Links for Thursday as we congratulate Jose Bautista and Ichiro Suzuki. Bautista hit his 50th homer of the season in Toronto today and soon afterwards, Ichiro reached the 200-hit plateau for the tenth time in his ten-year career…
- Nationals president Stan Kasten will not return to the team after the season, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). Owner Ted Lerner released a statement saying the organization respects Kasten's decision and "will continue to call upon him for his vast knowledge of the game."
- Pirates manager John Russell tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that the Pirates are closer to respectability than some think. Russell, who faces speculation that he could be dismissed, says he isn't worried about his job security.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports admits that his initial assessment of the Scott Rolen trade was off-base. Like many analysts, Morosi questioned the Reds' decision to give up top prospects (Zach Stewart and Josh Roenicke) for a third baseman who appeared to be past his prime.
That just tells us one more time that babeball people know more than sports writers….usually “LOL”
I know right. Rolen has been huge for the Reds this season. Yes he has missed some games but the guy produces and is very professional and the younger guys are learning a ton of good things from Rolen too. I was happy when we got him even though the Reds did give up some pretty decent prospects. The fact the guy restructured his contract to help the team obviously win now was a big plus in my book on his character. Thanks Rolen for the good season. Lets hope you can do it again next year too.
Scott Rolen is a stud. Pure and Simple.
I like Stewart as a prospect and all but losing Rolen sucks. If we have him instead of E5, he would make a huge difference in the line-up and I loved his defense when he was with Toronto.
He was a great locker room guy too, sucks he’s not here but I hope he continues to play well for Cinci.
Rolen has been a tremendous pick up for the Reds. They took a big risk acquiring him, but they did know he would be a 110% guy, he is an incredibly smart player who has no qualms about sidling up to a teammate to “remind” him about certain things they should and shouldn’t do. He can do that, because he plays like that. He always takes his walk, goes first to third, hits to the opposite field, he always takes good at bats, and one of the best things about him is he’s one of the slowest men in the game and one of it’s best base runners.
There’s no question he filled a void in the Reds organization. Then he went and restructered his contract so they would have more financial flexibility. I hope he is appreciated by the Reds fans. He is one of the few players that make the players around him better.
Good to watch my favorite player Ichiro hit the 200 hit plateau once more, and also to see the out of nowhere slugger Bautista keep building on a fantastic season!
Fantastic is not even a good enough word for it.
Congratz to Ichiro. Hall of famer fo’ sure.
I really hope the Pirates find the courage to dismiss Russell. He’s a good man and a great citizen, but after three years, the Pirates aren’t showing any improvement in fundamental baseball, and numerous baserunning and fielding errors continue to plague this team.
If the Pirates are committed to winning, they will let Russell go this offseason. The guy has racked up almost 300 losses in three seasons! I know it’s not all his fault, but still, he’s in a results-oriented business and his results are pathetic. A lot of people don’t think a manager has a huge influence on a team’s record. I beg to differ. Look at what Buck Showalter has done since he’s taken over in Baltimore. The Pirates need to find their Buck Showalter this winter.
If the Pirates are committed to winning, they will let Russell go this offseason. The guy has racked up almost 300 losses in three seasons! I know it’s not all his fault, but still, he’s in a results-oriented business and his results are pathetic. A lot of people don’t think a manager has a huge influence on a team’s record. I beg to differ. Look at what Buck Showalter has done since he’s taken over in Baltimore. The Pirates need to find their Buck Showalter this winter.
Here’s a open question:
Is Ichiro a Hall of Famer?
In my opinion, he certainly has Hall of Fame caliber talent. There might be some question if he will actually collect bonafide Hall of Fame type numbers, only by virtue of having started the first phase of his career in Japan. Though, honestly I don’t think anyone really questions if he had started his MLB career as, say, a 20-23 yr old, that he’d be a lock for the Hall of Fame now. At his current age, assuming high production to about age 40, he will come in around or just under 3000 hits. If his speed tails off, his SBs and AVG will probably curtail as well, since his style of play depends on speed. If he enters the Hall of Fame, he would be the first Asian born Hall of Famer.
I don’t think it’s a question. He’s been an elite hitter in the US for 10 years and in that time has done more with a bat than most players. Had he started in the US we’d be talking about when is he going to get hit number 4,000… I’m pretty sure he has 3,500+ between the 2 leagues.
So yes, HOF, first ballot and his career isn’t over yet.
If you asked me, I agree with you. Anyone who has watched him play sees a Hall of Fame talent. Your argument is good. He has reached his lofty numbers at such a fast rate that it’s probably the best 10 yr careers (thus far) you’re gonna ever see.
It’s just that I think there’s two schools of thought in the Hall of Fame vote: The Literalists and Interpretational voters. Some vote based on a purist idea around numbers,and some others heavily weigh contextual factors. In the strictest purist sense, I don’t think the numbers will be there. Then again, there are plenty of examples of players who are in the Hall, and their numbers don’t jump out at you as much as their peers (e.g. SS and defensive-minded positions during pitching rich eras), but they get voted in because of fan consensus, peer acknowledgement and context.
I tend to have a very strict point of view about the HOF. Personally I believe the Hall is becoming watered down and becoming the “hall of the pretty good.” But my ultimate interpretation comes down to “elite” and for 10 years in the MLB Ichiro has been an elite leadoff hitter. So hey, I figure if a player can hit my standards… they’re in.
Compare Ichiro to Ralph Kiner, who got in the Hall with a career that lasted only a decade. Kiner didn’t have “classic” HOF numbers, but for the ten years he played, he absolutely owned the National League.
Here’s some additional context: The Houston Astros are playing their 49th season of baseball. In that time, they’ve had one player reach 200 hits in a season and he did it only once. Ichiro has done it in each of his first ten seasons.
You need to play a minimum of ten years to qualify for the HOF. Ichiro has demonstrated a HOF-caliber talent during his decade in MLB. He’s a bona fide hitting machine.
First ballot.
Kiner is a great example. Injuries forced his retirement, but he was clearly Hall of Fame caliber. Others in a similar category might be Puckett and Koufax. I think both were slightly more than Kiner in years (12 seasons?).This is how I am leaning: If by some fluke, Ichiro ended his career today, then it’s a tougher call, who might not get in or be one of those candidates who needs some time to get there, a la Dawson or Rice. Though if Ichiro can stay in the league for about 2 or so more seasons, and continue his career norms, it’s easily first ballot.I raise this issue because I’ve been having a discussion with a friend about Albert Belle’s chances. He was clearly a Hall of Fame talent who saw his career shortened by a degenerative hip injury. As a result he doesn’t have the telltale numbers of a Hall of Famer, but he clearly performed at that rate in a short span. So here comes Ichiro, who also will have a short career for different reasons, and will also probably see his final numbers diminished because of it. What allows one to get in, but the other probably never will?
Not counting defense, Albert Belle had a better career than Kirby Puckett. They played the same number of years but Kirby was universally loved by voters and garnered a lot of sympathy for how his career ended, while Belle was hated by almost everyone but his mother.
Not counting defense, Albert Belle had a better career than Kirby Puckett. They played the same number of years but Kirby was universally loved by voters and garnered a lot of sympathy for how his career ended, while Belle was hated by almost everyone but his mother.
I think it all depends on how much you consider his accomplishments in Japan. After all, it’s the NATIONAL Baseball Hall of Fame. I personally would like to see that qualifier removed and create a universal Hall of Fame that would eventually include guys like Shahdara Oh and some of the Cuban greats I’m too ignorant to know much about.
If we consider Japan, then yes, Ichiro is a Hall of Famer. You could also argue that Hideki Matsui is even more deserving of enshrinement, having spent his peak years absolutely hitting the snot out of the ball in Yomiuri and not coming to the majors until he was 29, where he has been considerably above-average since.
Please, oh please don’t let Kasten wind up with the Mets …
I wonder..what is the job of a Team President..how does it differ from a GM…and how would it be different under the Mets…
More administrative duties is my guess. John Schuerholz is now president of the Braves and Frank Wren is the GM. Wren is responsible for personnel moves, staff hires, etc. Schuerholz most likely oversees that aspect plus marketing, TV/radio contracts, etc.
right…what is the divide between “overseeing” a GM and doing half his job
?
Kasten’s had a hell of a career as a front-office man with the Braves and his hires have the Nats set up pretty well for the future.
Anyone else feel really really bad for felix hernandez?
I sure will when he doesn’t win the Cy Young.
2 hit CG and takes the loss? i mean ouch
He’s going to win trust me… voters today will be happy to ignore the overrated W-L column… That’s why Lincecum won, and Wainwright finished 3d last year for the NL Cy Young.
He’s going to win trust me… voters today will be happy to ignore the overrated W-L column… That’s why Lincecum won, and Wainwright finished 3d last year for the NL Cy Young.
Fantastic pitcher on a team which gives him no support. In my opinion, he’s having a Cy Young type of year, but won’t get the recognition he deserves because he’s not getting his share of wins, today being an example. There aren’t too many games I can recall where a pitcher pitched a complete game 2-hitter and lost.
I’m in DC and a Nats fan and I’m guessing that Kasten’s resignation doesn’t register too much around the country. Do people feel that he’s resigning because ownership has decided it won’t spend big next year to try to add to the fanbase with no Strasburg?
The word is that he’s resigning because of personal reasons.
“Personal reasons” = I’ve got better plans like going after Bud Selig’s job or finding an ownership group willing to spend more money?
I doubt that he’s leaving to find another job. He’s been with the Nats long enough to hire the right guys to build up the team and the farm, why would he leave when they’re on the edge of breaking out with all their young talent?
hey pittsburgh has some nice pieces and a few nice pitchers coming up.washington is tricky they do have strasburg who until he had the surgery pitched pretty well and have harper who is supposed to be an outifelder instead of catcher with norris there i think its smart.ichiro has some more years on his contract so he will just pad his numbers getting 200 hits in a season is tough but 10 yrs straight he got my vote if i could.and nice for batista pretty much a part time player for alot of his career to go out and hit 50 in the post steroid age he is a big reason why toronto leads the mlb in hrs plus i hear he is a great teammate in the locker room.oh and yea felix deserves to pitch on a contender like the mets would be nice or rangers cubs if they could get him as well teams in need of that 1 good pitcher to get over the hump in the future years
Not sure people really considered Stewart and Roenicke top prospects. Maybe on some teams, but these guys are pretty far down on the pecking order in the Reds system. As for EE, he had worn out his welcome with the Reds, and now it looks like Jays are also tired of his act expecially in the field. This always looked like a high (monetary) risk, high reward proposition, the worst that would happen is Rolen would spend the entire year on the DL and the Reds are stuck with a big bill, but they had no plans for the people they gave up anyway.
Perhaps not ROenick but I would consider Stewart a top prospect. He is still very young and has potential to become a #2/3 starter down the line. I think he’ll crack the top 100 prospect list as well.
reds had stewart in the pen thats why he wasn’t that highly ranked. Since his transition back to the rotation he’s looking more and more like a stud.. He matched drabek pitch for pitch in the second half of the season and playoffs, and drabek is a top 20 prospect.. I think the deal worked out well for both sides, hard to declare a winner. Rolen wanted to go and be closer to home, jays arent a win now team, reds gave up some good arms..
Don’t fool yourself on roenicke either, as his changeup develops you could see him in a setup or closing role.
EE- well not much to say on him.
More like E5
E5 what more like E500 in his career. lol..
More like E5
I agree the prospects cincy gave up were pretty far down the pitching food chain. I think the Reds got the better of this deal even though they gave up some upside prospects.
The day the Reds got rid of EE I was so happy I started jumping up in down in excitement. Could not stand his play to hot and cold batting. and fielding don’t even get me started.