Alcides Escobar breaks DiMaggios record!!

Ok. Ok. Since now the discussion is about where people would put him.
Lets guess what his next season is like. Does he go down or up. The .848 OPS looks decent until you look at his previous season of .750 OPS. To be on base 286 times and score only 104 runs is bad (of course as previously stated, the hitters behind him were probably very bad.)
Not grounding into a lot of double plays improves my thought on him, but everyone has different strategies i'm assuming when they play the game.
Also
Juan Pierre. You forgot to mention he k'd only 35 times, and had 12 triples.
Ichiro. Was +39 in stolen bases, Alcides was +5. That is a big difference.
For me, he would be a 8 or 9 hitter (I say once again for me)
Just the way it is. And he would be the best 8 or 9 hitter i'd ever have, as long as he stayed on the same hitting course.

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Originally Posted by reflections

Juan Pierre. You forgot to mention he k'd only 35 times, and had 12 triples.
Ichiro. Was +39 in stolen bases, Alcides was +5. That is a big difference.

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Right, but if YOU were managing, as is the case with the scenarios we're discussing, YOU could decide when to send him or not.

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Originally Posted by reflections

To be on base 286 times and score only 104 runs is bad (of course as previously stated, the hitters behind him were probably very bad.)

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Im at work, so i cant access my .mog from here, but the Brewers had Escobar hitting leadoff. Im actually a bit stunned how he doesnt have more runs, because Ryan Braun had an absolute monster year, and i think he was hitting at no.3. Braun had 60 HR with 130-140 RBI and with a ridiculous .380+ AVG .800+ SLG and 1.200+ OPS. Fielder also had 100+ RBI if i remember correctly. When i get home(pretty soon, it's ~4.30PM here in Finland) im gonna check who they had batting no.2.

He took himself off the bases 29 times. 251 times, he was on-base without being thrown out stealing, so he scored 40.2% of the time when he didn't homer or get CS, and 36.1% of the time in all (not counting HR), keeping in his CS.

In Ichiro's record-setting 2004, he was on-base and not thrown out 292 times, and scored 31.8% of the time...30.7% of the time in all, keeping in the times he got CS.

Make of that what you will.

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Originally Posted by Dyzalot

If your "guy" who can take BB's only has a .360 OBP because his batting average is only .275 how is that better? I'll take a guy batting 2nd who never walks if he can bat .350+

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I think what I meant to say was that the walks and singles are the same, but if I'm putting him at #2, I'm expecting him to have a SB success rate of at least 80%, regardless of how many times he steals.

And IMHO I think it's easier to learn how to make contact than to learn patience at the plate...singles come and go, but a BB does more to the opposing pitcher (psych him out by not biting on his pitches, etc.).

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Originally Posted by modesto61ca

I think what I meant to say was that the walks and singles are the same, but if I'm putting him at #2, I'm expecting him to have a SB success rate of at least 80%, regardless of how many times he steals.

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His previous season where he went 14 for 17 on the basepaths shows he's not completely hopeless. His problem, I think, is picking spots. It seems that the manager sent him basically as much as possible. If you deploy his speed in favorable situations, it could be a real asset.

In short, for Escobar, the problem with his SB% doesn't seem to be something very inherent to him, the player, but rather, the way in which he is being used.

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Originally Posted by Goldberg

Fascinating read.

The guy hitted 251 hit in a season at age 24 and you wouldn`t have him in your lineup.

We clearly have different strategies. He would be hitting 2nd in my lineup anytime.

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thats exactly where I would put him. a nice speed guy in from... with all those hits... man a VERY potent 1-2 at the top of the lineup

anyone with a .405 obp is a solid number two hitter, especially if he has that high of an average....can he maintain? what will escobar's season look like next year? who knows, but he deserves to be a number two hitter on a very good lineup.

Why have a guy steal (and take a chance of losing the baserunner) if you have sluggers coming up after him?

I'd bat him 7th

Ok. Before we go in circles with everyone telling everyone that yes he is a great leadoff hitter or no he would be a better hitter in the 7-8-9 spot. This brings up a great question i'm curious about.

When playing a sim, do you try and build a team to what you want the team to look like (Kinda of like the Angels) or do you try and make the best use of the players you have?


Jellio, I definitely am curious about who reaped the benefits of Braun and Fielder, if it wasn't Alcides.

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Originally Posted by HoustonGM

His previous season where he went 14 for 17 on the basepaths shows he's not completely hopeless. His problem, I think, is picking spots. It seems that the manager sent him basically as much as possible. If you deploy his speed in favorable situations, it could be a real asset.

In short, for Escobar, the problem with his SB% doesn't seem to be something very inherent to him, the player, but rather, the way in which he is being used.

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Agreed. I think if Escobar was on my team, and I PBP'd most of the games, he would probably attempt no more than 20 steals.

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Originally Posted by reflections

When playing a sim, do you try and build a team to what you want the team to look like (Kinda of like the Angels) or do you try and make the best use of the players you have?

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I build the team in the way I want the team to look like, which also happens to be the way that makes best use of players. ;)

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Jellio, I definitely am curious about who reaped the benefits of Braun and Fielder, if it wasn't Alcides.

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See my post regarding his run percentage vs. Ichiro's.

All this talk of where to bat Escobar...

It is totally dependent on who your other players are.


Regarding the: do you build your team the way you want or use the players best question:

HGM is right, of course.

You start out with whatever team and try to use guys as best you can, as time goes by, it become your team with the players you want

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Originally Posted by HoustonGM

I build the team in the way I want the team to look like, which also happens to be the way that makes best use of players. ;)


See my post regarding his run percentage vs. Ichiro's.

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Lol.
Touche, but if you were to say. Draft an expansion team. What kind of players would you pick?
I don't see you picking a free swinging team (ala the Detroit Tigers late 80's) or a speed demon team (ala The St Louis Cardinals late 80's).

Also, I read it. And I just want to see the Brewers lineup, with that much power in the middle. It must of been rolling with 100 run guys.
Also Ichiro's season. Leading RBI man. Bret Boone....83