Carroll: Cleveland's Favorite Eckstein

Crap. I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened.

"Pest." "Hustle." "Slightly-built." "Running out" things. And the very worst of them all: "A throwback type of player."

The celebration of tiny, mediocre, slap-hitting jockey-looking little men continues. (To be fair, I like Carroll--decent on-base skills, good pickup as a utility infielder. But come on people--for the sake of all that is good and right in this world, we can't let this go any further)

over 3 years ago Cap'n Snegiryov 27 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I had the exact same thought while reading the article. My god, it’s like Joe Maxse just copy/pasted his favorite Eckstein article.

I think it’s a bit hypocritical for the PD to write an article like this but overlook Carroll’s history of getting into fights with teammates. It only took me five seconds to find this picture of Carroll about to throw down.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jun 17, 2008 6:39 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Don’t forget this other important fact: he’s white.

by Buckeye Brad on Jun 17, 2008 9:02 AM EDT reply actions

Yep. The media know very few scrappy, hustling Latino players.

Let's Go 2009!

by emd2k3 on Jun 17, 2008 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions

ronnie belliard

by dwight on Jun 17, 2008 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

This fact is way overrated.

He has to be white and under 6 feet tall.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jun 17, 2008 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Only a pest? Not a piranha?

by Jay on Jun 17, 2008 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

You know, utility guys as a rule have to be do all the little things to stay in the league because they can’t do the big things (hit and/or field).

by Ryan on Jun 17, 2008 11:12 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs

If I could give this statement 12 recommendations I would.

Free Andy Marte!

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Jun 17, 2008 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

rec … but I do feel that Carroll is right on the line — he’s a fringe everyday player and a very high-quality backup. I am very pleased that we have him, and I think it was a sharp pickup given the risks of putting an under-developed Asdrubal in the starting lineup, and the advantages of sending Barfield to Buffalo.

by Jay on Jun 17, 2008 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

Obligatory: He’s a baseball player.

by fleerdon on Jun 17, 2008 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I love pesky, fiesty, hustling slap hitters. Every winnng Indians team I can remember had at least one. My favorite is Cleveland born and bred Elmer Flick a 5’9” 168 lb. HoFer who was almost traded to Detroit for Ty Cobb. While with the Naps he and Lajoie got into it and Frick broke Lajoie’s hand with his face. I’d love it if we had another scrapper like this on the Tribe. Might be exactly what we need to get us going.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jun 17, 2008 1:05 PM EDT reply actions

What’s important is to make sure that this scrapper is also Good At Baseball. Flick was – career 149 OPS+. I would support the acquisition of such a player.

by Voltaire on Jun 17, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

He wasn’t scrappy, he was Really Good.

by Jay on Jun 17, 2008 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

By scrappy I meant the boy would fight when provoked. I’ll always remember Delucci jumpin’ up to protect one of his own. Gotta respect that.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jun 17, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Isn’t Eckstein a pacifist?

by elsandito on Jun 17, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

that’s why he won’t harm baseballs. just gently nudges them into the shallow outfield from time to time.

by Brick. on Jun 17, 2008 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

You know the best story about Eckstein, right? He was named to the B’nai B’rith All-American team — the story is already hilarious at this point, just finding out that such a thing exists. But the punchline is, he’s not even Jewish, they just assumed he was because of the name.

by Jay on Jun 18, 2008 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Ashkenazi Jews can’t jump.

by elsandito on Jun 18, 2008 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Right, which was kinda my point. There’s almost a 100% correlation between “scrappy” and “bad at baseball” (as FJM has reminded us countless times).

by Voltaire on Jun 17, 2008 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know about all that. I’ll I know is that today, right this minute, Carrol’s a better baseball player than either Asdrubal or Barfield – scrappy or not.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jun 17, 2008 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Here’s how to know all about that.

by Voltaire on Jun 17, 2008 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m sorry you lost me here. Are you trying to say it’s because of small sample size, is that it? Cuz small sample size or not, Carrol’s still a better baseball player. We’ll talk again in 6 weeks or so.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jun 17, 2008 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I don’t think there’s really an argument that can be made on this one, other than AsCab being the better defender right now, but he sure as hell wasn’t able to hit enough to stay in the league (although I think AAA is exactly where he should have been coming into the season if not for his solid showing in less than a half season in the bigs last season).

by hans on Jun 18, 2008 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions

The difference in defensive value may be pretty marginal, too. Carroll arrived with a great defensive rep, and I’ve seen nothing to convince me otherwise.

by Jay on Jun 18, 2008 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions

slightly off topic about Asdrubal—did you know that he had already walked 22 times this season before being sent down to AAA?

I actually think that’s pretty impressive-he was normally batting in the 8 or 9 hole to begin with, and it’s not like he was being pitched around, what with his .184 BA and his sub.300 SLG.

by Cap'n Snegiryov on Jun 18, 2008 3:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Carroll has always had a pretty good K/BB ratio as a hitter, and with the right BABIP luck can post a nice and acceptable-above avg. OBP. He’s had OBP in the .370s twice in the past four seasons. So this season’s .379 OBP isn’t that far-fetched, although its been boosted by a .343 BAbip…..Carroll’s career BAbip is .314

by hans on Jun 17, 2008 2:55 PM EDT reply actions