On December 11, 1959 the Kansas City A's traded outfielder Roger Maris and shortstop Joe DeMaestri to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielders Hank Bauer, Norm Siebern, first baseman Marv Throneberry and pitcher Don Larsen. Maris had been an all-star the previous year; he had hit 16 home runs and had a .273 batting average with a .464 slugging percentage. His adjusted OPS was 123 which was only the second time in his short career that he had been above average in that category. It was unlikely that anyone could predict what was going to happen next.
In 1960, he hit 39 homeruns which was a career high. It would be easy to say that Maris took advantage of the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium. However, it would be quite untrue. Maris hit 13 home runs at home and 26 on the road. His slugging percentage was .581 which led the league. His OPS which was .952 was second in the league. He led the league in WAR which only time travelers had heard about. He won the 1960 American League MVP Award over his teammate and outfieldmate Mickey Mantle. It would be easy to say that Maris was selected the MVP because of his RBI's (he led Mantle 112 to 90). It may very well be true. Maris' value was increased by his defense. Mantle's offensive WAR was ahead of Maris but defensively Maris was on top. This season would be the best of Maris' career, at least, according to WAR.
1961 was the most memorable season of his career and may have been the most damaging to his career. Maris hit 61 homeruns during the season, which most of you know. The previous record was held by the best baseball player of all-time, Babe Ruth. Ruth had hit 60 home runs in 1927. 1961 was the first season in Major League baseball where there was a 162-game schedule. The American League played 162 games, meanwhile, the National League played the 154-game schedule.
After the first 15 games of the season Maris had only hit 1 home run. This was not the start of a record-breaking home run season. In the month of May, Maris had hit 11 home runs. He only had 12 heading into June. Mark McGwire when he broke the record in 1998 had hit 30 home runs at the same time. Maris was on fire in both June and July.
Maris' stat line for the month of June is as follows: 32 Games. 123 At-bats. 15 Home Runs. .276/.375/.707. His OPS+ for that month was 185.
73 games into the season Maris had hit 27 home runs. He was now starting to feel the pressure of possibly challenging the home run record.
In the month of July, Maris was even better. In 28 games in the month of July, he hit 13 more homeruns. His OPS+ that month was 199. In 101 games he had already hit 40 home runs. The pressure was beginning to mount. During this time Maris started lose clumps of hair. His hair was falling out due to the pressure.
In August, he began to slow down, well because he is not the home run hitter Ruth was and continuing at that pace is humanly impossible. Maris' August was 31 games and 11 home runs. His stats slipped all over the board that month. As his stats were falling, so was his hair.
Maris entered September with 51 homeruns.
He hit 9 homeruns and had tied Babe Ruth in less plate appearances. Maris hit his 60th home run in his 684th plate appearance. Ruth had hit 60 homeruns in 689 plate appearances.
In the final game of the season of 1961, Maris finally hit the 61st homerun to break the record.
According to many sources, there was no official asterisk when Maris held the record. Former baseball commissioner Ford Frick, a former Ruth biographer, noted his opinion that if a player broke the mark in the 154 games that they would be considered to be the new record holder but if it took more games it would have to have some mark that it took the new record holder more games to break the record.
Another idea to discredit Maris has been to mention that Maris took advantage of the short right field porch to break the record. He actually hit 30 of his 61 home runs at home and the other 31 were hit on the road. All of his other stats were higher at home than they were on the road but he actually had more home runs on the road. (It should be noted that he had played 3 more games on the road than he did at home). However, if he was taking advantage of the right field porch, we would see Maris hitting way more home runs at home than on the road. We do not see evidence of this.
One of the most interesting things about Maris' record-breaking season is that he did not hit a grand slam the whole year. Maris only had two at-bats the entire season with the bases loaded which seems incredibly low. I never realized how few at-bats Maris had with the bases loaded.
The story of Roger Maris has always intrigued me. Maris who had never hit 40 home runs before or after this season was able to break the single season home run record. The story of a player improving that dramatically has always intersted me. If it wasn't for stories such as Roger Maris I would not be a sports fan, still.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
NBA Draft Review Part 1 of 30: Atlanta Hawks
Disclaimer: I'm not an NBA scout nor an expert on the NBA. I am merely using what other people are saying as well as some of my own thoughts and observations based on what I saw while watching NCAA basketbal and the NBA. I watch way more NCAA basketball than I do in the NBA. When I don't know about the foreign players, I will defer to the experts for the most part.
Atlanta Hawks: They had one pick in the draft and that was in the second round and the 18th pick in the 2nd round. Sports Illustrated listed their needs as a small forward, a point guard, and a center.
2 (18)- Keith Benson C Oakland
(6-11, 230) 17.9 PPG 10.1 RPG
Analysis: Second round picks usually don't pan out mainly because they're not guaranteed contracts when they are selected but also because usually they're not considered to be that good. With that being said, you can easily fill out the last part of your team with 2nd round picks and see where they develop. Chad Ford stated in a podcast that there was a lot of value in this draft after the lottery because there is a lot of players who are similar in the 20's and in the 2nd round.
Keith Benson does help the Hawks need to get more size. However, Benson needs to fill out more as he is only 230 pounds. If he hits the weight room and all of those cliches he will hopefully be able to give them the size that they need. He was able to rebound and score against lesser opponents but he had problems with defense. I think it is a pretty solid pick because he is the exact type of player you want to select in the 2nd round because he has potential to become much better then he is right now.
Another pick that could have made sense: 1. Josh Selby PG Kansas- I acknowledge that there is certainly some character problems with Selby as well as questions about whether or not he can be less selfish. I think he will be a great pick especially considering that he was a 2nd round pick. 2. Isaiah Thomas PG Washington- I also think Thomas will have a nice career as a point guard. Although, he is a bit undersized so some consider him a liability on defense, if you're looking for offense at the point guard position, you could do a lot worse than Thomas. 3. Jereme Richmond SG/SF Illinois- There is some character issues, as well. Richmond might be able to hit his potential and Sports Illustrated listed him as a potential late 1st/early 2nd round pick. I didn't like Richmond that much.
They said it: Sports Illustrated listed center as a need but Sam Amick the NBA draft guru for Sports Illustrated said "And clearly they had laser focus when it came to getting a big man, which is pretty odd for a team that's not lacking in that very category."
Overall: I like the pick more than most and I think Benson has a very good shot of making the roster and sticking on it. I thought Benson had potential as a late 1st round pick, especially in a weak draft class. I thought the Hawks did a good job selecting a center. The only player that I thought might be better than Benson that made sense for them was Josh Selby.
Atlanta Hawks: They had one pick in the draft and that was in the second round and the 18th pick in the 2nd round. Sports Illustrated listed their needs as a small forward, a point guard, and a center.
2 (18)- Keith Benson C Oakland
(6-11, 230) 17.9 PPG 10.1 RPG
Analysis: Second round picks usually don't pan out mainly because they're not guaranteed contracts when they are selected but also because usually they're not considered to be that good. With that being said, you can easily fill out the last part of your team with 2nd round picks and see where they develop. Chad Ford stated in a podcast that there was a lot of value in this draft after the lottery because there is a lot of players who are similar in the 20's and in the 2nd round.
Keith Benson does help the Hawks need to get more size. However, Benson needs to fill out more as he is only 230 pounds. If he hits the weight room and all of those cliches he will hopefully be able to give them the size that they need. He was able to rebound and score against lesser opponents but he had problems with defense. I think it is a pretty solid pick because he is the exact type of player you want to select in the 2nd round because he has potential to become much better then he is right now.
Another pick that could have made sense: 1. Josh Selby PG Kansas- I acknowledge that there is certainly some character problems with Selby as well as questions about whether or not he can be less selfish. I think he will be a great pick especially considering that he was a 2nd round pick. 2. Isaiah Thomas PG Washington- I also think Thomas will have a nice career as a point guard. Although, he is a bit undersized so some consider him a liability on defense, if you're looking for offense at the point guard position, you could do a lot worse than Thomas. 3. Jereme Richmond SG/SF Illinois- There is some character issues, as well. Richmond might be able to hit his potential and Sports Illustrated listed him as a potential late 1st/early 2nd round pick. I didn't like Richmond that much.
They said it: Sports Illustrated listed center as a need but Sam Amick the NBA draft guru for Sports Illustrated said "And clearly they had laser focus when it came to getting a big man, which is pretty odd for a team that's not lacking in that very category."
Overall: I like the pick more than most and I think Benson has a very good shot of making the roster and sticking on it. I thought Benson had potential as a late 1st round pick, especially in a weak draft class. I thought the Hawks did a good job selecting a center. The only player that I thought might be better than Benson that made sense for them was Josh Selby.
All-Time Player Rankings: Centerfield #41
I looked up and the random number was selected as 41 so here I am writing about the 41st greatest centerfielder of all-time.
George Gore
Score: 29.34. Career: 8.87. 5 Highest: 4.68. Average: 3.15. 3 Highest: 3.18. 10 Highest: 8.46. All-Star Seasons: 2. MVP Seasons: 0.
Best Season:
1885. .313/.405/.454/.399. 138 Hits 115 Runs 21 doubles 13 triples 5 homeruns 57 RBI's 162 OPS+. wRC+ 151.
Averaged WAR: 5.7.
I probably never would of Gore if it wasn't for the New Bill James Historical Abstract which introduced me to more of the history of the game then I ever thought was possible. In 1885 he was 2nd place in WAR for position players in the league. The player that beat him was Roger Connor who had a 9.5 rWAR.
In the 1885 World Series, the Chicago White Stockings tied the St. Louis Browns 3-3-1. Gore only played in one of the games. He went 0-3 with a run and a walk.
In the New Bill James Historical Abstract he talks about how in the early days of baseball ties were quite common. I can only think of a couple of explanations as to why this may be the case. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The first of these explanations would be, I think, the best explanation. This explanation is the time element. I think perhaps the games were going too long and were merely called at a certain point if the players could no longer see the baseball even if there was a tie. This has changed in modern times if a game is tied to a certain point and can no longer be played because of weather the game is suspended and resumed at a different point. I think due to the travel schedule at the time it may have been harder to make up these games. I also think that due to inaccurate reporting that it may not have been possible to resume suspended games but I can't prove that. I have no idea why games could not be suspended until a later time, the only thing I can think of for that is a) hectic travel b) inaccurate record keeping c) apathy.
A second explanation for why there might be ties is the lack of fans really caring about their teams and setting team records such as most wins, highest winning %, etc. I would assume that they cared more about making money then anything else. In order to make money, there had to be fans in the stadium. It would be hard to convince the fans to sit through a three inning game to resolve a tie. Although, I have no idea why they couldn't do it somewhat like a doubleheader or something like that. Any explanation I have does not explain why there was a tie in this World Series. Or maybe there is a better explanation that I cannot find 130 years later.
George Gore
Score: 29.34. Career: 8.87. 5 Highest: 4.68. Average: 3.15. 3 Highest: 3.18. 10 Highest: 8.46. All-Star Seasons: 2. MVP Seasons: 0.
Best Season:
1885. .313/.405/.454/.399. 138 Hits 115 Runs 21 doubles 13 triples 5 homeruns 57 RBI's 162 OPS+. wRC+ 151.
Averaged WAR: 5.7.
I probably never would of Gore if it wasn't for the New Bill James Historical Abstract which introduced me to more of the history of the game then I ever thought was possible. In 1885 he was 2nd place in WAR for position players in the league. The player that beat him was Roger Connor who had a 9.5 rWAR.
In the 1885 World Series, the Chicago White Stockings tied the St. Louis Browns 3-3-1. Gore only played in one of the games. He went 0-3 with a run and a walk.
In the New Bill James Historical Abstract he talks about how in the early days of baseball ties were quite common. I can only think of a couple of explanations as to why this may be the case. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The first of these explanations would be, I think, the best explanation. This explanation is the time element. I think perhaps the games were going too long and were merely called at a certain point if the players could no longer see the baseball even if there was a tie. This has changed in modern times if a game is tied to a certain point and can no longer be played because of weather the game is suspended and resumed at a different point. I think due to the travel schedule at the time it may have been harder to make up these games. I also think that due to inaccurate reporting that it may not have been possible to resume suspended games but I can't prove that. I have no idea why games could not be suspended until a later time, the only thing I can think of for that is a) hectic travel b) inaccurate record keeping c) apathy.
A second explanation for why there might be ties is the lack of fans really caring about their teams and setting team records such as most wins, highest winning %, etc. I would assume that they cared more about making money then anything else. In order to make money, there had to be fans in the stadium. It would be hard to convince the fans to sit through a three inning game to resolve a tie. Although, I have no idea why they couldn't do it somewhat like a doubleheader or something like that. Any explanation I have does not explain why there was a tie in this World Series. Or maybe there is a better explanation that I cannot find 130 years later.
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Final Push: National League All-Star Voting
National League:
Catcher:
1. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves: fWAR: 2.8. .305/.380/.523/.386.
2. Ramon Hernandez Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 1.4. .308/.371/.503/.374.
3. Chris Iannetta Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.1. .229/.389/.447/.369.
Notes: This is with my new method of giving points based on places in WAR and the quadruple slash. McCann placed first as he placed either first or second in every category I weighed.
First Base:
1. Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.7. .306/.426/.608/.439.
2. Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 3.2. .318/.440/.489/.406.
3. Todd Helton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.2. .310/.387/.500/.382.
Notes: Fielder ranks first in Slg%, wOBA, and WAR. He ranks second in OBP and 4th place in batting average.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.3. .287/.356/.498/.375.
2. Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies: fWAR: 1.4. .277/.383/.455/.374.
3. Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals: fWAR: 2.8. .242/.321/.464/.348.
Notes: Weeks ranked 1st in WAR, Slg%, and wOBA just like his teammate Fielder. He ranked 3rd in OBP. He's a worthy all-star.
Third Base:
1. Chase Headley San Diego Padres: fWAR: 2.0. .295/.389/.402/.357.
2. Ryan Roberts Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 2.1. .258/.345/.458/.354.
3. Ty Wigginton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 1.0. .266/.322/.489/.358.
Notes: Headley is behind by 0.1 WAR but tops him in Average, OBP, and wOBA. So I think he is the worthy choice at 3B this year.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes New York Mets: fWAR: 4.3. .338/.382/.511/.395.
2. Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs: fWAR: 1.9. .322/.352/.443/.357.
3. Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 3.0. .274/.338/.488/.357.
Notes: Reyes got a perfect score. He is the best shortstop in every stat that I look at.
Left Field:
1. Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 3.0. .339/.443/.559/.433.
2. Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.4. .309/.395/.550/.417.
3. Allen Craig St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.405/.523/.415.
Notes: I thought Braun would score higher but Holliday ranks a bit higher.
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers: fWAR: 4.2. .328/.420/.620/.452.
2. Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates: fWAR: 4.0. .289/.393/.474/.388.
3. Nyjer Morgan Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.365/.514/.379.
Notes: Kemp and McCutchen are both worthy all-stars but Kemp gets the starting nod.
Right Field:
1. Lance Berkman St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 2.7. .309/.417/.605/.427.
2. Justin Upton Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 3.3. .301/.382/.521/.397.
3. Seth Smith Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.3. .315/.368/.554/.397.
Notes: Technically Allen Craig is 2nd but he doesn't qualify since he ranked in the top 3 in the left field category.
Catcher:
1. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves: fWAR: 2.8. .305/.380/.523/.386.
2. Ramon Hernandez Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 1.4. .308/.371/.503/.374.
3. Chris Iannetta Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.1. .229/.389/.447/.369.
Notes: This is with my new method of giving points based on places in WAR and the quadruple slash. McCann placed first as he placed either first or second in every category I weighed.
First Base:
1. Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.7. .306/.426/.608/.439.
2. Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds: fWAR: 3.2. .318/.440/.489/.406.
3. Todd Helton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.2. .310/.387/.500/.382.
Notes: Fielder ranks first in Slg%, wOBA, and WAR. He ranks second in OBP and 4th place in batting average.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.3. .287/.356/.498/.375.
2. Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies: fWAR: 1.4. .277/.383/.455/.374.
3. Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals: fWAR: 2.8. .242/.321/.464/.348.
Notes: Weeks ranked 1st in WAR, Slg%, and wOBA just like his teammate Fielder. He ranked 3rd in OBP. He's a worthy all-star.
Third Base:
1. Chase Headley San Diego Padres: fWAR: 2.0. .295/.389/.402/.357.
2. Ryan Roberts Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 2.1. .258/.345/.458/.354.
3. Ty Wigginton Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 1.0. .266/.322/.489/.358.
Notes: Headley is behind by 0.1 WAR but tops him in Average, OBP, and wOBA. So I think he is the worthy choice at 3B this year.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes New York Mets: fWAR: 4.3. .338/.382/.511/.395.
2. Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs: fWAR: 1.9. .322/.352/.443/.357.
3. Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 3.0. .274/.338/.488/.357.
Notes: Reyes got a perfect score. He is the best shortstop in every stat that I look at.
Left Field:
1. Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 3.0. .339/.443/.559/.433.
2. Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 3.4. .309/.395/.550/.417.
3. Allen Craig St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.405/.523/.415.
Notes: I thought Braun would score higher but Holliday ranks a bit higher.
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers: fWAR: 4.2. .328/.420/.620/.452.
2. Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates: fWAR: 4.0. .289/.393/.474/.388.
3. Nyjer Morgan Milwaukee Brewers: fWAR: 1.5. .336/.365/.514/.379.
Notes: Kemp and McCutchen are both worthy all-stars but Kemp gets the starting nod.
Right Field:
1. Lance Berkman St. Louis Cardinals: fWAR: 2.7. .309/.417/.605/.427.
2. Justin Upton Arizona Diamondbacks: fWAR: 3.3. .301/.382/.521/.397.
3. Seth Smith Colorado Rockies: fWAR: 2.3. .315/.368/.554/.397.
Notes: Technically Allen Craig is 2nd but he doesn't qualify since he ranked in the top 3 in the left field category.
All-Star Voting: the final push American League
These are the players I would vote for if I was voting today (which I am). I am just doing the top 3 at each position (except where there is a tie).
American League:
1. Alex Avila Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 2.5. .300/.373/.532/.390.
2. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians: fWAR: 1.8. .232/.360/.414/.341.
3. Russell Martin New York Yankees: fWAR: 1.8. .233/.342/.407/.344.
Notes: Not that it matters since Avila is so far and away the best catcher in the American League but I have Santana ahead of Martin because of his edge in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
In case you don't like WAR: minimum 100 at-bats: Avila ranks 2nd in average behind Victor Martinez who primarily plays DH. He ranks 2nd in OBP behind Victor Martinez. He ranks 1st in slugging percentage. He's also tied for 1st in RBI's with Victor Martinez and tied for 3rd in home runs. Since Victor Martinez is primarily DH'ing I give the nod to Avila.
First Base: 1. Adrian Gonzalez Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 4.4. .359/.410/.609/.437.
2. Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 3.2. .327/.449/.580/.434.
3. Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.4. .327/.398/.603/.425.
4. Mark Teixeira New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.4. .246/.357/.522/.382.
Notes: Konerko is ranked ahead of Teixeira because he beats him on each offensive category that I look at. I primarily look at the quadruple slash. I'll be free to admit that Teixeira is the better defensive player and it's possible that I underrate defense especially at first base. Not that it matters, I don't think any amount of defense makes up for Adrian Gonzalez's overall dominance.
In case you don't like WAR: Adrian Gonzalez leads all 1B in RBI's, Runs, Hits, Batting Average, Slugging Percentage, and wOBA. He is second in OBP.
Second Base: 1. Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.5. .274/.390/.397/.360.
2. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 3.5. .264/.341/.475/.359.
3. Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: fWAR: 3.2. .305/.362/.481/.374.
Notes: I guess it depends on how you feel about defense and on-base percentage. I have Pedroia as the starter because he has the best On-Base Percentage of all second basemen. His K% is also a little bit lower and has more stolen bases. I like Zobrsit as well, but I feel like he should make the team to be a utility player.
In case you don't like WAR: With the quadruple slash, here are your leaders at second base (minimum plate appearances 100). Batting Average: Howie Kendrick .305. On-Base Percentage: Dustin Pedroia .390. Slugging Percentage: Robinson Cano .520. wOBA: Robinson Cano .377. Why isn't Cano higher? His on-base percentage is a .344 which is lower than Zobrist's and he doesn't play as good as defense as Zobrist. If we were to give out points for top 5 so far in the quadruple slash (5 for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, etc.) This is how it shakes out: 1. Howie Kendrick 16 2. Robinson Cano 14. 3. Dustin Pedroia 9. 4. Maicer Izturis 6. 5. Ben Zobrist 5. So, you could argue Kendrick, Cano, or Pedroia. I just like Pedroia the best.
Third Base:
1. Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.6. .296/.375/.510/.389.
2. Kevin Youkilis Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.8. .279/.395/.506/.395.
3. Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers: fWAR: 2.3. .259/.306/.439/.325.
Notes: A-Rod has a higher slugging percentage and a higher batting average than Youkilis but Youk has a higer on-base percentage and a higher wOBA. A-Rod is also playing better defense than Youk, as well.
In case you don't like WAR: A-Rod leads American League third basemen in homeruns, slugging percentage, and batting average for third basemen with a minimum of 100 plate appearances.
Left Field:
1. Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers: fWAR: 1.3. .297/.360/.513/.373.
2. Brennan Boesch Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 1.8. .300/.359/.485/.364.
3. Brett Gardner New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.8. .286/.363/.432/.347.
Notes: see In case you don't like WAR.
In case you don't like WAR: To get to this point I awarded points similar to how I did it in the second base section but this time I also included WAR. This was the result, actually Boesch and Hamilton tied so I gave the tie to Hamilton based on higher OBP, slugging percentage, and wOBA.
Center Field:
1. Curtis Granderson New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.9. .278/.356/.584/.401.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.1. .310/.372/.465/.374.
3. Denard Span Minnesota Twins: fWAR: 2.8. .294/.361/.385/.338.
Notes: Granderson has been having a fantastic year and is far and away the best centerfielder in the American League even despite his mediocore onbase percentage. His slugging percentage and wOBA are by far the best in the league at his position.
In case you don't like WAR: see Granderson's slugging percentage and wOBA.
Right Field:
1. Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays: fWAR: 4.5. .325/.470/.654/.474.
2. Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 2.4. .309/.372/.534/.388.
3. Carlos Quentin Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.2. .256/.358/.535/.389.
Notes: It doesn't matter where the other two rank. Bautista is the best player in the American League this year.
In case you don't like WAR: look at every other stat basically.
DH:
1. David Ortiz Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.6. .313/.391/.586/.421.
2. Billy Butler Kansas City Royals: fWAR: 1.6. .332/.381/.500/.381.
American League:
1. Alex Avila Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 2.5. .300/.373/.532/.390.
2. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians: fWAR: 1.8. .232/.360/.414/.341.
3. Russell Martin New York Yankees: fWAR: 1.8. .233/.342/.407/.344.
Notes: Not that it matters since Avila is so far and away the best catcher in the American League but I have Santana ahead of Martin because of his edge in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
In case you don't like WAR: minimum 100 at-bats: Avila ranks 2nd in average behind Victor Martinez who primarily plays DH. He ranks 2nd in OBP behind Victor Martinez. He ranks 1st in slugging percentage. He's also tied for 1st in RBI's with Victor Martinez and tied for 3rd in home runs. Since Victor Martinez is primarily DH'ing I give the nod to Avila.
First Base: 1. Adrian Gonzalez Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 4.4. .359/.410/.609/.437.
2. Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 3.2. .327/.449/.580/.434.
3. Paul Konerko Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.4. .327/.398/.603/.425.
4. Mark Teixeira New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.4. .246/.357/.522/.382.
Notes: Konerko is ranked ahead of Teixeira because he beats him on each offensive category that I look at. I primarily look at the quadruple slash. I'll be free to admit that Teixeira is the better defensive player and it's possible that I underrate defense especially at first base. Not that it matters, I don't think any amount of defense makes up for Adrian Gonzalez's overall dominance.
In case you don't like WAR: Adrian Gonzalez leads all 1B in RBI's, Runs, Hits, Batting Average, Slugging Percentage, and wOBA. He is second in OBP.
Second Base: 1. Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.5. .274/.390/.397/.360.
2. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 3.5. .264/.341/.475/.359.
3. Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: fWAR: 3.2. .305/.362/.481/.374.
Notes: I guess it depends on how you feel about defense and on-base percentage. I have Pedroia as the starter because he has the best On-Base Percentage of all second basemen. His K% is also a little bit lower and has more stolen bases. I like Zobrsit as well, but I feel like he should make the team to be a utility player.
In case you don't like WAR: With the quadruple slash, here are your leaders at second base (minimum plate appearances 100). Batting Average: Howie Kendrick .305. On-Base Percentage: Dustin Pedroia .390. Slugging Percentage: Robinson Cano .520. wOBA: Robinson Cano .377. Why isn't Cano higher? His on-base percentage is a .344 which is lower than Zobrist's and he doesn't play as good as defense as Zobrist. If we were to give out points for top 5 so far in the quadruple slash (5 for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, etc.) This is how it shakes out: 1. Howie Kendrick 16 2. Robinson Cano 14. 3. Dustin Pedroia 9. 4. Maicer Izturis 6. 5. Ben Zobrist 5. So, you could argue Kendrick, Cano, or Pedroia. I just like Pedroia the best.
Third Base:
1. Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.6. .296/.375/.510/.389.
2. Kevin Youkilis Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.8. .279/.395/.506/.395.
3. Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers: fWAR: 2.3. .259/.306/.439/.325.
Notes: A-Rod has a higher slugging percentage and a higher batting average than Youkilis but Youk has a higer on-base percentage and a higher wOBA. A-Rod is also playing better defense than Youk, as well.
In case you don't like WAR: A-Rod leads American League third basemen in homeruns, slugging percentage, and batting average for third basemen with a minimum of 100 plate appearances.
Left Field:
1. Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers: fWAR: 1.3. .297/.360/.513/.373.
2. Brennan Boesch Detroit Tigers: fWAR: 1.8. .300/.359/.485/.364.
3. Brett Gardner New York Yankees: fWAR: 2.8. .286/.363/.432/.347.
Notes: see In case you don't like WAR.
In case you don't like WAR: To get to this point I awarded points similar to how I did it in the second base section but this time I also included WAR. This was the result, actually Boesch and Hamilton tied so I gave the tie to Hamilton based on higher OBP, slugging percentage, and wOBA.
Center Field:
1. Curtis Granderson New York Yankees: fWAR: 3.9. .278/.356/.584/.401.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 3.1. .310/.372/.465/.374.
3. Denard Span Minnesota Twins: fWAR: 2.8. .294/.361/.385/.338.
Notes: Granderson has been having a fantastic year and is far and away the best centerfielder in the American League even despite his mediocore onbase percentage. His slugging percentage and wOBA are by far the best in the league at his position.
In case you don't like WAR: see Granderson's slugging percentage and wOBA.
Right Field:
1. Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays: fWAR: 4.5. .325/.470/.654/.474.
2. Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays: fWAR: 2.4. .309/.372/.534/.388.
3. Carlos Quentin Chicago White Sox: fWAR: 2.2. .256/.358/.535/.389.
Notes: It doesn't matter where the other two rank. Bautista is the best player in the American League this year.
In case you don't like WAR: look at every other stat basically.
DH:
1. David Ortiz Boston Red Sox: fWAR: 2.6. .313/.391/.586/.421.
2. Billy Butler Kansas City Royals: fWAR: 1.6. .332/.381/.500/.381.
Monday, June 20, 2011
2012 Hall of Fame Ballot: Brad Radke
The case for and against Brad Radke:
3 All-Star seasons according for averaged WAR. 3 All-Star seasons according to rWAR and 4 according to fWAR. 1 Top 10 finish in WAR (2004). Four top 10 seasons in WAR for pitchers (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004). Two top 5 finishes in ERA (1999 and 2004). One top 5 finish in wins (1997). 6 top 10 finishes in WHIP (1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005). One top 10 finish in strikeouts (1997). 8 top 10 finishes in shutouts (1995, 1997, 2000-2005). Two top 10 finishes in ERA+. Ranked #103 in my top pitchers of all-time. ERA+ of 113, not too far ahead of Jack Morris. Twice led the league in Home Runs Allowed. One All-Star Game. 4.22 career ERA.
Radke was one of my favorite pitchers. He pitched for the Twins when I was getting back into baseball. He also pitched through a severe shoulder injury that made him eventually retire. He wasn't noted as a big game pitcher because the Twins didn't win the World Series and only advanced to the ALCS once. Radke pitched six games and had an ERA of 3.60 much better than his career ERA.
I don't think Radke is a Hall of Fame player but he ranks higher on my ranking system than Jack Morris. The only things Jack Morris has over Radke is post-season heroics which doesn't amount to a whole lot when you look at Morris' failures, as well.
I would sooner put Radke in the Hall of Fame than Jack Morris but nevertheless I have to say that Radke would not get my vote for the Hall of Fame. Although he certainly warrants a little bit of consideration.
3 All-Star seasons according for averaged WAR. 3 All-Star seasons according to rWAR and 4 according to fWAR. 1 Top 10 finish in WAR (2004). Four top 10 seasons in WAR for pitchers (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004). Two top 5 finishes in ERA (1999 and 2004). One top 5 finish in wins (1997). 6 top 10 finishes in WHIP (1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005). One top 10 finish in strikeouts (1997). 8 top 10 finishes in shutouts (1995, 1997, 2000-2005). Two top 10 finishes in ERA+. Ranked #103 in my top pitchers of all-time. ERA+ of 113, not too far ahead of Jack Morris. Twice led the league in Home Runs Allowed. One All-Star Game. 4.22 career ERA.
Radke was one of my favorite pitchers. He pitched for the Twins when I was getting back into baseball. He also pitched through a severe shoulder injury that made him eventually retire. He wasn't noted as a big game pitcher because the Twins didn't win the World Series and only advanced to the ALCS once. Radke pitched six games and had an ERA of 3.60 much better than his career ERA.
I don't think Radke is a Hall of Fame player but he ranks higher on my ranking system than Jack Morris. The only things Jack Morris has over Radke is post-season heroics which doesn't amount to a whole lot when you look at Morris' failures, as well.
I would sooner put Radke in the Hall of Fame than Jack Morris but nevertheless I have to say that Radke would not get my vote for the Hall of Fame. Although he certainly warrants a little bit of consideration.
2012 Hall of Fame Ballot: Juan Gonzalez
Pros: Two MVP's (1996 and 1998). 3 Top 10 finishes in AVG (1998, 1999, 2001). 7 Top 10 finishes in Slugging Percentage (1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001). Led league once in slugging percentage (1993). 5 Top 10 finishes in OPS (1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001). Led league in home runs twice (1992 and 1993). Led league in RBI's once (1998). 3 All-Star Games.
Cons: Only 2 All-Star Seasons according to averaged WAR. Ranked as the 70th best Right Fielder according to my rankings. .343 On-Base percentage (not exactly strong). 0 MVP seasons according to WAR. Only once walked more than 50 times. Helped by home park immensely. 3 Top 10 finishes in OPS+ (1993, 1998, 2001). 1 Top 10 finish in rWAR (1993).
Notes:Besides hitting homeruns and putting up impressive RBI numbers he did not contribute much else. His RBI totals are inflated because his manager chose to do a traditional line-up and so he had many opportunites to have a high RBI total. He also played in a ballpark with the Rangers that helped his offensive stats immensely. His MVP totals seem to indicate that voters were impressed by his high RBI totals, thinking incorrectly, that RBI's are the true measure of an offensive player.
He was also linked to steroids and HGH through a suitcase that floated up in customs.
He was a good player and was not nearly as good as his RBI totals would indicate.
Verdict: Not a Hall of Famer, didn't really deserve to stay on the ballot after his first year.
Cons: Only 2 All-Star Seasons according to averaged WAR. Ranked as the 70th best Right Fielder according to my rankings. .343 On-Base percentage (not exactly strong). 0 MVP seasons according to WAR. Only once walked more than 50 times. Helped by home park immensely. 3 Top 10 finishes in OPS+ (1993, 1998, 2001). 1 Top 10 finish in rWAR (1993).
Notes:Besides hitting homeruns and putting up impressive RBI numbers he did not contribute much else. His RBI totals are inflated because his manager chose to do a traditional line-up and so he had many opportunites to have a high RBI total. He also played in a ballpark with the Rangers that helped his offensive stats immensely. His MVP totals seem to indicate that voters were impressed by his high RBI totals, thinking incorrectly, that RBI's are the true measure of an offensive player.
He was also linked to steroids and HGH through a suitcase that floated up in customs.
He was a good player and was not nearly as good as his RBI totals would indicate.
Verdict: Not a Hall of Famer, didn't really deserve to stay on the ballot after his first year.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Jack Morris and the Hall of Fame
I was trying to look for an original post to do so I wouldn't have to talk about this because let's be honest, the subject has been beaten to death. But just for fun I'll talk about Jack Morris' Hall of Fame chances.
Pros: 254 wins, won Game 7 of the 1991 World Series (arguably one of the best games of all-time), "ace" of 3 World Series Champions, 5 All-Star Appearances, led the league in wins twice, led the league in innings once, led the league once in strikeouts, once in complete games, once in shutouts. Had a fantastic moustache.
Cons: 105 ERA+ (just barely above average), not in the top 100 for 100 best pitchers in the New Bill James Historical Abstract, not in my top 100 either, 3.90 career ERA, one all-star season according to rWAR, 1 according to fWAR. No all-star seasons if averaged WAR. Never led the league in ERA, WHIP, ERA+. Led the league once in walks, multiple times in wild pitches (6 to be exact), never won a Cy Young Award, never led the league in WAR for pitchers.
Additional Notes: The argument for Jack Morris usually includes the phrase, "pitching to the score". As I understand it, this means that a pitcher is likely to let up when his team is ahead so he can save his best stuff for a game where he needs it. This is used to explain his high ERA. Is this a possibility? Certainly. Jon Heyman from Sports Illustrated said, "he pitched to the score like the great ones do." However, the great ones that one would look at have much much better ERA and ERA+ than Jack Morris so it seems like the great ones either did not "pitch to the score" or simply was better at it than Jack Morris, either way it does not bode well for Morris. Also, wouldn't pitching to the score be counter-productive? If you were winning a game 5-0 and you proceeded to give up a few runs because you were saving your best stuff, so the score is now 6-3. I am not a genius nor have I studied it but it would seem rather obvious that a team has a better likelihood of winning 5-0 instead of when the score is at 6-3. Further, if a pitcher was to give up a few runs then he would likely be taken out of the game and a lesser pitcher would have to come in with a closer score then before. Pitching to the score seems like a "bullshit dump" like Bill James likes to say.
Jack Morris was labeled a big game pitcher in large part because he won Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. I don't know if that is quite true but we'll take a look.
I'll give you three pitchers and you tell me which pitcher you would rather have.
Pitcher A: 5-1, 2.47 ERA, 6 GS, 47.1 IP, 1.077 WHIP, 8.2 H/9, 1.0 HR/9, 1.5 BB/9, 6.8 K/9.
Pitcher B: 7-4, 3.80 ERA, 13 GS, 92.1 IP, 1.245 WHIP, 8.1 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.1 BB/9, 6.2 K/9.
Pitcher C: 5-5, 4.19 ERA, 13 GS, 81.2 IP, 1.310 WHIP, 8.4 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.4 BB/9, 7.8 K/9.
Pitcher A is Bert Blyleven.
Pitcher B is Jack Morris.
Pitcher C is Kevin Brown.
Brown's ERA is influenced by his last post-season start, moreso than Morris'. But back to Morris being a big-time pitcher, he was a great pitcher in the post-season half the time (1984 and 1991). The other half he was terrible (1987 and 1992). 1992 he was considered by his supporters to be the ace of the World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays. He went 0-1 6.57 ERA in the ALCS and 0-2 8.44 ERA in the World Series. Morris lost 3 games for the Blue Jays in the 1992 post-season. They lost 4 games in the post-season. If you are considering Morris the ace of the team that year, you are a fool. He wasn't a big game pitcher that year. In 1987, he pitched Game 2 of the 1987 ALCS, he lost to Bert Blyleven. Blyleven came back to pitch game 5, Morris did not. The Twins won in 5 games. It just doesn't seem like he was a big-game pitcher.
Finally, Heyman likes to point out that Blyleven wasn't considered the pitcher of his time, it was a revisionist history that has put him into the Hall of Fame. He points this out by saying Blyleven's MVP share was ranked 936th, highest finish 13th and his Cy Young career share is ranked 104th, highest finish 3rd. He says he was never even considered a top 2 pitcher in the league.
Well, Morris never finished higher than 3rd in the Cy Young vote either. Morris, too, was never considered a top 2 pitcher in his league. His highest finish was 3rd in both 1981 and 1983. Blyleven finished in the top 3, two times as well. Morris must have finished better in the MVP voting then because otherwise the argument makes no sense. Morris finished 13th twice in both 1991 and 1992. Blyleven finished 13th once.
The argument doesn't hold water to me.
Every argument to put Morris in the Hall of Fame is just not good enough. He was a fantastic player better at baseball then I will ever be at anything I do. But to say that he is worthy of the Hall of Fame is wrong. Sorry Jack, I never got to see you play but thank you for the 1991 World Series Championship. You were a great player but you were just below making it to the Hall of Fame.
Sorry.
But you had an awesome moustache.
Pros: 254 wins, won Game 7 of the 1991 World Series (arguably one of the best games of all-time), "ace" of 3 World Series Champions, 5 All-Star Appearances, led the league in wins twice, led the league in innings once, led the league once in strikeouts, once in complete games, once in shutouts. Had a fantastic moustache.
Cons: 105 ERA+ (just barely above average), not in the top 100 for 100 best pitchers in the New Bill James Historical Abstract, not in my top 100 either, 3.90 career ERA, one all-star season according to rWAR, 1 according to fWAR. No all-star seasons if averaged WAR. Never led the league in ERA, WHIP, ERA+. Led the league once in walks, multiple times in wild pitches (6 to be exact), never won a Cy Young Award, never led the league in WAR for pitchers.
Additional Notes: The argument for Jack Morris usually includes the phrase, "pitching to the score". As I understand it, this means that a pitcher is likely to let up when his team is ahead so he can save his best stuff for a game where he needs it. This is used to explain his high ERA. Is this a possibility? Certainly. Jon Heyman from Sports Illustrated said, "he pitched to the score like the great ones do." However, the great ones that one would look at have much much better ERA and ERA+ than Jack Morris so it seems like the great ones either did not "pitch to the score" or simply was better at it than Jack Morris, either way it does not bode well for Morris. Also, wouldn't pitching to the score be counter-productive? If you were winning a game 5-0 and you proceeded to give up a few runs because you were saving your best stuff, so the score is now 6-3. I am not a genius nor have I studied it but it would seem rather obvious that a team has a better likelihood of winning 5-0 instead of when the score is at 6-3. Further, if a pitcher was to give up a few runs then he would likely be taken out of the game and a lesser pitcher would have to come in with a closer score then before. Pitching to the score seems like a "bullshit dump" like Bill James likes to say.
Jack Morris was labeled a big game pitcher in large part because he won Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. I don't know if that is quite true but we'll take a look.
I'll give you three pitchers and you tell me which pitcher you would rather have.
Pitcher A: 5-1, 2.47 ERA, 6 GS, 47.1 IP, 1.077 WHIP, 8.2 H/9, 1.0 HR/9, 1.5 BB/9, 6.8 K/9.
Pitcher B: 7-4, 3.80 ERA, 13 GS, 92.1 IP, 1.245 WHIP, 8.1 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.1 BB/9, 6.2 K/9.
Pitcher C: 5-5, 4.19 ERA, 13 GS, 81.2 IP, 1.310 WHIP, 8.4 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.4 BB/9, 7.8 K/9.
Pitcher A is Bert Blyleven.
Pitcher B is Jack Morris.
Pitcher C is Kevin Brown.
Brown's ERA is influenced by his last post-season start, moreso than Morris'. But back to Morris being a big-time pitcher, he was a great pitcher in the post-season half the time (1984 and 1991). The other half he was terrible (1987 and 1992). 1992 he was considered by his supporters to be the ace of the World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays. He went 0-1 6.57 ERA in the ALCS and 0-2 8.44 ERA in the World Series. Morris lost 3 games for the Blue Jays in the 1992 post-season. They lost 4 games in the post-season. If you are considering Morris the ace of the team that year, you are a fool. He wasn't a big game pitcher that year. In 1987, he pitched Game 2 of the 1987 ALCS, he lost to Bert Blyleven. Blyleven came back to pitch game 5, Morris did not. The Twins won in 5 games. It just doesn't seem like he was a big-game pitcher.
Finally, Heyman likes to point out that Blyleven wasn't considered the pitcher of his time, it was a revisionist history that has put him into the Hall of Fame. He points this out by saying Blyleven's MVP share was ranked 936th, highest finish 13th and his Cy Young career share is ranked 104th, highest finish 3rd. He says he was never even considered a top 2 pitcher in the league.
Well, Morris never finished higher than 3rd in the Cy Young vote either. Morris, too, was never considered a top 2 pitcher in his league. His highest finish was 3rd in both 1981 and 1983. Blyleven finished in the top 3, two times as well. Morris must have finished better in the MVP voting then because otherwise the argument makes no sense. Morris finished 13th twice in both 1991 and 1992. Blyleven finished 13th once.
The argument doesn't hold water to me.
Every argument to put Morris in the Hall of Fame is just not good enough. He was a fantastic player better at baseball then I will ever be at anything I do. But to say that he is worthy of the Hall of Fame is wrong. Sorry Jack, I never got to see you play but thank you for the 1991 World Series Championship. You were a great player but you were just below making it to the Hall of Fame.
Sorry.
But you had an awesome moustache.
Thoughts on the NBA Finals
I don't claim to be as good as a writer as Bill Simmons, Joe Posnanski, or Zach Lowe but I, too, have some thoughts on the results of the NBA finals.
1) Congratulations to Dirk and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks! Especially to Dirk and Jason Kidd who are two of my favorite players in the NBA currently.
2) To those lauding the Mavericks for playing as a team and winning thus proving that teams win championships and not just a collection of stars, why were you ever worried? If you truly believed this as a sports fan, there was no reason to be upset when Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh joined to play for the Heat because you knew they would not win. But the truth is, along the way everyone forgot this. As the Heat rolled into the finals, everyone thought, you know they might be able to pull this off. Everyone got so upset when Lebron left, when the Heat joined forces that we forgot that teams win championships. When they struggled at the beginning of the season we were happy because we thought they realized this championship thing wouldn't be so easy. But why would we leave our convictions and beliefs and have to doubt whether or not the Mavericks would win? We thought that the better team would win but we were still upset when Lebron went to the Heat but why should it affect us in the slightest? If we know that the greatest team would win and that a random collection of superstars weren't going to win, why did we spend the whole time rooting against them when we knew that they would lose?
3) That being said, if you were/are upset with Lebron joining the Heat then you fall into one of these categories thinking that:
a) Lebron was "teaming up" to gain an unfair competitive advantage
b) Lebron should be competing against his rivals, not playing with them.
c) Lebron was just trying to get the most money
d) Lebron was ruining his legacy
e) the Heat welcome party video was smug and whoever made it should lose.
f) Lebron will never be Michael Jordan unless he pulls off the Hitler moustache that Michael Jordan sports in his new Hanes commercials.
Let's address those points:
a) Lebron was "teaming up" to gain an unfair competitive advantage- well besides the fact that if we really believed that the best team would win this shouldn't be a problem with you because well look what I wrote above. Also, how is this any different then mid-level or close to retirement players joining teams that are close to winning a championship so that they can go out as a winner (see Karl Malone, all mid-level exception players who sign with competitors)
b) Lebron should be competing against his rivals, not playing with them. Well I guess that's true. Although again, it's not the first time this has happened. If you look at the history of basketball, you'll see several examples of this happening. Michael Jordan never did this but Michael Jordan was a freak of nature and Scottie Pippen was a rival to a certain extent. Pippen and Jordan played on the same team, while it wasn't MJ's choice he certainly played with a Hall of Famer. Pippen joined the ring chasing Rockets and Blazers choosing to play with rivals in pursuit of more rings. Barkley did similar things. The list goes on.
c) Lebron was just trying to get the most money. You're wrong if you thought that. Lebron passed on more money with the Cavaliers and probably had a greater marketing opportunity if he stayed or went to the New York Knicks. Also, there was a rumor of Lebron earning $50 million if he signed with a New York or Los Angeles team (excluding the Clippers, so basically the Knicks or Lakers).
d) Lebron was ruining his legacy- you're right. He could have stayed in Cleveland and transcended sports if he led the Cavs to a championship as Cleveland has been so long without a championship. Further, he was from the area and could have regarded as a hero for years to come. But if he failed, he would be remembered as a choke artist (well he still might be) or as someone who couldn't quite make it. Had he gone to New York he could have restored the basketball legacy there but arguably would have been in a similar situation that he was with the Heat where he would have been rooted against. If he went to Chicago he could have won more championships (I think that was the best situation for him, I mean Derrick Rose, Noah, and all of them) but he would not have escaped MJ's shadow so his legacy would still be ruined. If you're keeping score, each situation had a potential of him ruining his legacy.
e) the Heat welcome party video was smug and whoever made it should lose. That's true. Shouldn't the Mavericks have shown that video before the beginning of each of the finals home game? I think the fans would have gone crazy. I think Dirk would have gone crazy and pull an Under Armour, we must protect this house! move.
f) Lebron will never be Michael Jordan unless he pulls off the Hitler moustache that Michael Jordan sports in his new Hanes commercials. Is Michael Jordan trying to bring back this style of moustache? Does he think he can escape the curse of the Hitler moustache? Are we eventually going to refer to this moustache style as the Michael Jordan moustache? Regardless, Lebron would never be able to pull off this moustache.
4) Lebron will never be Michael Jordan. As an aside, if Delonte West really slept with Lebron's mother, then we're dealing with separate issues. Michael Jordan would have bet on which one of his teammates would have slept with his mom then probably would have slept with every other player's mother just to be sure he slept with the most.
5) Brian Cardinal, Mike Miller, who knew that former Grizzlies would be the random white players that the Mavericks and Heat threw out there?
1) Congratulations to Dirk and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks! Especially to Dirk and Jason Kidd who are two of my favorite players in the NBA currently.
2) To those lauding the Mavericks for playing as a team and winning thus proving that teams win championships and not just a collection of stars, why were you ever worried? If you truly believed this as a sports fan, there was no reason to be upset when Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh joined to play for the Heat because you knew they would not win. But the truth is, along the way everyone forgot this. As the Heat rolled into the finals, everyone thought, you know they might be able to pull this off. Everyone got so upset when Lebron left, when the Heat joined forces that we forgot that teams win championships. When they struggled at the beginning of the season we were happy because we thought they realized this championship thing wouldn't be so easy. But why would we leave our convictions and beliefs and have to doubt whether or not the Mavericks would win? We thought that the better team would win but we were still upset when Lebron went to the Heat but why should it affect us in the slightest? If we know that the greatest team would win and that a random collection of superstars weren't going to win, why did we spend the whole time rooting against them when we knew that they would lose?
3) That being said, if you were/are upset with Lebron joining the Heat then you fall into one of these categories thinking that:
a) Lebron was "teaming up" to gain an unfair competitive advantage
b) Lebron should be competing against his rivals, not playing with them.
c) Lebron was just trying to get the most money
d) Lebron was ruining his legacy
e) the Heat welcome party video was smug and whoever made it should lose.
f) Lebron will never be Michael Jordan unless he pulls off the Hitler moustache that Michael Jordan sports in his new Hanes commercials.
Let's address those points:
a) Lebron was "teaming up" to gain an unfair competitive advantage- well besides the fact that if we really believed that the best team would win this shouldn't be a problem with you because well look what I wrote above. Also, how is this any different then mid-level or close to retirement players joining teams that are close to winning a championship so that they can go out as a winner (see Karl Malone, all mid-level exception players who sign with competitors)
b) Lebron should be competing against his rivals, not playing with them. Well I guess that's true. Although again, it's not the first time this has happened. If you look at the history of basketball, you'll see several examples of this happening. Michael Jordan never did this but Michael Jordan was a freak of nature and Scottie Pippen was a rival to a certain extent. Pippen and Jordan played on the same team, while it wasn't MJ's choice he certainly played with a Hall of Famer. Pippen joined the ring chasing Rockets and Blazers choosing to play with rivals in pursuit of more rings. Barkley did similar things. The list goes on.
c) Lebron was just trying to get the most money. You're wrong if you thought that. Lebron passed on more money with the Cavaliers and probably had a greater marketing opportunity if he stayed or went to the New York Knicks. Also, there was a rumor of Lebron earning $50 million if he signed with a New York or Los Angeles team (excluding the Clippers, so basically the Knicks or Lakers).
d) Lebron was ruining his legacy- you're right. He could have stayed in Cleveland and transcended sports if he led the Cavs to a championship as Cleveland has been so long without a championship. Further, he was from the area and could have regarded as a hero for years to come. But if he failed, he would be remembered as a choke artist (well he still might be) or as someone who couldn't quite make it. Had he gone to New York he could have restored the basketball legacy there but arguably would have been in a similar situation that he was with the Heat where he would have been rooted against. If he went to Chicago he could have won more championships (I think that was the best situation for him, I mean Derrick Rose, Noah, and all of them) but he would not have escaped MJ's shadow so his legacy would still be ruined. If you're keeping score, each situation had a potential of him ruining his legacy.
e) the Heat welcome party video was smug and whoever made it should lose. That's true. Shouldn't the Mavericks have shown that video before the beginning of each of the finals home game? I think the fans would have gone crazy. I think Dirk would have gone crazy and pull an Under Armour, we must protect this house! move.
f) Lebron will never be Michael Jordan unless he pulls off the Hitler moustache that Michael Jordan sports in his new Hanes commercials. Is Michael Jordan trying to bring back this style of moustache? Does he think he can escape the curse of the Hitler moustache? Are we eventually going to refer to this moustache style as the Michael Jordan moustache? Regardless, Lebron would never be able to pull off this moustache.
4) Lebron will never be Michael Jordan. As an aside, if Delonte West really slept with Lebron's mother, then we're dealing with separate issues. Michael Jordan would have bet on which one of his teammates would have slept with his mom then probably would have slept with every other player's mother just to be sure he slept with the most.
5) Brian Cardinal, Mike Miller, who knew that former Grizzlies would be the random white players that the Mavericks and Heat threw out there?
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Who should you vote for? 2011 All-Star edition pt. 1 Up the Middle
Before every season, baseball writers talk about the strength up the middle of every team. This seems to imply that the only way a team ca win is to be strong up the middle (meaning catcher, second base, shortstop, and center field). While this is a viable theory, I don't think it's necessarily true. Without further ado, this is who you should vote for if you're voting for the all-star teams today or until next week.
American League:
Catcher:
1. Alex Avila Detroit Tigers- Averaged WAR: 2.1. .288/.349/.535/.380. In case you were curious, he was drafted in the 5th round of the 2008 draft by the Detroit Tigers. He has only played in the Major Leagues for three years and is having a great season at the perfect time, Mauer is injured, not a whole lot of other great catchers.
2. Matt Wieters Baltimore Orioles- Averaged WAR:1.5. .270/.330/.400/.324. He played college baseball at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the first round. His minor league numbers were so otherworldly that there were some websites promoting his ascent into a deity Chuck Norris style.
3. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians- Averaged WAR: 1.4. .228/.362/.386/.336. He was traded by the Dodgers for Casey Blake so that the Indians would cover the rest of Blake's salary the year he was traded. Totally a fair trade, I mean anytime you need to get a mid-30's thirdbaseman, you always trade a potential franchise catcher.
4. Russell Martin New York Yankees- Averaged WAR: 1.35. .238/.346/.439/.359. If you have been an avid reader of this blog, you know how much I've enjoyed Martin's season. However, he's been struggling the last couple of weeks and has dropped to 4th place in this space now.
5. Kurt Suzuki Oakland A's- Billy Beane told him to stay away from collisions at home plate to avoid injury, similar to the GM of the Jets to tell Mark Sanchez to avoid getting sacked because Tom Brady tore his ACL from a sack.
Second Base:
1. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .259/.331/.474/.355. Took over the top spot from Kendrick this week. A fantastic player and can fill in around the field if need be. One of my favorite players to watch.
2. Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- Averaged WAR: 2.25. .301/.366/.490/.376. Dropped out of the top spot finally. Kendrick has always been touted as a player who could compete for batting titles if healthy. He's batting over .300, at least, but not really competing for a batting title.
3. Ian Kinsler Texas Rangers- Averaged WAR: 2. .235/.356/.407/.352. Kinsler has a BABIP of .237 which is really low, second lowest that I can find among secondbasemen this year (just behind Brian Roberts). He kind of alternates betwen high BABIP's and low ones.
4. Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox-- Averaged WAR: 1.95. .247/.361/.338/.326. Pedroia has a higher OBP than Slugging Percentage, this is rare and it's getting rarer as the season gets longer.
5. Robinson Cano New York Yankees- Averaged WAR: 1.55. .273/.314/.502/.355. I would have wagered that the All-Star Spot for American League secondbasemen would be between Pedroia and Cano for the next several years.
Shortstop:
1. Alexei Ramirez Chicago White Sox- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .295/.352/.439/.347. Dave Cameron author of Fangraphs mentioned in a chat that he thinks Alexei Ramirez is one of the more underrated players in the game today.
2. Asdrubal Cabrera Cleveland Indians- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .302/.353/.532/.391. The reason I place Ramirez ahead of Cabrera is that I trust fWAR a bit more than rWAR, fWAR has Ramirez at 2.9 and Cabrera at 2.3.
3. Jhonny Peralta Detroit Tigers- Averaged WAR: 2. .313/.372/.516/.380. The top 3 shortstops in the American League are all in the American League Central. While the Twins haven't had great shortstops they should have a shortstop above replacement players. I'm just bitter. But there is a great post from The Platoon Advantage that suggests that maybe it wasn't completely Bill Smith's fault. I'm inclined to believe them but Smith could have done a much better job.
4. Elvis Andrus Texas Rangers- Averaged WAR: 1.95. .284/.327/.364/.328. Out of the top 5 shortstops in the league, 3 are in the American League Central (two with at least minimal experience with the Cleveland Indians) and the other two were at least developed for the most part by the Atlanta Braves. Not exactly a good sign for the rest of the American League.
5. Yunel Escobar Toronto Blue Jays- Averaged WAR: 1.95. .286/.364/.438/.354. In an alternate universe, the Braves never traded Escobar for Gonzalez because of attitude problems and would be set at shortstop for years to come.
Center Field:
1. Denard Span Minnesota Twins- Averaged WAR: 2.95. .294/.361/.385/.338.
2. Curtis Granderson New York Yankees- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .263/.337/.570/.394.
3. Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .307/.366/.475/.378.
4. Peter Bourjos Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- Averaged WAR: 1.5. .245/.302/.384/.305
5. Melky Cabrera Kansas City Royals- Averaged WAR: 1.25. .273/.316/.441/.336.
Notes: I got tired of writing individual player notes plus I had an idea for my other blog so I need to hurry this up to get to my other idea before I forget. Bourjos makes his first appearnce on the top 5 list, he was mentioned by a lot of Angels fans as a reason that they could survive with Vernon Wells in the outfield/how excited they were to have such a great defensive outfield.
National League:
Catcher:
1. Chris Ianetta Colorado Rockies- Averaged WAR: 1.65. .231/.380/.456/.370.
2. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves- Averaged WAR: 1.6. .305/.376/.473/.363.
3. Buster Posey San Francisco Giants- Averaged WAR: 1.6. .284/.368/.389/.341.
4. Miguel Montero Arizona Diamondbacks- Averaged WAR: 1.55. .266/.357/.440/.359.
5. Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals- Averaged WAR: 1.5. .314/.368/.445/.345.
Notes: Posey is finally passed by other players. It's interesting that Ianetta is having such a good seson yet, it took him years to take control of the starting catcher spot in Colorado. Advance stats have shown that Ianetta is better then people would originally think.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers- Averaged WAR: 2.25. .278/.354/.484/.368.
2. Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals- Averaged WAR: 1.7. .218/.317/.436/.336.
3. Brandon Phillips Cincinnati Reds- Averaged WAR: 1.4. .283/.346/.399/.335.
4. Neil Walker Pittsburgh Pirates- Averaged WAR: 1.25. .263/.332/.424/.335.
5. Kelly Johnson Arizona Diamondbacks- Averaged WAR: 1.15. .229/.306/.458/.341.
Notes: Kelly Johnson is hurt the worst by my averaging between fWAR and rWAR. His fWAR is 1.5. Phillips is also hurt by my way of averaging the WAR's. Phillips fWAR is 2.0. His ranking does not get changed though as he is the 3rd best second base if you just use fWAR or if you average the two of them.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes New York Mets- Averaged WAR: 2.9. .341/.391/.516/.400.
2. Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .261/.335/.478/.351.
3. Stephen Drew Arizona Diamondbacks- Averaged WAR: 1.8. .289/.370/.438/.357.
4. Alex Gonzalez Atlanta Braves- Averaged WAR: 1.35. .266/.296/.391/.304.
5. Jamey Carroll Los Angeles Dodgers- Averaged WAR: 1.15. .304/.368/.364/.334.
6. Clint Barmes Houston Astros- Averaged WAR: 1.15. .219/.320/.344/.304.
Notes: Carroll is ranked slightly higher than Barmes based on fWAR but only by 0.1, so I allowed for a tie in this special case. Not that it matters, Reyes, Tulowitzki, and Drew are far and away the best shortstops in the National League.
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers- Averaged WAR: 3.25. .323/.402/.595/.432.
2. Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates- Averaged WAR: 3.2. .282/.376/.489/.383.
3. Drew Stubbs Cincinnati Reds-Averaged WAR: 2.35. .265/.334/.423/.350.
4. Colby Rasmus St. Louis Cardinals-Averaged WAR: 1.65. .265/.362/.434/.357.
5. Shane Victorino Philadelphia Phillies-Averaged WAR: 1.55. .270/.340/.472/.364.
Notes: Kemp or McCutchen would be solid selections for the center field all-star spot in the National League. I prefer Kemp just a bit more because his offense is better than McCutchen's. McCutchen has a better defense. McCutchen will make the all-star team as he is the best player on the Pirates and every single team gets an all-star bid. I just don't know if he's worthy of being the starter though.
American League:
Catcher:
1. Alex Avila Detroit Tigers- Averaged WAR: 2.1. .288/.349/.535/.380. In case you were curious, he was drafted in the 5th round of the 2008 draft by the Detroit Tigers. He has only played in the Major Leagues for three years and is having a great season at the perfect time, Mauer is injured, not a whole lot of other great catchers.
2. Matt Wieters Baltimore Orioles- Averaged WAR:1.5. .270/.330/.400/.324. He played college baseball at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the first round. His minor league numbers were so otherworldly that there were some websites promoting his ascent into a deity Chuck Norris style.
3. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians- Averaged WAR: 1.4. .228/.362/.386/.336. He was traded by the Dodgers for Casey Blake so that the Indians would cover the rest of Blake's salary the year he was traded. Totally a fair trade, I mean anytime you need to get a mid-30's thirdbaseman, you always trade a potential franchise catcher.
4. Russell Martin New York Yankees- Averaged WAR: 1.35. .238/.346/.439/.359. If you have been an avid reader of this blog, you know how much I've enjoyed Martin's season. However, he's been struggling the last couple of weeks and has dropped to 4th place in this space now.
5. Kurt Suzuki Oakland A's- Billy Beane told him to stay away from collisions at home plate to avoid injury, similar to the GM of the Jets to tell Mark Sanchez to avoid getting sacked because Tom Brady tore his ACL from a sack.
Second Base:
1. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .259/.331/.474/.355. Took over the top spot from Kendrick this week. A fantastic player and can fill in around the field if need be. One of my favorite players to watch.
2. Howie Kendrick Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- Averaged WAR: 2.25. .301/.366/.490/.376. Dropped out of the top spot finally. Kendrick has always been touted as a player who could compete for batting titles if healthy. He's batting over .300, at least, but not really competing for a batting title.
3. Ian Kinsler Texas Rangers- Averaged WAR: 2. .235/.356/.407/.352. Kinsler has a BABIP of .237 which is really low, second lowest that I can find among secondbasemen this year (just behind Brian Roberts). He kind of alternates betwen high BABIP's and low ones.
4. Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox-- Averaged WAR: 1.95. .247/.361/.338/.326. Pedroia has a higher OBP than Slugging Percentage, this is rare and it's getting rarer as the season gets longer.
5. Robinson Cano New York Yankees- Averaged WAR: 1.55. .273/.314/.502/.355. I would have wagered that the All-Star Spot for American League secondbasemen would be between Pedroia and Cano for the next several years.
Shortstop:
1. Alexei Ramirez Chicago White Sox- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .295/.352/.439/.347. Dave Cameron author of Fangraphs mentioned in a chat that he thinks Alexei Ramirez is one of the more underrated players in the game today.
2. Asdrubal Cabrera Cleveland Indians- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .302/.353/.532/.391. The reason I place Ramirez ahead of Cabrera is that I trust fWAR a bit more than rWAR, fWAR has Ramirez at 2.9 and Cabrera at 2.3.
3. Jhonny Peralta Detroit Tigers- Averaged WAR: 2. .313/.372/.516/.380. The top 3 shortstops in the American League are all in the American League Central. While the Twins haven't had great shortstops they should have a shortstop above replacement players. I'm just bitter. But there is a great post from The Platoon Advantage that suggests that maybe it wasn't completely Bill Smith's fault. I'm inclined to believe them but Smith could have done a much better job.
4. Elvis Andrus Texas Rangers- Averaged WAR: 1.95. .284/.327/.364/.328. Out of the top 5 shortstops in the league, 3 are in the American League Central (two with at least minimal experience with the Cleveland Indians) and the other two were at least developed for the most part by the Atlanta Braves. Not exactly a good sign for the rest of the American League.
5. Yunel Escobar Toronto Blue Jays- Averaged WAR: 1.95. .286/.364/.438/.354. In an alternate universe, the Braves never traded Escobar for Gonzalez because of attitude problems and would be set at shortstop for years to come.
Center Field:
1. Denard Span Minnesota Twins- Averaged WAR: 2.95. .294/.361/.385/.338.
2. Curtis Granderson New York Yankees- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .263/.337/.570/.394.
3. Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .307/.366/.475/.378.
4. Peter Bourjos Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- Averaged WAR: 1.5. .245/.302/.384/.305
5. Melky Cabrera Kansas City Royals- Averaged WAR: 1.25. .273/.316/.441/.336.
Notes: I got tired of writing individual player notes plus I had an idea for my other blog so I need to hurry this up to get to my other idea before I forget. Bourjos makes his first appearnce on the top 5 list, he was mentioned by a lot of Angels fans as a reason that they could survive with Vernon Wells in the outfield/how excited they were to have such a great defensive outfield.
National League:
Catcher:
1. Chris Ianetta Colorado Rockies- Averaged WAR: 1.65. .231/.380/.456/.370.
2. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves- Averaged WAR: 1.6. .305/.376/.473/.363.
3. Buster Posey San Francisco Giants- Averaged WAR: 1.6. .284/.368/.389/.341.
4. Miguel Montero Arizona Diamondbacks- Averaged WAR: 1.55. .266/.357/.440/.359.
5. Yadier Molina St. Louis Cardinals- Averaged WAR: 1.5. .314/.368/.445/.345.
Notes: Posey is finally passed by other players. It's interesting that Ianetta is having such a good seson yet, it took him years to take control of the starting catcher spot in Colorado. Advance stats have shown that Ianetta is better then people would originally think.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks Milwaukee Brewers- Averaged WAR: 2.25. .278/.354/.484/.368.
2. Danny Espinosa Washington Nationals- Averaged WAR: 1.7. .218/.317/.436/.336.
3. Brandon Phillips Cincinnati Reds- Averaged WAR: 1.4. .283/.346/.399/.335.
4. Neil Walker Pittsburgh Pirates- Averaged WAR: 1.25. .263/.332/.424/.335.
5. Kelly Johnson Arizona Diamondbacks- Averaged WAR: 1.15. .229/.306/.458/.341.
Notes: Kelly Johnson is hurt the worst by my averaging between fWAR and rWAR. His fWAR is 1.5. Phillips is also hurt by my way of averaging the WAR's. Phillips fWAR is 2.0. His ranking does not get changed though as he is the 3rd best second base if you just use fWAR or if you average the two of them.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes New York Mets- Averaged WAR: 2.9. .341/.391/.516/.400.
2. Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies- Averaged WAR: 2.35. .261/.335/.478/.351.
3. Stephen Drew Arizona Diamondbacks- Averaged WAR: 1.8. .289/.370/.438/.357.
4. Alex Gonzalez Atlanta Braves- Averaged WAR: 1.35. .266/.296/.391/.304.
5. Jamey Carroll Los Angeles Dodgers- Averaged WAR: 1.15. .304/.368/.364/.334.
6. Clint Barmes Houston Astros- Averaged WAR: 1.15. .219/.320/.344/.304.
Notes: Carroll is ranked slightly higher than Barmes based on fWAR but only by 0.1, so I allowed for a tie in this special case. Not that it matters, Reyes, Tulowitzki, and Drew are far and away the best shortstops in the National League.
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers- Averaged WAR: 3.25. .323/.402/.595/.432.
2. Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates- Averaged WAR: 3.2. .282/.376/.489/.383.
3. Drew Stubbs Cincinnati Reds-Averaged WAR: 2.35. .265/.334/.423/.350.
4. Colby Rasmus St. Louis Cardinals-Averaged WAR: 1.65. .265/.362/.434/.357.
5. Shane Victorino Philadelphia Phillies-Averaged WAR: 1.55. .270/.340/.472/.364.
Notes: Kemp or McCutchen would be solid selections for the center field all-star spot in the National League. I prefer Kemp just a bit more because his offense is better than McCutchen's. McCutchen has a better defense. McCutchen will make the all-star team as he is the best player on the Pirates and every single team gets an all-star bid. I just don't know if he's worthy of being the starter though.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The MLB Draft
Every year I like to pretend I have a certain pick in each round of the MLB draft and see if I could do a better job of drafting then Major League teams. I started this when I used to subscribe to Baseball America and saw that one of their authors did the same thing. I usually don't do that well mainly because I do not have access to the same scouting expertise that teams do. On the other hand, I get to pretend that I don't have a budget to work with. This year, the random number is 15.
1 (15)- Sonny Gray RHP Vanderbilt. I had heard he had the talent to go in the top 10. I think he has the stuff to be a starter. Keith Law agrees with me. Apparently Billy Beane thinks Gray will be a starter too, judging on a text he sent to Jim Bowden. I like Gray a little bit better than Barnes, either case, I think both of them are going to be pretty good pitchers.
2 (75)- Matt Purke LHP TCU. I understand that he's been injured and that his velocity is down this year. Still, I think that he can recover and make this pick worthwhile. Even if he doesn't, I'm not running a real team so I don't have to worry about him not making. I think Purke is a top 10 talent.
3 (105)- Jordan Weems C Columbus (Ga.) H.S.
4 (136)- Jason King 3b Kansas State
5 (166)- Mark Pope 3B/RHP Georgia Tech
1 (15)- Sonny Gray RHP Vanderbilt. I had heard he had the talent to go in the top 10. I think he has the stuff to be a starter. Keith Law agrees with me. Apparently Billy Beane thinks Gray will be a starter too, judging on a text he sent to Jim Bowden. I like Gray a little bit better than Barnes, either case, I think both of them are going to be pretty good pitchers.
2 (75)- Matt Purke LHP TCU. I understand that he's been injured and that his velocity is down this year. Still, I think that he can recover and make this pick worthwhile. Even if he doesn't, I'm not running a real team so I don't have to worry about him not making. I think Purke is a top 10 talent.
3 (105)- Jordan Weems C Columbus (Ga.) H.S.
4 (136)- Jason King 3b Kansas State
5 (166)- Mark Pope 3B/RHP Georgia Tech
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Problem With Watching College Baseball
Anytime I watch College Baseball, the following situation arises. A runner gets on first base with nobody out. This happened today in the University of Miami vs. Jacksonville game. The second batter in the lineup from Miami got on base. Jim Morris, the coach of Miami, had his third batter try to lay down a bunt. The same third batter had hit 21 homeruns during the season. The announcers were talking about how it's crazy to think that they would make the third batter try and bunt but that it is necessary because of the offensive environment in college baseball. Well despite this offensive environment, the third batter had hit 21 homeruns during the season. Why take the bat out of his hand by forcing him to lay down a bunt? Well after trying to lay down a bunt twice, including one that went foul, there was a wild pitch and the runner was able to advance to second base standing up. It was the 23rd stolen base by that runner. Eventually, I believe the third batter walked. The fourth batter was the next one up and he too, was ordered to bunt despite being a cleanup hitter and even the announcers saying something to the effect of it's been years since this guy was asked to bunt. After trying a couple of times to bunt (which he was unable to do) he got a single so it was bases loaded with nobody out. Instead of trying to get this situation the Miami Coach was willing to sacrifice to either have a runner on second with one out or runners on first and third one out. I say that because the third basemen was in the batters' box waiting to pick up the bunt from the cleanup hitter it would have gotten one of the runners out; it may have been a double play. It would have made more sense to do a fake bunt and swing away or just swing away all together. This strategy always comes up in college baseball games. It always gets on my nerves, I can't stand hearing announcers talk about sacrifices and everything.
National League Outfield
Left Field:
1. Ryan Braun- Braun originally played shortstop in college, his defense was such a problem that he eventually moved to Left Field in the Major Leagues. The Brewers also have Mat Gamel who has had defensive problems at third base. This doesn't seem like a concern for them. Averaged WAR: 2.75. .306/.402/.563/.427.
2. Matt Holliday- It would be amazing if the Holliday contract is what keeps the Cardinals from re-signing Pujols. Averaged WAR: 2.15. .342/.433/.542/.423
3. Gerardo Parra- The Diamondbacks have just random players doing well, Parra is one of them. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .272/.348/.386/.323
4. Logan Morrison- apparently has a very interesting Twitter feed. Averaged WAR: 1.35. .317/.401/.571/.416
5. Allen Craig- doesn't even have the whitest sounding name on his own team. He is behind Skip Schumaker, Jon Jay, and Nick Punto in that category. Averaged WAR: 1.35. .347/.420/.551/.432
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp- while not a solid defensive centerfielder, is having a pretty good season offensively and deserves to be rewarded for such. Averaged WAR: 2.35. .306/.382/.545/.406
2. Andrew McCutchen- you would think that with all of the seasons of futility, the Pirates would be full of home-grown stars. Averaged WAR: 2.25. .260/.358/.452/.364.
3. Drew Stubbs- I didn't think he would be this good when I watched him play college baseball. Averaged WAR: 1.85. .253/.323/.395/.333
4. Colby Rasmus- apparently got in a tussle with Tony La Russa. I wonder how hard it is to get along with Tony LaRussa. I actually wonder about this sometimes. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .279/.378/.461/.374
5. Shane Victorino- the flying Hawaiian, the answer to such trivia questions as who are some prominent Rule V draftees, along with Johan Santana, Josh Hamilton, and Dan Uggla. Really the only reason casual fans even care about the Rule V draft. Averaged WAR: 1.55. .284/.343/.503/.378
Right Field:
1. Lance Berkman- I didn't think Berkman could even handle playing the outfield anymore. I think Berkman is a Hall of Famer (it's my blog, I can make blanket statements like this without backing it up right away). Averaged WAR: 2.15. .329/.449/.595/.435
2. Hunter Pence- Random Houston Astros fact of the day, Pence is pretty good. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .315/.360/.498/.377
3. Carlos Beltran- playing for the Mets currently, will probably get traded, will probably help the team he gets traded to, to the playoffs and will probably make more money on his next contract then I will for the rest of my life. Averaged WAR: 1.85. .288/.374/.534/.391.
4. Mike Stanton- The Marlins always seem to have good homegrown players, they're the opposite of the Pirates. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .267/.347/.568/.392
5. Jay Bruce- in a recent draft by ESPN experts on who would you select to build your franchise around, Bruce did not get selected. Some people have regarded this as a travesty. Averaged WAR: 1.6. .292/.355/.580/.402.
1. Ryan Braun- Braun originally played shortstop in college, his defense was such a problem that he eventually moved to Left Field in the Major Leagues. The Brewers also have Mat Gamel who has had defensive problems at third base. This doesn't seem like a concern for them. Averaged WAR: 2.75. .306/.402/.563/.427.
2. Matt Holliday- It would be amazing if the Holliday contract is what keeps the Cardinals from re-signing Pujols. Averaged WAR: 2.15. .342/.433/.542/.423
3. Gerardo Parra- The Diamondbacks have just random players doing well, Parra is one of them. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .272/.348/.386/.323
4. Logan Morrison- apparently has a very interesting Twitter feed. Averaged WAR: 1.35. .317/.401/.571/.416
5. Allen Craig- doesn't even have the whitest sounding name on his own team. He is behind Skip Schumaker, Jon Jay, and Nick Punto in that category. Averaged WAR: 1.35. .347/.420/.551/.432
Center Field:
1. Matt Kemp- while not a solid defensive centerfielder, is having a pretty good season offensively and deserves to be rewarded for such. Averaged WAR: 2.35. .306/.382/.545/.406
2. Andrew McCutchen- you would think that with all of the seasons of futility, the Pirates would be full of home-grown stars. Averaged WAR: 2.25. .260/.358/.452/.364.
3. Drew Stubbs- I didn't think he would be this good when I watched him play college baseball. Averaged WAR: 1.85. .253/.323/.395/.333
4. Colby Rasmus- apparently got in a tussle with Tony La Russa. I wonder how hard it is to get along with Tony LaRussa. I actually wonder about this sometimes. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .279/.378/.461/.374
5. Shane Victorino- the flying Hawaiian, the answer to such trivia questions as who are some prominent Rule V draftees, along with Johan Santana, Josh Hamilton, and Dan Uggla. Really the only reason casual fans even care about the Rule V draft. Averaged WAR: 1.55. .284/.343/.503/.378
Right Field:
1. Lance Berkman- I didn't think Berkman could even handle playing the outfield anymore. I think Berkman is a Hall of Famer (it's my blog, I can make blanket statements like this without backing it up right away). Averaged WAR: 2.15. .329/.449/.595/.435
2. Hunter Pence- Random Houston Astros fact of the day, Pence is pretty good. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .315/.360/.498/.377
3. Carlos Beltran- playing for the Mets currently, will probably get traded, will probably help the team he gets traded to, to the playoffs and will probably make more money on his next contract then I will for the rest of my life. Averaged WAR: 1.85. .288/.374/.534/.391.
4. Mike Stanton- The Marlins always seem to have good homegrown players, they're the opposite of the Pirates. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .267/.347/.568/.392
5. Jay Bruce- in a recent draft by ESPN experts on who would you select to build your franchise around, Bruce did not get selected. Some people have regarded this as a travesty. Averaged WAR: 1.6. .292/.355/.580/.402.
National League All-Star Voting Corner Infield Spots
1. Joey Votto- Votto is trying to become the greatest baseball player from Canada. Averaged WAR: 2.9. .338/.468/.532/.431.
2. Gaby Sanchez- He has an awesome moustache, it's up there with Carl Pavano's. Averaged WAR: 2.25. .316/.394/.510/.394.
3. Prince Fielder- Not to bash the Ryan Howard extension, well maybe. But Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard were all going to hit the free agent market at the same time. There really wasn't that many big markets for them to choose from basically you had the Cubs, Orioles (maybe), Phillies, Red Sox, and maybe the Cardinals. The Cubs probably would have (and possibly will) gone after Pujols hard because they would like to stick it to their rivals and the Cardinals would have (and will) offered the world to keep Pujols. The Red Sox would have gotten Gonzalez (maybe Pujols instead but this is my hypothetical). I don't know how serious the offers would have been from the Orioles. But basically the Phillies had to choose between Fielder and Howard and they decided that Howard was their best choice instead of waiting for the market to decide. I think Fielder is better but that's just me (well me and every relevant stat besides RBI's). Averaged WAR: 1.8. .291/.390/.534/.395.
4. Todd Helton- who is going to be the first Rockie Hall of Famer? Larry Walker deserves it but if he doesn't get in, I don't think Helton does either. This leads me to believe it will be Tulo if he keeps it up. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .306/.371/.510/.381.
5. Ike Davis- Coming out of college, I actually liked Brett Wallace (his teammate) more than Davis. So far, Davis is winning. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .302/.383/.543/.395.
Third Base:
1. Ryan Roberts- I didn't know who he was before this season. Averaged WAR: 1.85. .271/.377/.471/.378.
2. Pablo Sandoval- He kind of dissappeared last year, having a much better season this year. Averaged WAR: 1.65. .313/.374/.530/.390.
3. Placido Polanco- I'm running out of comments for players. Averaged WAR: 1.55. .319/.367/.403/.345.
4. David Freese- traded for Jim Edmonds, doesn't it seem like players who are traded in the smaller deals seem to be better then those involved in blockbuster trades? I have no idea if that's true, it might be selection bias. Averaged WAR: 0.9. .356/.394/.471/.382.
5. Chase Headley- went to the University of Tennessee, was supposed to be the first position star player that the Padres produced. Averaged WAR: 0.85. .275/.380/.374/.342.
I have no logical reason for choosing Headley over Greg Dobbs, I just like the fact that Headley is walking more than him. This spot might change next week.
2. Gaby Sanchez- He has an awesome moustache, it's up there with Carl Pavano's. Averaged WAR: 2.25. .316/.394/.510/.394.
3. Prince Fielder- Not to bash the Ryan Howard extension, well maybe. But Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard were all going to hit the free agent market at the same time. There really wasn't that many big markets for them to choose from basically you had the Cubs, Orioles (maybe), Phillies, Red Sox, and maybe the Cardinals. The Cubs probably would have (and possibly will) gone after Pujols hard because they would like to stick it to their rivals and the Cardinals would have (and will) offered the world to keep Pujols. The Red Sox would have gotten Gonzalez (maybe Pujols instead but this is my hypothetical). I don't know how serious the offers would have been from the Orioles. But basically the Phillies had to choose between Fielder and Howard and they decided that Howard was their best choice instead of waiting for the market to decide. I think Fielder is better but that's just me (well me and every relevant stat besides RBI's). Averaged WAR: 1.8. .291/.390/.534/.395.
4. Todd Helton- who is going to be the first Rockie Hall of Famer? Larry Walker deserves it but if he doesn't get in, I don't think Helton does either. This leads me to believe it will be Tulo if he keeps it up. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .306/.371/.510/.381.
5. Ike Davis- Coming out of college, I actually liked Brett Wallace (his teammate) more than Davis. So far, Davis is winning. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .302/.383/.543/.395.
Third Base:
1. Ryan Roberts- I didn't know who he was before this season. Averaged WAR: 1.85. .271/.377/.471/.378.
2. Pablo Sandoval- He kind of dissappeared last year, having a much better season this year. Averaged WAR: 1.65. .313/.374/.530/.390.
3. Placido Polanco- I'm running out of comments for players. Averaged WAR: 1.55. .319/.367/.403/.345.
4. David Freese- traded for Jim Edmonds, doesn't it seem like players who are traded in the smaller deals seem to be better then those involved in blockbuster trades? I have no idea if that's true, it might be selection bias. Averaged WAR: 0.9. .356/.394/.471/.382.
5. Chase Headley- went to the University of Tennessee, was supposed to be the first position star player that the Padres produced. Averaged WAR: 0.85. .275/.380/.374/.342.
I have no logical reason for choosing Headley over Greg Dobbs, I just like the fact that Headley is walking more than him. This spot might change next week.
National League All-Star Voting Catcher, 2B, and Shortstop
Catcher:
1. Buster Posey- he's out for the year with an injury. Brian Sabean called the play by Marlins player Scott Cousins "malicious", I don't think it was malicious. I don't think it was a particularly clean play but it's interesting that there was a collision the other day and nobody claimed it was malicious or anything, just described as part of the game. It's just interesting. Averaged WAR: 1.55. .284/.368/.389/.341.
2. Chris Ianetta- I don't think WAR quantifies catcher defense well. Do I have any idea how important that defense is to the rest of the team? No. I don't think anyone does really. So given that, I have to look at who is better offensively. I think wOBA sums up the offensive side nicely so that's where they get the nod when it is tied. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .235/.379/.456/.371.
3. Brian McCann- I think he is one of the best catchers in the Majors and is turning into a likely Hall of Fame candidate. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .309/.374/.473/.364.
4. Miguel Montero- the Arizona Diamondbacks are surprising a lot of people, part of the reason for this is that their players are not superstars but they're not bad either. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .276/.360/.454/.357.
5. Ramon Hernandez- crazy, he ranks just above Yadier Molina. He's not a superstar but a good player, nonetheless. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .308/.357/.538/.381.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks- normally this spot would be reserved for Chase Utley, but Weeks has had a marvelous season thus far and deserves the starting spot. Averaged WAR: 2.2. .291/.365/.502/.379.
2. Danny Espinosa- rWAR and fWAR disagrees a lot on terms of the value of second basemen, it is more noticable here then really any other position. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .219/.317/.455/.341.
3. Brandon Phillips- he is hurt the most by the disparity between the two (well technically Kelly Johnson is, but my hyperbolic example was working well) , it seems that fangraphs has his defense being better then BaseballReference does. That's why I'm trying to average the two so the disparity isn't as great. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .290/.353/.410/.342.
4. Neil Walker- BaseballReference likes Walker more than Fangraphs. Walker is solid, I guess, he's a good regular probably not going to be an all-star really but a good regular. Averaged WAR: 1.25. .273/.336/.431/.339.
5. Freddy Sanchez- remember when Sanchez won a batting title and there was all these stories about him and where he came from? Baseball America talked about him being the 30th ranked prospect in the Red Sox system only because they were looking for somebody at his position. Averaged WAR: 1. .296/.338/.418/.328.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes- by far the best shortstop playing right now in New York. Derek Jeter, not as good. Reyes was told by his owner, sounds like Forty Million Dollar Slaves, that he is not worth the money he is likely trying to get this off-season. Averaged WAR: 2.3.
2. Troy Tulowitzki- Tulowitzki is always fun to wach and got a lot of attention as a possible MVP candidate last year. Averaged WAR: 2.05.
3. Stephen Drew- When the San Diego Padres had the number one overall pick, Baseball America did a feature article on how they came about to drafting Matt Bush. They ultimately decided that Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver were not going to be worth the money that they were going to get paid to to be the number one overall pick. The Padres decided it would be a better investment of ~3 Million Dollars and the rest of the money spent on a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. Doesn't seem like a good investment as of yet. Averaged WAR: 1.5.
4. Alex Gonzalez- Alex Gonzalez and Yunel Escobar were traded for each other, both rank as a top 5 shortstop in their leagues this year, except Gonzalez is much older. Averaged WAR: 1.35.
5. Clint Barmes- Is there another player on this list that is less exciting than Barmes? I remember when he was the leading candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year a few years ago and he injured himself. There was a controversy because it was found out that he injured himself carrying deer meat from Todd Helton, I believe. Averaged WAR: 0.95.
1. Buster Posey- he's out for the year with an injury. Brian Sabean called the play by Marlins player Scott Cousins "malicious", I don't think it was malicious. I don't think it was a particularly clean play but it's interesting that there was a collision the other day and nobody claimed it was malicious or anything, just described as part of the game. It's just interesting. Averaged WAR: 1.55. .284/.368/.389/.341.
2. Chris Ianetta- I don't think WAR quantifies catcher defense well. Do I have any idea how important that defense is to the rest of the team? No. I don't think anyone does really. So given that, I have to look at who is better offensively. I think wOBA sums up the offensive side nicely so that's where they get the nod when it is tied. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .235/.379/.456/.371.
3. Brian McCann- I think he is one of the best catchers in the Majors and is turning into a likely Hall of Fame candidate. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .309/.374/.473/.364.
4. Miguel Montero- the Arizona Diamondbacks are surprising a lot of people, part of the reason for this is that their players are not superstars but they're not bad either. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .276/.360/.454/.357.
5. Ramon Hernandez- crazy, he ranks just above Yadier Molina. He's not a superstar but a good player, nonetheless. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .308/.357/.538/.381.
Second Base:
1. Rickie Weeks- normally this spot would be reserved for Chase Utley, but Weeks has had a marvelous season thus far and deserves the starting spot. Averaged WAR: 2.2. .291/.365/.502/.379.
2. Danny Espinosa- rWAR and fWAR disagrees a lot on terms of the value of second basemen, it is more noticable here then really any other position. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .219/.317/.455/.341.
3. Brandon Phillips- he is hurt the most by the disparity between the two (well technically Kelly Johnson is, but my hyperbolic example was working well) , it seems that fangraphs has his defense being better then BaseballReference does. That's why I'm trying to average the two so the disparity isn't as great. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .290/.353/.410/.342.
4. Neil Walker- BaseballReference likes Walker more than Fangraphs. Walker is solid, I guess, he's a good regular probably not going to be an all-star really but a good regular. Averaged WAR: 1.25. .273/.336/.431/.339.
5. Freddy Sanchez- remember when Sanchez won a batting title and there was all these stories about him and where he came from? Baseball America talked about him being the 30th ranked prospect in the Red Sox system only because they were looking for somebody at his position. Averaged WAR: 1. .296/.338/.418/.328.
Shortstop:
1. Jose Reyes- by far the best shortstop playing right now in New York. Derek Jeter, not as good. Reyes was told by his owner, sounds like Forty Million Dollar Slaves, that he is not worth the money he is likely trying to get this off-season. Averaged WAR: 2.3.
2. Troy Tulowitzki- Tulowitzki is always fun to wach and got a lot of attention as a possible MVP candidate last year. Averaged WAR: 2.05.
3. Stephen Drew- When the San Diego Padres had the number one overall pick, Baseball America did a feature article on how they came about to drafting Matt Bush. They ultimately decided that Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver were not going to be worth the money that they were going to get paid to to be the number one overall pick. The Padres decided it would be a better investment of ~3 Million Dollars and the rest of the money spent on a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. Doesn't seem like a good investment as of yet. Averaged WAR: 1.5.
4. Alex Gonzalez- Alex Gonzalez and Yunel Escobar were traded for each other, both rank as a top 5 shortstop in their leagues this year, except Gonzalez is much older. Averaged WAR: 1.35.
5. Clint Barmes- Is there another player on this list that is less exciting than Barmes? I remember when he was the leading candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year a few years ago and he injured himself. There was a controversy because it was found out that he injured himself carrying deer meat from Todd Helton, I believe. Averaged WAR: 0.95.
American League All-Star Voting DH
1. David Ortiz- he always seems like he is going to have a down year then he rebounds. Averaged WAR: 1.7. .313/.382/.582/.417
2. Michael Young- I would have wagered a lot of money that he would have been on the Rockies by now. He won't get traded anymore, he's a 10/5 player now (without researching it, I'd assume that he had a no-trade clause before). Averaged WAR: 1.4. .336/.376/.486/.376.
3. Travis Hafner- I keep rooting for Hafner because he's fun to watch. I wish he would have stayed healthy his whole career (injuries are kind of depressing for nice players). Averaged WAR: 1.2. .345/.409/.549/.409.
4. Billy Butler- this one time when he was in Omaha, playing for the O-Royals (formerly the Omaha Royals) on a Thirsty Thursday ($1 beers) he hit a grand slam to cap a rally. We (meaning the 500 fans who were there) gave him a standing ovation. My friend went down after the game to get an autograph from Billy and he gave him one. Good times. Averaged WAR: 0.95. .292/.392/.421/.355.
5. Bobby Abreu- everyone always says that stat-heads will eventually elect Bobby Abreu to the hall of fame...I don't really know that's wrong with that, there's certainly worse players in the Hall of Fame than Abreu. Averaged WAR: 0.95. .275/.388/.372/.349.
2. Michael Young- I would have wagered a lot of money that he would have been on the Rockies by now. He won't get traded anymore, he's a 10/5 player now (without researching it, I'd assume that he had a no-trade clause before). Averaged WAR: 1.4. .336/.376/.486/.376.
3. Travis Hafner- I keep rooting for Hafner because he's fun to watch. I wish he would have stayed healthy his whole career (injuries are kind of depressing for nice players). Averaged WAR: 1.2. .345/.409/.549/.409.
4. Billy Butler- this one time when he was in Omaha, playing for the O-Royals (formerly the Omaha Royals) on a Thirsty Thursday ($1 beers) he hit a grand slam to cap a rally. We (meaning the 500 fans who were there) gave him a standing ovation. My friend went down after the game to get an autograph from Billy and he gave him one. Good times. Averaged WAR: 0.95. .292/.392/.421/.355.
5. Bobby Abreu- everyone always says that stat-heads will eventually elect Bobby Abreu to the hall of fame...I don't really know that's wrong with that, there's certainly worse players in the Hall of Fame than Abreu. Averaged WAR: 0.95. .275/.388/.372/.349.
All-Star Voting American League Outfielders
I prefer there to be a representative from each outfield spot so that there is a left fielder, centerfielder, right fielder. This way the outfield defense would not be so atrocious as having all corner outfielders or so. I'm basing the positions on where Fangraphs places them.
Left Field:
1. Alex Gordon- former top prospect was not very good last year and now deserves an all-star appearance...I have not been afraid of expressing of how much I am rooting for him. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .288/.352/.487/.368.
2. Michael Brantley- finally some return for the Indians for the CC Sabathia trade! The stories of the trades that have built these Indians have been written by both si.com and espn.com, launching on consecutive days. Both of those websites always seem to run the same stories whether it is on the same day or consecutive days. It always seems rather odd that they can try and come up with unique takes on the same situation. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .281/.345/.402/.333.
3. Corey Patterson- was once a bust, is starting to turn it around. Probably should have been a better player then he has been in his career. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .291/.320/.450/.334.
4. Brett Gardner- he's far lower in the rankings then the other Yankees, which is a shame as he is having a better season then some of them. Averaged WAR: 1.2. .248/.329/.379/.315.
5. Josh Hamilton- 5th best leftfielder despite only playing 21 games. Averaged WAR: 0.6. .286/.337/.440/.341.
Centerfield:
1. Denard Span- been having a fantastic year for the Twins who have had to deal with injuries to Mauer and Morneau. He took over this spot from Granderson. Averaged WAR: 2.9. .297/.366/.378/.338.
2. Curtis Granderson- having a great season for the Yankees, it only cost them Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, always make that trade. Averaged WAR: 2.6. .278/.348/.612/.415.
3. Jacoby Ellsbury- remember when the Twins were going to trade Johan Santana for Ellsbury, Clay Bucholz, and another? Yeah, I remember that...Averaged WAR: 1.8. .292/.360/.452/.368
4. Adam Jones- it's amazing that Jones was part of the package that landed Erik Bedard and all the Twins could get was Humber, Mulvey, Slowey, and Guerra....I'm feeling bitter about that trade today. Averaged WAR: 1.25.
5. Coco Crisp- I have Crisp higher than Bourjos because I don't know if WAR properly quantifies defense so I'll give the tie to a slightly better offensive player. I'll live with the consequences it's not like either of them are better than Span or Granderson. Averaged WAR: 1.1. .272/.307/.415/.325.
Right Field:
1. Jose Bautista- who else could possibly be the all-star right fielder? I don't even know what to say. Averaged WAR: 4.9. .360/.502/.773/.553. Look at those numbers again.
2. Matt Joyce- second best right fielder in the American League, too bad he is playing the same position as the best player in the Major Leagues. Averaged WAR: 3.25. .364/.423/.642/.457. Deserves an all-star nod.
3. Carlos Quentin- Having a solid season so far, if it wasn't for Joyce and Bautista Quentin might deserve a spot on the all-star team. Averaged WAR: 1.7. .258/.351/.545/.387.
4. Jeff Francoeur- I still like Francouer, I think he's going to get a lot of votes because he's white, if that offends people, oh well, he shouldn't be in the top 5 in voting at any time. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .286/.332/.502/.365.
5. Brent Lillibridge- Fangraphs wrote an article about him. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .308/.367/.662/.436.
Left Field:
1. Alex Gordon- former top prospect was not very good last year and now deserves an all-star appearance...I have not been afraid of expressing of how much I am rooting for him. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .288/.352/.487/.368.
2. Michael Brantley- finally some return for the Indians for the CC Sabathia trade! The stories of the trades that have built these Indians have been written by both si.com and espn.com, launching on consecutive days. Both of those websites always seem to run the same stories whether it is on the same day or consecutive days. It always seems rather odd that they can try and come up with unique takes on the same situation. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .281/.345/.402/.333.
3. Corey Patterson- was once a bust, is starting to turn it around. Probably should have been a better player then he has been in his career. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .291/.320/.450/.334.
4. Brett Gardner- he's far lower in the rankings then the other Yankees, which is a shame as he is having a better season then some of them. Averaged WAR: 1.2. .248/.329/.379/.315.
5. Josh Hamilton- 5th best leftfielder despite only playing 21 games. Averaged WAR: 0.6. .286/.337/.440/.341.
Centerfield:
1. Denard Span- been having a fantastic year for the Twins who have had to deal with injuries to Mauer and Morneau. He took over this spot from Granderson. Averaged WAR: 2.9. .297/.366/.378/.338.
2. Curtis Granderson- having a great season for the Yankees, it only cost them Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, always make that trade. Averaged WAR: 2.6. .278/.348/.612/.415.
3. Jacoby Ellsbury- remember when the Twins were going to trade Johan Santana for Ellsbury, Clay Bucholz, and another? Yeah, I remember that...Averaged WAR: 1.8. .292/.360/.452/.368
4. Adam Jones- it's amazing that Jones was part of the package that landed Erik Bedard and all the Twins could get was Humber, Mulvey, Slowey, and Guerra....I'm feeling bitter about that trade today. Averaged WAR: 1.25.
5. Coco Crisp- I have Crisp higher than Bourjos because I don't know if WAR properly quantifies defense so I'll give the tie to a slightly better offensive player. I'll live with the consequences it's not like either of them are better than Span or Granderson. Averaged WAR: 1.1. .272/.307/.415/.325.
Right Field:
1. Jose Bautista- who else could possibly be the all-star right fielder? I don't even know what to say. Averaged WAR: 4.9. .360/.502/.773/.553. Look at those numbers again.
2. Matt Joyce- second best right fielder in the American League, too bad he is playing the same position as the best player in the Major Leagues. Averaged WAR: 3.25. .364/.423/.642/.457. Deserves an all-star nod.
3. Carlos Quentin- Having a solid season so far, if it wasn't for Joyce and Bautista Quentin might deserve a spot on the all-star team. Averaged WAR: 1.7. .258/.351/.545/.387.
4. Jeff Francoeur- I still like Francouer, I think he's going to get a lot of votes because he's white, if that offends people, oh well, he shouldn't be in the top 5 in voting at any time. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .286/.332/.502/.365.
5. Brent Lillibridge- Fangraphs wrote an article about him. Averaged WAR: 1.3. .308/.367/.662/.436.
American League Third Basemen
1. Alex Rodriguez- his cousin was near the team again; expect a spike in the power numbers. Averaged WAR: 1.95. .292/.361/.484/.373.
2. Kevin Youkilis- I personally like Youkilis more than A-Rod but I guess A-Rod is slightly better. Averaged WAR: 1.9. .254/.377/.475/.376
3. Adrian Beltre- He's only good in contract years, oh wait, it's not a contract year? Averaged WAR: 1.85. .247/.297/.457/.327.
4. Maicer Izturis- He's listed on the all-star ballot as a third baseman , Fangraphs does not have him listed there. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .285/.354/.414/.352.
5. Evan Longoria- would rank higher if he was healthy. He's the fifth best third baseman in the league in only 30 games...pretty impressive. Averaged WAR: 1.65. .243/.359/.439/.351
2. Kevin Youkilis- I personally like Youkilis more than A-Rod but I guess A-Rod is slightly better. Averaged WAR: 1.9. .254/.377/.475/.376
3. Adrian Beltre- He's only good in contract years, oh wait, it's not a contract year? Averaged WAR: 1.85. .247/.297/.457/.327.
4. Maicer Izturis- He's listed on the all-star ballot as a third baseman , Fangraphs does not have him listed there. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .285/.354/.414/.352.
5. Evan Longoria- would rank higher if he was healthy. He's the fifth best third baseman in the league in only 30 games...pretty impressive. Averaged WAR: 1.65. .243/.359/.439/.351
All-Star Voting American League Middle Infield
Let's begin.
Second Base:
1. Howie Kendrick- injured for some of the season, still having a great season. Averaged WAR: 2.55. .322/.388/.520/.397.
2. Ben Zobrist- he should probably be on the all-star team as a super-sub just kind of filling in everywhere. Averaged WAR: 2. .246/.325/.473/.350.
3. Ian Kinsler- apparently transferred out of Arizona State because he lost the second base job to Dustin Pedroia, according to Michael Schur, aka Ken Tremendous from FireJoeMorgan fame. Averaged WAR: 1.75. .233/.351/.413/.351.
4. Dustin Pedroia- We are the same size. Pedroia is about 983098493084 times the baseball player I ever was, if we were walking on the street, we might get confused. If we were facing a 90 MPH fastball, nobody would get us confused. Averaged WAR: 1.65. .245/.353/.335/.323.
5. Robinson Cano- don't really have a comment here. It feels like it's going to be a battle between Pedroia and Cano for the starting 2B spot on the American League All-Star team for the next several years. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .284/.324/.514/.364.
Shortstop:
1. Alexei Ramirez- I like to watch Alexei play shortstop. Most Cuban players (I'm stereotyping here) seem to be really fun to watch. I can't really think of one that is not. Averaged WAR: 2.3. .297/.357/.455/.355.
2. Asdrubal Cabrera- I forgot to put him in my last all-star voting update, because his average WAR just dissappeared from my sight from my spreadsheet. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .299/.352/.522/.387
3.Jhonny Peralta-I haven't watched him play much this year but according to at least one Fangraphs commenter, his range has really diminished. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .314/.373/.535/.386.
4. Yunel Escobar- traded for Alex Gonzalez last year, everything A.A. does turns to magic. Anything that my AA group does turns to drinking. That's not funny or clever. Averaged WAR: 1.9. .296/.377/.443/.360.
5. Erick Aybar-The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of the United States of North America of the Western Hemisphere of Planet Earth...have a lot of players who seem to be similar, Izturis, Aybar, Kendrick, Callaspo, etc. if only they still had Brandon Wood. Averaged WAR: 1.75. .315/.356/.444/.365.
Second Base:
1. Howie Kendrick- injured for some of the season, still having a great season. Averaged WAR: 2.55. .322/.388/.520/.397.
2. Ben Zobrist- he should probably be on the all-star team as a super-sub just kind of filling in everywhere. Averaged WAR: 2. .246/.325/.473/.350.
3. Ian Kinsler- apparently transferred out of Arizona State because he lost the second base job to Dustin Pedroia, according to Michael Schur, aka Ken Tremendous from FireJoeMorgan fame. Averaged WAR: 1.75. .233/.351/.413/.351.
4. Dustin Pedroia- We are the same size. Pedroia is about 983098493084 times the baseball player I ever was, if we were walking on the street, we might get confused. If we were facing a 90 MPH fastball, nobody would get us confused. Averaged WAR: 1.65. .245/.353/.335/.323.
5. Robinson Cano- don't really have a comment here. It feels like it's going to be a battle between Pedroia and Cano for the starting 2B spot on the American League All-Star team for the next several years. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .284/.324/.514/.364.
Shortstop:
1. Alexei Ramirez- I like to watch Alexei play shortstop. Most Cuban players (I'm stereotyping here) seem to be really fun to watch. I can't really think of one that is not. Averaged WAR: 2.3. .297/.357/.455/.355.
2. Asdrubal Cabrera- I forgot to put him in my last all-star voting update, because his average WAR just dissappeared from my sight from my spreadsheet. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .299/.352/.522/.387
3.Jhonny Peralta-I haven't watched him play much this year but according to at least one Fangraphs commenter, his range has really diminished. Averaged WAR: 2.05. .314/.373/.535/.386.
4. Yunel Escobar- traded for Alex Gonzalez last year, everything A.A. does turns to magic. Anything that my AA group does turns to drinking. That's not funny or clever. Averaged WAR: 1.9. .296/.377/.443/.360.
5. Erick Aybar-The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of the United States of North America of the Western Hemisphere of Planet Earth...have a lot of players who seem to be similar, Izturis, Aybar, Kendrick, Callaspo, etc. if only they still had Brandon Wood. Averaged WAR: 1.75. .315/.356/.444/.365.
All-Star Voting American League First Basemen
Despite the fact that Teixeira is leading in the votes, I don't think he's the most worthy of the all-star voting.
1. Adrian Gonzalez- I don't think Gonzalez is going to win the American League MVP award as long as Jose Bautista keeps playing like he does but I'm sure Gonzalez will be mentioned and may be in the top 3 in the voting. Averaged WAR: 2.25. .329/.377/.541/.395.
2. Miguel Cabrera- For the calendar year, Cabrera has more DUI's than triples. Averaged WAR: 2.1. .311/.432/.568/.417.
3. Mark Teixeira-I was trying to think of logical fallacies that Yankee fans make but I haven't been on ESPN's comments section in awhile so it would be hypocritical of me to point out contradictions if I made them up myself. I guess there could be bigger travesties than Teixeira being voted as the starter, such as Jeter being voted as an all-star. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .257/.367/.535/.389.
4. Mike Napoli- not good enough to start for the Angels, traded twice this off-season, could be an all-star if actually voted on as a catcher as he is playing some games there, too. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .225/.365/.550/.394.
5. Mitch Moreland- Napoli's teammate, he's on my fantasy team, I'm not doing very well, though, my first round pick was Chase Utley and my second round pick was Carl Crawford. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .307/.384/.515/.392
1. Adrian Gonzalez- I don't think Gonzalez is going to win the American League MVP award as long as Jose Bautista keeps playing like he does but I'm sure Gonzalez will be mentioned and may be in the top 3 in the voting. Averaged WAR: 2.25. .329/.377/.541/.395.
2. Miguel Cabrera- For the calendar year, Cabrera has more DUI's than triples. Averaged WAR: 2.1. .311/.432/.568/.417.
3. Mark Teixeira-I was trying to think of logical fallacies that Yankee fans make but I haven't been on ESPN's comments section in awhile so it would be hypocritical of me to point out contradictions if I made them up myself. I guess there could be bigger travesties than Teixeira being voted as the starter, such as Jeter being voted as an all-star. Averaged WAR: 1.5. .257/.367/.535/.389.
4. Mike Napoli- not good enough to start for the Angels, traded twice this off-season, could be an all-star if actually voted on as a catcher as he is playing some games there, too. Averaged WAR: 1.45. .225/.365/.550/.394.
5. Mitch Moreland- Napoli's teammate, he's on my fantasy team, I'm not doing very well, though, my first round pick was Chase Utley and my second round pick was Carl Crawford. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .307/.384/.515/.392
All-Star Voting American League Catchers
The first results of the all-star voting has been released and there are quite a few surprises, including Joe Mauer and Yorvit Torrealba placing among the top 5 at their positions. I am breaking down the positions again, listing the top 5 at each position to vote for. WAR was taken on Thursday, June 2, all other stats should be updated to June 3.
American League:
Catchers:
1. Alex Avila- continuing his fantastic first half run, he has now overtaken Russell Martin as the best catcher in the American League. He's probably not as good as a player as he has played like so far but it would be nice to reward him for having a great season so far. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .281/.349/.527/.378.
2. Russell Martin- still showing that you don't have to spend a lot of money to sign a good player. Still probably the shrewdest move of the off-season and it was made by the Yankees known to throw away large portions of money, Rafael Soriano, anyone? Averaged WAR: 1.5. .242/.352/.458/.369/
3. Carlos Santana- The American League Central has some great catchers and A.J. Pierzynski. Santana will probably be the best catcher in the league as early as next year. Unless Mauer comes back healthy and playing catcher. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .234/.374/.395/.345
4. Matt Wieters- he's finally living up to some of the hype that he received before he was in the Major Leagues. Not an all-time bust but certainly not as good as everyone once thought, he's still young, so it's possible that he lives up to the hype and becomes one of the best catchers in the league. Notice how I'm covering my butt by saying two statements that pretty clearly contradict themselves. Averaged WAR: 1.4 .263/.326/.401/.322
5. Kurt Suzuki- I remember when he played in the College World Series for Cal State Fullerton, I met him and got his autograph. Who had incredible foresight? Of course I also received autographs from Phillip Humber, Wade Townsend, and lots of other players who never made it to the Majors. Averaged WAR: 0.9. .242/.303/.357/.296.
American League:
Catchers:
1. Alex Avila- continuing his fantastic first half run, he has now overtaken Russell Martin as the best catcher in the American League. He's probably not as good as a player as he has played like so far but it would be nice to reward him for having a great season so far. Averaged WAR: 1.8. .281/.349/.527/.378.
2. Russell Martin- still showing that you don't have to spend a lot of money to sign a good player. Still probably the shrewdest move of the off-season and it was made by the Yankees known to throw away large portions of money, Rafael Soriano, anyone? Averaged WAR: 1.5. .242/.352/.458/.369/
3. Carlos Santana- The American League Central has some great catchers and A.J. Pierzynski. Santana will probably be the best catcher in the league as early as next year. Unless Mauer comes back healthy and playing catcher. Averaged WAR: 1.4. .234/.374/.395/.345
4. Matt Wieters- he's finally living up to some of the hype that he received before he was in the Major Leagues. Not an all-time bust but certainly not as good as everyone once thought, he's still young, so it's possible that he lives up to the hype and becomes one of the best catchers in the league. Notice how I'm covering my butt by saying two statements that pretty clearly contradict themselves. Averaged WAR: 1.4 .263/.326/.401/.322
5. Kurt Suzuki- I remember when he played in the College World Series for Cal State Fullerton, I met him and got his autograph. Who had incredible foresight? Of course I also received autographs from Phillip Humber, Wade Townsend, and lots of other players who never made it to the Majors. Averaged WAR: 0.9. .242/.303/.357/.296.
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