The 2012 World Series

When this year's playoffs got past the one game playoff "series", there were five teams left for whom I could cheer.  Yes, I know, I'm an Indians fan.  Well, when one is an Indians fan, but also a big baseball fan, it is nice to have someone to cheer for when the annual Indians Out Of The Playoffs Magic Number comes around in mid-August (or something). 

So, I would have been happy to see the Reds in it until the end.  The Big Red Machine (about whom I read recently in a fun-read, "The Machine", by Joe Posnanski) was there when I was getting originally immersed in the world of baseball.  I was living on the outskirts of Cleveland (Bedford, Ohio, to be exact), but my grandparents in Columbus were big Reds fans.  So, when we visit them during the World Series of 1975, my fandom got a tremendous start by watching the Reds win the big one against the Red Sox.  What an awesome year. 

Anyway, I would have loved to see the Reds make it all the way.  [Sigh]

Here were my five-out-of-eight:

Reds
Rangers (I'm a big Nolan Ryan fan, as well as a Josh Hamilton fan... little did I know NR would say some hard things about JH at the end, but I don't blame him)
Cardinals
A's
Nationals

Ideally, the World Series would have been the Reds against the A's--and the Reds would have won vengeance for the 1972 World Series.  Yes!  If anyone out there knows of a good video story of that World Series, I'd love to hear about it.  Having 7 games in a World Series is ideal, but having 6 of them decided by one run?  Holy cow.  That's awesome.

A little factoid here--the Reds outscored the A's in that World Series, 22 to 15.  Too bad that doesn't offer any real salve to the overall loss.

I would have been cheering for the Rangers, for sure.  Watching their sudden and unbelievable demise was painful.  Lose the division on the last day?  Wow.  Nolan, I sure hope you and yours come back to the Big Dance next year (unless the Indians do the never-expected).

I would have cheered for the Cardinals, even though they just won it last year.  I love the fact that they made it as far as they did even though they lost a formerly top-notch player to bigger money, lost a HOF manager, and worked with a rookie big league manager.  They had a great year, and, in my opinion, were by far the better team than the team that removed them from the World Series.  Definitely had a better line-up.

Ah, well.

The A's?  Well, though I've never been a fan, Billy Beane has me intrigued.  I'd love to see him working his magic for the Indians, but... still, his incredible GMing with the A's brings hope to this small market fan.  Keep at it!

Then there's the Nat's.  What a story.  They stunk so bad that they got the top pick two years in a row--and both have come around to play in the bigs in a good way.  I'm looking forward to many years of Strasburg and Bryce.  Rise to stardom, guys!


So, clearly, four of my five hopefuls were eliminated in that round.  That sucked. 


Here we are--a World Series with the Central Division foe Tigers and the Left Coast Giants.  Gah.  I'll watch, but only because I love baseball.  Not even sure who I will cheer for yet.  I really didn't want Cabrera to be the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years--I'd far rather that had gone to Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, or our guy Votto.  Alas, it was not to be.

Now to get some snacks for the boys tonight.

Ichiro

First, let me say--yeah, congratulations.  First person to get 200 hits in a season ten years in a row.  Congrats and everything.  Whoopie.

I think he's over-rated.  

This isn't just because I was a Big Red Machine fan, and, thus, a fan of Pete Rose (who has tore that fandom from me violently through his arrogant, absurd denials ever since you-know-when). 

Yes, I know it’s pretty cool to have 200 hits for 10 seasons in a row.  However, I’ve been hearing folks say he is under-rated.  What?  He's a lifetime singles hitter—has only had 30 or more doubles twice.  Not a LOT of value in getting to first base.  I know—he has to get on base in order to score.  Obviously.  However, there are many others who are far SUPERIOR without being 200 hit people.

Here are some easy comparisons.  I’ll use ESPN’s “seasonal averages (per 162 games played)” numbers for ease.

Ichiro – 229 hits, 107 runs, 26 2Bs, 7 3Bs, 9 HRs, 57 RBIs, 47 BBs.  Avg of .331.  OBP, though, a mere .376

Pujols – 198 hits, 123 runs, 44 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 43 HRs, 128 RBIs, 94 BBs.  Avg of .331.  OBP of .425.  FAR above.

Too harsh to compare to the best player in baseball?  Okay, how about a couple HR hitting clunkers.  These guys have played as long or longer.  Again, 162 game averages:

Dunn – 140 hits, 97 runs, 30 2Bs, 1 3B, 40 HRs, 98 RBIs, 111 BBs.  Avg.251, but OBP of .381. 

Thome (a personal favorite, as an Indians fan) – 150 hits, 104 runs, 29 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 40 HRs, 110 RBIs, 114 BBs.  Avg .278, but OBP of .404.

Yes, Thome is a Hall of Famer.  But the thing is—with 50 hits less per season, his production is FAR superior to any singles hitter. 

There’s really no favorable comparison.  I got to wondering—what if I found someone with similar OBP who was a NOBODY.  Would that be more convincing?  I don’t know.  How about if I just find some long careers that had OBP of comparable numbers.

Like Brett Butler - .3769.  And that is for 17 seasons.  He never had 200 hits in a season.  Pretty much another singles hitter, but he knew how to get on base in other ways, too.  That’s the thing—Ichiro doesn’t get walks—at least not in quantities you’d expect from someone who wants to get on base a lot.  What, no eye?

How about the man to whom he ought to be compared--whose record he would possibly had broke if he had played in the states all these years:

Rose (taken from Baseball Reference) 162 game averages: 194 hits, 98 runs, 34 2Bs, 6 3Bs, 7 HRs, 60 RBIs, 71 BBs.  Avg .303, OBP of .375.  

See, now that is far more comparable... but Rose will also never make it to the Hall.  Neither, perhaps, ought Ichiro.  In reality, Rose broke the hits record not because he was a great hitter (lifetime .303), but because of longevity.  Hustler?  Yes.  In reality--also over-rated.  His career numbers may've looked more impressive had he not hung around so long afterwards...

OBP.  Currently, he is ranked 39th in the majors for the year.  2009 - 30th; 2008 - 58th; 2007 - 19th; 2006 - 46th.  Need I go on?  


Over. Rated.