Jose Guillen is a really great baseball player. He, for example, if given the chance to play on your neighborhood softball team, would likely never make an out and hit a HR in every plate appearance. However, the MLB playoffs are not a neighborhood softball game.
He’s already hit into 8 double plays in 139 plate appearances. To put that into context: Pablo Sandoval has grounded into a double play every 24 plate appearances, Guillen – for the Giants – every 17 PA.
Defensively thus far for the Giants, Fangraphs has Guillen at a minus (-) 70 UZR per 150 games. This is obviously a small sample, but just wow.
He’s walking only 3.6% of the time, and punching out nearly a quarter of the time (22.7%). He has a .692 OPS (.309 wOBA). His speed factor has been .6 – yes point six – or Bengie Molina like, if not slower. He’s actually been a bit lucky on balls in play; for the Giants his .320 BABIP is up 22 points from his career mark. His ground ball percentage is 56 for the Giants and his line drive rate just 15.
In summary, there are no signs whatsoever that playing Jose Guillen everyday, or even to put him on the postseason roster, is a good idea. He’s lifeless, selfish, and a career bad teammate. It would honestly be so irresponisible, so delusional, for the Giants to place this man in right field come Thursday. And yet, I’m all but certain that is not only the likely outcome, but also the almost guaranteed outcome.
My nightmare is that this man fails to get to a ball that costs the Giants a game and dashes their October dreams. Of course, baseball is a very funny game and it’s possible that Guillen will hit a game winning homerun. But the fact that the Giants are actually betting on this outcome is wherein lays the problem.
Andy Baggarly sums it up nicely:
“Tell Guillen there was a clerical error and the Giants were eliminated. Tell him Game 1 is at Turner Field. Dig a hole, cover it with palm fronds and put a delicious, fragrant cinnamon roll on top.
Whatever it takes. He shouldn’t be on the roster. He will be.”
All stats provided by: Fangraphs
Insightful baseball analysis for the casual crowd, Moneyball masses and you, the Third and King crew
He did hit a grand slam for the Giants and for some reason, I have this feeling that he'll get the last laugh. He had some key hits during that stretch where we were winning every series.
ReplyDeleteStop complaining and just relax. There's magic inside.
There's magic inside, no thanks to Guillen. But because that's who is playing right field, I'm praying I'm wrong.
ReplyDelete