Ted Williams' 90th BDay

by bdalebs on Aug 24, 2008 6:59 PM EDT

Does anybody know if the Sox are doing something special? I would like to see all of the Sox wear #9 on 8/30/08, something along the lines of the Jacky Robinson tribute earlier this year and last year. I am truly looking forward to the game on 8/30/18, the 100th brithday of the best hitter ever. Hopefully, the Red Sox do something to honor the best player in Red Sox history (according to the results so far of Baseball Tonight's poll).

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100th or 90th birthday?

It will be a little much making all the uniforms just once. Nice thought, but it probably won’t happen.

He who hesitates is tagged out between first and second base.

by BoSox415 on Aug 24, 2008 7:06 PM EDT reply actions

90th birthday, he wore number 9. Do you see what I am getting at?

If they don’t do it this time, they had better do it in 2018.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 24, 2008 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions

The best hitter ever is Barry Lamar Bonds.

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans

BELIEVE in 08!

by SRQman on Aug 24, 2008 10:01 PM EDT reply actions

No.

Just no.

Ted’s career OPS+ is ten points better than Barry’s. And Ted missed five years out of his prime due to military service. And Ted didn’t have the advantage of prolonging his prime through ah modern medicine and modern conditioning programs.

Barry’s great, top five hitter in baseball history, but by any objective standard you’ve got to give the nod to Teddy.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Aug 24, 2008 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Are roids now considered medicine?

I am allowed to accuse him since he admitted to “unknowingly” taking the cream and the clear.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 25, 2008 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Shouldn't you be posting that on DRaysBay?

Your brown-nosing would be noticed more there. Ya’ll should get Lofton anyways. Much better D, clubhouse presence.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 25, 2008 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't want Lofton

And just posted this for discussion. Not to piss anyone off. Notice how I came over and didn’t call people band wagoners and the guy who posts on the site a moron!

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans

BELIEVE in 08!

by SRQman on Aug 25, 2008 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Noticed. I thought I remembered you as one of the fans who wanted Bonds...

that’s why I thought you were brown-nosing. Feel free to call a lot of Sox fans bandwagoners though. There are a lot of them.

Discussion: Homeruns aren’t the most important stat. I would say it’s between slugging and average. OBP shouldn’t count because being able to walk a lot doesn’t make you a great hitter.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 25, 2008 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree.

OBP is important because it is every time you get on base. That is the point of the game from a hitters perspective, get on base. Williams and Barry are absolutely top 5 if not the two best hitters ever.

For the roids thing. Williams did not play most of his career against African-American players and Latinos. Barry was not the only one on roids, we can believe that many others were doing it.

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans

BELIEVE in 08!

by SRQman on Aug 26, 2008 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions

You are right.

OBP is king. To wrack up a truly high OBP, you need to have great bat control (to foul off pitches and check swings), to have great pitch recognition. As a result, people with good OBP skills are typically also good hitters. I think of Youkilis as the archetypal OBP guy – he doesn’t swing at crap, can work a walk after being down 0-2, and is generally a great hitter.

To get a high batting average, all you need is speed and some luck. Juan Pierre might bat .300, but that’s with a bunch of slow rollers that he beat out for base hits.

by 0157H7 on Aug 26, 2008 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Okay, sorry. I tnink of hitters differently than most people.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 26, 2008 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions

OBP isn't necessarily king.

Yes, it’s important, but It’s all about context. Maybe a high OBP is due to bat control, etc. Or maybe it’s due to being the only good hitter in a terrible lineup and getting IBB’d 60 or 120 times a year.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Aug 26, 2008 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Would you have wanted to pitch to Barry?

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans

BELIEVE in 08!

by SRQman on Aug 27, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Absolutely not.

Especially when the option is to walk him and pitch to Edgar Alfonso. Or Pedro Feliz. Or AJ Pierzinski.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Aug 27, 2008 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I would. I would peg him in the head and say I was aiming for the strike zone and it got in the way...

I can say that as a person who also has a huge head.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 27, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Then he gets on base and you

might have gotten tossed out of the game.

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans

BELIEVE in 08!

by SRQman on Aug 28, 2008 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

1 base = better than having a complete @$$ hit a HR off you to further a record he doesn't deserve.

That is worth getting thrown out.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 28, 2008 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

For the race thing

The increase in the talent pool brought upon by breaking of racial and cultural barriers is arguably offset by the dilution of talent brought about by the increase in teams. In 1941 there were 16 teams – today there are 30.

And anyways, OPS+ adjusts for era, I think.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Aug 26, 2008 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Disagree

Saberticians have done studies that show that a OBP point is worth more runs then a slugging point.

by drabidea on Aug 26, 2008 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

More concerned with individual performance...

not how it affects the team’s performance. Obviously Bonds couldn’t create a ton more runs in San Francisco because no one else could hit him in when he walked or be on base when he hit a HR.

Don't question my choice of teams, or I will have to go all troll on you.

by bdalebs on Aug 27, 2008 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions