Transmogrified Tiger

I really doubt the voters went beyond best OPS or VORP. In fact, I really doubt they made it to best OPS or VORP.

I really disagree with you on each points of this post. First, the secret was out pretty fast with DLee. Second, you are overvaluing the impact pitches a player sees because of another player in the lineup. I don't think the secret was out very quickly on Lee. I think that everybody expected him to come back to earth for the first two months of the year, and maybe started taking him more seriously after that. I think the fact that his OPS dropped by 225 points after the All Star break is evident of that, to some degree. I don't think I'm overvaluing the impact that a player like Pujols or Lee can have on other players in the lineup. For examle, Nunez had a .704 OPS in 2005, but his OPS jumped to .885 when he batted in front of Pujols. It might also have been because hardly anyone can maintain that level of inhuman production for an entire season... Curse that Derrek Lee for not maintaining a 1.200 OPS all year long.

How do you justify that statement? It's not complicated. Where do the Braves finish without Jones playing everyday? Where do the Cubs finish without Lee playing everyday? The Cubs stunk. The Braves were pretty good. And the difference between making the playoffs and missing them is far more important to the MVP award than the difference sucking and Royals-ly sucking. The MVP is not an individual stats award* in principle. It is about leading a team to a winning season and whether people like it or not, a team's win percentage and ability to make the playoffs factors heavily into this award because the voters make it so. It is what it is. From the voters' perspectives, an MVP must be be the leader that carries the team to the playoffs. Do I personally think Jones is as good as Lee? Absolutely not. I'd take Lee every day of the week and twice on Tuesdays in a pick-up or fantasy game. Lee wins the Fantasy Player of the Year. There's no doubt about that. *The exceptions usually come when the stats are so overwhelmingly undeniable and dominant over the nearest competitor. In Lee's case, his numbers don't dominate Pujols and he was perceived to lead an injury-riddled team to the playoffs (just like Jones). Lee clearly produced much much more than Jones. It's not remotely close. Lee did so with a crappy supporting cast. Jones did so with a good supporting cast. Therefore, Lee was more valuable to his team than Jones.

That's the most ridiculous thing I've read all day. Wilkerson as a bench player...OML....that's funny as hell. he only hits .250 OBP is not the only thing that makes a good leadoff or nuber 2 hitter. He needs a low number of strikeouts, a decent batting average in the 275, and a good OBP. Wilkerson only achieves one of the three. Lets say you have Wilkerson batting second and Furcal batting first. Would you want someone who strikes out 150 times a year batting behind Furcal. Would we not complain about his inability to advance the runner? I'd rather have a guy who bats 285 with a 330 OBP with a low number of strikeouts batting second. The reason being that he would be more likely to advance the runner. I think we are overvalueing OBP because of how bad the top of our order was last year. We can't forget their are other things than OBP involved in making a good top of the order hitter. I also said in a later post that I may have exaggerated just a bit and that I just believe Wilkerson is not the best fit for our offense. Strikeouts as a whole are overrated, but even if they are this evil, they are most tolerable in a leadoff hitter. Guess who's going to come up the most with no one on base? The leadoff hitter. Therefore, how they make an out would be less relevant. Also, AVG is less important in a leadoff hitter relative to OBP. Since they don't come up with runners on as often, it doesn't matter as much if they reach base via a hit or walk. If you'd rather have a .285/.330 low K hitter hitting 2nd than Wilkerson's .250/.350 100+ K's(lest we forget that Wilkerson has OBP's in '02-'04 of .370, .380, .374) then you are going to score fewer runs. That's all there is to it.

Exactly, if the Olympics can test for it, congress should push around MLB some more and get this included as well. I am curious to see what testing pitchers for meth will do. Meth? Yep, methamphetamines/crystal meth It is the most common drug used in MLB, pitchers are the dominant user of it. you sure you don't mean amphetamines (aka uppers/pills/greenies)? Crystal meth is a recreational drug that's snorted or smoked. it's also the reason why you can't buy Sudafed without getting it from a pharmacist behind the counter. Not trying to get off-topic, but are you sure about this? I've always bought my Sudafed straight off the shelf at Walgreens. In some places they still sell it on the shelves, but in a lot of places (basically the entire rural midwest) they've moved it behind the counter. Pseudoephedrine is a meth precursor. You have to be 18 in some areas to buy it too.

No

I like to play games.

Have you seen the numbers Huff put up last year?

Who's better? Bradley? I'll take him. Brady Clark? I'll take him too, but he may not repeat his numbers and isn't young. After that, unless you're getting Sizemore, Edmonds, Griffey, or Andruw Jones, you're hard pressed to do better. Or Beltran or Lofton. Unless you want to consider the top 10 CF in the game outstanding (which he may be in), he's really nothing more than average. What he brings in OBP, he loses in so-so defense and less than spectacular baserunning. Like I said, I don't think the guy's a bum, I just think he's highly overrated on this board. I like Beltran, but he's got a monster contract and would require a bunch in return. Lofton is about to fall of a cliff production wise, his BABIP this year disguised that.

Could that also be a reason for Pierre's slide? Pierre's dropoff is at least partially BABIP related. Wilkerson could be because of the "S", but I'd like to see him play a season away from RFK before coming to that conclusion(I know his road splits weren't stellar either).

Who's better? Bradley? I'll take him. Brady Clark? I'll take him too, but he may not repeat his numbers and isn't young. After that, unless you're getting Sizemore, Edmonds, Griffey, or Andruw Jones, you're hard pressed to do better.

I'm talking about Wilkerson. I don't understand the love affair. Maybe using "a lot" was an exaggeration, but there are definitely better options out there. For center field? He had a down year and still was above average for a CF, and better than other options like Pierre. He's still only one year removed from an .874 OPS, which is outstanding for a CF. He plays average defense, he's still young and relatively cheap. There's not much downside, considering even if he stays at last year's down level he's about as productive as someone like Pierre was in their best years.

How do you justify that statement?

Well, at least this can't be used to up his price in an extension, since Hendry doesn't look like he has the guts to trade Lee.

Rotoworld's reports are all based off Newspaper articles and other published reports. This particular rumor was from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, as seen quoted in the original post.

I'm pretty sure that's not Bill James.

God I would hate to have timely hitting and speed. Good luck finding it, since timely hitting is about as easy to get as a leprechaun.

and guys who can steal 50+ bases with a potential .370+ obp. but more importantly, guys who can catch the ball. Just like dem White Sox. See, the Sox showed Hendry that if you score less runs but appear to be "scrappy", you'll win the whole shebang. I hate to say it but I think the Sox winning the World Series pushed Hendry to acquire speed this offseason, so he can 'Southside' the offense. #-o Why is speed so bad? The stolen base, when attempted at the right time, is a valuable weapon. The stolen base isn't all that valuable. Especially when you acquire players who steal bases at borderline acceptable rates, and have very few appealing qualities outside of speed. Tell that to the Boston Red Sox and Dave Roberts. I could care less if Pierre gets thrown out trying to steal in the 4th inning of a game against the Pirates in May. I care about the base he'll potentially steal in the 9th inning of a 1 run game in September when we're fighting for the playoffs. The Boston Red Sox aren't even in that situation without all the OBP and power in their lineup. We're going after players who aren't really great at either, and potentially terrible at both. Pierre is just as likely to get caught in that 9th inning situation, but coming up with obscure hypotheticals doesn't change the fact that stolen bases as a whole have significantly less value than other traits we should be targeting.

and guys who can steal 50+ bases with a potential .370+ obp. but more importantly, guys who can catch the ball. Just like dem White Sox. See, the Sox showed Hendry that if you score less runs but appear to be "scrappy", you'll win the whole shebang. I hate to say it but I think the Sox winning the World Series pushed Hendry to acquire speed this offseason, so he can 'Southside' the offense. #-o Why is speed so bad? The stolen base, when attempted at the right time, is a valuable weapon. The stolen base isn't all that valuable. Especially when you acquire players who steal bases at borderline acceptable rates, and have very few appealing qualities outside of speed.

Pierre is an impending Free Agent coming off a sub 700 OPS season. Nolasco, Pinto, Marshall, Guzman, Ryu should not be involved. If Hendry really is pursuing this hard for Pierre, it's disheartening. Jim, Juan isn't all that great at catching the ball.

I would definitely rather have lugo - for a quarter of the price. I thought he was slated to make about 5.5 million next season? Lugo will make 4.95 mil in '06.

Oh, poor Quin. Having watched an equal portion of that game and the Boston/Duke game, I'm pretty sure Boston would've beaten Mizzou by 20 tonight.

I wouldn't want him for 4/40, but I'm not convinced he'll get that.

Mizzou loses to Sam Houston State at home. I'm glad I had a test so that I didn't waste my time attending, or watching more than part of the first half.

Pierre isn't very good. I'd rather improve at RF and SS and keep Corey at CF. What if Corey, in a package, could help the Cubs get an impact RF? Go get Michaels, Bradley, Wilkerson, even GMJ.