Knuckle Curve » hanley_ramirez

Linkage: NL East Edition

Geoff Young — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:19:09 +0000

Catching up on some stuff that’s been sitting on the proverbial desk for awhile. Yeah, it’s a little old, but so am I. Get over it:

Chris at Capitol Punishment examines the Nationals’ least clutch plays of the 2007 season.
Speaking of the Nats, Harper at Oleander and Morning Glories explains why Manny Acta didn’t get serious consideration for NL Manager of the Year.
Erik at Philliesflow wonders why Jimmy Rollins won the NL Silver Slugger at shortstop over Florida’s Hanley Ramirez. Remember, this is a Phillies blogger asking the question.
Will at Chop-n-Change looks at the best ever to play left field for the Braves.
Alex at Mets Geek marvels at the success Tom Glavine has enjoyed over the years despite never having great stuff.

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NL MVP Poll

Geoff Young — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:44:23 +0000

{democracy:19}

This poll has been running for a while, but it’s gotten a little closer than I’d expected. If you haven’t voted yet, please feel free to do so. Here are some previous entries that might help you make a decision:

One of these days I’ll get around to looking at the American League race. Maybe even before the season ends.

[Update, Sep 23, 2007: As promised, here is the AL MVP poll. ]

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Who Will Be NL MVP in ‘07?

Geoff Young — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:38:43 +0000

That’s the question Jacob at Vegas Watch asks. Actually he asked it earlier in the week, and I’m just now getting around to it. Yes, I’m lame.

Jacob’s analysis is solid, but I disagree with the conclusion, mainly because it gives voters too much credit. Specifically, I don’t know that Prince Fielder will be penalized much for his defense if he keeps leading the league in homers, nor do I have confidence in voters’ ability to understand (or care) just how much Matt Holliday has been helped by Coors Field.

I think the race will come down to Fielder, Holliday, and last year’s winner, Ryan Howard. How would I vote? Not sure, but probably Hanley Ramirez (despite his defensive shortcomings) or David Wright.

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Holliday Over Hanley?

Geoff Young — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:14:06 +0000

Jacob and his fellow writers at Epic Carnival have assembled a list of their choices for MVP and Cy Young awards if the season ended today. My only gripe is with the NL MVP award. Matt Holliday is enjoying a fine season, but that .299/.362/.470 line away from Coors Field is pretty pedestrian. For my money, he’s not in the same class as Florida’s Hanley Ramirez, who is putting up goofy numbers at a premium defensive position in a much more difficult environment. It also seems like Vlad Guerrero should get a little more love in the AL voting, but maybe he’s one of those guys who has set the bar so high that almost anything he does will be viewed as a disappointment.

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Not Your Father’s Shortstops

Geoff Young — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:37:12 +0000

Have you noticed the National League shortstops this season? These are not the players I remember watching as a kid — Bill Russell, Davy Concepcion, Rafael Ramirez, Rafael Santana, Larry Bowa, Tim Foli, et al. Sure, Adam Everett is around, but most of the other guys manning the position now wield a potent bat.

Cal Ripken created a big stir when he first came into the big leagues. Redefined the position, they said. Alan Trammell. Robin Yount. And later, of course, the big three of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Nomar Garciaparra.

Those guys all called the American League home. What did the NL have? Barry Larkin (who hopefully will have better luck than Trammell did when it comes time for the Hall of Fame folks to hand out keys to the executive washroom), and that’s about it.

Young NL Shortstops
Player	Age	AB	BA	OBP	SLG
Stats courtesy of ESPN, through May 21, 2007.
J.J. Hardy	24	186	.312	.355	.602
Hanley Ramirez	23	170	.335	.411	.541
Jose Reyes	24	182	.324	.394	.505
Troy Tulowitzki	22	155	.258	.348	.361
Stephen Drew	24	158	.234	.302	.310

Now, though, we’ve got J.J. Hardy, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Edgar Renteria, and Jimmy Rollins tearing up the league. Renteria and Rollins have been around a while, but those other three might have untapped upside, which is a scary thought.

Troy Tulowitzki and Stephen Drew aren’t there yet, but they will be. Remember that Reyes hit .273/.300/.386 in his first full season.

Hardy leads the league in home runs. He now has 28 for his career, or three more than Foli knocked over 16 seasons. Yeah, I think the game has changed a little in 30 years…

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