Dusty Baker said Willy Taveras will be the center fielder and leadoff man. “Everyone talks about his on-base percentage,” Baker said. “I like the way he gets in scoring position.”
Sheesh, Baker. I’m actually starting to come around a bit on Willy Taveras (I will expound on that more in a post in the near future), but … come on.
As always, Dunn and Dunner has a good time deconstructing ol’ Dusty (among other things).
He’s really FAST…don’t you get that? He’ll get back to the dugout in no time, so the game moves along faster and people can get back to work. It’s to help the economy.
I wonder if he does MLB the Show 2009 sims in his office?
Wow, is he really that dumb? It is hard to get into scoring position when you are not on base! It is hard to have any hope with a manager like this and a roster with big bat guys and Willy Taveras.
I meant no big bat guys…
We do have big bat guys. Bill James has projected:
Votto – .307/.386/.536 with 30 HRs and 102 RBI
Bruce – .296/.351/.540 with 35 HRs and 90 RBI
EdE – .278/.356/.490 with 25 HRs and 85 RBI
It’s just we don’t really have much surrounding those guys and because they are so young, it is an awful lot for those three to carry.
Oh geez, not another year of a Baker man crush.
According to James projection, IF
– EdE puts up his a career best #s
– Votto improves both his OBP and SLG from last year AND
– Bruce takes a big step forward,
then the Reds will have three big bats.
I think the saddest part is that whenever Dusty opens his mouth he usually makes what I’ll call “almost-sense.” Yes it is good that Taveras can steal bases and is very fast(can he outrun a cheetah?), BUUUT a leadoff hitter who might get on base once a game isn’t exactly going to be in scoring position all too often.
He’s so fast that the camera crew will have to slow the speed of the camera down just so people will be able to see him…kind of like in the Matrix movie.
It gets old to bang the same drum, but really, is Dusty this stupid? How can someone be involved in baseball for decades and not understand basic concepts? Why is he so stubborn? Is he just that prideful? He wasn’t even that great of a player and he’s never been a great manager when he hasn’t had one of the greatest players in history on his team.
Dusty, you can’t get into scoring position when you never get on base, and when, on rare ocassions, you do get on base, you only get to first because you have no power.
Like Patterson last year (as a fifth OF, late innning pinch runner or defensive replacement), Taveras would have meaningful value if used properly. But Dusty is going to use him in exactly the wrong way.
Perhaps I’m being too harsh on Taveras. Let’s see what he can do. But I’m not being to harsh on Dusty.
The problems with any performance projections are that they are just that — projections.
While Fangraphs pretty accurately predicted Votto’s 2008 stats, they missed some others by a long shot.
Fangraphs projected this for EdE last year:
.296/.366/.490/20HR
His real line was this:
.251/.340/.466/26HR
A huge miss on BA, substantial misses on OBP and SLG, and an underestimation of his HR numbers. However, he also registered his lowest RBI total of any full season in the majors.
For Bruce, estimated over an entire season, Fangraphs went with this:
.308/.363/.602
Bruce’s real numbers were much more down to earth:
.254/.314/.453
A very high overestimation for a player that is bound to put up those numbers in his career, just not right now.
I’m not saying that each of these guys can’t improve over their 2008 numbers, but I think it’s a little much to expect them all to have break-out career high offensive seasons in the same year. And a lot of it will be determined by where Dusty decides to use them in the order.
If those 2009 projected numbers happen, I’ll be delighted. It could actually mean the pitching staff can give up more than 2 runs and still hope to win.
Every time I start to feel better about this team (I was coming around on Taveras and Gomes) Dusty says or does something like this that just makes me feel sick all over again.
KY Chip and GregD – I agree with both of you. My point wasn’t to really suggest that the Reds are going to contend with those three. My point was more to suggest that those three guys are not incapable of hitting the snot out of the ball. Sure it’d be helpful to have another RH OF who has consistently produced at the MLB level. It would take huge pressure off these guys and we would have a more consistent offense. Even if we don’t get that guy, there is the potential for some real offensive production if these three guys produce in the middle.
Just for another kick in the dick Dusty Baker drops a line pretty much making me want to go to the Reds caravan just to brand “I’m a dipshit” on his forehead.
Great line by Dunn and Dunner
Not to mention this quote that fully proves that Dusty is the dumbest person on the planet.
A guy who had whatever he had, 30-doubles and double-digits in triples and 60 stolen bases. He’s in scoring position a whole bunch of times.
Willy Taveras has never had more than 19 doubles or 5 triples in a season, but that doesnt stop Dusty from acting like he is doing more than robbing the Reds blind for 9 million when the writers bring it up to him that he’s wrong.
Even better.
It’s interesting that last year’s speedster (Crappy P) and this year’s speedster (Crappy T) have never scored 100 runs in a season. Sort of defeats the concept that speed is so important on offense.
But, Jim — he’s going to create havoc on the basepaths!
HAVOC, I say!
Baker isn’t the only stubborn one. Have you read or heard this from Bob.
Castellini: “We’re gonna win this year. We’re gonna have a winning record this year, Bill, and we’re gonna be contenders, and we might well be into it at the end of the season.”
Wow…
But, Jim  he’s going to create havoc on the basepaths!
HAVOC, I say!
I hear Robert Preston singing “Ya Got Trouble” every time you say that.
😀
“Yes, Trouble, right here in the Queen City. With a capital T, and that rhymes with B, and that stands for ‘Baker’!”
Outstanding, KY!!!