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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6,746 comments Add your comment
David O'Brien
October 22nd, 2012
12:39 pm
Partially dislocating on swing extention. Sounds like BMac was flirting with physical disaster. Luckly to come through all right. If surgery has fixed the problem and BMac can come back to his old self that is great. At thirty he should be in his prime and that is very good.
I’m told by someone who should know that surgery went real well and he SHOULD be able to return to a high level. He was playing through serious pain last season. He’s young enough that surgery should take care of the problem. Of course, until he gets through rehab and then really starts to stress it every day through rigors of regular baseball activities, we’ll not know for certain.
Murph
October 22nd, 2012
12:39 pm
There’s about as much a chance of getting McCutchen as us all standing in a group in the street jackin it in San Diego
So you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance… yeah!
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
12:40 pm
I think he’s better than some on here give him credit for. But admittedly he’s not great, by any means.
Agree. And there aren’t any really great CFs available so… what’s the harm in at least considering him
Tumbledown
October 22nd, 2012
12:41 pm
I propose McCutchen, Trout, and Heyward in the outfield for 2013 Get it done, FW.
Hey, if you are going to visit fantasy land, got to make it worth while.
RC
October 22nd, 2012
12:45 pm
It hasn’t been mentioned by many, but I wonder if Torii Hunter is in consideration for the LF job in ATL? By all accounts he’s a great guy/teammate, right-handed bat with some power left in it, and not far enough removed from being an elite defensive CF that he wouldn’t be a plus LF. Thoughts?
DAP
October 22nd, 2012
12:45 pm
CB Yes, I agree we are not a good match up with Arizona for Upton. I just said which Upton I preferred. Arizona needs are SS and 3B and I sure don’t want to give up Simmons
dont laugh but we also have pastornicky and jansih who play SS, and fransisco who plays 3B. along with some prospects, maybe we do match up with the dbacks. if they get some good minor league peices, they might be willing to take a chance on some of our young unproven players.
i think it depends on how much the dbacks want to trade upton.
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
12:47 pm
Debate, Jazz preseason game, and Giants-Cards playoff finale tonight! Gonna be a busy night switching back and forth!!
Tumbledown
October 22nd, 2012
12:49 pm
Alot of people on this blog much smarter than me are offering very different opinions on what the Braves should do this season. This underscores just how difficult a job Frank Wren has general manager.
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
12:50 pm
So, do you just ignore the guy’s 2011 season? What is his norm? 2011 or 2012? Bourjos would be a gamble for sure, but an inexpensive one four shore. And we are a mid market team.
If you had to put together a guess on what Bourjos was going to do and a lot of money was riding on it, I think you’d take his career numbers, look at his skill set and the skills he’s displayed, and factor in his age. You wouldn’t assume he’s as good as he was in 2011 or as bad as he was in 2012. You’d probably start with what he’s done throughout his career as a whole, factor in other information, especially age, to come out with the best educated guess you can.
You wouldn’t avoid a player, especially a rather young player, because you are too focused on his worst season. That would not be wise. To say he’s either the 2012 Bourjos or the 2011 Bourjos would probably be a mistake. He’s probably somewhere in the middle. I’d say league-average on offense, or slightly worse, with very good defense in centerfield. He’s probably not going to hit enough to play anywhere but centerfield. But there is a very good chance that he’s good enough to be an everyday big league second-division centerfielder.
Of course none of this means he’s right for the Braves. The Braves may have better options that are cheaper or not that much more costly. But we don’t have to be disingenuous about Bourjos to make that case.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
12:51 pm
This underscores just how difficult a job Frank Wren has general manager.
But he has a lot more information to go on than we. That alone might eliminate many of the scenarios that we posit here.
I hope.
CB
October 22nd, 2012
12:51 pm
DAP,you told me not to laugh and I am trying very hard not to but it hurts.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
12:52 pm
Don’t forget the football game tonight DS1!
You wouldn’t avoid a player, especially a rather young player, because you are too focused on his worst season.
Yea you should. Heyward was a bust. Should’ve put him in AAA this year.
DAP
October 22nd, 2012
12:54 pm
CB you told me not to laugh and I am trying very hard not to but it hurts.
ah what the heck. go ahead, let it out
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
12:56 pm
Shaun
Agreed. But being young and only having a couple of years under his belt, he’s also just as likely to do better than 2011 than not. Especially considering he had health/injury issues this past year.
I found some articles that state the Phillies might have some interest in him. Which should be a clue that maybe he’s not as bad as his numbers look.
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
12:58 pm
TOBF
I couldn’t care less about a NFL game that doesn’t have the 49′ers in it! Sorry.
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
12:58 pm
But he has a lot more information to go on than we. That alone might eliminate many of the scenarios that we posit here.
Yup. And those special formulas that results in whomever they choose to be classified as a “premium player”.
Murph
October 22nd, 2012
1:00 pm
If it’s rumored that the Phillies want a player, then he goes from being questionable to good?
I wish they wanted Hanson, then.
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
1:00 pm
I couldn’t care less about a NFL game that doesn’t have the 49′ers in it!
Best roster in the sport when you eliminate the Quarterback position.
CB
October 22nd, 2012
1:02 pm
DAP,the only thing that hurt me more than that was the end of our fantasy season.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
1:02 pm
5-2 vs. 6-0. Great QB and a good defense here… just need a RB
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
1:03 pm
Efrim, not too many premium players on the free agent market in most years, which I think is a point you’ve made at least once or twice.
I think one could make the argument that the only premium player available is Greinke, considering age and health/off-field concerns (Josh Hamilton). But it’s possible he’s priced out of the Braves’ range.
DAP
October 22nd, 2012
1:06 pm
CB the only thing that hurt me more than that was the end of our fantasy season.
which was so bad for me, i was dead to pain by the end.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
1:07 pm
Yup. And those special formulas that results in whomever they choose to be classified as a “premium player”.
You and TennPaul been attending the same class in cynicism?
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
1:07 pm
Murph
Too bad the quality of your posts can’t go from questionable to good……………
Just sayin………….
You might consider yourself the Peter Bourjos of bloggers. Good potential, but so far has been mostly disappointing.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
1:07 pm
former all star, salary under 9mil, great character, and hits .300 in some obscure situation = premium player
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
1:12 pm
You and TennPaul been attending the same class in cynicism?
I think I’d just like to stay away from the free agent outfielder market. Just not seeing anything I like for what I think the multi-year deal with be plus the loss of a first round draft pick. Swisher, Upton, Pagan – hope Wren can come up with a better plan.
Powder Blue
October 22nd, 2012
1:15 pm
Hey, DOB,
I need your opinion: Heartless Bastards live. I don’t know much about them. Yay or nay?
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
1:16 pm
Efrim
I’m thinking the likelihood of FW going after a starter on the FA list is remote at best. Maybe a guy like Pagan, but there are others available on the trade front who would come cheaper.
Powder Blue
October 22nd, 2012
1:16 pm
This Giants team has really grown on me. The Cards are probably my second favorite NL team, but as this series has gone on I’ve found myself rooting for SF. Scrappy bunch. I really like Vogelsong and Scutaro.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
1:16 pm
http://www.talkingchop.com/2012/10/22/3538616/2012-braves-player-review-jason-heyward
Always an instinctive runner on the base paths, a slimmer Heyward found some extra speed and put it to use by stealing a career 21 bases. He had 20 stolen bases total entering the year.
Looking at his base running as a whole, Fangraphs’ base running metric had Heyward as the sixth best base runner in baseball, behind Mike Trout, Jimmy Rollins, Alcides Escobar, Angel Pagan, and Desmond Jennings.
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
1:17 pm
Efrim, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wren makes a pretty significant move, out of nowhere. I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets Greinke for a more favorable deal than people thought possible or if he somehow pulls off a trade for Alex Gordon. Wren’s had a few moves like that. The Bourn trade is a good example. Not that Bourn is a premium player (though he certainly played like one for a good portion of last season). But who would have thought the Braves could get him for as little as they did?
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
1:17 pm
You’d think DOB would get his kiester off the couch and get inside FW’s head for some juicy rumors!!
Inquiring minds want to know!
keyLargo
October 22nd, 2012
1:18 pm
Partially dislocating on swing extention. Sounds like BMac was flirting with physical disaster. Luckly to come through all right. If surgery has fixed the problem and BMac can come back to his old self that is great. At thirty he should be in his prime and that is very good.
Yeah, it would be a miracle of gigantic proportions. He had his best year,by far, in 2006 @ 22. His second best year was in 2008 @ 24. Every year since has been a gradual decline. For a player who has never kept himself in shape, for a player who stresses his body by playing overweight causing the Braves to have to carry a backup with starter potential, to come back after 5 years and at 30 years old to play like 2008 would be one of the most miraculous comebacks ever in MLB.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
1:19 pm
Telling y’all, the Giants are winning tonight, and they’ll win the World Series. They’ve got to.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 21st, 2012
10:49 pm
Jayson Stark @jaysonst
#SFGiants are only 3rd team ever to win 5 elimination games in one postseason. The other 2 a long time ago: ‘85 Royals (6) & ‘81 Dodgers
Both those teams won the World Series that year
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
1:19 pm
Oh, those are just examples in my 1:17 pm post. I’m not predicting those moves.
jeffrey d
October 22nd, 2012
1:19 pm
But who would have thought the Braves could get him for as little as they did?
Or Uggla too (considering that we traded for him before he face planted)
Or Jurrjens for a couple years
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
1:19 pm
But who would have thought the Braves could get him for as little as they did?
A fair point. But we can’t expect him to obtain above average players for less than expected all of the time. Sooner or later he’ll pay big in prospects for a player – and I’m okay with that as long as the player warrants it.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
1:21 pm
I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets Greinke for a more favorable deal than people thought possible
Me either. Hopefully he’s trying to be secretive on his want for SP, hence he didn’t mention looking for help there.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
1:27 pm
and at 30 years old to play like 2008 would be one of the most miraculous comebacks ever in MLB.
Actually, I think he’ll be 29 next year.
Probably OPS .840 and be the best hitting catcher in the league again. Despite his body shape, lack of work ethic, eating habits, and whatever.
TennesseePaul
October 22nd, 2012
1:34 pm
You and TennPaul been attending the same class in cynicism?
It’s part of a “Reasonable Expectations” minor.
Also, interestingly, we learned how in Charles Dickens’ first draft, Pip was to become a hardened criminal and father several illegitimate children in his life, only to eventually die of consumption and tuberculous. Which, as we learned, was a reasonable expectation for an orphan during those times.
The Truth....
October 22nd, 2012
1:35 pm
They won’t do anything needed to win the WS next year…so don’t get your hopes too high. Don’t forget this is FRANK WREN and the Braves. They’ll finish close to first just good enough to get you to buy those tickets! hahahahaha….Just like the past 3 years or so…LOL! Wake up people…You’re being PLAYED!
TennesseePaul
October 22nd, 2012
1:36 pm
The editor and publisher did not like the draft, so it was re-written to the version we all know today. The title was changed from “Reasonable Expectations” to “Great Expectations.”
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
1:36 pm
Actually, McCann was enjoying a resurgence before his 2011 injury.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
1:37 pm
Also, interestingly, we learned how in Charles Dickens’ first draft
Even Dickens was more optimistic, though. Else why would he have done a second draft and changed the title to “Great”?
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
1:39 pm
I wish you hadn’t split up the Dickens posts, dangit. I could have saved myself the time taken to compose two sentences.
I’ll never get that time back, you know.
nolie
October 22nd, 2012
1:42 pm
looks like what we thought was gonna be a lot of money to spend might actually not be enough afterall….
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
1:43 pm
Yeah, it would be a miracle of gigantic proportions. He had his best year,by far, in 2006 @ 22. His second best year was in 2008 @ 24. Every year since has been a gradual decline. For a player who has never kept himself in shape, for a player who stresses his body by playing overweight causing the Braves to have to carry a backup with starter potential, to come back after 5 years and at 30 years old to play like 2008 would be one of the most miraculous comebacks ever in MLB.
In 2009 he posted a 119 OPS+. In 2010 he posted a 124 OPS+. In 2011 he posted a 122 OPS+. In 2012 he posted a 87 OPS+. The idea that he’s gradually declined since 2008 isn’t exactly true.
Now I don’t know if he’ll ever post an OPS+ in the 130’s or 140’s as he did in 2006 and 2008. But I don’t see any reason to expect something below 115-120, which is outstanding for a catcher.
You convenient simplified who David Ross is as well. Ross is a very good defensive catcher who shouldn’t be overexposed by playing a lot against right-handed pitching. If he played everyday, he’d probably be a decent catcher but a pretty ordinary major league catcher. Ross is perfect for the Braves because he hits opposite-handed from McCann. Unless the Twins are looking for a backup catcher, I don’t see a better fit for him.
Also, where is your evidence that he hasn’t kept himself in shape. It’s quite possible that he’s just a big guy and that’s his body type. But maybe you have the information that will convince us all that he doesn’t keep himself in shape and the fact that he has a beer league softball body is because he doesn’t work hard. Making assumptions doesn’t make you look smarter than everyone. If you want to convince folks, bring some compelling information, evidence and argument. Don’t just expect everyone to jump on your bandwagon because you think you see something different than everyone else, based on your own conclusions and assumptions. We need something outside of our small brains, something bigger than our own little weak assumptions to arrive at the truth.
nolie
October 22nd, 2012
1:52 pm
In 2009 he posted a 119 OPS+. In 2010 he posted a 124 OPS+. In 2011 he posted a 122 OPS+. In 2012 he posted a 87 OPS+. The idea that he’s gradually declined since 2008 isn’t exactly true…Shaun
I’ve posted those at least 5 times, but he still claims Mac has gotten worse each year.
guess he is going by OPS and ignoring that the league OPS has come down too.
keyLargo
October 22nd, 2012
1:53 pm
Shaun – you can stop the McCann decline rumors by pointing out which seasons were more productive than 2006 and 2008. Which seasons, not which season’s OPS+, were better overall than 06 & 08?
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
1:53 pm
We need something outside of our small brains,
Speak for your own brain.
Besides, it ain’t the size of the brain in the man, it’s the percentage in use. Most humans use very little of their brain’s capacity.
Not speaking of me, of course, but most humans.
nolie
October 22nd, 2012
1:56 pm
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
1:57 pm
looks like what we thought was gonna be a lot of money to spend might actually not be enough afterall….
Why?
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
October 22nd, 2012
1:57 pm
Shaun Also, where is your evidence that he hasn’t kept himself in shape. It’s quite possible that he’s just a big guy and that’s his body type. But maybe you have the information that will convince us all that he doesn’t keep himself in shape and the fact that he has a beer league softball body is because he doesn’t work hard. Making assumptions doesn’t make you look smarter than everyone. If you want to convince folks, bring some compelling information, evidence and argument. Don’t just expect everyone to jump on your bandwagon because you think you see something different than everyone else, based on your own conclusions and assumptions. We need something outside of our small brains, something bigger than our own little weak assumptions to arrive at the truth.
HECK YES!! Good post, man…
Threadkiller
October 22nd, 2012
1:59 pm
Yeah Guy’s..Spanky needs a Stat that says McCann runs out if gas in Aug. Don’t ya’ll know that? IF it’s not a stat on paper, it doesn’t exist! Ya’ll should know that by now!!!
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
2:01 pm
Shaun!!! Great post man.
HooRah
October 22nd, 2012
2:01 pm
I think that the point being made is that 06 and 08 were career years, every player has them you know, but he has not declined every season since then like you claim. 09,10 and 11 were essentially the same not a steady decline.
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
2:02 pm
BJ Upton (Va Beach )
Who is going to offer me the best contract?
Jerry Crasnick (2:01 PM)
BJ, It’s a crowded outfield market, but the Nats, Phillies, Braves, Reds, Giants and Rangers are among the teams in search of help. I think you get a five-year deal for $60 million plus. The years and the price always rise once things start heating up in November.
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
October 22nd, 2012
2:02 pm
Posye’s only hitting .171 in the post-season—he must be fat and out of shape and out of gas…
nolie
October 22nd, 2012
2:03 pm
just some hyperbole because guys like Pagan and Upton are gonna end up more than originally projected
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
October 22nd, 2012
2:03 pm
I also misspelled Posey…ah well…
RC
October 22nd, 2012
2:04 pm
Posye’s only hitting .171 in the post-season—he must be fat and out of shape and out of gas…
Only because he’s obviously lazy
jeffrey d
October 22nd, 2012
2:04 pm
How did McCann get injured?
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:05 pm
Only because he’s obviously lazy
I had made a weak assumption that I was the only one who had noticed.
nolie
October 22nd, 2012
2:05 pm
Posey is a God, he is from FSU…
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:08 pm
Posey is a God, he is from FSU…
Kind like to see him go beast for two years in a row, before deification.
Just hard to please, I guess.
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
October 22nd, 2012
2:08 pm
RC—
Right! That, too…
jeffrey d—
Don’t know…that’s an int’resting Q…
RC
October 22nd, 2012
2:08 pm
Prediction time: Michael Bourn ends up signing with……
The Rangers. A little bit out there, but considering his Houston ties (grew up there) and the fact that they will have some money to spend to replace Hamilton, it seems like a possibility. That would also allow them to put Andrus on the block to make room for Profar, likely netting them either a starting pitcher or another solid bat.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
2:08 pm
How did McCann get injured?
He ate too much at Thanksgiving…
McCann was on his way to a career year in 2011 before the oblique injury. Would’ve been near 30 HR 90+ RBI. Was slugging over .500 and OPSing near .900. OPS+ was in the 140s.
jeffrey d
October 22nd, 2012
2:09 pm
He ate too much at Thanksgiving…
Why did that effect him in April?
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
October 22nd, 2012
2:09 pm
Partially dislocating on swing extention. Sounds like BMac was flirting with physical disaster. Luckly to come through all right. If surgery has fixed the problem and BMac can come back to his old self that is great. At thirty he should be in his prime and that is very good.
Where did this piece come from, <strongDOB?…
Murph
October 22nd, 2012
2:09 pm
You might consider yourself the Peter Bourjos of bloggers. Good potential, but so far has been mostly disappointing.
Coming from the blog’s version of Melky I take that as a compliment.
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
2:11 pm
keyLargo, OPS+ is a great indicator of offensive production. 2006 and 2008 were definitely his most productive seasons. But 2010 and 2011 were better than 2009 and were outstanding seasons. So the idea that there has been a gradual decline is simply false. Also, even if McCann bounces back to say his 2010 and 2011 levels, heck, even if he’s a little worse than that, he’ll still be outstanding.
Threadkiller, I just do my best to look at what actually happened. A great way to do that is to look at measures of meaningful things, things that baseball players do that have to do with creating and preventing runs. If you have a better way to get at those types of things in an objective way that captures a lot of information about what a player has done all at once, I’ll be glad to use it instead of meaningful and telling statistics. Until you show me what that way is, I’ll keep using metrics. I’m not arrogant or foolish enough to think that my own preconceived notions or assumptions are what will get me to the truth. I’ll go on the best objective information outside of myself that I can find that actually reveals what happened. Ignore the most telling metrics if you are arrogant and foolish enough to think you’re own ideas, beliefs and assumptions are always correct. As for me, I’ll trust reality over the fairytales in my head or in the minds of others.
jeffrey d
October 22nd, 2012
2:11 pm
**affect. Sorry everybody
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
2:11 pm
Posey is a God, he is from FSU…
Course. Gilmartin’s gonna be 1 too… He’ll be the next Koufax (even though he didn’t go to FSU). The left arm of God.
Efrim
October 22nd, 2012
2:11 pm
just some hyperbole because guys like Pagan and Upton are gonna end up more than originally projected
That’s for sure. Both probably heading towards five years guaranteed at $11-12 million a year. Craziness.
RC
October 22nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Kind like to see him go beast for two years in a row, before deification.
First time I read that I didn’t notice the “i” between the “e” and the “f”. Makes for a very different statement when read that way.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:13 pm
Makes for a very different statement when read that way.
Well, I should hope so.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 22nd, 2012
2:14 pm
He started the tear at Thanksgiving, it slowly got worse during the winter, but not enough to bother him. He didn’t really feel it until he took some ugly, cringe-worthy swings in June…
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Politics, baseball, basketball and ice cream! All great subjects.
And all on the agenda for tonight!!!
Debate, Giants-Cards game, Jazz preseason game, and now Ms DS1 wants some frozen custard from Nielson’s!
Perfect!
Threadkiller
October 22nd, 2012
2:20 pm
Ok Spanky, so tell me…Pablo Sandoval had his worst year in 2010..The Panda was no more…What do your statistics say was the change that caused his improvement in 2011 & 2012??
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:20 pm
Murph
Ouch! That was a good zinger!
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:21 pm
Threadkiller
He lost all that weight and that made him…………… uh, forget that one.
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:22 pm
Freddie Freeman dropped off in OPS+ from 116 to 113. Must be in decline.
Murph
October 22nd, 2012
2:24 pm
DS1
I know.
Threadkiller
October 22nd, 2012
2:24 pm
DS1..You mjean to say he got in shape?..Lost the weight and performed better in 2011 & 2012?
That’s impossible! There is no stat for that so it does not exist! I’m waiting for Spanky to come back with “The Panda Must Have Been Hurt” His normal excuss…
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:25 pm
Must be in decline.
A reasonable expectation derived from a weak assumption.
Covering all the bases, as it were.
David O'Brien
October 22nd, 2012
2:27 pm
keyLargo, OPS+ is a great indicator of offensive production. 2006 and 2008 were definitely his most productive seasons. But 2010 and 2011 were better than 2009 and were outstanding seasons. So the idea that there has been a gradual decline is simply false. Also, even if McCann bounces back to say his 2010 and 2011 levels, heck, even if he’s a little worse than that, he’ll still be outstanding. — Shaun
I agree with Shaun. And by the way, I seriously can’t remember a case of as much premature jumping off the bandwagon for a player as good as McCann has been. I mean, if he were a rotten apple it’d be one thing. But you’re talking about a six-time All-Star who’s a total class act, a guy that most here would’ve agreed a season-and-a-half ago was the best hitting catcher in the majors. And he has an oblique injury that ruins second half of his 2011 season and puts him in some bad swing mechanics that slow him early in 2012, then has a shoulder injury, and all of a sudden people are scurrying off the ship as if this guy’s been a slouch for 3-4 years. Ridiculous.
As Shaun pointed out, even in his worst years prior to this one — which was bad because of the shoulder more than anything else — the guy was still at the top of the current scale for offensive production from his position. Can’t imagine why Braves wouldn’t pick up the $12 million option and then make bigger decision later, after you see how Bethancourt develops, decide better if Gattis can actually catch and handle a staff at big-league level, and see how McCann bounces back from surgery.
Shaun
October 22nd, 2012
2:27 pm
McCann came up in 2005 and posted an OPS+ of 95. In 2006 he was at 143. In 2007 he dipped to 99 (still outstanding for a catcher, by the way). In 2008 he was at 135. In 2009-2011 he never dipped below 119 for a full season. In 2012 he had his worse season, with an OPS+ of 87.
What do we know about 2012? We know he was dealing with an injury that required surgery.
I suppose it’s possible that 2012 was a result of some sort of drastic decline in skills because McCann is lazy and worn down. But if that’s the case, why didn’t his laziness show up earlier? Why wasn’t it a more gradual decline? Why did he go from an awesome 122 OPS+ a season earlier to an 87 OPS+ the very next season, in his late 20’s? This isn’t some player in his late 30’s trying to hang on.
I’m sure we’ll never get a reasonable response to these questions because the assumption is McCann is lazy and out of shape. Anything reasonable that can refute that assumption will be ignored because some think the la-la lands inside their minds are closer to the truth than the objective data that measures what actually happened. The earth is flat, it’s the center of the universe, I need to bless you when you sneeze so the evil spirits don’t enter your body. Who cares what data and science tells us? I hope some of you are enjoying the 14th century.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:29 pm
Politics, baseball, basketball and ice cream! All great subjects.
Seriously, did no one in either party take a moment to check a calendar six months ago? They couldn’t have moved this final debate one day after MNF and before the start of the WS?
This kind of thing makes me fear for America, regardless of which party is ascendant. and I ain’t putting no smiley-face on that one, bubba.
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:29 pm
All joking aside, I agree with keylargo that Mac and a LOT of other baseball players would be better served to get in better shape. I’m personally not convinced that Mac is in terrible shape. I haven’t seen him shirtless, so it’s hard for me to see how firm he may or may not be around the middle.
But I think that a lot of players as they get older, tend to get out of shape. What was easy to do at 25 becomes a heckuva lot harder to do at 30ish. You’d think with the salaries these guys are pulling down, they’d get some good nutritional and physical conditioning help. I’m just not convinced enough of them do……
Murph
October 22nd, 2012
2:31 pm
DOB, I think people are all over McCann because they are struggling with the reality that he might leave soon and don’t know how to express it.
It’s more manly to bash the guy and say “Bah, I never liked that fatty anyways!” than it is to cry and blow snot bubbles because our beloved BMac could be leaving soon.
RC
October 22nd, 2012
2:32 pm
AdamRubinESPN Adam Rubin
As a public service, let’s reiterate: If the player makes more than $2 million in 2013, I wouldn’t hold my breath Mets are signing him.
Remember when these guys were the big spenders in the NL East? Man, how the mighty have fallen.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:32 pm
I haven’t seen him shirtless, so it’s hard for me to see how firm he may or may not be around the middle.
Of shirtless and firmness both, I’m blissful in my ignorance.
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:34 pm
scoots
Guess you gotta lay that one at the feet of the debate commission, huh? The nerve of them scheduling that thing with a Jazz preseason game!
jeffrey d
October 22nd, 2012
2:35 pm
While I don’t agree with the anti-McCann clan I understand where they’re coming from. There’s no guarantee he’ll return to form or be healthy (he’s been hurt the past year and a half) and his salary is increasing.
DS1
October 22nd, 2012
2:35 pm
Murph
What would make you think Mac will leave? I don’t get that impression at all. I see him bending over backwards to stay.
Murph
October 22nd, 2012
2:35 pm
I can remember back in 2000 (I think) when the local TV station chose to broadcast the debate rather than the playoffs. People were up in arms… we wrote several emails to the station asking WTF they were thinking. They replied that they had a responsibility to broadcast the debate… even though no less than 6 other channels were also showing it.
That was the day I began my complete hatred for all things politics.
ncscoots
October 22nd, 2012
2:36 pm
The nerve of them scheduling that thing with a Jazz preseason game!
Somehow, I get the feeling that preseason NBA might not be quite the TV draw of a baseball Game 7 or MNF.
Maybe that’s what happened: someone saw the NBA was scheduled and said, “Yeah, we’re good!” without checking any further.
Threadkiller
October 22nd, 2012
2:36 pm
Game 7 Tonight, Giants & Cards..Monday Night Football Bears & Lions…Who’s going to watch the debate??? Hehehehe…Not me!
nolie
October 22nd, 2012
2:37 pm
I doubt KL would ever be blowing snot bubbles about Macs departure