Josh Hamilton doesn't belong at all, but he's here largely because he's famous, and when healthy...

Josh Hamilton doesn't belong at all, but he's here largely because he's famous, and when healthy he's pretty talented. It's a mistake, but not as irritating as the inclusion of Michael Young, whose grit and hustle and other nonsense have all served to mask the fact that he is apparently a lousy defender anywhere he plays. Young's spot on the roster squeezed out the far more deserving Scott Rolen, who is outhitting Young even before you adjust for their home parks, and who is one of the best defensive third basemen of the past 20 years, even retaining that skill set through advancing age and a Job-like cavalcade of injuries.

Comments

LAYIN DOWN THA LAW

by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Jul 5, 2009 11:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The all-star game fough the Law... and the Law won...

Get on base or die, Salty.

"I don’t think we ever envisioned that anyone could shut this offense down to one hit" - Ron Washington

Hello Win Column

by lonestarJon on Jul 6, 2009 12:54 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

anything about Kinsler/Millwood?

by cmkelly29 on Jul 5, 2009 11:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He picks Millwood

Not Kinsler. Zobrist starting, Pedroia and Hill as reserves.

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 5, 2009 11:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So he's just as hypocritical

hilarious.

Pedroia?

"We're One Nation Under a Groove"
- Ayjayem

by Chase Irwin on Jul 5, 2009 11:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i know, what a joke

he bashes the MY pick b/c he talks about his history and “gritty” factor…yet he doesnt give the same treatment to Pedroia, who is having a weaker year than Mike

what the fuck ever Keith, youre smart and a good writer but that portion flat out makes whatever you write on there completely irrelevant…

also, where is Nelson Cruz at then

He randomly chooses when he wants to follow certain concepts and when he wants to ignore them

by Horns130 on Jul 6, 2009 3:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the arguement for pedroia over kinsler

is waywayway more legit than the arguement for rolen over FOTF

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx

by knockoutking on Jul 6, 2009 9:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

one is overrated and the other lucky

or so I guess

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY

by RangerMad on Jul 5, 2009 11:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow. He seems bitter.

I’m not saying he’s wrong ~ but he seems very bitter.

Your 2009 Texas Rangers: Can't take a fucking to save their lives.

by Snark on Jul 5, 2009 11:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

True but stated in an irritating way

Shocking

the preceding post was a great success.

by DSheppard on Jul 5, 2009 11:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh well, gotta be an Insider.

I ain’t paying for Berman’s contract.
Anyway, What’s he so upset about? It happens every year, and overcoming Job-like injuries isn’t an All-Star asset. Might as well apply that to Hamilton for the rest of his career.

"I saw your act, just didn't make it for me. Just a lot of fluff."

by scoop16 on Jul 5, 2009 11:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Grrrr... I'm tired of all these All-Star Game politics

If I were any one of Millwood, Kinsler or Young, I’d want a few days off to kick my feet back and throw down a couple-a-brews.

by oc on Jul 5, 2009 11:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh suck it Keith Law.

I ain’t payin for yo’ shit either.

"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball

by rangerdanger on Jul 5, 2009 11:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Amen

by Jea103 on Jul 5, 2009 11:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

For Law

And for that matter, for Adam.

Screw Keith Law. Screw ESPN. Screw baseball critics when they are right versus public opinion or player opinion. Screw the Angels. Screw the fact that MY is not particularly good defensively (but could lead baseball in 5-4-3’s turned). Screw the omission of Kinsler due to a barrage of late Eastern votes. It’s an exhibition game, has one minor impact re home designation for the World Series, but if it promotes the game and helps keep interest in it during a tough economy, so let it be what it is. And screw putting up every negative float on Young, whether it’s from Law or some lamppost statistician. The game is to be played, critical analyses have yet to change a scoreboard, and …… well I guess I’m done screwing. Apologies for the shift in tone.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -

"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce

by Ed Coffin on Jul 5, 2009 11:53 PM CDT reply actions 12 recs

rec-tum.

Love you Ed.

"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball

by rangerdanger on Jul 5, 2009 11:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That sound ...

was the nail in the coffin.

"We're One Nation Under a Groove"
- Ayjayem

by Chase Irwin on Jul 5, 2009 11:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ooh. I saw that.

by chrisR on Jul 6, 2009 12:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

POW!

"I love winning." - rockin_rangers, on May 16, 2009

by ghtd36 on Jul 6, 2009 9:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pow Pow!

"If this video was an ice cream flavor, it'd be pralines and dick." Clark
re: Matthew Wilder-Break My Stride, 4/17/09

"We’re tired of hearing how bad the Rangers pitching staff is and we’re doing all we can to change it." - Kevin Millwood, 5/6/09

by EssBee on Jul 6, 2009 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Screw deciding home field for the WS by winning the All-Star Game.

Stupid * one billion million = ASG deciding home field.

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Jul 6, 2009 7:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I love the rants of cranky old guys

because I are one myself. I was about to go on one of my carnky old man rants myself about all the saber rattlers who moan and groan and bitch about MY’s defense on 3rd because of some three initial stat that says he is 4 microns below average with park adjustments times the wind speed on the second thursday after the all star game adjusted by taking one half of the radius of Barry Bond’s head and multiplying it by the number of idiotic remarks that Joe Morgan makes on an average broadcast.

OK, fine. MY is not Brooks Robinson ( Hey, I’m old ) and I dont really think he is an all star either, but what he gets to he snags and he has a strong sure arm. Like Ed says he is pretty good on the old around the horn double dip.

I feel much better now

by BEW on Jul 6, 2009 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ed is my hero.

Has been since the old ESPN Rangers Board days.

by Athos on Jul 6, 2009 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It always amused me

watching you two get all bitchy and hormonal whenever someone points out that Mikey Young has been an absolutely terrible defensive player for years.

We had similar whining that his defense wasn’t that bad at SS, and lo and behold, we get a real defensive SS, and the team goes from one of the worst defenses in baseball to one of the best.

"I saw a soldier try to dig a foxhole with his bare hands. He didn't notice that he'd torn off all his fingernails. I got him out of there quickly; not for his sake, but for ours. Fear is poison in combat...destructive, contagious." - Band of Brothers

by DJCahill on Jul 6, 2009 4:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's hormonal to disagree with phrases like "absolutely terrible"?

The degree to which MY’s defensive shortcomings are exaggerated around here is what pisses me off, not that he’s being criticized. Even with the new rock star defensive stats, it shows that he’s been either bad in some years or a little below average in others. But some of you guys run with that to make it sound like he’s the kid on the little league team that watches everything hit to him go right between his wickets. That’s simply not the case.

And if by “real” defensive short stop, you actually mean “excellent to god-like” defensive short stop, then you have a point. But I would say that if you have to be Elvis-good to rate as a “real” short stop in your opinion, then you are setting the bar just a tad bit high.

by Athos on Jul 7, 2009 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Opinions are like assholes

everyone has one, and if it ain’t yours, it stinks.

Definiton of insanity-doing the same thing and expecting different results
"Introducing your 2009 Texas Rangers-Built for Insanity!"

by randyd on Jul 6, 2009 12:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

x

Have any other phrases that the three wise men brought Jesus?

by brettgardner on Jul 6, 2009 12:35 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Never wear a metal helmet in a lightning storm!

Definiton of insanity-doing the same thing and expecting different results
"Introducing your 2009 Texas Rangers-Built for Insanity!"

by randyd on Jul 6, 2009 12:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Touché.

by brettgardner on Jul 6, 2009 12:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Law

I generally think he’s a good writer, but the idea that the Rangers only get one player on his team, while being tied for first, is ridiculous.

I would have picked Millwood and Kinsler, but Young’s a defensible pick.

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Jul 6, 2009 12:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

rangers are tied for first in this division

there is about a 1% chance they are tied for first in any other division in baseball.

the AL east and the NL west, 0% chance

by knockoutking on Jul 6, 2009 9:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

NL Central and NL East, I'd say...

…they’d be about tied.

"I love winning." - rockin_rangers, on May 16, 2009

by ghtd36 on Jul 6, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Young over Rolen is pretty hard to defend.

Kinsler and Millwood should have been on the team.

Add those two to Hamilton, and I think a total of three guys would have been fine.

by Darrell McKown on Jul 6, 2009 12:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Johnny Damon?

I like Law. He’s generally interesting and seems to have reasonable arguments most of the time.

But if he’s going to exclude Hawpe because of his bad defense, he must consider the same for Damon. Factoring in Defense, Cruz is the better overall player than Damon this year. Damon has been a slightly better hitter, Cruz the MUCH better defender.

"You'll meet them again on their long journey to the middle." -Lester Bangs

by BAC on Jul 6, 2009 12:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I could throw a baseball further than Johnny Damon.

Remember to retire Fin's number, Mark.

by jonthefon on Jul 6, 2009 6:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You could fart a baseball farther than Johnny Damon could throw one.

Keith Law, while I usually really like his stuff, can go eff himself. He has some glaringly illogical choices, and some retarded internal inconsistencies in his list. Bah.

My Music Blog

by FuturePants on Jul 6, 2009 9:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Law is pretty much close to spot on

as usual. Kinsler obviously goes over Pedroia, but his comments on Young, Millwood, and Hamilton are as dead on as his previous comments on Chris Davis.

Young is the Good version of David Eckstein. Grossly overrated because of grit. He can move one step to the right, and a half step to the left whereever you put him in the field.

by DJCahill on Jul 6, 2009 5:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

people get way too flustered over these things...

usa

by Longhorn on Jul 6, 2009 8:29 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

More opinions

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/31750898/ns/sports-baseball/

Is anyone watching the Rangers?
No Kevin Millwood. No Ian Kinsler. Both should be on the club, especially Millwood. Tim Wakefield making the team at 42 is a nice story but that doesn’t make him deserving. His 4.30 ERA is only 29th-best among A.L. starters.

Millwood has been as big a reason as any for the Rangers’ surprising success. His 2.80 ERA is fifth-best and is even more impressive because of the Rangers’ hitter-friendly park. Nolan Ryan said he wanted his starters to pitch deep into games, and Millwood has done just that. He is second to Zack Greinke in innings pitched. All Kinsler has done is produce at a pace of 40 homers and 100-plus RBIs. At least he has a chance in the final online vote.

So yeah, who really cares anyway.

"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan

by Dirk Diggler on Jul 6, 2009 8:49 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That guy probably has no clue that Millwood's LOB% is unsustainable

by tyd3311 on Jul 6, 2009 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A lot of All Star players

in the past got in on unsustainable numbers.

by DJCahill on Jul 6, 2009 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

coughHankBlalockcough

My Music Blog

by FuturePants on Jul 6, 2009 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

have a cold?

by Mike E on Jul 6, 2009 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

NBC/Fox/ABC/whatever news outlet writers

They’re even worse than most ESPN guys. The guy who wrote what you posted works for sportingnews, which is more awful writing.

Anyways, my point is that if we were doing a “sabermetric” All-Star vote, Millwood would probably not make it in because we know that ERA is stupid. Should he have made it in by how pitchers are normally voted in with low ERA, high IP, etc? Probably.
Kinsler however, should be in there above Pedroia. Aaron Hill could arguably be above or below Kinsler, and in my opinion Kinsler should be the starter.

It’s really pretty pointless since it’s a popularity contest anyways, but you know. It’s fun to argue about.

by Lum on Jul 6, 2009 9:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

29th

hahahahah

by knockoutking on Jul 6, 2009 9:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Young wasn't all the bad at 2nd heh =/

by Mike E on Jul 6, 2009 10:02 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

who reads keith law?

el foldo

by SteveP on Jul 6, 2009 10:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Everyone but you

The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...

by Kinslerhomer on Jul 6, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone but you

The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...

by Kinslerhomer on Jul 6, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Pretty Talented"????

Which Josh Hamilton has this dildo been watching? Had Hamilton not gone through his drug stint he’d be on the way to the hall of fame.

by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Jul 6, 2009 1:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think they should put him in the Hall of Fame if his career ended today.

by tyd3311 on Jul 6, 2009 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Meh. All the game is good for anymore is stirring shit.

People use it more as a platform for arguing player value (who got snubbed, who sucked but got in, etc.) than for anything else. Statistically speaking, Law can’t really defend a Pedroia pick as he’s about the 7th best hitting second baseman in the AL this season. He’s popular right now and he plays for a high-recognition organization. It happens. How many years did Sandy Alomar, Jr. get voted in as the starting catcher when he was hitting in the low .200’s?

For the rest of Young’s many flaws (that are pointed out on a seemingly endless basis) he’s at least been among the league’s best hitting third baseman (which, considering the opinion of many that he would never hit like a third baseman, would seem to merit some recognition). Honestly, the lengths many folks go to begrudge Mike Young the awards and recognition he has received baffles me—particularly given how much of it comes from fans of his own team. Do the stats say he should be one of the two guys this year? Probably not. But the pick isn’t nearly the insult to the known baseball world that some want it to be. And at the end of the day, what does it really matter? Personally, I’m a hell of a lot more concerned with whether or not this team wins the division than whether or not we had players not make the all star team that should have. If they can win a pennant, then who gives a shit which among them got to spend their three days off in St. Louis?

by Athos on Jul 6, 2009 4:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs