TWiB #6: May 8 - May 14

[Brett Favre 0]

Jeter puts up great numbers every year.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Yeah I heard that on Around the Horn. The reason he is overrated is because of that sort of analysis. Is Jeter a really good player? Yes. Good teammate? Check. Hard working? Absolutely.

 

Is the best player in the league, worth $17 million per year and able place an entire team on his back and bring success in the most important moments due to leadership and intangibles? Not a chance in hell.

[MrRant 0]

Listening to KJR today, they brought up a good point that most people don't care about/don't want Bonds breaking the record is that he is just a jerk and not so much about the steroids.

[treble 0]

Halladay and Weaver are mowing through the hitters tonight. Game's already half over, no hits for either team and I'm pretty sure Weaver's faced the minimum so far. The only baserunner the Jays have gotten is a Catalonotto walk in the 1st.

[naiwf 0]

Yeah I heard that on Around the Horn. The reason he is overrated is because of that sort of analysis. Is Jeter a really good player? Yes. Good teammate? Check. Hard working? Absolutely.

 

Is the best player in the league, worth $17 million per year and able place an entire team on his back and bring success in the most important moments due to leadership and intangibles? Not a chance in hell.

 

It's funny because Jeter IS overrated and the reason is that he excels at the things that don't show up in the stat sheet, while A-Rod is also overrated because he lacks the things that make Jeter stand out above the guys who have better numbers, but aren't regarded as being on his level.

 

At the end of the day, Jeter got $189 million over 10 years as a guy who puts up .314/.386/.461 with 120 runs per year. He's not worth that kind of money, and that's why you can make the argument that he is the single most overrated player in the league. If he was getting paid half that amount, which is still a gaudy $9.5 million per he'd be one of the most underrated players, but those are the breaks when you have a monstrous contract and don't put up legendary numbers.

[Guest Montresor]

Did anyone hear about this Sports Illustrated article about the ten most overrated and the ten most underrated players, as voted on by current major leaguers. Derek Jeter, Carlos Beltran and A-Rod were the top 3 on overrated.

 

Thoughts?

 

Michael Kay's been bitching about it for over a week. He should just ask Derek out, already.

[Guest Princess Leena]

This was a topic on Around the Horn last week. Not for the list as a whole, but because of Jeter's inclusion. Naturally, the entire panel was outraged. Derek Jeter overrated? NO! He jumped in the stands! Leadership! Intangibles! October Magic!

 

It's not just ATH... it's all of ESPN, and hell, all television media.

 

You'll hear the word "clutch" , "leader" and "October" at least twice whenever he's mentioned. Makes me sick. He's a below average fielder (which nobody seems to realize, for whatever reason), and not even amongst the Top 2 hitting SS's in his league.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Your "out of leftfield" news item of the day: Jose Contreras is heading to the DL.

[Guest Felonies!]

Big deal. That just means Brandon McCarthy moves from setup to rotation in the meantime.

[Bored 0]

Here's the complete underrated/overrated lists.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/play...5/02/poll.0502/

 

The overrated list is interesting because it is primarily players with huge contracts and/or injury problems. So my take is that most players are jealous pricks who view any player with injury problems as being pussies.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Players are entitled to feel that way about high-priced players who aren't performing, though...

 

By that logic, Rob Johnson should be beloved by everyone because he got "injured" every game.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I hate how most managers won't use their closer until it's officially a save situation. The Rockies are up 6-1 over the Cards in the ninth and Ray King was bombing. But Hurdle let's him give up a run, and load the bases with two walks and a hit before he goes to get his closer. King obviously had nothing, so why wait until it's possible for the Cards to tie it with one swing before you go get who's supposed to be your best reliever? Because he doesn't qualify for some meaningless number?

[Guest Princess Leena]

I hate that, also...

 

The save is a stat that needs to be eliminated.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I wonder if Jerry Hairston can do anything right. With a RISP, there's no need to be swinging for the fences, especially since it's Petco Park and he's JERRY HAIRSTON. But hey, whatever.

[jwest27 0]

Jason Marquis is one streaky guy. Never know if you're getting 8 shutout innings, or if he'll lose the game in the first few innings.

[Guest]

Maddux, meet earth. Two terrible outings in a row.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Our leadoff hitter now sports an OBP of .287. I thought we traded Corey Patterson.

 

The real annoying thing is the rest of the division isn't playing all that great. The Reds and Cards are hot, but there are signs they'll be beatable this season, which makes this anyone's division. Except the Pirates.

[Guest Felonies!]

Chris Speier wants to manage. I hope he gets the opportunity.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Cubs also brought up another infielder in Ryan Theriot and sent down Michael Restovich. Awesome. Another utility guy who can't hit at all. Restovich got a whopping 12 at-bats in his time up and not one start. It's a shame the Cubs won't accept Jones is a platoon player, since it would've been logical for Restovich to at least start the games they faced lefty pitching.

[Bored 0]

Ryan Theriot's numbers at Iowa this season: .282/.328/.309.

 

He's 25 too so certainly no prospect. Has five career homeruns in nearly 1700 at bats but does have 104 stolen bases. SMARTBALL~!

[Bruiser Chong 0]

It's ironic the Cubs are trying to follow the White Sox blueprint and yet, are overlooking so many key aspects of it.

[Vern Gagne 0]

If only the Cubs had 25 Scott Podsednik's.

 

How did a Bob Brenly managed team win a World Series?

 

Here's another gem from John Kruk. The pitcher with the most wins is the one who leads the league in ERA. I thought the best pitcher was the one with the most wins, and the one who should win the Cy Young.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'm going to start a new topic for the over/underrated players shortly, as I have more to say on the subject. The stupid thing about the SI poll complaints is that Jeter got 9%. It is not like there is this massive group of people who thought he was overrated. It's a very small plurality.

[Guest NYankees]

How did a Bob Brenly managed team win a World Series?

 

 

Lets see Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Andy Pettite sucking like a bitch in game six and Mariano Rivera giving up a couple of bloop hits and broken bat hits in the bottom of the ninth in game seven.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Mariano Rivera also threw out number one into center field, gave up a double down the line to Tony Womack, and hit a batter. It was Schilling and Johnson though, because Brenly did his best to actively piss away that series in games four and five.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

The sad thing is a lot of Cubs fans are stupidly crying for Brenly to take Baker's spot.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Here's another gem from John Kruk. The pitcher with the most wins is the one who leads the league in ERA. I thought the best pitcher was the one with the most wins, and the one who should win the Cy Young.

 

I was literally gasping for air during that segment. Kruk going on about how good pitchers find a way to win and that ERA and other stats are meaningless. You would think that since Kruk, you know, played baseball he would realize that an offense has to score runs for a pitcher to win. Damn Roger Clemens for his 1.87 ERA last year, he needed to be pitching to win.

[Guest Felonies!]

Dusty, Matthews, and Clines all need to go, but that's a lot of housecleaning to do at once. I don't want Brenly in the dugout. If he manages like he commentates, ever at-bat will be a bunt or hit-and-run.

 

I was saying earlier in the year that I was tolerating Dusty because he hadn't really done anything, but it's obvious that he's up to his same old tricks, and we're not going anywhere with him.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Here's another gem from John Kruk. The pitcher with the most wins is the one who leads the league in ERA. I thought the best pitcher was the one with the most wins, and the one who should win the Cy Young.

 

I was literally gasping for air during that segment. Kruk going on about how good pitchers find a way to win and that ERA and other stats are meaningless. You would think that since Kruk, you know, played baseball he would realize that an offense has to score runs for a pitcher to win. Damn Roger Clemens for his 1.87 ERA last year, he needed to be pitching to win.

 

But, pitchers also need to be clutch. A team leader. A positive locker room influence.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Delmon Young has been suspended 50 games for the bat toss.