Honest question...when was the last time the face of baseball came from out west? First I guess we need to figure past faces of baseball but I'm seriously trying to figure out who was the last west face.
Bonds
Honest question...when was the last time the face of baseball came from out west? First I guess we need to figure past faces of baseball but I'm seriously trying to figure out who was the last west face.
Hah damn yea that would be it. How about one not so polarizing?Bonds
Someone was bound to replace Lackey....Judge is the horse-face of baseball.
Hah damn yea that would be it. How about one not so polarizing?
He's basically Mickey Mantle, but maybe that's not your thing.As for Mike Trout, I fully recognize he’s a great player, extremely valuable, young, exciting, and on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
But I often feel like I’m living in a world where he’s vastly overrated, and only I realize it.
People talk about him like he’s belting 130 home runs a season, while sporting a 2.275 OPS.
He’s been a .300-30-100 guy consistently over his career, which is fantastic - but I never got why that makes him the undisputed greatest player of the past whatever many years.
Frankly, I’m more impressed with Betts and Altuve.
Trout has a career OPS+ of 175 which is higher than Betts or Altuve have had in any single full season. I love me some Mookie and Altuve is a great player but neither are the player that Trout has been.As for Mike Trout, I fully recognize he’s a great player, extremely valuable, young, exciting, and on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
But I often feel like I’m living in a world where he’s vastly overrated, and only I realize it.
People talk about him like he’s belting 130 home runs a season, while sporting a 2.275 OPS.
He’s been a .300-30-100 guy consistently over his career, which is fantastic - but I never got why that makes him the undisputed greatest player of the past whatever many years.
Frankly, I’m more impressed with Betts and Altuve.
Mark McGwire?Hah damn yea that would be it. How about one not so polarizing?
For those stalwarts of the West, the St. Louis Cardinals of Missouri?Mark McGwire?
Brought baseball back after the strike?
Is it still past Springfield?For those stalwarts of the West, the St. Louis Cardinals of Missouri?
Having done the drive from Boston four times, it's past the last goddamn outpost of civilization (i.e. mid-Ohio)Is it still past Springfield?
Fuck skyline chili. Cinnamon has no place in chili. Or beans. Or noodles.Unless you count the Skyline Chili off exit 12, in that case you can push it an extra couple of degrees of longitude.
I'm abjectly sorry...that you've never been able to feign proper drunk. Seriously, I iam. PromiseFuck skyline chili. Cinnamon has no place in chili. Or beans. Or noodles.
This guy gets it.Fuck skyline chili. Cinnamon has no place in chili. Or beans. Or noodles.
That guy from San Diego? His name was Ted, as in "Teddy Ballgame," not "Tony." And yes, he was the greatest hitter of all time. Except for that one guy named "George Herman something."...And there was even this guy in San Diego that people argue might be the greatest hitter of all time. Tony something.
*taking this unduly seriously*
He’s been hurt by the fact that the Angels were boring. The Angels are more interesting now; maybe he’ll have a higher profile as a result.
I don't know. Trout has that Mantle type body and good looks, and those are what made Mantle the #1 baseball icon.Guessing I could walk into work tomorrow and every single sports fan there with even a remote knowledge of baseball knows Mike Trout by name and as it's generally regarded best player. Put him in a street cloths interview on the TV and I doubt any of them would instantly recognize him as easily as they might somebody like Judge, Harper, or even Mookie though.
Mantle also had the benefit of playing in New York. East coast bias is real, but especially so when compared to a time when baseball had a much higher profile in the national consciousness and much of the media of the time was based in the same town in which he plied his trade.I don't know. Trout has that Mantle type body and good looks, and those are what made Mantle the #1 baseball icon.
Trout has got 20-something more ABs though. This early that is significant.For as great as Mookie has been, Trout passed him in fWAR (2.7 to 2.5, granted Trout has played 4 more games). Speaks volume about what a player Trout is. Baring injury, no one can top him.
And his OBP is still higher, .447 to .433Trout has got 20-something more ABs though. This early that is significant.
How Mookie reminds me of Junior is the pure joy they show while playing the game at such a high level.Ah yes thank you. I have no idea why I couldn't think of any but I guess I'm just not in that mode right now. Man I miss peak Junior.
He was hit in the back/shoulder on a throw to second base. He was favoring his right arm after and was taken from the game with a reported shoulder contusion after playing for another inning or so.I wasn't able to watch today, was there a reason he came out of the game?
Was it close to where he got hit on that pitch last week? That would suck if it hit an already injured area.He was hit in the back/shoulder on a throw to second base. He was favoring his right arm after and was taken from the game with a reported shoulder contusion after playing for another inning or so.
I sort of feel you on this. I wouldn't go so far as to say Trout is "overrated" but he's a lot like LeBron for me. Yeah, they're great, but given their perfect, freakish physiques they sort of should be that good (or at least it makes their floors super high). I just don't get "excited" to watch either of them. I prefer underdog stories and a guy being about as good as they should be just doesn't get me going. Trout's is also a bit nondescript, like one of the generic minor leaguers in The Show.As for Mike Trout, I fully recognize he’s a great player, extremely valuable, young, exciting, and on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
But I often feel like I’m living in a world where he’s vastly overrated, and only I realize it.
People talk about him like he’s belting 130 home runs a season, while sporting a 2.275 OPS.
He’s been a .300-30-100 guy consistently over his career, which is fantastic - but I never got why that makes him the undisputed greatest player of the past whatever many years.
Frankly, I’m more impressed with Betts and Altuve.
You guys need to take a step back and realize that you're Red Sox fans. Of course you prefer to watch Mookie play because he's constantly winning games in exciting ways for YOUR team. You do not need to take anything away from Trout to call Mookie one of the best players in the league.I sort of feel you on this. I wouldn't go so far as to say Trout is "overrated" but he's a lot like LeBron for me. Yeah, they're great, but given their perfect, freakish physiques they sort of should be that good (or at least it makes their floors super high). I just don't get "excited" to watch either of them. I prefer underdog stories and a guy being about as good as they should be just doesn't get me going. Trout's is also a bit nondescript, like one of the generic minor leaguers in The Show.
I'd rather watch Mookie any day of the week over Trout, irrespective of their numbers.
For S&G I put it to the test this morning. Showing a non-uniformed picture of Trout, Judge, and Mookie to 8 different people (only 3 actually follow baseball on a regular basis and claim a team. Yankee/Tampa/Mets fans) who I know at least somewhat follow sports, talk some surface baseball at times, and watch ESPN on a semi-regular basis. Only hint being they were a baseball player. I also live in Florida FWTW.I don't know. Trout has that Mantle type body and good looks, and those are what made Mantle the #1 baseball icon.
Yeah it's pretty much all this, I think. I have very little doubt that if Trout were on the Yankees he would be far and away the most talked-about, recognizable baseball personality.Mookie and Judge being more recognizable is also obviously due to the markets.
Well that's kind of the initial point though. If nobody actually pays much attention beyond the very random nod to the great #'s, and the media/talk shows never spend any notable segment time talking about you, can you really be the face of baseball?The problem is Trout is so damn good that it's boring. He doesn't get the attention he deserves because he's just expected to be this great all the time.
Mookie and Judge being more recognizable is also obviously due to the markets.
Well, it's really two different things, I guess. Not getting the attention he deserves also doesn't mean Trout is any lesser of a player than he is. He may not be the "face" of baseball, sure, but he sure as hell is the best at it. I'm not convinced Mookie is necessarily more marketable or even more interesting to watch than Trout. He's just not resonating with the masses as much because he's on a team that doesn't seem to have a rabid following.Well that's kind of the initial point though. If nobody actually pays much attention beyond the very random nod to the great #'s, and the media/talk shows never spend any notable segment time talking about you, can you really be the face of baseball?
Interesting. I'd bet that the top soccer players in Europe and Brazil would not go unrecognized in their respective areas. Trout's not going anywhere else any time soon either (like the east coast), signed through 2020 for $34M a year with the Angels.For S&G I put it to the test this morning. Showing a non-uniformed picture of Trout, Judge, and Mookie to 8 different people (only 3 actually follow baseball on a regular basis and claim a team. Yankee/Tampa/Mets fans) who I know at least somewhat follow sports, talk some surface baseball at times, and watch ESPN on a semi-regular basis. Only hint being they were a baseball player. I also live in Florida FWTW.
- 1 could name Trout (the Tampa fan).
- 4/8 could name Mookie
-7/8 could name Judge