The Cubs' TV announcers are horrible. Not only did they make up a bunch of stuff about Votto in an effort to get Chicago to hate him, they were talking about how the radar gun in Louisville is undoubtedly juiced despite the fact that every gun in the stadium backed it up.
I still prefer to call him Uncle.
Domo Arigato, Here Comes Joey Votto
---TRF
"I do what I want to do and say what I want to say."
--Bronson Arroyo
I've said it before and I'll say it again -- Stubbs is OK out there. But he's nowhere near elite. He shies away from diving and from the wall, and he's occasionally shaky fielding balls on the ground. Most recently, I thought he let a couple bloops fall in front of him in the Cubs series that some others may have caught. Generally speaking, his style is graceful -- and conservative.
Nice speed, solid arm, and he'll look good chasing down some balls in the gap. But I think he lacks the pure instincts and fearlessness that the great ones have.
"This isn’t stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
Depends on what you consider to be tools.I think he's got all of the tools but I'm not surprised that UZR and Dewans don't rate him as a leader yet.
Speed, arm, he generally takes good routes... I think it's a safe bet he'll grade out as a significantly plus centerfielder. He may never have a season like Gutierrez had last year but if he is something like a +10ish center fielder, he'd be among the best fielders in the game.
"This isn’t stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
I would much rather have a CF with a "wall" problem like Stubbs than see a player do what Cain did last night. Great catch but man o man that guy is playing with fire. I would much rather see my CF allow a double than see him crash into the wall and end up on the DL.
Out of curiosity, what is it you see that would lead you to conclude he should be around average in these ratings as opposed to above average?
I watch a lot of baseball, and with all due respect to the methodology and results of these metrics, I see a guy that has few peers when it comes to the ease of tracking down and catching the baseball out in center. Gutierrez is a freak of nature, so I won't even worry about whether Stubbs' UZR compares to him. But being down 10-12 runs with what you even conclude he could be is a pretty big chunk. So what is it that one, with the eye test, could justify causing the absence of those 10 runs?
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
I agree with this, and I love Stubbs' defense. But he does not play the OF aggressively enough. That may come with time. But he's certainly got the tools. And other than that one fault, he IS elite in all other areas IMO. But that IS one big area that's holding him back.
And to be clear, it isn't the "wall problem" I'm referring to. But rather diving in general....in any directions. He seems to shy away from contact...wall, ground or teammate. It's not a bad thing, just something I think he'll get better at...knowing WHEN to "go for it".
Last edited by _Sir_Charles_; 08-31-2010 at 02:35 PM.
I may have asked this before but what does the impact of having excellent fielders on either side of you have on your UZR or other fielding metrics.
Does the fact that any ball hit in the RCF gap is caught by either Stubbs or Bruce diminish each of their respective zone ratings? In other words is there any way to account for balls Stubbs could have reached but were more easily fielded by Bruce or vice versa?
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