(Note: About halfway through, I realized this post was dreadfully boring. Enjoy!)
1. The Best Player
Their answer: Albert Pujols 58%; Joe Mauer 21%
My take: Well, come on now, are you really going to argue with The Machine? Pujols. If there was one guy you wanted to plug into your lineup day in and day out, it'd be Pujols. And additionally, if there was one guy you needed to come through with a big hit in a clutch situation, it'd also be Pujols. (Just ask Brad Lidge.) You might be thinking to yourself, "Well, duh, those two are pretty much the same thing." But the reality is, they're not the same, and if you need any more proof, just look at Alex Rodriguez, 2001-2008.
1B. The Most Overrated
Their answer: Joba Chamberlain 17%; Alex Rodriguez 9%
My take: Yankees took home 4 of this poll's 5 top spots, which is not really a surprise. My gut reaction is to say a bunch of guys who, as it turns out, actually aren't really overrated anymore, because they've underperformed for a couple of years (David Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano). Chamberlain is a pretty good pick, I mean he's got this whole "Joba Rules" thing named after him and he's barely made a dent in the MLB surface. In no particular order: Francisco Rodriguez, Jose Reyes, Chamberlain, Josh Beckett, Rich Harden.
2. Which City has the Best Groupies?
Their answer: Chicago 21%; San Diego 9%
My take: I have absolutely no way of knowing how to approach this question. If so many of them say Chicago, then, sure, Chicago. However, if you want to talk about the percentage of a city's female population who would unabashedly jump the bones of a team's star player, then New York and Philadelphia have to be pretty high (just count the number of pink Derek Jeter or Chase Utley shirts next time you're at a game).
2B. Which City has the Worst Groupies?
Their answer: Oakland 14%; Cleveland 11%
My take: Come on, don't kid yourself, those were the first two cities to pop into your head, too.
3. How Many Games Should Teams Play?
Their answer: 162 57%; 150 10%
My take: Do we really need 162 games to figure these things out? (Someone points out the AL Central has been decided by a tiebreaking 163rd game each of the last two years.) That aside, I really don't think there's any value to having that many games. It's absurd. America's best league, the NFL, plays a 16-game schedule, 20 including playoffs. The only reason baseball needs to stick at 162 is because it has always used that amount, and it generates more profits for teams and gives players more games to accumulate stats. As a fan, I could live with a cut back to 120. That way World Series games won't be played in November in 35 degree weather.
4. Who will Win the World Series?
Their answer: Yankees 38%; Phillies 19%
My take: Players named the Mariners tied for third with 9%. Come on you silly players, get real. Tampa Bay over St. Louis in 6.
5. How Many Players Still Take PEDS?
Their answer: 0 per team 37%; 1 per team 19%
My take: Judging by the fact that 13% of respondents answered "No Comment", I'm willing to bet the number is above 0. Maybe 5-10% of the league is still doing it. So like, 2 guys per team.
6. Which Pitcher has the Nastiest Stuff?
Their answer: Roy Halladay 40%; Tim Lincecum 21%
My take: Ubaldo Jimenez was nowhere to be found in these results, which is a crime. Maybe not THE nastiest, but come on, he's nastier than Josh Beckett. Alas, I must remain true to my overwhelming bias: Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez, in that order.
7. What is the Best Franchise?
Their answer: New York Yankees 52%; Boston Red Sox 16%
My take: How is this measured? McDonald's is the biggest chain in the world, does that mean it's the best restaurant or has the best burgers? Come on. I think this answer should incorporate loyalty to fans and loyalty to players. My answer would probably be the Cardinals. It just seems like everyone loves each other there.
7B. Worst Franchise?
Their answer: Pittsburgh Pirates 23%; Kansas City Royals 18%
My take: The Pirates are a mess and trade away just about every likeable player they develop.
8. How Many Players Cheat on Their Wives?
Their answer: Half 9%; One Quarter 8%
My take: I have no idea. If you're a professional athlete and like messing around, why would you get married in the first place? I'll split the difference and say a third.
9. Should Barry Bonds be in the Hall of Fame?
Their answer: Yes 67%; No 29%
My take: The guy is an asshole and I think the overwhelming evidence points to his guilt in the steroid scandal. It's a shame, because he probably could have made it without it. His case is a little different than McGwire's. I don't want him to be in, but I think he should be. McGwire, however, shouldn't.
10. Would You Prefer a World Series or MVP?
Their answer: World Series 87%
My take: Depends. If you're a journeyman throw in on a World Series team, like Nick Swisher of the Yankees, then I think it means less. Baseball, moreso than any other sport, is individual. You can't really make your teammates better. You hit in your slot, you field in your position. Two guys win the MVP each year. 40 win a World Series. Really, the answer is the Hall of Fame, but it's not an option here. There's this weird rule surrounding every sport that says you have to want team success more than personal success. I don't know why that is really. You are guaranteed to EARN every MVP you win. Not true with a championship.
11. Do Language Barriers Affect Play?
Their answer: Yes 9%; No 91%
My take: I have no idea. I'll say yes if it's Pitcher-Catcher. No otherwise.
12. Most Overrated Stat?
Their answer: Batting Average 16%; ERA 13%
My take: ERA, really? It's probably the single most illustrative stat of a pitcher's effectiveness. I'm going to have to say Home Runs. It tells such a tiny piece of the picture. For pitchers, though, it's gotta be Win-Loss. Just ask Zack Greinke.
12B. Most Underrated?
Their answer: On Base Percentage 14%; Runs, WHIP 10%
My take: Outside of all the newfangled sabermetric stats like Wins Above Replacement, it's probably OPS (On Base Plus Slugging Percentage). It should just replace Batting Average now. There's a reason Albert Pujols pretty much always leads the league in OPS. That reason is Question #1.
13. How Good of a Commissioner is Bud Selig?
Their answer: B 30%; C 24%
My take: It's hard to say. He just kind of always seems like he has no idea what he's doing. But it has to be an incredibly challenging job. I haven't experienced any other commissioners in my lifetime, so I have no comparison. I'll give him a B-.
14. Do People Try to Get Betting Info from You?
Their answer: No 88%; Yes 8%
My take: Yes, but they probably shouldn't, and they wouldn't if they could see my account summary. Egads.
15. DH or No DH?
Their answer: No DH 55%; DH 45%
My take: Either way it should be uniform. None of this one league has DH one doesn't bull. Imagine if the NFC allowed you to have a player to specialize in kicking (aka a kicker) and the AFC didn't. It's absurd. Pick one or the other. The DH is more modern and catered to the fans, but I would prefer to see them eliminate the DH. Pitchers are often times the best hitters on the team in high school and college.
16. Who is the Best Manager?
Their answer: Bobby Cox 23%; Mike Scioscia 16%
My take: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay. I love that guy. He's not full of himself, he's able to handle all the young kids they have on the roster, and he's got those stylish black frame glasses.
16B. Last Manager You'd Play for?
Their answer: Ozzie Guillen 30%; Lou Piniella 29%
My take: Hard to say. Ozzie is a nutcase, but he seems to protect his players. I'd say Dusty Baker probably. His history of destroying young talent is unmatched.
17. How Much Time Do You Spending Scoping Women in the Crowd?
Their answer: 5 minutes 16%; 0 minutes 14%
My take: 0 minutes? Come on buddy, who are you kidding? It all depends on where you are, what the weather is like, and what position you play. If you play shortstop or catcher, forget about it. If you're a left fielder? 20 minutes a game. Easy. If you're a left fielder and Tim Lincecum is pitching? An hour and a half.
18. Do You Own a Gun?
Their answer: No 56%; Yes 44%
My take: No. And this answer saddens me a little bit. To be fair, they didn't clarify what kind of gun. And I'm pretty sure Dustin Pedroia's answer was: "A gun? Heck no buddy. (Shows biceps) I'm certified to handle these two lethal weapons."
Their answer: Middle-of-the-road 19%; Apocalyptic 8%
My take: From the above question on guns, it's clear that baseball players are a little more on the conservative side than most. Ideally, the reaction would just be to support it and not make him feel like an outcast. But that's ideal. It probably varies city to city, player to player. But I get the feeling that teams aren't as closely knit as they used to be. So it wouldn't be like your trust was betrayed as much as it would have been in years past.
20. Who is the Last Guy You'd Fight on the Field?
Their answer: Kyle Farnsworth 23%; Carlos Zambrano 14%
My take: From what I've read, Farnsworth is one bad ass dude. But he seems like a caricature of a bad ass dude. Barb wire tattoos, Rick Wild Thing Vaughn glasses, a penchant for taking his shirt off. Elijah Dukes received 7% of the vote in this case. And I think if there was one guy who I'd be extra nice to, it'd probably be him. His father was convicted of second degree murder when he was 12 years old, and in no shortage of situations have his anger problems hurt him, both on field and off, resulting in a handful of suspensions and a general level of distrust from front offices.
Entertaining. But then i'm simple minded.
ReplyDeletePoor Dusty Baker.
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