Game Thread: 4.27.17 Dodgers @ Giants

[calsnowskier]

for me his glove is the difference. i'd love to see him more consistent at the plate, even if it meant less (if possible) power. more line drives and less pop-ups. but that's not going to happen. at this point wysiwyg.

i don't see him as a 2 hitter, but that's on bochy and not belt. i'd love to see bonds as his personal hitting coach.

so until someone better comes along, he's our guy

I agree with this 100%. But now, if "someone better comes along", we are stuck with a 17M AAV player for 4 years that will block said player (Posey? Shaw? Ryder?).

I agree that his glove is a plus. I am a fan of having a defensive first baseman. We saw what can happen when we tried Guzman there for the horribly failed experiment in '09 (OMG, was that really that long ago?). But 1B is still a bit of an overflow position. Morse came up as a SS, moved to the OF and is now just a 1B. Rose came up as a 2B, ended as a 1B. While it I still not a 100% equivalent, 1B is the NLs answer to the DH. It is an easier position to learn than any other position. At least to get to an acceptable level. Belt is elite defensively, I grant that and have never said otherwise. But if 1B is just as hard to play as other positions, why is it that Belt gets bumped for Posey when they want Posey out from the SSSQQQUUUUAAAAAAATTTTTTT? Because 1B is considered an "off day".

Locking up an above average 1B for 4 years (his new contract does not take effect until '18, at $17M AAV) at that $$ is just eliminating your flexibility in the future. It is easier to find a 1-year stop-gap solution for 1B than it is to find one for just bout any other position. And you have to find a position or two that you won't pay elite $ at in order to give yourself flexibility to address holes as they come up. I just done think Belt offers enough at his position to warrant losing that flexibility.

I was OK with paying Penc (there are 2 other OF positions he could be shifted to should the need arise). I was OK with paying Posey (he is/was on a HOF track and he was a major contributor to multiple championships). I was OK with paying Crawford (he is elite, and he has "the story"). I would be OK with paying Panik in 2 or 3 years (assuming he stays on track). Belt just doesn't compare to those guys.

 

[SFGRTB]

for me his glove is the difference. i'd love to see him more consistent at the plate, even if it meant less (if possible) power. more line drives and less pop-ups. but that's not going to happen. at this point wysiwyg.

i don't see him as a 2 hitter, but that's on bochy and not belt. i'd love to see bonds as his personal hitting coach.

so until someone better comes along, he's our guy

You know who had the 2nd highest Line Drive% among all 1st basemen last year?

You know who had the 14th (out of 23) lowest Infield Pop up% among all 1st basemen last year?

You know who had the lowest Ground Ball% in all of baseball last year?

Brandon Belt

 

[calsnowskier]

I guess that post was kinda responding to sfgrtb as well...

 

[calsnowskier]

You know who had the 2nd highest Line Drive% among all 1st basemen last year?

You know who had the 14th (out of 23) lowest Infield Pop up% among all 1st basemen last year?

You know who had the lowest Ground Ball% in all of baseball last year?

Brandon Belt

So why does his own manager not even bat him 3 or 4?

 

[SFGRTB]

So why does his own manager not even bat him 3 or 4?

Because RBI and HR

(btw, I am 100% fine with Belt batting 2nd)

 

[stanford the manford]

You know who had the 2nd highest Line Drive% among all 1st basemen last year?

You know who had the 14th (out of 23) lowest Infield Pop up% among all 1st basemen last year?

You know who had the lowest Ground Ball% in all of baseball last year?

Brandon Belt

i assume you are right, i'm not a stat guy. but i do attend 20 games / yr and watch another 120 or so. it seems like when we need a hit out of belt we get a pop-up. or when the opposition puts on the 'belt shift' he doubles down trying to pull the ball instead of even attempting a short knock down the left field line that would likely go for a triple....

i do believe there is more productivity in belt then we are getting. i'm sure there are stats that prove me wrong. he's a polarizing player to be sure

 

[SFGRTB]

i assume you are right, i'm not a stat guy. but i do attend 20 games / yr and watch another 120 or so. it seems like when we need a hit out of belt we get a pop-up. or when the opposition puts on the 'belt shift' he doubles down trying to pull the ball instead of even attempting a short knock down the left field line that would likely go for a triple....

i do believe there is more productivity in belt then we are getting. i'm sure there are stats that prove me wrong. he's a polarizing player to be sure

I'm sorry, but there is nothing for me to say if this is going to be your argument. Other than you explained the main argument against the "clutch gene", negativity bias.

(not trying to pick a fight, this isn't malicious)

 

[LHG]

I want to say that this discussion about Belt has been thrown around on here at least twice before. SFGRTB, I'm firmly in your camp regarding Belt, but both sides are pretty dug in to be swayed with the others' arguments.

 

[stanford the manford]

I'm sorry, but there is nothing for me to say if this is going to be your argument. Other than you explained the main argument against the "clutch gene", negativity bias.

(not trying to pick a fight, this isn't malicious)

honestly not trying to argue.

stats are stats and feelings are feelings. i've watched enough games over the past 50+ yrs to form opinions based on what i see on the field. probably not the scientific way to evaluate talent, but i'm not likely to change...

no offense taken.... we're all fans.

 

[calsnowskier]

And let me also say that I do not want to break up with Belt. I just don't want to marry him. Continue dating? Sure. Go out on the weekends? Yup. Be available for midnight calls? You betcha.

But buy him a ring? That's more of a commitment to him than I am comfortable with. And I feel the org bought him a ring.

 

[SFGRTB]

honestly not trying to argue.

stats are stats and feelings are feelings. i've watched enough games over the past 50+ yrs to form opinions based on what i see on the field. probably not the scientific way to evaluate talent, but i'm not likely to change...

no offense taken.... we're all fans.

I tend to keep my guard when it comes to internet conversations, they normally escalate

And that's fine, people are entitled to their opinions. There are plenty of other things to complain about

 

[SFGRTB]

And let me also say that I do not want to break up with Belt. I just don't want to marry him. Continue dating? Sure. Go out on the weekends? Yup. Be available for midnight calls? You betcha.

But buy him a ring? That's more of a commitment to him than I am comfortable with. And I feel the org bought him a ring.

And I would say to that, you realize after it's too late and they're already gone, just how great it actually was.




But there will always be others, because in this analogy you're always the same (unless you're the Expos).

 

[calsnowskier]

And I would say to that, you realize after it's too late and they're already gone, just how great it actually was.




But there will always be others, because in this analogy you're always the same (unless you're the Expos).

But I don't want to marry the first 1B that comes around. You do that and you're gunna end up with a bunch of little Niekros at home.

And you really don't want the Niekros moving into your home...