Comments for Austin's Astros 290 Blog http://astros290.com Where Houston and Austin meet Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:32:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Ruggiano comes home-ish by Austin Swafford http://astros290.com/2012/02/07/ruggiano-comes-home-ish/#comment-45223 Austin Swafford Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:32:29 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1955#comment-45223 If you look at UZR from last year, you'll see ridiculous things such as Alex Gordon finishing with 10.5 and Michael Bourn finishing with -6.4. That's right -- a NEGATIVE UZR for a guy that most consider to be one of the game's best defenders. That was a worse rating than Curtis Granderson. Johnny Peralta finished better than Clint Barmes and Troy Tulowitzki. Despite being considered maybe the best defensive shortstop in baseball, Tulo finished 7th in UZR. Freddie Freeman finished well behind Howard and Fielder at first base, which is absurd, and Carlos Lee had a better UZR than Albert Pujols, who was also rated worse than Aubrey Huff. UZR is interesting and I hope it gets better, but it clearly can't tell you anything reliable in just one season. Even if it could, you're talking about comparing a guy who started 37 games last year to a guy who started 25. That's too small a sample size to get anything reliable, especially with something as clearly unreliable as UZR. I wish I had something more scientific to go off than my eyeballs, but at this point, it's the only defensive metric I trust. If you look at UZR from last year, you’ll see ridiculous things such as Alex Gordon finishing with 10.5 and Michael Bourn finishing with -6.4. That’s right — a NEGATIVE UZR for a guy that most consider to be one of the game’s best defenders. That was a worse rating than Curtis Granderson. Johnny Peralta finished better than Clint Barmes and Troy Tulowitzki. Despite being considered maybe the best defensive shortstop in baseball, Tulo finished 7th in UZR. Freddie Freeman finished well behind Howard and Fielder at first base, which is absurd, and Carlos Lee had a better UZR than Albert Pujols, who was also rated worse than Aubrey Huff.

UZR is interesting and I hope it gets better, but it clearly can’t tell you anything reliable in just one season. Even if it could, you’re talking about comparing a guy who started 37 games last year to a guy who started 25. That’s too small a sample size to get anything reliable, especially with something as clearly unreliable as UZR. I wish I had something more scientific to go off than my eyeballs, but at this point, it’s the only defensive metric I trust.

]]> Comment on Ruggiano comes home-ish by Terence http://astros290.com/2012/02/07/ruggiano-comes-home-ish/#comment-45192 Terence Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:11:45 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1955#comment-45192 I guess my point was that UZR had Bogusevic as the most valuable RF in the major leagues last year. As a counting stat, he saved more runs than any other right feilder playing the game including David DeJesus, Jason Heyward, Nick Swisher, and Justin Upton (who all had 4x as many innings as Bogusevic, Upton had 5x). I know all about UZR's flaws and why we shouldn't expect Bogusevic to save 50 runs defensively next season, but I guess I wanted you to give me a reason to believe that Ruggiano is a better defender. I guess my point was that UZR had Bogusevic as the most valuable RF in the major leagues last year. As a counting stat, he saved more runs than any other right feilder playing the game including David DeJesus, Jason Heyward, Nick Swisher, and Justin Upton (who all had 4x as many innings as Bogusevic, Upton had 5x). I know all about UZR’s flaws and why we shouldn’t expect Bogusevic to save 50 runs defensively next season, but I guess I wanted you to give me a reason to believe that Ruggiano is a better defender.

]]> Comment on Ruggiano comes home-ish by Austin Swafford http://astros290.com/2012/02/07/ruggiano-comes-home-ish/#comment-45191 Austin Swafford Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:40:57 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1955#comment-45191 It's not backup, I just think it's an awesome clip. :) And that wasn't meant as a sleight to Bogusevic. He's a solid fielder with a very good arm. I just think, based on what I've watched from both of them, that Ruggiano is better. That's praise of Ruggiano, not a knock on Bogusevic at all. It’s not backup, I just think it’s an awesome clip. :) And that wasn’t meant as a sleight to Bogusevic. He’s a solid fielder with a very good arm. I just think, based on what I’ve watched from both of them, that Ruggiano is better. That’s praise of Ruggiano, not a knock on Bogusevic at all.

]]> Comment on Ruggiano comes home-ish by Terence http://astros290.com/2012/02/07/ruggiano-comes-home-ish/#comment-45189 Terence Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:36:17 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1955#comment-45189 I don't know that I would use one highlight to back up the assertion that Ruggiano is a better defender than Bogusevic. In the limited time we've seen him, Bogusevic has been a pretty good defender. I don’t know that I would use one highlight to back up the assertion that Ruggiano is a better defender than Bogusevic. In the limited time we’ve seen him, Bogusevic has been a pretty good defender.

]]> Comment on Astros get their vets by Austin Swafford http://astros290.com/2012/02/02/astros-get-their-vets/#comment-45008 Austin Swafford Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:32:06 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1948#comment-45008 What...upset the Cardinals won, upset the Rangers lost, or upset that they choked and Ron Washington bungled it in such spectacular fashion? What…upset the Cardinals won, upset the Rangers lost, or upset that they choked and Ron Washington bungled it in such spectacular fashion?

]]> Comment on Astros get their vets by Willie Buck Merle http://astros290.com/2012/02/02/astros-get-their-vets/#comment-45007 Willie Buck Merle Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:25:17 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1948#comment-45007 Probably the lazy.astros.blog worm or variant. Just kidding big guy, I'm still a little FU'd over the WS. :) Probably the lazy.astros.blog worm or variant.
Just kidding big guy, I’m still a little FU’d over the WS. :)

]]> Comment on Astros get their vets by Andrew http://astros290.com/2012/02/02/astros-get-their-vets/#comment-44858 Andrew Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:56:15 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1948#comment-44858 Didn't know how else to notify you of this, but the past 2 times I've been to this site I've had my norton antivirus tell me it blocked an attack on my computer, I tried looking for the history to give you more details but couldn't find it. Didn’t know how else to notify you of this, but the past 2 times I’ve been to this site I’ve had my norton antivirus tell me it blocked an attack on my computer, I tried looking for the history to give you more details but couldn’t find it.

]]> Comment on MLB shows backwards priorities in sale of Astros by Jason http://astros290.com/2011/11/17/mlb-shows-backwards-priorities-in-sale-of-astros/#comment-43958 Jason Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:13:11 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1917#comment-43958 1001.........wonder why the Congress doesn't get involved and do another report.......my then they will find that is sure seems like a conflict of interest that bud has interest in the Brewers. 1001………wonder why the Congress doesn’t get involved and do another report…….my then they will find that is sure seems like a conflict of interest that bud has interest in the Brewers.

]]> Comment on New Astros enter new year with eyes on future by jimbo http://astros290.com/2011/12/31/thoughts-on-new-astros-entering-new-year/#comment-43201 jimbo Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:09:21 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1936#comment-43201 This process hardly works anymore in todays free agent market. It will take way too long for a team so bad as the astros. Just about when a player gets good enough you start losing him thru arbitration and fans are not patient enough to wait that many years for a good team. Lets face it you have to have money to get a certain amount of good free agents to supplement good drafting. Its just the nature of the beast. This process hardly works anymore in todays free agent market. It will take way too long for a team so bad as the astros. Just about when a player gets good enough you start losing him thru arbitration and fans are not patient enough to wait that many years for a good team. Lets face it you have to have money to get a certain amount of good free agents to supplement good drafting. Its just the nature of the beast.

]]> Comment on New Astros enter new year with eyes on future by Austin Swafford http://astros290.com/2011/12/31/thoughts-on-new-astros-entering-new-year/#comment-42375 Austin Swafford Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:23:46 +0000 http://astros290.com/?p=1936#comment-42375 People have been saying this for a long time but I have to say that the Astros would never get someone young for Carlos Lee. At best, they'll get a career minor leaguer or veteran cast-off. People have been saying this for a long time but I have to say that the Astros would never get someone young for Carlos Lee. At best, they’ll get a career minor leaguer or veteran cast-off.

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