A quick note
The Rockies announcers just stated that the most important stat for a hitter is runs, because "that’s what wins the game." Not stinky RBIs, but stinkier-still runs. Never mind that the hitter has almost no control over whether or not he scores a run after he gets on base; it’s still all that matters. Also fuck getting on base — your leadoff hitter needs to have the peculiar quality of getting driven in a lot. Because that’s something he does, and has nothing to do with the gentlemen attempting to hit the ball while he’s on the bases.
So when you’re ranking leadoff hitters, the order of precedence is:
1) Runs
2) World Championships won
3) Hustle
4) Lack of clogging up the basepaths
One million) VORP
Addendum: The last several at-bats I’ve been watching via the left-field camera, which seemed a little odd to me. Then the announcers mentioned that the reason for that was that it was the only camera still working for some reason, but they’d get that fixed soon because they have a really great AV crew. About a minute after that, in the middle of Giambi’s third PA, suddenly the “MLB.tv commerical break” screen pops up. And stays up. Good job fixing those other cameras, you goofs.
The Rockies are a low-rent club with low-rent announcers and, apparently, low-rent equipment. Someday maybe they’ll grow up and be a more big-boy franchise.
Comment by Dave | 7 September 2009
Props to FJM for the VORP joke I borrowed.
Comment by Darien | 8 September 2009