Tuesday, September 20, 2011
THIS KID COULD REALLY BE SOMETHING SPECIAL. LOOKS WAY TOO SKINNY TO BE DURABLE, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW: That's what Baseball Prospectus's annual guide wrote of Mariano Rivera before the 1996 season, his second in the majors, just part of the fun time-wasting you can explore now that they've posted the entire 1996 Prospectus online for free.
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What I love most about Rivera is the story that even when Bernie Williams was at his peak, Rivera was the team's most talented defensive center fielder. Who cares if it's true?
ReplyDeleteThe 1996 Pirates preview was being passed around yesterday. They said it was going to be a rough couple of years...
ReplyDeleteRe: Jermaine Dye: "Was ranked by Baseball America as the #3 prospect in the Braves system. The guys at Baseball America must think that plate discipline involves knowing the difference between the shrimp fork and the salad fork." Heh.
ReplyDeleteThe Mariners: high on some kid named Alex Rodriguez (who won RoY and who should have won the MVP that year), also high on Desi Relaford and Arquimedez Pozo, lukewarm on Jason Varitek.
ReplyDeleteDid not win RoY; wasn't that great in his age-19 callup season. The 1996 season which followed this writing was as good as you suggest: .358/.414/.631.
ReplyDeleteMariano Rivera also plays a mean guitar. He's like Duane to Bernie Williams's Dickie.
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't remember that he had enough games not to be a rookie in 1996. But his 1996, when they gave it to Juan Gonzales (I think), that was just bad. Gonzales was a corner OF/DH who hit home runs. Rodriguez was a shortstop playing great defense who hit for average, OBP, and about as much power as Gonzales. Maybe not as much, but close enough. In terms of RAA and wins, Rodriguez must have killed Juan Gone.
ReplyDeleteJeter was AL RoY in 1996; Juan Gone did edge out ARod in MVP voting with a .314/.368/.643 line and just 2.8 WAR.
ReplyDeleteThis brief snippet from the Phillies entry says a lot about why the Phillies sucked for most of the period between 1990 and 2005:
ReplyDelete<span>"...the men who gave you Jeff Jackson instead of Frank Thomas..."</span>
Our farm system really was shit in 1996 - basically, Scott Rolen and a bunch of organizational filler.
Also, there's this, in the blurb on Lenny Dykstra: "<span>Some scouts are speculating that Nails has gotten too caught up in hitting for power after '93, and tries to uppercut everything at the plate." </span>As Jon Stewart would say, "Go on......."
"<span>The White Sox entered the '95 season full of confidence. The '94 team had been excellent, holding a lead in the AL Central with a high-powered offense and a fine pitching staff. Going into spring training '95 after the Sotomayor decision"</span>
ReplyDeletePardon me while I go hit a tree or something.
Just clicked your link -- 9.4 WAR to 2.8, oof. I just remember being outraged. But I have to remember -- it just doesn't matter. Awards don't change what you actually achieved. That's on the plaques I'm having engraved for Amy Poehler and the writers of The Suitcase, by the way.
ReplyDelete