Royals take the series from the Tigers, again

[StanMarsh51]

Seriously.. Derek Lowe having a nice stretch is not surprising... Look at his paycheck from his last few seasons... I think someone thought he was good. Same with the rest... OK.. some guys have rough reg seasons and stick up.. but saying Jered Weaver dominating is surprising? LOL Playoffs tend to bring out the best of people... Motivated talent steps up... Its not like these guys were total scrubs like you are suggesting.

Jeff Weaver, not Jered....Jeff Weaver in 2006 went 8-14 with a 5.76 ERA, and the at that point in his career had a 4.6 career ERA...yea, he was a scrub at that point, but he went on to dominate in the '06 playoffs.

So yes, it was very surprising to see him dominate for the Cards in '06

 

[MiamiVice]

Jeff Weaver, not Jered....Jeff Weaver in 2006 went 8-14 with a 5.76 ERA, and the at that point in his career had a 4.6 career ERA...yea, he was a scrub at that point, but he went on to dominate in the '06 playoffs.

So yes, it was very surprising to see him dominate for the Cards in '06

The funny thing is.. I agree with most things you say... The hot team does usually win.. but its the team that gets hot with the bat that wins.. because rarely if ever does a team make the playoffs with a bad top of the rotation... That being said.. can we seriously agree to disagree on things.. I can't stand how you nit pick the dumbest little things.. if you actually played the game.. you would know there is much more to it than stats... stats tell a story.. but not the whole story... There is a human element to sports... 90% free throw shooters miss clutch free throws... .350 hitters strike out in clutch spots... and pitchers with low era give up HR to lose games...

 

[navamind]

Seriously.. Derek Lowe having a nice stretch is not surprising... Look at his paycheck from his last few seasons... I think someone thought he was good. Same with the rest... OK.. some guys have rough reg seasons and stick up.. but saying Jered Weaver dominating is surprising? LOL Playoffs tend to bring out the best of people... Motivated talent steps up... Its not like these guys were total scrubs like you are suggesting.

he didn't say Jered Weaver. He said Jeff Weaver.

and the postseason is a crapshoot. Anything can happen over a few games.

 

[da55bums]

Stan,

Do you really want me to go through all the better leadoff hitters than JacKKKKson....well, just see if you want me to continue beyond 2013....lol....

2013 - leadoff hitters that I would conclude are better than JacKKKKson, would draft them before, Mr KKKKK

Ellsbury
Marte
Kinsler
Carpenter
Fowler
Crisp
Aoki

De Aza, Bourne are whiffing way too much but just as fine being leadoff guys for Detroit...

JacKKKKson is so replacable....Peter Bourgos could take over for Detroit and it wouldn't even know Mr K is gone......basically there are around 50 players, playing currently in 2013 in the majors who could replace him and get just as many runs with Miggy in the 3 hole..

Just look at the players who batted leadoff with Pujols in the 3 hole?





To say JacKKKKson is a top flight leadoff hitter shows me enough..

Let me know if you want me to go back to even Ichiro and Jeter days, like a few years ago, lol...Jackson is NOT a top 50 leadoff hitters of the last 20 years.....Bourne, Ellsbury, Ichiro, Jeter, Rollins, Lofton...off the top of my head...not bothering with all 50...if you know know that he isn't on it...then I can't help you..

JacKKKKson will never go down as any type of good to great leadoff hitter, if he survives as a leadoff hitter, he might be one of the top strikeout guys to ever lead off....thats the only top list he will ever be named on.

Trout and Reyes alone were better than him...just last year

JacKKKKson looks good for 2 reasons - he plays for the tigers and he has the best hitter in baseball for the last few years batting 2 spots behind him........

Hey, if everyone thinks De Aza and Fowler are good to great leadoff hitters, then hey, so is Jackson because at best that is his equals...at best.

 

[da55bums]

I didn't say he was finished, but his prime is clearly over. His down years are still career years for most guys, but he won't be the same.

And it all happened around the age Cabrera is now. So let's not pretend that Cabrera is a safe bet to stay the best hitter in baseball for another 4-5 years. I'd say it's more likely he stays elite than fall apart the way Pujols has, but it's no sure thing either.

Now your starting to get it...thought it was eluding you...whew, now that makes sense....Cabrera will be the best hitter in baseball at what age 34? I will go the under on that one Bob.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Its not about being the best hitter for 4-5 years... its about building a team with guys you trust to hit when it counts... and score runs... There are not many guys I take when I need a score than Pujols or Miggy... that is why they get paid what they do.. and that is what you sign them to long term contracts for... If they lead the league in stats its great.. but you look at options as a whole for the lineup/money spent/ risk... and some guys are just worth the risk... I am sorry.. but I would rather have a 33 yr old Prince Fielder in my lineup than 85% of other options in 4 years... or a 35 yr old miggy... Like I said.. its not always about stats... its about risk reward...

I love Billy Beanes approach to building a team.. but he shows that building a team bases on stats may work in the reg season.. but come playoff time and in condensed series... Overall physical talent wins more times than not.

This is probably my least favorite baseball cliché. I'm pretty sure they're paid to play baseball, not to do one specific aspect of baseball. I always heard it from the "analysts" as Mark Teixeira's number dramatically declined. "He's paid to drive in runs, and he's still doing that." Fuck that. He's paid to be one of the most valuable overall players in MLB, and he's clearly not one of those guys anymore.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

i like Jackson but he is not a good leadoff hitter.

if he knew how to bunt and get out of the batters box fast he would be great in that spot, but he sucks at doing both of those things.

id like to see Iglesias at leadoff but he hacks out of the strikezone too often.

No one said he's great, just that he's one of the better ones, which is irrefutably true.

I couldn't care less how well he bunts as long as he gets on base.

Iglesias has to prove this season hasn't been a fluke before I'd toy with the idea of him in the leadoff spot.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Just see David Ortiz, post-2009.

Albert Pujols has been in steady decline since 2010. It's not "one down year".

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

No.. I would say pitching is overall better in the playoffs... and guys that had great advanced stats that were getting on base against #4 or #5 pitchers don't perform the way real talent does. When it comes down to it... Pitching changes every situation... if you have great pitching.. which most playoff teams do... you can shut down fringe talent... most teams go with their top 3 or 4 guys in a 7 game series... so you are not seeing the weaker starters and the bullpen depth is usually better by adding the #4 or #5 starter to the pen... Pitching dictates everything in the playoffs. If you have it.. you will move on.

You both have good points. The playoffs are a crapshoot, but the hitters who feast off of the lesser pitchers (backend starters and relievers) tend to get exposed, which is a predictable element of building a team.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Also when saying that fielder wont last because hes fat.....ortiz is big and hes still playing at 37

Correct. Because it's not about size or conditioning, it's about hitting mechanics and bat speed. Ortiz still has a quick, compact swing. Prince puts a lot into his swing, so I wouldn't call it "compact", but he certainly has great bat speed. Guys like Cecil Fielder and Ryan Howard declined early because their swings were so terrible and the pitchers caught up to them.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

stan.. why is it you always try to argue with everything I say... seriously.. you argue that it isn't any harder for a batter to get a hit with a runner on third... now this? Did you play baseball.. or do you just like reading the stats on the back of your baseball card collection?

It's not.

 

[broncosmitty]

No one said he's great, just that he's one of the better ones, which is irrefutably true.

I couldn't care less how well he bunts as long as he gets on base.

Iglesias has to prove this season hasn't been a fluke before I'd toy with the idea of him in the leadoff spot.

It's hard to imagine Iggy as much of a leadoff hitter for any decent stretch of time. On a team that's a contender anyway. He's put the ball in play at a steady clip lately. But that uppercut needs to be flattened out.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

It's hard to imagine Iggy as much of a leadoff hitter for any decent stretch of time. On a team that's a contender anyway. He's put the ball in play at a steady clip lately. But that uppercut needs to be flattened out.

If he gets on base with his speed, Iglesias can be an excellent leadoff hitter. I always want the highest OBP possible that can score from first if the opportunity arises. Seeing Gordon leading off for the Royals is a joke. I would prefer Dyson (When the SP is a RHP) Cain, and even Bonifacio with his recent stretch lately.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Stan,

Do you really want me to go through all the better leadoff hitters than JacKKKKson....well, just see if you want me to continue beyond 2013....lol....

2013 - leadoff hitters that I would conclude are better than JacKKKKson, would draft them before, Mr KKKKK

Ellsbury
Marte
Kinsler
Carpenter
Fowler
Crisp
Aoki

De Aza, Bourne are whiffing way too much but just as fine being leadoff guys for Detroit...

JacKKKKson is so replacable....Peter Bourgos could take over for Detroit and it wouldn't even know Mr K is gone......basically there are around 50 players, playing currently in 2013 in the majors who could replace him and get just as many runs with Miggy in the 3 hole..

Just look at the players who batted leadoff with Pujols in the 3 hole?





To say JacKKKKson is a top flight leadoff hitter shows me enough..

Let me know if you want me to go back to even Ichiro and Jeter days, like a few years ago, lol...Jackson is NOT a top 50 leadoff hitters of the last 20 years.....Bourne, Ellsbury, Ichiro, Jeter, Rollins, Lofton...off the top of my head...not bothering with all 50...if you know know that he isn't on it...then I can't help you..

JacKKKKson will never go down as any type of good to great leadoff hitter, if he survives as a leadoff hitter, he might be one of the top strikeout guys to ever lead off....thats the only top list he will ever be named on.

Trout and Reyes alone were better than him...just last year

JacKKKKson looks good for 2 reasons - he plays for the tigers and he has the best hitter in baseball for the last few years batting 2 spots behind him........

Hey, if everyone thinks De Aza and Fowler are good to great leadoff hitters, then hey, so is Jackson because at best that is his equals...at best.

Wasn't Fowler just on your list of bad leadoff hitters? And how is Coco Crisp better with an OBP .016 points lower? Marte's OBP is also lower, but he's been the better overall hitter this year, so I'll give that one. Ian Kinsler has an OBP .011 points lower, and has a lower OPS+. He was also much worse than Jackson last year.

How does Miguel Cabrera make Jackson look better as a leadoff hitter? Can you explain that one to me?

 

[Chef99]

Wasn't Fowler just on your list of bad leadoff hitters? And how is Coco Crisp better with an OBP .016 points lower? Marte's OBP is also lower, but he's been the better overall hitter this year, so I'll give that one. Ian Kinsler has an OBP .011 points lower, and has a lower OPS+. He was also much worse than Jackson last year.

How does Miguel Cabrera make Jackson look better as a leadoff hitter? Can you explain that one to me?

I agree with you on Kinsler. Never understood why he was a leadoff hitter. Then again, I have a hard time understanding many things Ron Washington does.

 

[broncosmitty]

Coco Crisp is a better base runner. To be honest, I think he's a better baseball player. Not that Jackson is done getting better or anything.

 

[broncosmitty]

If he gets on base with his speed, Iglesias can be an excellent leadoff hitter. I always want the highest OBP possible that can score from first if the opportunity arises. Seeing Gordon leading off for the Royals is a joke. I would prefer Dyson (When the SP is a RHP) Cain, and even Bonifacio with his recent stretch lately.

I just don't see a consistent enough hitter out of #1. (He wears #1, might as well bat him #1 hahaha) Maybe he develops into a guy that draws a fair amount of walks. But that will be tough. He has no physical power at the plate. Even a bad mistake pitch is most likely not going to cost a pitcher too much. Where as AJax had strength and regularly hits the ball sharp. (Not a power hitter, but good solid sharp contact, consistently) He's quick for sure. But I'll be happy if he hits .265 (.240 wouldnt bother me)and plays top notch defense while hitting 7th,8th or 9th. Wish he woulda been called on to squeeze last night. Instead, he struck out chasing a fastball around eye balls. He has a lot of work to do, compared to most .320 hitters. (15 bbs to 55 Ks. Gets hit a lot though. Infante is another .320 hitter That isn't cut out to hit leadoff. He's got less than 20 walks on the season as well. He can handle a fastball real well, but working deep in a count isn't his thing)

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

I agree with you on Kinsler. Never understood why he was a leadoff hitter. Then again, I have a hard time understanding many things Ron Washington does.

It's only been the past two years. Before 2012, he was a good leadoff candidate, unless you'd rather have his power later in the lineup.

 

[Chef99]

It's only been the past two years. Before 2012, he was a good leadoff candidate, unless you'd rather have his power later in the lineup.

I'd rather see Kinsler in the 3 hole. Doubtful his wheels are going to make a reappearance. I'd think he'd be better suited driving the rabbits in.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

I'd rather see Kinsler in the 3 hole. Doubtful his wheels are going to make a reappearance. I'd think he'd be better suited driving the rabbits in.

I don't disagree, especially with Cruz gone and the need to get more from their power hitters. If Leonys Martin can get his OBP up around .340, I'd obviously would prefer him in the leadoff spot, and Craig Gentry has done a good job getting on base this season as well.