MLB 2018 regular season thread

One was a first baseman the other is one of the best 2b to play the game.

 

I am so sure Cano is a slam dunk Hall of Famer that there is literally no argument (not counting PEDs) that could dissuade me. But I am achingly curious to know how an intelligent man who has followed and documented the game for decades could reach a different conclusion upon the same evidence.

 

At no time did I ever consider Cano one of the game's dominant players. Yes, he was an excellent hitter by the standards of his position, which are lenient. But I guess overall I'd put him in the respected-but-not-feared-opponent bracket.

 

He probably won't reach 500 home runs. May not reach 3000 hits. Not a hall of famer.

I'm kidding.

 

Whether you would consider him one of the game's dominant players or not, the evidence says otherwise.

Four seasons in the top 10 in the American League in on-base percentage.

Five seasons in the top 10 in the American League in slugging percentage.

Six seasons in the top 10 in the American League in batting average.

Three seasons in the top six in the American League in OPS.

He led the American League in putouts by a second baseman six times, and in assists three times.

He didn't lead the league in hitting categories. I get that. He didn't win any MVPs. I get that, too.

But Roberto Alomar only led the league in a major category once - runs. He never won an MVP, either. And maybe you didn't vote for him. I don't know.

It sounds like maybe you think second basemen shouldn't be graded on a curve as gentle as the curve they seem to be graded on. I've heard that argument before, particularly in the case of Sandberg, who might not be a HOFer if he had not failed as a third baseman.

 

1 ... 109 errors, 10,279 chances, .989%
2 ... 117 errors, 9,435 chances, .988%
3 ... 156 errors, 9,754 chances, .984%
4 ... 145 errors, 8,074 chances, .982%
5 ... 244 errors, 12,953 chances, .981%
6 ... 309 errors, 12,746 chances, .976%
7 ... 154 errors, 5655 chances, .973%
8 ... 435 errors, 14,591 chances, .970%
9 ... 307 errors, 8,679 chances, .965%
10 ... 451 errors, 12,214 chances, .963%

Without cheating, where do you think Cano ranks defensively at 2B using @Dick Whitman's JAWS stat?

Can you name the other 9? Seriously, don't look. I'll post the names in a few minutes.

 

We have a

Spoiler

spoiler!

function for things like this.

 

Spoiler: You're right and ...

I think ESPN made a Cano commercial for it too!

 

Didn't realize you could add text to it. Nice!

 

I'm guessing fourth.

 

1, Sandberg
2, Cano
3, Grich
4, Utley
5, Morgan
6, Gehringer
7, Carew
8, Collins (Eddie for those who didn't know)
9, Hornsby
10, LaJoie

 

Funny thing about those errors, particularly on throwing errors, I can remember Yankee fans complaining that Cano wasn't trying hard enough. He's so smooth and effortless that it appears to some (morons) that he's not actually trying. Reminds me a bit of Bernie Williams in that regard.

I'm with Dick on this. If not for this failed test, he was a no-doubt, slam dunk, lock for the HOF.