Tribe vs Orioles 4/16/11

[T_N_T]

ballgame

[Jumbo]

So that is your argument that right now, today, Santana is a better MLB player than Posey?

Ha.

I'm out.

I am going to ahead and say you're both wrong and obstuse for even arguing this point. Posey has played in 69 more games in his career and accumulated about 300 more at bats. Techinically, you're right EY that Posey has put up better numbers (not by a long shot with Santana's season being cut short last year)but to make the comparison is short-sited and mind-numbingly pointless. Posey and Santana are basically equals in terms of fielding at the C position, but I'd say Santana needs a little more time in terms of calling a ballgame (again sample size). Lets talk about this when the year is over and they have comparable sample sizes in terms of plate appearences and games. Equally one of the most fruitless back and forth banters I've read here in terms of comparing young players.

Of course. Low numbers of games and at bats cuts both ways.

This is new territory having little else to about since the team has been playing so well otherwise.

[Am I Here Again?]

Durbin only 13 pitches? Thank goodness...I was holding my breath with each one. Ten wins so far. How long did it take to get to ten wins last year? (I know, I'm going to look now....)

[British_Pharaoh]

10-4

Good shit

[Am I Here Again?]

Wow, Game 23 on May first was our ten-win mark last year. Lookin' good so far.

[skatingtripods]

Good to see Peeks, Pauly C, and Al C. up in the Social Suite today. Nice hanging out with you gents.

A solid win, and I timed it perfectly. Monsters game ended, Tribe rain delay ended a half hour after I entered the ballpark. Couldn't have worked out any better.

[Prosecutor]

Considering the numbers that Britton and Guthrie brought into this series, I'm incredibly impressed with the Tribe's offense. Good to see Buck and LaPorta mashing the ball. LaPorta in particular is really looking relaxed and comfortable at the plate and in the field.

Now let's get the sweep and Carmona his first win tomorrow.

[peeker643]

I'm fearful on LaPorta. Watching him down there the last two nights, well, let's just say dude uses no lower half in his swing and has run into a few fastballs on the inner half of the plate. I'm thankful dude has had some success but as someone mentioned down there in the suite, the hip injury may have turned him into an all upper body guy in terms of swinging the bat.

He remians susceptible to soft stuff away (although to be fair many 'healthy' hitters do too).

Just saying, I'm not bullish on LaPorta to be all we thought he might be and all his amateur/minor league numbers would have indicated.

Buyer beware. He seems to be more willing to take balls to rcf like he did against Angels than a guy like Marte was, but he's got a long way to go be an everyday run producer in the majors.

Just my opinion.

[RickNashEquilibrium]

If Ryan Kalish doesn't pull a Jimmy Snuka on Santana's leg, the context of this discussion changes a lot. However, a missed year is a missed year and Carlos has to get back on track. I think what rubbed Jimbo and Delcucci the wrong was was that it was somewhat of a slam on Carlos when the set of circumstances has obvoiusly allowed Buster to show what he is made of (even with a small sample size in terms of plate appearences and games). Not really sure if the comment was necessessry as Santana had a decent year going last year and it ended abruptly. If we blow his stats out from last year he would have been a 30/20 guy with 80+ RBI and an OPS+ of 144. Kinda disengenuous to make that comment with the knowledge one guy had a devistating knee injury. Its like saying Josh Tomlin is better than Steven Strasburgh. Given his results Josh IS better thus far, but its not this black and white comparison because we have very small sample size to look at. Saying Buster is better is as pointless as someone saying Carlos should be considered one of the best out there on talent alone. Not saying you're wrong Lee in a techinical sense, but that comment IMO is out of place considering how short along BOTH players are in their careers.

[leadpipe]

If Ryan Kalish doesn't pull a Jimmy Snuka on Santana's leg, the context of this discussion changes a lot. However, a missed year is a missed year and Carlos has to get back on track. I think what rubbed Jimbo and Delcucci the wrong was was that it was somewhat of a slam on Carlos when the set of circumstances has obvoiusly allowed Buster to show what he is made of (even with a small sample size in terms of plate appearences and games). Not really sure if the comment was necessessry as Santana had a decent year going last year and it ended abruptly. If we blow his stats out from last year he would have been a 30/20 guy with 80+ RBI and an OPS+ of 144. Kinda disengenuous to make that comment with the knowledge one guy had a devistating knee injury. Its like saying Josh Tomlin is better than Steven Strasburgh. Given his results Josh IS better thus far, but its not this black and white comparison because we have very small sample size to look at. Saying Buster is better is as pointless as someone saying Carlos should be considered one of the best out there on talent alone. Not saying you're wrong Lee in a techinical sense, but that comment IMO is out of place considering how short along BOTH players are in their careers.

While the offense argument is well taken, I feel Posey is light years ahead of Santana in regard to calling games. SF's pitchers immediate comfort with him was a point of emphasis last year, while here, it's quite the opposite. And, you could make a case that this is the position (other than pitcher) where what you do without the bat is arguably more important than what you do with it.

[e0y2e3]

There is also the fact that Posey is the undeniable leader of that club-house.

And the Tomlin - Strasburg statement is disingenuous, apples to oranges and stuff.

And I still stand by my point, one player has done it in the MLB and another one looks lost as hell right now (and was in a slump when he got hurt, let's not forget that).

Talent is there, let's wait and see if he develops it before we call him a top 35 player in the MLB. I honestly don't know how that is too much to ask.