A.L. Central Discussion 2016

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Alright. I used to think I cared about and liked the WBC, but I don't.

I just turned on MLB Channel, hoping to get some baseball news ahead of pitchers and catchers reporting next week and all they're talking about is the WBC. Fuck it.

 

[Erie Warrior]

Alright. I used to think I cared about and liked the WBC, but I don't.

I just turned on MLB Channel, hoping to get some baseball news ahead of pitchers and catchers reporting next week and all they're talking about is the WBC. Fuck it.

i hear you. I am sure I'll still watch some of it. I am jonesing for some baseball, pretty badly.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

i hear you. I am sure I'll still watch some of it. I am jonesing for some baseball, pretty badly.

I hear you. That's how I used to be. I'd even wake up in the middle of the night to watch the games in China. I just don't give a piss anymore. Further, with playoff hopes, I'm concerned about Lindor's, Santana's and Miller's participation in the whole thing.

I suppose some of the reason that I don't give a piss is because Team USA does't give a shit. If the US sincerely sent the best, motivated players that we have, we would tear through that tournament every year. Honestly, even if they did, I'm not sure I'd even care then. If Team USA was trying, it'd be like Michael Phelps showing up to compete in the Special Olympics - would it really be exciting, or something to brag about?

 

[Fountain City Blues]

I am still in the thick of soccer, Hockey, and college basketball. Kind of easy for me to coast into the season

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I am still in the thick of soccer, Hockey, and college basketball. Kind of easy for me to coast into the season

It's the most boring time of the year for me because there are no sports being played. Basketball is a bunch of flopping homos. Soccer is even worse - back in high school, we referred to it as Women's Lacrosse. I could see myself getting into hockey if I was Canadian.

 

[Howie115]

It's the most boring time of the year for me because there are no sports being played. Basketball is a bunch of flopping homos. Soccer is even worse - back in high school, we referred to it as Women's Lacrosse. I could see myself getting into hockey if I was Canadian.

We've always at least had hockey this time of year in Detroit, but this current Wings team is gross. Unwatchable.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

We've always at least had hockey this time of year in Detroit, but this current Wings team is gross. Unwatchable.

I don't comprehend. Doug told me they're a lock for the Stanley.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

We've always at least had hockey this time of year in Detroit, but this current Wings team is gross. Unwatchable.

Better than being so mediocre they can't do anything, but try to perpetuate a streak just because.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

There's a fine line between "amusing" and "annoying", and he definitely crossed it several times.

When he just talked baseball, we got along fine.

You're absolutely right. But that's what I liked about him. He wasn't smart, but thought he was really smart, so you could just sit here and pound on him and he'd think he was winning.

Sometimes I like that chaos, but I know it can get annoying quickly. I just figure that if I didn't want to listen to him, I'd just ignore him. For anyone that can't ignore him, there's always the ignore function, so you wouldn't have to worry about it.

 

[navamind]

There are hardly any catchers that better a lineup.

To the point I don't worry much about a catchers offensive production.

Lucroy batted .292/.355/.500 in 2016. For comparison, the average 1B hit .255/.334/.447. The average catcher hit .242/.310/.391.

I'd say Lucroy's offensive production was pretty significant. His OBP was 45 points above the league average at his position and he had over 100 points of SLG% more than the average catcher. And he managed to outhit a lot of 1st basemen.

Perez batted .247/.288/.438 in 2016. I just don't see how defense makes up for that kind of gap offensively. It's not like Lucroy is Posada or Piazza behind the plate either, he's a fine defensive catcher.

 

[navamind]

And FWIW, Perez was rated among the worst pitch framers in 2016 while Lucroy was above average.

StatCorner Catcher Report

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Measured by OPS, Lucroy was the 33rd best hitter in MLB last year. MLB average slash line from C in 2016 was .243/.311/.393/.704. Lucroy's was .276/.345/.539/.885. That bat, particularly plugged in at C, is a difference maker.

Lucroy batted .292/.355/.500 in 2016. For comparison, the average 1B hit .255/.334/.447. The average catcher hit .242/.310/.391.

Our Lucroy slash lines are at odds. Yours are correct - I picked up just his line in TEX. You were right and I was wrong; you are smart and I am stupid; you are good-looking and I am not attractive.

However, our average C numbers are slightly off as well. To compare notes, where'd you get your numbers? I got mine from B-R yesterday, but didn't really like the format and today I can't even find them.

SON OF A BITCH! GET ME A DRINK!

 

[navamind]

Our Lucroy slash lines are at odds. Yours are correct - I picked up just his line in TEX. You were right and I was wrong; you are smart and I am stupid; you are good-looking and I am not attractive.

However, our average C numbers are slightly off as well. To compare notes, where'd you get your numbers? I got mine from B-R yesterday, but didn't really like the format and today I can't even find them.

SON OF A BITCH! GET ME A DRINK!

I got them from Fangraphs.

 

[navamind]

Major League Total Stats » 2016 » Catchers » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball

If you go to any stat leaderboards, you can choose between individual players/teams/league stats. It's right underneath the tabs for 'leaderboards' and 'split leaderboards'.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Major League Total Stats » 2016 » Catchers » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball

If you go to any stat leaderboards, you can choose between individual players/teams/league stats. It's right underneath the tabs for 'leaderboards' and 'split leaderboards'.

Much obliged.

 

[broncosmitty]

Lucroy batted .292/.355/.500 in 2016. For comparison, the average 1B hit .255/.334/.447. The average catcher hit .242/.310/.391.

I'd say Lucroy's offensive production was pretty significant. His OBP was 45 points above the league average at his position and he had over 100 points of SLG% more than the average catcher. And he managed to outhit a lot of 1st basemen.

Perez batted .247/.288/.438 in 2016. I just don't see how defense makes up for that kind of gap offensively. It's not like Lucroy is Posada or Piazza behind the plate either, he's a fine defensive catcher.

So you see Lucroy, a catcher who has hit 20 homers once, as a difference maker in a lineup?

I never said he isn't better than average. (His slugging was .391 in 2015. When he managed 7 homers. Coming off a career season doesn't make me expect another.)

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

You'll have to forgive Smitty, Nava. He's 35 years old, going on 74. He doesn't need things like OBP and OPS because he watches games.

 

[navamind]

So you see Lucroy, a catcher who has hit 20 homers once, as a difference maker in a lineup?

I never said he isn't better than average. (His slugging was .391 in 2015. When he managed 7 homers. Coming off a career season doesn't make me expect another.)

He was also banged up in 2015. Given how well he hit before that (.297/.359/.472 from 2012-14), I'm willing to give him a pass for 2015. Especially when he bounced back with a very good 2016.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

So you see Lucroy, a catcher who has hit 20 homers once, as a difference maker in a lineup?

That's one way to see it.

More accurately, I see a catcher who has slashed .288/.355/.458/.812/119 over the last three seasons and in doing so, dwarfed his positional peers, as a difference maker in a lineup.

 

[navamind]

A catcher that's generally been a better hitter than the average 1B is certainly a difference maker if you ask me. And among the 8 catchers that hit 20+ home runs in 2016, only one had a higher OBP than Lucroy (Sanchez), and he didn't have nearly enough PA to qualify.