When Mike Trout surpassed Matt Kemp

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Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Shane Victorino, LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B
Matt Treanor, C
Chad Billingsley, P

At the start of the season, there’s no one in baseball I would have traded Matt Kemp for. But that’s not the case anymore, as you’ll see in my latest post at Los Angeles Magazine’s CityThink blog.

 

  • Anonymous

    That’s a good trade, ha. 

  • Anonymous

    The last post before NPUT so here it is again:
    I don’t know much about advanced fielding statistics but here is a page from fan graphs on 2012 first basemen with over 350 innings played. (the # of innings can be raised or lowered. 350 was the smallest # for which Loney was worst in ErrR) Loney is worst in ErrR but among the best in a number of stats.http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx... He is third in RngR which is a clearly a good stat.
    The definitions of the 2 stats I mentioned:RngR (range runs): The number of runs above or below average a fielder is, determined by how the fielder is able to get to balls hit in his vicinity.ErrR (error runs): The number of runs above or below average a fielder is, determined by the number of errors he makes as compared to an average fielder at that position given the same distribution of balls in play

  • Anonymous

    Mike Trout even runs elegant. But Matty is capable of being a 40-40 CF. Can’t say that about Trout…yet

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

       You don’t think that Mike Trout, who has 20 HR and 36 SB in 88 games this year, is capable of being a 40-40 CF? 

      • Anonymous

        Like I said not yet. Like you said he will have his struggles. And he is going to hand to make the usual adjustments that all hitters need to make. Like I said he is a joy to watch. Let’s wait and see :)

        • Anonymous

          I’ve seen enough of Trout to know without a doubt that he is capable of a 40-40 season – the guy is the best player in MLB right now, hands down.

          • Anonymous

            And a far better CF than Kemp ever will be

          • Anonymous

            When totally healthy, Kemp is an above-average CF, but not an elite defensive player.

    • Anonymous

       Good points to the article, but right now, I wouldn’t move Kemp for Trout.  Granted they both have stellar careers ahead, but let’s see how Trout stands the test of time. Maybe he proves to be better, but right now, Southern California’s best offensive baseball player is Matt Kemp.

  • http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

    Let us hope at least two of our eight position players knock in a couple of runs each in tonight’s game. I’m tired of this futility.

  • Anonymous

    nsx, The Dodgers are 25-35 when Hairston starts (7-8 in his non-starting games) but since his starts are spread over the season to say he started when the team was doing poorly does not fit the facts. In May, Dodgers were 16-12 but 2-7 in Hairston’s starts. Now, he didn’t play from 5/7 to 5/23 (must have been hurt) when they went 12-4 so when he wasn’t hurt(?) the team was 4-8 which is still better than 2-7. In every month of the season the Dodgers did better when Hairston didn’t start than when he did. It’s strange but true.

  • KT

    The other day someone asked about how Kemp had a grass stain on his jersey and i said pregame warmup and my comment was answer with the following post “in his game day jersey” well Dodgers live just showed Kemp stretching on the field in his game day jersey

    • http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

       I asked the first question but not the follow-up. It almost has to be deliberate to get that same stain every day. I tweeted Kemp but I don’t think I got an answer.

      • KT

        sorry Link I know you asked but someone else questioned my answer…couldn’t remember who

  • Anonymous

    The Cardinals are spitting the bit tonight. Giants lead 6-0 in the 6th.

    And we think the Dodgers are maddening to follow. The Cardinals started the day +114 in runs and they are in third place.

    • Anonymous

      The Cardinals have great hitting and pitching stats.  But they are barely above .500.  How does that happen?  Look at their record in one-run games and two-run games, and they are well below .500 in those games (something like 10 to 15 games under .500).  So when they win, they tend to win blowouts, and when they lose, they tend to lose close games.  That’s how you get such a huge run differential (and great hitting and pitching stats) while not having it reflected in the W-L record or standings.

      • Anonymous

        Incidentally, the Pythagorean W-L for the Cards – what probability theory says you would expect based on their run differential – is 67-43.  Their actual record is 60-50.

  • Anonymous

    Old Friends All Around:
    “Jonathan Broxton (1-1) started the eighth with the Reds leading 2-1. He retired the first two batters before an infield single by Norichka Aoki. With Carlos Gomez up to bat, Aoki stole second and took third on catcher Dioner Navarro’s throwing error. Gomez hit a soft liner over the outstretched glove of shortstop Wilson Valdez and Aoki scored to tie the game.”

    • Anonymous

      Broxton 1-1 with Reds after 1-2 with Royals

  • KT

    Wow definitely misplayed

    • Anonymous

       Horrendously misplayed, but a well hit ball.

      • KT

        should have been a double

  • Anonymous

    Here we go…

  • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

    Are you kidding me?

  • Anonymous

    Beyond belief.

  • Anonymous

    Description for those not watching please?

    • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

      EY Jr hit a ball to the center field wall, Kemp let it bounce back past his lunging glove and the rest is history. Inside the park homer.

    • Anonymous

      Inside the park HR by EY on a ball hit off the wall misplayed by Kemp. Double > Walk > Single > Out at second. One out. 2-0 Rockies. 

    • Anonymous

      Kemp misjudged Young’s ball hit over his head that hit the CF fence in the air, and it took a bounce past him toward the infield. EY scored easily.

    • KT

      Ball hit off dead CF wall about 1/2 of the way up andbounced hard off the track. Kemp was too close to the wall and the bounce right past him righ back towards 2nd…Ey scored easily especially since the throw home hit the mound

  • Anonymous

    I really just want to enjoy Vin Scully call the game, but the Dodgers make it so hard. 

  • Anonymous

     Eovaldi went five scoreless for the Fish tonight, but walked six.

  • Anonymous

    Streaky Dodgers keeping the streak alive tonight

    • Anonymous

      So we’re going to sweep this weekend’s series!

      • Anonymous

        Is .500 ball good enough to make it into the playoffs?

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7VN5CNNJSLBZQXS3NX7DTIUTA4 jasonu

           let’s hope.

  • KT

    Good throw by Ethier to get the runner rounding second too far

  • KT

    Good hit Shane

  • KT

    Good eye Mark
     
    Come on Matty

  • KT

    MATTY!!!!!

  • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

    He makes up for it!

  • Anonymous

    What was that?

  • Anonymous

    I’m not even happy about that…okay, maybe just a little.

  • KT

    Good hit Dre

  • Anonymous

    Can someone please inform Donnie Baseball that he needs to bat Hanley before Kemp.  If you look back, he was an elite hitter with Miggy batting behind him.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/4VBG6TW2MVJSBLIB2G6TKGSJT4 kjgyufyutfuty

      Especially with Ethier batting 5th tonight it doesn’t make sense. 

      • Anonymous

        Ethier was batting 223 against LHP when the line-up was made. You are right batting him 5th makes no sense.

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/4VBG6TW2MVJSBLIB2G6TKGSJT4 kjgyufyutfuty

          I meant that it doesn’t make sense to bat Kemp ahead of Hanley with Ethier hitting 5th. Regardless, Hanley needs as much help as he can get so even if Miggy wasn’t the the sole reason for Hanley’s success in the past, I think he should still be batting in front of Kemp in games where Ethier hits fifth. 

    • Anonymous

      How do explain 2008, 2009, 2010 then? Dan Uggla or Jorge Cantu?

  • Anonymous

    Vin says Ethier could be part of a hit-and-run. Oh, really?

  • Anonymous

    Still not getting breaks, when balls like the one Treanor hit down the line go foul.

  • Anonymous

    I need a laugher.

  • Anonymous

    Giants looking like a team intent on winning the division – 11-0 over the folding Cards.

    • Anonymous

      One blowout means nothing. When the season’s over, the overachieving Gnats will be a third-place team.

      • Anonymous

        No fair for the Cards to take their series hosting the Dodgers, but roll over and play dead for the ‘ants.  NO FAIR!!!

      • Anonymous

        I’d love for that to be true WBB, but when you consistently blow off the quality of pitching that Cain, Vogelsong and Bumgarner are capable of, I tend to rack up your take on the Giants as wishful thinking. – no offense, brother.

        • Anonymous

          I thought I was the only one who noticed, ASW.

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7VN5CNNJSLBZQXS3NX7DTIUTA4 jasonu

          well plus we don’t look any good. it would be easier to get on WBB’s side if we weren’t so brutal to watch

        • Anonymous

           In the long run, I have confidence the Dodgers will overmatch the Gnats.

          • Anonymous

            Your posts, I believe, are almost exclusively, one sentence claims with no evidence or argumentation to back them up. They, therefore, have no possible ability to change the mind of any person with a different point of view. 

  • http://farinella.com/ David Farinella

    KT! Wanna make sure we’re good after my smart alleck comment last night about you being the jinx. Meant as a joke.

    • KT

      NP…all is good

  • Anonymous

    Incidentally, this Giants/Cards game is a nice illustration of why pythagorean records mean less than starting pitcher wins.  Much less.

    • Anonymous

       Until this season, Gnatt Cain was a sub-.500 pitcher lifetime, and there’s a reason for that.

  • Anonymous

    That was ugly, with a weak-hitting pitcher up next.

  • KT

    Nice hit Shane
     
    Come on Mark

  • KT

    Good Eye Mark
     
    Come on Matty repeat

  • KT

    Nice hit
     
    Come on Hanley

  • Anonymous

    Starting to look a little more rocky-like.

  • KT

    Good eye Hanley
     
    Come on Dre

  • KT

    Hit hard
     
    Come on Juan…make the most of this opportunity

    • KT

      How come I knew he was going to ground into a DP

  • Anonymous

    I would pinch-hit Loney here.

  • Anonymous

    DFA Rivera already, what’s the point of calling Sands up if you are going to keep playing the useless automatic DP machine in front of him?

    • Anonymous

       I agree. If Sands is here, play him.

    • Anonymous

      Sands gets one start and then is on the bench twice.  Why?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7VN5CNNJSLBZQXS3NX7DTIUTA4 jasonu

         good question.

  • Anonymous

    Big inning, please.

  • Anonymous

    Man, that inning imploded after such a promising start.  At least we got one.

  • Anonymous

    Still hitting in terrible luck, as a team.

  • KT

    Nice Catch Hanley!!

  • Anonymous

    Hopefully Billingsley and the ‘pen can overcome the anemic offense.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7VN5CNNJSLBZQXS3NX7DTIUTA4 jasonu

    Between Hanley, AJ Ellis, Andre, Juan Rivera and Loney we must be leading the NL in GIDP.

    • Anonymous

      We are, with 102 before tonight.  The Cards are next with 89.  Loney is tied for first with 15, Rivera had 12 (now 13).

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7VN5CNNJSLBZQXS3NX7DTIUTA4 jasonu

         The cards are leading baseball in OBP. We are 19th out of 30 and have 11 more GIDPs..crazy

  • KT

    Nice bunt Billz

  • KT

    Come on Shane

  • KT

    Nice Shane!!!

    Make it a double now
     
    Come on Mark

  • KT

    Greay Hustle Shane!!
     
    Nice hit mark!!

    Come on Matty

  • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

    This game is exactly what we’ve been waiting for from Shane.

  • KT

    Terrible base running there

  • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

    Oh my… Mark should have just kept running. And once he was hung up Kemp should have stayed at his base. Oh well.

  • Anonymous

    Some of us must be warming up to Victorino.

    • Anonymous

      And cooling off with Bellisario.

      • Anonymous

         Well, he certainly recovered well. Pretty good outing, on balance.

  • KT

    Come on DP

  • http://farinella.com/ David Farinella

    Hee Sop Choi coulda made that play.

  • Anonymous

    Bellisario should pitch the 8th.

    • KT

      Ask and you shall receive

  • Anonymous

    Coulda been worse, but I want to see the Dodgers with a comfortable lead.

  • KT

    Come on DP

  • KT

    Good inning Belli
     
    Let’s get some more runs guys

  • Anonymous

    Good to see Donnie Baseball not fall into the micro-managing trap and stick with Belisario throughout the 8th there – even after he walked the second hitter with one out.

    • Anonymous

       Now if only he’d send a runner once in a while.

  • KT

    Good to see a win

  • Anonymous

    Billingsley the Stopper! – 4 in a row for him.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    NPUT

  • Anonymous

    Nice to see Kenley dominant. Now the Rocks need to take revenge on the Gnats.

  • Anonymous

    Back on the winning side of things.  Here’s to another 3 game streak!

    Try making it four this time, boys.

  • Anonymous

    Kemp and Victorino.  Nice games.