Players with <= 20 HR with OBP > Biggio's in 2003. Obviously you can consider several of those guys power hitters, but most are not. Giles Walker Abreu Kendall Mueller Vidro Renteria Mientkiewicz Jeter Koskie L. Castillo Wilkerson Podsednik Salmon Lieberthal Loretta Olerud I. Rodriguez B. Williams Grudzielanek Byrd Stewart Pierre Pierzynski Kielty S. Green Burroughs T. Martinez Ichiro Polanco Lofton Furcal Catalanotto Belliard
And how many of those available would've been worth the potential backlash of getting rid of one of Houston's sports legends?
Make up your mind Max, are you comparing Biggio to other players, or are you looking for a replacement? As I've said over and over and over, the Astros do have somebody to replace Biggio.
But you don't have the proof that you will. You believe it, but you don't know it to be true. You can't predict the future. Ever think there's a reason this is the first time a 27 year-old is getting a full-time chance in the majors?
a guy who's not on that list. a guy who would also be playing out of position. a guy who you THINK would be better than Biggio at the plate. a guy who is certainly not a prototypical leadoff hitter. this isn't fantasy league...we can't make a list of our favorite players and say, "the astros should have that guy leading off."
Of course Lane has a lot of question marks, he's never been given a chance. But your suggestion is to overpay someone that the Astros know* will be below-average both offensively and defensively rather than give Lane, someone with significant upside, a chance to play cheaply. *When I say know, I don't mean 100% know, I mean that the odds are likely, since you did say something I agree with - I cannot tell the future. You still haven't answered my question
This is a weak argument, and I felt the same way about people who wanted to keep Hakeem, or whatever else sports legend. No one is guranteed these positions.
I bet the Rockets sure are glad they don't have Hakeem on payroll anymore. The Raptors do. edit: Oh my goodness, pgabs and I just had a Magic Moment. I feel so close to you right now, pgabs.
Woops, hit post too soon. You still haven't answere the question of how a prototypical leadoff hitter is better than another player who puts up better numbers. According to you, Biggio is a better leadoff hitter than Doug Mientkiewicz. Why is that?
Unfortunately, I don't think that Hakeem, for whatever reason, endeared himself to the fans as much as Biggio has. Not to mention, there were a lot of people who were upset as to how he ended his career here. I guarantee that management has taken fan's reaction to benching or releasing Biggio into account when they discuss any possible moves. PR is part of the game. Of course, Biggio's only making $3 million this year. I still don't think you could've done better for less.
I'm sure that a division title would have more than made up for any ill will towards not bringing Biggio back. You honestly don't think Biggio's defense cost the Astros a game or two last season, one in which they finished a single game behind the Cubs?
You're going to blame us not winning the Central on Craig Biggio? One freakin' play doesn't cost a game, much less a season. How about Robertson choking in the last series? How about Berkman having a subpar year? How about Oswalt's injury? How about Miller having a subpar year? How about Bagwell's shoulder? How about having to start Lugo for the first month of the season? How about no run support in Redding's starts? So on and so forth.
Hakeem not endearing himself to the fans as much as Biggio?!?!?! What a JOKE. Hakeem singlehandedly brought this city two championships. Biggio hasn't won us jack diddley. The ill-will towards Hakeem came during the time when contract talks broke down for an extension. Biggio has not been put in that position yet, so the comparison there is not relevant.
Yeah, it's obviously a little silly to attribute the loss of a division title to a single player. It's impossible to play the what-if game, and it probably wasn't a very good post. Personally I think that Ausmus' offense cost the team a lot more than Biggio's defense. I'm just considering the outs that Biggio cost his team vs. an average replacement OF.
there is no perfect player...they all come with weaknesses and strengths. yes, carlos beltran is a better option at CF than craig biggio. but i'm not convinced lane is. and i'm not convinced they could have brought someone in for less than they're paying biggio and be getting any better performance than they're getting from him right now.
That's what it all comes down to, we just disagree with the value of Biggio vs. Lane. Once again though, why do you have such a dependence on a prototypical leadoff hitter? What about the Doug Mientkiewicz vs. Biggio question?
Max, that situation is totally different than Hakeem's. Hakeem's situation involved the clear deterioration of skills, as Biggio's situation now involves. In 95, Biggio was at the top of his game. The debate then wasn't about keeping a local legend versus replacing him with a better player. Totally different circumstances. Just totally different. You've got to compare apples and apples. Putting Biggio up for an extension today would put many more pressures on the relationship than an extension in 95.
