The Best Shape Of My Life

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 23, 2009 2:52 PM PDT in Seattle Mariners Stats

Last spring I identified a bunch of players who claimed to be - or were said to be - in better shape for the upcoming season. Here's how they (and a few others I missed) wound up doing.

Hitters

(Molina, Edmonds, Dye, Konerko, Pierzynski, Thome, Crawford, Sweeney, Quinlan, Posada, Sheffield, Martin)

2007 wOBA: .347
2008 wOBA: .335

Javy Lopez said that he was in the best shape of his life, but he couldn't get a job. Brian Anderson got a little better after spending most of 2007 hurt or in the minors. Interestingly, Jayson Nix, Paul McAnulty, and Nelson Cruz all improved in AAA after getting more fit. Johnny Damon, meanwhile, acknowledged that he was 12 pounds overweight and increased his value in the Majors by 1.6 wins.

Defensive evaluation is difficult, but it's worth noting that only Carl Crawford saw his defensive statistics improve by any significant margin, and all four of the catchers threw out fewer basestealers in 2008 than they did in 2007. Jim Edmonds' UZR nosedived.

Pitchers

This is really tough, so let's just go one by one:

Rich Harden: bounced back from a bunch of injuries to have a phenomenal, albeit limited season
Ray King: couldn't stick with the Nationals and wound up in AAA
Duaner Sanchez: bounced back from a lost 2007 to have the worst statistical season of his career
Felix: lasted the season but got slightly worse
Barry Zito: lasted the season but got slightly worse
Boof Bonser: pitched decently but wound up with an ugly ERA and a bullpen demotion
Clay Buchholz: pitched worse in the higher levels
Francisco Liriano: bounced back from a lost 2007 to have a solid season, albeit one that was worse than 2006
Joba Chamberlain: pitched very well as both a reliever and a starter until getting hurt
Kevin Millwood: lasted the season and stayed about the same
Chad Cordero: was completely fucked

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Comments

So being an out-of-shape, crouch grabbing, tobacco chewing, beer drinking baseball player is the way to become a better player.

I’m just messing because I know that is not your point, but hey, doing those things might actually give yourself a nice boost.

by Wilder. on Mar 23, 2009 3:02 PM PDT reply actions

So, I guess that makes me a HOF contender then?

by d0nkey on Mar 23, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, you actually have to have the talent to play baseball.

But I am sure you can rise to the top of your softball league.

by Wilder. on Mar 23, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

We have a zero-tolerance on booze policy in my leagues

And they don’t let me smoke on the field. So I guess I can only dream

by d0nkey on Mar 23, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Doesn't that go against everything softball leagues are about?

by Mariner John on Mar 23, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions

It's positively un-American

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 23, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions

I got thrown out of a game for being the closest player to an open beer once

Buncha savages in this town

by d0nkey on Mar 23, 2009 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions

That is messed up

I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.

by wadswerth on Mar 23, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions

What town is this?

by Fin on Mar 23, 2009 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Detoxopolis

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 23, 2009 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Bellingham

Buncha hippies

by d0nkey on Mar 23, 2009 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions

It seems like hippies would be far less likely to be opposed to beer.

by Aaron Campeau on Mar 23, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions

That seems rather un-Bellingham-like.

Seeing as how there are a bunch of liberal college students in the area. You’d think they’d be pretty lax on the beer policy.

Throw the snacks in the bag and I'm ghost like Swayze!
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Mar 23, 2009 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree.

Could possibly have something to do with the number of drunken fights we had last season..

by d0nkey on Mar 23, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions

You think?

by Aaron Campeau on Mar 23, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I think blow might have been more of a factor in those fights but..

Tomatoe potatoe

by d0nkey on Mar 23, 2009 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Just look at Babe Ruth.

Throw the snacks in the bag and I'm ghost like Swayze!
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Mar 23, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Actually, Babe Ruth was a world-class weightlifter in the off-season.

He just looks fat in old pictures because he didn’t have to trim down 2% body fat until January. And those hot dogs, they were revolutionary protein bars.

by Wilder. on Mar 23, 2009 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Must have been all the sawdust and rat shit

Does wonders for a body

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Mar 23, 2009 7:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Felix got hurt last year

by Robert on Mar 23, 2009 3:34 PM PDT reply actions

great post. thanks. will there be a sequal?

by walkoffwalk on Mar 23, 2009 3:45 PM PDT reply actions

Javy Lopez

I remember seeing him in the Spring of ‘03 and thinking, “Christ almighty, this guy is in fantastic shape!!!” I thought the similar things of Pudge Rodriguez in ’04 and Edgar Renteria in ’06. It’s certainly not a foolproof method of identifying a good upcoming season, but with position players, it’s a nice data point to throw in the mix.

by Bodhizefa on Mar 23, 2009 5:22 PM PDT reply actions