Comments on: A-Rod’s slowly decreasing home run numbers

By: Zack

Zack — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:14:21 +0000

No its because the Yankees didnt want to embarass ARod.
Just like the Red Sox didnt want to embarass Varitek by offering him a minor league deal.

By: Zack

Zack — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:12:13 +0000

Dont put any stock into those predictions, look at guys like Jim Thome, Frank Thomas, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, guys still retain power

By: MJ

MJ — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:45:20 +0000

A-Rod with only one more season at 40+ homers?

I still haven’t seen a decline in any home run totals yet.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

57 two years ago and on pace for 40-47 last year without injuries

I don’t see him stopping at all within 2 years. He had a good chance to be MVP last year if he wasn’t injured. MVP last year was so ugly for the AL. Made our beloved AL look like trash.

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:46:44 +0000

Quote from Buster Olney’s column dated 2/25/2009:

The Yankees paid about $300 million for Alex Rodriguez when they probably could have had him for $200 million, and nobody could figure out why, when it happened.

I couldn’t figure it out either. The only possible reasons I could figure out then — or figure out now— — are terminal stupidity or a burning desire to be doormats to the Red Sox for the next decade. If it’s the latter, congratulations to Red Sox Nation! Mission accomplished. The last few years of that contract will almost certainly be like a huge lead weight around the neck of the Yankees.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:31:43 +0000

Are you out of your mind???? Kirby was overweight…Ryno played at 175 lbs and won the 1984 MVP after hitting 19 homers. Nolan Ryan was, and still is, “country strong.” Who are you going to question next? Tony Gwynn?

By: Rory

Rory — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:13:27 +0000

I didn’t say that he was guaranteeing failure. I said that he was using other players’ performances to predict A-Rod’s failure. Big difference.

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:49:33 +0000

But he’s not “guaranteeing” future failure. He’s just predicting it. Big difference.

This prediction is merely what he’s most likely to do, given typical baseball histories. Nothing more. If ARod beats these odds and breaks the records, I’m sure Nate Silver will say that he was mildly surprised but not wildly surprised.

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:47:09 +0000

Secondly, Arod is a tremendous athlete, who canm if asked, could play any position on the field.

Easy, buddy… let’s not go overboard there.

By: Rory

Rory — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:58:06 +0000

One of the absolutely biggest issues with the Silver article, is this: He makes the claim that past performance does not guarantee future success, and then uses past performances to predict Rodriguez’s failure. It certainly is true that you can’t guarantee success based on past performance. However, you can no more predict failure on this platform. One of the primary basis for the Pecota projections is using the career paths of similar hitters who have come before. That is the definition of using past performance to determine the outcome of the future.
You can’t have it both ways. Alex Rodriguez’s past production is somehow very little evidence of how good he’ll be in coming years, and yet how OTHER PEOPLE have done in the past is? That doesn’t make any sense. Alex Rodriguez has far more to do with his career path than Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:28:00 +0000

You are absolutely wrong about Arod vs. Pujols defensively.

First, Arod is a shortstop, who, despite this fact, still plays a gold glove third. Name one third baseman with a better arm?

Secondly, Arod is a tremendous athlete, who canm if asked, could play any position on the field.

Pulhold, meanwhile, was moved to 1st due to is immobility. You can argue he played 3rd, but 1st and third are for those players who are not the most athletic.

Arod, as mentioned, was a SS (it doesn’t get more athletic than that – see Reyes, Ozzie, etc.) and would probably be an incredibly center fielder.

Hey, Mattingly was a gold glove 1st baseman, but that’s all he could play.

To compare Pujols to Arod defensively is, in all seriousness, just plain baseball ignorant.