MR

Watching it right now....

Pretty new to this whole Baseball thing & My Husband is to blame!! LOL

Anybody watching?

OK:

WHY is the Pitcher SO MUCH CLOSER than he should be?

TRAGChick wrote:OK:

WHY is the Pitcher SO MUCH CLOSER than he should be?

So They can HIT HOME RUNS!!

Since 78 wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:OK:

WHY is the Pitcher SO MUCH CLOSER than he should be?

So They can HIT HOME RUNS!!

DUDE....I don't FREAKIN' KNOW.....LOL

Watching Josh Hamilton right now....so great that he came back from drug addiction.
12 HOME RUNS.

GOOD FOR HIM!!

TRAGChick wrote:

Since 78 wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:OK:

WHY is the Pitcher SO MUCH CLOSER than he should be?

So They can HIT HOME RUNS!!

DUDE....I don't FREAKIN' KNOW.....LOL

Watching Josh Hamilton right now....so great that he came back from drug addiction.
12 HOME RUNS.

GOOD FOR HIM!!

This guy is Assume 16

Way to go Cincinnati for getting rid of Hamilton.

I knew this guy was gonna be a big talent.

Since 78 wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:

Since 78 wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:OK:

WHY is the Pitcher SO MUCH CLOSER than he should be?

So They can HIT HOME RUNS!!

DUDE....I don't FREAKIN' KNOW.....LOL

Watching Josh Hamilton right now....so great that he came back from drug addiction.
12 HOME RUNS.

GOOD FOR HIM!!

This guy is Assume 16

18 HRs right now. :shock:

23 HOME RUNS FOR JOSH!

TRAGChick wrote:23 HOME RUNS FOR JOSH!

28!!

TRAGChick wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:23 HOME RUNS FOR JOSH!

28!!

Cool!! Great Guy!!!

Since 78 wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:

TRAGChick wrote:23 HOME RUNS FOR JOSH!

28!!

Cool!! Great Guy!!!

Josh just set a NEW RECORD!

When it's all said and done this year Josh Hamilton will hit .270.

Saint John wrote:When it's all said and done this year Josh Hamilton will hit .270.

He'd have to hit under .240 the rest of the way for that to happen.
I think he'll dip down to about .285-.290...and the rest of his future '08 stats are within reach if you project his numbers out: 36 total hrs, 12 sbs, 103 runs, 163 rbis seem a bit high though.

Best outfielder in baseball.

Proggie...Volquez has been awesome for the Reds!...Wait a few years to see who actually won this deal.

Uno_up wrote:Best outfielder in baseball.

This dope gets his nose out of the bag, has one good half of a season and your ready to annoint him the best outfielder in baseball?!?!?! You don't know a fucking base hit from a bong hit.

Saint John wrote:

Uno_up wrote:Best outfielder in baseball.

This dope gets his nose out of the bag, has one good half of a season and your ready to annoint him the best outfielder in baseball?!?!?! You don't know a fucking base hit from a bong hit.

A former #1 draft pick, now in his prime years, kicked ass last year in limited at bats in Cincy.
Name a better outfielder.

Saint John wrote:

Uno_up wrote:Best outfielder in baseball.

This dope gets his nose out of the bag, has one good half of a season and your ready to annoint him the best outfielder in baseball?!?!?! You don't know a fucking base hit from a bong hit.

what...he's no Fukudome?

Uno_up wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Uno_up wrote:Best outfielder in baseball.

This dope gets his nose out of the bag, has one good half of a season and your ready to annoint him the best outfielder in baseball?!?!?! You don't know a fucking base hit from a bong hit.

A former #1 draft pick, now in his prime years, kicked ass last year in limited at bats in Cincy.
Name a better outfielder.

Ichiro. Better glove, better arm, better range, better average and proven. Grady Sizemore. A truly awesome all-around player.

Maui Tom wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Uno_up wrote:Best outfielder in baseball.

This dope gets his nose out of the bag, has one good half of a season and your ready to annoint him the best outfielder in baseball?!?!?! You don't know a fucking base hit from a bong hit.

what...he's no Fukudome?

Fukusuck?...Varitek (Pierzinski should be there), Marmol (No Cole Hamels?) & Fukusuck (.279 + 7 hrs)......the three biggest jokes to make the A/S team.

Saint John wrote:

Uno_up wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Uno_up wrote:Best outfielder in baseball.

This dope gets his nose out of the bag, has one good half of a season and your ready to annoint him the best outfielder in baseball?!?!?! You don't know a fucking base hit from a bong hit.

A former #1 draft pick, now in his prime years, kicked ass last year in limited at bats in Cincy.
Name a better outfielder.

Ichiro. Better glove, better arm, better range, better average and proven. Grady Sizemore. A truly awesome all-around player.

Ichiro...past his prime...range?, he was booted out of CF this year...Hamilton=better average right now... .735 OPS compared to Hamilton's .918.
Grady's very good (still has a problem vs. lefties), but his numbers still are dwarfed by Josh's.
Give me Hamilton everytime....bong, crackpipe, needles and all.

Angiekay wrote:

YES!!!!! Justin Morneau is KING!!!

I watched the first round... i was so exhausted sitting on my couch watching Josh hit 28 homers...
I cant believe he go t no carry over points!! Justin winning is very cool. Go Twins the rest of the year.

Rick

That contest is completely worthless. The same things happens every year. Someone goes on an absolute tear in Round 1, then has to sit around for an hour..and the final round sucks. Watching the Hamilton binge was pretty sweet but the rest of the contest..eh, not so much. The media has anointed him feel good story number one this year. And since they say it, it MUST be true

Uno_up wrote:Ichiro...past his prime...range?

He's still better than Hamilton. Yeah, he lost so much speed and range that he has 34 stolen bases at the all-star break. He must be really slow.

Uno_up wrote: he was booted out of CF this year

No, he wasn't. He was moved back to right field because it's the hardest outfield spot to play and requires the strongest throwing arm!!! Center field is the easiest!!! The only tough balls are the ones hit directly over your head and that happens a handful of times a year...at best!!!

Uno_up wrote:Hamilton=better average right now

I love the way you threw the word "now" in there. Sounds like you're conceding defeat as far as the final totals are concerned. Baseball players are measured on a "5 tool" basis. Ichiro 4, Hamilton 1....arm-Ichiro...range in the outfield-Ichiro...hitting for average-Ichiro...hitting for power-Hamilton...stolen bases-Ichiro. Thanks for playing.

You're holding the nuts of a 27 year old major leaguer with 204 career hits. Ichiro gets 200+ hits a year. Pitchers will make adjustments and this guy will be back to Adam Dunn status...a one-trick pony. Just wait.

Uno_up wrote:Ichiro...past his prime...range?

Saint John wrote:He's still better than Hamilton. Yeah, he lost so much speed and range that he has 34 stolen bases at the all-star break. He must be really slow.

I never said he was slow, I'm implying that at almost 35 years of age, he's no longer in his prime baseball years (27-29)...He's a slap-hitting singles hitter with 7 HRs on the year. Valuable?...yes...but not as valuable as Hamilton has been this year. What evidence do you possess that Hamilton's ready to slow down?

Uno_up wrote: he was booted out of CF this year

Saint John wrote:No, he wasn't. He was moved back to right field because it's the hardest outfield spot to play and requires the strongest throwing arm!!! Center field is the easiest!!! The only tough balls are the ones hit directly over your head and that happens a handful of times a year...at best!!!

OK....I know you CAN'T be serious here. Centerfield is the hardest to play, BY FAR....more ground to cover (deepest spot in the field is center), more speed required, better depth perception needed. Why are the best outfield athletes (irregardless of offensive numbers) always centerfielders in their prime?... Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, Jim Edmonds, Beltran, Rowand, etc. There are never tough balls hit in front or to the side of you? They show great catches all the time like this on the "WebGems" segment of BBT. I have to question if you've ever watched a baseball game now.

Uno_up wrote:Hamilton=better average right now

Saint John wrote:I love the way you threw the word "now" in there. Sounds like you're conceding defeat as far as the final totals are concerned. Baseball players are measured on a "5 tool" basis. Ichiro 4, Hamilton 1....arm-Ichiro...range in the outfield-Ichiro...hitting for average-Ichiro...hitting for power-Hamilton...stolen bases-Ichiro. Thanks for playing.
You're holding the nuts of a 27 year old major leaguer with 204 career hits. Ichiro gets 200+ hits a year. Pitchers will make adjustments and this guy will be back to Adam Dunn status...a one-trick pony. Just wait.

I know Ichiro will have a higher average at the end of the year...that's one small category of many baseball stats.
Let me correct you on your "5-tool" comment. These "5-tools" are different in the eyes of many....It's quite obvious you chose whatever 5 tools suited your argument's purpose. You choose to discount OPS, OBP, SLG, extra base hits, RBIs, etc. I could have mentioned Hamilton is an adequate outfielder with a monster bat. The best outfield bat in baseball right now.
It comes down to apples and oranges here. You're hyping a speedy, high average player, while I'm hyping a powerful HR/RBI guy. Give any MLB team the chance to take the 34-year old vs. the 27-year old Hamilton, and I'd easily say the GREAT majority (if not all) would take Hamilton based on projected years of service left and how much more valuable a double/HR is to a single. Easily not rocket science, yet something you fail to comprehend.
Hamilton was never "Adam Dunn-like" either...Dunn is has a low average yearly. I'd love to see how you came to this rational conclusion. Pitchers couldn't contain Hamilton last year, what makes you believe that this year will be any different?
This is a thread I will resurrect at the end of September and watch you try to spin your way out of your comments. You can have the last word for now.
Later!

Uno_up wrote:OK....I know you CAN'T be serious here. Centerfield is the hardest to play, BY FAR....more ground to cover (deepest spot in the field is center), more speed required, better depth perception needed. Why are the best outfield athletes (irregardless of offensive numbers) always centerfielders in their prime?... Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, Jim Edmonds, Beltran, Rowand, etc. There are never tough balls hit in front or to the side of you? They show great catches all the time like this on the "WebGems" segment of BBT. I have to question if you've ever watched a baseball game now.

You're confusing speed with difficulty. Obviously, the fastest and most athletic outfielders are in center field, but the ball is so easy to read since you're standing in line with the pitcher. That doesn't mean it's the most difficult position, though. The reason the majority of web gems occur by center fielders is because they get the most action. Try playing right field with the ball hit off the bat of a right handed hitter and tell me how easy a ball that is slicing away from you is to catch. And only 2 of the guys you mentioned are exceptional outfielders...Jones and Hunter. Edmonds always had a penchant for making plays spectacular by loafing til the last minute and has been called out on that before. He does possess a very accurate and strong arm, though. Rowand...lol. A tough as nails motherfuker but he has average range and an average arm. He takes poor routes to the ball a lot too. Beltran...slightly above average as an outfielder and now that he can't juice up anymore he really is just plain old average!!!

Uno_up wrote: Let me correct you on your "5-tool" comment. These "5-tools" are different in the eyes of many....It's quite obvious you chose whatever 5 tools suited your argument's purpose.

There are only 5 tools pro scouts use and they've been the same for probably 100 years. I've played high school baseball, college baseball, coached in high school and done college clinics. If you don't know the 5 tools of baseball then you don't know shit. *I* did not make these up. Ask any scout what they are and you'll get the same answer over and over and over. Fuck, I know 4 or 5 scouts. Just for shits and giggles here they are:


1. RUNNING SPEED. Speed is the most "innate" (genetically predisposed) of the 5 Tools. It is possible to enhance a ballplayer's speed, but substantial gains are dependent upon the athlete himself. Players with speed are counted on to make things happen and are catalysts both offensively and defensively in the game of baseball. Scouts look at speed, and know that if a player has it he is well on the way to becoming a 5 Tool player. iPB instructors work to improve running speed by improving form, efficiency of movement and first-step quickness.
2. ARM STRENGTH. Arm strength is often rated as the "least important" of the 5 Tools, but arm strength can be a lethal weapon in any defensive position. Along with arm strength, muscle endurance is an often overlooked area for baseball players. Pitchers realize the importance of muscle endurance - being able to throw hundreds of pitches weekly - but what about the shortstop who needs to make plays day in and day out, or the outfielder looking to gun down a baserunner at the plate? Arm strength AND endurance are two critical areas emphasized by iPB instructors.
3. HITTING FOR AVERAGE. Lets face it, to score runs you need baserunners. Good hitters hit for average first and power second. Hitting for average requires the ability to hit to all fields and assess defensive situations - knowing when to hit to the right side, when to bunt, or being able to make contact when the hit and run is on. Hitting for average requires good decision-making ability and good pitch selection at the plate, foundational skills that are highly emphasized by iPB instructors.
4. HITTING FOR POWER. The most obvious benefit of this Tool is that extra base hits increase a team's chances of scoring. Power hitters also add an intimidation factor. Barry Bonds drew a record 198 walks in 2002, taking his on-base percentage to over 500. Power hitters have recently emerged because athletes recognize the importance of strength and conditioning programs, and the fact that power hitters generally demand the best contracts. Home runs and doubles off the wall are a fan, and scout, favorite. iPB instructors work to refine the athlete's swing and maximize his physical abilities to hit the long ball.
5. FIELDING. Scouts will often say a player has "good hands." In reality, good hands - or good fielding position - is the result of a number of factors working together that make difficult plays look simple. Middle infielders, catchers, and outfielders must have the defensive skills required to take away base hits, know how to "read" a hitter, and know how to react and position themselves for the best chance for success. iPB's fielding instructors start with the basics and work to develop a functional approach to fielding fundamentals at all positions.

Tools of Importance by position as recognized by professional scouts.

I'm a very casual baseball fan and I always thought the "Five Tools" stayed the same, all across the board..

ProgRocker53 wrote:I'm a very casual baseball fan and I always thought the "Five Tools" stayed the same, all across the board..

You are 100% correct. They've been the same forever.

Last night was just incredible....Great moment for everyone it seems.


Funny thing I noticed....

There was ONE person I noticed that was NOT smiling, laughing, or cheering on Josh .... Reggie Jackson.


Interesting.

Prog- I think Josh also can pitch. I guess with Griffey and Dunn they didn't want to take a chance with the drug issues. I am glad that he has himself straightened out. Anyway the Reds are far behiind the Bengals for doing strange,stupid drafts and other deals. We are long suffering fans in this city.