I've spent a combined 19 hours on the road the past three days. That has left a lot of time for me to think about my collection and my collecting habits. I always tell myself that I'm a purist, that I would be considered a "collector's collector." But then I think about who I am actively collecting, and I realized something - I'm in love with the longball.
Just look at the two PC's that I work on most often - Nelson Cruz and Bryce Harper. Cruz is built like a brick sh*thouse (as my dad would say), and when he gets into a pitch, that ball usually lands somewhere far, far away. Harper is no different - the kid was hitting balls to the back of Tropicana Field when he was still in high school, and even hit one 600+ feet over a highway while playing a Legion game.
So, I'm in love with the longball. I admit it. But I'm not alone. This is why hitters who can't play a lick of defense (ahem, Miguel Cabrera) get major paydays and MVP awards. It's the same reason why Harper will be taken in the first round every single day over at FanDuel fantasy baseball. Dudes love the longball, too. We just don't wear the t-shirt saying so.
BUT WAIT - it isn't just the longball. dudes love the heater, the single-finger, the fastball. My pitcher PC's are a prime example: Yu Darvish (97+ mph) and Jordan Zimmermann (98+ mph). Granted, I love Zimmermann as much for the knee-high socks (I think every player should wear the knee-highs) as I do his fastball, but let's look at the names we talk most about in pitching: Kershaw, Darvish, Verlander, etc.: they all throw in the upper-90's. It's the pitching equivalent of a homerun. I mean, Koji Uehara was probably the single most important pitcher on the Red Sox staff, but we don't talk about that.
I'm not saying that we don't collect players that don't fall into one of these categories. I'm just saying that, for me at least, I don't give enough love to players who don't hit 30 homers a year or throw at or near 100 miles per hour.
That being said, I need suggestions on a new PC for a player that doesn't fit into one of these categories. I want someone that played a long time, preferably with only one or two teams, that had just "average" numbers.
Any suggestions?
Maybe check Baseball Reference to find a 70s/80s player who shares your birthday?
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're looking for a "Jamie Moyer" type. He's pretty average, although he has some nice counting stats (269 wins) that are more of a product of his longevity than anything else. 25 years in the majors is a long time, but he played for 8 teams.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be tough trying to find an "average" numbers guy who played for only one or two teams. Guys that stick around do so because they're above average.
Maybe someone who has been dropped off the HOF ballot or someone like an Alan Trammell or Tim Raines?
Here are a few guys who stood out from my childhood: Steve Rogers, Dave Conception, Dave Stieb, Bill Russell, Hal McRae, Terry Steinbach, Lou Whitaker, Sal Bando, Tim Salmon, Doug DeCinces, and Frank White.
ReplyDelete