Is Pablo Sandoval the Giants Albert Pujols?
by bradleybear on Jun 18, 2009 12:28 AM PDT
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In 1999, Pujols was a late round (13th) draft choice. He was not heavily pursued. His minor league career was not long, but his numbers were not spectacular. He came up when he was 21. He has not stopped hitting since. Pablo Sandoval was undrafted, but at 16, the giants signed him as an undrafted signee. He was young, so it is hard to say that his numbers reflected little power, (they reflected little power) but as time elapsed he improved and in 2008, when he started the year at 21 years old, he started hitting and never stopped. He also plays first, and third, as Pujols has done. Pablo who also catches, had the advantage of being ambidextrous, and is a switch hitter. Both make great and consistent contact at the plate. Albert so far seems more amenable to taking a walk, but Pablo still has his learning curve and appears willing to take in some wisdom, albeit slowly.
Albert is built like and adonis, while Pablo is built, well, can you say like a slightly bigger Bengie Molina? Unlike Bengie however, Pablo can run a bit. Both Pablo and Albert are very hard workers. Both show us that it isn't always the first round draft pick prospect that turns out to be the superstud. Pablo has not stopped hitting since last year. He raked in Winterball down in Venezuela. He also won their homerun derby. He continued to tear it up in Spring training with the highest average for any player with 80 AB's or more. And, after a slow start he is turning it up, and is among the league leaders in batting. Pujols is the face of the Cards and has been for quite some time. Even though the giants place much emphasis on pitching, it could just be that Pablo will become the face of the giants, with no disrespect meant to "the Freak" or to Matt Cain. They should be a great tandem for years to come, and if healthy, the giants should do everything they can to keep them through their formidable pitching years. If they can sign Zito for Bill Gates Dollars, certainly they should have enough to keep this duo along with Bumgarner, Alderson, Posey, Villalona and Neal. Giants also seem to have some additional serious pitching talent in single and double A.
Pujols was a rare find, and many teams passed on him, including our beloved giants. Finally it seems, we have found our luck, crafting this diamond in the rough (BLOB) into the next unlikely hall of famer. Pablo has already become a fan favorite. Is it too early to say: Pablo we love you?
In 1999, Pujols was a late round (13th) draft choice. He was not heavily pursued. His minor league career was not long, but his numbers were not spectacular. He came up when he was 21. He has not stopped hitting ever since. Pablo Sandoval was undrafted, but at 16 the giants signed him as an undrafted signee. He was young, so it is hard to say that his numbers reflected little power, but as time went on he improved and in 2008 when he started the year at 21 years old, he started hitting and never stopped. He also plays first, and third, as Pujols has done, Pablo also has the advantage of being ambidextrous, and is a switch hitter. Both make great and consistent contact at the plate. Albert so far seems more amenable to taking a walk, but Pablo still has his learning curve and appears willing to take in some wisdom, albeit slowly.
Albert is built like an Adonis, while Pablo is built, well, can you say like a slightly bigger Bengie Molina? Unlike Bengie, however, Pablo can run a bit. Both Pablo and Albert are very hard workers. Both show us that it isn't always that first round draft pick prospect that turns out to be the stud. Pablo has not stopped hitting since last year. He raked in Winterball down in Venezuela. He also won their homerun derby. He continued to tear it up in Spring training with the highest batting average for any player with 80 AB's or more. And after a slow start, he is turning it up, and is among the league leaders in batting. Pujols is the face of the Cards, and has been for quite some time now. Even though the giants have much emphasis on pitching, it could just be that Pablo will be the face of the giants, with no disrespect meant to the "Freak" or to Cain, they should be a great tandem for years to come, and if healthy the giants should do everything to keep them through their formidable pitching years. If they can sign Zito for Bill Gates dollars, certainly they should have enough to keep this tandem, along with Bumgarner, Alderson, Posey, Neal, and Villalona. Giants seem to have quite a few other good pitchers in single and double A.
Pujols was a rare find, and many teams passed on him including our beloved giants. It seems like now, we have found our luck, crafting this diamond (blob) in the rough, into the next, unlikely hall of famer. Pablo has already become a fan favorite. Is it too early to say "Pablo we Love You".
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I like this
Church of Pablo Sandoval of latter day fat.
by Giant Voodoo on Jun 18, 2009 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions
but he’s shaped more like L. Ron Hubbard.
Choppin' broccoli
by SimpleJaquez on Jun 18, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions
HAHAHA
Oakland Raiders Fan
Golden State Warriors Fan
San Francisco Giants Fan
San Jose Sharks Fan
MMA Fan
USC Trojan Fan
by i love sports101 on Jun 19, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, no draft involved there.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
Next Pujols as in perennial MVP candidate and one of the best hitters ever. I dunno, seems doubtful, although I think Pablo can do very well and with a better line-up around him (and batting in a better RBI environment) we might see him as a MVP candidate based on his performance this year.
Next Albert Pujols as in the face of the Giants’ offense, their should be 3 or 4 hitter, and 6th-tool clubhouse leader. Hell yeah.
co-dad of IshikaBOOM w/AfDC.
Ishikawa, let the boy hit against lefties.
I always thought
that “he’ll develop power” was one of those dumb scout throwaway lines that didn’t really mean anything. And maybe it is, but I’ll be durned if Pablo hasn’t started SOCKING SOME DINGERZZZZ.
If his elbow is better, I’d really rather see him at C, maybe with one start a week at 1B or 3B to save him. If/(more likely) when Posey gets to town, he can find a regular position. He’d be a runaway all-star at C if he gets his hits there instead of at a corner.
And, re Pujols: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV, but my considered opinion is that Pablo has not used any chemical enhancements, except maybe flan, to chisel his body into shape.
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
There's 3 ways to do something: the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power/ Ginats Way...
Pablo’s power was something I was concerned about too this season. At the start of the year he was just slapping singles, but he’s been driving the ball better lately.
This graph makes me happy:
You got some ’splainin to do.
El Presidente Larry Baer's epitaph
"Nothing important ever happened without me."
It’s an ISO graph from Fangraphs. It’s how much power Pablo has been hitting for since the start of 2009.
ISO
What’s the red lines… the means?
"[Greg] Vaughn is in a funk so deep, George Clinton wearing a miner's helmet couldn't find him."
- Jim Baker, ESPN.com, May 2002
Never mind
Well I see now it says “season average,” so probably yes, but they look a little high.
"[Greg] Vaughn is in a funk so deep, George Clinton wearing a miner's helmet couldn't find him."
- Jim Baker, ESPN.com, May 2002
he should absolutly be a primary catcher.
sigh stupid giants infield
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Pablo is like Pujols
In that they are both the best hitters on their teams. I don’t see 30-40 home run power in him though. Maybe 25 in a GREAT year.
Oh, you thought we were committing to a youth movement? What Sabean actually said was it's a "Ute" movement.
Naturally, my love for Pablo is second to none, but I must correct you on one important point:
Albert Pujols played one year in the minors after being drafted out of JC (so for reference, about the same background and development point as our own Juan Carlos Perez). In the extreme pitchers environment of the Midwest League he hit .324/.389/.565 with 17 HRs. Counting quick promotions at the end of the year to the Carolina Lg and the PCL (AAA!), his final totals in his first pro year were .314/.378/.543, 19 dingerz. All at the age of 20.
If that’s not a spectacular first season in the pros, I haven’t seen one.
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
Albert Pujols played one year in the minors after being drafted out of JC (so for reference, about the same background and development point as our own Juan Carlos Perez).
This is why JCP is going to be so awesome.
Proud father of Juan Carlos Perez. Think Albert Pujols at second.
So the poll options are “yes,” “yes,” “no,” and “oh god, yes!”?
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
TWSS!
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
There's 3 ways to do something: the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power/ Ginats Way...
by natteringnabob on Jun 18, 2009 7:19 AM PDT up reply actions
The poll needs a “These are expectations a young player does not need” option.
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
Will he be a combination of Jesus, Superman and a Velociraptor with lazer eyes?
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
And he can really maul the Dodgers while turning water into wine. OMG! SOMEONE TAUGHT HIM HOW TO USE A DOORKNOB!
Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.
already plays in Fresno
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/frandke01.shtml
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
There's 3 ways to do something: the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power/ Ginats Way...
by natteringnabob on Jun 18, 2009 7:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Can we drop this Fat Ichiro crap
and stick to KFP or JESUS SUPERMAN LAZERAPTOR?
Please…
Oh man do I love JESUS SUPERMAN LAZERAPTOR. That is one hell of a name.
by Uribe nee Gonzalez on Jun 18, 2009 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree that Fat Ichiro sucks. I hate the concept of nicknaming him after another active player. He’s our unique Giant! And it’s not like he’s really all that similar to Ichiro anyways, other than lots of hits and few walks. And Kung Fu Panda is an awesome nickname, especially after the play that earned him it, so why bother with Fat Ichiro? And I don’t get this guy’s other nickname suggestion, so whatever.
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Fat Ichiro is a great nickname. Panda is better but I like Fat Ichiro as a secondary nickname.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
Exactly
Panda is my favorite, but others are good too. Shades of gray people. Variety is the spice of life. <3rd stupid cliche here>
Proud father of Juan Carlos Perez. Think Albert Pujols at second.
Fat Ichiro is a great nickname, but increasingly misleading
I’m hoping for him to graduate to “Skinny Gwynn” status.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
The more nicknames a player has, the more awesome. It’s like a direct correlation. Therefore, I encourage any and all nicknames for Pablo.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
NATTO WE NEED A PICTURE!!!!!!!!
Congrats to my soul mate and birth brother Zach Wheeler on being drafted into greatness. Should I just buy my Wheeler jersey now, or wait till my next birthday?
by TexasRanger on Jun 19, 2009 12:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Expectations
It is of course unfair to compare peak hitting prowess to Pujols. But I did find this an interesting summary of feature comparisons, as I was pondering the same thing myself last night, starting with the “out of nowhere” comparison.
It’s kind of like when you say that somebody looks like somebody else. You could be talking about feature similarities, but the other person always takes it as a “level of attractiveness” comparison.
"[Greg] Vaughn is in a funk so deep, George Clinton wearing a miner's helmet couldn't find him."
- Jim Baker, ESPN.com, May 2002
There’s never any middle ground in these Sandoval polls, are there.
Proud father of Barry Zito. As long as he keeps throwing strikes, that is.
Where is this mysterious ground you speak of?
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Jun 18, 2009 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
The obvious difference between the two is that, even in his first pro season (see the stat line above), Albert took walks and controlled the strike zone. Pablo does not do that and, with his highly aggressive approach, likely never will. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Vlad has succeeded quite nicely without taking many walks. However, Vlad has been merely a great player, while Albert is probably already one of the top-five right-handed hitters of all time.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
From the start of the season, I think Pablo has improved. He’s controlling the strike zone a little bit more, not to take walks, but to make pitchers throw him something closer to the zone. He has a big strike zone and still swings at pitches a little out of the “normal” zone, but I think he’s really cut down on the swings at crazy pitches.
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
Fangraphs doesn’t have monthly splits that I can find, but his K rate has fallen to about 14%, and it’s been about 12 in recent months, which is where it needs to be. In addition, his walk rate is up to about 6%, which mean a .5 BB/K. Given that he puts the ball in play a lot, but has descent, if not great, strike zone management, he’s made big strides from the beginning of the year. In addition, from last year to this year, his Oswing% is down nearly 9%, (though still a colossal 46%), and his fStrike% is actually league average at 58%, down from 70% last year. The ability to take ball one if necessary has benefited him greatly.
Hopefully my “analysis” made even half as much sense as I wanted it to make.
Proud father of Barry Zito. As long as he keeps throwing strikes, that is.
FirstInning does. Monthly triple slashs for Panda:
April: .307/.350/.440, 3.8% BB rate
May: .309/.350/.489, 5.0% BB rate
June: .400/.443/.745, 8.2% BB rate
Clearly, he’ll hit something like .450/.600/.1.200, with a 15% BB rate in the 2nd half.
Proud father of Juan Carlos Perez. Think Albert Pujols at second.
Wow
I knew he was making strides, but 8.2% is respectable… especially on this team.
Brandon Crawford: Your SF Giants 2011 Opening Day starting SS!
cmon guys
people who can type in the fangraphs url have to know that a months worth of stats is silly.
Or, in short form:SSS
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
I know
But I had doctors install an SSSSS* in the back of my head. I can turn that shit off whenever it suits me.
*Small Sample Size Skepticism Switch
Proud father of Juan Carlos Perez. Think Albert Pujols at second.
Small sample size doesn’t make it wrong. And a higher BB% means he’s more likely to have a higher true talent level for BB% than we thought, even if it’s not enough to make a definite conclusion.
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
you best
being doing some regression analysis if you want to throw terms like “true talent level” around.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Well, I also wasn’t saying it’s right so I’ll be lazy and skip the regression analysis. You know I’m right, though, that any change in the positive direction at least increases the probability that the true talent level has changed, even if it’s such a small sample that the probability shift is extremely small.
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 8:22 PM PDT up reply actions
I was under the impression that
I large enough change can indicate a substantive long-term shift even in a small sample size.
Don’t know if that’s a large enough change, though.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
Larger sample = smaller variance. The bigger the variance, the bigger the change needs to be for us to make a conclusion.
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 8:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Vlad Career BB% 9.1
Is BB% inflated by IBB?
co-dad of IshikaBOOM w/AfDC.
Ishikawa, let the boy hit against lefties.
Dang it. I guess I could do a little math myself and see whats what, but I’ve lost interest.
co-dad of IshikaBOOM w/AfDC.
Ishikawa, let the boy hit against lefties.
Who wouldn’t trust a man dangling cookies?
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
Holy crap I’m late getting back to this.
IBB’s aren’t in BB%, or at least they shouldn’t be.
Fangraphs stuff for Vlad:
Career PA’s – 7,553
Career BB’s – 671
BB% = 671/7533 = 8.9%
Career IBB’s – 239
BB’s + IBB’s = 910
BB% + IBB = 910/7553 = 12%
Your math is wrong
BB’s already include IBB’s (which is why BB% includes them).
Adoptive parent of Noah Lowry.
:-(
On base percentage
The big difference so far besides a few dingers, in a tough hitters park, is OBP.
The poll seems to be missing option five:
Pablo hasn’t been in the majors for even a full year. The verdict is still out.
He may be better than Pujols, he may be worse. I doubt he will be better because he does not have the sort of body that holds up over time. He may be an exception to the rule, though.
by positiveuphemism on Jun 18, 2009 9:18 AM PDT reply actions
He’s not close to as good as Pujols, nor will he likely ever be barring a unlikely spike in patience. He is, however (or he has been so far), a homegrown, above average position player, which is something that is just about as exciting to me as a Giants fan after such a long drought.
Barry Zito: Mike Hampton with a guitar
It does Pablo a disservice to compare him to Albert Pujols. He’s not that good. It’s nothing to be ashamed of that he isn’t.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
“It does Pablo a disservice to compare him to Albert Pujols.”
Exactly. He’s not as good now. Beginning next year, two years at worst, he’ll be much better. At no point will they be comparable!
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions
Albert Pujols looks like the human half of a centaur
Justin Miller: More ink'd than an octopus on PCP.
I think that codpiece is pretty stupid for a Centaur. His junk wouldn’t be up there.
by Lars The Wanderer on Jun 18, 2009 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions
Wow you’re right. Well maybe he has 2, 1 human, 1 horse.
Oh yeah and I like Pablo too.
by lincypoo i wuv u on Jun 18, 2009 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Centaurs don't make sense to me
Are there two digestive systems? Does the human crap down the horse’s gullet? How can a human mouth process enough to feed a horse and a human?
Perhaps there are two sets of junk depending on which species is desired… leading to the need for more than one junk protector.
Also, by mass, the human is way less than half.
Duane Kuiper: Hall Of Fame broadcaster.
by Johnny Disaster on Jun 18, 2009 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I think you’re not overthinking them enough.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Jun 18, 2009 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions
T. W. S. S.
Where “she” is a girl centaur.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
I’d opt for the in-between hybrid junk. You know, just in case.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Jun 21, 2009 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions
what is it like mounted to your belly?
by microwave donut on Jul 1, 2009 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions
I guess he is the Giants Albert Pujols, which is kind of like saying he is the best actor on Baywatch
by FluLikeSymptoms on Jun 18, 2009 11:39 AM PDT reply actions
I really liked your post. Nice job.
But Pujols is and will always be better than KFP. That doesn’t mean that KPF won’t be good and that I don’t want to rub his belly. ‘Cause I do. Not in a creepy way. You know, just soft-like. Just sort of a nice caress with a little pat at the end. And maybe a little fanny pat too… We’ll see were it goes from there… No promises. No commitment. Just a little belly rub…
by Uribe nee Gonzalez on Jun 18, 2009 11:54 AM PDT reply actions
Sandoval:Pujols::Giants Offense:Cardinals Offense
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Um, have you seen the Cardinals offense? Other than a couple of likely fluky performances (and Pujols), it’s not very good.
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions
It's almost exactly league average.
Which is about as ahead of the Giants’s offense as Pujols is ahead of Sandoval. Or, say, Sandoval is ahead of Burriss.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
They don’t have these in the new SAT’s anymore. I don’t think….
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
If Dustin Pedroia played in Seattle, not many people would be talking about him.
GET THAT VORP SH!T OUTTA HERE!!!
They don’t, which is a shame because I freaking rock analogies.
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
The the SAT's kind of a joke, isn't it?
Those were the only remotely difficult questions.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
The SAT is more about minimizing stupid mistakes than actually being smart, which is a shame..
I only have a signature because I recognize everyone else by their sigs, not their usernames..
Back when I took it
it was about memorizing long lists of obscure and archaic vocabulary which was completely useless for any purpose except passing the language portion of the SAT.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
is Jordan Zimermann the Nationals Tim Lincecum?
by FluLikeSymptoms on Jun 18, 2009 12:52 PM PDT reply actions
Albert Pujols is the best 1B in the history of the National League. Pablo Sandoval is a very good 3B.
What’s the question?
Adoptive parent of Noah Lowry.
:-(
JT SNOW! SAVES MORE RUNS THAN PUJOLS WILL EVER MAKE!
by Missing Barry on Jun 18, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Hmm
Stan Musial would like a word with you.
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
He split time at 1B and OF throughout his career, but he played more games at 1B than Pujols has thus far in his career. And unlike some players, like so Ernie Banks, Musial didn’t move to 1B in the second half of his career. He moved to 1B in 1946 when he was about 25 to accomodate Enos Slaughter and Harry the Hat Walker both coming back from the war. He moved back to the OF when Walker moved on to Philly and after that he moved backwards and forwards from 1B to LF or RF depending on the team’s roster needs, some times playing 150 games in the OF, sometimes playing half and half. He ended up with over 1000 games at 1B and 1900 in the OF.
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
We need more names like Enos Slaughter and Harry the Hat Walker these days.
Judgment Day is coming
comics | art | Nattowear
Ah, if I’d known, I would have added, Enos “Country” Slaughter and Harry “the Hat” Walker. Them there’s some names. Slaughter famously won the World Series that year scoring from first on single on which Pesky may or may not have held the ball too long on the relay. He was also a notoriously virulent racist who was just vicious about sharpening both his spikes and his tongue whenever he played against Jackie Robinson.
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
Still, Musial spent almost twice as much time in the OF than he did at 1B, and, by the end of this season, Pujols will have more games at 1B than he had. Musial was also simply better as an OF. He played more games at 1B than in the OF 7 times during his career – 1946-1947, and 1955-1959. 1946 was incredible, but 1947 was a down year, and in 1955-1959 he was clearly past his prime. He lead the league in OBP 5 times as an OF, only once as a 1B. Same thing with SLG – 5 times as an OF, once as a 1B.
Musial was an OF.
Adoptive parent of Noah Lowry.
:-(
I want to go back to the PANDAMANIA thread to discuss pablo’s awesomeness.
Pujols is one of those players you don’t compare another to, unless they are in the 4th or 5th year, and look like a HOF to be.
Prospective parent of new pick, Zack Wheeler. Projectable Righty stolen from the braves. Of course, I stalk my son's myspace: http://www.myspace.com/zackwheelerbaseball
"Obviously I’m not doing things like going toe-to-toe with a ninja. Find me a ninja, for one."--Brian Wilson
General sabrmetric axioms that I recall and that are applicable and that may be completely obvious to others (or not) are:
- “A player is more valuable the further up the defensive they play, assuming they can field competently.” So, obviously, KFP at C > KFP at 3B > KFP at 1B.
- But also, “Players tend to drift down the spectrum as they age, specially if they’re fat.” So, Pablo’s days at anything but 1B yeah seem numbered. Prolly smart for the G-men to put him behind the plate some while he can still squat.
- Just about the most important things in talking about a minor leaguer or new-to-the-majors type is their age. Maybe this is obvious, but that’s why everyone things MadBum and AnVil are so great – cuz they’re teenagers, holding their own with d00ds years older than them.
So, I’ll admit that I’ve had similar Pablo/Pujols comp thoughts – mostly because PABLO IS 22. In contrast, Damon Minor, Cody Ransom, and Calvin Murray were 28 before they got more than 50 Pas in a single season the bigs, Armando Rios, Jason Ellison, and Eliezer Alfonzo were 27, Fred Lewis, Dan Ortmeier, Happy Pete, Ramon Martinez, Marvin Bernard, and Niekro Please were 26, and Bill Mueller and Todd Linden were 25. What’s exciting about KFP is not just that he is raking, but that he is RAKING AT AGE 22. There is room for improvement, even an expectation of it, the way there wouldn’t be if he was 27 or sumpin.
(which is also why it is good that Schierholtz, Bowker, and Iskiwaka are 25. Obviously, it’d be better if they were also 22, but, they’d pretty much have no future if they were playing as they were and were 28 or 29 or something).
Sometimes, however, the hefty players peak earlier than the more svelt ones. Still, though, 22 IS pretty friggin young even when you take that into account.
Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...
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