May
31

Open Thread: Shock! Yankees players considered overrated

By

Ah yes, the good ol’ Sport Illustrated MLB players poll, when players around the league annually vote the players they’re most jealous of their least favorite Yankee(s) as the most overrated player in the game. Alex Rodriguez tops the list this year, followed by Joba Chamberlain and Derek Jeter. Joba was in the top spot last year while A-Rod came in second, so those two flip flopped. Jayson Werth places fourth this year followed by Jonathan Papelbon, but Nick Swisher received the same amount of votes as those two. For all intents and purposes, the top four spots of the list were occupied by Yankees. Are they overpaid? Sure. But I think you could make a case that A-Rod and Joba are actually underrated in the public eye given how often they get trashed in the media.

Anyway, I just figured I’d throw that out there. The regular game thread will be along a little later on (game starts at 10pm ET), so use this open thread to hold you over. The Mets are again playing the Pirates (Dickey vs. McDonald), plus the Giants and Cardinals (Vogelsong vs. Carpenter) will be on ESPN. The NBA Finals start tonight as well, you can watch that on ABC at 9pm ET. Talk about whatever, go nuts.

 

Categories : Open Thread

144 Comments»

  1. bexarama says:

    Joba I don’t get. He’s a freaking middle reliever (sob, sob).

    • king of fruitless hypotheticals says:

      THAT.IS.AWESOME.

      (cue evil empire music)

    • first time lawng time says:

      Lol it’s so random!

      In fact, I don’t even think he’s rated. I never really see him in the media (although I never read ESPN)

    • Ed says:

      I got Joba being on the list last year. He was hyped as an ace starter and ended up as a middle reliever. The polling last year was done right around when that was announced, so it made sense.

      But now? It’s old news. If anything, Joba’s reputation is as a bad, injury prone reliever. He’s reputation now is probably slightly better than Javy Vazquez’s.

  2. A-Rod's Wingman says:

    Ben, which law school study aids did you find most helpful? Glannons, E and Es, Emanuels, Crunch Time, Glannons, Blonds, or Spiegels? Another publication?

    • Normando says:

      Examples and Explanations are very good for getting a real insight. Glannons, keyed to your text, are good for saving time, but that short-cut comes with a price – I think your analytical skills suffer.

  3. Bryan L says:

    If Jeter and A-Rod are on that list because they’re being paid huge somes of money, then where the hell is Vernon Wells?

    Oh right, I forgot. Everyone hate’s the Yankees

  4. first time lawng time says:

    Ugh I hate the late west coast game times especially on a school night. By the time the game ends, I have to wake up in a few hours.

  5. Kiersten says:

    Swisher??? Not right now, but in general, Swisher is probably one of the most underrated players on the team. The whole concept is just ridiculous.

  6. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    Udder nonsense! Where is Carl Crawford???

  7. Looks for Jacoby Ellsbury and scratches head.

  8. first time lawng time says:

    Where is Pedroia? I personally think he’s overrated.

  9. V says:

    Y’know, I’ve been a huge fan of Joe Maddon’s, but he is kinda losing me lately.

    First, Sean Rodriguez is batting 2nd. Then, Felipe Lopez is batting 6th. Meanwhile, Matt Joyce (also known as one of the hottest hitters in baseball) is batting 7th.

    2nd inning, walk, walk…. sac bunt?… to get to Matt Joyce, who is going to be pitched around to get to Kelly Shoppach (duh), who just happens to hit into a double play.

    Fucking moron.

    • first time lawng time says:

      The problem with these sac bunt things, while they seem okay in theory, is that managers don’t realize that the pitcher will just pitch around the next guy to get to a weak hitter, making it useless.

    • bexarama says:

      Matt Joyce is hitting seventh? He was batting cleanup a couple of games ago…

      Also, Evan Longoria’s .776 OPS is a 123 OPS+. His .874 OPS was a 127 OPS+ in 2008. NEEDZ MOAR STEROIDS

    • CP says:

      FWIW, the run expectancy for bases loaded 1 out is higher that for 1st and 2nd no outs.

      • V says:

        Assuming the same batters at the plate in each situation. I’d rather have Matt Joyce up with 1st and 2nd no outs than Kelly Shoppach with bases loaded 1 out.

        • CP says:

          That’s not an option (or not a likely one). He was on deck with 1st and 2nd no outs, so the base-out situation when he came up would depend on what the batter in front of him did.

          • V says:

            Sorry, I meant Felipe Lopez (though I’d certainly prefer Matt Joyce ;-) ) over Kelly Shoppach.

            Of course, batting Felipe Lopez ahead of Matt Joyce is batshit insane.

      • bexarama says:

        IMO you have to take context into account… Matt Joyce has been beyond great and Shoppach has been awful (holy shit 38 OPS+). Give Joyce the chance to hit. It’s kinda like how win expectancy charts don’t take into account the hitter and pitcher, just the situation.

  10. Jimmy says:

    ARod on being named baseball’s most overrated player: “I’ve been on this list before, and ill probably be on it again next summer.”

    LOL

  11. first time lawng time says:

    Okay, who is TN?

  12. Zack D says:

    I fully expect to see Granderson on this next year.

  13. Opus says:

    Don’t forget that sidebar saying 45% (!) of the Facebook fans give the overrated title to the Captain.

  14. first time lawng time says:

    Best situation for scoring a run (not via homer): 1 & 3 no out.

    Basically any ball in play scores a run.

  15. first time lawng time says:

    I know I’m going to crap for saying this, but I actually think Cliff Lee is overrated.

    He’s good, but he’s not unbeatable.

  16. Esteban says:

    Is RAB really slow for anybody else? Two different computers are taking FOR-EV-ER (/sand lot’d) to load RAB today.

  17. Mike HC says:

    They should just make “the yankees” the de facto number one spot, and then get the ratings on everyone else. This way there are some different, not obvious, answers.

  18. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    Aceves just crapped the bed a little

  19. Xstar7 says:

    Can someone explain to me how Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are overrated? I just don’t see it.

    • bexarama says:

      I think overrated = overpaid here. I guess.

    • first time lawng time says:

      Well Arod is underrated given te criticism from the media.

      Jete is overrated given all of the love he gets from fans and how he’s “better than Arod” even though he isn’t. And he should not win a Gold Glove or be an All Star.

      • Xstar7 says:

        Jeter gets love from the fans (or at least used to) for being a great clutch player, being a consistently great hitter, and playing at his highest in the postseason where it really matters. The Gold Glove award has been notorious for being biased toward players who put up better offensive numbers. And Derek Jeter definitely deserved to be a perennial all-star.

        • first time lawng time says:

          I mean this year and last year, ignoring careers.

          • Xstar7 says:

            In that case, Derek Jeter is definitely overrated. But A-Rod still has had at least 30 HR and 100 RBI’s the last two years. And those are the only stats that compute to the people who voted in that poll.

  20. V says:

    Can I transfer my fantasy team to an OPB league? lol. 1/7 with 4 walks today so far.

  21. Mike HC says:

    My reaction if I were Joba would be, “there are still people who rate me highly?”

  22. Steve H says:

    Speaking of hate, how much would fans hate Nova if he wasn’t homegrown?

  23. vinny-b says:

    the poll is on target. Both have been overrated. Nothing new.

    Curtis Granderson is very underrated. Hence, it’s not really a ‘Yankee thing’

    _

  24. vinny-b says:

    additionally, if it were a ‘Yankee thing’ Mo Rivera would be on the list/poll. Considering he receives as much acclaim as the other two listed.

    the difference being, Rivera deserves his acclaim.

    _

  25. first time lawng time says:

    Who votes? Every player or just a few wannabes?

    • Foghorn Leghorn says:

      Just Red Sox players, their front office and their loveable fans.

      I’m certain of this because they do hate Jonathan Papelbon.

  26. first time lawng time says:

    Absolutely nothing good is on on Tuesdays.

  27. goterpsgo says:

    Hmmmmmm… PHI down 5-0 to WAS?!

    Colon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lee

    • Foghorn Leghorn says:

      Colon craps bigger than Cliff Lee!

    • Xstar7 says:

      Don’t worry, I’m sure those youngsters over in Philadelphia will back Lee up and make a comeback. Did you know the Phillies were voted the second grittiest team in the MLB in SI’s latest player’s poll? It goes without saying who came in first.

      • goterpsgo says:

        I’d still vote for Brett Gritner.

      • Steve H says:

        Did you know the Phillies were voted the second grittiest team in the MLB in SI’s latest player’s poll? It goes without saying who came in first.

        I can’t tell if this is a joke or not. It’s hilarious either way.

  28. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    Cliff Lee has nearly a 4 ERA in the NL…that’s equal to a 5.98 in the AL East!

  29. V says:

    I hate you, Mat Latos. Fucking asshole.

    His best two outings of the year occurred when I finally got tired of his shit and benched him. Started him against the Braves (hardy a great offense). He walks the fucking park. Again. Fuck.

  30. JobaWockeeZ says:

    Can anyone help me with RAB? My browsers all say that this script is acting unresponsive and this is the first time RAB s acting slow as shit for me. Every other website is fine. Help please?

    • CMP says:

      I’ve been getting that too all day long.

    • Kit says:

      Are you using Firefox? It often gives me bitch fits over that. It goes away if I switch to Chrome.

      • JobaWockeeZ says:

        I’m using Chrome. I switch to IE and I get the same problem. I’ll try using FF though.

        • Kit says:

          They’re all acting up right now, to be honest. Took ten minutes to just refresh the page on ff. =/

          • Mike Axisa says:

            Seriously? The site is working fine for me on FF, Chrome, and IE. I’ll see if I can find anything.

            • Steve H says:

              I’m getting it on Firefox as well. It’s loading pretty much completely, except for something with the tiqiq thing. Keeps saying “transferring data from http://www.tiqiq.com” and “waiting for data from http://www.tiqiq.com“, just keeps doing this over and over, so the page is never fully loading.

            • Kit says:

              It’s much better now, but it took me quite a while before. I don’t know if it’s just me with the 10 minute loading time, but I saw a few comments above where people were complaining/commenting on the site being slow. The tiqiq.com thing is definitely doing something though, I’ve had the “transferring data…” bar in the bottom of FF for a while. I haven’t refreshed that often either.

            • The BIG 3 says:

              Seriously. Chrome user here, and it sucks. Even when the pages load, which is terribly lately, that tiqiq crap is still failing in the background.

              Send tiqiq a note: Fix it or GTFO

              TIQIQ: “Tickets meet intelligence”. Ironic.

  31. CMP says:

    This list is what you call SOUR GRAPES.

  32. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    wow…I don’t pay too much attention to stats before June…Adam Dunn is really sucking ass.

  33. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    amazing that the sox spent all that money in the off season and they still have Scott Atchison in the bullpen.

  34. Xstar7 says:

    The Red Sox are losing to the White Sox 10-1? Heads are gonna roll in Boston.

    • Foghorn Leghorn says:

      starting with Aceves!

      • Xstar7 says:

        Boy do I wish we had kept that guy. I mean, his 87% LOB% and his .202 BABIP against were totally sustainable.

        • bexarama says:

          Meh, it was more about his health. The Yankees messed up there. But it doesn’t mean the org/the medical staff is incompetent and not to be trusted or anything like that.

          (I also think that if he was pitching like that for anyone but the Red Sox, people would be more like “oh well.”)

          • Foghorn Leghorn says:

            I don’t think they messed up…just made a decision. some times they work one way, sometimes they don’t. no big deal.

            • bexarama says:

              Well the decision was based on his health and they did mess up there (though if he breaks his back tomorrow and never pitches another inning, for example, maybe not). But I don’t think it’s that big a deal and I wouldn’t have wanted him to start at all anyway.

          • Xstar7 says:

            Oh well, It’s a moot point now. I used to really like Aceves, but I just can’t root for him in a Red Sox uniform. If he was pitching for any other team (well besides the Phillies, Rangers, Angels, Mets, and any AL east team besides the Yankees) I would be wishing him the best of luck.

            • Freddy Garcia's 86 mph Heat says:

              I will wish him best of luck when he resumes his long relief role and only pitches in games where Boston’s down 11-2

  35. bonestock94 says:

    I will buy someone 6 good beers per month for the rest of their lives if they can get me a job on Wall Street. Dead Serious.

  36. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    Red Sox are getting Phil Humbered…

    • CMP says:

      It’s nice to see a former Mets farmhand make it. With Santana injured, it adds a little salt to the Mets wounds.

  37. Craig says:

    Cliff Lee makes Cashman one lucky GM.

  38. Kiersten says:

    Someone on Twitter just told me baseball is not a sport. Uh… that’s a new one.

  39. Mariano's Pimp Hand says:

    More bad news for Gary Carter.Carter’s brain tumor is malignant, inoperable

    Doctors think he can still be treated via chemo and radiation.

  40. Sean C says:

    So it turns out that grabbing Morneau off of waivers (at least in the short term) last week was a good idea.

  41. CMP says:

    ESPN’s coverage of the NBA is such horse shit. All of a sudden, LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitski is being compared to Larry Bird.

    After this series, the two of them combined will have a total of one ring but that apparently isn’t sensational enough.

    • Sean C says:

      When LeBron gets his sixth ring, THEN it becomes a conversation/debate worth having.

      • Sean C says:

        And the “when” on that is not me saying it will happen. Winning multiple championships in any sport is pretty damn rare and difficult (unless, you know, you happen to play for the Yankees at the right time).

      • CMP says:

        MJ would have broken LBJs spirit with his maniacal will to win…….and after blowing past him off the dribble a few dozen times.

    • JobaWockeeZ says:

      Lolwut. Everyone at ESPN wants to kill Pippen for saying that. And it’s not like LBJ isn’t close. He has a chance to be better, actually a solid chance. Too early to determine but ESPN is definitely against LBJ in this argument.

    • Xstar7 says:

      Michael Jordan is incomparable. I could give you all the details, but I’m too lazy.

      • CMP says:

        +100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 and I’m a huge lifelong Knicks fan.

        • Xstar7 says:

          I’m a huge lifelong Lakers fan. But you’ve got to give props to MJ for being the best (and most exciting to watch) NBA player of all time.

  42. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    holy crap…bruney is going to blow this

  43. Foghorn Leghorn says:

    way to go, Chisox…score early…let the red sox fans get their hopes up…and then win it with the big guns coming up!

  44. Drew says:

    Haters gonna hate. Am I surprised at all? No, I am not.

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