While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Fantastic read on Cavs guard Shaun Livingston’s NBA journey- “Having somebody like that who has been in the league for as long as he has, he knows the game so well,” Irving said of Livingston. “Even when he first came into the league, you could obviously see that he knows the game. I’m still a fan of his. I was watching him when I was growing up.”
These days, Livingston comes off the bench to spell Irving. They occasionally play together, but mostly he plays with the second unit. Byron Scott likes Livingston’s calming presence on a young team. Even if Livingston wanted to showcase his full talents — the no-look passes, the And1 dribbling skills — the minutes are often not there. Livingston is no longer the future. Irving is the present. Livingston is just trying to regain some of his past. “I’m not that guy anymore,” Livingston said. “I’m not that 19-, 20-year-old kid they are going to roll the ball out to and say, ‘Here. Play for us. You are our guy.’ That falls on Kyrie now. The dynamics have changed.” [Abrams/Grantland]
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Should be even MORE exciting now Tito- “He’s also excited at the veterans Antonetti added. Outfielder Nick Swisher is a little reminiscent of Dustin Pedroia in terms of brashness. Infielder Mike Aviles is versatile. Designated hitter Jason Giambi is so respected in the clubhouse that the Rockies interviewed him for their manager spot over the winter. He’s also the type of veteran a manager can lean on to help police the clubhouse.
But it’s not just about seniority. When Francona began contacting players shortly after accepting the Cleveland job, he did so alphabetically. “I wanted everyone to feel important,” he says. “They are important. When they walk through those clubhouse doors, I don’t care who they are. Every one of them is important.” [Miller/CBS Sports]
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“There is a lot to like about this deal for Cleveland. First and foremost, they receive the services of a very good player for the next four years (with an option for a fifth.) Michael Bourn is something of a throwback player in that he has no power of which to speak. Even though he has only 16 home runs over the last four seasons, only five Major League outfielders put up more fWAR than Bourn: Ben Zobrist, Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday, Andrew McCutchen, and Jose Bautista.
Cleveland did not sign Bourn for the last four years, they signed him for the next four years. What kind of player do they get? A speedy on-base machine who runs down plenty of balls in the outfield and runs the bases alertly and effectively. Bourn enters his age 30 season with concerns over the rate at which speedy contact hitters age floating around him. His stolen base totals are sure to decline, but as discussed earlier today, stolen bases are an insignificant piece of the total package.” [Fairservice/Getting Blanked]
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“But this? The Indians for the last couple weeks have been filling out their roster with NRIs. High-profile NRIs, but NRIs all the same. Pitchers and catchers reported yesterday, and the team seemed content to go into the season with the roster they had. Drew Stubbs would be a decent defender, and well, let’s hope he’s not an offensive black hole. The Indians didn’t have a DH, but well, they can keep their key players healthy by rotating them in and out of the lineup. The Indians have dealt with holes before, even ones that they knew going in they’d have to deal with. This wasn’t a club one player away from a World Series, this was a club trying to regain their competitiveness after an historically awful second half. Sure, Michael Bourn was out there; he did fit into the lineup in center field, and would solidify the lineup, but reality said that some other club would swoop in and grab him, and besides, the Indians were maxed out on their payroll.
But surprise, surprise, the Indians signed a Scott Boras contract, and not a Juan Gonzalez-style one-year deal; it’s a four-year deal that means Bourn and Swisher will be in the outfield through at least 2016.” [Ryan/Let's Go Tribe]
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And for those that just want more NFL draft info, here you go. [Shutdown Corner]
