As Marc Carig points out the numbers seem to back up Hernandez's theory:A lack of modesty? Or was Keith Hernandez just being honest? When asked Sunday (third inning, Rays-Mets) if any current first baseman reminded him of him, the SNY analyst said, "No ... I don't think there's really anyone outstanding out there." It took awhile, but Gary Cohen finally brought up Mark Teixeira. Mex said he liked Tex but added: "Not a whole lot of range. Not smooth, but gets the job done." Hernandez, still adept at going to his backhand (compliment) side.
Maybe it's because I had become so used to watching Jason Giambi, but while seeing Teixeira play first this year I thought I was watching a great first baseman. In fact, I still do. I think a lot of the problems with his range came early in the year when and Cano seemed to have a little trouble figuring out who was going to get balls hit in between them. There were a lot of balls that got past Tex on his right side in April that he's been gobbling up ever since.With a free agent payday looming last season, Teixeira posted his first above-average defensive numbers since 2004, while playing for the Braves and Angels. He posted a 10.6 ultimate zone rating, which takes into account how many runs a fielder is saving or costing his team when compared to the average fielder.
But in his first season as a Yankee, Teixeira's UZR has fallen to a below average -.1.9.
UZR is broken into different components that account for errors and other factors. In Teixeira's case, his dropoff is tied almost entirely to his decline in the portion of UZR that accounts specifically for range. In 2008, Teixeira saved 9.4 runs just on his range. This season, he's cost his team runs, posting a -3.6.
Carig also points out that UZR doesn't take into account all those errors he's saved while scooping balls out of the dirt, which at this point seemed to be coming at a clip of about one play a game.
9 Comments:
Wow... What an idiot he is.
1. Not giving Tex any credit.
2. Can his ego get any larger?
what a pompous jerk. Yanks just need to win to shut up all the haters !
Defensive stats are useless until the season has been played imo. When using them to judge anyways.
I'll take Teix as a complete player over Hernandez anyday.
He's an idiot, slightly retarded, and an egomaniac but he's still more interesting to listen to then the bore fest going on in the Yes both.
Hey guys, can you vote in the poll of the right sidebar? I want to know if I should start a message board so I started a poll. Thanks.
Keith must be back on the coke.
Teixeira is a better all around first basemen than that Cokehead Hernandez.
Even David Cone said defensively Teix is better defensively than Tino Martinez. Teixeira has great range sounds like jealousy from Keith.
Maybe if Tex grew a killer stach...
I like Teix's defense, but Mex won 11 some-odd Gold Gloves in a row, so I think he has a certain perspective on the position.
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