San Diego Padres Top 10 Shirseys

Click here to read a primer on our shirsey rankings. 
Click here to read the Padres BP Top 10 Prospects.

Carrasco, Gwynn, Winfield, Piazza, and Kouzmanoff write-ups are courtesy of Geoff Young of Baseball Prospectus. You can follow him on Twitter @ducksnorts. No, seriously. @ducksnorts. 

System Quote: “Petco. Where the pitchers who need to revive their career go.”

Padres Top Ten:

  1. Mat Latos
  2. Tenthman
  3. Carrasco?
  4. Ryan Klesko
  5. Bruce Bochy
  6. Tony Gwynn Jr.
  7. Dave Winfield
  8. Mike Piazza
  9. Mike Cameron
  10. Kevin Kouzmanoff

Screen Shot 2014-01-16 at 11.40.48 PM1. Mat Latos

 Size: XL

 Current Status: Available for purchase

 Website: eBay

 Price: $29.99 + $4.60 Shipping

 eBay Description: Cool polyester material

 The Tools: 8 derp; 6 awesomeness; 5 player obscurity; 3 design/color scheme; 3 price

What Happened to the Player in 2013: Mat Latos continued his rep as next years’ next big thing as he showed great potential but was always missing a bit of something.

Strengths: Aside from the female wearing no pants? There’s a ton to love here. Fantastic retro color combination of yellow and brown. The front says Eugene Emeralds even though the color scheme is classic Padres. The brown stripe on the sleeve is classy. Also did I mention the attractive lady without pants.

Weaknesses: Bi-Mart advertisement on lower bum keeps this shirsey from achieving elite level potential.

Overall Future Potential: 7: if you can peel off the Bi-Mart ad, you’ll have yourself a possible perennial all star.

Realistic Role: High 6; peeling that ad off isn’t worth your time. Also, you don’t get the woman with the shirsey.

Risk Factor/Injury History: Low risk; shirsey just looks really good.

The Year Ahead: If she continues working out that – oh you mean the shirsey? Um. Go Latos!

Wardrobe ETA: ASAP

Screen Shot 2014-01-16 at 11.44.40 PM2. Tenthman

 Size: Small

 Current Status: Available for purchase

 Website: eBay

 Price: $15.00 + $5.00 Shipping

 eBay Description: Era: 1977-1989 (Punk, New Wave, 80s)

 The Tools: 7 derp; 6 awesomeness; 8 player obscurity; 6 design/color scheme; 5 price

What Happened to the Player in 2013: Well, if this shirsey is referring to the entire San Diego Padres fan base during the late 80’s, then one can assume that a lot of these people have grown up considerably. I would assume the majority of them still live in San Diego and are still madly in love with Tony Gwynn. And not the Tony Gwynn that appears later on this list.

Strengths: wow

much retro

so Tenthman

very Padres

Weaknesses: Tenthman is not a word or a name. It is just a thing that sports fans made up.  

Overall Future Potential: High 6; perfect for time traveling Padres dorks

Realistic Role: High 5; plus-plus derp keeps this shirsey’s floor considerably high

Risk Factor/Injury History: High; this shirsey represents a lot of people and who knows how many of those people have been to prison?

The Year Ahead: Again, if time travel becomes possible, this shirsey might be the best gift for any 47 year old Padres fan that is sick and tired of watching Kyle Blanks sit on the bench.

Wardrobe ETA: 1988

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Colorado Rockies Top 10 Shirseys

Click here to read a primer on our shirsey rankings. 
Click here to read the Rockies BP Top 10 Prospects.

No special guest this week. Sorry for the delay. #slack

System Quote: “Home is wherever I hit .315 annually.” 

Rockies Top Ten:

  1. Haltertop Jason Giambi
  2. Haltertop Troy Tulowitzki
  3. Autographed Manny Corpas
  4. Jackie Robinson
  5. Vinny Castilla 
  6. Rafael Betancourt
  7. Yorvit Torrealba
  8. Dante Bichette
  9. Mike Hampton
  10. Jason Jennings

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 5.42.14 PM1. Haltertop Jason Giambi

 Size: One Size Fits all  

 Current Status: Available for purchase  

 Website: eBay  

 Price: $28.00 + $4.50 Shipping  

eBay Description: “Check out this amazing halter top made from a Jason Giambi jersey tee – it’s one of a kind!”  

The Tools: 8 derp; 3 awesomeness; 5 player obscurity; 5 design/color scheme; 3 price

What Happened to the Player in 2013: Jason Giambi continued his improbable transition from juiced-out frat boy to wise old baseball wizard.

Strengths: Lets you show off those shoulders and support your favorite Rockies superstar at the same time. Jason Giambi is a man who deserves to be recognized on the front of a shirt. Elite level derp.

Weaknesses: Questions about haltertop profile may cause shirt’s tools to play down. Looks like your dog chewed up your Jason Giambi shirsey and you tried to salvage whatever was left.

Overall Future Potential: 7; if there’s ever a Jason Giambi related porno, this shirsey will play a major role in helping said porno win an Oscar.

Realistic Role: 2; hopefully we never have to see a Jason Giambi related porno.

Risk Factor/Injury History: High; shirsey could fall apart at any moment.

The Year Ahead: Giambi might still be on the Indians, but that has no effect on the wonder of this haltertop.

Wardrobe ETA: When all your other clothes are burned.

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Episode 23: Pedro Martinez Was A Car Accident

We’ve only been back in school for two days but Episode 23 simply couldn’t wait. Our very very very special guest this week (at 30:05) is Fred Claire, former General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. We talked to him about his extensive career in the Dodgers organization, spanning from his beat writer days to his 1988 World Series Championship. We discussed some of his biggest transactions and how they look in retrospect, including trading away Pedro Martinez (at 52:00). Claire also talked about how international scouting has changed, the progression of advanced statistics, and of course, we asked him about Puig and Kershaw…and Vin Scully. Our SECOND special guest is professional baseball player Matt Ball, a right-handed pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization. He was also born in 1995. We talked to Matt about the process of being drafted in 2013 as well as what it’s like playing in the rookie-level Appalachian League. And yeah, we talked to Lana Berry again. We asked her a bunch of rapid fire questions and briefly discussed how she’s coping with this dreadfully boring time of the baseball offseason. Our B-ref showdown/throwdown/skirmish was solid, and our e-mails included another ALL TIME GREAT from OBP. Our musical guest is THE SPACE JAM. Thanks for listening <3

You can buy Fred Claire’s book “Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue” here: http://www.amazon.com/Fred-Claire-Years-Dodger-Blue/dp/1582617325

iTunes link (rate and review us! seriously!): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cespedes-family-barbecue-cespedes/id683535357

Link to all previous podcasts: https://cespedesfamilybarbecue.com/the-barbecast-cfb-podcast/

E-mail: cespedesfb@gmail.com

Tweeterz: https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ

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Episode 22: Blossom, Bubbles, and Carlos Rodon

Episode 22 of this ridiculous podcast has arrived. Our special guest this week is prospect enthusiast and plus-plus human being Chris Crawford of ESPN and MLBDraftInsider. We talked to Chris for close to an hour about the upcoming college baseball season, who to watch for the 2014 Draft, and his time as an employee at Best Buy. And yeah, we talked about our crappy baseball throwing best friend, Carlos Rodon. He sucks. Our baseball-reference name skirmish/showdown was a good one #Toots. After being the guest on this week’s PRODcast (click here to listen), we recorded a quick segment with the Productive Outs dudes showcasing Riley’s ability to come up with unbelievably insane fake minor leaguer names. He’s a talented individual. Tales from Logdog with Lana Berry was another sub-par segment of messiness. Oh, and our musical guest this week is the Powerpuff Girls theme music. Thanks for listening <3

Buy Chris Crawford’s draftbook! IT IS LITERALLY TWO DOLLARS and has an absurd amount of information on 150 prospects for the 2014 Draft. Get it here: http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014-draftbook/

iTunes link (rate and review us! seriously!): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cespedes-family-barbecue-cespedes/id683535357

Link to all previous podcasts: https://cespedesfamilybarbecue.com/the-barbecast-cfb-podcast/

E-mail: cespedesfb@gmail.com

Tweeterz: https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ

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Boston Red Sox Top 10 Shirseys

Click here to read a primer on our shirsey rankings. 
Click here to read the Red Sox BP Top 10 Prospects.

Okajima, Beltre, Pedro, Clemens, and Schilling write-ups are courtesy of our internet BFF Matthew Kory. Matthew is a writer at Sports On Earth, Baseball Prospectus, and some Red Sox blog called Over The Monster. You can/should flolololollow him on Twitter by clicking here

System Quote: “This is our fucking shirsey.” 

Red Sox Top Ten:

  1. Babe Ruth
  2. Mo Vaughn
  3. Sean Casey
  4. Hideki Okajima
  5. David Wells
  6. Doug Mirabelli
  7. Adrian Beltre
  8. Pedro Martinez
  9. Roger Clemens
  10. Curt Schilling 

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 12.37.23 AM1. Babe Ruth

 Size: M/L/XL/XXL

 Current Status: Available for purchase/owned by Jake

 Website: Stadiumstyle.com

 Price: $20.95

Website Description: “Ruth and 3 are printed on the back. Red Sox is printed on the front.”

The Tools: 4 derp; 7+ awesomeness; 2 player obscurity; 5 design/color scheme; 4 price

What Happened to the Player in 2013: Babe Ruth remained dead.

Strengths: With this shirsey you can celebrate the greatest hitter of all time without having to endure the guilt of wearing a Yankees shirsey. The only thing better than this would be a Babe Ruth St. Louis Browns shirsey, but the last known one of those perished in WWII somewhere over Okinawa. Design difference conveys retro/vintage look which is good because Babe Ruth is old as shit.

Weaknesses: Confused people might mistake you for a woman named Ruth. But those people are confused, and probably extremely stupid. Currently owned my Jake Mintz which means it can’t be stylish.

Overall Future Potential: 8; Babe Ruth’s time on the Red Sox is one of America’s truly innocent love-stories. The memorialization of said memories is an American obligation fulfilled by the wearing of this shirsey.

Realistic Role: High 6; “BABAY WOOF” – The Goonies

Risk Factor/Injury History: Low; the Babe is gone

The Year Ahead: Babe will remain dead and still awesome.

Wardrobe ETA: 1895

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Tampa Bay Rays Top 10 Shirseys

Click here to read a primer on our shirsey rankings. 
Click here to read the Rays BP Top 10 Prospects.

We don’t really know any Rays fans so we were stuck doing this entire list by ourselves. And by we, I mean me, Jordan. Jake formatted it like a month ago. That’s why it’s so late. Sorry! <3 

System Quote: “Tropicana Field sucks.”

Rays Top Ten:

  1. Yellow Matt Joyce
  2. Greg Vaughn
  3. Akinori Iwamura
  4. Rocco Baldelli 
  5. Jorge Cantu
  6. Jason Bartlett
  7. Evan Longoria
  8. Rafael Soriano
  9. Johnny Damon
  10. Scott Kazmir

Screen Shot 2013-12-19 at 1.14.07 PM1. Yellow Matt Joyce

 Size: M/L/2XL

 Current Status: Available for purchase

 Website: eBay

 Price: $12.99 + $3.99 Shipping

 eBay Description: “Looks like a baseball jersey, wears like a tee”

 The Tools: 6 derp; awesomeness; 5 player obscurity; 8 design/color scheme; 6 price

What Happened to the Player in 2013: First, Matt Joyce played well. Then he didn’t. Then Delmon Young played instead of him. Then he took some naps.

Strengths: The only thing cooler than retro shirseys with silly color schemes are fake retro shirseys with silly color schemes. “Yes, Mom,” you’ll brag, “This is my yellow Rays shirsey.” You’ll also be able to convince your friends that the Rays were formed in 1971. Really absurd that the only player for whom this shirsey design is available is Matt Joyce.

Weaknesses: Fake time travel always pisses off the baseball gods.

Overall Future Potential: 7; elite design means huge ceiling

Realistic Role: 5; you’ll still struggle against left-handed friends

Risk Factor/Injury History: Moderate; there are flaws in this shirsey’s game

The Year Ahead: This beautiful yellow piece of clothing will continue to fail to represent any part of Tampa Bay’s history.

Wardrobe ETA: ????

Screen Shot 2013-12-19 at 1.17.37 PM2. Greg Vaughn

 Size: L

 Current Status: Sold

 Website: eBay

 Price: $4.99 + $4.99 Shipping

 eBay Description: “Some cracking in the printed logo/numbers.  Awesome shirt at a great price!”

 The Tools: 6 derp; 5 awesomeness; 6 player obscurity; 6 design/color scheme; 6+ price

What Happened to the Player in 2013: It was the 10th anniversary of Greg Vaughn not playing professional baseball. Greg’s SON, Cory, hit .267/.346/.424 at Double-A  Binghamton. Yeah. Also, holy shit, Greg Vaughn hit 50 home runs in 1998 and hit more home runs in his career than Luis Gonzalez and other good baseball players. Good for you, Greg Vaughn.

Strengths: He’s Mo Vaughn’s cousin. Also, this was awesome: “In 1999, he became the only player in major league history to be traded after a 50-homer season when the Padres traded him to the Cincinnati Reds. Vaughn’s arrival in Cincinnati caused a bit of a controversy with club ownership and their no facial hair policy. Vaughn styled a goatee that he really didn’t want to remove. Fans urged owner Marge Schott to lift the long standing policy that had been in place since 1967 which she eventually did. On the field, he hit 45 homers and became the second player in major league history to hit 40 or more homers in consecutive seasons with two different teams.” (Wikipedia)

Weaknesses: He’s not Mo Vaughn.

Overall Future Potential: 6; still a Vaughn

Realistic Role: 5; still not Mo Vaughn, or Greg Vaughan from General Hospital

Risk Factor/Injury History: Low; we’ve discussed guys named Greg on the podcast

The Year Ahead: Presumably his son will continue to play minor league baseball while he continues to not be eligible for the Hall of Fame anymore :(

Wardrobe ETA: 1998

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Episode 21: The Thunder From Down Under

It’s the 21st edition of the Barbecast so grab an alcoholic beverage, sit back, and enjoy this AUSSIE of an episode. Our special guest this week is JAKE FROM THE FUTURE. Sorta. It’s our first guestless episode since Episode 4 but we still managed to talk for a long time. Our e-mails included a lot of questions regarding Jake’s trip to Australia as well as some fantastic material from the regular e-mail superstars like Napolean and OBP. After that, we did another battle of amazing baseball names and then talked about Jake’s trip a little more extensively. We DID manage to have Lana Berry on for the 13th consecutive episode (oh my god Lana I am so sorry) and we talked about her favorite things from 2013. Oh, and our musical “guest” is the sounds of a didgeridoo because duh. Thanks for listening <3

iTunes link (rate and review us! seriously!): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cespedes-family-barbecue-cespedes/id683535357

Link to all previous podcasts: https://cespedesfamilybarbecue.com/the-barbecast-cfb-podcast/

E-mail: cespedesfb@gmail.com

Tweeterz: https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ

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New York Yankees Top 10 Shirseys

Click here to read a primer on our shirsey rankings. 
Click here to read the Yankees BP Top 10 Prospects.

Costanza, Giambi, Melky, Hafner, and Nunez write-ups are courtesy of Andrew Mearns, editor and writer over at Pinstripe Alley, the SB Nation Yankees blorrogrogrogrogorgorogog. You can follow him @MearnsPSA.

System Quote: “Derek Jeter really sucks at shortstop.”

Yankees Top Ten:

  1. George Costanza
  2. Jason Giambi Red
  3. Red Bernie Williams
  4. Melky Cabrera
  5. Derek Jeter Grease Stain
  6. Pink Toddler A-Rod
  7. Mark Teixiera
  8. Travis Hafner
  9. Tino Martinez
  10. Eduardo Nunez

Screen Shot 2013-12-18 at 4.26.14 PM1. George Costanza

Size: XL
Current Status: No longer available for purchase
Website: eBay
Price: $54.50 + $9.98 Shipping or Best offer
eBay Description: “GREAT FOR YANKEE FANS OR SEINFELD FANS VERY HARD TO FIND JERSEY”
The Tools: 9 derp; 7 awesomeness; 7 player obscurity; 5 potential color scheme; 2 price
What Happened to the Player in 2013: George Costanza continued to be a fictional character in the Seinfeld universe, serving as Assistant to the Traveling Secretary for the Yankees. Might have dealt with personal shrinkage problems and on an related note, suggest to Joe Girardi that the team wear cotton uniforms, as he did to Buck Showalter 19 years ago.
Strengths: You don’t see many fictional Yankees shirseys, let alone shirseys with the fantastic double-zero. No Yankee has ever worn zero, so it’s certainly unique in that regard. Also, Seinfeld.
Weaknesses: The price is insane. It was actually re-listed from its original asking price of $74.50. Stunned that it didn’t sell, amirite? Also, it’s no longer available, as the seller just settled for the best offer. I can only assume that the best offer was a couple of crayons and a pudding. Questions about shirsey legitimacy also raise some eyebrows.
Overall Future Potential: 6; Seinfeld isn’t likely to air again anytime soon, and more people will forget who George Costanza is.
Realistic Role: 2; it just occurred to me that people might think noted batting expert Jose Constanza joined the Yankees. Beware.
Risk Factor/Injury History: The shrinkage is a serious threat. Stay away from the pool.
The Year Ahead: SERENITY NOW!

Episode 20: They Usually Have Really Small Ears

lol we’ve literally done twenty podcasts. Our special guest this week is male human being Jason Parks, who knows a bit about baseball and slightly more about what’s wrong with Jeff Passan. You know who Jason Parks is. Prospect wise, we talked Bundy/Gausman, Bundy’s cutter, Lucas Giolito’s magical powers, Jason’s earliest scouting memory, and OBVIOUSLY Victor Sanchez. Duh. We also touched on a few topics with PG-13 floors and NC-17 ceilings. Our baseball-reference war of Negro League names got pretty intense as usual. Our second special guest was our good friend Sara from high school. We talked about Matt Wieters for about 90 seconds. Tales from Logdog with Lana was a rapid fire edition where we asked her a bunch of pointless questions. It was basically what we usually do except even more random and irrelevant to baseball. Our e-mails were solid-average with plenty of room for improvement but Napolean and OBP came through and that’s what matters. Thanks for listening <3 (Rate and review us on ze iTunes!)

iTunes link (rate and review us! seriously!): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cespedes-family-barbecue-cespedes/id683535357

Link to all previous podcasts: https://cespedesfamilybarbecue.com/the-barbecast-cfb-podcast/

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