Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Wasting Time Again . . .

After a little bit of research at the handy-dandy Baseball-Reference.com, I am stunned at how well the Boston Red Sox have either held onto talent or cursed their castoffs with future ineptitude, at least lately. Yes, we always hear about Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen, but I tried to compile the best (as of 2003) lineup of ex-Red Sox still in the majors. The pitchers are decent, but the hitters are horrible:

Ex-Sox
C - Scott Hatteberg, John Flaherty
1B - Mo Vaughn
2B - Terry Shumpert
SS - Rey Sanchez, Wil Cordero
3B - Chris Stynes
OF - Cliff Floyd
OF - Matt Stairs
OF - Carl Everett, Tuffy Rhodes
DH - Ellis Burks

SP - Jamie Moyer
SP - Aaron Sele
SP - Hideo Nomo
SP - Roger Clemens
SP - Jeff Suppan, Tomo Ohka
RP - Chris Hammond
RP - Mike Stanton
RP - Paul Quantrill
CL - Ugueth Urbina

Meanwhile, the mismanaged Mets have the following people filed under "former players":

Ex-Mets
C - Brent Mayne, Todd Hundley
1B - John Olerud, David Segui
2B - Jeff Kent, Fernando Vina
SS - Rey Ordonez, Mike Bordick, Melvin Mora
3B - Edgardo Alfonzo, Robin Ventura
OF - Preston Wilson
OF - Terrence Long
OF - Carl Everett, Jay Payton, Gary Matthews, Matt Lawton

SP - Mike Hampton
SP - Kevin Appier
SP - Hideo Nomo
SP - Cory Lidle
SP - Paul Byrd, Shawn Estes, Bruce Chen, Glendon Rusch, Rick Reed, Kenny Rogers
RP - Octavio Dotel
RP - Mike Remlinger
RP - Rick White, Turk Wendell, Robert Person
CL - Jason Isringhausen

I'm taking the ex-Mets over the ex-Sox in a sweep no matter how many games are played, and it wouldn't even be that close. What does that say about the gauges of talent operating in Queens? An even more pressing question this prompts: if ex-Met Carl Everett gets plunked by ex-Sox Hideo Nomo and charges the mound, does the ex-Sox Everett defend his pitcher and fight himself, defend himself and fight the ex-Met Nomo, or implode entirely? [Or does he mention that Japan isn't in the Bible so neither of the Nomos actually exist?]

No comments: