Polling The Reader

by Jeff Sullivan on Sep 9, 2009 6:16 PM PDT in Miscellaneous Comment 16 comments

A topic worth visiting, since Sweeney says he'd like to stick around another year...

Poll

Which is most reflective of Mike Sweeney's true talent?

.775 OPS

48 votes

.725 OPS

196 votes

.675 OPS

134 votes

378 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 16 comments

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Comments

If Griffey and Sweeney come back next year in a capacity that involves playing baseball,

I’ll be somewhat disappointed with the front office unless some circumstance arises in which no other baseball players of greater capability are available*.

*Dawn of the Dead or something.

by abender20 on Sep 9, 2009 6:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Though I haven't really thought it through quite yet

if Griffey comes back in 2010 and plays somewhere else, that makes this entire experiment a complete waste.

by Jeff Sullivan on Sep 9, 2009 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I could honestly see the team keeping Griffey or Sweeney because they are so well liked.

One roster spot for someone like that wouldn’t be the end of the world. However, the logic that would lead to keeping one would lead to keeping both, and wasting TWO roster spots on happy happy time super fuzzy feel good man means the org is more Rob Johnson and less… talent.

by abender20 on Sep 9, 2009 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

d)

who cares? all the numbers suck and they should look for someone better regardless.

Griffey could come back, but only in a much reduced role from this year, unless he proves this year’s reduced production was some kind of by-product of coming back from health problems which won’t continue (yeah, right!).

As we’ve discussed prior, he only has value in SafeCo and SafeCo-like environments against rhps. It’s just not valuable or reliable enough unless you can limit his exposure to those situations AND have a manager who will use him correctly in late-inning situations as a pinch hitter. Unless Wakamatsu drastically changes his strategy in 2010, I hope Zduriencik does the humane thing and takes away the option of “one-trick ponies” such as Sweeney and Griffey. To employ the strategies he seems to be most comfortable with, he needs versatile players with as few offensive blind spots as possible.

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Just North of Wrigley Field

by jameslcrockett on Sep 9, 2009 6:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes, I agree. In Ideal Land we'd set the Griffdawg and Sweeney free and acquire several Ben Zobrists.

by abender20 on Sep 9, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just so we're clear...

I want to reaffirm my position… that if the Mariners had a manager who could pull it off (not sure how many of them there are in MLB right now), having Griffey on the team would not be the worst thing in the world. He stings the ball in SafeCo. ~16 HRs per PA in 379 PAs.

I guess I would turn my position on it around IF Griffey would agree to come in on a non-guaranteed deal and compete with guys such as Mike Carp, who i’m not completely sold on, for the job of left-handed DH/last guy on the bench. If Carp beats him out and Griffey wants to continue to play, let him go find work somewhere else.

Let’s all remember that he’s a wash for the team financially… probably more in the team’s favor than that even, and every extra dollar into the coffer helps.

The Mariners would still make a killing just on having him on the team in spring training. I’m not against having clubhouse/gate-attraction guys on the roster, but there’s an effective way to manage it, and Wakamatsu has proven so far he’s not capable of it.

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Just North of Wrigley Field

by jameslcrockett on Sep 10, 2009 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Since when does a .775 OPS suck?

by Graham on Sep 10, 2009 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When you're turning tricks for young horses.

by abender20 on Sep 10, 2009 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it sucks when...

you’re a dh, and you’re only job is to post a good OPS.

you have no other positional value.

you have no value on the bases.

it took two blazing-hot months in limited PAs to even get you to a league-average OPS.

you’re a right-handed hitter and you’re useless in more than half of your games (home park + any park such as your home park + interleague games).

your manager bats you fourth, consistently regardless of all of the above.

I’m not blanket throwing out all players with a .775 OPS, but his .775 OPS definitely sucks. With the way Wakamatsu has used Sweeney/Griffey, they’re better off rotating random players into the DH spot than committing a roster spot to Mike Sweeney.

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Just North of Wrigley Field

by jameslcrockett on Sep 10, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Capitalise

1) A .775 OPS would put Sweeney as dead average amongst qualified DHs.

2) Well yes you just said that

3) It’s not like baserunning matters much

4) So?

5) Which is why he’s a bench bat rather than a DH

6) That’s his fault now?

by Graham on Sep 10, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Man, I hope Griffey comes back

Next year should be his “farewell tour” and it should be with the Mariners.

by Sam Regens on Sep 9, 2009 7:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What if he decides he wants to play after next year too?

This was supposed to be his farewell tour and was set up perfectly for it to be. If he comes back next year it’ll just be embarrassing for all concerned.

Fuck Anaheim.

by Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth on Sep 9, 2009 7:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs