http://www.famouspictures.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/I_want_to_believe5.jpg
― panettone for the painfully alone (mayor jingleberries), Monday, 13 April 2015 23:58 (nine years ago) link
HOUSTON -- Mike Trout hit the 100th homer of his career on Friday, lofting a fly ball over the left-field fence at Minute Maid Park to become the youngest player with 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases.
― Van Horn Street, Saturday, 18 April 2015 02:48 (nine years ago) link
he's having a really great start
― k3vin k., Saturday, 18 April 2015 03:10 (nine years ago) link
to his career
― Karl Malone, Saturday, 18 April 2015 03:56 (nine years ago) link
arguably
Ben Lindbergh on the career of Jeff "Dad" Trout
http://grantland.com/features/2015-mlb-jeff-trout-mike-trout-father/
― the increasing costive borborygmi (Dr Morbius), Friday, 15 May 2015 14:33 (nine years ago) link
Sure to be a contentious issue in 2016:
http://www.nj.com/phillies/index.ssf/2015/05/president_barack_obama_petitioned_to_create_mike_t.html
― clemenza, Saturday, 16 May 2015 14:30 (nine years ago) link
that headline really makes it sound like obama created the petition!
― Karl Malone, Saturday, 16 May 2015 14:31 (nine years ago) link
I read it exactly the same as you did ("Wow, is he ever going to catch flak here for being a little distracted...").
― clemenza, Saturday, 16 May 2015 16:05 (nine years ago) link
He's brought down his strikeouts close to where they were his first couple of years, so maybe last year was a blip.
2012 - 21.8%2013 - 19.0%2014 - 26.1%2015 - 22.8%
Passed .300/.400/.600 last night.
― clemenza, Thursday, 9 July 2015 15:05 (eight years ago) link
Two more HR tonight.
― clemenza, Saturday, 11 July 2015 04:46 (eight years ago) link
I suspect Biggio may find his name on the internet a lot for the next 24 hours.
He was asked some questions on Twitter Friday as part of MLB's 'HOF Lounge,' including one from a person who asked which current player reminds him the most of himself. "Mike Trout. He's got a little more power, but the styles are similar as far as speed, power."
He really was a great player for four or five years...
― clemenza, Saturday, 25 July 2015 01:39 (eight years ago) link
damn
― nomar, Sunday, 26 July 2015 22:06 (eight years ago) link
Just a slightly thicker neck, too!
― Andy K, Sunday, 26 July 2015 23:52 (eight years ago) link
Biggio's career-high SLG was less than .050 Trout's current career SLG.
― Andy K, Sunday, 26 July 2015 23:59 (eight years ago) link
Biggio's Similarity Score list:
Robin Yount (836) *Derek Jeter (825)Joe Morgan (779) *Paul Molitor (778) *Roberto Alomar (773) *Cal Ripken (761) *Johnny Damon (760)Brooks Robinson (739) *Lou Whitaker (739)George Brett (735) *
Pretty fantastic list--eight inarguable HOF'ers, one guy (Whittaker) who most people feel should be in, and Damon, who was a fine player. Trout's way off--maybe sort of, if you ignore power, which would be ignoring a lot.
Actually, with 836 being the highest score, Biggio was relatively unique.
― clemenza, Monday, 27 July 2015 00:39 (eight years ago) link
trout is on pace to surpass biggio's WAR before turning 28
― mookieproof, Monday, 27 July 2015 03:36 (eight years ago) link
another monster game tonight. 4-4 with 2 HR and a walk
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Monday, 27 July 2015 05:31 (eight years ago) link
Obviously, looked at overall, it's an absurd comparison. But in trying to figure out what Biggio might have been thinking, here's what I come up with. You've got to jump through a few hoops.
I assume he's thinking of himself during his prime--not his first few years as a catcher, and definitely not his last few barely hanging on. If you limit the comparison to Biggio's '94-98 prime, and compare his pro-rated numbers (per/162 games) to Trout's pro-rated over his career, there are a few similarities.
BA: .308 (B)/.306 (T)OBP: .404 (B)/.396 (T)Runs: 130 (B)/122 (T)2B/3B: 41/5 (B)/36/7 (T)BB: 80 (B)/87 (T)SB/CS: 43/9 (B)/31/5 (T)
I'm sure he's thinking good contact, takes walks, extra-base power, steals bases, scores runs. You just have to conveniently ignore the huge HR difference (35-19), the era that Biggio played in, and all those other years when Biggio wasn't nearly as good. If he cherry-picked a different set of numbers, he could probably make a case that he was a lot like Harmon Killebrew.
― clemenza, Monday, 27 July 2015 05:34 (eight years ago) link
I'm sure he's just thinking 'good hustle'.
― Van Horn Street, Monday, 27 July 2015 19:36 (eight years ago) link
6.8 WAR already, according to BBR
― nomar, Monday, 27 July 2015 23:13 (eight years ago) link
a sabr-inclined yankee fan just asked me 'is mike trout's career floor now mickey mantle?'
i said 'could be, but what if harper's better?'
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 01:28 (eight years ago) link
they're both so young that picking one or the other seems foolish, but i'd lean trout
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 01:50 (eight years ago) link
has a new skill, sort of?
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/mike-trout-los-angeles-angels-mvp-power-opposite-field-homer-al-west-080715
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 August 2015 16:20 (eight years ago) link
Mike Trout is younger than 23 of the 25 players on the Angels' Triple-A roster.
― mookieproof, Friday, 7 August 2015 22:00 (eight years ago) link
Looks like one Syracuse Chief is younger than Bryce Harper.
― Andy K, Friday, 7 August 2015 22:23 (eight years ago) link
all AAA teams are full of olds though
― qualx, Saturday, 8 August 2015 02:49 (eight years ago) link
that is true. tbh it points to the angels system totally sucking almost as much as trout being young and insane
― mookieproof, Saturday, 8 August 2015 02:54 (eight years ago) link
no one has led the league in runs scores 4 straight years; he might. #CountingStats
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Friday, 14 August 2015 18:45 (eight years ago) link
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/so-you-want-an-edge-against-mike-trout/
this is pretty amazing. trout has seen about 270 first-pitch curves in his career, depending on whose count you go by. he's swung at one of them
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Friday, 28 August 2015 02:25 (eight years ago) link
^^^ especially lol because ok, you're ahead 0-1 after a taken first-pitch curve; for some reason he's now even better
― mookieproof, Friday, 28 August 2015 17:43 (eight years ago) link
yeah that makes NO sense lol
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Friday, 28 August 2015 18:27 (eight years ago) link
i still love this guy btw but it's kind of lame how he's turned into more or less a slugger who's average-to-slghtly-above-average at everything else
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Friday, 28 August 2015 18:28 (eight years ago) link
he's still #4 in WAR (#3 if you dont count greinke) behind goldschmidt and harper, but i m/l agree
wouldnt be surprised if donaldson passes him by that metric before season's end and def think donaldson is the AL MVP favorite
― slothroprhymes, Friday, 28 August 2015 18:57 (eight years ago) link
oh i mean he's more or less the best hitter in the league, so he makes up for it, but the baserunning and defense highlights are a lot rarer these days so he's just a little less fun to watch
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Friday, 28 August 2015 19:15 (eight years ago) link
yeah i havent gone out of my way to watch an angels game in a while, which i used to do for his sake the last 2 years all the time - last one i saw was the recent 15-3 thrashing by the blue jays in which he went 0 for 3 and made exactly one catch, not an especially great one
― slothroprhymes, Friday, 28 August 2015 19:37 (eight years ago) link
It's definitely making the Harper and Trout comparisons a lot less one-sided since they're basically the same-ish player these days.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Friday, 28 August 2015 19:39 (eight years ago) link
Two HR in Aug/Sept! Also:
Aug: .218/.352/.337Sept: .242/.395/.455
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 13 September 2015 10:19 (eight years ago) link
two bombs tonight, Angels about to move 2.5 games out from a WC berth. "Recency bias" might get him that MVP after all.
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Friday, 18 September 2015 03:26 (eight years ago) link
also "being really good"
― qualx, Friday, 18 September 2015 03:51 (eight years ago) link
very troutian TTO game tonight -- 1 K, 2 HR, 3 BB
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Friday, 18 September 2015 04:02 (eight years ago) link
https://vine.co/v/expH5iXrOWJ
― mookieproof, Sunday, 27 September 2015 02:42 (eight years ago) link
niiiiice
― usic ally (k3vin k.), Sunday, 27 September 2015 03:21 (eight years ago) link
Mike Trout has a Smart Bat
http://www.halosheaven.com/2016/2/29/11133690/mike-trouts-new-smart-bat-is-going-to-impact-baseball-in-a-big-way
― we can be heroes just for about 3.6 seconds (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 1 March 2016 14:42 (eight years ago) link
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/bryce-harper-is-catching-up-to-mike-trout/
― Van Horn Street, Monday, 18 April 2016 21:06 (eight years ago) link
3 hits today, still just at .730 ops. this must be his worst april.
― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, 20 April 2016 21:31 (eight years ago) link
he'll be fine.
― we can be heroes just for about 3.6 seconds (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 April 2016 21:35 (eight years ago) link
i'm sure he will.
― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, 20 April 2016 21:36 (eight years ago) link
http://m.mlb.com/video/v609809983/laacws-trouts-440foot-homer/?affiliateId=clubMEGAMENU
440 feet :O
― k3vin k., Friday, 22 April 2016 03:31 (eight years ago) link
bat starting to show some signs of life
― k3vin k., Friday, 22 April 2016 03:36 (eight years ago) link