ANDRELTON SIMMONS for ALL STAR

Carp said:
I am not sure if I consider him a better defensive player than Andruw was in his prime. But it's really close. Essentially a once in a generation defensive players.
Click to expand...
Speaking of Andruw's greatness, after watching him for all those years I had forgotten that it was possible for CF's to miss very catchable balls like the one Maybin missed last night. I don't ever recall him missing anything like that. Druw would've made that catch without a slide.
 
Carp said:
I am not sure if I consider him a better defensive player than Andruw was in his prime. But it's really close. Essentially a once in a generation defensive players.
Click to expand...

Really hard to compare SS and CF, also considering Andruw played behind 2 of the best pitch-to-contact pitchers in the modern era (Glavine and Maddux).

Andrelton in another year or two will be on even level with Andruw IMO. Andruw sustained elite defense for almost an entire decade. Andrelton's been doing it going on his 4th season in the bigs (3rd whole because of injury in 2012).
 
I agree. I mean comparing the two positions is hard. But Andruw is the best CFer I have ever seen and Andrelton is the best SS I've ever seen. It's like combining Ozzie's range with Shawn Dunston's arm. Andruw had sustained greatness for a decade. We've seen people from time to time have amazing DRS seasons but sustaining it is very difficult. Andrelton is well on his way though.
 
Carp said:
I am not sure if I consider him a better defensive player than Andruw was in his prime. But it's really close. Essentially a once in a generation defensive players.
Click to expand...

I was this close in calling you out on recency bias, but then I realized how non incredulous that statement was. Andrelton is amazing.
 
thewupk said:
I agree. I mean comparing the two positions is hard. But Andruw is the best CFer I have ever seen and Andrelton is the best SS I've ever seen. It's like combining Ozzie's range with Shawn Dunston's arm. Andruw had sustained greatness for a decade. We've seen people from time to time have amazing DRS seasons but sustaining it is very difficult. Andrelton is well on his way though.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Andruw was just absurd and one of my favorites ever. Here, I've been persuaded some by the advanced metrics. They say Andruw was one of the best few ever, and still Simmons has put up a couple of years as good as or better than anything Andruw did.
 
Andrelton isnt falling over on every swing. He is much more balanced. That is why he is hitting better.
 
Heywood said:
How fortunate are we to get to see probably the best defensive shortstop in major league history almost every night, and also the beginnings of a manager who will go down as one of the all-time greats when all is said and done?
Click to expand...

See, I know you're talking about Matheny...
 
Andruw probably catches the ball that Maybin missed on his hip. He got the best jumps of any CF I've ever seen, and had an incredible knack for getting to the spot where the ball was hit.

We were spoiled by Andruw, for sure. I didn't think I'd soon see a player who was a force on the defensive side to that extent, but Andrelton is that guy. I saw Ozzie in his prime, and thought that Vizquel was every bit as good. Tron, so far, makes all the routine plays look boring, and still does things that neither of those guys could do. It's still early to try to place him in historical context, but I think he's beyond the hype. He's just that good.
 
Andruw did something no other CF did, has done, he was able to read fast where the ball was going and run to the spot and catch it most of the time standing and barely moving if at all. I still remember a game where he was positioned to the LF side of center, a ball was hit that went to the wallhalf way between cf and rf. Andruw actually got to the ball at the wall, but it bounced off his glove. they gave him an error on the play. no other cf would have been with in 10 feet of that ball, only Andruw just about makes the catch. I saw Mantle, I saw Mays, I saw many come and go, but Andruw was the best, in his prime, to ever patrol cf. That said I would put Andrelton above him, I do not think even the great Ozzie Smith covered as much ground as Andrelton does, and do it so flawlessly.
 
Julio3000 said:
I didn't think I'd soon see a player who was a force on the defensive side to that extent, but Andrelton is that guy. I saw Ozzie in his prime, and thought that Vizquel was every bit as good. Tron, so far, makes all the routine plays look boring, and still does things that neither of those guys could do. It's still early to try to place him in historical context, but I think he's beyond the hype. He's just that good.
Click to expand...

Co-sign all of this.

Question, though - Andruw still had the arm, and the jumps, and the routes, and the feel even after he'd lost two steps. To me, that's still a very good CF. Why did teams move straight to DH? I've seen BJ Upton, and I know Andruw was better than that at the end.
 
GovClintonTyree said:
Co-sign all of this.

Question, though - Andruw still had the arm, and the jumps, and the routes, and the feel even after he'd lost two steps. To me, that's still a very good CF. Why did teams move straight to DH? I've seen BJ Upton, and I know Andruw was better than that at the end.
Click to expand...

The advanced metrics don't back that up. They say his last year in Atlanta was his best defensively since his 25-year-old season, but then there's a big drop-off in his first year in LA. He was moved away from CF after that year.
 
Mostly is was knees which were competely shot as to why he didn't play CF that much after he left Atl.
 
Simmons isn't going anywhere. As Brave fans we should both get used to it and love it.
 
Went and looked up Andrew on fangraphs, cant stop drooling. Its weird that his defense went from Andrelton in 08 to average in 09 with the Dodgers. What did he do gain 200 pounds in one offseason?
 
cajunrevenge said:
Went and looked up Andrew on fangraphs, cant stop drooling. Its weird that his defense went from Andrelton in 08 to average in 09 with the Dodgers. What did he do gain 200 pounds in one offseason?
Click to expand...

There has been some rumors about Andruw's actual age. Maybe the knees gave out. Do find it interesting he was DH'd instead of playing LF or RF.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top