The bar is low
Mike Snow · February 19, 2009 at 4:46 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Now that Griffey is officially on board, the Mariners have filled what used to be called the “left-handed sock.” From a previous experiment:
G: 92
PA: 343
HR (total): 11
HR vs. LHP: 2
G anywhere in the OF: 2
G in CF: 0
Financial outlay after incentives, buyouts, etc.: $4 million
Team wins: 78
Season attendance: 2,481,165
We don’t know the breakdown of Griffey’s incentives yet, but it would be curious to use these numbers as an over/under.
If Griffey is healthy you can almost guarantee he’ll get 1 game in CF if we’re under .500, simply because they’ll start him in CF on “Ken Griffey Jr Day”
G in CF, I’ll take the over, if he can walk he’ll start in CF in the last home game for the M’s.
And not having seen the contract, I hope he isn’t getting too much of a bonus for hitting 11 home runs.
I will take the over. How much can I bet?
And not having seen the contract, I hope he isn’t getting too much of a bonus for hitting 11 home runs.
Performance-based incentives aren’t allowed.
Yeah, and I’d bet he gets more than 2 games in the OF overall, too. But I’d take the under on the dollars and the attendance (because I have a lot of faith in Zduriencik and little faith in the local economy, respectively).
I’m also betting that Clement ends the season with a higher OPS and more total bases.
All-time milestones are going to be achieved on a regular basis this year with Griffey, and it will be fun to watch. If I may, here are a few statistical categories and where he ranks in each one.
Now, who knows how it will all turn out, but the point is, almost every at-bat could possibly mark a milestone in Griffey’s HOF career as he is passing a ton of legendary players. And, we can embrace the fact that he is doing it clean!
Currently, Griffey is ranked (and how many spots he *could* move up)…
40th in Runs (15 spots)
58th in Hits (17 spots)
15th in Total Bases (3-4 spots)
45th in Doubles (15 spots)
18th in RBIs (7 spots)
47th in Walks (10-11 spots)
10th in Extra-base Hits (4 spots)
Oh Bigotosaurus Wrecks, how I miss you
We could do it as a predication contest a la what DailyKos did with the election results. Closest wins some Griffey memorabilia. And if you don’t have some spare Griffey memorabilia, you weren’t really here in the 90’s. I certainly would have something to contribute, though you’d never get my “The Streak” T-shirt from the 1993 home run streak except out of my cold, dead hands.
I’m also betting that Clement ends the season with a higher OPS
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How much can we bet? Can we link this to some off shore betting site?
I am wearing my Griffey jersey as we speak. I declared today Ken Griffey Jr. day at my office. My younger employees don’t know who he is….
How much can we bet? Can we link this to some off shore betting site?
No, you just get to strut around on Teh Intrawebs, in full Dogbert Wag Mode.
I admit it’s a daring bet, considering the odds Griffey hits an HR in his first AB, trips on his way back into the dugout, and sits out the rest of the season with an untouchable OPS.
Carl Everett was so amazingly bad.
Thank you for the reminder!
Watching Carl was painful.
At the end didn’t Carl Everett stop swich hitting and face all pitchers from the left side?
Most trips to the DL in the decade?
He had no sock, so he needed to maximise his left-handedness.
2005: .301 and 35 HR
2006: .252 and 27 HR
2007: .277 and 30 HR
He even hit 18 bombs hurt last year.
Forget all the “intangibles.” If they use him as Dave suggests this really was a good baseball decision.
You missed the joke.
I like Breadbaker’s idea for a Griffey final stats prediction contest. We might well drive ourselves crazy every time Griffey comes to bat during September (I went nuts checking election returns when I thought I had a shot at Kos’ MacBook – before the closest U.S. House races were settled.), but so what? I think the Griffey contest would be blast.
Maybe we could have an open-source prize too: have USSM readers donate a piece or two of memorabilia they can bear to part with (maybe mailing it to DMZ or a mod – and getting the mailing address via request over email for privacy’s sake and so they get flooded only with stuff they want). All for the greater glory of USS Mariner, of course. I’d be happy to donate something.
You’d have to think hard about what stats to judge and how much to penalize contestants per unit off, but it’s doable. Maybe G, PA, AB, H, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, AVG, OBP, SLG, would do it – perhaps with fangraphs’ style value stats as tie-breakers. The theme, I think, should be only stats Griffey controls (so not runs or RBI). But doing it more fantasy style might work too.
The Griffey prediction contest should include exclusively sabermetric related stats that the average fan hasn’t heard of. Just to annoy people.
[too far]
I’m actually thinking of having two contests:
One: predict his ABs, batting average, HR, RBI, and SB
Two: predict his PA, OBP, SLG, games (innings?) played in the outfield, defensive rating (UZR, say)
I’ll take the over on HR.
Contests? Fun!
But…shouldn’t the categories be rate stats and counting stats?
Auburn- why insist in relying on avg? You know by now that around here it’s akin to claiming the earth is flat.
WRT Griffey, pretty much any OPS above .800 and I’ll be satisfied. Anything over 20 HR and I’d be pleasantly surprised as well.
On a sidenote, I found out today that I share birthdays with Dave Niehaus, which I think is pretty cool. Dave turned 74 today!
I’ll take the over on HR’s, Safeco was built with him in mind. Ditto with games in OF/CF. I’ll also take the over on Griffey Bobblehead nights.
I’m guessing two of those.
I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that his OBP% will be higher than expected too.
Of course, the real question is if Griffey believes in dinosaurs.
Does Griffey believe in Carl Everett? I know I don’t.
I miss the Vidro era.
Yes, the derisive jokes were easier then.
But we still have Silva. And he could still re-inflate.