MLB 2007

[tongue-tied lightning]

Jimmy Rollins is having a better yerar than Reyes

[bobbob1313]

Jose Reyes might be the 3rd or 4th best SS in the NL east this year. Renteria's been awesome as well.

 

The left side of the infield in NL All Star Games is going to be dominated by the NL east for a long time with Cabrera, Wright, Zimmerman, Reyes, Rollins, and Hanley.

[boywiththorninside]

Deadspin posted this.

 

Hanley Ramirez

 

Profile: Hanley Ramirez

 

I've decided to start a new feature here at Vegas Watch, where I completely arbitrarily select a player that doesn't get as much attention as he probably deserves. Although that player will then continue to fly under the radar, I'll feel better about the situation. If you have a suggestion for a profile, please e-mail me at VegasWatch@gmail.com.

 

I doubt there are many people who would have guessed that Hanley Ramirez leads all of baseball in VORP. Personally, I probably would have guessed A-Rod, Magglio, Miguel Cabrera, or Prince Fielder. In reality, Hanley Ramirez is first, with a VORP of 67.2 through Saturday's games.

 

There are three reasons for this- Hanley Ramirez is an absurdly talented hitter, he plays shortstop, and VORP ignores how well you play your position, only adjusting for what position you play. Here's a closer look at the Marlins' shorstop.

 

Minors (Boston Red Sox, 2001-2005)

 

16-year old Hanley Ramirez was signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Boston Red Sox on July 20, 2000.

 

Hanley made his professional baseball debut at the age of 17 in 2001 with the DSL Red Sox (Rookie) in 2001. In 197 ABs he hit .345 with 5 HRs, 18 2Bs and 13 SB. He also showed good plate discipline (especially consideirng his age), with 15 BB and 22 K. He was named the 2001 DSL Red Sox Player of the Year

 

Starting the season with the GCL Red Sox (Rookie) in 2002, he hit .341/.402/.555 in 164 ABs. He exhibited even better plate discipline, with more BB (16) than K (15). This earned him a promotion to Lowell (low A), where he continued to rake, with a line of .371/.400/.536. This earned him the honor of Lowell Spinners Player of the Year, despite the fact he played only 22 games for the team (which doesn't make much sense, but good for him). Although thriving at the plate, Hanley struggled in the field, making a total of 27 errors in 62 games at SS.

 

Hanley was very much on the prospect radar after his breakout 2002 season, as Baseball America had him listed as Boston's #1 prospect for 2003. They also ranked him as the 19th best prospect in all of baseball.

 

2003 was a rough year for Hanley, as he hit only .275/.327/.403 in 422 ABs with August (A). He also continued to struggle in the field, making 36 errors in 102 games. He did begin to showcase his excellent speed, swiping 36 bases in 49 attempts. Despite his struggles he was still Boston's #1 prospect entering 2004, although he dropped to 39th in Baseball America's overall rankings.

 

Ramirez rebounded with Sarasota (high A) in 2004, hitting .310/.364/.389 in 239 ABs, making the FSL All-Star team, and evenually being named Sarasota's Player of the Year. This earned him a promotion to Portland (AA), where his power returned, hitting .310/.360/.512 in 129 ABs- a pretty impressive line, considering he was just 20 years old. Hanley also broke his wrist in 2004, missing seven weeks of action. When healthy, it was a good year for Hanley all around, as he made 19 errors in 93 games with Sarasota and Portland.

 

Not surprisingly, Hanley's overall Baseball America ranking was back up to 10th going into the 2005 season, and he remained Boston's top prospect. But Hanley struggled with Portland (AA), hitting .271/.335/.385. It seemed like the power he displayed with Portland after his 2004 callup may have been a fluke, as his SLG went right back to the level it was in Sarasota. There were some bright spots for Ramirez in 2004, as he continued to steal bases (26 in 39 attempts), was named to the Futures Game, and again cut down on his errors, albeit only slightly (19 in 115 games).

 

But the notable aspect of 2005 for Hanley did not come on the field. On November 24 he was traded to the Florida Marlins, as part of a package that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston.

 

After his 2005 struggles, he had dropped down to 30th in Baseball America's top 100. These struggles, however, did not seem to phase the Marlins, as he began the year with the big club as their starting shorstop. This move was met by some skepticism, which can be found in the 2006 edition of Baseball Prospectus: "There`s no indication that he is ready for the major leagues, but the Marlins are apparently going to let him a try."

 

Majors (Florida Marlins, 2006-Present)

 

Batting

 

Well, the Marlins were right on this one. He didn't get off to a great start, hitting .268/.334/.410 before the All-Star break, although he was successful in 26 of 31 SB attempts over that period. This is probably about what BP had in mind for him (maybe a little better actually), and with good reason- adjusting to major league pitching as a 22-year old who had never even played in AAA before is a tough task.

 

But after the break, Hanley decided he no longer cared about logic, or reasonable expectations, he was just going to rake. We know this, because he put together a line of .319/.373/.558, vaulting to the NL Rookie of the Year award. He also doubled his home run rate, from one every 61 PAs to one ever 30. At this point, it became very clear that the sky was the limit.

 

Hanley's BP Most Comparable Players gave us a pretty good idea of what we are dealing with here, as numbers 2, 3, and 4 were Ryne Sandberg, Paul Molitor, and Barry Larkin, respectively (#1 was Mariano Duncan). Here is what BP expected of him for 2007 (90% is their 90th percentile projection):Amazingly, he has improved even on his 2006 post-ASB numbers, with his current line of .342/.395/.572. He has done this mostly by increasing his HR rate, and decreasing his strikeout rate. The circumstances of these changes are very interesting.

 

He has gone from homering in 2.4% of his plate appearances in 2006 to 4.1% this year. Most of this has come against righties, as his HR% vs RHP has jumped from 2.1% to 3.9%. It would make sense that he is maturing a little later against righties, as he used to be a switch hitter.

 

But his improvement has not only come against RHP. Overall, his K% has decreased from 18.3% to 14.2%. Against lefties, however, the decrease has been even more dramatic, going from 16.0% to just 9.4%.

 

A third area where he has improved in 2007 is after falling behind in the count. In 2006, he hit .258/.290/.430 after falling behind 0-1. But this year he has improved that to .330/.356/.575, amazingly hitting a HR in 4.0% of those plate appearances.

 

Fielding

 

Unfortunately, Hanley has yet to see improvement in his fielding. By any metric, he is one if the worst fielding SS in baseball. In 2006, according to UZR, he cost the Marlins 19 runs in the field. He was also last among NL SS in THT's RZR.

 

In 2007 it's been more of the same. John Dewan, author of The Fielding Bible, had him as the worst defender in all of baseball through mid-July. UZR had him as 14 runs below average through July 9, behind only Jeff Kent and Jhonny Peralta. And he is once again last in THT's RZR.

 

Although fielding is obviously a weakness for Hanley, he doesn't turn 24 until two days before Christmas, and can continue to improve. And despite his fielding issues, he is tied for the NL lead in Win Shares. As for his hitting, he could improve his walk rate, and even more power may develop. But if he continued with a 156 OPS+ for the next five years, I don't think the Marlins would complain. And his baserunning? Well, he's stolen 88 since the beginning of 2006, while being caught only 25 times.

 

Hanley Ramirez is already, at the age of 23, one of the premier players in baseball, and it's too bad it will probably take him leaving South Florida for most people to notice

[Sir Stewart]

This is the part where I say (again) that I saw Hanley Ramirez drill a double when he was a Portland Sea Dog.

[Oil Can Boyd]

This is the part where I say (again) that I saw Hanley Ramirez drill a double when he was a Portland Sea Dog.

And this is the part where I say (again) that I saw Hanley Ramirez play for the Single A Lowell Spinners. And while he did not do anything spectacular, he looked like a man among boys.

[jenbobblehead]

he was on my fantasy baseball team last year and i heard that he cured tommy john surgery victims.

[Oil Can Boyd]

he was on my fantasy baseball team last year and i heard that he cured tommy john surgery victims.

I heard that he actually performs the surgeries himself ...

[bobbob1313]

There was a list of "Hanley Ramirez Facts" from SOSH but I can't find it anywhere...

[Guest Jules]

I'm curious what people make of Bobby Jenks' retired batters streak. The record doesn't have a large footprint in the baseball world. Here's part of a local write-up from Saturday (he's since retired three more batters).

Anectdotally--it seems like he's induced a crazy amount of weak groundouts during the streak.

Especially impressive doing it as a reliever; over many games against many different teams in many different situations. When Barr did 41 batters, he had finished a game in relief then took a perfect game into the 7th in his next start.

[Lammycat]

There was a list of "Hanley Ramirez Facts" from SOSH but I can't find it anywhere...

If it was a thread title I don't recall it, but there is plenty of discussion on him in the "Former Sox: Tracking and Discussion" sub-thread of "MLB Discussion."

[jenbobblehead]

is nerdy on SoSH?!

[bobbob1313]

is nerdy on SoSH?!

 

I don't have an account, but I read it from time to time. Some pretty knowledgable posters on that board. Probably the best baseball board I've ever seen, though being a non Red Sox fan, something is lost in the translation. Still, it can be fun to read.

 

 

(though I did register just now. Why not?)

[Lammycat]

is nerdy on SoSH?!

The main board (except only "Members Only," I think) is public viewing domain....

[jenbobblehead]

The main board (except only "Members Only," I think) is public viewing domain....

i'll have to remember that...

[bobbob1313]

I've always hated the term "making things happen" when it's used for guys like Pierre and Podsednik, but watching Hanley every day, he's the definition of making things happen. It is ridiculous how good this guy is, and I'm sure you guys are sick of hearing about it, but he's really good.

 

Hanley in July: .424/.451/.812 1.263

Hanley in August: .333/.396/.625 1.021

 

I wish everyone got to watch this guy every day... 2 for 2 today with a double, a single, and 2 runs. I think he stole a base, also.

 

Meanwhile, Miguel Cabrera is 2nd in the NL in OPS, and is 2-2 with a 2B and a HR and 3 rbi and nobody even notices (I mean Marlins fans too). We've been spoiled by Miguel and Hanley so much, that Miguel is having an MVP season, and it's flying under the radar... Man, if we had any pitching this year, we'd be making a serious run. We might have one of the 5 best lineups in the majors next year if Mike Jacobs can meet expectations...

 

 

Found the Hanley Facts:

 

1. Hanley Ramirez once hit 9 homeruns in just 7 at bats.

2. He once turned a triple play on a groundball to him at shortstop. He stepped on second base and raced over to first for the first 2 outs. Chipper Jones, who was rounding third base was so impressed with Hanley's speed, he stopped running and allowed Hanley to tag him for the third out.

3. Hanley bodyslammed Andre the Giant 2 times (eat that Hogan)

4. Winner of an Oscar in 2002 for "Best Shades in an Action Movie"

5. Hanley scored 52 points on the 1984 Chicago Bears Defense... by himself

6. He defeated both Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkens in a dunk contest

7. He once bet $100,000 on a roulette wheel that it would land on 0.... and it did.

8. Was offered the starring role in Forrest Gump but turned it down because he wasnt allowed to wear his trademark shadez.

9. Hanley can dunk from the 3 point line

10. He knocked out Butterbean with 1 jab

11. Hanley was the original Dream Job and Survivor winner

12. Hanley kicked a 67 yard field goal to win the 1999 Super Bowl

13. He was THE main attraction at the 1942 World's Fair

14. Hanley scored 104 points in the 1997 Rock n Jock basketball game on MTV without using any of the bonus baskets.

15. He once caught 4 fish with 1 fishing pole, and by fish we mean lions and by fishing pole we mean bare hands.

16. Hanley steals home before pitches are even thrown.

17. The Hanley-Man Can

18. In the offseason he raises money for the poor by stealing from the rich; a modern day Robin Hood- Man in Shades

19. Hanley is a platinum recording artist in the states, Latin America and Europe.

20. He makes a fantastic rum cake for his weekend get togethers.

21. Hanley Ramirez doesn't make errors--the ball is just afraid of him.

22. Shadez was the first man to walk on the moon... with sunglasses on.

23. NBC had their highest ratings ever when Hanley filled in for a vacationing Johnny Carson for a week back in 1974.

24. Hanley was also the first man to walk on Jupiter. He then stole 2nd base.

25. He scored 6 touchdowns in the Ice Bowl.

26. Back in 2004, Hanley led the presidential voting in 34 states before withdrawing because he was "too cool" for "presidenting".

27. In an exhibition game at U.S. Cellular Field, he homered into the RF bleachers. In Wrigley.

28. In rookie ball, he drove a ball to deep centerfield, only to be informed he had been traded on his way to first base. So, he sprinted to the wall and robbed himself of a homerun.

29. While driving on the highway, he saw and overturned car on fire. Not only did he stop and save the people, but he taught them that by switching to Geico, they could save up to 15% on car insurance

30. With the Red Sox not having a GM in the winter of 2005, Hanley traded himself to the Marlins.

31. Fought on the front lines of WWI, WWII and the Civil War.

32. Hanley can outrun a fox.

33. Hosted the 1989 Oscars, and won an Oscar for his hosting performance.

34. Guest starred on Cheers for 2 years before being signed by the Red Sox.

35. In 2003, he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He inducted himself.

36. He scored the game winning goal in the United States' hockey upset of the USSR in 1980.

37. Won the gold medal in the Team 400 Meter Relay at the 1996 Olympics. By himself.

38. Scored a 1600 on his SAT. He only took the Math section.

39. Hanley graduated from Yale in 3 months.

40. He sculpted Mt. Rushmore.

41. He once lept over the Grand Canyon to win a bet. Then let them keep their money.

42. Ramirez wrote Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album.

43. Wrote, Directed, and Produced the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. All in one weekend.

44. Was pointed at when Babe Ruth supposedly called his shot.

45. Showing off his slight of hand skill Hanley once made Theo Epstein disapear.

46. The original Superman comic was based on the life and times of Hanley Ramirez.

47. In a chess game Hanley defeated his opponent in 1 move.

48. Hanley once battled Bruce Lee in a street fight for three days.

49. He can turn a man to stone just by looking at him without his shades.

50. Bobby Thompson used Hanley's bat to hit the shot heard round the world.

51. Once stopped an earthquake in Indonesia by holding two tectonic plates together.

52. Hanley was born by ripping his way out of his mother's mouth.

53. Once famously said, "Yo man, Paul Revere... the British is comin'".

54. He created the Sphinx and modeled it after himself.

55. Hanley swam across the Atlantic Ocean, killing 112 sharks with his bare hands, in order to get some fish and chips from London.

56. Bet Christopher Colombus that there was a giant landmass undiscovered by Europeans.

57. He freed the Jews from the Pharoah and let Moses take the credit.

58. Taught himself 100 foreign languages on one bus trip from Portland to Jamestown.

59. Single-handedly created the first 10 seasons of The Simpsons

60. Hanley tagged and scored from 3rd base on a pop fly to pitcher's mound.

61. Whenever the New York Mets have had a no hitter past the 7th inning, it has been Hanley Ramirez who has broken it up... every time.

62. Knows how to end a joke gracefully

63. Hanley Ramirez dressed as Tedy Bruschi for the Patriots-Bills game and played in order for Bruschi to receive his deification from ESPN

64. Hanley blew Carlton Fisk's home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series fair.

65. Hanley Ramirez is the reason Fred Snodgrass dropped the flyball to end Game 7 of the 1912 World Series.

66. Hanley Ramirez spiked Ty Cobb and lived to tell the tale.

67. Hanley Ramirez is the reason the Dodgers and Giants moved to California.

68. Hanley Ramirez taught Candy Cummings the curveball.

69. Hanley Ramirez created the Ball-in-Glove logo.

70. The June 24th game between the Marlins and Yankees was not, in fact, called by rain as was previously reported. Hanley had plans. And by plans we mean a date. With a girl. A babe if you will.

71. Hanley Ramirez once had a street named after him in Miami, but once everybody who crossed the street died, they changed the name.

No one crosses Hanley Ramirez and lives.

72. When Hanley Ramirez comes up, the scoreboard lists his HRs, RBIs, and "Batting Outstanding" for his stats because nothing about Hanley Ramirez is average.

73. Hanley Ramirez doesn't take batting practice, Hanley takes home run practice.

74. Hanley Ramirez moonlights as a crime fighter on off days and has never missed making a bust. Crime in Miami has dropped to 0 because Hanley Ramirez always makes his catch.

75. In Wiffleball, naming your ghost runner "Hanley Ramirez" ensures he'll score from first base every time.

76. Hanley never took quarters to the batting cage as a kid -- he simply walked into the box and stared down the pitching machine until it started throwing.

77. The only base Hanley has never stolen is Ft. Sill, and that's just because he owes Oklahoma a favor.

78. Hanley Ramirez has never been caught stealing. "Stealing" implies he doesn't own the base already and, as you know, all your bases belong to Hanley.

[jenbobblehead]

this year's SoSH infatuation has been with Jack Cust

[bobbob1313]

this year's SoSH infatuation has been with Jack Cust

 

I would guess a lot of SoSH guys are big Moneyball fans, and Cust is a big MB type of guy.

[Lammycat]

There's a walk-off base hit for you, Coco.

[Leo]

Mags with another huuuuge hit. C'MON!! Jones looking to blow it. Act like a closer for chrissake!

[MrRain422]

A hit, a wild pitch and a walk. Good enough.

[Oil Can Boyd]

Former big leaguer Offerman arrested for melee

 

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Former major league All-Star Jose Offerman was arrested Tuesday night after charging the mound and hitting the pitcher and catcher with his bat during an independent minor league game.

 

Bridgeport police said Offerman was arrested, but did not detail the charge. Police said he posted bond.

 

Offerman, playing for the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League, homered in the first inning. The next inning, he was hit by a pitch from Bridgeport's Matt Beech and charged the mound with his bat.

 

Offerman hit Beech in the hands and struck catcher John Nathans in the head.

 

The game was delayed for about 20 minutes because of the melee. Offerman, Beech and Bridgeport manager and former major league pitcher Tommy John were all ejected.

 

There was no immediate update on the condition of Beech or Nathans.

 

Offerman batted .273 during his 15 seasons in the majors. He last played in the majors in 2005 with Philadelphia and the New York Mets. He was an All-Star in 1995 with the Dodgers and 1999 with Boston.

[Lammycat]

It's been noted that Jose Offerman's MLB numbers compare favorably to Phil Rizzuto's.

HOF?

[Oil Can Boyd]

It's been noted that Jose Offerman's MLB numbers compare favorably to Phil Rizzuto's.

HOF?

Were it not for last night's clubbing, I think he'd be a lock.

[Lammycat]

Were it not for last night's clubbing, I think he'd be a lock.

I don't think he's pals with the huckleberry's on the Veteran's Committee, though.

[Leo]

Rizzuto Trammell

 

Games 1661 2293

 

Runs 877 1231

 

Hits 1588 2365

 

HRs 38 185

 

RBI 563 1003

 

SB 149 236

 

AVG .273 .285

 

Fielding % .968 .977

 

Rizzuto is a beloved HOFer. Trammell is not. If Trammell had played for NY or BOS . . . WTF?