayed in bright lights.  
 
Suddenly, he's an adult and people act surprised that he's turned into a total douche.  And it's only going to get worse, just like with A-Rod.
 
Whereas, compare it to the blue-collar upbringing of Trout.  He was middle class, his parents were teachers and he grew up in a random small town.  He grew up on stories of how much hard work it takes to be a ball player, how much hard work it is to be a teacher and that we don't cause attention to ourselves because this is a team game.  
 
Now you see Trout the adult.  Humble, does it for the team.  Just a good guy.  
 
There's the difference.  It's not so much what they do now as much as it is a culmination of their life experiences. 

Glad we got Moo.
If we had signed Piazza, he probably would have gotten hurt, and then become a big distraction with his bad attitude.