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Fantastic Starts and Where to Not Find Them

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What's up with this guy having absolutely horrendous starts to the season? His numbers are DFA worthy. He's already worth -0.6 WAR! Just awful. Maybe they shouldn't play him until June. Is it safe to say he's been figured out?

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QUOTE (ron883 @ Apr 21, 2017 -> 09:09 PM)
What's up with this guy having absolutely horrendous starts to the season? His numbers are DFA worthy. He's already worth -0.6 WAR! Just awful. Maybe they shouldn't play him until June. Is it safe to say he's been figured out?

 

Well... he was a steaming pile for the first 2 months of last year.. but ended up having a good year.

 

The problem is he isn't the monster masher we saw his rookie year...

 

He is frustrating to watch at times... swings at so so many bad pitches.

I have to admit, your trolling has gotten pretty good. At first, I thought it was a serious post, but then I looked at the user who posted it.

Same garbage you said last year, no?

 

Look, Jose has been awful. We all know that. Past results would say to give him a few months before making any real determinations.

These 2-3 week overreaction troll threads are in mid-season form.

More worried about Frazier...but oh well, what can Hahn do now?

 

At least Robertson is off to a good start.

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I forgot if you don't worship Abreu around here, you're a troll

Not concerned. As someone else pointed out, Abreu is a bit if a slow starter. I remember Alexei being a slow starter to the point he wasn't batting his weight but by the end of the season he would have a .270+ average.

 

 

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Apr 21, 2017 -> 10:40 PM)
Same garbage you said last year, no?

 

Look, Jose has been awful. We all know that. Past results would say to give him a few months before making any real determinations.

 

The fun part is that it was on the exact same date last year.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?s=...t&p=3336298

  • Author
QUOTE (Tony @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 11:58 AM)
Jesus, to the DATE!

 

Great pull, haha.

Wow that's pretty crazy lol.

 

But yes, I have been saying it since last year. People tore into me for saying it, but it turns out I was right. Jose isn't the same as he was. The league has adjusted to him, and his age has something to do with it in sure. The dude just has no pop in his bat anymore. Huge disappointment. Reminds me of gordo's great start and disappointing finish.

 

QUOTE (ron883 @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 12:16 PM)
Wow that's pretty crazy lol.

 

But yes, I have been saying it since last year. People tore into me for saying it, but it turns out I was right. Jose isn't the same as he was. The league has adjusted to him, and his age has something to do with it in sure. The dude just has no pop in his bat anymore. Huge disappointment. Reminds me of gordo's great start and disappointing finish.

Same time, next year?

QUOTE (ron883 @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 12:16 PM)
Wow that's pretty crazy lol.

 

But yes, I have been saying it since last year. People tore into me for saying it, but it turns out I was right. Jose isn't the same as he was. The league has adjusted to him, and his age has something to do with it in sure. The dude just has no pop in his bat anymore. Huge disappointment. Reminds me of gordo's great start and disappointing finish.

But you weren't right last year, Abreu was a top 20 hitter in baseball in the 2nd half, so it wasn't clear that the "league adjusted to him". He's been bad to start this season, but if the league has adjusted to him then prove it.

 

From a quick look he's being attacked exactly the same way to start this season as he was in the 2nd half of 2016 when he had a 142 wRC+ - lots of pitches down and in. He's had a dramatic spike in strikeouts and a big fall in walks, but it looks flukey to me because he's seeing the same percentage of pitches in the zone as always, and his O-swing rate is actually down a couple percentage points from last season and he has a career-high contact rate, so he's actually improved his plate discipline.

 

What seems to be the problem is that his line drive rate is extremely low and his flyball rate is sky-high, though none of those flyballs have cleared the fence. None of those things are likely to continue. The main issue seems to be he just isn't making as hard contact as he used to (though he does have a career low soft-hit percentage), but whether that's just a bad stretch or because he's lost some bat speed remains to be seen. Either way there's no evidence pointing to the league "figuring him out", because pitchers have not changed their approach this season.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 01:01 PM)
Same time, next year?

Three's a charm.

 

Talk about synchronized trolling. I wonder if it's something astrological...

 

Wonder if the league has figured out Carlos Gonzalez too. .183/.219/.300, 22 wRC+, -0.5 WAR

 

(BTW OP, Abreu's WAR is actually -0.4 WAR, if we are going to use fWAR, which, in this situation, we should)

It's simple. Abreu just needs Moncada to mentor him.

QUOTE (ron883 @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 11:12 AM)
I forgot if you don't worship Abreu around here, you're a troll

 

This is one thing that I still haven't figured out. People get so defensive over him like his name was Konerko or Buehrle. I don't get that.

 

But he is a very solid hitter. He was figured out in that he's not the monster he was in 2014, but he is still nice to have in the lineup despite his slow starts.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 23, 2017 -> 01:49 AM)
This is one thing that I still haven't figured out. People get so defensive over him like his name was Konerko or Buehrle. I don't get that.

 

But he is a very solid hitter. He was figured out in that he's not the monster he was in 2014, but he is still nice to have in the lineup despite his slow starts.

Konerko was not beloved on here unconditionally until he announced his retirement. I got in many an argument standing up for him.

Buehrle had more support on this site but you'll still get it slammed back in your face if you suggest he's one of the best pitchers in Sox history.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 08:49 PM)
This is one thing that I still haven't figured out. People get so defensive over him like his name was Konerko or Buehrle. I don't get that.

 

But he is a very solid hitter. He was figured out in that he's not the monster he was in 2014, but he is still nice to have in the lineup despite his slow starts.

I think it's more that Ron seems to get a boner whenever Abreu struggles, as if he'd prefer to be "right" rather than have Abreu do well.

As to Buehrle, no.

 

Konerko was frustrating when he got down on himself, shoulder shrugs, lots of DP balls...he was his own worst enemy, but he really had an impressive peak run of seasons with just a couple anomalies thrown in. One of the best fastball hitters in modern Sox history.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 09:35 PM)
I think it's more that Ron seems to get a boner whenever Abreu struggles, as if he'd prefer to be "right" rather than have Abreu do well.

Yeah, it's this. He gets proved wrong time and time again, then jumps on the opportunity to bash him when he's struggling.

 

It's ok to dislike him, that alone doesn't make Ron a troll, but the way he posts about him in the same exact manner only to be proved wrong again and again is what makes him a troll.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 22, 2017 -> 08:49 PM)
This is one thing that I still haven't figured out. People get so defensive over him like his name was Konerko or Buehrle. I don't get that.

 

But he is a very solid hitter. He was figured out in that he's not the monster he was in 2014, but he is still nice to have in the lineup despite his slow starts.

 

Oh man, Konerko used to get trashed on a regular basis for his first halves. I remember when the big push was people wanting to trade him to the LA Dodgers for a young pitcher named Edwin Jackson.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 23, 2017 -> 03:44 AM)
Oh man, Konerko used to get trashed on a regular basis for his first halves. I remember when the big push was people wanting to trade him to the LA Dodgers for a young pitcher named Edwin Jackson.

Speaking of very slow runners (Paulie), is it true Melky got thrown out at second on a ball he whacked over the rf's head the other day? That's pretty embarrassing if true.

I think why we get frustrated with Abreu is that we have such high hopes for him.

 

We envisioned him only getting better as the years went on and turning into a star.

 

 

I dunno... I mean he will turn it around and produce like usual right? But zero homeruns and its april 22nd?

 

 

 

If it makes anyone feel better Abreu started slow in my MLB The Show the last two years after 3 weeks too but he's hitting at a MVP clip these days.

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