Midafternoon Royals Links in Honor of our Defense

by Freneau on Jun 18, 2009 3:35 PM EDT

Feel free to share your own links or suggestions if you´ve got them. Many of the Royals blogs seem to be really slowing down in their posting.

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Not to be to harsh on them

but that Hardball Times article seems very pedestrian. did they consult with Moore and Hillman on what stats to use? (ERA and AVG). just about anyone can find two prospects who may or may not be breaking through and look at their stats from the past few years.

by benfunke on Jun 18, 2009 4:01 PM EDT reply actions

To be fair

the author also used K/9, BB/9, HR/9, and ISO, and platoon splits. If you had cited ISO on this site as little as a year ago, it would have been met with a few “What is that #@%^?” responses.

by Gopherballs on Jun 18, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions

that's true

maybe i just think the bar should be higher for them because the usually are on top of things. for Jackson it really seems like you need a park-adjusted and defense-neutral stat to compare his time in Tampa vs Detroit

by benfunke on Jun 18, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

It doesn’t mean much, because one of those utility players is the team’s early favorite for player of the year, and while Willie Bloomquist is having a very nice season — well worth that contract so many fans blasted — he is on pace for 33 RBIs.

….and then I stopped reading Mellinger.

"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"

by NHZ on Jun 18, 2009 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

followed shortly by

… and then I stopped being a Royals fan

Player of the Year? What the hell?

by Freneau on Jun 18, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Has Mellinger not noticed

Greinke or Meche?

"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"

by NHZ on Jun 18, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

what I think he noticed

was the way he was roundly mocked throughout the blogosphere (well, at least at this blog) for his defense of the Blomquist signing because “the Royals have to overpay for replacement level players.” Maybe if he’s right about this one, we’ll forget the rest of his awesome analyses from the offseason. I wonder when he’ll defend the Guillen deal again? I’m guessing never…

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by Matt Klaassen on Jun 18, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I was positive on the Guillen contract

but I knew it was reach. :/

Is Rowdy Hardy doing well lately? I’ve noticed you’re name-dropping him a lot.

"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"

by NHZ on Jun 18, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

the difference is

that Mellinger was still defending this offseason on “Moore just wanted to to win, can you blame him?” grounds…

No idea on Rowdy. Had heard anything for a while, and i thought he needed the pub.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

by Matt Klaassen on Jun 18, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

So overpay for Willie Blooquist

THAT will help!

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/H/Rowdy-Hardy.shtml

He’s doomed.

"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"

by NHZ on Jun 18, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Funny thing about your sig NHZ

is that Soria on TV on the hill doesn’t look as tall as ZacKKKKKKKK but he’s 6’3" 204 on the roster while Greinke is 6’2" and 190.

Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.

by BillyMojo on Jun 18, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions

by Freneau on Jun 18, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

awesome Will. just awesome.

Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.

by BillyMojo on Jun 18, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

don't credit me

someone on Lookout Landing made it

by Freneau on Jun 18, 2009 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I just want to say

Smellinger. just for the fun of it.

Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.

by BillyMojo on Jun 18, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

there was just too much grit on his shoes

come on willie, you of all people know you need to brush off the grit between innings or you’ll trip yourself like that everytime

by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jun 18, 2009 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

He's probably considering the contenders in the context of the Royals'

award-giving system. Which I’m pretty sure has separate categories for Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. Isn’t that the award that Zack almost didn’t show up to accept one year because he was embarrassed to take it due to lack of competition?

"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae

"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie

by Sweep_the_Leg on Jun 18, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions

But still

I can easily name position players who’ve been better than Bloomquist…

"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"

by NHZ on Jun 18, 2009 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, sure...

if you want to use that fancy-pants statistics stuff. But I haven’t seen a stat yet that can truly capture heart and grit.

In fact, they’ll probably just create a new award for this season to honor Willie. The First Annual Diamond Dust Award (is there anything on Earth that’s grittier?). There will be no trophy. Just a lunchpail (not too fancy) that will be passed down to future Diamond Dust winners, plus a pack of Marlboro reds and a fifth of Wild Turkey.

"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae

"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie

by Sweep_the_Leg on Jun 18, 2009 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Wrong

It will be called The Gload, Ross Immeasurables Trophy in honor of Ross Gload’s MVP season in Florida this year. Or, the GRIT award for short.

by AxDxMx on Jun 18, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Bloomquist and Small Sample Size Fun

Even with that brief hot streak earlier this year, Bloomquist’s overall line is down to 289/348/387, 735 OPS (160 PA).

Since May 1, he is hitting 275/316/376, 692 OPS (117 PA). His line actually peaked on May 3, the game in which he tripled the day after hitting his home run. On May 3, he was hitting 372/462/558, 1.020 OPS (54 PA).

Since May 3, he is hitting 253/292/313, 606 OPS (106 PA).

And he has still been awful against RHP: 240/275/320 595 OPS (82 PA).

For his career, he is hitting 266/325/330, 655 OPS (1549 PA).

This is not to say that Bloomquist is useless. He makes a fine 25th man. He can play a bunch of positions — he is below average at most of them but not a complete disaster. He probably saved his career two years ago when he stopped swinging at everything and learned to take a walk. He can at least get on base against LHP either through a walk or slapping the ball into the shallow outfield. He can pitch run too. But he just is not any sort of significant asset.

by Gopherballs on Jun 18, 2009 6:54 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs