Crosby can't hold Scutaro's jock

by Swishdball on Nov 21, 2007 4:05 PM PST Comment 26 comments

So, let me get this straight. If you are a high draft pick with decent size that "looks" the part of being a baseball player but in reality couldn't hit land if you fell off a camel (Bobby Crosby), you can have a starting gig with the Oakland A's. But, if you work hard, scrap your way to the big leagues, and continue year in and year out to earn a roster spot by constantly getting game winning clutch hits and never bitching or moaning about your role (Marco Scutaro), the Oakland A's will trade you. This, my friends, is why the A's are what they are. Close, but no cigar. Good luck Marco, I'm happy you're going a team that will appreciate a player like you a f@ckload better than Billy Beane ever did. I'll never forget the bases loaded double that cleared that bases in Game 3 of the ALDS in 2006 against the Twinkies. Or the pinch hit bottom of the 9th game winning homer off Mariano Rivera in April. You are the man, Marco. Bobby Crosby isn't worth your jock. More to come. Go Jays! Serenity now...

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Unfortunately...

unlike Crosby, Scutaro apparently holds a small sliver of trade value.

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Nov 21, 2007 4:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Another well thought out diary

Scutaro was traded, not because Beane did not appreciate him, because paying $2 million for a light-hitting, average defensive backup is stupid when we can get the same, if not better, production from Donnie Murphy.

Beane and co. know what Crosby brings to the table (nothing) and if the recent rumors that we're looking for an infielder are true then Crosby should be afraid. Even if we don't pick up a new middle-infielder then Petit will probably be the starting SS mid-season anyway.

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Nov 21, 2007 5:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

...with a great camel/land line ...

... that I appreciated and intend to steal. Thanks!

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Nov 22, 2007 6:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The A's didn't need a pure salary dump

which is what "trading" (I use the term loosely, because more likely it would have been "waiving") Crosby would have been. He has no trade value at this point. What they needed, and got, was some prospects with upside. (And downside, admittedly, but since I don't really follow the travails of the Stockton Ports, I'm not likely to ever see that.)

cardinalprecepts.blogspot.com

by PaulThomas on Nov 21, 2007 5:30 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I don't know about holding it

but I would bet he couldn't hit it.

by sprtsnwyn on Nov 21, 2007 5:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'd hit it.

"It was inevitable that his natural man-love for all things catcher would eventually overcome his grief at the loss of Jason Kendall." -- PaulThomas

by oblique on Nov 21, 2007 7:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know, if he asked Marco nicely I'm

sure he'd let him hold it for a while.

by OldhamA on Nov 23, 2007 9:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

scrboru

concur. Good call!

by Swishdball on Nov 23, 2007 5:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Buy a vowel, dude.

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 Nov 23, 2007 8:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The difference is defense

For all of Scutaro's memorable hits, he and Crosby are both, ultimately, the same thing offensively: Not good. The problem is that Scutaro is also not a great defensive SS - he has been playing "out of position" (valiantly but not brilliantly) since Ellis came back from his injury. Crosby is an above-average defensive SS at a position in which defense is of paramount importance. That's why he still gets pegged over Scutaro for an everyday job.

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 Nov 21, 2007 6:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I love how we've all...

Pretty much forgotten Crosby's "big hits." The walk-off in game 158 in 2004, etc.

I'm not saying Crosby's good, or that clutch hitters exist (maybe they do, but I don't want my team's front office making decisions based on "big game hitting"), but it seems unfair and short sighted to claim that Scutaro was a better clutch hitter based on, like, 8 big hits, whereas if we go back and cherry pick Crosby's finest moments, we could probably come up with a few "big hits."

by BWH on Nov 21, 2007 6:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sure Crosby has had SOME big hits

(I remember a big 2-run single against K-Rod), but proportionally Crosby has had very few for the number of chances while proportionally Scutaro has had a lot for the number of chances.

All that means is that the one thing Scutaro really excelled at was "getting the big walk-off hit". Crosby does some things well but "getting the big walk-off hit" doesn't happen to be one of them. Actually, just "getting the big hit." Actually, just "getting hits".

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 Nov 21, 2007 8:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He excels at getting hit, however.

cardinalprecepts.blogspot.com

by PaulThomas on Nov 22, 2007 1:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So is Ellis.

by OldhamA on Nov 23, 2007 9:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If I were a Toronto fan

I'd be worried about Scutaro playing a lot at SS on astroturf -- I think it could exacerbate his range limitations.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Nov 21, 2007 7:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd just worry about him hitting

a lot in general. Like (probably) Donnie Murphy (unfortunately), Scutaro gets worse as he gets more exposed. Though given Toronto's standard for a SS, which is John MacDonald's career sub-.300 OBP, the bar is not set all that high.

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 Nov 21, 2007 8:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The thing is, McDonald is a walking Web Gem.

Scutaro... not so much.

cardinalprecepts.blogspot.com

by PaulThomas on Nov 22, 2007 1:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I actually love the guy

Wish he could hit (and then join the A's).

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 Nov 22, 2007 3:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Scutaro/Crosby comparison

The fans dislike Crosby because he has loads of talent and potential and never seems to improve or become the star we would like him to be.
The fans adore Scutaro because he gets the most out of the limited skills he does possess. No one had any illusions that he could be a star, we were delighted with any production we got from him.
Both Crosby and Scutaro will probably be about .240 career hitters with limited punch. The difference here is that Scoot hits about .125 when we are up or down 5+ runs and about .475 when we reallllly, realllllly need a hit. Crosby hits about .275 when we are up/down 5+runs, and when we realllllly, reallllly need a hit, he hits...a popup on the infield.
If both are healthy, Crosby gets the start because SS is, as mentioned by Nico in a previous post, primarily a defensive spot, and Crosby gets the nod there...
Thanks, Marco, for being more than anyone hoped or expected...good luck with the Jays. You'll always wear Green and Gold in our memories...

by kitoko on Nov 22, 2007 1:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

You nailed it

Another (very impressionistic) comparison might be how each responds to his own errors. Scutaro shows the momentary dissatisfaction professionals normally show when they've flubbed; Crosby regularly shows a "where am I?" look, which just does not inspire confidence.

Do You Know the Way to East Bay A's?

by FanSinceKC on Nov 22, 2007 8:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

.475?

OK, I know the hyperbole was intentionally, well, hyperbolic, but Scoot's true career clutch numbers are...

Runners in Scoring Position, 2 Outs (BA/OBP/SLG): .240/.369/.357
Late & Close: .252/.322/.376
Tie Game: .255/.328/.370
Team within 1 Run: .266/.323/.392

Career Overall: .259/.320/.384

(Late & Close are PA in the 7th or later with the batting team tied, ahead by one, or the tying run at least on deck.)

Not saying i won't miss him, though...

by Aaron C on Nov 22, 2007 8:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ummm . . .

If he has loads of talent, why has he never produced much of anything? At what point is "upside" revealed as "downside"?

by Mudcat on Nov 22, 2007 4:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

that's a really big "if" at the end there.

I think the A's think that health/durability over a 162 game season is like a crapshoot too - "well, if so-and-so is healthy, then we can do a lot of things" etc.

But that hasn't been the case with three very important players: Crosby, Chavez, Harden. Put Kotsay on that list, Buck has been there, Swisher too... maybe it's just not cheap. Health and durability was a big factor in Zito signing his big contract... maybe the A's just can't afford it, the market for players who last all season is too pricey? At $2 million? I'm just looking at the A's "track record" on the DL and thinking that not much will change over the next season.

...OK, I guess so. I can accept it. I will miss Marco Scutaro, he had those intangible qualities we all try to quantify, those merits which statistics actually lie about (i.e. walk-off hits put him in the same category as David Ortiz for awhile there).

Now some years removed from the Eric Byrnes trade, this past season he almost cracked the top 10 in NL MVP votes for the D'Backs. I predict a similar future for Marco, and I wish him all the best with his new team.

Bob Geren, on 8/2/07, on the success of Alan Embree as new interim closer: "What can I say,... he's been our Steady Tremendous Bullpen Man"

by popcornjames on Nov 25, 2007 10:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the real reason the A's let him go

is the combination of a low OBP and the reality that his best defensive position is 2B. If Marco were a plus (Crosby level) defensive SS, I think he'd still be here.

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 Nov 25, 2007 3:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs