here's where you lose me. you'll categorize AE as an "OUT"...and the people will suggest that if he we could replace him with someone who bats .240 instead of .260, that would be fine. so for 2 more hits in 100 at bats, he no longer gets called an "OUT." he certainly hasn't been an "OUT" over the last few weeks...and it hasn't mattered. the freak out factor over the bat in the 7 hole is beyond me. i'd also point out that he was the starting SS on the only Astros team to win a pennant. so the idea that you need to have more balance at that position to win is ridiculous.
no. to me, he's overrated because i think astros organization and fandom think he is above average because of his fielding. in truth, he is only an average player. this would be fine if our 1 and 8 weren't so god awful, but, in truth, they are GOD AWFUL. so, to compensate for their shortcomings, we need a more than average 7 hole (AE). by my logic, we don't need above average players at every position. by my logic, you can't clump together 4 consecutive automatic outs! someone needs to be a threat. you can sacrifice AE's bat if we have a hard hitting C. you can sacrifice ausmus' bat if you have willy t. at the top. but, as is, we cannot roll out this lineup.
read my post again. you need balance at that position as well as throughout the lineup. that's the IDEAL SITUATION. if you cannot have complete balance, then you compensate between positions. read my above post to Nick about ausmus v everett v 9 hole v biggio. as for the "2 more hits" argument...i'm asking for a threat. the reality is that ML managers pitch around out legit hitters to get to the 7-8-9-1 part of our lineup. you tell me...would a few more timely hits out of those spots make a difference offensively??? of course it would.
but this argument also proves he isn't worth as much as some guys believe. who was the shortstop when the astros 102 games. who is the shortstop now that they are terrible.
So why not advocate getting rid of the other ones? Why pick the guy who has the best glove at arguably the most important defensive position on the field?
all of the credit, none of the blame. btw, i don't think that AE is the source of our problems. i also don't think that - as is - he is a source of our solutions. he is simply a part of the large problem of us having no offense for 4 consecutive slots. besides, his stellar D doesn't prevent ball from going into the crawford boxes. no, our pitching is not his fault. and yes, roy loves AE. but i bet roy would love a run or two more support each time out. fielding a bigger threat at 7 (or 8 or 1 or any combination of two out of three) would be a huge step in the right direction, imo.
RM95, i pick AE because this thread is about AE. out of AE, ausmus, the 9 spot, and the 1, two of the four need to be changed, imo. the 9 cannot be changed, so that leaves 3 spots that need 2 changes. which 2 of 3 i do not care. start a "big bad surfin' brad" thread and i'll be there, too. also, i'm not so sure the SS is the most important defensive position on the field to be honest with you. he's the infield captain, yes, but does not a gold glove, rocket arm C affect a game in his own way? different matter for different thread...
Who was the shortstop when they went to the NLCS and the World Series? I don't get your point. You can make that argument about any player.
But when you have a player who is the best in the league defensively at his position, you take the below average offense. Would you be happy if Adam Everett was hitting .270?
to answer your question, i'd be happy if pitchers didn't pitch around our batters in an effort to get to everett. whatever average that would take is inconsequential. if he hit for a lower average, but with legit homerun pop, i bet pitchers wouldn't do that. if he hit .310 but had 0 extrabase hits, i bet pitchers wouldn't do that. if you're gonna keep AE for his glove, then move him to the 8 spot, find a catcher who can hit, bench bgo THE DAY HE HITS 3000, hope we find a legit leadoff man, and call it a day.
I can understand this argument this season because it really doesn't matter, but last year when the offense was clearly the main issue and still had pettitte, oswalt, and clemens, it didn't matter how great AE's defense was, the astros missed out an opportunity to go back to the playoffs because of the offense.
You can't say that for a fact. Maybe if we had Tejada or someone of that ilk, but chances are we wouldn't. Maybe had we gotten anything out of Preston Wilson, Willy T, Ensberg, Ausmus, or Biggio. I don't think you say you replace Everett and no one else and we're in the playoffs. His defense is so much more valuable to our team than any of those guys I just mentioned. I'm guessing you ask those three pitchers who they'd take out of the lineup to add more pop to the lineup, AE would be the last one.
First of all, that argument only holds water if Everett was the ONLY one keeping that offense down... he wasn't (and judging by this thread, he isn't). You replace the below average bat of Everett with an average one... that offense isn't doing much more (unless you replace him with an all star). Thus, since you have a paltry offense... runs scored are at a premium. I'd then want the guy who has a huge say in keeping opponents' runs off the board. Adam Everett does save runs... he saves more runs than any other defensive position on this team right now... for a team that doesn't score all that much, it is important. I've also maintained that this lineup can't keep supporting Ausmus-Biggio-Everett if the big guys aren't hitting. This is especially true this year, where the pitching is more up and down. Hell, even when Berkman had some decent production of late, Lee maintained his high level, and Adam started hitting... this team was still losing (Now... mainly because of its starting and bullpen pitching).
Catcher should be first on the list... ausmus is 38. 3rd base platoon stuff is obviously not working. biggio is going to play until 3k no matter what. then it's burkes legitimate shot. id say C and 3rd are more important right now and to the future of the team. and stop calling people by their batting order number... call em by the position number.
Except you argued that Everett is average. Ausmus and Biggio are both substantially older and below average. If you were going to keep one, why wouldn't you pick Everett?
Exactly. The Astros will have different starting 2B & C next year, in all likelihood. AE can play SS for my team any day of the week. Dude is just straight up ridiculous in the field.
p.s: Check out where Ausmus ranks among the #8 hitters in the league. he's not the problem right now. Then look at leadoff, #3, & #5 (or 6, can't remember which).
