BRob Says He's Healthy

[Brendan25]

I love B-Rob. I have serious doubts that he can be effective for a full season. I don't think there is anyone on this board not rooting for him. We just aren't sure how good he can be.

[MurphDogg]

I too am healthy. But I can not play Major League Baseball at a level that would justify a 10 million dollar salary. I suspect I am similar to Brian Roberts.

Sunk cost. Nobody expects him to be worth $10 million. Few players are worth their fourth year salary in a four year deal.

[El Gordo]

If he can give us 100+ G at his 2010 numbers: 278 .354 .391, he'll be well worth his 10M.

[DrungoHazewood]

If he can give us 100+ G at his 2010 numbers: 278 .354 .391, he'll be well worth his 10M.

An average player loses about 10% of their offensive (rate) value between 32 and 35. Probably more than 10% of their defensive value, and even more of their ability to stay on the field. So even if Roberts is/was healthy you'd have to assume he's a sub-2 win player right now. With him missing most of three years there's no way I'd assume he's anything like his 2010 self.

[Moose Milligan]

I have a 6 pack and less than 10% body fat.

[Can_of_corn]

Frankly, I think it's more important for him to be working out full time and getting his strength back than it is to be playing games right now. He should have enough time in ST to get his timing back. Let him get in the best possible shape and see what we've got in the spring. He'd be playing everday in the Dominican or someplace and wouldn't be able to devote himself to getting in the best possible shape if he were playing winter ball. JMO

I disagree. We had a report earlier that his timing is way off, you are not going to fix that off a tee or in the weight room. He also needs to be able to get back into the rhythm of the game.

You know how Buck runs spring training, the starters, which is where Roberts will be included, will be primarily playing in home games and will be off on the road. JJ Hardy had 45 ABs last spring, Reynolds had 47, Jones 53. Do you think that is enough time for Roberts to prepare?

[Can_of_corn]

I have no idea how many AB's Roberts needs to get his timing back. However, they can also get him into B games, minor league games, etc. to get him more AB's in ST. Timing and physical condition are both very important. I guess we'll just agree to disagree on this one. I think he should get in the best physical shape possible going into the spring and then worry about getting his timing down.

Yep, agree to disagree. I don't want to see him trying to get back up to speed during regular season games like he did last year.

[scOtt]

Outside of making it to the playoffs of course, I can't think of too much more that I would rather see than B-Rob playing second base again and using that arm.

I'm not going to be pessimistic about it, I just hope that he can make it back.

had to.

You had to... and I have to as well.

Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger

[Can_of_corn]

That was different. He didn't get any AB's in ST last year. He also clearly wasn't even close physically to what he was even 2-3 years ago.

He had 21 AB and 23 PA in the minors so it isn't that far off. He was also supposedly healthy when he joined the team.

[Can_of_corn]

You had to... and I have to as well.

Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger

Sigh, it goes Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Mushroom, Mushroom, African Snake!

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgers

[Can_of_corn]

Big difference between being healthy and being in the best possible shape. Hard to believe he put much weight work in before last season with the way he looked. How many AB's do you think he needs to get his timing down?

Don't know, but once he does he can leave the team. I think the biggest mistake they made with Roberts last year was bringing him back too early. He should have spent a couple more weeks in the minors, preferably with just one team rather then jumping from team to team.

[Can_of_corn]

If a player plays 20-40 games and gets his timing down, leaves winter ball in December and then doesn't play live games again until March, pretty sure they are going to have to get their timing down all over again.

Lot easier to get back to where you were 3 months ago then 3 years ago.

Also spring training starts early this year due to the WBC. Games are going to be starting around Feb 21st.

[Art Wing]

So I ran a query of all players who'd played between 25 and 200 games in their age 32-34 seasons. Roberts played 115. Then I ran another query, based on those results, for highest WAR totals from age 35-on.

The results? Ted Williams was by far the leader, since he returned from the Korean War as pretty much the same player he was before the war. Then there was Hank Greenberg, who was similarly effected by WWII. Then there was Luke Easter, who had some trouble breaking into the majors at an advanced age because of the color line.

There are only a small handful of semi-success stories that are truly similar to Roberts. Eric Davis returned from several years of injury and ineffectiveness to be great in his mid-30s. Darren Daulton had a nice bounceback at 35 before retiring. Rex Hudler never really was a full-time player, but he had a career year at 35. And Darryl Strawberry managed to stay clean and healthy enough at 36 to put up a near-.900 OPS as a DH for 100 games.

That's really it. If Roberts comes back and plays well he'll be in pretty rarified company. Almost nobody comes back from multi-year injuries at that age and truly plays well.

I'm going to make a really reaching prediction and say that Roberts comes back really strong. I'm talking .800+ and average defense strong. It's one of those, it's-just-so-crazy it's going to happen kind of things. I'll bump this post at some point next year to collect my pats on the back:)

[Can_of_corn]

I'm going to make a really reaching prediction and say that Roberts comes back really strong. I'm talking .800+ and average defense strong. It's one of those, it's-just-so-crazy it's going to happen kind of things. I'll bump this post at some point next year to collect my pats on the back:)

Even if somehow the bat comes back there is no way he will be league average with the glove unless they put him at DH.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I'm going to make a really reaching prediction and say that Roberts comes back really strong. I'm talking .800+ and average defense strong. It's one of those, it's-just-so-crazy it's going to happen kind of things. I'll bump this post at some point next year to collect my pats on the back:)

Yeah, I wish. Unfortunately, praying for miracles isn't a sound strategy.