Every year the Chicago Tribune does its All-Chicago team during the crosstown classic between the ChiSox and the Cubs. I thought it would be nice, considering this blog is mainly a Chicago blog, to compare the players at each position. I would just like to note, especially considering Boehrs and Bernstein were too retarded to get this, that this is how the players have done SO FAR THIS YEAR. Not if you were building a team which players would you take or how they will do the entire year, but during the 2009 baseball season.
Catcher:
A.J. Pierzynski vs. Geovany Soto
Analysis: Soto has the potential to be good but so far he hasn't lived up to it. Last year he walked a fair amount and had plenty of power, especially considering he's catcher. A.J. has been around longer so everyone expected him to just have a higher average and hit a HR every now and then. At the beginning of the year everyone would pick Soto, but I think now AJ's better. AJ has a .303 BA, .338 OBP, and .342 wOBA. Soto is batting .223 thus causing him to have a .332 OBP (which granted means he's walking more than AJ), and .299 wOBA. Soto has 3 HRs versus AJ's six. AJ has a positive VORP versus Soto's negative.
Winner: White Sox
First Base:
Paul Konerko vs. Derrek Lee
Analysis: After hitting into so many DPs and less HRs,D-Lee looked like he was done. And after Paulie's slow slow start last year, many Sox fans thought the same. But both are having very good years. Lee has a .278/.360/.440 with a .351 wOBA, and 7 home runs. Konerko has a .294/.347/.471 line with a .351 wOBA and 8 homers. Both are actually very very very similar offensively, so let's look at defense. Konerko has a 9.4 UZR/150 with no errors and D-Lee has a 5.6 UZR/150 with one error.
Winner: White Sox. barely.
Second Base:
Chris Getz vs. Andres Blanco
Analysis: Boy is this just bad versus worse. I hate Getz and really really wish Jayson Nix would start, but so is life. Getz' line: .249/.303/.285 wOBA. I think if Ozzie played NOW, he could put up just as bad statistics. Blanco, in 12 games is actually WORSE than Getz. Both have zero homers as well. Getz also has negative defense with a -10.5 UZR/150 versus Blanco's -2.6 UZR/150
Winner: The 2B in each clubs minor league's system
Shortstop:
Alexei Ramirez vs. Ryan Theriot
Analysis: I could have told you before the season that Sir Hacks-a-lot will probably be worse than Mr. Should-Never-Steal-A-Base, just because The Riot actually walks. And although Theriot isn't really walking this year, his .343 OBP is STILL better than A-Ram's .303. However Alexei should have the power advantage, but this year he has one less (5) home run than Theriot (6). However, surprisingly, Alexei has the better UZR/150 (4.6) versus Ryan's (0.7). Topsy turvy world huh?
Winner: Cubs
Third Base:
Josh Fields/ Gordan Beckham vs. Air-a-miss Ramirez/ Mike Fontenot
Analysis: I don't need to do actual analysis. Josh Fields BLOWS and Fontenot BLOWS. A-Ram is awesome and Beckham is young needs to develop and time.
Winner: The Cubs hope that Rameriz is Jesus
Left Field:
Carlos Quentin/Scotty Pods vs. Alfonso Soriano
Analysis: In reality, Soriano is much better, but in the past few months Soriano sucks. Pods is batting well and actually has a BA higher than Soriano's OBP. Soriano also has a negative UZR/150 versus Pods positive. Add to that Quentin's awesome two weeks he had and, holy shit, Pods is better than Soriano. Right now. Good for my real team but fucking awful for my fantasy one.
Winner: White Sox and all noose sellers in Wrigleyville
Centerfield:
Brian Anderson vs. Kosuke Fukudome
Analysis: Fuck You Do Me has played very well this year and if he doesn't turn into the Tazmanian Devil after every at-bat, he might be able to actually keep this up. He has a .363 wOBA and a 7.8 UZR/150. Anderson has a far better UZR/150 but his wOBA and all around offense is far far worse. But despite this Kosuke is better.
Winner: Cubs
Right Field:
Jermaine Dye vs. Milton Bradley
Analysis: Last year Bradley had the best OPS in the AL, so when he moved to the NL, you would imagine he would be good. And if only he could count to three when standing in the outfield. His really bad contact rate forces a bad OBP. Yet its still not far behind Dye's who really doesn't walk at all. Dye has a .372 wOBA versus Bradley's .322. Dye also has 10 more home runs than Bradley. Both have about the same shitty UZR/150 so I'll take the guy who has more power now but I think Bradley will have the better second half
Winner: White Sox
Back-Up Infielder:
Jayson Nix vs. Aaron Miles
Analysis: Upon first impression, I know that Nix kinda sucks defensively but has the third best UZR/150 and Miles is part of the reason the Cubs wants Mark DeRosa back. Miles has -11.4 value offensively and -0.3 value defensively
Winner: The Legend of Mark DeRosa
Back-Up Outfielder:
Dewayne Wise vs. Reed Johnson
Analysis: When your OBP is lower than your weight like Wise's is, you suck balls. While ChiSox fans love to criticize for him not being able to lay down a bunt, I like to criticize him for not being able to make contact, draw walks, hit for power, or play defense. Even though Johnson has a slightly negative defensive value and slightly positive offensive value, even Jason Marquis is better than Dewayne Wise
Winner: The Legend of Aaron Rowand
Starer 1:
Mark Buehrle vs. Ted Lilly
Buehrle: 3.43 ERA, 4.41 FIP, .264 BABIP, 5.71 K/9, 2.08 BB/9
Lilly: 2.94 ERA, 4.00 FIP, .255 BABIP, 7.25 K/9, 2.10 BB/9
Winner: Cubs
Starter 2:
Gavin Floyd vs. Carlos Zambrano
Floyd: 3.43 ERA, 3.83 FIP, .319 BABIP, 7.79 K/9, 3.40 BB/9
Zambrano: 3.39 ERA, 3.51 FIP, .292 BABIP, 7.92 K/9, 3.96 BB/9
Winner: Cubs
Starter 3:
John Danks vs. Ryan Dempster
Danks: 4.81 ERA, 4.45 FIP, .314 BABIP, 8.15 K/9, 2.35 BB/9
Dempster: 3.87 ERA, 4.03 FIP, .284 BABIP, 7.52 K/9, 3.21 BB/9
Winner: Cubs (but Danks has the SO and K/BB advantage)
Starter 4:
Clayton Richard vs. Randy Wells
Richard: 3.16 ERA, 4.72 FIP, .305 BABIP, 6.71 K/9, 4.42 BB/9
Wells: 2.55 ERA, 3.04 FIP, .292 BABIP, 6.80 K/9, 2.13 BB/9
Winner: Cubs, fuck this is the fourth Cubs advantage....
Starter 5:
Jose Contreas vs. Rich Harden
Fuck My Life, really, this is the fifth match up FUCK! Contreas better fucking pitch like he did the past two starts for the rest of the year...
Set Up Reliever:
Matt Thorton vs. Carlos Marmol
Analysis: Thorton is flat out amazing striking out a shit ton and not letting any runs in. Marmol is striking out a lot of guys (still at a more worse rate than Thorton) but is walking everybody else. Plus Thorton is a lefty.
Winner: White Sox
Closer:
Bobby Jenks vs. Kevin Gregg
Analysis: Bobby is definitely not the same guy he was in '05 but still is effective; he has 14 saves in 16 chances. Gregg has 10 saves in 12 chances. Bobby is striking out 7.77 per 9 with 3.68 ERA and a 4.40 FIP. Gregg is striking out 9.53 per nine with a 4.13 ERA and a 7.74 FIP.
Winner: Just hope either Thorton or Marmol can go an extra inning
Manager:
Ozzie Guillen vs. Lou Pinella
Analysis: Mangers don't matter
Winner: My White Sox bias
GM:
Kenny Williams vs. Jim Hendry
Analysis: Kenny let go of Joe Crede to let the great Josh Fields get playing time. He also traded away Javy to get essentially get Brandon Flowers and Brent Lillibridge. Lillibridge sucks, now, but Flowers is a great prospect and will soon hopefully help the team. He also picked up youngster 3B Dayan Viciedo and big fat Bartolo Colon. He also did the best he could to get Jake Peavy. Hendry let go of closer Kerry Wood, utility man and the best player in Cubs history Mark DeRosa. He also "retooled" his bullpen, got more lefties like Joey Gathright, and picked up Milton Bradley. The Cubs shitty '09 offense = awesome '08 offensive + lefties - talent.
Winner: Kenny, just because at least he tried to make a blockbuster deal and Hendry fucked with a good thing
OVERALL WINNER:
Cubs. They have a better rotation and thats really all it takes. Floyd and Buerhle are good, Contreas has been amazing his past two starts (but he STILL is Jose Contreas) and Richard and Danks have been inconsistent at best. So it is possible on an individual day that the Sox can be better than the Cubs, but I'll take the better rotation any day of the week. My prediction that means absolutely nothing: Cubs go 4-2 in the two series.
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4 comments:
The Cubs shitty '09 offense = awesome '08 offensive + lefties - talent...thats hilarious
if sammy, big mac and bonds dont get in the hall, can derosa and rowand get in?
ABSOLUTELY!
Ask any Sox or Cubs fans right now how good Rowand or DeRosa is and they'll be teh best person ever and the team's made the worst decision ever letting them go! (although even Hendry admitted yesterday on ESPN 1000 that he absolutely regrets the DeRosa trade now)
Some of this was quite funny, but i have issue with your "analysis" of catchers
Soto has a 14% BB rate, holds a .73 BB/K (very good) and hits line drives almost 21% of the time. His .262 BABIP is well below his .326 career BABIP (and .330 xBABIP). His power was down early because he was rushed back from a shoulder injury, but has shown more power as of late. Over the last month, his OPS is over .850 and he's hit 3 HR in the past 28 games -- thats a pace of about 18 HR this season (not in line with his production from last season, but damn fine for a catcher). Soto may still need some more rest, but he'll be just fine.
AJ on the other hand, is one to worry about. Sure, he may have been superfluously better than Geo thus far, but its been because of GOOD luck (versus Soto's extended bout with bad luck). Even though AJ is walking at a career high rate of 5.7% (which is actually quite poor), his numbers are just average at best across the board. His CS% is terrible - almost to the point that you'd think Chris Young was pitching nightly. Soto's poor CS% this season is all due to one night of terrible defense against the Dbacks early in the season (remember that shoulder problem?). AJ's been consistently poor behind the dish.
Both C's have terrible power numbers (neither has an ISO of even .160), but I would take Soto's down-but-real-when-healthy potential over AJ .145 career ISO any day. Some combination of Soto's power potential when healthy and strong pitch recognition give him so much more upside than AJ -- who is doing at most what you can expect from him (not great in terms of either run creation or prevention).
When soto's BABIP corrects itself, his wOBA will rise and be much better than AJ's. come the end of this season, Soto will be better than AJ.
But yes, AJ has been offensively better thus far. Alas, all the by product of poor luck for Soto
several other brief points, just to nitpick:
-Aram is ONLY for Aramis Ramirez. Unless you want me to keep calling Tejada by the name Miggy to confuse you.
-Dlee has posted OPS's by month (april-may-june) this season of .537 (1 HR), .955 (4 HR) and 1.155 (6 HR). He's been utterly fantastic since may 1. Konerko on the other hand has done the opposite. His OPS's by month in order are .902 (3 HR), .820 (4 HR), .657 (2 hr). The powers down and still moderately there (25 HR power, i mean), but since Paulie doesnt walk a whole lot anymore, as his BA has fallen from .333 to .289 to .234, so has all of his OBP
-Andres Blanco is not the Cubs 2B. That is mike fontenot, who has played great baseball when started at 2B over 3B (both defensively and offensively) -- think where a player plays doesnt affect his offensive production? Ask Brandon Inge (at 1B or C), Garrett Atkins at 1B (versus 3B in his career) and Mark DeRosa (when he plays left). The splits are all there. Fontenot is solid and will be better once Aram (ARAMIS is back and pocket rocket gets his 2b job back.
-Beckham should absolutely NOT be playing 3B. A great middle infield fielding talent gone to waste. At least put him at 2b!
-I hate Soriano so much. I really hope he breaks out of his slump at some point.
-Fukudome has done a Konerko impression in center this season. Just like last year, he started the season with 6 strong weeks of baseball play and has been absolutely worse each game since mid may. Bleh!
-Aaron Miles is not a back up infielder. He's a waste of space. the legend of mark derosa/rowand comments were hilarious
-The cubs really do have a better starting pitching rotation than the white sox, but the whitesox have a much better bullpen. outside of marmol/guzman/marshall, the cubs RPs are beyond TERRIBLE. we desperately need some help in the relief department!
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