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Thread: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

  1. #76
    Posting in Dynarama M2's Avatar
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    I like it anytime a journeyman has a flourish, even it only turns out to be a short flourish. Baseball, for a player, is all about believing you can succeed in the faces of constant failure. So it's nice to see Hairston enjoying a mini-reward for his faith in the face of crushing disappointment.

    Though if you really want to appreciate a Hairston, check out his dad. The guy has one of the most fascinating backs of a baseball card ever. He spent 14 seasons as a backup OF with one club. You are NEVER going to see anything like that again. Even in Hairston Sr.'s day that was an anomaly. Ed Kranepool was similar, but he spent a few seasons as the Mets' primary 1B. Hairston never got more than 274 PAs in a single season.
    Last edited by M2; 07-02-2008 at 02:15 PM.
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  3. #77
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Quote Originally Posted by M2 View Post
    So it's nice to see Hairston enjoying a mini-reward for his faith in the face of crushing disappointment.
    I don't think that any player who's lucky enough to draw a major league paycheck, even for a short period of time, can be called a crushing disappointment.
    "The players make the manager, it's never the other way." - Sparky Anderson

  4. #78
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Quote Originally Posted by NJReds View Post
    I don't think that any player who's lucky enough to draw a major league paycheck, even for a short period of time, can be called a crushing disappointment.
    I'm not saying he personally is a crushing disappointment, just that the game itself can be crushingly disappointing. I'm sure a slew of injuries, bouncing back down to the minors on an annual basis and working as a journeyman weren't in his career plan. I think guys who persevere through that deserve to catch a break every now and then.
    Last edited by M2; 07-02-2008 at 02:51 PM.
    I'm not a system player. I am a system.

  5. #79
    Rally Onion! Chip R's Avatar
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    The problem with Hariston that I see is that the Reds have too many of his type of player. Freel, Hopper and Keppinger are of the same mold and Freel is signed through next year, IIRC. Plus there is the returning Alex Gonzalez - be it this year or next year. If you bring him back next year, are you getting the Hariston of the past month or the Hariston that he's been his whole career? Time and again we have seen this type of player burst on the scene and adopted as a fan favorite only to see him come down to his career norms.
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Quote Originally Posted by M2 View Post
    I'm not saying he personally is a crushing disappointment, just that the game itself can be crushingly disappointing. I'm sure a slew of injuries, bouncing back down to the minors on an annual basis and working as a journeyman weren't in his career plan. I think guys who persevere through that deserve to catch a break every now and then.
    Got it. I misread your post.
    "The players make the manager, it's never the other way." - Sparky Anderson

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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Chip R View Post
    The problem with Hariston that I see is that the Reds have too many of his type of player. Freel, Hopper and Keppinger are of the same mold and Freel is signed through next year, IIRC. Plus there is the returning Alex Gonzalez - be it this year or next year. If you bring him back next year, are you getting the Hariston of the past month or the Hariston that he's been his whole career? Time and again we have seen this type of player burst on the scene and adopted as a fan favorite only to see him come down to his career norms.
    Maybe he will burst on the scene and go down to career norms. Or maybe he will continue to be one of the best players on the team for another year. I certainly wouldn't give him ARod money, probably not even Freel money --but another year at a decent wage? Absolutely. In a heartbeat.

    There is no logjam at the top of this order. Only Hairston and Kepp are tablesetters. Freel is frequently hurt and both he and Gonzo seem to have serious injuries (Gonzo now out for this year).

    What I would do is keep Hairston and Kepp and add a lefty leadoff centerfielder who can hit (not CP, certainly), and let the three of them be tablesetters for this team using platoons, etc.

    You can't count on Gonzo or Freel. The Reds obviously will try to move one or both of them. Maybe find a taker for Freel (doubtful for Gonzo post-surgery).

    This thread, and others, seems to be about people predicting Hairston's failure. They may be right, but I'm willing to chance it for another year or so. At worst, he'll be a reasonably well paid back up.

  8. #82
    nothing more than a fan Always Red's Avatar
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Hairston has had some well-documented back issues for the last few years.

    Sometimes the back of your baseball card looks like it does for reasons other than your talent? The guy finally feels good after a long time- it's been mentioned in many papers.

    If I'm the GM, I either sell high to an interested buyer (just imagine how a super-sub like JH could help a team like Boston or the Angels) or try to keep him and sign him as cheaply as I can for 2009 only.
    sorry we're boring

  9. #83
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    I like what he has done this year for the Reds; but I'm not getting too overly excited.

    Hairston's numbers the last 2 years....

    2006 ..... 101 games .206 BA .269 OB% .252 SLG% .521 OPS
    2007 .... 73 games .189 BA .249 OB% .289 SLG% .538 OPS
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)

  10. #84
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Again.... Hairston's contributions to the team this year has been welcomed. But when I hear the Red's TV announcers yesterday slobbering all over this guy... and yes, he had a very solid game yesterday....and proclaiming they have finally found a legitimate leadoff hitter for this team in Jerry Hairston then I just shake my head in bewilderment.

    The numbers he is currently putting up for us he has never even came close to putting up in his entire playing career. It's an anomaly. Don't be fooled.

    It was an "experiment" that then Cub's manager Baker tried back in 2005 with Patterson and Hairston, and with very little success.....

    http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=chc

    Here are Hairston's numbers for the last three years when batting leadoff (280 ABs)....

    .250 BA .324 OB% .363 SLG% .687 OPS

    But lets learn what the Rangers and Cubs discovered about this guy. Not repeat the same mistake.

    The guy made 1.8 mil in '05, and then 2.3 mil in '06.

    And what concerns me is that with his "surge" this year, being signed for only '08, and he's the type of player Dusty loves (especially the speed).... that Dusty will somehow influence this FO to give this guy a Ryan Freel type of contract.

    He's the type of versatile player that I'd love to have on my bench; but only at a very modest salary.
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)

  11. #85
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    Re: Jerry Hairston Jr appreciation thread

    Quote Originally Posted by GAC View Post
    Again.... Hairston's contributions to the team this year has been welcomed. But when I hear the Red's TV announcers yesterday slobbering all over this guy... and yes, he had a very solid game yesterday....and proclaiming they have finally found a legitimate leadoff hitter for this team in Jerry Hairston then I just shake my head in bewilderment.

    The numbers he is currently putting up for us he has never even came close to putting up in his entire playing career. It's an anomaly. Don't be fooled.

    It was an "experiment" that then Cub's manager Baker tried back in 2005 with Patterson and Hairston, and with very little success.....

    http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=chc

    Here are Hairston's numbers for the last three years when batting leadoff (280 ABs)....

    .250 BA .324 OB% .363 SLG% .687 OPS

    But lets learn what the Rangers and Cubs discovered about this guy. Not repeat the same mistake.

    The guy made 1.8 mil in '05, and then 2.3 mil in '06.

    And what concerns me is that with his "surge" this year, being signed for only '08, and he's the type of player Dusty loves (especially the speed).... that Dusty will somehow influence this FO to give this guy a Ryan Freel type of contract.

    He's the type of versatile player that I'd love to have on my bench; but only at a very modest salary.


    Yes. Sell high here, hope an MLB GM is as snowed by these 170-odd PA as so many who follow and cover this team seem to be.

    It has gotten so ridiculous around these parts that a local talking head referred to Hairston as "one of the young guys to build around." He is 3.5 years older than Adam Dunn.

    Jocketty has made a career of finding players of this ilk under rocks (including a couple of former Reds like Ron Gant, Eric Davis and Thomas Howard); there is no need to overpay for 2 hot months in 2008.

    I appreciate--greatly--all that Hairston has done since his callup, but there is no reason to overcompensate him and thus make him part of the problem. Ryan Freel is exhibit A.


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