MLB

[Joesanity]

McGriff is borderline for me. Walker, Jones, and Rolen, though, should be no-doubters.

I struggle with Walker because I feel like all his stats are inflated from playing in Colorado...there's years where he hit .400 at home and .230 everywhere else...I get you can't help the environment you play in, but I definitely feel like you have to take it into account...Walker was a very good player but I don't know that I ever thought of him as a hall of famer

The other two you mention (Jones and Rolen) I kind of think of the same way...very good players, maybe even had great years each, but hall of fame?

I feel like Jones and Rolen were so good defensively that it puts them over the top.

[philpritchard]

McGriff is borderline for me. Walker, Jones, and Rolen, though, should be no-doubters.

I struggle with Walker because I feel like all his stats are inflated from playing in Colorado...there's years where he hit .400 at home and .230 everywhere else...I get you can't help the environment you play in, but I definitely feel like you have to take it into account...Walker was a very good player but I don't know that I ever thought of him as a hall of famer

The other two you mention (Jones and Rolen) I kind of think of the same way...very good players, maybe even had great years each, but hall of fame?

The problem with this line of thinking is that it basically leaves you at the point where no one from Colorado can ever by inducted into the Hall of Fame because their stats are always elevated by playing there. It doesn't matter that his career OPS on the road is higher than, say, Griffey's... he played in Colorado and it boosted his numbers, so he's not a Hall of Famer.

Yes, Walker had seasons with a significant platoon advantage from Colorado just like everyone who has ever played there. He also had seasons where his OPS on the road was higher, like his MVP season. He also finished 5th and 11th in MVP voting before he even went to Colorado. He wasn't a star because of Colorado; he was a star who also happened to play in Colorado.

Carl Yastrzemski had nearly the same home advantage as Walker over the course of his career. So did Kirby Puckett. So did Wade Boggs. So did Ryne Sandberg. So did Jim Rice. Yet home and road splits are only used as an argument when it comes to Colorado, for some reason. It's just a convenient and overly simplistic way of looking at things.

Regardless of the splits, that's why we have stats like wRC+ that adjust for era and home stadium. Walker's is 140, which is in the ~60th all-time range and basically tied with A-Rod, Piazza, Ortiz, and Reggie Jackson.

[PHATJ]

McGriff is borderline for me. Walker, Jones, and Rolen, though, should be no-doubters.

I struggle with Walker because I feel like all his stats are inflated from playing in Colorado...there's years where he hit .400 at home and .230 everywhere else...I get you can't help the environment you play in, but I definitely feel like you have to take it into account...Walker was a very good player but I don't know that I ever thought of him as a hall of famer

The other two you mention (Jones and Rolen) I kind of think of the same way...very good players, maybe even had great years each, but hall of fame?

The problem with this line of thinking is that it basically leaves you at the point where no one from Colorado can ever by inducted into the Hall of Fame because their stats are always elevated by playing there. It doesn't matter that his career OPS on the road is higher than, say, Griffey's... he played in Colorado and it boosted his numbers, so he's not a Hall of Famer.

Yes, Walker had seasons with a significant platoon advantage from Colorado just like everyone who has ever played there. He also had seasons where his OPS on the road was higher, like his MVP season. He also finished 5th and 11th in MVP voting before he even went to Colorado. He wasn't a star because of Colorado; he was a star who also happened to play in Colorado.

Carl Yastrzemski had nearly the same home advantage as Walker over the course of his career. So did Kirby Puckett. So did Wade Boggs. So did Ryne Sandberg. So did Jim Rice. Yet home and road splits are only used as an argument when it comes to Colorado, for some reason. It's just a convenient and overly simplistic way of looking at things.

Regardless of the splits, that's why we have stats like wRC+ that adjust for era and home stadium. Walker's is 140, which is in the ~60th all-time range and basically tied with A-Rod, Piazza, Ortiz, and Reggie Jackson.

I love this post. I think Walker is absolutely deserving.

[Electromatic]

I guess I remember Larry Walker more as an Expo than in Colorado. He was a great right fielder.

[rick malone]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/02/mlb-union-discussing-significant-rule-changes.html

DH could be coming to the NL finally and MLB is proposing a pitcher must face a minimum of 3 batters per appearance.

[Simple Torture]

Would be a big fan of universal DH. Would rather cut a toe off than see any of these pace-of-play rules implemented.

[Stardog Champion]

Would be a big fan of universal DH. Would rather cut a toe off than see any of these pace-of-play rules implemented.

I'd also be a big fan of the universal DH, but that's probably selfish since a) I'd feel better about how much the Mets will eventually be paying a 41 year old Cano and b) it would save the added humiliation of another year where deGrom somehow acts as one of the more reliable hitters on the team (which is basically how August and September felt last year).

[Norris]

give me universal dh and give me pitch clock

[Stardog Champion]

Mets joking aside, I'd be in on the universal DH at this point just to end the current situation where a handful of free agents are basically confined to the AL. A guy like Nelson Cruz should have more options in terms of where he can sign at this point in his career.

[Simple Torture]

I am kind of surprised you'd be up for a pitch clock, chud.

[Norris]

move it along

[Chris_H_2]

move it along

[Simple Torture]

Reports this morning are that Yankees are close with Machado at 7/8 ~$220m

[Simple Torture]

[PHATJ]

Call them the Expos and lets play.

[numbers]

I am growing more angry about this situation every day.

[Bammer]

I am growing more angry about this situation every day.

I am not. The money is insane. Hopefully this means it is coming back down to earth.

[numbers]

I am growing more angry about this situation every day.

I am not. The money is insane. Hopefully this means it is coming back down to earth.

The money is not coming back down to earth, more of it is being shifted from the players to the owners.

Last edited by numbers on Wed February 13, 2019 2:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Norris]

I am growing more angry about this situation every day.

I am not. The money is insane. Hopefully this means it is coming back down to earth.

The money is not coming back down to earth, more of it is being shifted from the players the owners.

numbers gets it

[philpritchard]

I am growing more angry about this situation every day.

I am not. The money is insane. Hopefully this means it is coming back down to earth.

The money is not coming back down to earth, more of it is being shifted from the players to the owners.

Yep.

I get teams wanting to be smarter with their money - in recent years they've increased spending on elite relievers and stopped spending in one dimensional sluggers and aging stars - but this isn't about being smarter with their money, this is about spending less of it.