Overrated and over-hated 2008
Last year, I posted this for fun, and I received a tidal wave of positive feedback on it. In other words, Bob Klapisch told me that he sort of liked it.
So let's do it again: The second annual list of baseball's overrated and over-hated. Let's face it, far too often, our world resorts to black-and-white evaluations of issues, people and concepts. Here, we're all about the gray. So let's cast judgment on who gets overrated, who gets over-hated and, occasionally, who gets both, or neither:
Billy Beane: Over-hated
Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and David Wright: A big bowl of over-hated
Blogs: Over-hated
Robinson Cano: Over-hated
Brian Cashman: Over-hated
Luis Castillo: Neither, but most certainly overpaid
Joba Chamberlain: Overrated as a reliever, over-hated as a starter and, most important, over the limit. May he learn his lesson.
Citigroup: Out of their minds, for not reconsidering this.
Roger Clemens: Both
Carlos Delgado: Neither
The Dolans: Over-hated, of course!
Facebook: Over-hated
Joe Girardi: Overrated
HDTV: Overrated
Ryan Howard: Overrated
Phil Hughes: Over-hated
Innings counts: Good Lord, over-hated
Derek Jeter: Overrated
Bowie Kuhn: Overrated
Luck: Over-hated
Male pattern baldness: Overrated
Jerry Manuel: Neither.
Brian McNamee: Over-hated
Gene Michael: Overrated
Mike and the Mad Dog: Over-hated
Mike: Overrated
The Mad Dog: Overrated
Marvin Miller: Over-hated
Omar Minaya: Over-hated
George Mitchell: Profoundly overrated
Perception: Overrated
Andy Pettitte: Over-hated
Pitch counts: See innings counts
Manny Ramirez: Over-hated
Willie Randolph: Overrated
Reality: Over-hated
Alex Rodriguez: Over-hated, but he's got to quit it with the public lifestyle. With such drama, he keeps on pushing my love over the borderline.
Francisco Rodriguez: Overrated
Rich Rodriguez: Overrated
Johan Santana: Neither.
Bud Selig: Both
Setup men: Overrated (although, poor Aaron Heilman is over-hated)
John Stearns: Both, undoubtedly. He nearly took down this blog single-handedly!
Hal Steinbrenner: Neither
Hank Steinbrenner: Overrated
Joe Torre: Both
The U.S. two-party political system: Overrated
The Wilpons: Neither
As always, I am thankful for these needle-moving issues, and for those of you who check in here on them. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. And if you don't want to blow me off this weekend, I'll be checking in periodically.
Onto the news of the day...
Here is the story I wrote about the Yankees. I think there's a much better chance that CC Sabathia signs with the Angels than Pettitte signs with the Dodgers. I wouldn't doubt Angels owner Arte Moreno. He's all about being aggressive. If the Angels sign Sabathia, they could trade one of their young pitchers for hitting help like Colorado's Garrett Atkins, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, Houston's Carlos Lee, Detroit's Magglio Ordonez or shoot - how about Delgado?
One Pettitte development: Friends say he really doesn't want to return to his hometown Astros. He's still upset with owner Drayton McLane and president Tal Smith for how things went down two years ago, when he returned to the Yankees.
Here is the Mets story I wrote. When it comes to rebuilding their bullpen, the Mets really are in an enviable position. They are the lead dog in the race for Brian Fuentes and K-Rod; neither pitcher will make a move without consulting the Mets. And given our horrible economy, you've got to think that the Rockies will eventually move Huston Street, who's set to make something like $4 million in 2009. Colorado already has the much more reasonably priced (and, admittedly, not as good) Manny Corpas for the back of its bullpen.
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Comments (24)
Andy Pettitte is now officially in the running for the "Biggest Baby of the Year Award." This is a grown man?
The Yankees should encourage him to sign with LA. Turn the page. Move on.
Ken, let's say Sabathia sign with the Angels. What do the Angels do with John Lackey? Lackey will make $9 million next year and will become a free agent in 2009. Assuming Sabathia gets what he wants, Lackey is going to want close to what Sabathia is going to make.
Your overrated and over-hated list you put together is good, but I have some issues with it. You did not list Donald Fehr since you put Selig, Mitchell and Marvin Miller on the list. Rich Rodriguez should be listed for both because I 'm been hearing that Michigan fans are not happy with Rodriguez and his spread offense right now and he was not Michigan's first choice as head football coach. And far as HDTV is concern, come February 17, 2009 all the TV channels will go digital. So you either buy a TV with digital or buy a converter box to hook up to your current TV to get digital.
Love this last again this year and you are right on 99% of them...but HDTV overrated? are you serious? if you the chance to switch from a regular to an HD broadcast of any sporting event while its going on or watch the two side-by-side, you would be forced to retract that statement!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dennis, I suppose the Angels would have to either pay Lackey or let him go.
I'm with bigfroe: HD TV overrated! Is this from envy of not having an HD TV or poor eyesight Ken? Or is an HD Beanie Wells just giving you nightmares? I just hope my cable provider switches the Extra Innings Package to HD for 2009.
And if you think set-up men are overrated, the Met fan base would like to have a word with you.
If I'm the Mets, I give up Felciano in the Street-Heilman deal if it's the only way to get it done. Would they take Schoeweiss if the Mets picked up some salary? They're both effective LOOGY's, but couldn't get me out in a high leverage situation.
I'm an HD supporter. The pictures can't be compared to a regular digital one.
Cashman is overrated. Clemens isn't overrated. Fehr is overhated. Selig is underhated considering how bad he is. (I still say) Beane is overrated. Stearns' hustle is overrated. (Remember Andy Fox?) Brian McNamee can never be overhated because he is an all-time weasel.
Ken Davidoff - "underappreciated", by us and your overlords.
(Kiss - up alert - Happy Thanksgiving to all!!)
HDTV will eventually be the 21st century savior of televised hockey.
HDTV was MADE for hockey.
What blue streaks and Peter Puck couldn't do for network/early cable hockey, HDTV will accomplish.
Just my opinion.
May everyone here and everywhere else have an outstanding Thanksgiving.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!
Ken
Really enjoyed the list. And you're spot on with Male Pattern Baldness. Totally overrated. I really thought I'd gain more respect with my follically-challenged look, but so far? No dice.
One question - would you have made the Heilman/Feliciano deal for Street if you were Omar? I think I would have jumped at it, but I might be overly desperate to blow up the bullpen.
I wouldn't have made that deal. Andy. Feliciano still has value - and, for that matter, he's not despised by the fans as are Heilman and Schoeneweis. I like whynot's idea of giving Colorado Schoeneweis and helping to pay his salary.
This is scary... I actually agree with all but about three of these (Gene Michael, Derek Jeter, Mike Francesa). My judgement must be shot. :>)
Thanks for putting Phil Hughes in the over-hated column. Ken, could the Yankees really be giving up on him? Or are they recognizing that maybe they threw too much on him too fast and are now over-compensating?
And BTW, what does it say about Ian Kennedy that he didn't even make the list? I'd rather be overrated and overhated than be over-ignored.
Back atcha, Bob. Happy Thanksgiving to all... thanks for blog, Ken.
Good stuff, I love lists like this.
My favorite is Beltran, Wright, Reyes being over-hated. It's hard to say I feel bad for guys making millions of dollars to play baseball, but I do feel bad for how these guys were treated and portrayed following the end of 2008.
There is absolutely no way the Dolans can be hated enough for everything they have done to ruin the metropolitan NY area. Selig is liked by a lot of people. Myself, I know he's pretty much incompetent, but everytime I see him on TV in his rumpled suit and frazzled expressions, I see someone who might be having one too many, and he's somewhat jovial and civil unlike David Stern who is a complete blowhard, and I think he genuinely loves baseball.
Ken I want to ask you about Junichi Tazawa. Considering most of the Japanese pitchers coming to baseball have flopped or been at best mediocre (I'm keeping an open mind about Dice-K but the Red Sox spent too much on this guy for what he has delivered so far), don't you think there's been an abnormal amount of interest in signing him and he is about to be extremely overpaid as well. His pitching description pretty much matches every other Japanese pitcher that has come over, and what exactly has he done over there? Wasn't he a minor leaguer and not in their majors?
Sandy, Junichi Tazawa is a righthanded pitcher who is 22 years old who pitch for Nippon Oil of the Japan Industrial League in 2008. He told all the big teams in Japan to not draft him because he wants to come here to America to pitch. In his final start for Nippon Oil on Nov. 21, Tazawa pitch a complete-game shutout. Reports out of Japan said that Tazawa will sign with the Red Sox. The Rangers, Braves, Mariners and Tigers were in mix for Tazawa. There was no mention if the Yanks or Mets were interest in Tazawa.
Dennis since you have seen all the Japanese pitchers who have come over here including our very own Fat Toad and Fat Toad Jr. Ogawa, if you were an owner, would you want to pay this guy big money to pitch on your major league team? I don't think I would. I haven't seen any interest in him by the Yankees for sure, since they have been burned before and Mets aren't interested either from what I understand, they'd rather take a chance on Freddy Garcia.
Ken - awesome take on the sentiment out there! The only other noun I can think of that had some impact is the old Yankee Stadium. What a freakin dump to actually sit through a game. I wish I had heard the cynical "Over RAY-ted" chant during Jeter's farewell speech. Good riddance.
On another note, jeez, even MLB is going to India for outsourcing... Pirates pitchers, that is (or insourcing in this case). Next... MLB.com offices moving to Mumbai?
The Yankees and Mets aren't in on Tazawa. Sandy, here are the Japanese pitchers who have experienced some level of success here; Nomo, Sasaki, Hasegawa, Matsuzaka, Saito, Otsuka, Takatsu, Ohka. So I'd disagree with your premise. Also, I hope you clinked the link on the Dolans mention.
Sandy, it depends on which player is interested in coming here and whether that player is any good. Other than Ichiro, all the players from Japan have been up and down.
"Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and David Wright: A big bowl of over-hated"
Exactly. This is why you're one of the best. It was hard to stomach all the morons saying the Mets should "break up their core." Those people clearly know little about baseball.
I read the item about the Pirates signing the two "players" from India the other day. It is a joke. They never even picked up a ball before this year and are currently working out against junior college players. They were on a reality show in India. I feel sorry for Pittsburgh fans.
Who overrates Randolph?
Stearns is definitely overhated!!
BTW, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. James K., I play tackle football tomorrow and I will let you know my Yards per reception, Yards after reception and TD per reception! And yes, I will be sleeping at my Moms tonight, though not her basement.
Ken, though we disagree a bunch, great job on the blog but better job on the comments after. Its what makes your blog by far the best here.
I still want to know who oeverrates Willie though haha.
Thanks, Richie! And thanks for making me laugh so much, even when we're disagreeing (which, yes, is often).
I think there is a segment of Mets fans that views Willie as a scapegoat for Minaya's failings. I don't think that's accurate. Willie lost the clubhouse all own.
Great stuff!!!!
But two HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE omissions from the overrated list:
GLB
MIlli Quinilli
I hope JJ feels better!