User Comments, Suggestions, or Complaints | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Advertising
Page rendered in 0.6731 seconds
82 querie(s) executed
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
MLB: Marlins want Hanley Ramirez to focus on power rather than speed
As hundred’s of Roto-geeks leap from their basement window!
Asked if Ramirez was primed for another 50 stolen base season, Gonzalez said: “I hope not. The reason being, the more your body gets banged up—the wear and tear. He’s a guy who hits .300, he hits you 30 [home runs], and has a chance to drive in a lot of runs. I’m scared, because the more you attempt to steal, even if you don’t steal, you’re diving back to first base. You’re getting beaten up pretty good.
“He can handle it now, being as young as he is. Hopefully, the home runs go up and the stolen bases go down.”
Rather than see Ramirez risk injury stealing bases, Gonzalez enjoys watching his shortstop sprinting from first-to-third, or first-to-home on hits. “We’ll see,” Gonzalez said. “If he has a chance to steal 50, as long as he’s not beaten up, we’ll see.”
Hitting leadoff, Ramirez has the green light to steal, but the team has instructed him to hold as well. “There are times that we’ve shut him down, depending on the series,” Gonzalez said. “Some teams have three or four guys who control the running game.”
My Bookmarks
You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.
Hot Topics
Newsblog: Baseball Pictures of the Day: Miami
(15 - 4:36pm, Feb 09)
Last: RMc is the Commissioner of Baseball
(15 - 4:36pm, Feb 09)
Last: RMc is the Commissioner of Baseball
Newsblog: Tango: Evaluating the 2009 forecasts - Chone/ZiPS + Fantistics win
(10 - 4:33pm, Feb 09)
Last: rudygamble
(10 - 4:33pm, Feb 09)
Last: rudygamble
Newsblog: Hardball Talk: Gleeman: Lenny Dykstra is back with some more can't miss investment advice
(74 - 4:33pm, Feb 09)
Last: An Athletic in Soxland
(74 - 4:33pm, Feb 09)
Last: An Athletic in Soxland
Newsblog: freep: Johnny Damon likes Yzerman, Tigers
(32 - 4:27pm, Feb 09)
Last: Sam Hutcheson (perhaps some sort of ninja)
(32 - 4:27pm, Feb 09)
Last: Sam Hutcheson (perhaps some sort of ninja)
Newsblog: Dodger Thoughts: In search of truth about Frank McCourt and the Dodgers
(4 - 4:27pm, Feb 09)
Last: bads85
(4 - 4:27pm, Feb 09)
Last: bads85
About Baseball Think Factory | Write for Us | Copyright © 1996-2008 Baseball Think Factory
User Comments, Suggestions, or Complaints | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Advertising
User Comments, Suggestions, or Complaints | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Advertising
Reader Comments and Retorts
Go to end of page
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
Send them to Parris Island. That'll toughen 'em up.
Now if he could get the defensive alignment right, and some pitching. Here come your 2009 WS champs!
I think it's pretty likely. Not just the act of stealing, but all the start and stops on foul balls, all the dives back on the pickoff. You're adding a lot of slides and dives to your season if you run that often, I'd be shocked if it wasn't noticeably more taxing on a player's body.
Stealing bases wore out Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson, their careers never amounted to a damn.
Rickey has said on at least one occasion that he could have hit more HRs if he didn't steal so much since it wore him down over the course of a season.
Maury Will said he could have hit .50 points higher if he didn't steal so much, because it take sis much out of you
These are just things people say- is there any evidence it's true?
I've never noticed that guys switching teams/managers from greenlight guys to redlight guys systematically get a batting average boost
I'm sure that's true in one sense, and I was obviously just being snarky. It is interesting to me that so many really prolific young base-stealers went on to have long careers, though, from Honus Wagner to Kenny Lofton. Barry Bonds ran constantly in his youth, for instance. Except for guys like Vince Coleman who could never hit anyway, there are lots of examples of runners who have very long careers, which is no doubt in part a function of them being very good athletes to start with. Willie Wilson was still faster than hell in his late 30s, and was still on rosters then for that reason alone.
It's more evidence than anyone on the side of SBs not wearing down a player can provide. There's also the common sense factor that the more you sprint, the more you dive into the ground, the more you slam your wrists and ankles into bases, the more worn down you are likely to be. You probably can't statistically prove that stealing a ton of bases takes a physical toll on a player, but I really don't think you have to.
Except for guys like Vince Coleman who could never hit anyway, there are lots of examples of runners who have very long careers, which is no doubt in part a function of them being very good athletes to start with. Willie Wilson was still faster than hell in his late 30s, and was still on rosters then for that reason alone.
I don't think, if I'm reading you right, that anyone is saying it neccesarily shortens a career or causes any long term damage (like say, throwing 300 IP at 21). Running and sliding are natural motions, and unless you stumble into a freak injury, your body will recover from any minor wear and tear you pick up over the course of a season. I think most of the worn down discussion is focused on in-season performance (and fatigue) exclusively.
There is no evidence that trying to teal lots of bases affects offensive performance, but there is a LOT of evidence in the sports science literature that work capacity is not some infinite resource.
Why do you think olympic athletes, ie track and field, swimmers, weightlifters, do not perform at the same level year round, every year, and deliberately structure their training and competition schedules to peak during certain periods?
Lou Brock, on the other hand, was remarkably durable -- he didn't start to miss significant time until his age 36 season -- the year after he stole 118.
You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.
<< Back to main