Most Overrated/Underrated MLB Players

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I wonder what life would be like had Aaron Boone never played in that pick-up basketball game.

 

For one thing the Yankees would have missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1995.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Bruiser: You'd be bitching about Boone instead of A-Rod. Duh.

 

At least I could look back to a time where he did something when it mattered.

 

Cheech: For one thing the Yankees would have missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1995.

 

No they wouldn't have, rather than win games 8-0, they'd have won them 5-0.

 

 

fucked quoting up.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

 

I don't think anyone is this dumb.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

A-Rod also had 37 win shares last year (a metric that factors in a players true contribution, with added emphasis for CLUTCH HITTING). This was second in all of baseball behind Albert Pujols. Aaron Boone had a whopping 9. The Yankees would have missed the playoffs.

 

If the Yankees didn't acquire A-Rod the Red Sox would have. The Yankees would have been looking up in the standings each of the past two seasons and probably would be for the next five seasons or so.

 

I love how Yankees fans bitch about having an MVP on their team like it's some sort of bad thing. Next time you feel like bashing A-Rod provide some support for your argument.

[naiwf 0]

A-Rod also had 37 win shares last year (a metric that factors in a players true contribution, with added emphasis for CLUTCH HITTING). This was second in all of baseball behind Albert Pujols. Aaron Boone had a whopping 9. The Yankees would have missed the playoffs.

 

If the Yankees didn't acquire A-Rod the Red Sox would have. The Yankees would have been looking up in the standings each of the past two seasons and probably would be for the next five seasons or so.

 

I love how Yankees fans bitch about having an MVP on their team like it's some sort of bad thing. Next time you feel like bashing A-Rod provide some support for your argument.

 

In what other sport does having the "best player in the league/game" almost guarantee defeat in a close series in the postseason because he can't handle that situation at all? A-Rod is baseball's version of Marbury in that every team he leaves gets better in the short run. It's almost a lock that the Sawx wouldn't have won their World Series in '04 if A-Rod had been on that squad.

[treble 0]

It's almost a lock that the Sawx wouldn't have won their World Series in '04 if A-Rod had been on that squad.

Wow. I'd like to see the reasoning behind that one.

[naiwf 0]

It's almost a lock that the Sawx wouldn't have won their World Series in '04 if A-Rod had been on that squad.

Wow. I'd like to see the reasoning behind that one.

 

They would have given up Manny to get him. Manny is Ortiz' best friend, and Ortiz has credited Manny for helping him learn how to hit like a pro. I don't think the team chemistry would have been the same with A-Rod there since he seems to be an outsider wherever he goes. More importantly, swapping A-Rod in Manny's spot in the lineup against the Yankees when they're down 3-0 it's more likely they would have just gotten swept than anything else. Boston is the only team in MLB where the pressure would be just as high as playing for the Yankees or Mets. The change of scenery wouldn't have made life any simpler for him and we've seen him spit the bit just about every time he plays against the Mets or Red Sox. What makes you think he'd have fared better as a member of the Sox against the Yanks?

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Sorry, Jack, but the idea that you'd prefer Aaroon Boone over Alex Rodriguez may be one of the stupidest things ever said in this folder.

[Brett Favre 0]

A-Rod may be unclutch, but because of him, there are atleast clutch situations to be in.

[bob_barron 0]

 

I don't think anyone is this dumb.

 

Either you're trolling or are really that stupid.

 

How do you know with A-Rod that they would've been down 3-0 in the first place?

[naiwf 0]

I don't think Boston would have even made the playoffs with A-Rod instead of Manny in 2004, but that's neither here nor there.

 

He routinely comes up small in big situations. He's got Michael Jordan talent but lacks the killer instinct. Yes, he hits 40+ HR every year, but out of 162 games he gets about 135 "meaningless" games per year and fattens up against teams like KC, Minnesota et al where there's no pressure. A-Rod tends to double and triple up his homers in 13-4 type games while he K's at a pitch in the dirt in a 2-1 game in the 8th or 9th inning with men on 2nd and 3rd where a sac fly or ball to the right side ties it, and a single likely wins it.

 

If A-Rod hit .250 with 15 HRs and 70 RBIs this year but won a postseason series over Boston with a sharp single, or won the World Series with an infield hit he'd be a hero for life. If he hits .430 with 74 HRs and 200 RBIs one year, but hits into the A-Rod Special aka an inning/game ending DP to cost the Yanks a postseason series against the Sox or Mets he'd be (remain?) a goat. It's that simple. In NYC and Boston no one cares for your regular season stats. Success is measured against rivals and with rings, and A-Rod is basically a zero in both departments.

[Brett Favre 0]

I wouldn't say zero. Without A-Rod, we wouldn't have made it out the first round.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I don't think Boston would have even made the playoffs with A-Rod instead of Manny in 2004, but that's neither here nor there.

 

Actually, you can refer to Mind Game by the Baseball Prospectus guys for more on this topic. They broke down what would have happened to the two teams had the original trade gone down (and suffice it to say that it didn't turn out well for the Yanks).

 

He routinely comes up small in big situations. He's got Michael Jordan talent but lacks the killer instinct. Yes, he hits 40+ HR every year, but out of 162 games he gets about 135 "meaningless" games per year and fattens up against teams like KC, Minnesota et al where there's no pressure. A-Rod tends to double and triple up his homers in 13-4 type games while he K's at a pitch in the dirt in a 2-1 game in the 8th or 9th inning with men on 2nd and 3rd where a sac fly or ball to the right side ties it, and a single likely wins it.

 

Where exactly is your proof for this? A-Rod had 16 games where he got the hit that gave his team the lead in an eventual win. Super clutch David Ortiz only had 17. Just because A-Rod doesn't have that memorable clutch moment doesn't mean he lacks any meaningful hits. His playoff numbers are on par with what he has done in the regular season. There doesn't seem to be any meaningful data to show that A-Rod beefs up on lesser teams in blowout games other than Yankees fans and stupid media types who say so.

 

If A-Rod hit .250 with 15 HRs and 70 RBIs this year but won a postseason series over Boston with a sharp single, or won the World Series with an infield hit he'd be a hero for life. If he hits .430 with 74 HRs and 200 RBIs one year, but hits into the A-Rod Special aka an inning/game ending DP to cost the Yanks a postseason series against the Sox or Mets he'd be (remain?) a goat. It's that simple. In NYC and Boston no one cares for your regular season stats. Success is measured against rivals and with rings, and A-Rod is basically a zero in both departments.

 

Well that's just stupid and short-sighted, and a main reason why I hate Yankees fans. Forget the fact that you wouldn't have made the playoffs without him, but crucify him because he didn't hit 1.000 in the ALCS. That makes a lot of sense.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Double post

[Guest Felonies!]

Yeah, and he choked, IIRC

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Well all know the perceptions of guys like Abreu and A-Rod not being clutch or simply posting "empty numbers" are just that: perceptions.

[naiwf 0]

Where exactly is your proof for this? A-Rod had 16 games where he got the hit that gave his team the lead in an eventual win. Super clutch David Ortiz only had 17. Just because A-Rod doesn't have that memorable clutch moment doesn't mean he lacks any meaningful hits. His playoff numbers are on par with what he has done in the regular season. There doesn't seem to be any meaningful data to show that A-Rod beefs up on lesser teams in blowout games other than Yankees fans and stupid media types who say so.

 

All wins are NOT created equal in NYC. Once you grasp that Yankees fans would prefer one walk off against Boston over 16 consecutive game winners against Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland, Tampa Bay etc, you'll get the point why Yankees fans fear BOTH Ortiz and A-Rod being up in the clutch, though for drastically different reasons.

[naiwf 0]

Double post.

[The Man in Blak 0]

The problem with Alex Rodriguez isn't a matter of performance, but a matter of perception, in my opinion. A-Rod may have a comparable amount of "clutch hits" as David Ortiz, but even if those aren't on as grand a stage, the issue still comes down to the fact that the expectations are higher.

 

Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid athlete in the history of sports. He's supposed to be the biggest fish in the biggest pond. However, despite routinely putting up MVP numbers every year, "PayRod" is symbolic of failure due to his tenure with the Rangers, who didn't (or couldn't) put a halfway decent team around him. That he was one of the primary figures on a team that gave us the greatest chokejob in the history of baseball is ultimately just icing on the cake.

 

The old saying goes that "excuses are no substitute for performance" and, in the eyes of baseball fans, A-Rod is not only a loser, but a loser who has all of the ability of the winner. The 2004 ALCS numbers are not only ironic, but also hilarious when taken within this context:

 

2004 ALCS

A. Rodriguez - .258/.378/.516, 8 R, 2 HR, 5 RBIs

D. Jeter - .200/.333/.233, 5 R, 0 HR, 5 RBIs

 

Derek Jeter turned in a pathetic performance of the plate in the 2004 ALCS, but he managed to get the same number of RBIs as Alex Rodriguez. To those who are willing to buy his persona as a loser, A-Rod "fattened up" in non-critical situations, while Jeter did "more with less." The sabermetrician wisely says that RBI is an absolute crap stat that tells you virtually nothing about a player, save for opportunity, but 5 RBIs are 5 RBIs and, by gawd, if A-Rod was going to slug .500, he should have done it when the game was on the line.

[The Man in Blak 0]

All wins are NOT created equal in NYC. Once you grasp that Yankees fans would prefer one walk off against Boston over 16 consecutive game winners against Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland, Tampa Bay etc, you'll get the point why Yankees fans fear BOTH Ortiz and A-Rod being up in the clutch, though for drastically different reasons.

 

This, coincidentally, is exactly why so many baseball fans hate the Yankees and their fans in recent years; wins over the other "lesser" teams are to be taken for granted, as though the Royals and Devil Rays are in the league to be cattle for the slaughter.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

When did I say I would rather have Boone than Rodriguez?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The problem with Alex Rodriguez isn't a matter of performance, but a matter of perception, in my opinion. A-Rod may have a comparable amount of "clutch hits" as David Ortiz, but even if those aren't on as grand a stage, the issue still comes down to the fact that the expectations are higher.

 

Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid athlete in the history of sports. He's supposed to be the biggest fish in the biggest pond. However, despite routinely putting up MVP numbers every year, "PayRod" is symbolic of failure due to his tenure with the Rangers, who didn't (or couldn't) put a halfway decent team around him. That he was one of the primary figures on a team that gave us the greatest chokejob in the history of baseball is ultimately just icing on the cake.

 

The Rangers sucked because they put all of their resources into A-Rod. He is grossly overpaid, but that's not his fault. Tom Hicks thought that A-Rod was worth that sort of money and that paying him would bring people to the ballpark and revitalize the local economy where he had heavy investments. How much can you blame him for putting up MVP numbers?

 

The Yankees haven't won a title since 2000. Rodriguez has only been there the past two seasons, and both times they came up short because they have lousy pitching and defense, not because they've spiraled downward by playing him at 3B.

 

The old saying goes that "excuses are no substitute for performance" and, in the eyes of baseball fans, A-Rod is not only a loser, but a loser who has all of the ability of the winner. The 2004 ALCS numbers are not only ironic, but also hilarious when taken within this context:

 

2004 ALCS

A. Rodriguez - .258/.378/.516, 8 R, 2 HR, 5 RBIs

D. Jeter - .200/.333/.233, 5 R, 0 HR, 5 RBIs

 

Derek Jeter turned in a pathetic performance of the plate in the 2004 ALCS, but he managed to get the same number of RBIs as Alex Rodriguez. To those who are willing to buy his persona as a loser, A-Rod "fattened up" in non-critical situations, while Jeter did "more with less." The sabermetrician wisely says that RBI is an absolute crap stat that tells you virtually nothing about a player, save for opportunity, but 5 RBIs are 5 RBIs and, by gawd, if A-Rod was going to slug .500, he should have done it when the game was on the line.

 

Jeter hits directly in front of A-Rod. The fact that he can't get on base directly limits the number of RBI opportunities that he has. That's is why RBIs are a team metric, and are not indicative of individual performance. The Yankees collapse was due to an abysmal performance by the entire team, not a failure on the behalf of A-Rod.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Maybe I need to work on my sarcasm when posting on the internet.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Maybe I need to work on my sarcasm when posting on the internet.

 

Don't worry Man in Blak, I sort of sensed the sarcasm. It's just that Yankees fans make those sort of assumptions every day. My post was more of an addendum, not a rebuttal.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

When did I say I would rather have Boone than Rodriguez?

Your line about Boone getting injured. It was as if you were saying, "Man, if Boone hadn't gotten hurt, we would've never had to deal with that A-Rod schmuck."

 

You followed that up with recalling Boone's lone achievement with the Yankees, while overlooking all A-Rod's done for the team. It's as if it doesn't count, since he's never sent the Yankees to the World Series with a walk-off homer.

 

All wins are NOT created equal in NYC. Once you grasp that Yankees fans would prefer one walk off against Boston over 16 consecutive game winners against Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland, Tampa Bay etc, you'll get the point why Yankees fans fear BOTH Ortiz and A-Rod being up in the clutch, though for drastically different reasons.

That may be the case, but at the end of the day, a win is a win. No matter what NY fans want you to believe, there aren't asterisks next to the victories over the Royals or teams not located in Boston. Wins over teams like Boston have more to do with pride and that's fine. But don't act like wins over inferior teams are inferior themselves. Lord knows we hear bitching when that happens, anyway.

[naiwf 0]

You followed that up with recalling Boone's lone achievement with the Yankees, while overlooking all A-Rod's done for the team. It's as if it doesn't count, since he's never sent the Yankees to the World Series with a walk-off homer.

 

All wins are NOT created equal in NYC. Once you grasp that Yankees fans would prefer one walk off against Boston over 16 consecutive game winners against Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland, Tampa Bay etc, you'll get the point why Yankees fans fear BOTH Ortiz and A-Rod being up in the clutch, though for drastically different reasons.

That may be the case, but at the end of the day, a win is a win. No matter what NY fans want you to believe, there aren't asterisks next to the victories over the Royals or teams not located in Boston. Wins over teams like Boston have more to do with pride and that's fine. But don't act like wins over inferior teams are inferior themselves. Lord knows we hear bitching when that happens, anyway.

 

I agree with you. I'm just saying that I've never heard any fans of a team actively look to dump a 2-time MVP in the midst of his prime before A-Rod. There were idiots last week who were saying they'd rather have swept the Yankees and gotten swept by St. Louis and Philly because bragging rights last longer than wins against non rivals. I'll gladly take 5-4 or 6-3 even if it means losing all 3 to the Yankees than 3-6 where I could rag on Yankees fans for 3 days, but then again I'm more concerned with making the playoffs than winning the season series against Da Bombers for example as well.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

You guys have pretty well refuted the A-Rod argument. Let me just add that A-Rod had several big plays to carry the Yankees over the Twins in the 2004 ALDS. Four times he's hit over .300 in a postseason series, and twice he hit above .400.

 

Last season Ortiz supporters cited that he hit 20 home runs that either tied the game or put his team in the lead. A-Rod hit 19 such home runs.

 

The problem is that MLB hitters fail 66% of the time. The best hitters reduce the odds to 55-60%. Good hitters make outs too. That Alex Rodriguez makes some outs in clutch situations is an indication that hitting a baseball is really hard to do.