THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Stupid ESPN paywall. Is there any way to subscribe to Insider without getting their godawful magazine (and paying less)?

It’s funny how things get convoluted when translated to spanish and back to english.  Apparantly Utley didn’t have a “major” until 2005.  Which is good to know, because it took me 3 years to choose one also.

Are Dave and Keith writing in spanish?  Or are those just translations?

Awesomely, Google translates for free.  Just Google “translate” and then paste the URL.  Stupid ESPN, indeed.

Ugh. I can never look at these bad trade lists without having nightmares over Karim Garcia for Luis Gonzalez.

Mitch, that’s quite the find.

Wells/1: No. I recently tried this. I went round and round with the guy on the phone (he was very nice, though not wavering). Insider/Magazine are only a package deal, and while you can occasionally get a discounted price, you can’t pay just $10 for Insider or something like that.

It’s an absolutely horrendous business decision that’s only meant to get that terrible magazine into peoples’ homes. Instead of getting $10 or $15 from me for Insider, they get $0. I have a feeling many, MANY people are this way. ESPN needs to realize this, fast. I want my Insider back, but I refuse to spend all that money for the magazine.

# 1 Year Membership - $3.33 a month

Includes a 1 YEAR subscription to ESPN The Magazine. 26 issues overall - Over 50% off the regular monthly price!
# 2 Year Membership - $2.50 a month (Best Value)

Includes a 2 YEAR subscription to ESPN The Magazine. 52 issues overall - Over 63% off the regular monthly price!

# Monthly Membership - $6.95 a month

Let’s say that 40$ a year is the fair price for Insider.  If you take the first option, you pay 40$ a year, and they throw in the magazine (which you can discard).  If you take the 2nd option, you pay 60$ for 2 years (and throw the mag away).  If you take the third option, you get Insider for 6 months a year (at 42$).

So, I would suggest that you take option 1.  If you insist on the principle of the matter, then go for option 3.

Basically, ESPN is saying “if you agree to have the magazine delivered, we’ll give you 6 months of Insider free, plus we’ll give you 2$ back”.

Hmmm… just noticed that even with the monthly plan, you get the magazine.

Oh well…

I don’t want to thread bump, so I’ll put this here.

Based off of Rally’s invaluable WAR database, I came up with a spreadsheet of the best position players of the 1990s to follow up on Neyer’s best of this decade. My list is given in total WAR; there’s no subjective moving anyone around. Just click my name if you’re interested.

Doesn’t seem to link my hyperlink above. Try this:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjM57HMNt8HwdGJVT0VhNVJnTzhuUkcteXhsMlVpTUE&hl=en

Well, the Google translate is comprehensible if you know what is going on, but it did include this:

At the same time, the change promoted the reconstruction Bedard in Baltimore, giving the Orioles center fielder of all days, a pitching prospect for the future that fits into the Orioles’ rotation, behind Brian Matusz, and for life change made in the summer with the Dodgers,