JoePo Interview

Joe Po interview at MLBinterviews.com...

8 months ago royalsreview Comment 29 comments 0 recs |

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Joe Posnanski: Best Uncle/Older Brother/Sunday School Teacher ever?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 12:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree on strike zone changes

Disagree on replay, although I see his point.

I’m also quite surprised he’s a Gathright fan.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Oct 9, 2008 3:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Who is he not a fan of?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jay Mariotti, Woody Paige and Tyler Thigpen

We always did feel the same, We just saw it from a different point of view, Tangled up in blue.
-Bob Dylan

by Royal Kingdom on Oct 9, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm kind of a Joey Gathright fan too

But before anyone throws anything at me, let me explain what I mean by that. I think speedy small-ball bullshit is fun to watch. From a purely aesthetic/excitement standpoint, I love bunt singles and triples. I love watching a fast CFer cover an acre to get to a flyball.

Of course, what I love more than that is my team winning. And while Slappy Joe is exciting, his brand of baseball makes it harder for the Royals to win. Hitters like Dunn aren’t exciting to me. A bunch of walks and strikeouts mixed in with many fewer HR’s are kind of boring. But that shit wins. So, trade Joey to some other team so I can watch him bunt and run for another team on MLBEI, and get some real run producers on the Royals so I can watch them win.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 9, 2008 5:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I actually agree with this

Maybe a good offseason debate topic would be the rule changes Bill James suggests in the NHA (maybe he does elsewhere, I don’t know), designed to force more contact hitting and basestealing.

Anyway, I think it’s OK to be a fan of a player, even if they suck. As long as “cheering for” and “claiming they are good” are kept at a safe distance. And the truth is that if Gathright was the stud defender that guys like Endy Chavez are, he could be a real asset (cf. Tony Pena, Jr.) if he could OPS even 700 with a 340 OBP or so…

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gathright: a luxury we can't afford

on a better offensive roster gathright could be a nice late-inning sub and specialist (designated late inning bunter anyone?)

but you can’t give him the amount of PT the royals have without better players around him carrying the load of actually hitting

by royalsreview on Oct 9, 2008 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, I agree

I was saying he’d be worth having around if he was a stud defender a la Chavez and could OBP somewhere around league average.

He can’t do either…

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

An almost certainly pointless hypothetical

What if the Royals signed someone like Dunn or Burrell, to give the Royals an OF of Guillen, DeJesus, Dunn/Burrell. Would it then make sense to have a cheap, speedy, defensive sub/pinch runner like Gathright?

Back to reality now. Gathright is a tradable commodity. No you won’t get a great prospect back in return, but his speed on the basepaths, ability to put a bunt down and defense would certainly be desired by at least a handful of GM’s. I’m somewhat confident that the Royals could get an undervalued reliever or pitching prospect for him. While I think Moore understands this, I kind of doubt he wants to do this, especially while Gathright is still cheap.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 9, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How about...

…trading Joey for a solid lefty reliever, someone like a J.P. Howell?

by cookierojas73 on Oct 9, 2008 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

(insert line about how no GM in baseball would be dumb enough to give away J. P. Howell for Joey Freaking Gathright...)

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 9, 2008 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hindsight.

Looked great at the time from ALL the analysists… I wasn’t a member here but I’m sure there was a following of greatness from that trade for a few months.

Don't forget to send your broken maples to the US Forest Service.

by 306008 on Oct 9, 2008 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

somehow I feel like Gathright has convinced the royals to move DDJ from CF

and or trade him

I’m not sure why

by royalsreview on Oct 10, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even after he hardly played the second half of the season?

I might have agreed with you after last season

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 10, 2008 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, Hillman didn't treat Gathright like he was in love with him in the second half

That speed-and-defense love went to Mitch Maier.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 10, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Maier plays his cards right

He has a chance to become a “gritty” guy who plays the game the right way and keeps finding employment in baseball despite a lack of any power or ability to draw walks.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Oct 10, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Again

If he’s geuinely a stud defender, he could be useful. I don’t know how much evidence there is either way, at this point.

Including both offense and defense, Justin Inaz’s total player value stats have Gabe Gross was more valuble than any Royals position player other than Aviles or DeJesus this year.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 10, 2008 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't doubt he can be useful

And I was kinda talking tongue-in-cheek, but I think Maier fits the profile well of a guy that gets overrated because he “plays the game the right way.”

-White? Check.
-Bunts well? Check.
-Hits lots of singles and not much power? Check.
-Doesn’t draw walks? Check.
-Good defense? Check.
-Runs fast for a white guy? Check.
-Used to be a catcher, so therefore he is “cerebral”? Check.
-Attended school in Ohio, the grittiest state in the union? Check.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Oct 10, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm... is Ohio really grittiest?

of all the white ethnicities, I see Italians as being the grittiest, so NY/NJ would rank high…

Also, what about the south?

Mitch does get big grit points for the other stuff you mention. Plus, his generic looks (seriously, could anyone pick him or Pat Burrell out of a lineup) are seriously gritty.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 10, 2008 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have to say that the Rust Belt is the grittiest

Especially Ohio and Pennsylvania (non-Philadelphia). Pittsburgh has so much grit they eat sand for breakfast.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 10, 2008 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I haven't figured Maier's EqGRIT

But I do think it would be really high, particularly for a rookie. Typically you have to be well into your 30’s to have significant GRIT. Maier might end up being really grit-special.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Oct 10, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

27 year old rookies is super gritty

Looking like a wax dummy also helps

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 10, 2008 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Potential Best Gameday Picture of 2008

Right up there with RamRod, Happy Gload, and Perennial Contender Alex Gordon

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Oct 10, 2008 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, you could start Maier in CF every game.

Then everytime he hits a single with no one in front of him, pinch run Gathright for him for the steal attempt, with Callaspo in the leadoff spot ready to single him home. Grit central!!!

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Oct 10, 2008 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs