2011-12 Hot Stove Thread

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Pretty cool Free Press archive story from 1992 about then 8-year-old Michigan Little Leaguer Prince Fielder:

http://on.freep.com/wLuoNl

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Prince is just going to have to learn to deal with discussions of his dad.

No way in hell he can get away from it. Unless he's an utter idiot he has to realize this.

If he's smart he'll call Cecil and say, "let's agree to make a couple handshake appearances and otherwise stay out of each other's hair."

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Raw totals are compared to zero. His baserunning stats are compared to average.

Let's go with 120 RBIs as his offensive production for the sake of argument. How many does the average 1b drive in? 70?

So he'd be worth 50 RBIs compared to your average 1b. 5 baserunning runs is 10% of his offensive value. And that's in a good offensive year for him.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

That wasn't long term, but it was $8 for one season. The Blackhawks gave him a shit ton. Point is, Ilitch isn't shy to make big moves that steal headlines.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

OK, I see what you mean there. I still don't think 5 runs over the course of a 162-game season is going to be that big of a detriment, particularly when you factor in his positives.

Would you agree that based on the market that has been set, the AAV of Fielder's contract is approximately where it should be?

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Not at all, actually. I know it sounds weird from a stathead, but I think people are too focused on the big offensive numbers and overestimating his real value because they discount his defensive and baserunning liabilities. It's about $5 million a year too much right now, and that's even factoring in how poorly he'll likely age.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Wow that's awesome. Always funny to see a kid that size, and then go to the ballfields and see the dads who are trying to "coach up" their pipsqueaks to be major leaguers.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

I want a McDonald's Triple right now...

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Jonah Keri does a good job of breaking down why this was way, way too much money:

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/15034/a-princely-sum-for-detroits-shiny-new-toy

But, at the end of the day, I think this deal makes it a near mortal lock that Detroit is one of the 8 (10?) teams competing for the WS in the next postseason. Of all the sins a baseball team can commit, overpaying for a good player is the least.

The other point Keri brings up is how ridiculously stacked the AL is right now. For the last 15 years or so, virtually every major player switching leagues has been going in that direction. This offseason, the AL got Pujols, Fielder and Darvish. The NL got Mark Beuhrle.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

The Yankees have won, what, one World Series with A-Rod and his massive contract? It is not enough because the Yankees have higher expectations in the sport than anyone, and I wouldn't say Fielder is in the same class as A-Rod. That is where baseball differs from the other sports, that you can sign a guy for huge money long term and just hope for the best.

Luckily for the Tigers, they already have a pretty damn good starting staff on the mound -- including the Cy Young winner.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Someone check on Bubbler, stat.