Comments on: Award Winners http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/ Seattle Mariners and general baseball discussion with David Cameron and Derek Zumsteg Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:39:06 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: hw1933 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235795 hw1933 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:34:28 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235795 A knock on Braun is that his defense has been pretty dreadful. He had a 3 week stretch where he made 9 errors and has 21 errors on the season. Milwaukee does some odd positioning so it's tough to gauge his range because Braun certainly SEEMS to be athletic enough with sufficient arm to handle third. But all the metrics indicate that right now he is one if not THE worst defensive third baseman in the NL. That being written he has done nothing but hit. Braun began the year by slugging over .700 at Triple A and has pretty much kept it up all season. While Milwaukee fans had heard he could hit everyone has been surprised by the magnitude of the guys's power. Braun has hit some legitimate moonshots including a couple into the second deck in Milwaukee, same in Cincinnati, and the topper was actually his first career home run when he crushed one about 450' in San Diego. He's not a dead pull hitter either having lined several balls over the right-centerfield fence at various times. Braun's speed has also been something of a pleasant surprise. He's 14 out of 18 on steals and also has 5 triples. He does struggle against right-handed pitching slugging "only" .536 against righties. Braun's slugging percentage against lefties is .941! A knock on Braun is that his defense has been pretty dreadful. He had a 3 week stretch where he made 9 errors and has 21 errors on the season. Milwaukee does some odd positioning so it’s tough to gauge his range because Braun certainly SEEMS to be athletic enough with sufficient arm to handle third. But all the metrics indicate that right now he is one if not THE worst defensive third baseman in the NL.

That being written he has done nothing but hit. Braun began the year by slugging over .700 at Triple A and has pretty much kept it up all season. While Milwaukee fans had heard he could hit everyone has been surprised by the magnitude of the guys’s power. Braun has hit some legitimate moonshots including a couple into the second deck in Milwaukee, same in Cincinnati, and the topper was actually his first career home run when he crushed one about 450′ in San Diego. He’s not a dead pull hitter either having lined several balls over the right-centerfield fence at various times.

Braun’s speed has also been something of a pleasant surprise. He’s 14 out of 18 on steals and also has 5 triples.

He does struggle against right-handed pitching slugging “only” .536 against righties. Braun’s slugging percentage against lefties is .941!

]]> By: strong silence http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235744 strong silence Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:58:37 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235744 Interesting questions bookbook. Era adjustments are impossible but I will note that Schmidt played when the concentration of talent was higher than it is now. This is mostly due to fewer teams back then. But, an argument could be made that steroids has made the concentration of talent greater now because of the coercive aspect of PEDs. Players, to keep up with the crowd, either had to take them or work harder. These two factors would produce a high quality of competition. Interesting questions bookbook.

Era adjustments are impossible but I will note that Schmidt played when the concentration of talent was higher than it is now. This is mostly due to fewer teams back then. But, an argument could be made that steroids has made the concentration of talent greater now because of the coercive aspect of PEDs. Players, to keep up with the crowd, either had to take them or work harder. These two factors would produce a high quality of competition.

]]> By: strong silence http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235741 strong silence Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:53:54 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235741 Arod is a fine player to win the MVP but don't you think the Yankees would still be one of the 4 best teams without him? Arod is a fine player to win the MVP but don’t you think the Yankees would still be one of the 4 best teams without him?

]]> By: bookbook http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235722 bookbook Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:13:52 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235722 Has anyone figured out how many home runs Schmidt would have hit in this era? Would he have been a SS? A-Rod's season may be better than any of Schmidt's even with adjustments for bats and ballparks, but maybe not. Schmidt was a more dominant power hitter in his time than A-Rod (and a substantially better defender at the hot corner) Has anyone figured out how many home runs Schmidt would have hit in this era? Would he have been a SS?

A-Rod’s season may be better than any of Schmidt’s even with adjustments for bats and ballparks, but maybe not. Schmidt was a more dominant power hitter in his time than A-Rod (and a substantially better defender at the hot corner)

]]> By: Jeff Nye http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235625 Jeff Nye Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:18:43 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235625 I like JJ a lot, but I am not convinced that it's possible for any reliever to be more valuable than the guy who provides so much value on the offensive AND defensive sides of the game. You could make a pretty good case for JJ at number 2, though. I like JJ a lot, but I am not convinced that it’s possible for any reliever to be more valuable than the guy who provides so much value on the offensive AND defensive sides of the game.

You could make a pretty good case for JJ at number 2, though.

]]> By: HamNasty http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235624 HamNasty Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:01:39 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235624 105- Near the top, I never bagged a stripper from Canada. Oh, we are talking baseball?? Then not sure till he finishes career. 105- Near the top, I never bagged a stripper from Canada. Oh, we are talking baseball?? Then not sure till he finishes career.

]]> By: Thom Jimsen http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235623 Thom Jimsen Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:58:04 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235623 So how do you guy see A-Rod ranking in the pantheon of all-time greats? So how do you guy see A-Rod ranking in the pantheon of all-time greats?

]]> By: JJD http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235622 JJD Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:39:14 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235622 <i>I would ask who you would consider to be more valuable on the Mariners than Ichiro, but I’m afraid of the answer.</i> If he's talking about JJ, I suppose that is a case that one *could* make. I would ask who you would consider to be more valuable on the Mariners than Ichiro, but I’m afraid of the answer.

If he’s talking about JJ, I suppose that is a case that one *could* make.

]]> By: kenshabby http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235621 kenshabby Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:35:26 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235621 GM of the year AL - Mark Shapiro, Cleveland GM of the year NL - Josh Byrnes, Arizona GM of the year AL – Mark Shapiro, Cleveland
GM of the year NL – Josh Byrnes, Arizona

]]> By: terry http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/comment-page-3/#comment-235620 terry Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:06:05 +0000 http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/12/award-winners/#comment-235620 Hey.....what about GM of the year? Hey…..what about GM of the year?

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