Please Help, My Shortstop Is Broken
Thu, Jul 31, 2008by Geoff Young
My latest article at Hardball Times deals with Khalil Greene’s disappointing season. Here’s something I uncovered in my research that didn’t make the final cut. These are Greene’s home/road splits in seasonal notation (i.e., per 162 games — thank you, Baseball-Reference, for making it so easy):
| Year | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are through games of July 29, 2008. | ||||||||||||
| 2004 | 513 | 56 | 123 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 65 | 83 | 108 | .241 | .345 | .338 |
| 2005 | 573 | 59 | 146 | 30 | 2 | 15 | 97 | 28 | 110 | .256 | .285 | .399 |
| 2006 | 553 | 56 | 116 | 21 | 2 | 16 | 72 | 51 | 137 | .210 | .282 | .346 |
| 2007 | 620 | 76 | 134 | 31 | 6 | 25 | 85 | 31 | 164 | .216 | .258 | .412 |
| 2008 | 591 | 51 | 129 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 42 | 51 | 129 | .218 | .295 | .365 |
| Year | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are through games of July 29, 2008. | ||||||||||||
| 2004 | 618 | 101 | 186 | 58 | 2 | 29 | 87 | 38 | 111 | .301 | .353 | .543 |
| 2005 | 594 | 78 | 145 | 50 | 2 | 25 | 89 | 39 | 139 | .244 | .308 | .465 |
| 2006 | 549 | 92 | 154 | 47 | 2 | 23 | 74 | 53 | 95 | .280 | .356 | .507 |
| 2007 | 673 | 111 | 193 | 61 | 0 | 31 | 119 | 35 | 107 | .288 | .322 | .519 |
| 2008 | 612 | 42 | 129 | 29 | 3 | 9 | 68 | 16 | 181 | .212 | .225 | .317 |
Just for grins, I dug up comparable player-seasons while I was under the metaphorical hood. This is kind of esoteric, but the basic idea is to get some sense of the type of hitter Greene has been at home and on the road since Petco Park opened:
| Year | Home Comp | Road Comp |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference. | ||
| 2004 | Pepe Mangual ‘75 | Will Clark ‘91 |
| 2005 | Corey Patterson ‘02 | Shane Andrews ‘98 |
| 2006 | Devon White ‘90 | Tim Wallach ‘94 |
| 2007 | Billy Cowan ‘64 | Andres Galarraga ‘95 |
| 2008 | Ron Santo ‘62 | Andres Thomas ‘89 |
The way to read this is, “In 2004, Greene’s home numbers were a lot like Pepe Mangual’s 1975 overall numbers; Greene’s road numbers were a lot like Will Clark’s 1991 overall numbers.” Suffice to say, when your performance calls to mind Andres Galarraga one year and Andres Thomas the next, that’s not good.
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
July 31, 2008 at 7:38 am
Now he goes and hurts his hand…not good at all.
Today is supposed to be like Christmas…unfortunately, it feels more like final exam day.
Besides watching mlbtv and reading mlbtraderumors, anyone else have places we can watch the developing market going into the deadline?
July 31, 2008 at 7:38 am
GY, did you get to delve into players who had comparable dips in value? I’m trying to recall guys with that kind of track record who’ve seen their production drop 33% without an injury (until now), and none come to mind.
Hopefully everyone who wanted to see more emotion from KG is now satisfied and maybe a little chagrined.
July 31, 2008 at 7:38 am
Jr. Griffey traded to the White Sox, pending his approval.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3512365
July 31, 2008 at 7:40 am
#2@Tom Waits: I am assuming we are excluding guys like Marcus Giles and Brady Anderson
July 31, 2008 at 7:43 am
I think the only move that the Pads will make today is trading meredith for a mid level prospect…
That and putting Greenie on the DL, releasing Corey and recalling Iguchi and Ambres
July 31, 2008 at 7:50 am
#4@Coronado Mike: NOG was on a downslope, though. We hoped for a recovery, but his 68 OPS+ (Padre) followed an 87 for the Braves.
Brady…..I believe we all know why he spiked like that. Plus, he didn’t disintegrate until age 37.
With Greene, you’ve got an established 100 OPS+ hitter in a typical prime age, with no hint of PED issues, no injuries, and his offensive game completely falls apart.
July 31, 2008 at 7:52 am
Rich Gedman
July 31, 2008 at 7:52 am
Wow, Seattle got Gaby Hernandez for Arthur Rhodes.
July 31, 2008 at 7:53 am
#8@Tom Waits:
Seems like a pretty good return for Seattle.
July 31, 2008 at 7:54 am
#1@Coronado Mike: As a detractor of Khalil, I’m curious to get your take on this event. For him to actually physically lash out, he must have been incredibly frustrated. How do you think this affects the public’s perception of him? Do you think he gets more sympathy out of this?
Maybe it was just a ploy on his behalf to prevent a trade :-p
I know this is completely non stats-related, but it’s certainly “news” when our resident robot hurts himself punching an object in the clubhouse.
July 31, 2008 at 7:58 am
#7@charlie chan: Didn’t he get hurt, though? He fell off a cliff in 87, but he only played 1/3 of the season.
July 31, 2008 at 8:01 am
#10@Phantom: I don’t know…don’t really have much thought about that incident other than it may result in some time away from hitting everyday (maybe much needed).
Also, I hate to admit it, but being outside of San Diego this entire season has really limited my regular access to info and chats about the Pads. That lowers my ability to have credible opinions except on a global baseball scale. Does that make any sense?
July 31, 2008 at 8:08 am
#12@Coronado Mike: It definitely makes sense. And I completely agree that he needs some time to recharge. He’s had a disastrous year. I can only imagine his own turmoil at this point.
July 31, 2008 at 8:13 am
IIIRC, Gedman got injured after a very bad start in 1987. The others I can think of are Carlos Baerga and Ellis Valentine.
July 31, 2008 at 8:23 am
#14@charlie chan: Plus he couldn’t rejoin the Red Sox until May because he missed a deadline, along with several other Boston players.
Baerga’s a good one. Valentine got his cheekbone broken and then got mixed up with drugs, which I hope isn’t the case with Khalil.
July 31, 2008 at 8:29 am
According to Ken Rosenthal, Jr. Griffey has accepted the deal to the White Sox…
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....-White-Sox
July 31, 2008 at 8:37 am
Man Ram to the Marlins in a three-way mega deal with Pitt and Bos? Top story on Trades and Rumors. Could this be the start of the Curse of the Man Ram?
Probably a rumor.
The Padres are so pathetic this year, they can’t even pull off a decent trade.
They really gotta pull in that right field fence. Why all the resistance?
Is Morse devaluing the team for the divorce?
Someone on the UT blog wants Mark Cuban to buy the team. Are the Padres for sale?
July 31, 2008 at 8:46 am
From yesterday’s Jim Callis chat:
1. Doesn’t look good for signing Dykstra.
2. Callis expects the Padres to sign Darnell. Fuson described the negotiations as an old-fashioned stare-down, and the difference is apparently 250K or so.
July 31, 2008 at 8:54 am
#2@Tom Waits: No, although that could have been interesting had time permitted.
#14@charlie chan: Nice call on Baerga.
On another note, I feel terrible about the headline of this post. When I wrote it, I had no idea Khalil had been injured. Some days I really suck.
July 31, 2008 at 9:00 am
The guys at uniwatch.com found this pretty embarassing burp in the camo uni production …
http://farm4.static.flickr.com.....c717_o.jpg
July 31, 2008 at 9:07 am
18: I don’t want anymore old fashioned stare downs with draft picks, but…oh well. As long as he gets signed.
17: Those all seem like pretty scurrilous questions…
14: Baerga is a good call. From 91-95 he was a 100+ OPS guy who tanked in ‘96 and dropped to a 72. Unfortunately, he never came back…
July 31, 2008 at 9:40 am
While no deal is complete, according to SI, Manny has okay’d a trade to Florida.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....ml?eref=T1
If the Pirates feel like they are getting a good enough return on Bay, then this deal may actually happen.
July 31, 2008 at 9:41 am
I don’t think the Padres could trade Greene this season even without the injury. Or at least trade him for something useful.
However, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Khalil is a frequent reader of this blog and agrees with me on the whole “finish with the worst record so we can draft Strasburg” idea. And even though he most likely won’t be here past 2009, Khalil is such a team player that he decided to take himself out of lineup by punching a chest, knowing that as bad as he has been this season, his replacement, Luis Rodriguez, is even worse. So for all of you knocking Khalil, that should show what kind of teammate he is.
July 31, 2008 at 9:52 am
A couple of other declines are Darren Erstad, Bernard Gilkey, Butch Hobson, Juan Samuel , and some guy from the 1930s named Red Kress
July 31, 2008 at 10:02 am
If Khalil didn’t try to hold all of his frustration from a bad year in every time he struck out, he might not have punched a wall once he reached the boiling point. A good old fashioned helmet slam, broken bat over the leg, or just screaming a cuss word every once in awhile would have probably prevented this. But that’s just my opinion.
If anything, I think the public will perceive him as more of a normal person now. Padre fans are pissed off whenever he has a bad at bat and misses a breaking ball by three feet. We relate more with a guy who appears to be just as pissed off as we are. Not a guy who’s expression doesn’t change whether he’s doing well or not.
July 31, 2008 at 10:07 am
#25@JMAR: I’m assuming you’re not being 100 percent serious. Who knows what the guy says in the dugout? It may have been a game I attended, but I remember seeing Greene slam his helmet at least once this season.
He has his own subtle scowl that shows up from time to time, too. (Hey, I should be one of those body language experts hired by trial attys.)
July 31, 2008 at 10:12 am
BP’s #1 comp for Khalil, Tony Batista, fell off a cliff at 29 and never recovered
age OPS+
24 116
25 111
26 102
27 87
28 105
29 73
30+ ~80
#2 comp, Jim Morrison, had a big decline at 28, but was only really a full time player at 27 and 33
26 122
27 105
28 83
29 100
30+ ~100
#’s 3 and 4, Max Alvis and Jeff Kent, stayed pretty consistent.
I think Jeff Kent is the kind of hitter we all hoped Khalil would be, essentially league average OPS+ ~105, low obp/high power, in his twenties…then completely busted out in his thirties OPS+ ~125.
Oh, what could ave been, and could still be, though Kent never really bottomed out this way
July 31, 2008 at 10:23 am
#24@charlie chan:
1. Samuel didn’t drop this far, this fast, though.
2. Hobson wasn’t as good for as long. He was really a yo-yo. Khalil drove his motorcycle into a sinkhole.
3. Gilkey’s a pretty good match. I don’t recall if there were any injuries that dragged him down.
4. Erstad…I don’t know. Two good years, one bad year, one great year, then nothing but crap.
July 31, 2008 at 10:26 am
#20@LynchMob:
That is hilarious! Nice find!
July 31, 2008 at 10:26 am
#25@JMAR: I read somewhere that venting behavior actually leads to more venting, rather than peace. But I can’t remember where.
Off the current topic, but on draft picks: Ethan Martin, a player the Padres (and many DSers) wanted, will undergo knee surgery due to an injury suffered doing fielding drills.
July 31, 2008 at 10:37 am
#26@Stephen: I’ve seen him slam his helmet down before but he always appears to be holding back just a little. I just think the fact that he let his frustration out on a wall makes him more human in the public’s perception because that’s what a lot of us feel like doing when he strikes out.
I still don’t think the Padres should get rid of him. I’ve always said, gold-glove caliber SS’s that hit double-digit HR’s are very hard to find. I still see him as the #7 hitter on this team for next season and, hopefully, a few more seasons after that if they can re-sign him at a fair price.
July 31, 2008 at 11:30 am
Gammons reporting three-way deal “close to done.” Bay would go to the Red Sox.
July 31, 2008 at 11:39 am
#32@Kevin: Or not.
July 31, 2008 at 11:43 am
32, 33: All day…I guess that we’ve only got another hour or so to wait. I jumped the gun yesterday
July 31, 2008 at 11:50 am
Jayson Stark is reporting that the Padres won’t trade Maddux to the Dodgers:
“Maybe Greg Maddux isn’t going to wind up back with the Dodgers after all. The Dodgers and Padres have always been uncomfortable making deals with each other. And with 90 minutes left until the deadline, they’ve been unable to reach agreement on a trade that would send Maddux back to L.A., the only team he has told the Padres to which he would approve a deal.
One source familiar with the two clubs’ discussions say the $3.3 million remaining on Maddux’s salary this year is not a major issue. But the Dodgers have been unwilling to make anything beyond a modest offer as they’re aware they’re the only taker.”
July 31, 2008 at 12:18 pm
#35@Schlom: I’m ok with that. It’s just money for this year, and I don’t particularly want the Dodgers getting better at no cost. Plus Maddux makes the Padres a lot more interesting for the rest of the year.
Obviously you’ll be upset because this harms the tanking.
July 31, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Bay reportedly traded to Tampa for Brignac and Niemann.
July 31, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Looks like Bay to the Rays is just about finalized. I’m glad Bay ended up in Tampa Bay instead of Boston. Go Rays!
July 31, 2008 at 12:23 pm
#37@Tom Waits: Drat, I got scooped.
July 31, 2008 at 12:30 pm
#37@Tom Waits:
I really like that deal for both teams. Between Alvarez (if they sign him, i expect they will) McClutchen, Tabata, Brignac and Nieman they have really managed to aquire a few potential superstar players.
How freaking good do the Rays look now? The Angels and the Rays look like the cream of the crop to me. It must be an awesome time to be a Rays fan. Can you imagine the Rays going into the Playoffs and being able to bring up David Price for bullpen support. God it must be nice to be so stacked.
July 31, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Jim Edmonds with 2 HR (so far!) today vs MIL.
Edmonds’ stat line as a Padre: 001/002/003
…as a Cub: uh, how many zeros in a google?
I’m not finding fault here, I thought it was a bad signing and couldn’t wait to get rid of him, but why couldn’t he have sold his soul while in SD? Is the devil that hard to find around Tony Gwynn Way?
July 31, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#20@LynchMob: I think the flag being upside down is because the nation is at war, other than that I cannot see the problem.
July 31, 2008 at 12:46 pm
#42@DM: The flag flown upside down is a distress symbol.
July 31, 2008 at 12:52 pm
It appears that Greene did fracture his hand:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com.....ed/?padres
July 31, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Well, now people are backing off the Bay-Ray story.
July 31, 2008 at 12:54 pm
#44@Bruce: Just saw that. Yay. We get a downgrade for the next two months, Greene does nothing to increase his trade value.
July 31, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Guess it doesn’t matter too much but do we really have to watch Luis Rodriguez play SS the rest of the year ?
July 31, 2008 at 1:03 pm
#46@Tom Waits: Agreed. That’s the most disappointing thing, he can’t get on a hot run the last two months and make his numbers look something like his historical performance record.
July 31, 2008 at 1:12 pm
#47@JP: There’s always Manny Alexander.
July 31, 2008 at 1:16 pm
#46@Tom Waits: That’s really depressing. There’s probably a 50% chance that this is the last we see of him, too.
Obviousy, this bums me out in a big way. I really thought he’d end the year on a high note.
July 31, 2008 at 1:21 pm
#49@KRS1: Dude.
July 31, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Gosh, listening to XX is depressing. Between Tutino and Kentera and the callers, it’s too much.
July 31, 2008 at 1:30 pm
SI.com is reporting that Man-Ram is now a Dodger.
July 31, 2008 at 1:33 pm
#53@KRS1: I actually applaud that deal if only because it will be interesting to see what Colletti gave up this time.
July 31, 2008 at 1:33 pm
#53@KRS1: at least we’re not contending… we could not have equaled that kind of short-season maneuver….
July 31, 2008 at 1:38 pm
#54@Bruce: Me too, hopefully they gave up some of that young talent they had. I would gladly have them aquire Manny for a few months than have to face some of those kids for the next 10 years.
July 31, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Ken Rosenthal: “The Pirates will receive Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Damien Moss and releiver Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.
The Red Sox will pay all of the approximately $7 million remaining on Ramirez’s contract.”
July 31, 2008 at 1:41 pm
So I’m getting on a plane out of Newark, NJ tomorrow headed for Petco Park to see the Padres play at Petco and not on the East Coast for the first time in my life. Earlier this week it was looking like a pretty exciting night at Petco. I thought I was going to see Peavy vs. Lincecum, as well as my favorite pro athlete of all, Khalil Greene (yes, he’s still my favorite). So I wake up this morning to discover that: Friday match-up changed to Linceum vs. Banks (at least it won’t be a 20 inning game now and my wife won’t complain); Khalil Greene lets out the frustration, breaks his left hand and is out maybe for the rest of the year; and the Dodgers just got Manny Ramirez!?!?! (according to si.com).
What I’m most heartbroken about is Khalil though (At this point I don’t care if Manny leads the Dodgers to the NL West title). The positive here for Greene fans? With a broken hand and the season he had offensively, there is next to no concern he’s going anywhere but back to San Diego next year. Right? Am I the only Greene fan left?
July 31, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I think it might be a big blessing in disguise that Greene is hurt. It is time to move away from these all or nothing, free swinging hitters. Maybe Kouz can break his foot kicking a water cooler tonight.
July 31, 2008 at 1:47 pm
#57@Bruce: Strange move for the Dodgers. Manny helps them a little this season (especially since they aren’t paying for him). I assume that they aren’t going to pick up his $20m option for next season. So is 2 months of Manny (and the pick if they can offer him arbitration and he declines it) worth giving up LaRoche and Morris?
July 31, 2008 at 1:48 pm
#58@Keith in New Jersey: No, I’m a huge Greene fan myself. I hope he can rebuild his career next year. But it’s pretty depressing right now.
July 31, 2008 at 1:49 pm
#57@Bruce: At first blush that doesn’t seem like much when two offensive giants are moving. Morris has very good numbers but is in low A; LaRoche has big upside; Hansen’s a reliever; Moss (Brandon, not Damian) looks like a below-average offensive OF.
July 31, 2008 at 1:52 pm
#60@Schlom: Sure, it’s worth it. Flags fly forever. There are questions about LaRoche, and while Morris is a great-looking prospect he’s 3-4 years away, in a system that is loaded with arms.
July 31, 2008 at 1:54 pm
#59@charlie chan: It is always nice to celebrate an injury.
July 31, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Not celebrating at all. Just trying to look at the bright side for the team. This forces them to make a break with him, temporarily at least.
July 31, 2008 at 2:15 pm
#63@Tom Waits: One question I have about the Manny trade is it seems to work for everyone except Pittsburgh.
If, according to ESPN, the Pirates turned down sending Bay to Tampa for shortstop Reid Brignac and Jeff Nieman and addionally allegedly turned down Jack Wilson straight up for Andy LaRoche - wouldn’t that have been a better deal?
Hansen and Moss are nice, but I think I would have taken Brignac and Nieman over them.
Again I’m not sure if the facts of this are true.
July 31, 2008 at 2:20 pm
#60@Schlom: They kept martin, Kemp, Kershaw, Loney, Ethier, gave up a single-A pitcher and a prospect who had been very spotty this year for one of the best right handed bats in the league. With their pitching they now have a legitimate shot in the playoffs. I’d say it was worth it. It’s not a very good comparison, but if the Padres were in their position and gave up Blanks and Inman for Manny I would be ecstatic.
July 31, 2008 at 2:23 pm
#66@John Conniff: I read it was Tampa pulling Brignac back, but then I also read that Pittsburgh wanted somebody besides Niemann. Some skepticism of Niemann is warranted, and Morris does have a live arm.
When players like Bay and Ramirez are moving, it sure does seem like a team that facilitated it would have been able to pick up more. I do give them kudos for realizing that no matter how good Bay is, they’re not winning next year.
I expect what they’re hoping with Wilson is to grab another group of prospects, rather than a one-for-one. He could be a big name on the trade market this winter if he keeps his average up.
July 31, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Why didn’t the Dodgers just trade for Jason Bay? He’s a better player now than Manny is, he’s reasonably extended to next year, and the Red Sox only threw in a middle reliever and a fourth outfielder type, so it wouldn’t have killed the Dodgers to upgrade and get Bay.
The deal isn’t great for Pittsburgh either; the Sox just made out really well.
July 31, 2008 at 2:29 pm
#68@Tom Waits: I read, and again this is all specualtion - I think it was from Jayson Stark - that Tampa was ok with the first two, but then started to ask for one of the top three pitchers and sank the deal.
Both Nieman and Brignac have some negatives, but if they had a chance to get LaRoche straight up for Wilson…just strange.
July 31, 2008 at 2:30 pm
#69@Ben B.: Good point, the only think I can think of is the Dodger may not have been willing to give up enough prospects.
July 31, 2008 at 3:01 pm
#69@Ben B.:
That’s funny considering some of the comments out there by Sox fans.
July 31, 2008 at 3:08 pm
#72@Stephen: They’re losing one of the best hitters of all time, even if he’s in decline, and a guy who was part of two World Series. I can understand some confusion and bitterness.
If they’re upset about Hansen and Moss, that’s crazy.
July 31, 2008 at 3:14 pm
#73@Tom Waits: Exactly. “We’re giving up Manny, paying his salary and giving up two more players?” Some of the Fox/ESPN comments were amusing. One guy referred to Moss and Hansen as hot prospects and referred to Bay as “halfway decent.”
July 31, 2008 at 3:26 pm
#74@Stephen: “Halfway decent” is apparently code for “better than Manny Ramirez.”
July 31, 2008 at 4:04 pm
So Luis Rodriguez is our SS for the rest of the season? Geez. At least they don’t have to bring in Manny Alexander again.
I’m guessing they activate Iguchi, DFA Corey, and promote another position player before tomorrow. Does anyone out there really care, though? I barely do.
Peter Ciofrone would be an interesting guy to take a look at coming off the bench since he can play LF, RF, 3B, and 2B and he’s having a great year in Portland. And then there’s the whole 27 game hitting streak. He deserves a shot.
July 31, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The best thing is that the Dodgers have $17m worth of outfielders sitting on the bench now (Jones at $9m and Pierre at $8m, leaving out signing bonuses and all that). They are paying their starting outfielders (Manny, Ethier, Kemp) $830,000 (0 for many, $406k for Kemp, $425k for Ethier). That’s a good use of resources.
July 31, 2008 at 4:25 pm
One implication of the dodgers trade is that AGon now has competition for the BroBI lead not that the LaRoche brothers are united in Pittsburgh..
July 31, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Inman pitching for San Antonio tonight …
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....x_coraax_1
July 31, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Ft Wayne is underway …
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....x_cedafx_1
… Hefner on the mound.
July 31, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Wow!!! I just realized folks!! I personally can help out the shortstop situation as soon as tomorrow! Damian Jackson (might be an upgrade from Rodriguez?) recently signed with Long Island Ducks (Independent). I’m boarding a plane tomorrow morning 9 am EST out of Newark and will be at Petco for tomorrow night’s game. I know things are rough, but I’m pretty sure Jackson would rather be back at shortstop at Petco instead of playing independent ball in the arm pit of the East Coast, Long Island. Anyone have his number (assuming he has the same phone from 2005)? I’ll get him on my flight! We land in San Diego around 1 pm Pacific time. Can Jackson be any worse a situation that the current shortstop scenario in the Padre organization?
July 31, 2008 at 6:01 pm
With the trade deadline passed, DePo has a good look at what’s next …
http://itmightbedangerous.blog.....assed.html
July 31, 2008 at 6:05 pm
#81@Keith in New Jersey: Way to be thinkin’ outside the box … but I think the answer to your bottom line question is “yes, he can be worse” … did he play last year?
It doesn’t look like he was even in the minors in 2007 …
http://www.baseball-reference......da04.shtml
(there’s a link there to data about his time in minors)
July 31, 2008 at 6:06 pm
81: sign ‘em up baby! I love DJ! If we can’t get him, I think Donaldo Mendez is playing in the Atlantic League as well.
Can we bring back Blummer?
July 31, 2008 at 6:08 pm
OT … There are plenty of examples in baseball history of guys being “rushed to the majors” … the latest example is the Rangers with Tommy Hunter …
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....ts/?p=1461
July 31, 2008 at 6:17 pm
BA likes the Toreros for 2009 …
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....66425.html
(and the Oregon St Beavers again!)
July 31, 2008 at 6:19 pm