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In the same 2014 article we just led off with, James makes three separate Mariners references. Just for fun, you understand, he asks the question "Who was 90% of Henry Aaron? Who was 80%? Who was 60% of Henry Aaron?" (Bill White, 1962.) That's a fun question because one Henry Aaron season is interchangeable/replaceable with every other season. And James puts it in perspective for us: it turns out that "60% of Henry Aaron is still a whale of a player."
Then he sets ARod as a standard, namely, his 2007 season with 54 homers, 156 RBI, 143 runs, 95 walks, etc. Guess who's on the list as a fraction of ARod? It turns out that Nelson Cruz is very, very similar to the peak Alex Rodriguez; it's just that Cruz is 80% (or something) of what ARod was. Nelson Cruz is a scaled-down Super Alex. I hadn't noticed that, had you? Wonder if they lifted weights in the same gym?
Second M's reference: Robinson Cano is some fraction (couldn't tell what fraction; was it 60%?) of ... Henry Aaron.
And third M's reference was when James praised Cruz' 2014 season for 40 homers. Stuff like 20 wins, 100 RBI, etc., those ain't stats; they're words, language. 40 homers means, to him, "League leader in homers." Wonder what James would say after the second one running, and that in Safeco.
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ADJECTIVE
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(of a person or thing) able to be likened to another; similar:
"flaked stone and bone tools comparable to Neanderthal man's tools"
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If Nate Karns turns out to be 70% of John Lackey, sign me up. Lackey was age 26 when he jelled as one of the three or four best pitchers in the AL. Karns is coming off his age-27 season. Not too late by a long shot.
Paxton and 60% of Kershaw. We would take that in a heartbeat. And we'll roll with the "Neanderthal tools" part, too. Blunt force trauma, babe.
Taijuan and 70% of Curt Schilling. If things break right. Or, Taijuan could become the best pitcher in the American League, according to some scouts.
King Felix with Roger Clemens and Tom Seaver. We've noted that before. It's especially comforting when you check these guys' career IP totals.
Ketel Marte and 80% of Jose Reyes :- )
Boog Powell and 50% of Brett Gardner?
Hisashi Iwakuma's second most-comparable player at b-ref.com is Gerrit Cole; number 6 on the list is Yu Darvish. That happens a lot, so we hear at least, comparable players from comparable locations and ancestry.
On Mark Trumbo's b-ref.com comparables list -- high on the list -- are Bo Jackson and Jay Buhner. (?!)
Seth Smith's most-comparable is David Dellucci, a quality ballplayer who (like Smith) was at his best when not overexposed. #5 on Smith's list, somehow, is Jason Heyward, the winter's priciest outfielder. Maybe we should find a way to keep Sething.
Cheers,
Dr D
