Let me follow up to that last post with a bit of self indulgence.
I do not want to distract from what my point was there by going off on this tangent but I want to get this thought out there too - it is an opinion that you may very well hear from me again, repeatedly, in the coming weeks:
Scott Rolen is a "difference maker" - no, Scott Rolen is THE Difference Maker for the Toronto Blue Jays.
I can't back this up with statistical comparisons between Rolen and Glaus (and I liked Glaus fine) but I believe this team is on an entirely different level, as a contender, by having Scott Rolen in the clubhouse and on the field. There are all sorts of things, inate and circumstantial, which keep 28 teams out of the World Series every year, and any prediction in that regard is so much guesswork....but I tell you truthfully that before Rolen, my opinion was "we might be able to make the playoffs and hope our pitching carries us a while." My opinion today? We have as solid a chance at winning the World Series as any team in the AL.
Cal that homerism if you like, but it's also an illustration of the fact that I'm more excited about the acquisition of Scott Rolen than I have been about any player in a long long time. So don't be surprised if a lot of my commentary reflects that opinion.
~WillRain
3 comments:
That's noble, Will. But as much as a healthy Rolen, I think, will be a huge improvement over Glaus (despite the lesser bat and possibly only marginally better D-- if you believe some systems), the whole season, considering the depth they've added, hinges on whether it's the '06 Wells or the '07 Wells that shows up.
I'm so excited about this year I can barely stand it. I hope that excitement stays through October!
Oh, Stoeten, don't read it like it's a stats thing. I agree there are much more important performance issues than what Rolen brings in that regard. Wells, of course, being huge in that regard.
No, this is more of an "intangible" issue - a "gut feeling" so to speak. I can't and won't trap myself into trying to PROVE it. I just figured I might as well be up front about that bias.
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