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Am I the only Donnie Murphy supporter here?

I'll just point out three things I really like about Murphy:

  1. He has put up some crazy good AAA numbers despite being younger than his competition, and he's still only 24.

  2. He managed to post a .441 SLG (.731 OPS) with a .220 Avg. That's crazy power for a SS; Crosby could break his back swinging at a pitch and still not have that kind of power.

  3. He actually put up better defensive numbers than Crosby at SS, and seems to be perfectly adequate in the field.

Bonus: Projection systems love the guy. As Rob Neyer pointed out recently, guys who hit for crazy power and low average in one year and good average but only decent power tend to figure out how to do both eventually. My guess is that PECOTA will like him about 100 OPS points better than Crosby for next year.

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j/k... i just wanted to be 1st

I actually like Murphy.  Not as much as Hannahan, but I wouldn't mind seeing him stick around long enough to find out what he can do.

Go A's!

by FoolshGame22 on Oct 7, 2007 8:31 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I can't get that into Hannahan

I mean, he had a fantastic year, but he's 27, and he has a cumulative .757 OPS in the minors. I guess I just like a 24 year old with monster AAA numbers over an older player who doesn't have the same track record of success at other levels.

by MrIncognito on Oct 7, 2007 8:49 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

i have always had high hopes for murphy

i'd be very happy with murphy and hannahan as the backup infielders next year.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Oct 7, 2007 8:30 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Donnie Murphy supporter right here!

We should play Jack Cust at shortstop for a week, just so we can feel good about Crosby again.

by Ozzz on Oct 7, 2007 8:41 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I like Murph...

I just hope he starts to show them he can swing the stick before he gets Ginterized...

"milton: maybe he didn't like you because you are a jerk. not a black jerk, but a jerk... i wish crosby was a jerk." - Eric in Atlanta

by AthleticsPTBNL on Oct 7, 2007 9:14 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I don't doubt that Murphy can

hit as well as Crosby (but I don't doubt that about most major leaguers). I do question whether he can match Crosby's defense. What I question most, unfortunately, is whether either of them is really an adequate SS for a full season.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 7, 2007 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The smart money is on no...

but we can't really move Crosby.  And anyways, if you wanted to sign a FA SS who would honestly be worth while as compared to what we already have.

Unless you encounter a situation where a 2nd or underappreciated SS on roster gets moved over here for a Dinardo type.  

by AsWin on Oct 7, 2007 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Eckstein could theoretically be worth it

if the A's were able to get him for a low enough salary. His plus OBP and ability to wear pitchers out make him modestly valuable.

If they could sign him for $4 million or less, he'd be a good pickup. Since the chances of that happening are roughly similar to the chances of Donald Fehr voluntarily agreeing to donate 50% of players' salaries to an Owners' Relief Fund, I think we can safely rule it out.

by PaulThomas on Oct 7, 2007 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

If we really...

wanted to spend our money on the SS position, I think it would be better to feel out the market for Alexei Ramirez or T. Nioka.  Of course that is dependent on 1) their cost and 2) if they make the cross over.

And if we, for example, signed Ramirez... what would a Crosby or Murphy actually net us.  It would have to be pitching help, as we only have so much money wise.

by AsWin on Oct 7, 2007 10:14 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I like Murphy...

If for no other reason than that he's not Bobby Crosby. I've had enough of Crosby, and I'm ready to see someone else at short. At least until Horton is ready in 2009, that is...

Oh, and don't mistake me for a lurking Crosby-hater. The only A's jersey I own is a #7, signed by "Bones" himself in spring training three years ago. I've decided to not curse any more players by buying jerseys or stubbornly supporting them when no one else will. See Johnson, Dan; Crosby, Bobby; and Komine, Shane...

Seriously, though, I think Murphy has a good shot of being an above-average contributer at SS for the next season or two. Not a star, but a Mark Ellis-type player -- with less defensive prowess.

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by Ryan Armbrust on Oct 7, 2007 10:37 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I like Murphy

and I hope the A's keep him as a utilityman, if nothing else. I think he's a far better "keep" than Marco Scutaro in the long haul. I do think he'll eventually be passed on the depth chart by Gregorio Petit, who seems to be learning how to hit as well as field, but obviously there's no guarantee of that happening. And his upside vastly surpasses that of Crosby at this point. Crosby is what he is, and what he is is a psychologically dismal hitter with virtually no prospects for improvement. To quote House, "There's no cure for the yips."

If the Royals didn't have their heads up their collective asses so profoundly, Murphy'd be looking like a guy with significant potential going forward. Instead, they cost him a lot of development time and basically all of his options. I literally can't understand the decision process which led to them burning an option on a 21-year-old kid from Single A. The results were really rather predictable.

They totally fucked up Dee Brown's career too (I think Joe Posnanski actually wrote something about this, if anyone feels like reading more about it). It's almost criminal how poorly the Royals managed their farm system in the early part of this decade.

by PaulThomas on Oct 7, 2007 11:26 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I've always liked him

He absolutely crushes lefties and has a very good slugging as you mentioned.  I would love him as a Kielty of the infield who always plays when a lefty is starting.  Hannahan would be nice off the bench too.  

As for a starting SS, I like Murphy as our internal option and I think he might do reasonably well.  That said I would love someone like Miggy or ARod or even a tier down Ramirez or Nioka (although the transition to the majors from Cuba scares mee).  SS could be a huge improvement for next year's team and Murphy, at least as a backup who starts against LHP, should be an integral part.

"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton

by vignette17 on Oct 7, 2007 11:43 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

That's the other asset Murphy brings

He's an excellent option as a platoon player. Being a right-handed platoon player basically sucks, but in his case it might be a stepping stone to a full-time starter's job a few years down the line.

Unfortunately, the two guys with whom I can visualize him making an above-average hitting platoon are Kevin Melillo (at 2nd base) and Jack Hannahan (at either 2nd or 3rd) and neither of them can really play shortstop, Melillo because of his arm and Hannahan because of his range.

Looking at his splits, Cliff Pennington (despite being a nominal switch-hitter) might be another platoon candidate, but it remains to be seen whether he actually ever becomes good enough to play in the majors at all.

by PaulThomas on Oct 8, 2007 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

i have trouble with the "donnie"

thing for someone over the age of, say, 3.

jesus saves. and espo scores on the rebound.

by oakath on Oct 8, 2007 7:52 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

There's a difference:

Danny has a very grown-up 3.07 ERA, whereas Donnie has a very childish .220 batting average.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 9, 2007 10:02 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I was very interested...
in seeing what Murphy could offer as the full-time shortstop. The injury was certainly a huge blow for him. However, I don't understand why when he came back from the injury, Scutaro was still starting at SS 90% of the time. Now we're still left with the same questions: can Murphy handle the position full-time? How does Murphy compare to Crosby over the long-haul? Should we keep Murphy or Scutaro as our utility?

I was very dissapointed in Murphy's management over the last 2-3 weeks of the season

by faninphilly on Oct 8, 2007 9:51 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

unless I'm mistaken

he had an appendicist and that likely was why he didn't have the playing time.

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by DMOAS on Oct 8, 2007 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

True

but between the injury and the surgery, I'm sure he started having symptoms of it hence the sudden where did he go-ness.

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by DMOAS on Oct 8, 2007 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Count Me In

We saw a lot of Donnie at AAA and he looked fine in the field (and better on TV with the A's - nice, strong arm), and a WAY better hitter than Crosby or Scutaro.  I would like to see him get the same number of starts as Hannahan and DJ before we try to find someone else.

by catfan on Oct 8, 2007 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Rick James loves Donnie Murphy...

"Hit that ball Donnie Murphy!"

"Baseball's a hell of a game."

"Just because the horseradish is a cultivar of different color and geographic origin doesn't make it less of either." - monkeyball

by McFood on Oct 8, 2007 2:04 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I'm Like Him, however......

.....I'm not sure whether we all like him because Bobby Crosby has been such as bust as the replacement for Miguel Tejada. THe A's went from a shortstop that was the 2002 American League MVP to a player that we were told would eventually be that good and has turned out instead to be injured and ineffective. It worries me that we are just desperate for ANYONE at that position and we are just going to project the same unrealistic expectations onto Murphy that we did Crosby, who BTW, also put up some crazy good numbers as a Sacramento River Cat.

by may7 on Oct 8, 2007 2:21 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Crosby vs Murphy

Crosby is three years older. If we compare age 24 seasons, Crosby was hitting .239/.319/.426 for the A's, so Murphy's .220/.290/.441 compares pretty well.

I don't think Murphy is likely to be an MVP any time soon, but I think he's likely to be at least league average given the playing time.

by MrIncognito on Oct 8, 2007 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Croz is the guy for 08 and likely 09

They believe in him and he is under contract.  If healthy, (HUGE if, Croz starts at SS in April, zero doubt.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Oct 8, 2007 5:09 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Um

"He has put up some crazy good AAA numbers despite being younger than his competition, and he's still only 24."

Murphy didn't make it to AAA til he was 24, and that's pretty old to make your AAA debut. He's played 45 games in AAA in his career, and his minor league line is .282/.350/.434, most of that in hitters parks in A and AA. I don't think there's anything to suggest he could be even a bad every day player in the majors.

by Nick86 on Oct 9, 2007 6:16 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Oh, come on

Those are fine numbers for a shortstop in the major leagues. Accepting the fact that minor league numbers are not major league numbers, it remains true that he's shown the ability to reach more or less that level in each league, despite missing significant development time thanks to the Royals' incompetence.

I grant you, he's not likely to be the next Omar Vizquel. But saying a guy isn't likely to become a star or even just an everyday guy is by no means the same as saying that he has no chance to be one.

by PaulThomas on Oct 9, 2007 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Also, part of why he "didn't make it to AAA

til he was 24" is that he was making it PAST AAA - not that he did well, or should have been rushed to the major leagues the way he was, but to say he didn't make it to AAA until he was 24 when in fact he made it past AAA...? Ka-mahn!

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 9, 2007 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

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