Gordo is going to be a good major leaguer, but I can't see him ever hitting .350.

Mauer only hit .294 in 2005 and .293 in 2007.

Is there anyone in the AL we don't expect Joe Mauer to outhit?

 

 

Mauer only hit .294 in 2005 and .293 in 2007.

 

So what year were you talking about there?

CLE finally beats someone other than the sox

So what year were you talking about there?

This year?

This year?

 

Then what do the other years have to do with it?

Then what do the other years have to do with it?

Just that Beckham hitting only .270 as a rookie doesn't mean he can't grow into a guy who can hit .350+.

It's going to be a struggle to beat out the Twins this year. Just a solid all around club.

Come on Red Sox....make it interesting.

*grumble*

Just that Beckham hitting only .270 as a rookie doesn't mean he can't grow into a guy who can hit .350+.

 

I don't see Beckham being a .350. He just doesn't have the type of swing and game that turn into a .350 hitter. Do you really think it will happen?

It's going to be a struggle to beat out the Twins this year. Just a solid all around club.

yep - have to find a way to keep up.

It's going to be a struggle to beat out the Twins this year. Just a solid all around club.

 

No team with Scott Baker and Jon Rauch as their #1 starter and closer is going to run and hide from anyone.

No team with Scott Baker and Jon Rauch as their #1 starter and closer is going to run and hide from anyone.

They're making it look effortless with said starter and closer.

No team with Scott Baker and Jon Rauch as their #1 starter and closer is going to run and hide from anyone.

 

I still think when it's all said and done, Liriano will jump in tha 1 spot as the season goes. Blackburn/Baker is their solid 2. Their offense and bullpen should be good enough to keep them in alot of games. The Tigers are the team that surprised me the most so far.

They're making it look effortless with said starter and closer.

 

Yeah, a whole 10 days into the season.

 

I still think when it's all said and done, Liriano will jump in tha 1 spot as the season goes. Blackburn/Baker is their solid 2. Their offense and bullpen should be good enough to keep them in alot of games. The Tigers are the team that surprised me the most so far.

 

If Liriano establishes himself as a legit #1, then, yes, we're in some trouble. I don't see that happening, though.

Yeah, a whole 10 days into the season.

 

 

 

If Liriano establishes himself as a legit #1, then, yes, we're in some trouble. I don't see that happening, though.

 

Their games against the Sox were far from effortless. Have not seen the rest of them.

I went to Target Field yesterday. It's indeed a very nice field. The seats were also very comfortable.

Who was the last right handed hitter to hit .350?

 

Looks like Pujols a few years ago.

 

Most guys who hit for high average are lefty batters.

Beckham doesn't have the speed to hit .350, but i can see .320 or .330 out of him, possibly.

 

The Twins are indeed very dangerous with Liriano (if he's indeed back and psychologically past the injury 100%), but they're still nothing approaching the Twins with Santana/Liriano/Radke at the top of the rotation, it's just that their everyday line-up is so much better than in the past.

 

As far as the Tigers go, they really should be 4-4, if not for very inept Indians and Royals bullpen outings. It's pretty unusual to come back from 7-1 and 5-0 down after the 7th within the span of a week in the majors, let alone a month. That will even out when they play some better teams.

 

 

Beckham doesn't have the speed to hit .350, but i can see .320 or .330 out of him, possibly.

 

uhhh, what?

 

not listing repeats...

Joe Mauer - .365 - 2010

Chipper Jones - .364 - 2008

Magglio Ordonez - .363 - 2007

Barry Bonds - .362 - 2004

Ichiro Suzuki - .372 - 2004

Albert Pujols - .359 - 2003

Larry Walker - .350 - 2001

Todd Helton - .372 - 2000

Nomar Garciaparra - .372 - 2000

 

I see one, maybe two guys in this list that you can qualify as "fast". Speed doesn't have a f***ing thing to do with batting average. Being a good hitter has EVERYTHING to do with batting average. There's a reason Joe Mauer leads the league in hitting and Joey Gathright is sitting in the minors.

 

If you can "see" .320 or .330 out of Gordon Beckham, then a simple standard deviation says that you can also see a .350 if he gets lucky. Hell, it happened to Magglio (who, while a good hitter, is not a .360 hitter)...in that case, why not Beckham?

 

Who was the last right handed hitter to hit .350?

 

Looks like Pujols a few years ago.

 

Most guys who hit for high average are lefty batters.

Since 1980 12 different right handed hitters have hit .350+ and 12 different left handed hitters have hit .350+. Difference is: Boggs and Gwynn both did it 5 times, Suzuki and Walker 4 times and Bonds, Olerud and Helton all did it twice so that's 29 total. For the righties only Garciaparra and Pujols have done it multiple times (2 each) so that's 14 total. So over the past 30 years the number of unique instances is equal but lefty hitters do it more consistently.

I still think many really high average hitters have at least decent speed, but I'll concede your point.

 

Maybe it's due to my "Ichiro bias."

 

I do think speed has a lot to do with some hitters getting additional hits, like Pods or Carl Crawford...but obviously speed alone can't make for a hitter, or you would see the NFL experiments with sprinters turned receivers applied to baseball as well.

 

Tony Gwynn could run very well the first half of his career, but Boggs wasn't fast at all.

 

Ichiro and Walker (first half of his career) definitely could run a bit, along with Bonds, although Bonds didn't put up that average from 1985-1990 when he was still relatively slim .and stealing 30-50 bags per season.

Edited April 16, 201016 yr by caulfield12

Yeah, a whole 10 days into the season.

 

 

 

If Liriano establishes himself as a legit #1, then, yes, we're in some trouble. I don't see that happening, though.

 

I don't know how you can sit there and act like you're not afraid of the team that consistently wins this division, even when they seemingly have less talent on paper.

I don't know how you can sit there and act like you're not afraid of the team that consistently wins this division, even when they seemingly have less talent on paper.

 

The Twins have won exactly as many division titles as we have the last 5 years. And why the hell would I be afraid of any team from the central? We're not talking NY or Tampa. I respect the Twins. They're a good team. But forgive me if I'm not conceding the division less than two weeks into the season.

The Twins have won exactly as many division titles as we have the last 5 years. And why the hell would I be afraid of any team from the central? We're not talking NY or Tampa. I respect the Twins. They're a good team. But forgive me if I'm not conceding the division less than two weeks into the season.

 

You say your not respecting the Twins cause of the same number of playoff appearances as us, yet you put Tampa in the discussion whose had only 1 playoff appearance (albeit a W.S. appearance) in the last 5 years. I'm going to assume you meant Boston. I know damn well I'm respecting a team who has beaten us and the Tigers for the division (not to mention always stays competitive) in the past whose overall talent was much superior over the years. They have earned that right even with the non scare factor.. they do their thing. Not saying they are gonna win this thing, but it wouldn't shock me if they did especially with that offense and Liriano looking real good early. (still think he'll have a b****in year, ala 3.50-3.75ish, just won't be as sexy with the Ks per 9 like he used to be) Still wouldn't put it past them to acquire a SP or even a BP guy (or a 3B) by the deadline.

 

And yes J4L, I've been messin with you a bit lately it seems.

Edited April 16, 201016 yr by SoxAce