Bobby Crosby facts (coming soon to a THT season preview book near you! Buy yours today!):

Crosby's backup for a number of years in Oakland was Marco Scutaro. Crosby was a first-rounder and top prospect who is now the backup shortstop for one baseball's worst franchises. Scutaro, who was such a non-prospect that he starred in a documentary called "A Player to be Named Later," just cashed in on a free agent contract to be the starting shortstop on one of the best-run teams in baseball. Over the last four years, Crosby has been worth approximately 1 win above replacement. Combined. Carlos Zambrano (a pitcher!) has a higher career slugging average and trails Crosby by only two points in batting average; he's roundly out-hit Crosby since 2006.

If Crosby hits to that projection, it will be his highest single-season OPS since 2005, making me wonder if we should be regressing his stats to those of comparable major leaguers or to minor leaguers.

Meanwhile, America waits for the Transaction Oracle to comment on the far more significant Polanco signing.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

If Crosby hits to that projection, it will be his highest single-season OPS since 2005, making me wonder if we should be regressing his stats to those of comparable major leaguers or to minor leaguers.

He's going from a big-time pitcher's park to a neutral park, and going from the DH league to the one that plays actual baseball.

With Dale Berra on his comp list, I just hope he doesn't get busted for buying coke from the Pirate Parrot.

Bing Crosby once was an owner of the Pirates. Are they related?

4: The other projection systems (neutral park or Oakland park) show the same trend.

That's a 678 OPS, 30 points higher than his seasonal max over the last three years.

The 78 OPS+ would be an improvement over his last three years of 67, 75, 72.

I'm not quibbling with ZiPS, I'm just pointing out HOW AWFUL CROSBY HAS BEEN. AAAAAAAH!

from the DH league to the one that plays actual baseball.

I miss hearing those great stories from the old AL before the DH - like the one about Jim Lonborg grounding weakly to second base to snuff out a rally. Yep, baseball sure was better then.

I miss hearing those great stories from the old AL before the DH - like the one about Jim Lonborg grounding weakly to second base to snuff out a rally. Yep, baseball sure was better then.

How about Catfish Hunter hitting a home run while pitching a perfect game?

How about Catfish Hunter hitting a home run while pitching a perfect game?

Oooo. Check, meet mate. I think you two will like each other.

I miss hearing those great stories from the old AL before the DH - like the one about Jim Lonborg grounding weakly to second base to snuff out a rally. Yep, baseball sure was better then.

Actually it was pretty similar. Crosby's been doing that for years. I've seen it. All those DH apologists who hate seeing pitchers hit should be forced to watch Crosby hit like I've had to.

Actually it was pretty similar. Crosby's been doing that for years. I've seen it. All those DH apologists who hate seeing pitchers hit should be forced to watch Crosby hit like I've had to.

Ivan, you forgot the quotation marks. "Hit" is the correct usage in this context. My apologies for the grammar policing.

Pittsburgh loves Crosbys apparently. I wonder how much Sid can hit?

...like the one about Jim Lonborg grounding weakly to second base to snuff out a rally.

We've been working on this concept that may interest you - it's called a "pinch hitter".

I miss hearing those great stories from the old AL before the DH - like the one about Jim Lonborg grounding weakly to second base to snuff out a rally. Yep, baseball sure was better then.

It's less embarrassing than having Carlos Zambrano outhit a starting SS in the "superior" league. Hell, I'm pretty sure Z has outhit the M's DH the last 2 years.

As terrible as Crosby has been, there's a dearth of cheap decent shortstops out there (short of playing a 2b/3b type and living w/ the consequences - not necessarily best if you want to develop pitching) - this is one of the best available options. (Gulp.)

this is one of the best available options. (Gulp.)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So much for the golden age of shortstops, huh?

Not to be obvious but... it's not mutually exclusive to consider this a great era for shortstops and, at the same time, suggest that it's very hard to find decent ones lying around near the margins. Teams tend not to let the okay ones become available - sometimes playing them at second or third (and, we're judging the era largely by the great ones - some of whom would have been shifted off the position once upon a time). What you're left with are guys playing out of position or scrubby guys.
Hardest position to fill on the diamond.