MLB Offseason 2013-2014

Don't pitchers only get considered on their pitching? So why can't a DH be judged solely on his hitting?

 

I don't get the '1st ballot' portion of the argument. They either ARE or AREN'T HoF players. If they get in on the 15th ballot, to what extent do they really belong at all? Are there rankings in the Hall for 1st ballot guys vs 7th ballot guys? Of course not. It's BBWAA nonsense and politics.

If he belongs in, vote for him. If not, don't. Don't decide to vote for him, but not on the first ballot. Or cave to inertia and vote in guys that don't belong on their 12th try...

 

This isn't Biggio's first time on the ballot, is it? I know very little about the HOF process, but I'm curious as to how many times (if any) Biggio has been on the ballot before now.

Also: For a player who has been with many teams, who determines what team they will go in the HOF as? For instance, Mike Piazza has played with the Dodgers, Mets, Padres and A's. If he gets in, under which team will it be?

 

Well, pitchers have been around since the game started some 150+ years ago, while the DH has only been in place since the late 60's and only in the American league.

I think it was a move by the players union to extend the careers of some players because the physical toll of fielding is typically the first thing to go. I respect anyone who can hit a baseball well, god knows it was hard enough for me in Little League and High School, but personally I think if you're going to play the game at the highest levels you should have to play both the field and hit the ball. I grew up on the National League, so I'm biased towards no DH anyway.

 

I'm still of the opinion that both leagues will have a DH eventually. I'm an American League guy myself (thanks, Red Sox) so the DH is a perfectly natural position to me.

 

More than likely with the Dodgers or Mets.

 

I tend to picture Piazza as a Met first, too.

 

As do I, but I'm a Mets fan.

The post 9/11 homer is iconic and I think it cements the deal for him going in as a Met.

 

Dan Le Batard is going to get crucified by the BBWAA for giving his vote to deadspin. The ballot Deadspin turned in wasn't that bad either. They actually seemed to take it seriously.

 

I agree. I think he was clean. I think he should be in. I think he really doesn't hold up to other "first rounders". I think he got in now because others didn't vote for the eledged roids users (Clemens and Bonds)

It's funny over @ MLB.com, the "Crime Dog Fans" are going through the roof that The Big Hurt made it in over McGriff.

I looked at at McGriff's numbers and he doesn't really hold a candle to Thomas.

 

I think the attitude is that if you vote a DH in, you are leaving some other worthy "full-time" player.

Someone has to make the case for the DH to be considered seperate just like the pitchers are.

If Edgar doesn't make it, Big Papi has no chance.

 

Ok, back that up with something. Looking at stats, seems like Ortiz has Edgar beat in a bunch of places. (plus could crack the 500 HR club if he plays 2 more years). Edgar was in MVP voting 5 times, but only got 3rd, 6th, and a 12, 14, 16th.

Ortiz had MVP votes 6 times, 5 years in a row (2nd, 3, 4, 4, 5).

About a wash in silver slugger and all star. Ortiz has the narrative (clutch, feared hitter, 2004 sox, 3 rings), and WS MVP.

I really don't see the 'Ortiz has no chance' argument...

 

yeah, they seem to be experts at the messy breakup. rarely decide to just stay friends

Although I think we're back on all of those mentioned except Manny. Manny's the girlfriend you love, but cheated on you. You're not gonna let it go, but there's still a lot of good times from before. Mixed emotions there.

 

BA/OPS/SLG/HR

Edgar = 312/418/515/309
Papi = 287/381/549/431

There is a HUGE difference between a 312 career hitter and a career 287 hitter.

Papi's numbers are closer to Crime Dog's. Is he in?

Fielding? Edgar was a 3rd baseman as well as a 1st baseman.
Papi at best was a decent 1st baseman.

I'm not saying either shouldn't make it.

I'm saying, both will be considered DH's and Edgar was a better hitter and fielder.

Ortiz also had some roid stuff too.

Ortiz was a 235 hitter and on his way out of baseball when Boston picked him up. Good choice by them, but question marks abound concerning the marked improvement.

So I'll stand by my statement that if Edgar doesn't get in, Papi doesn't either. Regardless of the Sox publicity machine.

Not all the HOF voters live in Boston.

 

Worse than that. Ortiz would need 172 extra hits to be a .312 hitter. Over 18 years. So just under 10 hits a year. If you want to stagger them a little based on years he had more ABs than others, sure, but it's seriously like 10 hits a season. Like one ball a month that gets through instead of picked by the second baseman. Either way, a career .287 hitter is GOOD.

Know things that are HUGE? Difference between 309 HRs and 431 HRs (plus whatever he gets before he's done). 7 or 8 HRs a year, every year, is a big number. Especially if you aren't much of a fielder, that's a big upgrade with the bat. Instead of 24 HRs a year, you're consistently doing 35, that's going to win you a few games along the line. (24 and 35 are their 162-game averages).

And where you said OPS, you mean OBP, because slugging is part of OPS. Ortiz and Edgar are about a wash there (933 vs 930)

For fun, post-season stats:
BA/OBP/SLG/HR

Ortiz: .295/.409/.553/17 (82 games)
Edgar: .266/.365/.508/8 (34 games)

Gets into sample size problems, but similar post-season power, ortiz maintained a higher batting average and OBP over that span. Hrs are a wash based on percentage of games played, assuming Edgar continued at that rate in more chances. And Ortiz batted something like .688 AVG on the way to World Series MVP this year. Not too shabby.

You REALLY can't talk fielding, Edgar was a DH. Legally, he played a little in the field for the first few years of his career. In an 18-game career, he played other than DH in 5 seasons for any real stretch, and all at the beginning. After that, DH all the way. In fact, he played at 3B or 1B after 1994 just slightly LESS than Ortiz shows up in the field today. Ortiz didn't really ever have the couple seasons where he played 100+ games in the field, however. Looking, I don't remember him playing 30-40 games a year at 1B in 2003 and 2004, but numbers say he did. Either way, Ortiz has never been a disaster in the field, he's just in a league where he doesn't HAVE to play there. Since he's not a gold glover, AL teams can set it up to have a good 1B AND a good DH, no reason to penalize Ortiz for it. If the DH wasn't a thing, he'd go out there and play, and be just as middling as most other slugging 1B are. How excited are you about Prince Fielder's range?