Guy can field as well

More like Greg Jeffries.

He's got a baseball IQ that's off the charts.

Except for those times (like tonite) when he tries for one extra base too many. Anyone notice the small but significant uptick in power? I'd rather he develop a higher walk rate instead but I won't complain.

Informed of the comparison to Tony Gwynn, Pedroia said "Tony [expletive] Gwynn, are you [expletive] me?"

"STREAKING PEDROIA WON'T SLOW DOWN"

I definitely have some female baseball fan friends who would be thrilled with the first part of that headline, if not the second, as they'd still have to catch him.

Except for those times (like tonite) when he tries for one extra base too many. Anyone notice the small but significant uptick in power? I'd rather he develop a higher walk rate instead but I won't complain.

Which is quite a surprise considering that he's not far removed from hamate surgery. This guy is looking more and more like the freak of freaks. Im more and more proud of my predictions that he would be better than Cano every day. There is really no contest. I could have sworn this time last year I had to hear about how Cano was a future batting champ and gold glover while Pedroia was merely "scrappy." Pwned.

Boston Herald: Streaking Pedroia won’t slow down

Pedroia: [out of breath] We're... We're going streaking!
Tito: Who is?
Pedroia: Th... W... There's more coming.
Tito: Get in the car.
Pedroia: But...
Tito: Dustin! Now!
Pedroia: [still out of breath] Ok.

I could have sworn this time last year I had to hear about how Cano was a future batting champ and gold glover while Pedroia was merely "scrappy." Pwned.

Yeah, that argument is definitely over. And Cano is clearly better defensively.

Streaking Pedroia won’t slow down

It's a real shame - a lot of people could use a pot of gold.

Yeah, that argument is definitely over. And Cano is clearly better defensively.

Clearly? No way. As an outside observer I'd call it kind of a draw at the moment.

NOTE: As observer, colloquially, using no defensive metrics. I honestly have no idea what those say about the difference between them. Do they show this clarity of Cano's superiority?

Do they show this clarity of Cano's superiority?

Yes.

I guess that answers that.

Pedroia's numbers.

Cano's numbers.

Oh, I suppose if you believe in Win Shares, there's an argument.

He had better not slow down, or there is no way in hell he will catch Kinsler as the best 2B in the AL.

NOTE: As observer, colloquially, using no defensive metrics. I honestly have no idea what those say about the difference between them. Do they show this clarity of Cano's superiority?

The differences are not statistically meaningful at the moment. Their zone ratings are too close.

Edit: Cowboy, the stats you link show Pedroia with a career .840 and a Cano with a career .836.

How you get "Cano is clearly better" from that is beyond me.

Not a fan of UZR?

Speaking of Robbie Cano...

Mighty Max Kellerman went off the other day on Cano and Melky Cabrera's partying habits (soon as Yankee home games are over they hightail it up to Washington Heights, drink up, floozy down...and drag ass the next day to the ballpark).

Max then asked his listeners to spill the beans on Cano/Melky bar-club sightings.

Kellerman's killer quote was..."I know one place Cano and Melky won't be found...the Yankee basepaths"

BTW...Recently, a Yankee clubhouse insider told me all this #### is true.

He had better not slow down, or there is no way in hell he will catch Kinsler as the best 2B in the AL.

Well, Kinsler's always been tagged as having more offensive potential, hasn't he? And he seems to be making good on it.

I didn't realize that Kinsler's the oldest of the three-- though it's close enough (fourteen or fifteen months separates all of them) that it probably doesn't matter.

Cano's career offensive numbers are still better than Pedroia's, and he's played in twice as many games. Kinsler's career offensive numbers far outpace both the other guys, and his games played is in between.

Mighty Max Kellerman went off the other day on Cano and Melky Cabrera's partying habits (soon as Yankee home games are over they hightail it up to Washington Heights, drink up, floozy down...and drag ass the next day to the ballpark).

This has been said of Cano for a while now, hasn't it? And defensively, he strikes me as a guy who's quite good when he's all there, but occasionally careless and perhaps a little out of it, which dovetails (perhaps coincidentally) with the partying reputation.

Cowboy, the stats you link show Pedroia with a career .840 and a Cano with a career .836.

That's because when Cano was first in the league, he wasn't a good second baseman, but he's worked to the point where he's superb. And you can see that he's been better than Pedroia since Pedroia has been in the league, just like everyone else, but you're too dishonest to admit it.

Not a fan of UZR?

I don't know where to find it, but IIRC Cano rated really well in UZR last year, don't know what he's or Pedroia is doing this year. Do you have the numbers?

And you can see that he's been better than Pedroia since Pedroia has been in the league, just like everyone else, but you're too dishonest to admit it.

It's just that you don't understand the concept of "error bars". The numbers are too close to make any definitive judgments.

I'm remembering the past UZR numbers being pretty close (could be wrong). For 08, through early June, Pedroia was +21/150, and Cano was somewhere below +17: The Book Blog

Why can't I find the damn UZR from previous years?

Okay, found it:

Pedroia:
06: -6
07: +19
08: +21

Cano:
06: +7
07: +7
08: <+17

[Edit: these #s are /150 games]

If he takes 30-35 swings in BP, he probably squares up 30 of ’em

Is this supposed to be, like, a rare or commendable trait? Do most major league hitters struggle to get good wood in BP?

I could have sworn this time last year I had to hear about how Cano was a future batting champ

Actually, wasn't it last year about this time (or was it 2006?) when Torre compared Cano to Carew ... and "everyone" here made fun of the comparison.

Magadan is just younger than Torre.

Point being, be careful which comparisons you wish for.

Pedroia:
06: -6
07: +19
08: +21

Cano:
06: +7
07: +7
08: <+17

Cano is clearly better.

Also, I've learned not to bet against Cano. He'll be back to being a good hitter soon enough.

Pedroia:
06: -6
07: +19
08: +21

Cano:
06: +7
07: +7
08: <+17

[Edit: these #s are /150 games]

CP pwned.

Seriously, defensive metrics can be slippery. But when you have some of them indicating Pedroia is a lot better, it's fairly fatuous to say "Cano is clearly better.".

Also, I've learned not to bet against Cano. He'll be back to being a good hitter soon enough.

Good call, though I’m beginning to accept that he’s going to have a disappointing season. Pedroia is obviously an impressive player, and I was actually predicting he’d be extremely good, even in ’06 when he was terrible during that cup of coffee, because he possessed the ability to consistently square up pitches despite taking such a violent swing, almost akin to a mini-Gary Sheffield. As for Cano, I’m refusing to get down on him. I’ve seen him enjoy success at the Major League Level in 05, 06, and 07. One terrible half isn’t going to change my opinion on him, especially when it’s so obvious he’s struggling mechanically at the plate. It’s not like he just suddenly lost his ability over one off-season. He’s striding late to the ball for some reason, and needs to close his stance quicker. How he fell into that habit I have no idea, but swings with moving parts can get out of whack pretty easily. He’s shown signs of breaking out lately.

I could have sworn this time last year I had to hear about how Cano was a future batting champ and gold glover while Pedroia was merely "scrappy." Pwned.

Wasn't Pedroia great after April last season, and wasn't Cano playing below expectations at the All Star Break? Was anyone really saying that this time last season? If anyone did write off Pedroia as scrappy, they are pretty dumb, but no dumber than anyone writing off Cano right now.

Cano just needs to find his paddle again

"STREAKING PEDROIA WON'T SLOW DOWN"
I definitely have some female baseball fan friends who would be thrilled with the first part of that headline, if not the second, as they'd still have to catch him.

Hottie? Really? I like him as a player, but his face is like a rat's.

Something I didn't know until yesterday: Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia both played at Arizona St., but Kinsler transferred to Missouri when he realized that he had little chance of unseating Pedroia as the starter.

He had better not slow down, or there is no way in hell he will catch Kinsler as the best 2B in the AL.

Well, Kinsler's always been tagged as having more offensive potential, hasn't he? And he seems to be making good on it.

I didn't realize that Kinsler's the oldest of the three-- though it's close enough (fourteen or fifteen months separates all of them) that it probably doesn't matter.

Cano's career offensive numbers are still better than Pedroia's, and he's played in twice as many games. Kinsler's career offensive numbers far outpace both the other guys, and his games played is in between.

Mark Ellis and Brian Roberts have been the two best 2B in the AL over the past few years.

because he possessed the ability to consistently square up pitches despite taking such a violent swing, almost akin to a mini-Gary Sheffield.

For a while, Sheffield was one of Pedroia's top PECOTA comps, something that many people saw as an anomoly that pushed Pedroia's PECOTA projections too high. They did share certain traits, though: shortish middle infielders who made amazing contact.

If he was 5" taller than the 5'6" he is now, he'd have a bat with HOF potential.

Oh Danny,

You and your Mark Ellis. It's like you think defense counts for something.

If he was 5" taller than the 5'6" he is now, he'd have a bat with HOF potential.

It's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean. [/kevin]

Speaking of Robbie Cano...

Mighty Max Kellerman went off the other day on Cano and Melky Cabrera's partying habits (soon as Yankee home games are over they hightail it up to Washington Heights, drink up, floozy down...and drag ass the next day to the ballpark).

Max then asked his listeners to spill the beans on Cano/Melky bar-club sightings.

Kellerman's killer quote was..."I know one place Cano and Melky won't be found...the Yankee basepaths"

BTW...Recently, a Yankee clubhouse insider told me all this #### is true.

Cano and Melky are also the 2nd and 3rd players to the park everyday (at least they were last year), and they partied last year as well. Much ado about nothing methinks.