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, May 03, 2012

Morosi: Rangers’ Kinsler tops all other 2Bs

Now Kinsler, 29, is part of his generation’s Great Positional Debate. Although more geographically disparate than Willie, Mickey and the Duke, it will become a favorite of the tobacco-spitting and wine-sipping sets alike.

Who’s the best second baseman in baseball — Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia or Ian Kinsler?

Right now, the correct answer is Kinsler.

As with the shortstops in the early 2000s, the title belt could change hands during the season. But Kinsler has it now. He’s been a little more productive than the steady Pedroia, and Cano is off to a slow start. Kinsler owns the best OPS among major league second basemen — a scalding .945 — and the raw numbers explain only a portion of his value.

...Kinsler has become a fan favorite in Texas, with the high socks and unruly hair making him particularly popular among aspiring Little Leaguers. Just about every week, parents approach Kinsler to say that their son wears his baseball pants up to the knee as a tribute to their favorite player.

“Around the city and at the park, we see a lot of No. 5 jerseys,” Daniels said, “and it’s all for the right reasons.”

The kids know talent. They’re wearing the number of the best second baseman in the game.

Thanks to Drew.

Repoz Posted: May 03, 2012 at 12:58 PM | 16 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: rangers

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.

   1. Derb Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:28 PM (#4122668)
Can't argue this. Too bad Utley's career hit a brick wall.
   2. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:30 PM (#4122671)
I think Kinsler, Cano and Pedroia is way too close to call.
   3. DiPoto Cabengo Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:33 PM (#4122675)
Yay, "tribe!"
   4. The Good Face Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:36 PM (#4122676)
I think Kinsler, Cano and Pedroia is way too close to call.


Yeah, pretty much a coin flip. Still, it's nice to see Kinsler getting the recognition, he really is an outstanding player.
   5. Greg (U)K Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:43 PM (#4122683)
Yeah, pretty much a coin flip.

3 sided coinage? Now there's some monetary policy reform I can get behind.
   6. The Mohole* of David Wells (* - Piehole) Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:45 PM (#4122687)
3 sided coinage? Now there's some monetary policy reform I can get behind.


It's already 3-dimensional. How many more sides does it need? I could see 4-sided, but how would you design a 3-sided 3D object?

Edit: I mean with regular sides.
   7. Greg (U)K Posted: May 03, 2012 at 02:47 PM (#4122688)
It's already 3-dimensional. How many more sides does it need? I could see 4-sided, but how would you design a 3-sided 3D object?

That's the beauty of it. If one could create such a thing it would obviously have infinite value, thereby fixing (sort of) the economy!

EDIT: Also it would benefit nerds by giving them a wider range of dice to use. These things always have negative unintended consequences.
   8. Matthew E Posted: May 03, 2012 at 03:08 PM (#4122713)
Coins are already 3-sided. Head, tail, edge. (Assuming they're circular and don't have, like, eleven flat edges around the circumference.) To make the edge an equally likely outcome of a coin flip, you'd need to thicken the coin quite a bit; not sure exactly how much. Probably not quite to the diameter of the circle, but still pretty thick.

Now, if you insist that the three sides all be isomorphic to each other, you'd need to make something that looked like a football, only with three "sides" instead of four.
   9. Dangerous Dean Posted: May 03, 2012 at 03:24 PM (#4122738)
Kinsler is having a superb offensive year. But defensively he shines, too. I looked up his defensive metrics on Baseballreference and saw that he is -1 this year but he has been in the +10 to +17 range in recent years. The eye test proves it for me, too. Kinsler botches the occasional easy play, but makes a lot of impossible plays in the holes.

Cano, Pedroia and Utley are all excellent players. Yet Kinsler is the one I would want if I could pick one.
   10. Walt Davis Posted: May 03, 2012 at 03:34 PM (#4122753)
This comparison is one where baseball ages can be misleading. Technically, this is Kinsler's age 30 season while it's 29 for Cano and 28 for Pedroia but the actual age differences are 4 months and 14 months.
   11. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: May 03, 2012 at 03:40 PM (#4122764)
Cano, Pedroia and Utley are all excellent players. Yet Kinsler is the one I would want if I could pick one.

I think I'd rather have Pedroia. Kinsler is a little too injury prone for my taste.
   12. Derb Posted: May 03, 2012 at 04:09 PM (#4122811)
I'll take any of them over the guys my Tigers trot out at second.
   13. Random Transaction Generator Posted: May 03, 2012 at 04:42 PM (#4122847)
I think I'd rather have Pedroia. Kinsler is a little too injury prone for my taste.

Pedroia missing over half the season in 2010 (but playing over 150 games in the 3 of the previous 4 seasons), and Kinsler missing 125 games in the past 4 seasons, Cano shines as the healthiest of the bunch.
   14. Dread Pirate Dave Roberts Posted: May 03, 2012 at 06:40 PM (#4122935)
It's already 3-dimensional. How many more sides does it need? I could see 4-sided, but how would you design a 3-sided 3D object?

That's the beauty of it. If one could create such a thing it would obviously have infinite value, thereby fixing (sort of) the economy!


We don't need to create such a thing, we already have time cube.
   15. Monty Posted: May 03, 2012 at 07:40 PM (#4122979)
I could see 4-sided, but how would you design a 3-sided 3D object?


Like this. It's essentially a three-sided cylinder, such that the ends are too small for the die to end up on.
   16. eddieot Posted: May 03, 2012 at 08:15 PM (#4122999)
My money's on Kipnis as the next great 2B.

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

 

<< Back to main

BBTF Sponsor

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
cardsfanboy
for his generous support.

Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Hot Topics

NewsblogDraft Features Rarest of Prospects: Redheads
(16 - 12:28am, May 19)
Last: Voros McCracken of Pinkus

NewsblogPhil Wood: It's time for baseball to use technology to make sure umps get it right
(4 - 12:22am, May 19)
Last: Misirlou is bad, he's nationwide

NewsblogPressBox: Boog Powell: Meat Of The Order
(16 - 12:18am, May 19)
Last: Misirlou is bad, he's nationwide

NewsblogOT: NBA Monthly Thread - May 2013
(933 - 12:18am, May 19)
Last: Quaker

NewsblogBBTF SOFTBALL GAME IN NEW YORK--AUG 17
(294 - 12:17am, May 19)
Last: bobm

NewsblogJosh Hamilton's allergies not linked to drug use, doctors say
(36 - 12:15am, May 19)
Last: Jack Carter, calling Beleaguered Castle

NewsblogBrian Cashman is keeping Ben Francisco around to “piss everybody off”
(7 - 12:08am, May 19)
Last: RoyalsRetro (AG#1F)

NewsblogPowerball odds? Juan Pierre's homers are long shots, too
(15 - 11:50pm, May 18)
Last: bobm

Newsblog[OTP-May] Politico: Congressional baseball game, May 1, 1926
(3276 - 11:44pm, May 18)
Last: CrosbyBird

NewsblogHolmes: Where does Miguel Cabrera rank among Tiger greats?
(26 - 11:42pm, May 18)
Last: Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams)

NewsblogOMNICHATTER for MAY 18, 2013
(145 - 11:05pm, May 18)
Last: boteman

NewsblogSoE (Megdal): It's Time to Finally Believe in the Orioles
(16 - 10:08pm, May 18)
Last: DJ Funky and the Smile Time Variety Players

NewsblogBradford: Could this be the smartest Red Sox team since '07?
(8 - 8:57pm, May 18)
Last: TVerik

NewsblogGeneration K: Baseball’s strikeout trend is growing at record pace
(59 - 8:32pm, May 18)
Last: Eric J can SABER all he wants to

NewsblogBabcock: Can The 2013 Cubs Channel The Turnaround Artists Of 1967?
(10 - 8:14pm, May 18)
Last: Walt Davis

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.

For wholesale prices on baseball gifts and equipment, check these stores out!

Baseball Autograph Signings
Baseball Card Supplies
Baseball Memorabilia
Baseball Collectibles
Baseball Equipment
Baseball Protective Gear

Page rendered in 0.1798 seconds
53 querie(s) executed