On the other hand though...When in recent memory have actual, top level, in their prime, major league baseball players ever gone out and taken on the top level people from other countries in international competition? The only thing even close was the WBC, and that's at that crazy point in spring training when no one knows what you can get from anyone, and half of America's best people sat it out because they didn't want to get hurt playing real games in the spring. In the olympics and so on, it's been the Cuban league's A team, the Japanese league's A team, probably the A team from a couple other countries, against the best guys not on anyone's 40 man roster. If you took 4 weeks off of MLB later this month for the olympics and genuinely allowed every nation to grab its stars back for a rental...that'd be a much more interesting test.

 

You may be right and I agree with you for the most part. However, let's not forget about the NBA's Dream Teams. Since MJ times, USA have struggle mighty against other teams. As for the baseball topic, if MLB moves the WBC to November, then some will argue that MLB players are tired. Then, Cuba will say that their are in Spring Training.

Edited July 26, 200817 yr by Cubano

Then, you'll have the big leagues with US players from AAA, AA and A ball.

 

One thing that I do not like about the majors is that contracts or name recognition often keep players in the minors that are better than the ones in the big show.

Is that a roundabout way of saying the level of US baseball would not drop off?

Why Alexei Ramirez isnt a star.

 

Have fun guys, this guy allows comments.

Edited July 26, 200817 yr by southsideirish71

Why Alexei Ramirez isnt a star.

 

Have fun guys, this guy allows comments.

What an a**. Just posted mine.

Why Alexei Ramirez isnt a star.

 

Have fun guys, this guy allows comments.

What a moron.

Why Alexei Ramirez isnt a star.

Somebody's jealous that Alexei isn't on their team.

Is that a roundabout way of saying the level of US baseball would not drop off?

 

 

Maybe...

 

If you could assign players or lend players to other teams, then the level may not drop as much. Take Josh Filed as an example. He is a major leaguer but had to go to the minors this year. He is way better that other 3B around the majors. Would you take any of the Twins 3B over him? No way. He is better than all the Twins 3B combined. There are good american players in the minors, but they are blocked for various reasons.

What an a**. Just posted mine.

 

This reporter must write a similar article about Fukudome. Have you guys compared Fukudome's and Alexei's stats and salaries?

 

This is what I have conveyed in other posts. The media give a free pass to the japanese and the cubans rarely catch a break. How old is Fukudome?

 

Somebody's jealous that Alexei isn't on their team.

 

Nah. He's just a poor blogger who's figured out that writing inane controversial articles draws more people to his site. Maybe he's auditioning for a job at the Sun Times.

This reporter must write a similar article about Fukudome. Have you guys compared Fukudome's and Alexei's stats and salaries?

 

This is what I have conveyed in other posts. The media give a free pass to the japanese and the cubans rarely catch a break. How old is Fukudome?

He's a good 5 years older than Alexei.

Ok so I see here that he points out Alexei's high BABIP as some kind of red flag... ok... when you're batting over .300, how are you NOT going to have a high BABIP?

lol at one of the comments in the article

 

"There are four ways to make an out in baseball. You can strike out, ground out, fly out............

 

Or you can be Juan Uribe."

Ok so I see here that he points out Alexei's high BABIP as some kind of red flag... ok... when you're batting over .300, how are you NOT going to have a high BABIP?

His point with BABIP is that he's only hitting over .300 BECAUSE of his high BABIP, which tends to regress to a number slightly below Alexei's. That said, if Alexei were hitting grounders through the holes, this stat would have a lot more applicability, but I guarantee you BABIP for a line drive is much higher than BABIP for grounders, and Alexei is a line drive hitter.

 

Another piece of that blog that bothers me is that he continually references the small sample size for the things Alexei appears to be doing well, but completely ignores the small sample size for the things Alexei appears to be doing poorly. Cherry picking stats? Looks like it.

His point with BABIP is that he's only hitting over .300 BECAUSE of his high BABIP, which tends to regress to a number slightly below Alexei's. That said, if Alexei were hitting grounders through the holes, this stat would have a lot more applicability, but I guarantee you BABIP for a line drive is much higher than BABIP for grounders, and Alexei is a line drive hitter.

 

Another piece of that blog that bothers me is that he continually references the small sample size for the things Alexei appears to be doing well, but completely ignores the small sample size for the things Alexei appears to be doing poorly. Cherry picking stats? Looks like it.

That's what I was getting at. It's one thing to have an inflated batting average because you have more infield singles than you should, or because you get seeing eye singles. Alexei hits the ball with authority. It's not a fluke.

 

He's never going to walk a lot but to point out his OBP at this stage does no good, he has