Evaluation

[Soxfan1]

I've seen this done on other sites and I thought it might be fun to do here. Every week I will post a new mlb baseball player and his stats and a short summary of his career (courtsey espn.com). It will not be a red sox or yankee player because there will be a lot of bias involved. You will give him a 1-10 score and after averaging him out we'll give him a lettergrade. This weeks player: David Eckstein

 

 

#22 David Eckstein Age: 30

Height: 5-7

Weight: 165 lbs.

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Pos: SS

 

 

 

Born: January 20, 1975, Sanford, FL

Full Name: David Mark Eckstein

College: Florida | Others

Experience: 4 years

2005 Salary: $2,333,333

Pronounced: Eck-STYNE

 

 

Season TM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS

2001 Ana 153 582 82 166 26 2 4 41 43 60 29 4 .285 .355 .357 .712

2002 Ana 152 608 107 178 22 6 8 63 45 44 21 13 .293 .363 .388 .751

2003 Ana 120 452 59 114 22 1 3 31 36 45 16 5 .252 .325 .325 .650

2004 Ana 142 566 92 156 24 1 2 35 42 49 16 5 .276 .339 .332 .671

2005 StL 24 91 9 25 5 0 0 5 10 5 2 1 .275 .362 .330 .692

Total -- 591 2299 349 639 99 10 17 175 176 203 84 28 .278 .348 .352 .700

 

Scouting Report

 

2004 Season

It's so easy to like David Eckstein, because he plays the game the way everybody swears they would if they could play in the majors. He doesn't do dumb things and he makes all the routine plays. His .988 fielding percentage led major league shortstops, though his limited range and lack of offensive oomph mean he'll never be considered for a Gold Glove. At the plate, he was what he always has been: an annoying hitter to face. He struck out once every 13 plate appearances, the second-best ratio in the league.

 

 

Hitting

Unlike in 2003, Eckstein was healthy last year. Unfortunately for him, that fact simply exposed his shortcomings as a hitter. He is simply too small to inspire any fear in a pitcher, and he is an aggressive swinger, so he's not prone to drawing walks. The best thing Eckstein has going for him is Mike Scioscia's love of the hit-and-run, as he is one of the best in the league at handling the bat.

 

 

Baserunning & Defense

Eckstein's rag arm is infamous by now, but it was amazing how few times it seemed to cost the Angels last year. He has become amazingly adept at getting rid of the ball quickly, and he and Adam Kennedy were impressive as a double-play tandem. However, Eckstein rarely makes spectacular plays because of his limited range, and his size further limits his ability to stop balls by diving. He's beginning to slow down a bit on the bases, though he matched his 2003 steals total with 16 last season.

 

 

2005 Outlook

With no appreciable baseball skills other than heart and determination, Eckstein's job likely never is secure. And in his second year of arbitration eligibility, he no longer comes cheap, either. That could spell a slipping grip on his everyday job, as the Angels would like to bring in a harder-hitting shortstop. Eckstein might be needed to play second base while Kennedy is recovering from knee surgery.

 

I give him a 7

[YanksHater213]

6

[Sox fan in Tex]

I give it a 5, just because you also think the Mariners (12-15) will be better than the Twins (15-10) this year.

[DOrtiz4prez]

Well, who's a 1 and who's a 10?

 

But I give him a:

 

5.5

 

But if you can't use decimals, round it down to 5.

[Zenny]

Four. Below average on both sides of the ball.

[Sizzlin22]

4 tops his average is pretty low and no power numbers pretty decent at defense.

[element1151]

6, and by the way Sox fan in Tex the Mariners would LOVE to have him!

[Soxfan1]

First off all. The M's aren't doing so bad and I donn't want to put down the twins there doing pretty good too. My new policy is that i'm going too add a new perso when we get enough results (5 or more). Ok ecksteins final tally: (drumroll please) 5.35.

 

Ok todays alalysis guy: Paul Konerko

 

 

Age: 29

Height: 6-2

Weight: 215 lbs.

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Pos: 1B

 

 

 

Born: March 5, 1976, Providence, RI

Full Name: Paul Henry Konerko

College: None

Experience: 8 years

2005 Salary: $8,750,000

Pronounced: Kone-err-coe

 

 

 

BATTING STATISTICS

CAREER: BATTING | FIELDING

Season TM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS

1997 LA 6 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .143 .250 .143 .393

1998 Cin 26 73 7 16 3 0 3 13 6 10 0 0 .219 .284 .384 .668

1998 LA 49 144 14 31 1 0 4 16 10 30 0 1 .215 .272 .306 .578

1998 -- 75 217 21 47 4 0 7 29 16 40 0 1 .217 .276 .332 .608

1999 CWS 142 513 71 151 31 4 24 81 45 68 1 0 .294 .352 .511 .863

2000 CWS 143 524 84 156 31 1 21 97 47 72 1 0 .298 .363 .481 .844

2001 CWS 156 582 92 164 35 0 32 99 54 89 1 0 .282 .349 .507 .856

2002 CWS 151 570 81 173 30 0 27 104 44 72 0 0 .304 .359 .498 .857

2003 CWS 137 444 49 104 19 0 18 65 43 50 0 0 .234 .305 .399 .704

2004 CWS 155 563 84 156 22 0 41 117 69 107 1 0 .277 .359 .535 .894

2005 CWS 28 100 11 19 3 0 7 17 14 23 0 0 .190 .302 .430 .732

Total -- 993 3520 493 971 175 5 177 609 333 523 4 1 .276 .343 .479 .822

 

SEASONAL AVERAGES (per 162 games played)

Years G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS

6.13 162 574 80 158 29 1 29 99 54 85 1 0 .276 .343 .479 .822

 

Scouting Report

 

2004 Season

Following a disappointing season in 2003, the White Sox shopped Paul Konerko to try to ease their glut of righthanded hitters. They were lucky that no one was biting, as Konerko wound up being the key to a lineup that was without Magglio Ordonez and Frank Thomas for almost all of the second half. Konerko hit a career-high 41 home runs, and also avoided the long slumps that have dogged him in previous years. He's a pleasant guy who is popular with fans and good in an often-dysfunctional clubhouse.

 

 

Hitting

Konerko goes through painful contortions in the on-deck circle and sometimes looks wooden at the plate. Yet he gets solid plate coverage from a high-maintenance swing that requires constant work in the batting cage. He has good strike-zone judgment but sometimes lacks the bat speed to catch up with good fastballs, especially when they're in on his hands. Konerko hit 29 of his 41 homers at U.S. Cellular, which has become a bandbox since the fences were brought in after 2000.

 

 

Baserunning & Defense

There are no Gold Gloves in his trophy case, but Konerko has improved defensively at first base in recent seasons, particularly in scooping throws. He is capable of making the reaction catch on liners but overall lacks range. He is a base-clogger who struggles to go from first to third on most singles.

 

 

2005 Outlook

This is a big season for Konerko, as he's eligible for free agency at the end of the year. The White Sox will consider trade offers for him, as they are committed to balancing a lineup heavy on righthanded hitters and also adding speed and defense. Ross Gload is available as a first base option, but it's hard to see how the Sox can lose both Ordonez and Konerko in the same year. Konerko might not duplicate his 2004 totals, but there's no reason he shouldn't hit 30-plus homers and drive in 100 runs.

[Soxfan1]

Quick edit won't work for me so I ge him a give him an 8.

[yeszir]

He really hauled ass for my fantasy team last year, and I got him off of waivers. I think I'm gonna go ahead and give him a 7/10. FYI, he's hitting below the Mendoza line for 2005 so far.

[Zenny]

6.5. Tons of power, nothing else. He's a model of inconsistency.

[Chitalian Stallion]

He's not terrible at defense, he's at least better then average, stll i'd only give im a 7.5

[YanksHater213]

7

[Sizzlin22]

7 maybe a 6

[element1151]

7. Traded him so he isn't on my Fantasy team anymore.

[DOrtiz4prez]

6.5

 

Power threat at the plate, but not too good anywhere else.

[Soxfan1]

7.18 is the final score for konerko. B.T.W you guys can request players to be evaluated. My computer sucks and it wont let me go to ESPN.com so anyone that wants to can do one for today.

[RedSoxRooter]

#35 Dontrelle Willis

Age: 23

Height: 6-4

Weight: 239 lbs.

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Pos: SP

 

 

Born: January 12, 1982, Oakland, CA

Full Name: Dontrelle Wayne Willis

College: None

Experience: 2 years

2005 Salary: $378,500

Pronounced: Will-ASS

 

Year TM G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L SV HLD BLSV ERA

2003 Fla 27 27 2 2 160.2 148 61 59 13 58 142 14-6 0 0--3.31

2004 Fla 32 32 2 0 197.0 210 99 88 20 61 139 10-11 0 0--4.02

2005 Fla 5 5 3 2 35.0 23 6 5 2 6 25 5-0 0 0--1.29

Total--64 64 7 4 392.2 381 166 152 35 125 306 29-17 0 0--3.48

 

 

Scouting Report

 

2004 Season

There was no sophomore jinx for the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, but Dontrelle Willis definitely found the rest of the league more prepared for him the second time around. Willis stayed healthy and made all his starts, but was unable to string together three quality starts all season, and failed to go beyond five innings in nine of his 32 outings.

 

 

Pitching

Many predicted it would be easier to hit Willis with each successive turn through the league, and that proved to be at least somewhat true. He began the year seeking to smooth out his herky-jerky delivery, but eventually realized that the added deception of his impossibly high leg kick was something he simply could not sacrifice. Willis still dominated lefties, but righthanders fared almost 40 points better against him in his second season. Part of the problem was Willis' difficulties in improving his average changeup. He still relied almost exclusively on an 89-92 MPH fastball that he must locate to have success. His slider is a plus pitch, but he must get to two strikes for it to be most effective. He rarely throws the slider for strikes.

 

 

Defense & Hitting

Willis is such a good hitter that Marlins manager Jack McKeon used him as a pinch-hitter nine times in 2004. He generates surprising bat speed and managed four extra-base hits with his take-no-prisoners plate approach. Willis has a decent pickoff move but could stand improvement in that area. Very athletic, he made numerous leaping plays on the mound and pounces on sacrifice bunts quickly enough to gun down lead runners.

 

 

2005 Outlook

Like fellow 2003 rookie sensation Miguel Cabrera, Willis figures to remain under Marlins control through the 2006 season. Only then will he get the arbitration-fed salary bump many felt he deserved after his dazzling rookie campaign, when he regularly packed the park, home and away. That buzz has calmed down significantly, but Willis remains a solid middle-of-the-rotation piece for the Marlins.

[RedSoxRooter]

Real deal or overrated?

 

I think he's for real so I'm going 8.5.

[Sox fan in Tex]

I give Willis an 8. He's a phenominal pitcher, just as long as he finishes out the year strong this year, unlike he did last year. There was a great article in SI this week about Willis, Beckett and Burnett, also.

[YanksHater213]

8 overall, but he has the potential to become 10 material

[Soxfan1]

Pronounced: Will-ASS

 

 

 

I give him a 9. I always liked him and I think he's the next pedro- the attitude.

[DOrtiz4prez]

8.25

 

I just love that leg kick.

[Sizzlin22]

I give him an 9 can't argue with 6-0 and he can hit he's just a very rare player.

[yeszir]

9. He has 3 CG and 2 SHO this season. He's the real deal, and he's only 23.

[Zenny]

8.5 Wouldn't be as great in a different ballpark with a defense that wasn't as phenomenal, but still a damn good pitcher. Damn good.

[Soxfan1]

8.53 is the final score for willis. Thanks for covering for me rsr. Todays player: Carlos Zambrano

 

 

http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/small/6559.jpg

 

 

Age: 23

Height: 6-5

Weight: 255 lbs.

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Pos: SP

 

 

 

Born: June 1, 1981

Full Name: Carlos Alberto Zambrano

College: None

Experience: 4 years

2005 Salary: $3,760,000

Pronounced: zam-BRAH-no

 

Next Start: 5/8 vs phi

 

PITCHING STATISTICS

CAREER: BATTING | PITCHING | FIELDING

Season TM G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L SV HLD BLSV ERA

2001 ChC 6 1 0 0 7.2 11 13 13 2 8 4 1 2 0 0 1 15.26

2002 ChC 32 16 0 0 108.1 94 53 44 9 63 93 4 8 0 0 -- 3.66

2003 ChC 32 32 3 1 214.0 188 88 74 9 94 168 13 11 0 0 -- 3.11

2004 ChC 31 31 1 1 209.2 174 73 64 14 81 188 16 8 0 0 -- 2.75

2005 ChC 6 6 0 0 38.1 33 18 18 6 16 37 2 1 0 0 -- 4.23

Total -- 107 86 4 2 578.0 500 245 213 40 262 490 36 30 0 0 1 3.32

 

Scouting Report

 

2004 Season

While all eyes were on Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano emerged in 2004 as the true ace of the Cubs' pitching staff. The big bull of a righthander seemed to enjoy being the go-to guy. Critics of manager Dusty Baker warned that Zambrano would fade down the stretch because of a heavy workload. All Zambrano did was win pitcher-of-the-month honors for September with his 4-0 record and 1.01 ERA.

 

 

Pitching

When he's on, Zambrano has the best stuff on the talented Cubs staff, and he's the hardest of their pitchers to hit. It all starts with hard, moving two-seam and four-seam fastballs that regularly check in at the mid-90s. He also has a cannonball of a sinker that he throws with a split grip. The "heavy" pitch often gets beaten into the ground. It's little wonder Zambrano loves pitching at Wrigley Field, with its tall, thick grass. He was 10-2 at Wrigley, compared with 6-6 on the road. Zambrano admittedly is an emotional pitcher on the mound. This is a double-edged sword because at times he can lose control of himself, show up teammates and infuriate opponents. A workhorse, he averaged almost 112 pitches per game in 2004.

 

 

Defense & Hitting

The switch-hitting Zambrano loves to come to the plate. He is capable of hitting the ball out of the park, and he's a good baserunner for a pitcher. He holds runners well and made strides as a fielder, taking more care throwing the ball after fielding grounders. He still needs to avoid trying to field bouncers with his bare hand.

 

 

2005 Outlook

Zambrano will be only 24 on his next birthday, and of all of the Cubs' young pitchers, he seems to have gotten his stuff together the fastest and has remained the healthiest. He cut his walks and upped his strikeouts in 2004. If all these trends keep up and he continues to mature, Zambrano will be a serious Cy Young candidate.

 

He's young and not to bad. I give him a 7.5.

[CrespoBlows]

8, for being too emotional on the mound, which can really hurt him. I'd give him a 9 or a 9.5 stuff wise, but overall an 8.

[DOrtiz4prez]

7

[YanksHater213]

8.5... like Willis hes got the potential to be a 10. I could see him becoming a Hispanic version of Roger Clemens possibly. Very overpowering stuff, and he hates losing.