Ex Indians update

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I'd add Barry Bonds and opposite field Miggy Cabrera (in his prime) as far as sweet swings to watch. Alongside the two you mentioned, they looked the best when they hit. Not like that necessarily means anything.

I never really thought Miggy had a sweet swing like Manny. I consider Manny/Pujols/Miggy all in the "best right handed bats of the era" conversation though.

Nobody has as sweet of a swing as Junior though. The way he'd just drop the bat head down was something everyone emulated at some point in their lives growing up.

 

[MattyFos.]

I never really thought Miggy had a sweet swing like Manny. I consider Manny/Pujols/Miggy all in the "best right handed bats of the era" conversation though.

Nobody has as sweet of a swing as Junior though. The way he'd just drop the bat head down was something everyone emulated at some point in their lives growing up.

Yeah Griffey had that beautiful long smooth swing.

 

[MattyFos.]

Great story/remembrance!
A few life times ago, I hired a very young Manny Ramirez for a promotional gig -- it was among his first events of this sort. He laboriously autographed a number of items where each character was quite discernable...I still cherish those items ( there are not many like them) -- they make me smile. Young Manny was very shy and reserved, but also quite charming.

There was a small stint pre 2004 Red Sox World Series (I think) when Carlos Baerga was on Boston with Manny. I'd go to dozens of Tigers games over the summer with my dad cause they had $5 tickets and we usually ended up along the first base line before the game most of the time.

I saw Carlos on the field warming up. I hollered and he came over. Got a chance to talk to him for a bit and informed him of my NE Ohio upbringing and watching those mid 90s teams, him and Manny being my 2 faves and Kenny and Jim being my brother..

Afterwards Carlos walked into the dugout brought out Manny and introduced me to him and chatted for a bit as well. Fucking highlight of my life at that point and still pretty awesome thinking back on it.

 

[CATS44]

If we are putting Pujols into the same era as Manny, Pujols was better...by a pretty fair margin.

Griffey had a beautiful swing. But Pujols had a perfect swing, no unnecessary moving parts...imagine Brantley with plus plus power.

His OPS+ in his eleven yrs with StL was 170.

 

[KluberSociety]

I never really thought Miggy had a sweet swing like Manny. I consider Manny/Pujols/Miggy all in the "best right handed bats of the era" conversation though.

Nobody has as sweet of a swing as Junior though. The way he'd just drop the bat head down was something everyone emulated at some point in their lives growing up.

I guess it's maybe just because it stuck out to me as "special" the way he'd wait back on pitches and drill them with effortless power to RF. In a sense a pull swing is a little more "smooth" and natural but he was just like wrist flick and boom in a way that characterizes smoothness to me.

 

[Lee]

I never really thought Miggy had a sweet swing like Manny. I consider Manny/Pujols/Miggy all in the "best right handed bats of the era" conversation though.

Nobody has as sweet of a swing as Junior though. The way he'd just drop the bat head down was something everyone emulated at some point in their lives growing up.

Junior's swing was such a thing of beauty. It was pure sex on a diamond, no one else comes close in my opinion.

 

[LL3]

There was a small stint pre 2004 Red Sox World Series (I think) when Carlos Baerga was on Boston with Manny. I'd go to dozens of Tigers games over the summer with my dad cause they had $5 tickets and we usually ended up along the first base line before the game most of the time.

I saw Carlos on the field warming up. I hollered and he came over. Got a chance to talk to him for a bit and informed him of my NE Ohio upbringing and watching those mid 90s teams, him and Manny being my 2 faves and Kenny and Jim being my brother..

Afterwards Carlos walked into the dugout brought out Manny and introduced me to him and chatted for a bit as well. Fucking highlight of my life at that point and still pretty awesome thinking back on it.

Great story/experience...stuff like this is what made the game seem so personal and intimate for me over the years. I was fortunate enough to attend a great many games, carry on fun “conversations“ with outfielders ( a young Sammy Sosa at old Comiskey being my favorite), be there early for BP, and visit Spring training games back when you could just walk right up...good, good times!

 

[MattyFos.]

Great story/experience...stuff like this is what made the game seem so personal and intimate for me over the years. I was fortunate enough to attend a great many games, carry on fun “conversations“ with outfielders ( a young Sammy Sosa at old Comiskey being my favorite), be there early for BP, and visit Spring training games back when you could just walk right up...good, good times!

Yeah I had a lot of great experiences at Detroit games. They were terrible back then and we had free reign to do what we wanted. Hangout at the dugout. I remember a game yelling at Omar when he was in the batting circle telling him to tell Kenny to steal. I think the tribe was up a shit ton late in the game.
Kenny got a hit and stole second. I take credit for that. That same game we had a couple foul offs tossed to us and had Hargrove sign our balls.

 

[Martyinnewyork]

Lindor is up to .222 as he homered last night. Also had an error.

 

[DCTribefan]

It was only a matter of time.

• Tyler Naquin left Sunday’s 8-7 Reds victory over the Cardinals due to left hamstring tightness. Naquin took something of an awkward slide into second base in the first inning, and was replaced by a pinch-hitter for his next plate appearance in the top of the third. Naquin has cooled down after a scorching-hot opening month of the season, but the outfielder still has an impressive .257/.333/.509 slash line and 11 homers over 189 plate appearances while emerging as Cincinnati’s everyday center fielder. Reds manager David Bell told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other reporters that the removal was precautionary in nature, and Naquin could be back as early as Tuesday for the Reds’ next game.

 

[xmasbuck]

It was only a matter of time.

• Tyler Naquin left Sunday’s 8-7 Reds victory over the Cardinals due to left hamstring tightness. Naquin took something of an awkward slide into second base in the first inning, and was replaced by a pinch-hitter for his next plate appearance in the top of the third. Naquin has cooled down after a scorching-hot opening month of the season, but the outfielder still has an impressive .257/.333/.509 slash line and 11 homers over 189 plate appearances while emerging as Cincinnati’s everyday center fielder. Reds manager David Bell told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other reporters that the removal was precautionary in nature, and Naquin could be back as early as Tuesday for the Reds’ next game.

nothing classier than cheering for injuries

 

[Lee]

nothing classier than cheering for injuries

I am a Naquin fan, I like that he went to the NL so its easier to openly cheer for him to do well.

 

[Alabuckeye]

I didn't read that DC was 'cheering TN's injury'. He was merely saying that it was an inevitable outcome given his past injury history.

I like TN and was openly pulling for his success in Cincy, but this is not shocking. He is Lonnie Chisenhall(one of my favorites), which is a shame for him.

On another note, The Athletic has an article about the wheels coming off in NY and who is to blame, and the comments by NY fans are fairly critical of Clint Frazier, speaking of ex-Indians. A little surprising as I felt he was at least adequate if not above average.

 

[DCTribefan]

I didn't read that DC was 'cheering TN's injury'. He was merely saying that it was an inevitable outcome given his past injury history.

I like TN and was openly pulling for his success in Cincy, but this is not shocking. He is Lonnie Chisenhall(one of my favorites), which is a shame for him.

On another note, The Athletic has an article about the wheels coming off in NY and who is to blame, and the comments by NY fans are fairly critical of Clint Frazier, speaking of ex-Indians. A little surprising as I felt he was at least adequate if not above average.

Thank you Alabuckeye. I never want any player to be injured let alone someone who played his heart out for the Tribe. I just was noting that some players, for whatever reason, are extremely injury prone.

 

[WhoAzcue]

Lindor Update

Trade challenge:

Francisco Lindor (bWAR): 1.1 (Still hitting only .188 w/RISP, but hitting with a bit more power and the fielding remains sublime despite 3 errors)

Andres Gimenez 0.3 + Amed Rosario 0.5 = 0.8 (Lindor with his first significant lead)

Lindor Prediction Challenge (using fWAR)
Derek (5+ fWAR; over 800 OPS)
Out of the Rafters (3.4 fWAR; .767 OPS)
LL3 (3.5 fWAR; .769 OPS)
To date: 0.7 fWAR, .647 OPS (Fangraphs fWAR evidently doesn't credit as much defense as bWAR)