Here come the Big Three: Lane, Everett, Ensberg sign!

Seriously, Lil Francis, please stop it. I can't breathe I'm laughing so hard.

 

I hate Ensberg

 

When it comes to this nobody is really wrong or right. Like debating who's the best pitcher in baseball or the best centerfielder in baseball. Its an opinion. Yea your skills are outstanding dude.

 

Yea your post cause me to do the same thing.

 

If folks who play and analyze baseball for a living have their "opinion" that Everett is the best defensive SS in baseball and a casual fan has an opinion that there are 3-5 shortstops that are better defensively than Everett, would it be safe to say that the casual fan's opinion carries no weight and is probably flawed?

 

You are entitled to your opinion of course. I'm just glad that Purpura, despite his shortcomings, probably knows that Everett is quite possibly the best defensive SS in the league and is a serious asset to this team.

 

A web gem from Jeter (who *is* a great ballplayer) doesn't make SportsCenter when AE makes the play. And, it's not "east coast bias."

It's because Adam was in better position to start with, got to the ball on time, didn't have to dive, straightened up, had time to step into his throw, and the throw beat the runner to the bag by a step-and-a-half. Not nearly so exciting, but *far* better.

Jeter, partly simply because of age, is nowhere NEAR Adam Everett's league defensively. It's not even a serious debate.

 

Great post!! Everett has poor power and is below average at getting on base. But his other tools are good to great. If the MLB had DPOY, Everett would be in the running every year.

 

I know everyone has their own opinion because in mine Jimmy Rollins is the best defensive shortstop in the game. Every expert doesnt think Everett is the best SS in the game. I heard Buster Onley (spelling) on baseball tonight say last season that Greene was the best defensive shortstop in the game and Peter Gammons said Jimmy Rollins and they are so called "experts" as well. When you name players like that there is no wrong answer.

 

Not when that answer is "Derek Jeter".

 

Well, not surprising...Definitely not a "Splash", but brings stability...We need another arm...

 

http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2007/01/if_you_dont_lik.html

Anyway, back to Adam Everett. He's not in the lineup because he's going to hit .300 or drive in 100 runs. He needs to have a better offensive season, but he's not the reason the Astros stunk offensively last season. On the whole, he'd a tremendous asset. They weren't built to get big production at that position. They didn't get nearly enough from third, second or left field (Astro left fielders were 11th in OBP, 10th in slugging, 11th in HRs and 9th in RBIs. Do you think Carlos Lee might be a slight upgrade? He was third in home runs and fourth in RBIs among all big league left fielders). Had those positions contributed what they were supposed to contribute, no one would have noticed that Everett and Ausmus didn't hit.

I'm not giving those guys a pass. They need to do more. However, even when they're not hitting, they help the Astros win games. That's especially true of Everett. He's the best defensive shortstop in baseball. He saves run after run, makes hard plays look routine. He's so good he's easy to overlook.

Everett signed a one-year, $2.8-million contract plus incentives on Thursday. He hit just .239 last season, but made just seven errors. His .990 fielding percentage was the fourth-best in NL history. He went 53 straight games without an error at one point.

He was named baseball's best defensive shortstop by The Fielding Bible, which had a panel of experts study the position. Before the 2006 season, The Fielding Bible called him "quite simply the best shortstop in the Major Leagues." He'll be making his fourth straight Opening Day start for the Astros. They're lucky to have him.

 

MM,
You are too good to use Justice as a source. Lil Francis has been owned without bringing that joker into the equation.

 

i thought about that. this is one of the few things i agree with Justice on.

 

It's Bizzaro MadMax!!

 

I think Lil Francis is AE and is creating commotion in an effort to gain support for Adam...and i LIKE IT!

 

if his defense was that important, why is he only making $2.8Mill when the owners are breaking vault. I don't care if he is the best defensive ss, which is a subjective argument, he's still replacable with his dismal offense.

 

Of course he is. But good-fielding shortstops with offense don't just grow on trees. And yes, if given the choice, I would replace Everett with Rollins or Renteria or any other slightly lesser-fielding SS that has some pop.

 

but my point really is about value. we know how teams value players. you'd think reading this thread that he is extremely valuable, but at $2.8MM teams obviously don't find him too valuable.

 

He didn't find himself that valuable. He only asked for $3.4 million. Offense does matter in reagrds to paychecks. People don't pay to come watch him make plays on the 2nd base side with absolute ease...even though they should.