You're not going to give this up are you? This is where you are wrong. I'll quote it again. That is where the argument started. That is where several people disagree with you. I do find it funny that rather than admit that the post above was wrong you would rather change the argument. You now say that "you don't think he is a very good hitter." Cmon!
Age related to defense, speed and durability, sure. Hitting in one at-bat, no. He's not starting because middle infielders of his age tend to break down with regular playing time in a 162-game season. But in a given at-bat, he's a good hitter that I'd take my chances with.
what argument did i change? i said that he isnt a very good hitter in both. no comprende. i changed it to saying that's a contributing factor, but i never really meant it was the sole factor to begin with. and the several people are: you and the boob. and not one person has come to his defense that loretta is a below-mediocre defensive player, and you still havent done anything to prove your incorrect argument. sorry bubba.
seems absolutely mindblowingly crazy to me. i'd bunt with lance friggin berkman up in that situation if i'm the manager. you take the tying run in that situation, especially with the recent woes of this team, and worry about the rest later. my question is, did cooper not bunt there because he thought loretta swinging maximized his chances of getting the tying run home, or because he was playing for a big inning? i honestly dont know the answer (not that it isnt wrong either way), or what goes through that guy's head.
I already admitted I spaced out on my final comment. ie. I was wrong! As for his defense. That wasn't my argument but I can sure make it if you want. Loretta's RF was 4.34 last season at 2nd base. Among qualified starters at 2nd base last season it would have ranked dead last. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats...&seasonType=2&split=80&sortColumn=rangeFactor
He's 37 years old (in August). Most 2B aren't everyday players at thirty-freaking-seven. Much like Erstad, he can't really play everyday anymore.
thanks for taking the bait. he used his entire career as evidence that loretta was a great hitter right now. have some consistency please. use his entire career. them AL teams must be just ringing ed wade off the hook to get him as a DH, huh? we should be getting a pretty sweet package for him at the deadline. great, great hitter, not much defensively, inexpensive contract. ideal DH.
does loretta frequently have health issues? does he ever? has he shown signs of his body breaking down. have you guys heard of jeff kent? he's all offense and inept defensively, and plays everyday at 40+, because he's a great offensive player. loretta is almost 6 years younger. if he was a "great" offensive player, he'd be a starter. other 2nd baseman on that list older than loretta and playing everyday last year: biggio, grudzalanek, and ray durham.
Will you proclaim internet victory if I acknowledge that Loretta is not a great hitter but merely very good? right now. Btw, I don't know if you noticed but no one has agreed with you about Loretta being "not a very good hitter."
Craig Biggio was one of the faces of this franchise during his career and that and his quest for 3,000 hits were the ONLY reasons he was still on that playing field. So you can't really compare the two situations.
i don't understand. you are saying they let him play his last 7 years just because of his quest for 3,000 hits?
No I'm saying he was still an everyday player the past TWO years because of his quest for 3,000 and because of his status; before that he was still very much an everyday-caliber player. Loretta is not a starter on this team because there's no spot for him...because the Astros have younger options playing in front of him. Plus I think the organization values him as a utility player. It really is that simple.
Loretta has obviously lost a step. Also, one reason to not have a 37 year old out there everyday is to avoid his body breaking down. You mean the same Jeff Kent that has spent significant time out of the lineup the last two seasons because he has been trying to play everyday, only to have his body start to break down? He turned 40 on March 7, 2008. He's batting .257 this year. Yeah...great offensive player at this stage in his career. Just do a Google search on him. It is a quick pre-post homework assignment. Since when is 6 years the difference between 37 and 40? Agreed. He is a good utility backup. He is batting .278 this year. So is Matsui. Matsui is better defensively, hence Matsui gets the starts. Grudzielanek is hitting .294 starting this year for KC. His other stats are unimpressive. Durham is batting .290 for the Giants in starter's time. I do not know how their defense is. Biggio would not have been starting the last two years of his career if he had not been an icon in Houston. He was in the lineup everyday because the fans loved him, he was not embarrassing, and he sold tickets. Period.
first of all, it sounds like you agree with me on the only significant point, the fact that loretta isnt a great hitter. 2nd of all, loretta is 36, biggio was almost 42 when he retired, so, i'm sorry, 6 instead of 7 (ya got me!). and finally, we are talking about all of kent's years between 36 (i guess, since this board has just decided this is the age where you are too old to be an everyday starter) and 40. also, funny how you act like a smartass and tell me to do my homework before posting, but you don't do the same and look up their defensive stats.
