# Baseball's back with a capital B and stands for... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354 "2003-03-31T03:13:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/61 "2003-04-02T12:10:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > \*\ ***spooje** , Dodger fans kill kittens and puppies when they aren’t busy worshipping Satan. \*\* Hey, whatever gives us an edge…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/62 "2003-04-02T14:52:45Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Lure \* > \*\* I’ve been watching the Yankees since the 50s and he is absolutely hands down the best SS since Kubek._\* Tom Tresh, Gene Michael, Jim Mason, Fred Stanley, Bucky Dent, Roy Smalley, Bob Meacham, Wayne Tolleson, Rafael Santana, Alvaro Espinoza, Andy Stankiewicz, Spike Owen, Mike Gallego, Tony Fernandez. Yeah, how the heck did he ever outdo that group of studs? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/63 "2003-04-02T15:01:41Z")
As Homer said when he gave up beer “I never realized how boring this game is.” ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/64 "2003-04-02T20:44:51Z")
I am a Detroit Tiger fan. Hopefully they will do better this season. If not, then new manager Alan Trammell might have to put himself in the lineup to show the young whippersnappers how the game is supposed to be played. Oh well, I will always have my memories of 1984! I attended Game 4 of the Series, when Tram hit two home runs to lead the Tigs to victory. I will likely attend some University of Michigan baseball and softball games as well. The Wolverine baseball team is ok, the softball team is one of the best in the country. About the only thing they have not been able to do so far is to win the Women’s College World Series. They always do well in the regular season, the Big Ten tournament, and the national regionals. Maybe this will be the year they take the final step and bring an national championship to Ann Arbor. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/65 "2003-04-03T00:34:32Z")
Now don’t you be dissing Andy Stankiewicz! Seriously - IMO Jeter is hands down the best shortstop in Yankee history. His fielding deficiencies, however serious you might view them, don’t even come close to offsetting his hitting skills. And as **Lure** says, he’s a smart, instinctive player. But as **Mullinator** alludes to, the history of Yankee shortstops is pretty mediocre. Still, last year, he was probably the fourth or fifth best Yankee. Over the whole run since 1996? I’d probably say Bernie has been the best, Jeter second. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/66 "2003-04-03T00:41:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lure \* > **You apparently never saw the flip to Posada to nab the runner at the plate when he was backing up the cutoff man in the series 2 years ago.Another day at thee offive for him.** No, I saw that. A case of him being in the right place at the right time. Of course, I also saw him miss routine groundballs in the Angels series, among other things. He’s, at best, an average fielder, but more like a below average one. He had the same fielding percentage as Eckstein last year, with six other shortstops better than him in just the American League. He had the worst zone rating of any shortstop in the AL, and the worst Range Factor. What does this tell us? That my crippled grandmother has more defensive range than Jeter and of the balls that Jeter DOES manage to get to he’s not that great at getting the play off anyway. Of course, to be fair, no one else on the Yankees can play defense worth a lick either except Mondesi. So all he has going for him is his offense. And on a team with Giambi, Bernie and Soriano, he’s only fourth or fifth best. And whatever intangibles he brings to the table. (Of course, however, irrational, I feel the same about Erstad - team leader with no stats very important to the team, etc.) > [@](#): > > **I’ve been watching the Yankees since the 50s and he is absolutely hands down the best SS since Kubek.And hitting 1st,2nd or 3rd in the order (how many players you see filled all those roles effectively?) his bat contributes as much as the later swingers.The guy hustles to get on when he’s not actually hitting one out of the park.I sincerely doubt any of the Yankee players would consider him 4th or 5th.** They may not, but the statistics say he is. And of course, as has been pointed out, it’s not like the Yanks have had a grand tradition at the shortstop position. Whoever’s covering for him has some \*\* mighty big \*\* shoes to fill. \*\* [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/67 "2003-04-03T00:55:16Z")
I am absolutely amazed Ken Huckaby is getting criticized here. Holy crap, why don’t you just ask him to wave Jeter around the bases and roll out a red carpet? Players collide at the bases. It was a clean play. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lure \* > **You apparently never saw the flip to Posada to nab the runner at the plate when he was backing up the cutoff man in the series 2 years ago. Another day at thee office for him.** Sure, I saw that. It was a fantastic play. I also saw Mark Whiten hit four home runs in a game, but I wouldn’t say Mark Whiten was a better player than Sammy Sosa, would you? Jeter’s a fine player, and someday will probably be a worthy Hall of Fame choice, but he’s certainly not as good as Bernie Williams or Jason Giambi, and I’d take Jorge Posada over Jeter, too, and Hideki Matsui could pass him on the depth chart yet, though that’s just a guess. Maybe Soriano. Jeter has declined significantly from his 2000 peak. He’s NOT a good defensive shortstop, his flip throw in the playoffs besides; geez, surely you know all players make SOME good plays. You can’t hand a Gold Glove to every player who makes a good play. They’d all get one. You used Tony Kubek as a comparison. Kubek was a fine player, at least for a few years. But would you say he was better than Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford? Neither would I. Look at it this way; Jeter probably doesn’t even deserve an All-Star spot (or wouldn’t, if he was healthy.) I don’t think at this point you could dispute that he’s probably not the equal of Tejada, Rodriguez, and Garciaparra. If Jeter isn’t, or is just narrowly, an All-Star, how can you say he’s better than Giambi, Soriano, Posada and Williams, who are no-brainer All-Stars? ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/68 "2003-04-03T14:23:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jerrybear \* > \*\*I am a Detroit Tiger fan. Hopefully they will do better this season. If not, then new manager Alan Trammell might have to put himself in the lineup to show the young whippersnappers how the game is supposed to be played. \*\* Well consider the following 2 points of interest about the Tigers this year. 1. From [Rob Neyer](http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/neyer_rob/1530798.html) - “Beginning next Monday, two different major-league teams will feature pitching rotations that can each claim fewer than 22 major-league victories.” That would be the Tigers and Royals. 2. From [last night](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=230402106) - “Detroit became the first team to have four pitchers make their major league debuts in the same game…” Young pitching does not bode well. Ridiculously young pitching is even worse. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/69 "2003-04-03T15:28:48Z")
Red Sox fan. I have my tickets for the home opener in Boston on April 11th. Field seats between home and first. Oooh Baby, I can’t wait. 🙂 🙂 🙂 My love of the Red Sox makes me a bit unpopular in this neck of the woods, I must say. ---
**Author:** ![preacherswife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@preacherswife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/preacherswife)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/70 "2003-04-03T16:11:29Z")
If it makes you feel any better honey- I am with you in the love for Sox. Kiss Fenway for me… ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/71 "2003-04-03T19:06:57Z")
Re: Jeter v. Huckaby: Huckaby knows, as a career minor-leaguer, that he has to bust his ass on every play if he has any hope of competing with the stars in the Big Show. That’s all he was doing on that play – hustling to cover the base and making an aggressive, hard-nosed play on the tag. Jeter, a seasoned veteran, should have known not to go head first into a catcher, even at third. An aggressive play, yes. Dirty, no. It’s unfortunate that Jeter got his shoulder hurt on the play, but that’s life in the Pros. Hell, if Joe Torre, as a former catcher, didn’t blame Huckaby for making the play, why should anyone else? And Jeter getting called out on the play, well that’s just icing on the cake. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/72 "2003-04-03T19:29:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by preacherswife \* > \*\*If it makes you feel any better honey- I am with you in the love for Sox. Kiss Fenway for me… \*\* I will. Ya know, I actually have a Bill Buckner cup AND I use it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/73 "2003-04-03T19:34:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Honey \* > \*\*I will. Ya know, I actually have a Bill Buckner cup AND I use it. > 🙂 \*\* Ummm…just to clarify, that’s the drinking type cup and not the…oh never mind. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354/74 "2003-04-03T22:27:51Z")
**B** rooklyn Dodgers!!! I think they’ll be undefeated this year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseballs-back-with-a-capital-b-and-stands-for/165354.md?page=3)