How Will Nick Hit in 2009?

[Old#5fan]

Relatively young age? Most players are out of the league in their mid-30s. Darnell McDonald was probably in better shape than Brady and his career was over before it started. Being in great shape is only coincidentally related to longevity as a ballplayer.

Yeah, because McDonald didn't have big league talent to begin with. Players today can play longer due to better diet, training, and just overall knowledge of how to maintain oneself. However, it is a no brainer that the ability must be there to begin with. You are stating the obvious with that remark. I still say Brady's decline was due to his being overly enamored with swinging for the fences. He fell in love with the home run and it ruined him for good. He forgot that he was basically a contact hitter who should spray the ball to all fields and use his speed. Not a pull home run hitter.

[DrungoHazewood]

Yeah, because McDonald didn't have big league talent to begin with. Players today can play longer due to better diet, training, and just overall knowledge of how to maintain oneself. However, it is a no brainer that the ability must be there to begin with. You are stating the obvious with that remark. I still say Brady's decline was due to his being overly enamored with swinging for the fences. He fell in love with the home run and it ruined him for good. He forgot that he was basically a contact hitter who should spray the ball to all fields and use his speed. Not a pull home run hitter.

And that's as substantial an argument as me saying that Jeff Tackett would be in the Hall of Fame if he'd turned into a pitcher. Brady was an excellent player. Any claim that he would have been better by radically adjusting his approach is nothing but the idle speculation of someone who couldn't know.

[BRobinsonfan]

Ricky Henderson played well into his forties and was still productive.

Well... um... it depends on how you define "productive." From age 37 to 44 (8 seasons) Rickey only had two seasons in which he had more than 125 hits. His "best" year was at age 40 when he only appeared in 121 games and achieved a high (for the period) of 138 hits. His batting average for that time period was just .247 - well off his career average of .279. His last four seasons he averaged just .234. Maybe that's why he played for five different teams in the last four years of his career?

His last decent year was at age 40. He never hit better than .233 in a season after that.

[Frobby]

I still say Brady's decline was due to his being overly enamored with swinging for the fences. He fell in love with the home run and it ruined him for good. He forgot that he was basically a contact hitter who should spray the ball to all fields and use his speed. Not a pull home run hitter.

Don't let the facts get in the way of what you think.

Honestly, there is ZERO evidence that Brady was a different player after 1996 than he was before 1996. His stats for the 4 years before the 1996 season are nearly identical to those for the four years after. He struck out 11 more times from 1997-2001 than he did in 1992-1995. He was the exact same player before and after 1996.

[KakesForROY]

Old#5fan, you spend a great deal of time arguing about Nick Markakis. Since you feel so strongly about him, would you mind posting your projected batting line (BA/OBP/SLG) for him next season for me to include with all the others. I would like to have as much input as possible.

[Old#5fan]

Old#5fan, you spend a great deal of time arguing about Nick Markakis. Since you feel so strongly about him, would you mind posting your projected batting line (BA/OBP/SLG) for him next season for me to include with all the others. I would like to have as much input as possible.

I don't value stats other than the traditional big three that always were printed on baseball cards and which usually receive official recognition, as I thought most posters here know.

They are BA, HR, and RBIS. I must admit I do look at some of the more finer stats now like Close and Late Hitting, Hitting with RISP, etc. However, I make no predictions on stats other than what I call the big three. I don't even look at OBP as a stat that I care about other than for a leadoff hitter, and SLG I don't value much other than for a cleanup hitter. (But that's just me). With all of this in mind I will predict the following for Nick Markakis in 2009.

If he hits second: 310 BA, 22 homers, and 98 rbis.

If he hits third: 305 BA, 23 homers and 107 rbis.

[KakesForROY]

What would his OBP be if Roberts gets traded and they batted Nick lead-off?

What would his SLG be if he hits clean-up (for whatever reason)?

[Old#5fan]

What would his OBP be if Roberts gets traded and they batted Nick lead-off?

What would his SLG be if he hits clean-up (for whatever reason)?

I would say comparable to Roberts if not better at leadoff. I would say not nearly as good as Huff if he hits cleanup.

[KakesForROY]

I would say comparable to Roberts if not better at leadoff. I would say not nearly as good as Huff if he hits cleanup.

Markakis' OBP was almost 30 point higher than Roberts' last year, and his SLG lat year was higher then Huff's career mark.

[Old#5fan]

Markakis' OBP was almost 30 point higher than Roberts' last year, and his SLG lat year was higher then Huff's career mark.

Well if that is true, why don't they move him to fourth instead of Huff? I think Huff hits more homers so to me he is more of a power guy who should hit fourth. I don't quite understand how the SLG percentage works then because if sure doesn't seem reflective of who has the most power, which to me is clearly Huff.

[waroriole]

What would his OBP be if Roberts gets traded and they batted Nick lead-off?

What would his SLG be if he hits clean-up (for whatever reason)?

I would say comparable to Roberts if not better at leadoff. I would say not nearly as good as Huff if he hits cleanup.

Markakis' OBP was almost 30 point higher than Roberts' last year, and his SLG lat year was higher then Huff's career mark.

Beautiful, rep to you Kakes

[KakesForROY]

I'm just trying to get through the rhetoric for an actual answer. Old#5fan has an... interesting... perspective on things, but I imagine he does represent some O's fans. The community projections project I'm working on wouldn't be as accurate if I only took data from people I agreed with

[Frobby]

Well if that is true, why don't they move him to fourth instead of Huff? I think Huff hits more homers so to me he is more of a power guy who should hit fourth. I don't quite understand how the SLG percentage works then because if sure doesn't seem reflective of who has the most power, which to me is clearly Huff.

Huff had the higher SLG in 2008. He wasn't nearly as good in the last few seasons before 2008.

I don't really see Nick as a no. 4 hitter either. I'm sure he could do it, but I agree I'd prefer a guy with a bit more power in that spot.