MLB off-season news & notes discussion thread

[Unholy Diver]

He looks like an aging washed up former wrestler.

Seriously like a third Hardy brother

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

How different the below would read if it were, say, Aldon Smith and not Johnny Damon.

If it was Smith they wouldn't have room to list his criminal past for illegal weapons possession , hit and run , etc , etc

You made it race, not me.

It’s clear that Damon has mental health issues. No one drives with a .3 if they don’t. The point was some people are allowed to have breakdowns and others aren’t, but way to jump to conclusions.

A continued pattern of criminal activity is not a "breakdown"

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

If it was Smith they wouldn't have room to list his criminal past for illegal weapons possession , hit and run , etc , etc



A continued pattern of criminal activity is not a "breakdown"

So not only do you want to bring up things he ended up never getting charged for, but you also want to downplay his mental health? There’s a reason he was out of the league for 4 entire seasons.

Damon was a known drunk with the Red Sox. This is nothing new for him, but since he doesn’t have more incidents with the law I guess it’s okay to dismiss his behavior and joke about it.

 

[darko]

You made it race, not me.

It’s clear that Damon has mental health issues. No one drives with a .3 if they don’t. The point was some people are allowed to have breakdowns and others aren’t, but way to jump to conclusions.

You don't need to have mental health issues to drive with a high BAC. You just have to be an alcoholic.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

You don't need to have mental health issues to drive with a high BAC. You just have to be an alcoholic.

True, but there’s usually more to being an alcoholic than just being an alcoholic.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Throwback name

 

[DougieSmash]

I know, one more season at all for Pujols in that span but how insane was he? That's unreal.

 

[Terry Yake]

I know, one more season at all for Pujols in that span but how insane was he? That's unreal.

yeah, we forget just how dominant pujols was in the 2000s after all his shitty seasons with the angels

i remember when his "off year" was 07 when he hit 30+ HRs with 103 RBI and a .327 avg

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Ehhh.... That’s a bit disingenuous. Should compare games played rather than ‘seasons’.

Trout was 19 when he made his MLB debut and so that first season where he only played 40 games is being compared to Pujols first season as a 21 year old where he played a full 161 games.

Trout also missed 50 games one year due to injury and then there was this past COVID shortened season as well.

Pujols played 1705 games as a Cardinal. Trouts played 1252 as an Angel. Let’s do another comparison after another 450 games and see how Trout holds up.

 

[Cas]

Ehhh.... That’s a bit disingenuous. Should compare games played rather than ‘seasons’.

Trout was 19 when he made his MLB debut and so that first season where he only played 40 games is being compared to Pujols first season as a 21 year old where he played a full 161 games.

Trout also missed 50 games one year due to injury and then there was this past COVID shortened season as well.

Pujols played 1705 games as a Cardinal. Trouts played 1252 as an Angel. Let’s do another comparison after another 450 games and see how Trout holds up.

Also, Trout is a center fielder, Pujols was primarily a first baseman, and Pujols' prime was in a stronger offensive era overall.

In their first eight full seasons (2001-2008 for Pujols, 2012-2019 for Trout), here's how they stack up:

Pujols - .334/.425/.624, 5382 PA, 170 OPS+, 64.1 WAR (+471 rbat, +89 rfield, -59 rpos, +9 rbase, -12 rdp, +166 rrep)
Trout - .308/.422/.587, 5138 PA, 178 OPS+, 72.3 WAR (+471 rbat, +10 rfield, +15 rpos, +33 rbase, +8 rdp, +178 rrep)

The biggest difference is in the legs. Pujols gains a ton of value for being a tremendous defensive first baseman compared to Trout's defensive prowess in center field, and even the positional adjustment only brings them to a near-tie in overall defensive value. Trout gains a lot of value for stealing bases (196 steals and 36 times caught stealing) and for avoiding the double play (55 GIDP) compared to Pujols (45/26 SB/CS, 157 GIDP), though lineup position has a lot to do with their GIDP figures (not everything, though - Pujols has always been slower than average, even when young, and Trout never has).

You can see how the different shape of their hitting still evens out - Trout walks more often, Pujols hits for a higher average; Trout strikes out, Pujols doesn't; Pujols has more power - with the equivalent batting runs.

I'd have to adjust Trout's 2020 season to a full 162 games to compare to Pujols' 2009. A quick and dirty prorating of his WAR gives him 5.1 (mostly due to poor defense in center field, which we can't rely on entirely because total zone defense is always less accurate without seasons before and after to regress to - assuming average defense gives Trout more like 7.5 WAR, which is in line with past seasons). Pujols' 2009 showed 9.7 WAR, thanks to outstanding hitting, outstanding defense, and even some good baserunning (16/4 SB/CS) in 160 games.

Pujols was a monster - I'd argue that only Lou Gehrig is arguably ahead of him among first basemen all time. Trout is great and will compete for the top 5 among center fielders, and for the top 30 all time, but he's going to have to stay healthy and keep playing Trout-like for at least another five years.

 

[Cas]

Rheal Cormier, a veteran of the 1988 and 2008 Canadian Olympic baseball teams, died yesterday at 53. He was one of twelve Canadian pitchers with more than 1,000 career innings pitched and is the only major league player to hail from Moncton, New Brunswick.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

How different the below would read if it were, say, Aldon Smith and not Johnny Damon.

Johnny Damon's arrest video shows the treatment of citizens by police is very much a Black-or-white issue

 

[Terry Yake]

Johnny Damon's arrest video shows the treatment of citizens by police is very much a Black-or-white issue

yeah......it's safe to say that would've gone a whole lot differently if it was aldon smith