Talkin' Baseball

...And Mavs...and whatever else I feel like, it's my blog!

There has been a plethora of major milestones being hit recently, 500HRs, 600HRs, 3000 hits, and soon 756.

The Big Hurt went big fly for the 500th time in his illustrious career off noted worm-burner, Carlos Silva. Biggio got his 2997-3002 hits in classic extra inning affair vs. the Rockies, which concluded when El Cabayo hit a walk-off grand slam...all in all a very cool day of baseball.

Interesting, if coincidental, that these two players would zero out their baseball odometers on the same day, as both have been among the most underrated players of their generation.

Craig Biggio is a demigod in H-Town, but apparently no one can see him play through all the smog as he has never received the national attention he has deserved...save the obligatory you-just-reached-a-major-milestone-Tim-Kurkjian-SportCenter-5-minute-tribute. Biggio is probably the fifth greatest second baseman of all time (behind Hornsby, Lajoie, Eddie Collins, and Joe Morgan) and while he spent a good part of his career away from the keystone sack, he caught and played centerfield...name me another player who could do that! His versatility defensively gains him brownie points over guys like Paul Molitor and Rod Carew who shifted to the corner infield, or DH...even though he hasn't been a good defensive player for some time now.

Actually Biggio hasn't really been a good player overall after turning 35, he's been a liability in the field and while he was once and on-base machine (the best kind of machine...other than this) his bat has really slowed as evidence by his increased strikeout and decreased walk rate over the last part of his career (pitchers know he can't keep up with a good fastball, so they just throw them by him.) Biggio has been on a tear since reaching that magical milestone, getting his numbers all the way up to .260/.302/.405. Still, the 'Stros are a team that is trying to contend and as great as he has been Biggio now stands in the way of them winning ball games.

Since Biggio gets points for playing anywhere up the middle defensively, being a really good base runner, great team player/clubhouse guy, always hustling, being the guy you want your daughter to marry, shaking hands, and kissing babies...Frank Thomas could be opposite; kissing hands and shaking babies.

And yet even though he was never a good defensive player or base runner or friendly with the media or teammates or front office personnel, Thomas is one of the 15 best hitters of the live ball era.

From BaseballReference the career leaders of Adjusted OPS+

Babe Ruth
Ted Williams
Barry Bonds
Lou Gehrig
Rogers Hornsby
Mickey Mantle
Albert Pujols
Ty Cobb
Jimmie Foxx
Mark McGwire (yes, Big Mac!)
Stan Musial
Frank Thomas

That puts him as the 6th best right handed hitter in the live ball era, using this one metric which admittedly isn't perfect but it's a pretty darned good easy gauge.

Also unlike Biggio, Thomas is still a good player currently hitting .247/.377/.442

Neither of these guys needed to reach a nice round number in their stats column to garner their ticket to Cooperstown.

*****

Sammy Sosa hit 600 and has a ton of RBIs. Yet somehow he was not an All-Star, shock, awe, amazement, saddness...ok that's all the sarcasm I can muster. I'm about to point out something that no body else has pointed out all year long. Yes he has surpased my expectations...which were absolutely zero (when he got 1 hit he surpased my expectations)...get ready, brace yourselves.

Sammy Sosa is not having a good year!

I'll wait, so let you collect yourselves.

dodododododo

ok, we're back!

The Sammy for All-Star talk is only slightly less rediculous than the "We're winning without Tex, therefore we're a better team just because he's not out there."

Sammy is getting tons of RBI oppurtunites due soley to where he's hitting in the lineup. He's hitting .251/.304/.469. How many All-Star/Comeback Player of Year/Baseball Saints have .300 OBPs?

Tex, Mike Young, Ian Kinsler, Marlon Byrd, and Kenny Lofton are all having better years as is the entire bullpen.

*****

Good news in Mavs land, Stack is back! More than once last season I yelled at the tv, berating Jerry for being out of position or making a bad pass, but I'm pleased as punch to have him back because far more often I yelled in excitement after a big made basket.

Bring back the House means Dallas maintains continuity with its current cast of characters, that I still believe is championship caliber. While most people probably aren't dancing in the streets that we resigned a 32 year old bench player, his departure would have left a big hole on this team. We need Stack, and I think Stack needs us, Avery did a great job limiting his minutes and just asking Jerry to be Jerry. He was put in great spots to succeed last year.

Also of note, there are no other free agents out there that could fill what Stack does for the Mavs. Matt Barnes gives you energy but dude can't score, Desmond Mason is athletic but really not very good at basketball, Mickael Pietrus would be the closest thing but he's no where near as tough/physical/clutch as Jerry Stack.

Other name I want the Mavs to pursue this off season, Cleveland GF Sasha Pavlovic. The Cavs are right up against the luxury tax and will not be able to keep Sasha and Varejao. Cle did extend a qualifying offer but if Dallas makes a serious offer, I doubt the Fighting LeBrons will match since it will cost them double in luxury tax sanctions.

Pavlovic is coming off a really good playoff run where he was asked to cover opposing teams big offensive threats. Defensively he did good work against Vince Carter, Rip Hamilton, and Manu Ginobili.

Sasha is a good shooter from the land of three 40.5% last season, and improving. He's also not afraid to go to hole, using Bob Ortegol patented shot-fake-and-drive very effectively.

The Mavs really only have two needs: another big man who can post up/rebound (like every team ever in the history of basketball) and a swingman who can play d/shoot outside/slash inside. The first thing is very hard to find, but Pavolvic fills the second need and he's much more attainable than another guy who does.

Here's maybe the best thing about Sasha...he's 23 years old!! If went to college for 4 years, he'd just now be a rookie and he's already a solid NBA player and could be a very, VERY useful player for the Mavs Dynasty.

**** Last chance to leave comments for places to go in Mizzu!