Thanks to OBF for the fun post and thread.   The recent contributions by writers otherthan myself and SABRMatt are adding color to the site.  :- ) :daps:

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=== Ichiro ===

Has, like Pete Rose did back in my youth, the ability to choose whether to hit for power in any given AB.

.................

Ichiro's EYE has gone down a lot this year:  in 2008 it was 51/65, but in 2009 it is 29/64.   Meanwhile, his SLG has gone from .384 last year, to .472 this year.

His 31 doubles are already a career high (except for 2001's 34 doubles, those being in 25 more games).   He's hitting for viciously more power and, interestingly, his AVG is still .357.

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Last season, Ichiro hit a melancholy .310/.361/.386 but with his best-ever EYE.   And why would a batter go up, work the count, and then drearily slap the ball between the shortstop and third baseman?  A depressed attitude.

Ichiro's 2009 aggressiveness is seen not only in the 40* doubles and triples, and 10 homers, but also in a .50 EYE ratio that is preferable for him.

Ironic that the very day after our chat on home field, and red-color, aggressiveness, Ichiro should underline his 2009 transformation with a bad-intentions killshot on Mariano Rivera.

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Without Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Wakamatsu, we would have seen another unmotivated 310/360/385 from Ichiro this year.   But because Griffey and Wok were here, Ichiro is back in black. 

Sabermetrics hasn't even begun to study why a player is good one year and bad another.  When Zduriencik and Blengino talk about "blending" sabermetrics and conventional wisdom, this is an example of what we talk about. 

It's not just adding saber to scouting on every problem.  Sometimes it's using different approaches as different problems warrant.  Human beings are too complicated to be completely captured by math formulas.

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With Wakamatsu in the dugout and a new culture established, I predict another 3-5 seasons of superstardom for Ichiro.

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=== Tui Sits ===

A night after his big performance against the Sox, Tui is sitting.   For .... who?  :head swivels left and right:

For Jack Hannahan.  Who went 0-for-4.  With four strikeouts.

Jack Hannahan needs zero evaluation:

225 / 315 / 350 - Hannahan, ML, almost 1,000 AB's

270 / 360 / 390 - Hannahan, MINOR LEAGUES, 3,000 AB's

220 / 300 / 335 - Hannahan with the M's this year

Here he is playing FIRST base tonight.  While guys like Carp and Tui, who desperately do need evaluation and acclimation time, sit.  Why, amigos, why?

We could say that Wok wished to spare Tui the ugly sight of A.J. Burnett, 'cause it might destroy his confidence.  This benevolence would come as news to Michael Saunders, who played 6 straight games upon promotion, against five LHP's and Roy Halladay.  :- )

BTW, Burnett had been throwing badly, with ER's of 6, 6, and 9 in his last five starts.

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We don't mean to keep drumming the same beat here :- ) but supposing that in 2007, the M's had gone out and gotten Jack Hannahan, and then burned its 1B September playing time on him?  

A 270/360/390 minor leaguer, 29 years of age, and he's playing at first base in September.

With our heroes nowadays, we go, Ah, they must have something in mind.  :- )  And that's great by Dr. D.

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Anyway.  I was aghast when they first went out and got Hannahan.  Now?  We have no words.   (Watch this....)

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=== Sweeney Watch ===

Rivera blew away the first two M's easily on strikeouts -- and then Mike Sweeney pounded a long double off a great pitcher.

He's 300/370/500 in the second half, with an 11/15 EYE.   Last 28 days?  He's 380/430/570.

It's getting kind of hard to justify NOT bringing him to ST next March, wouldn'tcha say?

Cheers,

Dr D