BrandoFan Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 If he continues the nice, all-field forearm action, that OBP is gonna climb to .400. His D. is well above average. He does need to steal a TON of bases, but it's within reach. Belliard is gonna fade, Boone is off the juice and Soriano doesn't have the numbers this year, either defensively, running or even getting on base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Willie's good. And I'm glad we have him. He needs more stolen bases though. With his speed, he should have 20 by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Willie's good. And I'm glad we have him. He needs more stolen bases though. With his speed, he should have 20 by now. He has the speed, but he may not have a full understanding of how to steal basses at the major league level. I see NEXT year being his true break out stolen base season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 I doubt he stays at 2nd. If Rowand is traded, Willie is going to be the CF for the rest of the season. (Uribe at 2nd, Jose at SS) This is his 9th start out there today, and with Rowand struggling and Maggs out, He probably will stay there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 If he continues the nice, all-field forearm action, that OBP is gonna climb to .400. His D. is well above average. He does need to steal a TON of bases, but it's within reach. Belliard is gonna fade, Boone is off the juice and Soriano doesn't have the numbers this year, either defensively, running or even getting on base. Call me when that happens. Theres no way in hell will he overtake the hot hitting Soriano. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxbadger Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Willie probably wont put up the power numbers that Soriano will, but there is a chance if Willie keeps his swing as short and quick as it has been, that he will hit over .300 consistently. As for stealing, he just needs to practice, and Ozzie needs to make it a priority. SB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 5, 2004 Author Share Posted June 5, 2004 Soriano is a below-average defensive player, is no longer a threat on the basepaths and is not hitting all that well in the #3 spot this year. Willie gets that OBP to .400+ and steals 20-25 bases by July 15th, he should be the one making the trip to Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Soriano is a below-average defensive player, is no longer a threat on the basepaths and is not hitting all that well in the #3 spot this year. Willie gets that OBP to .400+ and steals 20-25 bases by July 15th, he should be the one making the trip to Houston. Should be and will be are two totally different beasts. I have almost no doubt in my mind that if he keeps it up, he will be going to Houston, but not as a starter. Well, he should atleast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelasDaddy0427 Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 I love Willie Harris and he is an awsome player. I'm starting to worry about the slump Uribe is in lately. Right now no matter if it's 2B or CF we need Willie in this lineup and in the leadoff spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 Uribe played more than out his ass the first 2 mounths. Now we are seeing he is just going to be a super bench player this season Not only is BabyBerroa not a fluke, he is just getting started. Some of the outs during his slump were a FO to the wall (Oakland) and line-outs to CF and RCF (Oakland and Seattle). He is a little pull happy now, but he will adjust. Maybe not a .340 hitter, but 290-300 with power? No problem. Fair-weather fans feel free to step off, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddy Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 now if he were to pick up the power numbers just a bit... im definitely not advocating swinging for the fences all the time. But if his homers were up a tad he'd be awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 now if he were to pick up the power numbers just a bit... im definitely not advocating swinging for the fences all the time. But if his homers were up a tad he'd be awesome! Who cares about HR if you play GG defense, have 400 OBP and can steal 60-70 bases, to say nothing of all the extra bases that are NOT counted as steals? How about distracting a pitcher and the defensive alignmenet every time you reach base? You can reach on an infield single. Steal 2nd. Steal 3rd. Score on a sac fly. How is it different than hitting a HR with 1 out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWSGuy406 Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Who cares about HR if you play GG defense, have 400 OBP and can steal 60-70 bases, to say nothing of all the extra bases that are NOT counted as steals? How about distracting a pitcher and the defensive alignmenet every time you reach base? You can reach on an infield single. Steal 2nd. Steal 3rd. Score on a sac fly. How is it different than hitting a HR with 1 out? Right on, Brando! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxfest Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 If he continues the nice, all-field forearm action, that OBP is gonna climb to .400. His D. is well above average. He does need to steal a TON of bases, but it's within reach. Belliard is gonna fade, Boone is off the juice and Soriano doesn't have the numbers this year, either defensively, running or even getting on base. Willie Harris is not in Soriano's hemisphere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 You can reach on an infield single. Steal 2nd. Steal 3rd. Score on a sac fly. How is it different than hitting a HR with 1 out? It is different from a homer because a homer leaves the yard. And you get to trot around the bases, not sprint. That's the only difference, and that isn't a big enough difference to mean anything. I also could care less if Willie never hits a homer. Chuck Knoblauch was rookie of the year in 1991 and he hit maybe 1 homer all year. However, I do believe Willie will develop a little power as he gets older...maybe not 20 homers a year power, but maybe 5-10, and if he gets real lucky, even 15 in a year. Sort of like Kenny Lofton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 Willie Harris is not in Soriano's hemisphere. So far this season: Defense: Willie Baserunning: Willie Offense: Soriano (but since April 10th, they're equal) Intangibles: Willie (distracts pitchers and wastes their energy with throw-overs) Salary: Willie After Soriano thoroughly got embarassed in the playoffs, pitchers have found a new hole in his swing. Willie, on the other hand, improved his pitch selection and swing since his awful start in early April. Soriano will be a better player but if you think they're in different leagues, you must not understand the role blazing speed and high OBP and great defense can play.......I for one am glad I was wrong about his ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 Chuck Knoblauch was rookie of the year in 1991 and he hit maybe 1 homer all year. Check ouy Knob's 1996 season: 450 OBP, 515 Slug, GG defense, 45 SB and a ton of non-steal extra bases taken....No wonder he scored 140 runs. If Willie could rise those those heights (but with say 60-70 SB), that would be f***in' awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elcaballo45 Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Willie Harris is not in Soriano's hemisphere. No doubt Soxfest.... So let me get this straight Brando, this thread isnt a joke? Your really serious about Willie being as good as Soriano? Are you kidding me, he's playing good playing time for only 2 months now and his above .300 avg is very nice, but Willie has a long way to go defensively(gettign more range), has absolutley no power, and as fast as he is, hasnt figured out how to get good jumps on the basepaths. I would take 1 Soriano over about 3 Willie's.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Check ouy Knob's 1996 season: 450 OBP, 515 Slug, GG defense, 45 SB and a ton of non-steal extra bases taken....No wonder he scored 140 runs. If Willie could rise those those heights (but with say 60-70 SB), that would be f***in' awesome. I think it's worth noting that he scored 140 runs for a Twins team that won 78 games and whose leading home run hitter hit 16. They also had only 6 guys break the double digit homer barrier. Shows how overrated homers really are. Their low ERA for the year was 3.01...that was Mike Trombley out of the bullpen. Radke led the starters in ERA with 4.46. Shows how a good leadoff hitter can do all sorts of damage, eh? He does more then just what his stats show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxfest Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 So far this season: Defense: Willie Baserunning: Willie Offense: Soriano (but since April 10th, they're equal) Intangibles: Willie (distracts pitchers and wastes their energy with throw-overs) Salary: Willie After Soriano thoroughly got embarassed in the playoffs, pitchers have found a new hole in his swing. Willie, on the other hand, improved his pitch selection and swing since his awful start in early April. Soriano will be a better player but if you think they're in different leagues, you must not understand the role blazing speed and high OBP and great defense can play.......I for one am glad I was wrong about his ability. There is NOT 1 GM in baseball who would take Harris over Soriano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T R U Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Willie Harris .323 avg 13 RBI's 23 Runs 8 SB .384 OBP Alfonso Soriano .281 avg 32 RBI's 21 Runs 5 SB .324 OBP Not much argument there... Harris is having a better season so far and if it remaind he belongs in the All Star Game ahead of Soriano Oh yeah.. Soriano has 7 HR's and Harris has 0 and the RBI's may be lopsided but Harris leads off and Soriano is batting 3rd... If Willie was batting 3rd im sure hed have just as many RBI's due to his AVG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 If he continues the nice, all-field forearm action, that OBP is gonna climb to .400. His D. is well above average. He does need to steal a TON of bases, but it's within reach. Belliard is gonna fade, Boone is off the juice and Soriano doesn't have the numbers this year, either defensively, running or even getting on base. You know, the cool part is that he still is not very experienced at his job. Imagine what he can accomplish when he fully knows what he's doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 There is NOT 1 GM in baseball who would take Harris over Soriano. This thread title is about 2004 All-Star Game, not about their careers. Since roughly April 10th.... Willie's OBP is at .400 and his Slug. is over .400 as well. Soriano's OBP since that time is in the low-300s and Slug only 20 points higher. Soriano is not the baserunner he was in years past, and Willie should blow by him easily as he attempts more SB. Once again, Willie's value as a baserunner goes WAY beyond stolen bases. Duh. Defensively, it's no contest. Soriano is one the stupidest (positioning, anticipation, route, technique) fielders in the game. Willie might win a GG next year. GMs would take Soriano because he is a big talent and his name sells jerseys. Meanwhile, Willie is much CHEAPER and is having a slightly BETTER season in 2004. That is my main point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 I'm glad I was wrong about Willie, also. I thought he was a hopeless stiff at the plate. I hope he keeps it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 That run Willie just scored from 2nd with 2 outs? Soriano of 2004 doesn't score. The difference between 0-0 tie and 1-0 Sox. Blazing speed and good jumps are important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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