Comments on: Kevin Youkilis is happy to move to third base for Adrian Gonzalez http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/ Baseball. Baseball. And then a bit more baseball. Thu, 23 May 2013 02:31:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Old Gator http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95400 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:00:10 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95400 That’s probably true, except that third base at Fenway also just got a lot uglier. Do you think playing with a bag over his head would make Youklis’ defense any worse if the eyeholes were cut large enough?

]]> By: concretepiggy http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95385 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:05:08 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95385 Courtesy of the great Old Hoss Radbourn: ‘Hoss would really like an article, stat, on A. Gonzalez being crushed by the weight of East Coast Pressure.’

]]> By: henryd3rd http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95346 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 07:39:30 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95346 Keep in mind Gonzalez put up his numbers in the Little league and there was little if ever any pressure on him in San Diego. Let’s see what he does in the best division in baseball. Plus bear in mind we’re talking about Boston as well. Can you spell pressure? Many a prima donna has wilted under that pressure, just ask JD Drew

]]> By: JBerardi http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95335 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 05:02:42 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95335 Last three years combined:

ARod: .286/.378/.537

Youk .308/.404/.560

Or, if we go advanced, here’s the five highest Fangraphs WAR totals for all 3Bs for the last three calender years:

Evan Longoria – 19.6
Ryan Zimmerman – 16.4
David Wright – 15.1
Alex Rodriguez – 14.4
Adrian Beltre – 13.5

Youkilis, during the same period, has accumulated 15.7 WAR, so he’s right up there with the best of them. Side note, Longoria is the best player in baseball BY FAR if you consider his contract.

]]> By: heartinboston http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95318 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 02:37:14 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95318 I don’t think he did forget AROD. If you compare A-Rod’s stats from this past year and Youk from 09 (i’m omiting last year because it was injury shortened), the stats are pretty similar.

BA OBP SLG OPS
A-Rod (2010) 270 / 341 / 506 / 847 30 HR, 125 RBI
Youk (2009) 307 / 413 / 548 / 961 27 HR, 94 RBI

A-Rod has a few more HR and more RBI, but Youk has him in all the other percentage categories. And if Youk can play defense at third like he used to when he came up originally, he has A-Rod defensively as well. A-rod is 4 years older than Youkilis as well. So it is not outlandish to think that Youkilis could possibly be the best 3B in the league.

]]> By: rick1922 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95307 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:21:39 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95307 I think you forgot a guy named AROD.

]]> By: JBerardi http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/04/kevin-youkilis-is-happy-to-move-to-third-base-for-adrian-gonzalez/comment-page-1/#comment-95270 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:39:37 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=29440#comment-95270 If Youk can still play a decent third base, and he hits the way he has the last three years or so, he’s the best 3B in the league. Possibly the best in all of baseball.

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