We Eye-Em Goode: Part Two
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Our weekly conversation--where some of We Rite Goode's crack bloggers talk shop--continued. Meet Mark Atliera
Crucifictorious: So moving onto baseball, news that Rangers 1B Mark Texiera is heading to Atlanta. MrJ, are the Braves relevant again?
MrJayTibbs: Considering that they are in the National League, and a very close NL East, yes. I think Teixeira is a bit overrated, and his home numbers at Texas were significantly better, but he's a massive upgrade at first for them.
MrJayTibbs: I can't figure out what Atlanta's strategy is, however
MrJayTibbs: They always seem like they are trying to cut salary, but then they make a move like this-I guess they figure that if they can make the playoffs, anything is possible
MrJayTibbs: But it's a good move and they may not be done
Crucifictorious: They could have a pretty dangerous heart of the order.
Jimmy Chitwood: But how long were the Braves not relevant for? one year?
Jimmy Chitwood: Texiera's a good player but he's been a little magnified since the trade deadline has been so inactive for the last few years; to have someone of his caliber traded is a bigger deal than it used to be.
MrJayTibbs: I agree that the Braves were not ever really irrelevant
MrJayTibbs: Except in Atlanta, where no one goes to their games.
Jimmy Chitwood: They still have Bobby Cox as manager, so I wouldn't worry about them storming to the world series
Crucifictorious: MrJay, you're an Orioles fan--does this spell doom for Texiera coming home to Baltimore, since he's already headed back to a city where he's been a star (at Georgia Tech)?
MrJayTibbs: Well he is not a free agent until after next year; also, I definitely think that Andruw Jones will not be back. So if Teixeira is productive for Atlanta, I see no reason why he would leave. It could be a perfect situation for him.
MrJayTibbs: I guess Atlanta has already given up on Scott Thorman though.
Jimmy Chitwood: Just saw Andruw is hitting .216, so looks like a wise move
Crucifictorious: Yeah, they could use another bat
MrJayTibbs: On paper they match up with any other NL team I think. Maybe not as good but certainly competitive
Not all Hall-of-Famers are created equal
Crucifictorious: Sticking with baseball, but heading North. They're both Hall-of-Famers--by an overwhelming majority--but who was better: Ripken or Gwynn?
Jimmy Chitwood: Gwynn, easily. Best pure hitter of the 80's; he won batting titles in almost half of his seasons. Ripken was way overglorified for the streak...he was below average for the last 5 years of his career.
MrJayTibbs: Gwynn. Ripken from a pure offensive standpoint was solid but not special at all. Gwynn was a phenomenal hitter, plus he was also a great fielder and baserunner. Not to mention, he recorded ridiculous strikeout totals--less than 20 in some years.
Crucifictorious: I have to disagree with both of you: Ripken's my guy. At his peak, he was a much more valuable player than Gwynn.
MrJayTibbs: Because of his position?
Crucifictorious: Exactly. In the mid-80s, I believe he had the top VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) total in the majors for four or five years, as he did again in 1991.
MrJayTibbs: But VORP is position relative, which is good and bad
Crucifictorious: Exactly right, again; it was that much harder to find a great offensive shortstop than to find a right fielder who gave you the same offense as Gwynn. Did you know Jay Buhner had a comparable--if slightly better--OPS than Gwynn?
Jimmy Chitwood: That must be why Frank Costanza loved him so.
MrJayTibbs: In that, yes, Ripken was way better than most shortshops...but he still wasn't all that great overall
Crucifictorious: Ok, but Ripken also was a phenomenal defensive shortstop.
Crucifictorious: Well...phenomenal might be too strong a word. But very very good. Gold glove worthy and he set some defensive records while he was at it.
MrJayTibbs: Still, who would you have rather had in your lineup, Gwynn or Ripken?
MrJayTibbs: I think that logically, if a team replacd Ripken with a run of the mill shortshop, they'd get lousy numbers instead of getting Ripken's .270 BA, 25 HRs, 95 RBI, but nowhere near the dropoff of a .370 average. You just can't replace a hitter of Gwynn's caliber as easily, regardless of position.
We're under no delusions that our banter is entertaining, informative, or even accurate. But hey, the C-team's on PTI this week, so who knows what your quiet desperation will drive you to do? Part three of our scintillating conversation to be posted later.
Labels: Cal Ripken, Mark Texiera, Tony Gwynn, We eye-em goode
posted by Crucifictorious @ 15:30,
