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01/30/2005: With about a month to Spring Training....
MLB teams are completing the last minute adjustments to their rosters. Lee Sinins, in his "Around The Majors" newsletter today, notes that the Red Sox and the Mets have traded first basemen straight up. Sox first baseman Doug "I caught The Ball, I stole it fair and square, it's mine!" Mientkiewicz was traded to the Mets for their first baseman, Ian Bladergroen.
One of the delights of subscribing to Sinins's newsletters is that he comes up with wonderful statistical factoids about players who have changed hands. Relative to Mientkiewicz, he notes: "Mientkiewicz ranks 2nd in AL history for worst SLG vs. the league average, among 1B (min: 2500 PA)" [SLG = Slugging average; PA = Plate Appearances --LRC]
SLG DIFF PLAYER LEAGUEMakes me wonder what exactly is the attraction, myself....
1 Frank Isbell -.039 .314 .353
2 Doug Mientkiewicz -.027 .404 .431
3 Jack Burns -.026 .392 .417
4 Tom Jones -.022 .303 .325
5 Phil Todt -.020 .395 .416
6 Doc Johnston -.017 .357 .374
7 Tom McCraw -.016 .362 .379
8 Jiggs Donahue -.015 .308 .322
9 Lu Blue -.014 .401 .415
10 Jim Spencer -.010 .371 .381
Len on 01.30.05 @ 09:26 AM CST
Replies: 2 comments
on Sunday, January 30th, 2005 at 12:48 PM CST, Grey said
As a rabid Mets fan (sorry Len -- we still hold a lot of animous towards the Cards), that ATM Report really depressed me.
But a couple of things are worth not(ici)ing. For starters, Mientkiewicz's slugging percentage is the highest on that list, and by quite a wide margin over the median and the mean. Douggers is, of course, suffering from an era when the average SLG is .431. Compare this to someone named "Jiggs Donahue" who played in an era when players slugged a robust .322.
The Mets fan in me defeinitely says "he's no Carlos Delgado." But the Moneyballer in me hopes that he returns to his .380-.390ish OBP ways, which should be more than adequate for his lineup role (then again, knowing the Mets, a 6 or 7 hitter posting a near-.400 OBP could set some sort of record for being left on base). If he could ever replicate his 2003 (.300/.393/.450) I'd be a happy camper. I just wish we hadn't given up a guy who torched the Sally League to a tune of .342/.397/.595 last year. Thanks, Omar.
As an aside, The name "Bladergroen" really makes me wish Harry Caray was still alive.
on Sunday, January 30th, 2005 at 6:24 PM CST, roboto said
And, while I agree that defense is the last line of defense for Minaya apologists, here, Doug's defense will be much needed, as the Mets have a sophomore 3b, a 2b learning the ropes, and a young SS.