Boys Will Be Boys - The Boston Toronto Tango Edition

Just the other day we were breathlessly told that former Toronto coach Brian Butterfield, Pats fan extraordinaire and brilliant baseball mind, was being hired to become John Farrell's new third base coach for the local nine.  Now it's being reported that Butterfield is a candidate to be the new manager back in Toronto.  Is this the sandbox or The Show?!  I thought Alex Anthopoulos was a new breed of GM, someone who's risen from the mail room to the boardroom surly takes their job seriously right?  The petty and bumbling Haywood Sullivan's of the world are in the past, aren't they?

Alex are you feeling rejected and hurt by John Farrell's unrequited love for the Red Sox? Don't you know a 73-89 team needs to clean house?  Do you really want to keep a whole bunch of staff around from last year, didn't you see how that worked out for Bobby Valentine?

On the other hand, how many more ways can the Red Sox and John Farrell stick it to Toronto?  Not only did the Sox tank, they tanked so hard they actually have a better draft pick than Toronto in the upcoming draft.  Farrell has admitted to wanting to get out of Toronto almost as soon as he got in, he's taken their heir apparent Torey Lovullo as his new bench coach, and now he's raiding their cupboard again with this Butterfield thing. What, is Farrell going to go up there and raze cottage country now? 

The things that Patriots bye weeks, no NHL, MLB free agency not fully kicked off, and depressing thoughts of the Miami Heat marching to another NBA championship are made of.

Until next time,

The SAHD

Scott Baker SP - Great Gamble For Red Sox Edition

Slogging through the effects of hurricane Sandy here in the Boston area I was jolted to spring training mode getting the info that Scott Baker's 2013 option was declined by the Twins.  This makes Mr. Baker a free agent.  He will be 30 for the 2013 season and is coming off of Tommy John surgery in April of 2012, but I'm willing to put him under the microscope because of his affordability (due to TJS) and skill profile.  Of course, the Twins still have time to negotiate with him before free agency opens but here's hoping that doesn't happen.  Let's investigate using the same process I used to come up with Anibal Sanchez, Francisco Liriano and Carlos Villanueva earlier this week.  Thanks again to baseball reference and Baseball HQ for the stats.

               Innings   K   K/9   WHIP   Ground Ball %   Innings/Start
2007        144      102  6.4   1.329         35%                 6.26
2008        172      141  7.4    1.178        33%                 6.14
2009        200      162  7.3    1.190        33%                 7.14
2010        170      148  7.8    1.344        36%                 5.86
2011        135      123  8.2    1.173        34%                 6.43

Baker has a lot going for him.  His K/9, WHIP, and Innings/Start are all very attractive.  He is a fly ball pitcher, but his K ability and WHIP show he keeps the ball in the park, and he can really shorten a bullpen.  He's coming off injury, but 10-12 months is seen as the recovery time for TJS, and his recovery appears to be on track for spring training in 2013.

Add Mr. Baker to the group of three I mentioned earlier in the week as the best potential targets for the Red Sox.  Again, non of these guys are a slam dunk.  These are merely my choices as the best free agents available in a cost effective environment.  Scott Baker might have a setback, then again he has the skills to win 15-20 games.  Here's hoping the Orioles also do the Sox a solid and decide $11 M is too much for the perfect fit for the open 1B position Mark Reynolds.

Until next time,

The SAHD

P.S. Remember you heard these things here first.  Saw Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweeting about Anibal Sanchez as a fit for the Red Sox during his Game 3 World Series start on 9/27.  I gave a much deeper insight into why Sanchez would be a good fit 3 days earlier.  I posted Tim Thomas should be traded for Alexander Semin on 2/12/12. Thomas didn't play after April 26 last year and is now sitting out this non existent NHL season and even Semin's inconsistent scoring would've been welcome in last year's playoffs.  Just sayin's all.

Red Sox FA 1B, SS, OF Targets Edition

Having looked through some starting pitcher targets earlier in the week I've decided to tackle the Red Sox positional needs.  I'm very much in favor of a return to 2003 style of free agency, trying to find a diamond in the rough, so I decided to see if there was anyone close to David Ortiz's Age 26 2002 or Jose Bautista's Age 29 2008 available to find. People want to get back to some of that grind it out baseball, taking some walks, pounding some homers, and keeping the players the Sox have drafted and developed. As such I'm looking at three stats: On Base Average (OBA), Home Runs HR, and On-Base + Slugging (OPS).  These three stats can be harbingers of excellent hitters, so lets see how Papi and Joey Bats fared in the season just prior to their breakouts.

Ortiz      .341 OBA 20 HR .841 OPS
Bautista .344 OBA 13 HR .752 OPS

Considering Ortiz was only 26 it's rather shocking now to see how cheaply the Red Sox got him in 2003.  I don't believe with the way front office's are run these days a guy like this would become available again, but you never know.  Bautista is interesting because he was considered old at 29.  So those are the benchmarks I'm shooting for, and the positions the Red Sox need are 1B, SS (yes Iglesias is there but he can't hit a lick right now), and OF (Ellsbury, Cody Ross if he comes back, Ryan Kalish, Daniel Nava. Considering Ells is a big question along with the rest I'd say OF is a priority).

First Base

It's a thin market, Mike Napoli could play some first but he's 31 so too old for this study and probably will require too much cash with the power market so thin.  There are two players that could be interesting however.

Mark Reynolds Age 29 .328 OBA 23 HR .757 OPS

The Orioles hold an $11 M option on Reynolds, or a $500 K buyout.  There is a good possibility Reynolds could become available.  He has averaged 35 HRs the previous 4 years and would be the most expensive of the players examined here if the Os let him go. Even so the Sox could find some value here if other teams think his glove, much improved at first base, is made to be a DH.  The linked story from the Baltimore Sun above also shows he may even be learning to cut down on his record setting strikeouts.

Casey Kotchman Age 29

There are some trends worth looking into on this guy.  I know we've seen his act here before but check out his last four years.  OBA '12 .270 '11 .367 '10 .278 '09 .335 HR '12 12 '11 10 '10 9 '09 7 OPS '12 603 '11 789 '10 614 '09 717.  Good years OBA and OPS '11, '09, slow rise in HR.  We're going into an odd year in '13, he could put it all together and have a career year.  It wouldn't be Papi or Bautista like but he could be Kevin Millar with a better glove.  I'd take that for a cheap short term 1B option.

Short Stop

Ronny Cedeno Age 29 .328 OBA 4 HR 738 OPS

This guy looks like a washout but there are some interesting tidbits.  He had his best offensive season in limited at bats last year and could be a very good option to spell or keep the seat warm for Jose Iglesias if he ever learns to hit.  He started in Pittsburg for a couple of years and could surprise due to his age and small seeds of offense.  Stephen Drew is also available this offseason at age 29 but will cost more and be no more reliable.

Outfield

Melky Cabrera Age 28 .394 OBA 11 HR .910 OPS

We know the numbers above are artificially produced, but age 26 he was .341 OBA 18 HR .810 OPS.  Sure, he could've been juicing then too, but he's at a prime age and will most likely come cheap.  That's what this study is all about.

It doesn't appear that there are any superstars lurking here on the surface but this is how the offseason was approached in 2002 for the Red Sox and what we're all hoping for this year.  Trading away prospects seems like a bad idea, with the system just starting to reassert itself after trading the farm for Adrian Gonzalez after the 2010 season.  This is a bad offseason for free agent spending, with some very questionable top talent.  Keep the money and wait for a better free agent class and some prospects to mature in 2014.

Until next time,

The SAHD

Belichick The Drafter - GM or Dunce Edition

I am perplexed and concerned about the Patriots multiple one and done playoff performances lately and inability to beat the Giants in the Super Bowl.  However, I need some silver linings lately so I've decided to tackle the notion I've been hearing for a few years that Belichick the GM isn't nearly as good as Belichick the head coach.  This is a result of what appears to be a woeful pass defense and all the draft capital spent on that part of the team that has resulted in ruin.  Well, (viewer discretion is advised) allow me to retort!

I looked at the drafts from 2009 (Scott Pioli left for Kansas City on 1/13/09) through this year.  I'll go through the first and second round picks with some cherries picked from the later rounds.  

2009: 2nd Round - Pat Chung DB a serviceable safety, inconsistent.

                               Ron Brace DT starting runstopper on the D line, could be part of 

                               the reason Willfork has stepped it up in the last few years.

                               Darius Butler DB is draft bust spelled D A R I U S?

                               Sebastian Vollmer T a starter on the O line when he's healthy

          7th Round -  Julian Edelman WR gets the job done and considering he's a 

                               7th rounder seems like a great pick.

2010:   1st Round - Devin McCourty DB great his rookie year, lost last year, somehow 

                                just won the special teams player of the week despite almost 

                                fumbling the game away.  

           2nd Round - Gronk TE an absolute steal.

                                Jermaine Cunningham LB solid starter

                                Brandon Spikes LB good linebacker who is one of the fiercest 

                                hitters in the league

           4th Round -  Aaron Hernandez TE another steal

           5th Round -  Zoltan Mesko P sure Belichick expended a 5th round pick on a punter,

                                but he's an outstanding punter.

2011:   1st Round - Nate Solder T starter on the offensive line

           2nd Round - Ras-I Dowling DB perhaps draft bust spelled R A S I

                                Shane Vereen RB just beginning to get his feet wet

            3rd Round - Steven Ridley RB if he gets his fumbles under control potential for 

                                 greatness

            4th Round - Ryan Mallet QB mythical backup QB

2012:   1st Round - Chandler Jones DE flashes of awesomeness, rookie ups and down

                                 Dont'A Hightower LB see Chandler Jones

            2nd Round - Tavon Wilson S despite getting burned now and then does have two 

                                 interceptions and two fumble recoveries.  Not bad.

By my count that's two incredible steals in Gronk and Hernandez, two offensive line starters in Vollmer and Solder, a two mercurial but talented DBs in McCourty and Chung, a late round offensive piece in Edelman, a good to great running back in Ridley in the 3rd round, and one of the best punters in the league in Mesko.  Sure there's a couple of 2nd round busts in Dowling and Butler, but there's a lot more to like than not.  So come on, let's lay off the GM Bill Belichick.  He's given coach Belichick some good to great players. If only coach Belichick could get Tom Brady to win that parking space again.

Until next time,

The SAHD

Red Sox FA Starting Pitcher Targets Edition

While I contemplate the 800lb gorilla of the Patriots 7-6 playoff record since 2005, the Red Sox have introduced their new manager, the square-jawed intimidator John Farrell.  The Red Sox starting pitching was shameful last year.  From Baseball Reference:  The Quality Start % (pitching 6 or more innings and allowing 3 runs or less) for starters was 44%, 12th out of 15 AL teams. The Innings Per Game Started was 5.7, 10th of 15 teams. The vast majority of Red Sox starters in 2012 could not or would not drag themselves to the threshold of even the most mediocre of starting pitching stats. That's not just loosing baseball, that's pampered overpaid lazy-ass starting pitcher baseball.  And with teams signing more and more of their valuable pitchers to long term deals before they hit free agency it's harder than ever to get good starting pitching without giving up the farm.

Consensus opinion is the Red Sox need a starting pitcher or two or three to add to the mix, having traded Josh Beckett, letting Daisuke's enigma float away, and having left under-performing, recently injured, and youthful staff anchors Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Felix Dubrount and John Lackey (the Lackey as a member of the rotation in 2013 talk is more disturbing than the reality that global warming is actually a debate again).  This being the case, I've found three free agent starting pitching targets I believe the Red Sox should go after.  All three are age 28, more or less in the sweetspot of their primes, and should be more reasonable than questionable, older, or bigger names like Zack Greinke, Dan Haren, or Jake Peavey.  I would include Edwin Jackson as a target but he has been on 7 teams the last 8 years and is the ripe and way too old for this group age of 29.  Thanks to Baseball Reference and Baseball HQ for the stats.  And now the list:

#1 Anibal Sanchez.
         
          Innings    K    K/9    WHIP    Ground Ball %    Innings/Start
2010     195    157   7.2      1.34             45%                6.1
2011     196    202   9.3      1.28             44%                6.1
2012     196    167   7.7      1.29             46%                6.3

This guy is a model of consistency.  He will no doubt cost the most money, but with his excellent ground ball and strikeout rates and innings eater ability there is a great chance he'll be worth it. The Sox should put the hard press on this guy, no doubt he will have plenty of suitors after the World Series.  Who knows, maybe he'll respond favorably considering they signed him and traded him for a playoff performing declining tub of goo. That linked story shows the Royals consider him their top free agent target.  The Royals should present no significant difficulty, right?

#2 Francisco Liriano

Liriano has been quite the enigma.  He's been a baseball comet, striking out a ton and looking unhittable.  He's gone through Tommy John surgery and been seen as a disappointment. Let's take a look at recent history:

          Innings    K    K/9    WHIP    Ground Ball %    Innings/Start
2009     137    122   8.0      1.55             40%                5.7
2010     192    201   9.4      1.26             54%                6.2
2011     134    112   7.5      1.49             49%                5.6
2012     157    167   9.6      1.47             44%                5.6

He's had some DL stints in '09 and '11, which makes him inconsistent, but his combination of ground ball tendencies and strikeout potential make him the most intriguing of this bunch.  Farrell spoke of attacking the zone with pitchers yesterday, Liriano has been there in 2010.  Can the Sox help him find that again?  I say go for it. He's at a great age, has shown tremendous ability, and won't break the bank.

#3 Carlos Villanueva

          Innings    K    K/9    WHIP    Ground Ball %    Innings/Start
2011     107    68     5.7      1.26             36%              
2012     125    122   8.8      1.27             37%                6.0

The least experienced of the three, he seems like a solid choice to compete with Dubrount for the 4th or 5th starter role.  He doesn't have the ground ball tendencies of the other two but keeps the ball in the yard and developed as a starter under our new manager in Toronto. This guy is more of a lottery ticket than the other two but a better bet than, for example, sinking $60 M into Kyle Lohse.

Sanchez will be a big signing, but Liriano has the potential to be somewhere between Bill Mueller and David Ortiz as a free agent grab.  Carlos Villanueva could be like Cody Ross. These are guys Cherington, Farrell and Co should consider if they want to spend their money wisely and develop a winner.

Until next time,

The SAHD

It's All Relative - Pats Still Great Edition

As I listened to the nebulous sports arguments being hoisted on those who choose to listen to the radio this morning I came more and to believe in my thought that emotion, eye tests, smell tests, Tom E Curran hand gestures or general observations are no way to get to the truth about what a football team is doing.  As a New Hampshirite might say: Give me statistics or give me death! Here again I am grateful that the self proclaimed trolls over at Cold Hard Football Facts exist.  They've concocted this beauty called the Relativity Index.  As they tell it:

             "The Relativity Index measures the performance of each team relative to 
             the performance of its opponents in all other games. Essentially, it adjusts 
             for the quality of competition each team faces, and spits out a number that 
             tells us how greatly a team overachieved, or how badly a team underachieved, 
             relative to the quality of competition. 

             For example, if Team A scores 25.0 PPG, and its opponents surrender 20 
             PPG in all of their other contests, Team A is +5.0 PPG on offense. If Team 
             A surrenders 20 PPG, and its opponents score 25 PPG in all of their other 
             contests, Team A is +5.0 on defense. This equates to a total Relativity Index 
             score of +10.0 PPG. In other words, Team A is 10 points better than the average 
             performance of its opponents."

Seems pretty Patriot-like wouldn't you say?  Chameleon defenses, taking away an opponents best weapon on offense, Tom Brady's favorite receiver is the open one, that kind of thing.  This stat quantifies game-planning, execution and performance among NFL peers.  Let's look at how the Patriots have ranked in the NFL from 2004 through today, again with playoff record:

2004 #1 (3-0 Won Super Bowl)

2005 #11 (1-1 Lost Divisional Round)

2006 #2 (2-1 Lost Conference Final)

2007 #1 (2-1 Lost Super Bowl)

2008 #9 (Missed Playoffs)

2009 #1 (0-1 Lost Wild Card Round)

2010 #1 (0-1 Lost Divisional Round)

2011 #3 (2-1 Lost Super Bowl)

2012 Through Week 7 # 11

Just like yesterday we see that this team as whole has performed incredibly well right through last year.  This isn't Tom Brady's performance, or a cornerback's performance, or one game plan by Belichick.  This is the entire team ranking as the #1 overachieving team four of the last eight years and in the top 3 six of the last eight.  That's still the outstanding team we came to know in 2003 and 2004.  The playoffs have been devastating, loosing the Super Bowl in the last minutes to Eli twice can make a fan feel like three pounds of expired ground meat.  But the Patriots are still a dominant team right through last year in all kinds of ways.  It's not looking great so far but there's plenty to be optimistic about.  Did you know the Patriots are the #1 team in Total Offense  in the NFL right now?  

Our expectations come from dizzying heights.  Brady and Belichick started 9-0 in the playoffs in their first four years together.  Things can only get worse from there.  These guys are still dominant, dynamic and dedicated since their last Super Bowl win in 2004.  Despite popular opinion right now this team has a better recent track record and great chance to finish the season on top. 

Until next time,

The SAHD

The Bendable Pats D - It's Not As Bad As You Think Edition

Turns out my findings on Brad Ausmus' personality in my last post made me feel comfortable with giving up Mike Aviles for John Farrell.  But on to football for now.

Our beloved New England Patriots are 4-3 and looking pretty shaky.  After heartbreaking losses in the Super Bowl to the hated New York Football Giants in two of the last six years after winning heartbreaking defeats over the Rams, Panthers, and Eagles in three of the fours years before that it's easy to see how anyone who is a fan of the Patriots could have an out of whack perspective. Many of us are long time Red Sox fans as well, and I don't know about you but that old 'they will let me down' feeling is creeping in.  The difference is they've come through so many times before. It's very confusing, like wondering if Heath Ledger could reach something like Christopher Walken status after his virtuoso Joker performance in The Dark Knight.  So to separate fact from feeling I'm turning to the stats.  And the best football stats I've found belong to The Cold Hard Football Facts. It's a pay site for the more in-depth stats I'm going to use, but their leader, Kerry Byrne, can be read on Sports Illustrated, and there are plenty of free and informative articles on the CHFF's website as well.

Today I look at CHFF Bendability Index.  In my opinion there is no better stat to personify how Bill Belichick has coached here in New England.  As the CHFF describe it:

             "The Bendability Index quantifies the concept of the "bend but don't break
             defense."The Bendability Index is not merely a defensive indicator! It is a 
             team-wide measurement of ability to keep opponents off the scoreboard. It 
             takes into account a variety of factors, including proficiency of offense and 
             special teams, field position, red zone defense, and turnover differential, 
             and then spits it all out in an easy-to-understand number."

            "Bendability = Yards allowed/Points Allowed = Yards Per Point Allowed 
             (YPPA). The higher the number, the more “bendable” the defense."

Belichick to a T.  The CHFF stats start in 2004, so here is where the Patriots have ranked league-wide in Bendability each year since then, with their playoff record is parenthesis:

2004 #2 (3-0 Won Super Bow)

2005 #15 (1-1 Lost Divisional Round)

2006 #2 (2-1 Lost Conference Championship)

2007 #6 (2-1 Lost Super Bowl)

2008 #10 (Missed Playoffs)

2009 #4 (0-1 Lost Wild Card Round)

2010 #4 (0-1 Lost Divisional Round)

2011 #2 (2-1 Lost Super Bowl)

2012 Through Week 7 #11

As you can see the Patriots have been outstanding in this indicator since its inception. Top 4 five out eight complete years.  As bad as the Patriots D is being perceived we can see that they finished #2 in 2004 and #2 last year.  The eye test, smell test, or whatever sports radio ranting test is telling us this Patriots defense is not what it once was.  The story above tells us a different story.  Yes, the team is only #11 through week seven this year, and based much more on youth than that 2004 defense, but the 4,4,2 rankings the past three years tell a sunnier defensive story than we have been led to believe. Bendability isn't the be all and end all, but it is an important piece of the puzzle.  Don't jump off the bandwagon just yet, they very well may shore things up from here.  

Until next time,

The SAHD

Red Sox Manager - Searching For Brad Ausmus Edition

As the Red Sox are about to reboot for a second time this fall by hiring a new manager I figured I would reboot this blog and drop the Charlie Pierce 'This Blog' stuff since it's so clear he hated working at the Globe where he did the blog I was paying homage to in the first place.

If you've been paying attention at all to the Boston sports scene you know there is currently a search on for the new manager of the hometown team.  The candidates are as follows: Tim Wallach, Tony Pena, DeMarlo Hale, the negotiating rights to John Farrell and Brad Ausmus.  Maybe it's because Ausmus' New England roots have come up from time to time, or just that I always heard on the Fat Boy Slim into to 'The Rockafeller Skank ' instead of "WBCN who's this? Hey this is brad (this is brad this is)" as "WBCN who's this? This is Brad Ausmus Brad Ausmus."  For whatever reason I have latched on to Brad Ausmus as the guy for the Red Sox future.  Thus I set out on a wondering journey across the internet to see if these reports of people touting him as a manager for his whole career are true.

The first place I looked was the Sports Illustrated vault.  This cornucopia of sports history will eat your whole afternoon if you're a sports nut, so enter with caution.  From there I hopped on a couple other sites through the glory of Google and found a complicated baseball man.

From a September 1993 SI story:

             "Ausmus, who became the talk of the sports-writing profession earlier this season 
             when he used the word malevolence in an interview, said that when it came to 
             communication, he  and Seminara were on the same wavelength. "Like our signs for 
             pitches," he said. "It's fingers times pi squared plus half the distance of the baseline."

The Dartmouth College educated ball player showed his cerebral side early.  More on his sense of humor to come.

The Red Sox start to become strangely intertwined with Brad Ausmus starting with this SI story from May of 1997.  The story starts out all about Nomar and Mo Vaughn calling him 'Spider Man' for his ability to get to balls in the hole.  Who knew his defensive deficiencies would lead to the ultimate baseball nirvana for Red Sox fans?  Anyhow, Ausmus's defensive prowess is profiled by touting his ability to throw out basestealers.  The story notes he had thrown out Kenny Lofton three times already in early '97.  Very interesting, according to Baseball Reference Kenny Loften led the AL in stolen bases in each of the five years prior to 1997.  He moved to Altanta in '97 and promptly led the league in being caught stealing.  Kenny never led any league in stolen bases again.  The Brad Ausmus effect?  Hmm.

So far we can see Ausmus is a tremendous defender with an Ivy League brain who might be the gong that rang the decline of Kenny Lofton's career.  What else came along?

Randy Smith, former GM for the Tigers and Astros, tells Sports Illustrated in 1999 of his unrequited love of Brad Ausmus:

"Brad's one of the best defensive catchers in baseball," [Smith] says. "He's 
great at handling a pitching staff and has a knack for putting down the 
right finger."

Huh. I thought all the players who needed the finger were packaged to The Dodgers in late August. Oh wait, there's still a jackass or two left.

Another Red Sox related SI story, Pedro on the cover in all his year 2000 bad-ass glory. Short and sweet, Ausmus is a heck of a defensive catcher.

This is where it gets a bit tricky. Brad Ausmus has had his very own Bobby Valentine moments, with Roger Clemens. Roger flippin' Clemens. Does it get any more cringe worthy from a Sox fan perspective? To whit:

"One game Roger Clemens had to call Brad out [to the mound] three times 
because he kept messing up the signs," says Lidge. "I think at least two times 
Brad didn't know how many outs there were."

Not to go all ESPN faux paux on you, but first chink in the armor Ted.***

Boring but informative, Brad placed in some pretty select company as the smartest men in baseball are voted on by MLB players in 2007.

Oddly enough, this is the oldest article I could come across linking Ausmus with managing. A 2007 Houston Chronicle piece about Ausmus being an unofficial assistant to manager Phil Garner with his Varitek-esque preparation and attention to detail. Manny definitely would've mocked Ausmus going over all his charts in the dugout.

Lastly we see a video from Brad Ausmus' last day in Houston in 2008. The strange thing about this short clip is Cecil Cooper's comments at the end. Check it out, Cooper was honestly worried about Brad Ausmus not liking him. A sign of Ausmus being too dry and sarcastic? Or maybe this was just Cooper's issue. He didn't do so well there after all.

So Ausmus isn't an iron clad choice. He was a great catcher by all accounts, considered very smart and well prepared. He's closer to David Halberstam than Terry Francona, who's to say how his clubhouse would be run? One might think he'd never not know whether the opposing starting pitcher were left or right handed a few hours before the game, but what's up with that Brad Lidge Roger Clemens story? And is it a good or bad thing that you couldn't swing a cat without hitting an Ivy Leaguer on the Red Sox team bus if Ausmus were the choice? I'd still be willing to give it a try, but John Farrell looks just a little bit better after going through this exercise.

Until next time,

The SAHD

***Upon 2nd thought perhaps Ausmus was just messing with Clemens, which would be freakin' awesome, and too far above both Clemens' and Lidge's heads. If that's the case I am all in on Ausmus, although reports are pointing to a Farrell arrangement with Toronto.