Kim is Cursed.

[yujinishuge]

So browsing through the electronics section at the department store near my house here in Seoul and I see this....

 

Isn't there some kind of superstition about this kind of thing?

 

[Spy Fox]

There's definitely a curse. Ken Griffey Jr. is on the American cover this year and he hasn't played a game since. 

[foxfield]

And we have been trying to figure out why Buck won't play him.  Now we know...The Curse lives!

 

 

Edit to add:  Welcome aboard yujin!  Pulling for Kim here and many on OH are, hope he has a great year helping us win the World Series!

[yujinishuge]

Well thanks but I've been here for years. I just don't really post that often. 

[Babypowder]

30 minutes ago, dan-O said:

I thought it was stupid to start  Flaherty over Kim because of a tiny sample size, but I have to say... I think Flaherty is a better defensive outfielder than Kim, and that's crazy. 

That is crazy, because Flaherty looked really bad out there to me.

[spiritof66]

I'm a big fan of Kim and don't understand why he doesn't get more ABs. I'd like to see him DH and PH against some RHers, making the question of his fielding moot for those games. Our DHs are OPSing .505 so far, 14th in the AL. I'm pretty sure Kim -- who's at .721 on just 35 ABs in 2017 -- can do better than that.

[Babypowder]

Just now, dan-O said:

Diving catch and great play to cut off a ball? Kim doesn't get to either of those balls. What are you looking at exactly?

I saw him get a bad jump and make up for it with a dive that made a pretty easy play look difficult. I saw him misplay a catchable ball at the wall. I saw him make a routine catch down the line look very difficult as well. I also saw him fail to take charge on a routine play that fell in. Great play to cut that ball off? Also routine for a major league outfielder.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, dan-O said:

Eh, disagree. 

Strong argument you got there. 

[Babypowder]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

Strong argument you got there. 

Fine to disagree I guess. I just don't know how anyone watching last night didn't see an obviously inexperienced and slow outfielder making routine plays look very interesting.

But he makes up for it with his bat.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Babypowder said:

Fine to disagree I guess. I just don't know how anyone watching last night didn't see an obviously inexperienced and slow outfielder making routine plays look very interesting.

But he makes up for it with his bat.

Some folks are looking for reasons to support Buck's treatment of Kim.  Goodness knows he isn't good out there but to act like he is worse than a reserve middle infielder or career first baseman is just silly.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, dan-O said:

Well it's not like the guy plays outfield hardly ever. Whenever he does, he doesn't really hurt us. Nor does Kim, really. Kim should have started because relying on Flaherty's good numbers from Porcello from roughly 2 years ago or more is kind of dumb.

Not just Porcello, Buck has started Flaherty in left at Fenway before.  Evidently he has some not predictive good numbers in that ballpark.  What I don't understand is, if you want to play Flaherty, why not sit Hardy or Schoop?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, dan-O said:

I've said twice now that Kim should have started. 

That you did.  But you are still trying to push the narrative that Kim is somehow even worse in the outfield than guys who aren't actually outfielders.

[Babypowder]

3 minutes ago, dan-O said:

Well it's not like the guy plays outfield hardly ever. Whenever he does, he doesn't really hurt us. Nor does Kim, really. Kim should have started because relying on Flaherty's good numbers from Porcello from roughly 2 years ago or more is kind of dumb.

Two plays last night could have hurt us, but didn't end up that way. Sequencing isn't under Flaherty's control.

Even if you put stock in BvP small samples, Schoop's numbers vs Porcello were awful and that's Flaherty's natural position. I just find it odd that people continue to defend Kim's usage when it's always him that gets shafted for any particular reason Buck can pull out of a hat.

[mdbdotcom]

Buck seems to want to sit Kim whenever he has half and excuse to do so. Does Kim deserve better? I don't know, but I also don't know what his role on this team is or is supposed to be, based on how he is not used.

[TheEldestTorres]

We so desperately need another guy who can extend at bats and get on base out there, it's painfully obvious. Gentry may have some defensive upside, but he is sitting at -0.2 WAR (small sample size, I know) this season. He is not a good hitter, and the fact that he is playing over Kim is so endlessly frustrating. For all of Buck's smarts, sometimes the man infuriates me.