One More Argument About the DH

JWG:  Mets have bases loaded, 1 out for Delgado…Sounds like a double play/strike out/pop out waiting to happen.

AML: Sorry, but he sucks!

JWG: Did I call that or what?  And then Easley popped out.  Honestly, he just shouldn't bat against lefties ever.  He is hitting .188 against them this year.  So I guess he shouldn't' be hitting, period.

AML: No designated fielder in the National Leauge?

JWG: Ha, no.  Hate the DH.

AML: How come?

JWG: I just like pitchers hitting, I think it adds a more interesting element to the game.

AML: The DH makes the game infinitely more exciting.

JWG: I don't consider a guy who is so bad at baseball and can't play the field trying to hit a home run every time that exciting.

AML: Fans like hitting.

JWG: Not me.  I'm a Met fan, we've gotten used to minimal offense.

AML: I think it's much better to have the DH.  It even keeps some guys in the game who otherwise would have been done.  No way Frank Thomas makes it to 500 homeruns without the DH.  Same for Thome.

JWG: Sure, doesn't mean that's a good thing.

AML: It kept George Brett's career going, Edgar Martinez too.  All were fantastic hitters.

JWG: I think being able to play both sides of the game is pretty important.

AML: You are telling me that Damion Easley is more valuable than someone who can hit 30 hrs?  Or that you would rather see Fausto Carmona hit than Travis Hafner?

JWG: Yes, I would.

AML: I mean that is just insane.

JWG: Which is why I appreciate a good hitting pitcher.

AML: How many good hitting pitchers are there, 5 out of 300?

JWG: I'd say maybe 10.

AML: There is now ay you could name 10, not a chance.  You would just be making up names after 5.

JWG: How are we defining good?

AML: You came up with it.  I think it should be defined the same as a good hitting position player, should be equal.  So don't give me the "he's a great bunter" because if he were a position player, you'd expect more than that to consider him a "good hitter."

JWG: Livan Hernandez, Micah Owings, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano, Tim Hudson.  That's eight.  Dennis Cook was great, but he's no longer in baseball.

AML: What is your criteria?

JWG: They handle the bat well.  And I've seen them all hit before.  Santana is apparently a very good hitter.

AML: By the way, Smoltz is a career .161 hitter and has not hit over .200 since 1999.  I cannot accept him as a good hitter.

JWG: Since 1999, that's a silly statement.

AML: Wood is .171, under .200 every year except for two.

JWG: When you get 50 at bats a season, it's a lot different.

AML: I mean, if you are a "good hitter" shouldn't you get more than 10 hits in 50 tries?  Jason Giambi "handles the bat well," does that make him a good hitter?

JWG: He absolutely does not.

AML: How about Jason Kendall, does he?

JWG: Yes.

AML: Is he a "good hitter?"

JWG: He was, he's old now, I don't think he is still a good hitter or handles the bat well.  I meant in the past tense.  Last I checked, Giambi was not a DH.

AML: Glavine is a career .187 hitter.  Is he a "good hitter" because he throws down four solid bunts a year?  Tim Hudson: .160.  I need a better definition if you are going to use these guys.

JWG: .200 for a pitcher is like hitting .310 for a regular hitter.

AML: SO why not just use a "regular hitter?"

JWG: Only if they played the field also.

AML: Why would you rather have someone who bats .200 when you can have one who bats .300?

JWG: Why should you give a guy a free pass from hitting? It's like having the designated fielder for the pitcher in little league.

AML: Why have an almost guaranteed out?

JWG: We are never going to settle this.

AML: Never.

JWG: The DH ruins the game of baseball.

AML: It helps save baseball.

JWG: It takes away the basic principle of 9 against 9 and makes it 9 ½ against 9 ½.

AML: As your favorite "good hitter" says "chicks dig the long ball" and I don't see pitchers knocking them out left and right.  Plus, as long as it's the same number on both sides, who cares?  Also, it's really 9 vs. 9 if the pitcher and DH are each half a player.

JWG: So then you'd be fine if basketball was 5 on 5, and every time they went on offense another guy just came in because he was a good shooter, and the other guy stayed on the other end because he played defense?

AML: You mean like Mutumbo?  Or Eddy Curry on the other end?

JWG: Yes, but with someone actually just coming in.

AML: Clearly that doesn't work in basketball, it's not comparable at all.

JWG: Oh well.

Thoughts on Derek Jeter, David Wright and Awful NY First Basemen

JWG: I was appalled listening to the Yankee broadcast yesterday on the ride home, just awful broadcasting.

AML: Radio?

JWG: Yeah.

AML: It is always awful, Waldman and Sterling?  Absolutely the WORST announcing team in radio or TV history.

JWG: The guy must have called 4 balls with some patented homerun call and 2 hit the wall and 2 were caught.

AML: I cannot believe the Yankees allow it.

JWG: And the only one he didn't do was a home run.  Oh, and at one point they were talking about why wouldn't you put the shift on Giambi with runners on.

AML: They are horrible, Sterling can't seem to get along with anyone and Waldman really shouldn't be doing anything, she might be the worst ever.

JWG: Waldman has such a grating voice.

AML: She is awful, I would rather get updates on my iPhone.

JWG: Yeah, even my dad hates them, said Sterling should be doing it for the minor leagues.

AML: I agree, he used to do it with Charley Steiner and they both had the same voice and wanted to do play-by-play; not sure why they are so stuck on Sterling.

JWG: Because he's the Michael Kay of radio: pompous blowhard who is more concerned with hearing himself than actually telling you about the game.  Oh, so my point about the infield shift: he's going "I have no idea why they wouldn't shift, just makes no sense, I'll have to ask Joe about it tomorrow."  And I'm going to my dad, he's an idiot, they aren't shifting because the shortstop needs to hold the guy on second and be near the bag to turn two in case it's hit to the second baseman.

AML: It's really funny watching games with [my girlfriend] when they shift on Giambi.  She just goes "why doesn't he just hit it by third base?" and I am just sitting there like "uh, he doesn't really know how to do that?" and she goes "how much money does he make?" and i just hang my head in shame.   She literally gets up and points to the TV and goes "look how much space is there, he could bunt it over and be safe!"  And I just sit there like "he doesn't really bunt, he's there for power."

JWG: So anyways, to end this story, right after I say that to my dad, Giambi smacks a ball to second, flips to short and they turn two and I was like, see, the Orioles played it right.  What does Giambi have, 1 homer?

AML: He has 2, both off of Mike Timlin; also think he has 5 hits all year.

JWG: Ouch.  Delgado is under .200 now and is something like 1 for his last 25, all against lefties I think.

AML: Giambi does have 5 hits: 1 single, 2 doubles and 2 homeruns.

JWG:http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5178

Think the NY teams have the two worst 1B in the majors?

AML: 100%, especially when combined they make over $41 million.

JWG: You guys don't even really have a 1B; you have a DH masquerading as a 1B.

 
AML: Yup, we also have a third baseman who can play first (Morgan Ensberg),a catcher who can play first (Jorge Posada), and a RF who can play first (Shelley Duncan)...oh, and a SS/2B who can play first (Wilson Betamit).  But no actual first basemen

JWG: Ironically, none of those players are very good at their real position.

AML: Posada is a decent catcher.

JWG: ...average

AML: Means he is better than half.

JWG: True...I'll give you decent.

AML: But you are right, not "very good."

JWG: Ensberg is like a cyclops playing third.

AML: I don't know what that means

JWG: Neither do I, but I figure, one eye, gotta [mess] up your depth perception and make you boot a few balls.

AML:  I guess.  Is it just me, or does David Wright throw away more balls than he should?  I feel like he is good to getting to balls but doesn't throw well at all.

JWG: 100%  He's got maybe the best hands at third in the game, and the most inconsistent arm.

AML: It's a very under-noticed aspect of his game, I think.  People are ready to give him the gold glove but forget half of fielding is actually throwing to first.

JWG: Delgado is so used to his up-the-line throws, he doesn't even start out on the bag.

AML: That isn't good.

JWG: He got the gold glove last year

AML:  Yeah, didn't deserve it.

JWG: If you ask any Met fan and they will tell you that he got it by default, and that his throws scare the [heck] out of them, especially late in games.  Met fans are at least realistic about how good people are as opposed to people like Adam that think Cano should get the gold glove.

AML: Doesn't sound gold glove worthy to me.

JWG:  It wasn't, Feliz or Zimmerman should have gotten it

AML: Chipper too...

JWG:  But Wright makes a lot of pretty plays and has great range and a lot of bad throws are saved by Delgado and he tags the runner, so it is never an error.

AML: Oh, in that case!

JWG: And you should know by now that gold gloves, half the time are just based on number of errors

AML: Let's just face it, he's the most overrated player in baseball. Glad we settled that.

JWG: I won't agree to that.

AML: Didn't think so; you think it's Reyes.

JWG: Nope.

AML: I know I know.  For real, Derek Jeter

JWG: Yup, if we are talking pure stats.

AML: Offensively too or just defensively?

JWG: Both

AML: I think defensively he is definitely overrated and can't understand why people think he is great on that end.

JWG: I think he brings a lot of leadership and intangibles that aren't quantified, but his numbers haven't been at the same level that people make them out to be.  It's the jump throw; it's like Rey Ordonez.  When he first came up, he got noticed for using the slide and pop up, but he made a ton of errors.  It wasn't until he stopped using it as often that he won gold gloves.  But it was his signature move, even though it limited his range.

AML:  Just saying my point, I don't think he is overrated offensively.

JWG: Okay, I won't argue that, but I also think he strikes out too much for a #2 hitter.

AML: I am amazed how much he strikes out considering his ability to go the other way and pull effectively.  I don't know how we swings and misses so much.

JWG: Yup, and how high of an OBP.  The thing with defense is, you don't realize how poor someones range is until you see someone else play the position with more range.

AML: I hear you on that one, and I think you are right, that is exactly where people are wrong on Jeter.

JWG: That, combined with the seemingly spectacular jump throw, he looks gold glove.

AML: A ball gets by him and most people think "good hit," but they don't realize that's out #1 for Omar Vizquel.

JWG:  He also tends to overplays the hole because he knows he goes backhand better and can make the throw.  When was the las ttime you saw him make a tough play up the middle?

AML: 1996, I think.  What the Yankees really should do it move him to second, A-Rod to short and Cano to third.  Cano might have the best arm on the team.  I am amazed how effective he is throwing across his body off of one foot when he gets to a ball up the middle.

JWG: Yeah, but I wouldn't trust him with the quick reaction time needed at third.  And I don't think A-Rod can play short; he's gotten too big.  But anyways, next time you watch a Yankee game, look where Jeter positions himself.

AML: A-Rod has always been big.  I agree with you about Jeter.

JWG: But it's much different than most shortstops that have better range.  Lugo actually does the opposite, he plays more up the middle, because his arm is kind of [weak] and he knows that he gets it in the hole, he's not throwing him out.

AML: Yeah.

JWG: Honestly, Jeter is like Ripken.  Ripken at first had a lot of range and a great arm; as he got older, that range went away, but who...was going to say he was a bad fielder when he made all the plays and could turn two?  I mean, he didn't move to third until about 4 years too late.  Actually, Ripken is maybe the best possible comparison I can think of.  I mean, who's going to tell him he's no longer playing short?  Like when they finally had to move Griffey out of center.  Those bastards.

AML: That sucked.

JWG: Yeah...

I Was Right

The silence from my sparring partner confirms it: acquiring Zach Randolph was the right move for the Knicks.

Why the Randolph Trade Was the Right Move

There has been plenty of talk regarding the recent Zach Randolph trade to the New York Knicks and I am baffled at how there are any negative opinions about it at all. One of the major sticking points I've heard is regarding Randolph's contract, which will pay him $61.2 million over the next four seasons. Big contracts like Randolph's have burned Knicks fans in the past with Allan Houston just coming off the books this year after signing a 6-year, $4.9 billion contract extension in 2001. Allan Houston is actually talking about a comeback now, after being the second highest paid player in the NBA the last two seasons.

But back to Randolph. Despite the $61.2 million that he will earn the next four years, the Knicks actually save money for a future season. The salaries of Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau equal $19,933,333 for this season, which is slightly more than the $18,927,240 that Steve Francis and Channing Frye will cost the Trail Blazers. However, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau are both in their last seasons for their current contracts, which means that they will come off the books after this year. For the 2008-09 season, Randolph will be the only one under contract, which will be for $14,666,666. Francis has two years remaining and Frye three, so the 2008-09 season will cost the Trail Blazers $20,343,769, which is more than $5.5 million in savings for the Knicks.

Randolph will make $16,000,000 in 2009-10 and $17,333,333 in 2010-11, which seems like a lot, until you realize who the Knicks won't be paying in that time frame. 2008-09 will be Stephon Marbury's last season under his current deal, which will pay him more than $42 million over the coming season and the following one. Malik Rose is owed almost $15 million in the same two seasons. For players with three years left (meaning their last year on the Knicks payroll will be Randolph's third) include Quentin Richardson at $9+ million and Jerome James at $6.6 million.

In the end, Randolph does have significant money coming to him over the next four seasons, but his contract almost looks frugal next to the guys already stealing from the Knicks. Adding additional salaries to the cap has been something that Knick fans cannot seem to look past, but it's essential when adding a player of such quality.

Speaking of quality, did you know that only 5 players in the NBA averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds last year? Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and, you guessed it, Zach Randolph. Not bad company to be in, especially when Randolph scored more than any of the other players in the group at 23.7 points per game. Randolph shot 81.9% from the free throw line, which would have been third on the Knicks. The Knicks struggled mightily at the end of the season and a lot of it had to do with poor free throw shooting, especially from their big men.

Zach Randolph will be 26 later this month, which is just before the prime of his career. There is nothing about Channing Frye that makes me think his prime will come close to Randolph's, or frankly, any time soon (Frye is one year younger). Randolph is coming off the best season of his career and moving to the Eastern Conference should only help. He was able to average 23.7 points per game and 10.1 rebounds while playing against the likes of Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby, Dirk Nowtizki, Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, and Amare Stoudemire. Power forward is much lighter in the Eastern Conference with Antawn Jamison, Al Jefferson, Chris Bosh, and Rasheed Wallace to name a few of the better ones.

There are a couple of knocks against Randolph's defensive abilities, which make Eddy Curry look average. Stats can be deceiving though and I believe Randolph is better than what the stats say (or at least not as bad). He averaged 0.2 blocks per game last season, which is slightly worse than the 0.3 that Carlos Boozer averaged. Would you consider Carlos Boozer an awful defender? Though I think the Knicks will be signficantly slower on the defensive end with Randolph and Curry clogging up the middle, it's not like the Knicks had Ben Wallace playing the 4. They did not necessarily get better defensively, but they didn't get worse. Offensively, it's not even a contest.

I was never a big fan of Channing Frye and last year just made those feelings stronger. At his age (which included four years in college), you would expect to see considerable growth from his first year to his second. Unfortunately, Frye was a victim of the sophomore slump, where is scoring went down from 12.3 points per game to 9.5, rebounds decreased from 5.8 to 5.5 and blocks went down from 0.7 to 0.6. I brought up the last two stats to show that Frye was very weak on the defensive end and he shows no desire to rebound despite being 6-11. At 24 years old, I would hope to see development instead of the step back that Frye took.

The last point which must be made is that in any trade situation, you always want to end up with the best player in the deal. The Knicks did that, while being able to shed salary for the 2008-09 season and acquiring one of the five players in the NBA to average 20 and 10. Overall, this was the right move for the Knicks and should drastically increase their win total to around 40.

AL Starting All Star - OF

I love sushi, and I love watching Ichiro play baseball. While often people complain that starting all-stars for baseball are purely based on popularity and who has cooler commercials (or more internet savvy fans) Ichiro actually deserves to start purely on the numbers. He is second in the league in batting at .364 (and climbing). 7th in the league in runs scored at 53, and would probably have a lot more if not for the anemic mariners offense, I mean cmon, Richie Sexson suuuucks. Ichiro leads the league in hits, and is tied for second with 22 stolen bases. He even has 37 rbi's out of the lead off spot 3 more than Grady Sizemore. Plus Ichiro may be the best defensive outfielder in the AL. Think about this, he is a gold glove right fielder and this year moved to center because the Mariner's asked him to. So what happens? Not a single error, 5 outfield assists and i'm shocked it's that high cause who the heck runs on Ichiro? You can't have an all-star game without the Madonna of baseball.

Ichiro, Ichiro!

AL Starting All Star - C

Catcher in the AL could be the most stacked position in the league after NL shortstop. Well, except for Jason Kendall. So why Victor Martinez over Jorge Posada? Both players are terrible at throwing runners out, although both call good games and have had to deal with some pretty bad pitchers (Chase Wright & Jeremy Sowers anyone?). Posada has been hitting for a much higher average, but Martinez has been more of a run producer and power threat. Martinez has 101 Runs + RBI’s and 14 homers. Posada has 84 Runs + RBI’s and only 9 homers. They both hit in stacked lineups with good protection and a lot of runners on base. Posada’s high average in my mind hasn’t produced nearly as many runs, and ultimately that is what counts for a team. Plus Yankee fans have now stolen Jose Reyes’s chant and given it to Jorge. You know, like they did for Billy Wagner’s song.

Hip Hip Vic!

AL Starting All-Star - C

The debate for the best catcher in the American League pretty much comes down to Jorge Posada and Victor Martinez. Not to take anything away from Pudge Rodriguez, Kenji Johjima or Gerald Laird, but Posada and Martinez are on a level above the others. Their stats are relatively similar, with Posada 24 points ahead in batting average, 26 points higher in on base percentage and 3 more runs scored, versus Martinez's lead of 4 more home runs and 14 more RBI. I would argue that the additional RBIs are a result of Posada batting behind Alex Rodriguez, who leads the Major Leagues in RBI, but I don't have to go there.

They are nearly identical defensively, with Martinez playing a couple of games at first in addition to catcher. This in no way should get him additional votes for playing behind the plate. If it does, then I'll note that Posada has had to catch for (by my last count) 13 different starting pitchers this year. That can't be easy on a catcher.

A close call I think, but Posada's third best average in the American League should make the difference.

HIP HIP JORGE!