What kind of a name is Poon, anyway?

It is amazing to see the ridiculous draft policy of the White Sox in stark black-and-white here. I knew they weren't spending much, but my God. Gee, Jerry and Kenny, you think maybe this is one huge reason why you have the league's worst farm system?

I add to this the other common comeback, "If Jim Rice had known OBP was going to be so valued, he would have taken more walks." Because it's that simple--you just decide to do something, and it happens! Yay! (My actual favorite version of this will be trotted out before too many more years pass--"If Ichiro had wanted to hit 30 homers, he would have.")

And don't forget...BACK ACNE

Very much enjoyed this article. Thanks, Sam!

Someone on an Ozzie Guillen-managed team is running less?? I think this calls for a full-scale investigation.

The Cubs are seriously thinking of moving Jeff Samardzija into the rotation?? Talk about your hari-kari...

42!

Love your final paragraph, Christina. Thanks for putting a hopeful bow on it all.

A package was waiting for us when we got home. My daughter was hoping it was her flower girl dress. Instead, it was BP 2011. Her dejection was matched by my elation.

Any truth to the rumor that in organizational meetings this off-season, one of the higher-ups said to Jack Z, "After very careful consideration, sir, I've come to the conclusion that your new defense system sucks"?

No matter who is on their team right now, I refuse to believe that either the Yankees or the Red Sox wouldn't bid on Pujols if he were a free agent. They definitely will.

Fasano slash Pavano? Dare we dream?

When did you last attend a White Sox home game?

To me, you've hit the biggest question here, that hasn't really been stated explicitly yet. Should the MVP be a narrative? In practice, it often is a narrative, but that's because those voting on the awards are writers who naturally want the best story to write about. This leads to a self-fulfilling award. But is that really the best way to decide?

Thanks for doing this, Ken.

Honestly, the biggest thing to learn from these teams, in my opinion, is a simple, "Never rest on your laurels." I've been reviewing each team's chapter in the 2010 annual, and it's amazing how different the teams are today than back in February. Never let a cheap way to improve your team pass by, certainly.

Simply awesome, Ken, well done! I'd love to see a follow-up article with every BP author's answers.

Gigantic thumbs-up to this move.

You really read this as just a game story? Please tell me my sarcasm detector is on the fritz...

Let me echo those who have really been enjoying your work and will very much miss you, Russell. Thanks for giving us lots of topics and thoughts to chew on in such a short time, and good luck in the future!

Slacker.

"However, Jones realizes he has got a long way to go to wrest the MVP from two-time reigning award holder Albert Pujols." I love this because it's funny and because it perfectly captures Opening Day.

I enjoyed this. Thanks, David.

Hey, now, healthy AND a good OPS would be 2 skills. Don't get greedy.

Like most, I was baffled by the contract the Royals bestowed on Jason Kendall. But then I read this... "[Kendall's] only a slight yellow—almost green—and has some skill that most catchers don't. The amazing thing is that he doesn't have any clue what it is—nor does anyone that's watched him." Clearly, Dayton and Trey figured it out! How else to explain the contract? (Hey, I tried.)

White Sox fans such as myself are too stunned by the inclusion of Nick Masset on a good anything list to turn away. Seriously? Nick Masset? How easy is it to pitch in the NL??

Can't wait for the replies to this.

We need to get you together with the "RELEASE PECOTA NOW!!!!!!!" crowd for a cage match.

I am intrigued by your ideas and look forward to purchasing Arcee555 Prospectus 2011, touting "arcee555's deadly accurate Common Sense Forecasting."

Luckily, he never bid against himself and wildly overpaid for anything or anyone ever again.

This is fantastic work, Jay. You're writing more, and you're writing well. Thank you!

"Jake Westbrook will likely be the Opening Day starting pitcher after sitting out all last season and the final five months of 2008 while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his elbow." You phrase this as if it's a good thing... "The Royals have sorted their outfield situation out and will go with an alignment of Scott Podsednik in left, Rick Ankiel in center, and David DeJesus in right." All the pieces are in place!

"Would you be interested in a 'roundtable'-style weekly show that brought several BP writers to the virtual studio to discuss the hot topics?" Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes.

There's no chance the White Sox sign him, yet I hold out hope.

This.

Amen.

Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this roundtable and can't wait for me.

Did Tracy Ringolsby really say two-thirds > 70%? I have to be missing something, because that's how I'm reading his quote, and two thirds = 2/3, which = 67%, which is most certainly not > 70%. Seriously, WTF?

I actually have a Baseball Prospectus shirt from way back when.

I think I'm spending too much time here--when I first saw diagrammed, I thought it said dianagramr.

The only thing about the McGwire story that bugs me is Bud Selig's reaction, and that's not because of McGwire, but because Bud is being his usual hypocritical self. Imagine Barry Bonds being gone for a few more years and then being hired as the Giants' hitting coach. Can anyone imagine Bud welcoming him back to baseball? Seriously, Bud, just STFU for once already.

I enjoy them for the chance to contrast the BP analysis with the ESPN analysis.

Everybody?

Brian, to bring two discussions in this comment thread together, I was wondering what you think of Gordon Beckham as a 3B.

"I saw touch and feel and I saw a lack of fear when he pitched for us last year, even though the situation didn’t promote a lot of fear," Royals manager Trey Hillman observed. If I'm following this correctly, the situation in which Pena pitched did not call for fear...yet his lacking fear in said non-fear-inducing situation is the third most prominent thing mentioned? Trey Hillman, you so crazy.

I enjoyed seeing the list of PECOTA's black sheeps/unrequited crushes, but I think the real strength of this article, as indicated in the comments section here, is in the directions it can lead future research. So, interesting now, and potentially interesting later...nice job, Ken!

My favorite part of the All-Star Game is the introduction of the players. To me, the doffing of the cap--to thunderous cheers if you're in your hometown park; to boos if you're in your rival's ballpark; to silence if you play for the Nationals--is the reward for being selected. (This is the reason I'm still for the "a representative from every team" rule--the chance to see my guy standing alongside Pujols and Jeter and whomever is cool.) After that...eh.

"Mr. Goldman? Bud Selig. Have a beef with your latest blog post thing there. You're putting words together in a way that's just...well, it's unnatural, Steve. 'Forgoing' so close to 'revenue'? That's just reckless, Steve, reckless."

I'm curious as to how below average Flowers is. So embarrassingly bad that he has to move? Or not good, but the bat's so valuable there, let him stay? It's not like the White Sox throw any runners out anyway.

Well, that proves it, then.

Come on, Will, nobody LIKES the dark...

I'm guessing it's because Ben Zobrist isn't famous.

I was expecting a joke, or a tired ol' "look at the stoopid scouts who don't like stats" thing, and instead, I got some actual analysis of a scout axiom. That surprised me, and I very much enjoyed it.

Re: White Sox and Manny--don\'t forget Carlos Quentin. As of right now, Quentin will be in LF, Dye in RF, Konerko at 1B, and Thome at DH. Unless one of them is traded (by no means out of the question), Manny doesn\'t fit anywhere on the Sox at the moment.

I\'m going to call Scott \"the Kazmir\" from now on. Love it.

\"...whether the bracing [Paul Konerko will] need will limit his mobility.\" How can something that doesn\'t exist be limited? Or, less sarcastically, are you referring to his batting and (already limited) fielding range here?