Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Real McCoy: Taveras a waste of money

Hard Core Poetry from McCoy…

As he has done so often this year, center fielder Willy Taveras broke poorly on the ball, running laterally to his left before realizing the ball was over his head. It fell for a double.

Taveras doesn’t get on base. When he does he doesn’t steal when it is needed. He was brought in to be a leadoff hitter and couldn’t do it and is now batting second. And he is below average in the field. What can Taveras do? He has a nice stereo set in the clubhouse that plays loud, headache-inducing salsa music.

And holy cahooties. Taveras just hit a ground ball to the mound and trotted toward first base. Didn’t run. Jogged. Stopped before he got to the bag. Manager Dusty Baker immediately yanked him from the lineup, replacing him with Laynce Nix.

The Reds later announced that Taveras has a strained right quadriceps muscle. I don’t question the injury, but it was awfully convenient.

As far as I’m concerned, and many other fans are concerned, Taveras can rot on the bench the rest of the season. I’ve seen nothing to merit the millions the Reds have flushed down the toilet when they brought this guy in.

Thanks to Matador Cosloy.

Repoz Posted: August 20, 2009 at 11:26 AM | 23 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
  Related News: GeneralCincinnati

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.

Page 1 of 1 pages
   1. Dan Szymborski Posted: August 20, 2009 at 12:08 PM (#3299162)
Was it McCoy or Daugherty who was crowing in May about how the skeptics were wrong, pointing to Taveras's .370 OBP?
   2. RJ in TO Posted: August 20, 2009 at 12:13 PM (#3299163)
The Reds later announced that Taveras has a strained right quadriceps muscle. I don’t question the injury, but it was awfully convenient.


I wouldn't question it too loudly. A while ago, Richard Griffin made himself look like an even bigger ass than usual when he ripped Delgado for not running out a ground ball, only to have Delgado go on the DL with a knee injury a couple hours after the column was published (and to have it come out that the organization was trying to see if he could play through the injury, and had encouraged him not to run full-out to 1B if he could avoid it).

Given the much publicized problems that Taveras has had with his legs, the club's statement about an injury seems completely reasonable.
   3. Posada Posse Posted: August 20, 2009 at 12:15 PM (#3299168)
Right now the guy has a 45 OPS+; he's really outdoing himself this year. At least he doesn't clog the bases for Dusty.
   4. Jimmy P Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:00 PM (#3299412)
Was it McCoy or Daugherty who was crowing in May about how the skeptics were wrong, pointing to Taveras's .370 OBP?


Yeah, I don't feel any pity. The Cincy writers spent years ripping Edwin Encarnacion and Dunn, they finally get a "gamer" who's fast and doesn't clog the bases and now they are angry? Hey, this is what you get when you hire Dusty.
   5. bbc is prejudice bout men Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:21 PM (#3299445)
jimmy

they want a gamer who is fast and doesn't clog the bases and looks and plays like The Sainted Pete Rose. if i remember rightly, pete rose would NEVAH walk if he could swing at some crappy pitch and groundout instead which is The Right Way To Play The Game

i coulda told all yall that willy taveras can run very fast but he's NOT a good fielder. he's just not. he is terrible at judging where the balls is going to go, he breaks wrong a LOT and he can NOT get balls hit in front of him. he hasn't changed since he was with the stros in 05

his game always was getting bunt and IF hits - and the minute the legs aren't working right, it is goodbye
   6. Gern Blanston Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:21 PM (#3299446)
Given the much publicized problems that Taveras has had with his legs, the club's statement about an injury seems completely reasonable.

That, and the fact that it'd be pretty un-Dustylike to actually pull a player for lack of effort, when it'd be just as easy to be an apologist for it. Before I got to the point in the article about Taveras's leg, I was thinking, "damn--Dusty's going all Bobby Cox with the player discipline. Miraculous." Guess not.
   7. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:27 PM (#3299461)
McCoy: A waste of human skin
   8. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:30 PM (#3299465)
Taveras has a ludicrous 202/221/226 line since his highwater OPS mark of the season. That's over 66 games! Batting mostly at leadoff!!
   9. RJ in TO Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:36 PM (#3299474)
Taveras has a ludicrous 202/221/226 line since his highwater OPS mark of the season. That's over 66 games! Batting mostly at leadoff!!


And the timing of that run matches almost exactly with when he started having leg trouble. If his legs are healthy, then he's a useful (but not good) player. As BBC notes, however, if he can't run at full speed, then he's an absolute disaster.
   10. SoSH U at work Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:37 PM (#3299476)
McCoy: A waste of human skin


What prompted that BLB?
   11. Moneyball can't buy you love (Joey B.) Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:45 PM (#3299493)
I hope Willy sticks around in the league for a while, mostly because I want to see if he can sink all the way to Rey Ordonez territory.
   12. JoeHova Posted: August 20, 2009 at 03:54 PM (#3299504)
Taveras talked about stealing 100 bases before the season started. He's barely even been on base 100 times (114 hits+walks+hbp, I know he's probably reached base on errors, fielders choices and by pinch-running too, but still).
   13. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:02 PM (#3299521)
And the timing of that run matches almost exactly with when he started having leg trouble. If his legs are healthy, then he's a useful (but not good) player. As BBC notes, however, if he can't run at full speed, then he's an absolute disaster.


If only there was some sort of overseer or supervisor of the field club to prevent things like having an absolute disaster(be due it to leg injuries or being Neifi Perez) get a lot of at bats.)

The Reds should really look into hiring some sort of person to manage these issues.
   14. JPWF13 Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:05 PM (#3299526)
if i remember rightly, pete rose would NEVAH walk if he could swing at some crappy pitch and groundout instead which is The Right Way To Play The Game


I know you are being snarky, but Petey drew 1566 walks, including 106 one season.
   15. JPWF13 Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:09 PM (#3299536)
and oh, Taveras is just breathtakingly craptastic
2008-09 500+ PAs:

Cnt Player            OPS+   PA  From  To
+----+-----------------+----+-----+----+----+
    
1 Willy Taveras       51   966 2008 2009 
    2 Jeff Mathis         58   531 2008 2009 
    3 Ronny Cedeno        62   512 2008 2009 
    4 Emilio Bonifacio    66   664 2008 2009 
    5 Khalil Greene       66   592 2008 2009 
    6 Cesar Izturis       67   720 2008 2009 
    7 Austin Kearns       67   568 2008 2009 
    8 Kenji Johjima       68   583 2008 2009 
    9 Jason Kendall       68   983 2008 2009 
   10 Augie Ojeda         69   513 2008 2009 


Guys who hit like Taveras did in 2008 (like the man he replaced, Corey Patterson), generally are not allowed to stage a FT repeat performance the next year...
   16. KJOK Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:14 PM (#3299540)
And the timing of that run matches almost exactly with when he started having leg trouble. If his legs are healthy, then he's a useful (but not good) player. As BBC notes, however, if he can't run at full speed, then he's an absolute disaster.


Then why keep putting him in the lineup?
   17. bbc is prejudice bout men Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:17 PM (#3299542)
JPWF13

actually, pete rose didn't REALLY "walk" 106 times - he ran to first so therefore it wasn't REALLY a walk. walk is what no goods like adam dunn do and it is different than what petey did.

which is why pete is good and adam is bad

also because i am sure that pete wouldn't NEVAH take a pitch in the strike zone on a hitters count because he know that Real Ballplayers would rather groundout, popup or GIDP than take a pitch

KJOK,

you keep putting him in the lineup because you always have your fastest runner lead off (see corey patterson) until he fails so bad he is OOB
   18. OCF Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:19 PM (#3299547)
they want a gamer who is fast and doesn't clog the bases and looks and plays like The Sainted Pete Rose. if i remember rightly, pete rose would NEVAH walk if he could swing at some crappy pitch and groundout instead which is The Right Way To Play The Game

But...but... an important part of the Pete Rose shtick was running to first on a walk, and how are you going to do that if you don't draw walks?

In fact, Rose drew plenty of walks and was a superb leadoff hitter. I say that as someone who was a fan when Rose was at his peak, and who even then hated all the crap that a generation of fawning sportswriters said that Rose stood for.

Ah ... posted too late. Got there before me.
   19. RJ in TO Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:20 PM (#3299549)
Then why keep putting him in the lineup?


Ask Dusty. If I were in that position (and had a backup capable of handling CF in a non-embarassing fashion), I'd have him on the bench. At worst, if I didn't have a good enough backup, I'd at least drop him to the bottom of the order to try to minimize the amount of damage he could cause.

But that's me, and I obviously have a different way of looking at things than Dusty does.
   20. Gern Blanston Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:33 PM (#3299562)
I hope Willy sticks around in the league for a while, mostly because I want to see if he can sink all the way to Rey Ordonez territory.

He's already there. Ordonez never had an OPS+ as low as Taveras's 45 in any season where he had as many PAs as Taveras has this year. In his 5 seasons with enough PAs to qualify for the batting title, he had a 53 and 4 other years in the 60s. Willy's charting his own territory here.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong--as long as he's with a division rival, I too hope he sticks around.
   21. zonk Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:38 PM (#3299570)
$14 is my case...

Though - and this just goes to show how rotisserie is so different from real baseball - I calculated what a replacement-level player instead of Willy would have meant on my team, and I actually WOULD be 2 pts lower in the standings, mainly because Willy is the difference between 2nd and 7th in SBs for me, he costs me 2 spots in BA, 1 in RBI - but I'm leading in runs (it would be a bigger lead with someone else, though).
   22. phatj Posted: August 20, 2009 at 04:43 PM (#3299577)
To think Taveras almost won the ROY over Ryan Howard.
   23. Steve Parris, Je t'aime (M. Valentin) Posted: August 21, 2009 at 11:44 AM (#3300516)
Drew Stubbs hit a walk-off HR yesterday. Usually that's considered a good start, but he also K'd 3 times. Dusty ain't gonna be pleased.
Page 1 of 1 pages

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

 

<< Back to main

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
Marc Sully's not booin'. He's Youkin'.
for his generous support.

Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Hot Topics

Hall of MeritMost Meritorious Player : 1969 Discussion
(75 - 9:02pm, Feb 09)
Last: fra paolo

NewsblogJeff Sullivan: The Worst Team Ever Projected?
(31 - 9:00pm, Feb 09)
Last: Sam Hutcheson is the 'saur with the rainbow roar

NewsblogGrantland/Bill James: An Open Letter to the Hall of Fame About Dwight Evans
(16 - 8:55pm, Feb 09)
Last: Something Other

NewsblogThe Book Blog: MGL: Today on Clubhouse Confidential
(71 - 8:52pm, Feb 09)
Last: DA Baracus: dramatic facepalming in a 3 piece suit

NewsblogSources: Cubs’ Starlin Castro Accused Of Sexual Assault
(5810 - 8:50pm, Feb 09)
Last: David Nieporent (now, with children)

NewsblogMLB: Hall of Fame worthy? Furthest thing from Schilling's mind
(10 - 8:49pm, Feb 09)
Last: SoSHially Unacceptable

NewsblogOT: NBA Monthly Thread, February 2012
(376 - 8:45pm, Feb 09)
Last: puck

NewsblogFangraphs: Cameron: The 10 Worst Transactions Of The Winter
(81 - 8:42pm, Feb 09)
Last: Something Other

Newsblog'Duk: Tim Lincecum slims down with swim routine, loses appetite for McDonald’s
(274 - 8:40pm, Feb 09)
Last: Forsch 10 From Navarone (Dayn)

NewsblogOrioles Scouts Banned from Korea
(1 - 8:33pm, Feb 09)
Last: hardrain

NewsblogNYT: Alderson Remakes Needy Mets From Bottom Line Up
(21 - 8:33pm, Feb 09)
Last: Arbitol Dijaler

NewsblogL.A. Times: 11 bidders remain in running to buy Dodgers
(6 - 8:14pm, Feb 09)
Last: phredbird

NewsblogOT: The Soccer Thread: February 2012
(108 - 8:13pm, Feb 09)
Last: Richard

NewsblogStrange Times in Baseball: 1891-1895
(11 - 8:10pm, Feb 09)
Last: Bob Meta-Meusel

NewsblogWhatever Happened to the Spitball?
(9 - 7:45pm, Feb 09)
Last: Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Sweeney Agonistes

Buy MLB playoff tickets, plus 2011 World Series, 2011 ALCS tickets and NLCS game tickets. We also have Texas Rangers playoff schedule, tickets to Red Sox games and Yankees game tickets. Plus, buy Phillies baseball tickets, Tigers playoff tickets and the biggies like ALDS baseball tickets and 2011 NLDS tickets.

Demarini, Easton and TPX Baseball Bats

 

 

 

AllianceTickets.com has cheap MLB Tickets. Get all your Colorado Rockies Tickets, Seattle Mariners Tickets, San Francisco Giants Tickets and all your favorite baseball tickets here. We also carry cheap Denver Broncos Tickets, Seattle Seahawks Tickets and Denver Nuggets Tickets.

Page rendered in 0.5184 seconds
40 querie(s) executed