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Thursday, November 17, 2005

YESNetwork: Goldman: Pinstriped Blog

Goldman takes on A-Rod, the N.Y. press, Shahak…and wrong Endy, Buster!

On Tuesday, Mike Francesa asked Buster Olney of ESPN who would be the Yankees center fielder next year. His answer: Endy Chavez.

If Olney is right, it’s going to be another long year in the Bronx. Chavez is a miserably bad player, a pinch-runner at best. His major league averages: .259/.299/.359. He has walked 76 times in 544 career plate appearances. He has no power. He will be a new Enrique Wilson, except he’ll be walking in the footsteps of Mickey Mantle.

Bubba Crosby is a better bet. If you wanted to consider Chavez a fifth outfielder, one who would substitute for Matsui or Brian Giles, whichever was playing center that day, in the late innings, then Crosby is still a better bet.

Repoz Posted: November 17, 2005 at 07:33 PM | 40 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: yankees

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1. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: November 17, 2005 at 07:47 PM (#1735774)

Francesa was put on this earth to make me laugh. Olney? Why kick a dead horse.

OK, time to rtfa.

2. AROM Posted: November 17, 2005 at 07:53 PM (#1735782)

He has walked 76 times in 544 career plate appearances.

Must be a misprint. If Endy walked that much, he'd be Brett Butler.

3. Boots Day Posted: November 17, 2005 at 07:54 PM (#1735784)

He has walked 76 times in 544 career plate appearances.

This seemed completely unremarkable to me: That's about an average walk rate, maybe a bit above average.

So I checked, and while Chavez has indeed walked 76 times, it's in 1421 plate appearances.

4. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: November 17, 2005 at 07:55 PM (#1735788)

It is a misprint - Chavez has 76 walks in 1421 PAs. I don't know where 544 comes from.

5. Oggman Posted: November 17, 2005 at 07:58 PM (#1735796)

Doh, you all beat me too it. ;)

6. jmac66 Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:01 PM (#1735800)

76 walks in 1421 PAs. I don't know where 544 comes from.

544 is half of 1421

(well, kinda)

7. villainx Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:02 PM (#1735805)

Chavez walked 76 times in 1421 pa. I must be worth repeating.

8. jmac66 Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:03 PM (#1735807)

Francesa was put on this earth to make me laugh

Francesa was put on this earth to eat himself into an extremely painful MI

Chris Russo was put on this earth to have very long needles (say about this long) plunged into his eyes

9. jmac66 Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:06 PM (#1735809)

10. Psychedelic Red Pants Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:07 PM (#1735811)

This seemed completely unremarkable to me: That's about an average walk rate, maybe a bit above average.

It'd be 105 walks in the leadoff spot in the Bronx. 14% is a pretty good walk rate.

11. jmac66 Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:09 PM (#1735813)

my browser double-posted on its own again (honest)

but the part about Russo bears repeating anyway

12. Psychedelic Red Pants Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:10 PM (#1735815)

He had 547 PAs in 2004. That's the closest I can get to 544 just glancing at his numbers.

13. Steven Goldman Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:27 PM (#1735850)

It's a typo, guys, sorry about that. It has been corrected. It results from a one-eyed guy looking at small numbers in low light at three in the morning (yes, I'm begging sympathy). I hope other aspects of the column are more worthy of comment now that the offending, um, eyesore has been removed. -- Steve

14. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:32 PM (#1735864)

what is MI?

15. Steven Goldman Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:35 PM (#1735866)

I mean, we're all very excited about buying Tanyon Sturtze a comfy chair.

16. Moe Greene Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:38 PM (#1735870)

what is MI?

Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.

17. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:39 PM (#1735873)

It results from a one-eyed guy looking at small numbers in low light at three in the morning

Neifi Perez has a side job?

18. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:45 PM (#1735881)

Mr. Goldman, I've got to admit that I've become a regular on yesnetwork.com thanks to your bible and blog. You're doing a fine job leading the blind through the valley of darkness.

19. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: November 17, 2005 at 08:48 PM (#1735890)

Brilliant job of exposing the anti-A-Rod BS of the press, Steven. A-Rod's comment about it never being over is not a complaint, it's an acknowledgement of what he needs to do with his talent. It's not enough for him to put up numbers and make money, he knows that he has to help his team win.

20. incarnadine Posted: November 17, 2005 at 09:09 PM (#1735947)

I'd gladly throw a sawbuck into the kitty to get The Bearcat a comfy chair, but I'd double it if we could get a farmhand up to take his spot at league minimum.

Possibly something in a crafty, portly righthander, hmm?

21. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: November 17, 2005 at 09:13 PM (#1735959)

(yes, I'm begging sympathy)

Steve--do you have children? You should have them taken away.

Seriously though Steve, 3:00 AM? Five words: Mountain Dew High Energy Drink.

I'm guessing it'll become real popular in clubhouses in 2006.

Best Regards

John

22. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: November 17, 2005 at 09:16 PM (#1735964)

John, I thought Mountain Drew led to shrunken testicles...

23. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: November 17, 2005 at 09:17 PM (#1735967)

John, I thought Mountain Drew led to shrunken testicles...

Well I'll be damned....

Best Regards

John

24. Big Train Posted: November 17, 2005 at 09:26 PM (#1735993)

Everyone is down on Sturtze, but not me. Joe worked him to death, but he was very good (save one bad appearance and one spot start) in the beginning of '05.

I don't mind having him around, who else is Mo going to play catch with?

25. CraigK Posted: November 17, 2005 at 09:26 PM (#1735995)

Steven Goldman’s Rule of Popcorn: No matter where you are or how it is prepared, popcorn will always smell better than it tastes.

Not the "Pop-Secret" "Homestyle" type; I love that stuff.

26. Mark S. Posted: November 17, 2005 at 10:09 PM (#1736082)

John, I thought Mountain Drew led to shrunken testicles...

What, exactly, are you doing with Mountain Dew and your testicles to cause the shrinkage?

27. CraigK Posted: November 17, 2005 at 10:21 PM (#1736099)

Wow; Popcorn and Mountain Dew killed the thread.

28. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: November 17, 2005 at 10:31 PM (#1736131)

What, exactly, are you doing with Mountain Dew and your testicles to cause the shrinkage?

Well I was trying to combine my two favourite hobbies: ship-in-a-bottle and Option J...

Best Regards

John

29. Srul Itza Posted: November 17, 2005 at 10:38 PM (#1736155)

From the article:

"Interesting if you like car accidents. Ausmus is a 36-year-old backstop with a .243 EqA."

Now, assuming some decline in Ausmus, and assuming that he is not the glove wizard or pitcher handler everyone seems to think, that may be an acceptable comment.

But if you look at the position averages posted by Baseball Prospectus, the average EqA of a catcher last year was .245

So a .243 EqA from a catcher, while below average, is not abysmal. The simple fact is that catchers are far and away the worst hitters, and if you can get a good hitting catcher you have a plus -- but you probably can't.

If you can get a good fielding catcher, who is within range of average hitting, at a decent price, there is no reason not to do so.

30. DCW3 Posted: November 17, 2005 at 11:04 PM (#1736238)

Yeah, Ausmus really wasn't bad last year, but it was his best season since 2000.

31. Steve Treder Posted: November 17, 2005 at 11:15 PM (#1736262)

Did anyone else besides me think Ausmus' throwing in the post-season this year was pretty cruddy?

32. greenback

Posted: November 17, 2005 at 11:50 PM (#1736338)

Chavez is a miserably bad player, a pinch-runner at best. His major league averages: .259/.299/.359.

Chavez is a miserably bad hitter. His defense makes him much more valuable than AVG/OBP/SLG indicates.

33. GregD Posted: November 18, 2005 at 01:07 AM (#1736438)

I'd guess Endy could be had cheaply. Gillick apparently said today on the radio that Victorino is the starting center fielder. Surely they intend to keep Michaels around, as they should. There's really no reason they should be hanging on to Endy at this point, unless they're hoping he can be the occasional Garry Maddox to Ryan Howard's Greg Luzinski.

34. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: November 18, 2005 at 01:54 AM (#1736500)

Chavez is a miserably bad hitter. His defense makes him much more valuable than AVG/OBP/SLG indicates.

Would kinda have to, wouldn't it?

35. greenback

Posted: November 18, 2005 at 02:02 AM (#1736507)

Have you ever seen Tony Womack's defense?

36. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: November 18, 2005 at 02:04 AM (#1736508)

Unless I'm imagining this--always possible after all--MGL said, around the time of the Byrd/Chavez trade, that he thinks Chavez's defense makes him worthy of a starting spot. Now, I don't know what Endy's D is really worth, but I'm willing to at least entertain the chance he's worth a starting job.

That having been said, I'm aware the existance of a guy with a career .259/.299/.359 (67 OPS+) will probably result in enough #### in the Chatters to get me banned, so I guess I oppose his accquistion

37. greenback

Posted: November 18, 2005 at 02:10 AM (#1736513)

I wouldn't want him starting on my team either for more or less the same reason. But he's almost certainly better than Bernabe Williams was in 2005.

38. Jeff K. Posted: November 18, 2005 at 08:02 AM (#1736811)

You're doing a fine job leading the blind through the valley of darkness.

This was funny.

Oh, and Endy Chavez is worthless.

39. JPWF13

Posted: November 18, 2005 at 01:24 PM (#1736866)

So a .243 EqA from a catcher, while below average, is not abysmal. The simple fact is that catchers are far and away the worst hitters, and if you can get a good hitting catcher you have a plus -- but you probably can't.

yeah but for 2 years prior he struggled to crack .220

40. Don't want the truth; just wanna see some dingers Posted: November 18, 2005 at 02:09 PM (#1736886)

Steven Goldman’s Rule of Popcorn: No matter where you are or how it is prepared, popcorn will always smell better than it tastes.

Same with coffee.

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YESNetwork: Goldman: Pinstriped Blog

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