Comments on: Much Ichiro! goodness

By: Dirk

Dirk — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:31:48 +0000

If anyone is still reading this thread, Dave Allen of Fangraphs says this.

I guess your perception of value depends on your POV. IMO the reason an infield hit is more valuable than a walk is this:

Of the 8 possible men-on-base situations (no one on through bases loaded) four have the same result whether a walk or a in-field single (no-one on, man on 1st, man on 1st and 2nd, & bases loaded). The other four will most likely result in a runner moving forward on an infield single but not for a walk (man on 2nd, man on 3rd, man on 1st and 3rd, & man on 2nd and 3rd).

To me this means that the walk, while preferable to an out, is not as valuable as the infield single. Have I missed something here?

By: Dirk

Dirk — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:24:08 +0000

B-b-but all those infield hits. [fill in blank] says his stats are overrated! According to the latest expert anal-isis [aka the latest dumbass who wants to TELL us what [fill in stat in question] really means to us mere fans] Ichiro really is just above average, and therefore heâ€™s nothing special, so we shouldnâ€™t enjoy watching him play as much as we do.

Consider blank filled by none other than Dave's fellow WSJ writer, Ben Austen. I'd much rather watch Ichiro play and contribute than a no-defense, high-strikeout, power hitter any day. But that's just me...

By: kayjay

kayjay — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:26:09 +0000

I am with Lauren. Ichiro! caught my eye by being sly, fly and unpredictable. Ichiro! made me remember why I loved baseball as a kid. Ichiro Sugoi Yo!
(Please hit 200 on 2 Sept., for Alex Easter Kennedy on his birthday). Sooner works okay, too.

By: SunDevil1

SunDevil1 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:35:16 +0000

And he drives the coolest Porsche ever….

By: msb

msb — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:03:06 +0000

Apparently, Brad Lefton was on the pre-pregame show; it sounds like he might be following the team, as Ichiro! is on the verge of several more career milestones, so we may get some more good Ichi articles.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:05:48 +0000

Wee Willie Keeler was before moving pictures.

By: 3cardmonty

3cardmonty — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:40:21 +0000

What a great article. I know all hitters’ approaches are unique in some sense, but it seems like Ichiro just flat out invented a new way to play the game. Is that just hyperbole? Can anyone think of players who tried to develop a similar technique? Has it been a commonplace approach in Japan for decades and I’ve just been ignorant? Did any dead ball era hitters have similar swings?

By: pinball1973

pinball1973 — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:06:49 +0000

B-b-but all those infield hits. [fill in blank] says his stats are overrated!
According to the latest expert anal-isis [aka the latest dumbass who wants to TELL us what [fill in stat in question] really means to us mere fans] Ichiro really is just above average, and therefore he’s nothing special, so we shouldn’t enjoy watching him play as much as we do.

By: scraps

scraps — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:34:35 +0000

By the way:

Ichiro is ranked 14th for VORP for position players.

But he is ranked 1st among American League outfielders. And he is ranked 1st among all right fielders.

And that doesn’t even count defensive statistics.

By: pinball1973

pinball1973 — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:57:05 +0000

Ichiro! makes me happy, doing what he does the ways he does (and not even being a jerk while doing it).

I’d wondered why there were still so many infield hits, even though he is still very fast. I have absurd respect for his bat control (I actually saw his “one-bounce” clean single here in Japan in person – after everyone gave a short, incredulous laugh we just shook our heads and smiled for the rest of the inning) but having someone like Inge confirm it’s more than just luck surprises me.

Fans who don’t like watching Ichiro! play, and the idiot grumps who use every dumbhead trick to dis his greatness as a player, are missing out on the single most amazing character of this baseball decade.