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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.”

Repoz Posted: March 26, 2008 at 07:23 PM | 11 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: miami

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1. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar Posted: March 26, 2008 at 09:42 PM (#2721159)

This is getting a little ridiculous, the treating of players as though they were made of Venetian glass. Criminy, pretty soon they'll stop batting practice and running out to the respective positions.

Send them to Parris Island. That'll toughen 'em up.

2. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles Posted: March 26, 2008 at 10:06 PM (#2721186)

Whats wrong with this? I think Acta has been getting plaudits for being smart, but Fredi has been up there.
Now if he could get the defensive alignment right, and some pitching. Here come your 2009 WS champs!

3. TC Shillingford Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:15 PM (#2721935)

I've heard this kind of thing before. I think Buster Olney wrote in 2006 that Jose Reyes would have trouble stealing 100 bases in a season (beyond that unlikelihood of the Mets allowing him to do so) because he's not physically strong enough or durable enough for the strain of it. I'm curious if there's any evidence to suggest that stealing bases leads to injuries.

4. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:20 PM (#2721942)

Stealing bases wore out Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson, their careers never amounted to a damn.

5. Cowboy Popup Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:31 PM (#2721948)

I'm curious if there's any evidence to suggest that stealing bases leads to injuries.

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.

6. JPWF13

Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:40 PM (#2721952)

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.

''so what?

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

7. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:41 PM (#2721953)

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

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.

8. Cowboy Popup Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:48 PM (#2721959)

These are just things people say- is there any evidence it's true?

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.

9. rfloh Posted: March 27, 2008 at 09:55 PM (#2721966)

These are just things people say- is there any evidence it's true?

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?

10. Srul Itza Posted: March 27, 2008 at 10:40 PM (#2721981)

Rickey was a great -- in fact unique -- talent who lasted a long time. But he also missed a lot of time in season, because of the inevitable dings and muscle ailments he piled up, running like he did.

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.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

MLB: Marlins want Hanley Ramirez to focus on power rather than speed

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