ESPN giving Brewers and Wolf major respect

[molitor fan]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/.../saturday-overnight-post

 

Statements such as possible world series matchup get my excitement level revved up. I also was pleased that Wolf is getting his due respect for what has been a fantastic season this year. I remember those that bashed Wolf and his contract last year, and find it interesting that they have been very, very quiet about his performance this year.

[Hammer]

"I told you so" posts are very smelly. It is nice to see some Mke love in the national media though http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Funketown]

This from the same source that debated whether or not Johnny Damon is a Hall of Famer last night...

[molitor fan]

Yes, accountability is terrible....Lots of sheep bleat their opinions and shy away when their views are revisited and scrutinized.

 

 

http://www.baseball-refer...layers/d/damonjo01.shtml

 

And Damon's top 10 career comps are hall of famers if you include Rose.....he falls shy according to baseball reference, but it is certainly worth an argument.

 

[jeffy]

He could have mentioned that in the 10-4 game the Brewers had lost their starter after 1 inning.

 

If we do have a Brewers-Red Sox World Series, it’ll be fascinating to see how left-handed hitter David Ortiz fares against a team with two southpaws in its starting rotation.

 

Hmm, if they do meet in the WS, the Brewers should try to arrange their rotation so Wolf starts in Boston to neutralize the Red Sox DH a bit.

 

I'd think Narveson would go to the pen and not be starting in post-season games.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Wonder what Wolf's ERA is without that San Diego beating he took, man he's been really really good.

[RockCoCougars]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/.../saturday-overnight-post

 

Statements such as possible world series matchup get my excitement level revved up. I also was pleased that Wolf is getting his due respect for what has been a fantastic season this year. I remember those that bashed Wolf and his contract last year, and find it interesting that they have been very, very quiet about his performance this year.

There is nothing to bash this year, though last year at this time when he had a 6-ish ERA I was right there, deservedly so. As I posted at the end of the season, he earned his money the second half, and he has this year as well. I'm glad I was wrong and he didn't end up to be Soup 2- he's had more solid starts that season than Soup had in his four years combined.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Wonder what Wolf's ERA is without that San Diego beating he took, man he's been really really good.

That might not even be his worst start. He gave up 5 ER in 3.1 there, and opening day he gave up 6 ER in 4 IP.

 

In 11 of his 15 starts, he's given up 2 or fewer runs, and only one of those, a 5.1 IP effort, was less than 6 IP.

[Funketown]

http://www.baseball-refer...layers/d/damonjo01.shtml

 

And Damon's top 10 career comps are hall of famers if you include Rose.....he falls shy according to baseball reference, but it is certainly worth an argument.

I don't think Damon should have any shot at the HOF, although you're probably right that he will get consideration. He's accumulated only 45.4 WAR if you like that metric (70 usually needed to be a good bet), and even in the counting numbers used by voters he only has 223 homers, although if he keeps playing a few more years and gets to 3000 hits he'll obviously be a lock. His overall line is only .287/.354/.436/.790. I would absolutely never consider voting for the guy. I think Damon's definitely a guy who would not really even be considered if he played for Kansas City and Houston.

[GAME05]

i'm pretty strict when it comes to HOF consideration and think it takes some kind of defining, impactful moment that goes beyond statistics. the year Ryan, Brett and Yount made it, they all had that. on top of Damon's numbers not cutting it, he definitely doesn't stick out to me as anything more as having been a decent bat in a lineup. maybe having a Reggie Jackson-esque playoff moment could push him through, but he didn't have that, either.

 

i was looking forward to this Boston series because it seems like a team won't get any real media playoff consideration until we beat New York or Boston, and in some respects that's fair. then again i could care less whether espn or another national outlet says about the Brewers, or if we even get talked about. if we make the Playoffs, they'll all be forced to talk about us, regardless.

[molitor fan]

Good arguments regarding Damon, and I agree with the sentiment that he falls short, even if half his comps are hall of famers.....if he had continued in KC, there is little doubt his candidacy would be dimmer.

[trwi7]

Sutton grounded out to Prince Fielder who, yes, is also left-handed.

1. Sutton grounded out to Betancourt.

 

2. Prince isn't left handed. Unless she's just talking about him batting left handed.

[JoeHova]

Yes, accountability is terrible....Lots of sheep bleat their opinions and shy away when their views are revisited and scrutinized.

What's this supposed to mean? What are you even talking about? How are unpaid message board posters supposed to demonstrate "accountability"? And accountability for what? Saying something "molitor fan" doesn't agree with? Who made you the arbiter of acceptable opinions? And I wonder if Wolf pitches the rest of the year like he did in 2003 or 2006 or 2007 or 2008 if you will be so eager to make a thread touting your opinion. Hopefully we won't have to find out, but I wonder.

[DuWayne Steurer]

C'mon Joe, you didn't know it was standard message board/blog post/news article etiquette/protocol to always come back and admit you're wrong when less than a half season worth of data doesn't back up your opinion? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[jeffy]

2. Prince isn't left handed. Unless she's just talking about him batting left handed.

 

Yeah, even though he says: "Nowadays you’re more likely to find a parent trying to teach a kid to be a switch-hitter..."

 

the guy seems to be unaware that the majority (at least I think it is more than half) of left handed batters are not actually left handed. Those who throw left are left handed. While a right handed person can learn to bat left handed, they can not convert themselves to throwing left-handed.

 

While lefties are disproportionately represented in the major leagues". This over-representation is not defined by the number of lefty or switch-hitting batters.

[Baldkin]

the guy seems to be unaware that the majority (at least I think it is more than half) of left handed batters are not actually left handed. Those who throw left are left handed. While a right handed person can learn to bat left handed, they can not convert themselves to throwing left-handed.

No, its not actually that, it's that there is no advantage for a hitter to throw lefty unless he is going to be a 1B. No non-1B infielder has been left handed in MLB for 14 years (Even for an inning).

[TheCrew07]

The theory about RH throwers being successful LH batters is possibly because the dominant and likely strongest arm is in control of the bat being the bottom hand on the bat. In theory it leads to better bat control...

 

As far as I know it's never been proven scientifically, but I still hear it quite frequently, and it is plausible.

 

Also, a LH SS has a huge advantage turning the double play at 2B, so it's not like there are no benefits to being LH on the infield. The plays in the hole between SS and 3B required much different footwork than people are used to seeing, but it can be done.

 

Lefties of the world unite against righty conspiracy against us!

[trwi7]

The theory about RH throwers being successful LH batters is possibly because the dominant and likely strongest arm is in control of the bat being the bottom hand on the bat. In theory it leads to better bat control...

I'm left handed and bat right handed and that's the reason I always give people. I tried switch hitting but never really felt like I had good control of the bat with my right hand being on the bottom of the bat so I just went to right handed hitting full time.

[mothershipconnection]

The theory about RH throwers being successful LH batters is possibly because the dominant and likely strongest arm is in control of the bat being the bottom hand on the bat. In theory it leads to better bat control...

 

As far as I know it's never been proven scientifically, but I still hear it quite frequently, and it is plausible.

 

Seems perfectly plausible - a person with good control over both arms will be able to swing a bat better than someone who only has good control of one arm. I played a lot of basketball as a kid and simply could not, no matter how I tried, develop a non-embarrassing shot with my left arm. I broke my right arm once and couldn't write with my left in a manner that even a 1st grade teacher could decipher. It's no weaker than my right arm, but I have far less control over its movement.

[TheCrew07]

Baseball wise I obviously throw LH based on my comments, but I batted RH. I'm ambidextrous though so I could never speak from experience. While I throw LH, I shoot a basketball RH, I write with my right hand, but eat with left, and so on... I think it just depends on which hand I chose to focus a particular skill. Overall I do more things RH than LH, but my dad insists that's because my mother forced us to pick a hand, and she was right handed and home more since he was coaching 3 sports and we didn't always get to go practice with him, so we mimicked what we saw her do.

 

It's interesting to think that most righties would benefit from batting lefty and vice versa.

[CheezWizHed]

I throw RH, but maybe I should have batted LH. I couldn't have been any worse... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[jeffy]

the guy seems to be unaware that the majority (at least I think it is more than half) of left handed batters are not actually left handed. Those who throw left are left handed. While a right handed person can learn to bat left handed, they can not convert themselves to throwing left-handed.

No, its not actually that, it's that there is no advantage for a hitter to throw lefty unless he is going to be a 1B. No non-1B infielder has been left handed in MLB for 14 years (Even for an inning).

 

But there is a big advantage to for a pitcher to throw left handed. If right-handers could learn to throw well with their left hand as easily as they can learn to bat left-handed lots of them would be doing it. Batting uses both hands, that's why many natural right handers can do it well from the left side.

 

Every right handed tennis player learns the back-hand, which is somewhat similar to batting left-handed, especially if it is a two handed backhand. For some, their back hand is their better shot, they'd probably become "left handed" batters in baseball.

[jeffy]

Also, a LH SS has a huge advantage turning the double play at 2B, so it's not like there are no benefits to being LH on the infield.

 

In what way? I could see that a left handed 2nd baseman would have an easier time throwing to second base (at the cost of making it more difficult to throw to first), I don't see how left-handedness would be helpful for a SS on a DP.

 

There is a reason why no infielders (other than 1b) are left handed. Not one inning in 14 years, according to Baldkin.

[Oxy]

Also, a LH SS has a huge advantage turning the double play at 2B, so it's not like there are no benefits to being LH on the infield.

 

In what way? I could see that a left handed 2nd baseman would have an easier time throwing to second base (at the cost of making it more difficult to throw to first), I don't see how left-handedness would be helpful for a SS on a DP.

 

There is a reason why no infielders (other than 1b) are left handed. Not one inning in 14 years, according to Baldkin.

Because a SS is moving to his left as he is making the turn, both toward 1st base and away from the runner. Still, it's a lot easier for a right handed SS to turn DPs than it is for a left handed SS to make any routine-to-difficult play while ranging to his right.

[RockCoCougars]

If Damon gets 3,000 hits, he's pretty much a lock. I don't really think of him as a Hall of Famer, but the same could be said about guys like Bruce Sutter and Tony Perez. Any non-juicer that gets 3,000 hits has pretty much punched their ticket. Frankly, his numbers are actually pretty comparable to Yount's. People bag on Damon for making only 2 ASG, but Robin only made 3. Don't get me wrong, I would get in a barroom argument for hours if someone tried to convince me that Damon was better than Robin, but still.