"I hate stories like that. "

Me too. I think use of the phrase "Do you know who I am?" ought to automatically draw an immediate 1-year term serving food at a homeless shelter.

I don't remember a whole lot about Van Slyke's career honestly, but he won 5 straight Gold Gloves while playing CF for the Pirates, so he has some credibility.

I'm okay with not slamming into a wall, but there's other issues in Rasmus fielding that need to go away. Taking terrible angles and turning a single into a double, making garbage throws back to the infield. None of these involve him having to try hammering down a fence with his face, but would still make him a much more capable defensive player.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"he won 5 straight Gold Gloves while playing CF for the Pirates, so he has some credibility."

I'm glad you brought that up. He was 27 when he won his first GG, in his sixth full year in the majors. Rasmus is 24 and he's in his third year. So can we at least allow Korby's game is evolving and we haven't seen his best yet?

not necessarily.  the way GG works you pretty much have to be in MLB playing great D for a few years at least before you generate the notice for GG, as opposed to something like the batting title, which is purely objective.  looking at the defensive metrics, brendan ryan has been the best defensive SS in mlb, with nobody else near him, but he hasn't been a serious candidate for GG yet, i think.  yadi was playing better D BEFORE he won his first GG. 

i'd say the likelihood of rasmus ever winning a GG are not much better than brendan ryan's chance of winning the HR title.

Let's go a step further: why is Rasmus even playing CF?

Last edited by Max (4/14/2011 9:30 am)

from what i have seen of his routes, his ability to catch a ball on the run, and his noodle arm, i would say jay is probably better in CF than rasmus, from a strictly defensive standpoint. 

i think the reason he is playing CF, besides his own vanity, is because LF and now RF are occupied by highly-paid offensive threats who do not have a hope of playing CF.  in the long run, however, with rasmus's poor defensive instincts and weak arm, i see him playing LF . . . maybe within a few years.

Rasmus can get by without putting forth max effort and still be a very good player.  It is upsetting to see him settle for playing less then 100% but he is still better then alot of center fielders.  He has looked awesome at the plate so far.  You can tell he is putting out the effort there.

Max wrote:

from what i have seen of his routes, his ability to catch a ball on the run, and his noodle arm, i would say jay is probably better in CF than rasmus, from a strictly defensive standpoint.

You don't see many games and Jon Jay is not a good center fielder. Sorry.

As for Colby's arm, it has less to do with it being a "noodle arm" and more to do with bad footwork. He is not setting his feet properly.

i think the reason he is playing CF, besides his own vanity, is because LF and now RF are occupied by highly-paid offensive threats who do not have a hope of playing CF.  in the long run, however, with rasmus's poor defensive instincts and weak arm, i see him playing LF . . . maybe within a few years.

No...he's playing center field because he was drafted as such and played that position through the minors and he's also the best center fielder on the team. And his own vanity? Jesus you say some really stupid shit sometimes. I know, I know -- you're going to have some dumb theory about how the Cardinals would really like to have moved Rasmus to right field, but they couldn't do it because they have to protect Luhnow's name in the press. Conspiracy theory noted.

Alz, Ankiel's arm was second to nobody's, but he almost paralyzed himself because of his poor routes.

AP, I think Rasmus is awful going back on balls and the evidence seems to back that up. I don't have any explanation, but they should probably start having him play more deep. Edmonds was such a freak that he could play shallow, but he was also on his own plane of existence.

That is why I think he comes across as lazy.  He cant judge a ball over his head very well and has to make last minute adjustments.  It comes across as he is to lazy to run back on the ball.  I think he could improve but I doubt he is putting the effort into playing center field like he is into his hitting.  He is still young and has more then enough time to become a really good fielding outfielder.  I doubt there are to many other center fielder I would take over him.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"It is upsetting to see him settle for playing less then 100%"

I guess I'm watching a different player than everyone else but TK. Please give me an example of when he's "playing less than 100%."

I think he can become a better fielder.  He just isnt working on it.  The focus is on hitting not fielding in baseball and Rasmus hit his way into the majors.  Footwork on throws and judging flyballs are all stuff he could improve on if he worked at it more, IMO.

tkihshbt wrote:

As for Colby's arm, it has less to do with it being a "noodle arm" and more to do with bad footwork. He is not setting his feet properly.

Thank you for correcting me.  It is not that he has a noodle arm but rather it is for other reasons that he does not throw with power and accuracy. 

tkihshbt wrote:

And his own vanity? Jesus you say some really stupid shit sometimes.

There's the pot calling the kettle black.  What do you call it when a second year player throws a hissy fit about his playing time and goes directly to the GM to demand a trade while his team is in first place if not vanity?  Can you imagine how he would react if La Russa moved him to left field???  You can bet your sweet bippy his dad would be on the phone to the dugout in a heartbeat.

Last edited by Max (4/14/2011 11:40 am)

Max you have to remember Rasmus isnt very smart.

Max wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

"It is upsetting to see him settle for playing less then 100%"

I guess I'm watching a different player than everyone else but TK. Please give me an example of when he's "playing less than 100%."

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=13639081&query=game_pk%3D287011

done.

You're an intelligent guy, so I wouldn't think you'd need to look up the difference in the definitions of "execution" and "effort."
Folks, let's be real. He dropped a ball five feet from the fence on a windy night in an unfamiliar park in San Francisco. He's not Jim Edmonds, he's not Willie Mays and he's probably not Tris Speaker.
None of it means he wasn't trying for it, it doesn't mean he doesn't work on his defense, and it doesn't mean he ought to be banished in favor of Jon Jay ...


... even though Jon Jay is a god.

artie_fufkin wrote:

I wouldn't think you'd need to look up the difference in the definitions of "execution" and "effort."

I am saying I see lack of effort.  I think he got scared and gave up on the ball. That's why he went into the goofy defensive crouch just before the ball bounced of his glove.

artie_fufkin wrote:

and it doesn't mean he ought to be banished in favor of Jon Jay ...


... even though Jon Jay is a god.

Wow, now I am being lampooned with hyperbole that Jay is a God, when last Fall it was because I didn't properly recognize his MLB potential after I predicted he could be this year's Bo Hart.

What is clear from that video is that Jay had the better route, the better chance to catch that ball, and ultimately was the guy with the ball in his hand. Without Rasmus in the picture, Jay probably would have caught that ball, the game would have been over, and we would have won.  So, I guess you can say that it is true that on that play Corby gave too much effort, and lost the game for us in the process, because if Corby had just pissed his pants and fell on the field crying, we would have won.

In all seriousness, the way those two guys play, setting Corby's vanity aside, I could see the day come when a manager could insert Jay as a late inning defensive substitution for Rasmus.

Last edited by Max (4/14/2011 12:14 pm)

"Wow, now I am being lampooned with hyperbole that Jay is a God"

No, you're not. That was my line from last season. I'm lampooning myself with my own hyperbole ... which, I think, means if I were Catholic I'd have to go to confession.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (4/14/2011 12:18 pm)