All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
It took a .220 batting average for Dusty to sit Patterson down. If Taveras is hitting .250, he'll be providing negative value, but I seriously doubt Dusty would sit him down. As we saw with Patterson, Dusty needs to have no other choice -- he won't make it on his own volition.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
I can't believe the secrecy in terms of what the Reds are paying Taveras. If we were talking about a good player, or even a slightly above average player, I could understand.
Do teams usually tell you what they pay players? I always assumed it came from the players/agents side.
"Reality tells us there are no guarantees. Except that some day Jon Lester will be on that list of 100-game winners." - Peter Gammons
Good point. He's got "vet experience" and "knows how to win" because he was on a World Series Team.
Plus he fills the apparently newly created "CF/Leadoff Position". I don't remember getting the memo that that was a new MLB position, but what do I know.
Besides, I was looking for an excuse to roll out the "fart in his soup" line.
His defense is mediocre, his speed has no positive effect on his value and his hitting is abysmal.
Why on earth do you have no problem with that?
You are kidding yourself if you think there will be any real "competition" for the starting CF spot. Willy's been pimped as the leadoff CF bat. Walt himself has said so. Dusty has a track record of batting the CF leadoff. And Dusty has a track record of going with vet goodness.
Sorry SC, baring injury or divine intervention Willy T will be in CF come opening day.
Fay's reading of the tea leaves... speed, defense, pitching. Maybe Hairston in LF.
Man, we are going to have to get some really good pitching.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...812280439/1071
Reds think speed's the ticket
Signing Taveras signals new direction
By John Fay jfay@enquirer.com December 28, 2008
The signing of Willy Taveras might be a precursor to a new, different type of Reds team.
General manager Walt Jocketty said as much when he said the club is still interested in bringing back Jerry Hairston Jr.
"He could end up being the left fielder if we can't get that RBI man, which might be hard to do at this point," Jocketty said. "We may have a different type of team, where we rely on speed and defense and try to manufacture runs. We've still got some guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark - (Joey) Votto, (Jay) Bruce and (Edwin) Encarnacion. But we're going to be a little bit different kind of team."
How different? Consider the Reds had Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn as starting outfielders for the past seven seasons. Griffey and Dunn have 889 home runs between them. Taveras and Hairston have 46.
The Reds targeted Taveras as soon as the Colorado Rockies, his last club, didn't offer him a 2009 contract. The Reds were the first team to call, and quickly made an offer.
"He fills a couple of needs," Jocketty said. "He gives us very good defense in center field, and he's potentially a very good leadoff man."
Potentially is the key word in that sentence.
Taveras is coming off a year in which he hit .251 and had a .308 on-base percentage.
"He needs to get back to the way he was swinging the bat and getting on base a couple of years ago," Jocketty said. "Jamie Quirk, who's with us now, was with Willy in Colorado and feels like Willy can get back to that."
Taveras hit .320 and had a .367 on-base in 2007. His career on-base percentage is .331. He has virtually no power. His career slugging percentage is .337. He has 80 extra-base hits in 1,973 career at-bats.
Taveras is one of the fastest runners in baseball. He led the majors with 68 steals last season and was caught only seven times in 75 attempts.
Taveras is still young. He turned 27 on Dec. 25. He sees this as an opportunity to get his career back on track.
"It's a young team," he said. "I think I fit in well. I'll come in and play hard. I'm happy to play for Dusty (Baker). It's an opportunity to play every day, no matter what happened the day before."
Taveras mentioned Baker several times in a conference call with reporters.
"I've heard from plenty of guys that he lets you do what you do well," Taveras said. "I'm looking forward to playing for him."
Taveras broke into the majors with the Houston Astros.
"A couple of teams were interested," he said. "The best situation was with the Reds. I really like playing in the Central Division. I feel lucky to play for Dusty."
The Reds have an offer out to Hairston. They are still in the running to sign Rocco Baldelli, another free-agent outfielder. Jocketty said the Reds still are looking into Baldelli's medical reports but expect to have further discussions.
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
Of course Willy feels lucky to play for Dusty. He went from #5 outfielder for the other interested teams to a leadoff hitter for 2 years.
It's been mentioned that Tavaras will add depth to the OF and I have no problem with him as the #4 OF----in L'ville. :
Rem
You mean poorly as opposed to downright awful? If he goes back to 2008, 2006 and/or 2005 form he'll improve all the way up to bad."He needs to get back to the way he was swinging the bat and getting on base a couple of years ago," Jocketty said.
For those who argue Willy T won't be penciled in as starting CF. Here's another bullet in the "500 PA's for Willy T" gun.It's an opportunity to play every day, no matter what happened the day before."
While Willy T's comment might be true for him, or Corey Patterson, it doesn't apply (apparently) to Chris Dickerson.
Cleaned that up a bit."I've heard from plenty of guys that he lets you do what you do well," Taveras said. "I'm looking forward to figuring out what the hell I do well."
Those quotes by Jocketty are disgusting
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