Dee Gordon can steal 70 bases. ‘Nuff said. He’s Juan Pierre before he started bulking up and hitting two homers a year. “Juan, did you eat all your spinach?” “Yes, mother!” For some reason, I picture Juan Pierre living with the mother from Throw Momma from the Train and talking like Napoleon Dynamite. Dee Gordon is so fast he just ran into your room, moved your last wisp of hair from the left side of your head to your right side and all you felt was a small breeze. On Bill James’s Speed Score, he had a 9.0 in Triple-A. Jose Reyes was the fastest in the major leagues last year at 8.4. Frankly, the name Dee Gordon just sounds fast to me, and don’t call me Frank Lee. He’s like a coked-out-of-his-mind Ron LeFlore on six Red Bulls. He’s Michael J. Fox in the episode of Family Ties when he takes speed to study for a test. He’s Alex P. Keaton’s roller chair sliding from first base to second. So what can we expect of Dee Gordon for 2012 fantasy baseball and what makes him a keeper?
The speed, doode. Wasn’t that clear? His walk rate isn’t going to win any awards, unless we’re talking about the “Dusty Baker You Don’t Need To Walk” award. In 233 plate appearances last year with the Dodgers, he had 7 walks. Burp. In 313 Triple-A plate appearances, he had 18 walks. More indigestion. It’s all right; as with most speedsters, he hits the ball on the ground and runs and runs and runs and…You get the drift. If Gordon’s ground ball rate would’ve qualified last year, he would’ve been up there with Ichiro, Andrus and Maybin (and Casey Kotchman — wow, did he get lucky with balls batted into play). Gordon can hit 30 dribblers a year and get 40 steals. He’s not going to give you any power (not even bulked up Juan Pierre power) or RBIs. He’s only 150 pounds soaking wet. He’s a string bean with legs! The rest of the five categories, he should be fine in — say 80/0/30/.265/45. It’s not worth spending money on taking him to an all-you-can-eat buffet, but he is worth keeping in fantasy for the right price.
Rangers sign Joe Nathan apparently. Perhaps they are resigned to losing CJ Wilson and are just going to go with all relievers next year.
Speed? Have you seen Dee’s?
DEEZ NUTS
after the 1st week , the shop foreman invited me into his office
for a chat …. i didn’t last long after that .
up until then , i was a picker/packer .
at the end of the line , the shift supervisor (also spoke english)
took the boxes and put them on skids and moved them into the trucks .
i think he was the guy who ratted me out .
pay was poor (but much needed) , and it was all the grapefruit that
you could eat .
@mic: Totally cray. Re: That article: every reality show adds stuff that isn’t real, I’m sure that document he ripped up was fake, but the $1000 the gave the chef wasn’t back pay it was how much employers have to give fired employees according to David Blaine on the show, he mentioned that. I also saw that about, uh, Saw.
@Awesomus Maximus: Oh, yeah… I read some articles on the crazy father about the amounts and the coup de grace…. The father committed the son to a mental hospital, involuntarily. Ha!
@chata: Not sure, why?
@Awesomus Maximus: I actually went there last night because curiosity is outta control for these nutcases… The son was wearing the hat! The girlfriend was there! No crazy father or mother, who was about to fall asleep with the Yelpers! I didn’t have the nerve to actually eat there do I went next door for Japanese. Yeah, I knew he was a mafia boss that’s why I told you to look up the book on Google. Best episode ever!
@chata: sounds good
@Jeff from Tallahassee: I think he’s definitively capable of putting up a better average but I wouldn’t count on that.
@TheNewGuy: I’d take him for $14.
Whats the thoughts on Matt Cain. A guy I always feel is underrated and I might have a chance to get him. How much do we expect him to go for in auction next year? He’s currently at $11 in my league, so if I get him could offer him a contract of $14 for 1 yr or $17 for 2 years…some value in the 1 yr deal right?
Dee Gordon is a guy that I luuvv for next year.. I like your projections, but I think he can continue to hit for a high average. He had a high LD%, a high GB% (though in a small sample size), and fantastic speed so I think a relatively high BABIP is sustainable. He also usually had very high BABIP’s in the minors. So my projections are the same as yours but with a ~0.290 average which would make him a top 10 SS.. Do you think this makes sense or am I being way too optimistic?
congrats to Rudy and family .
Awwww. That’s great. Well done Mr, Mrs and Miss Rudy.
Little girls are cool. Did they know that they were having a girl?
Do you think Gordon’s severe lack of patience at the plate will cost him playing time in 2012?
***Rudy had his kid (well, his wife did). Baby girl — all healthy and good.****
pod-cast ?
tell us about the rabbits , george .
@Steve: just started contractions. Long process, I guess.
Any word from the delivery room?
Another great baseball column in the middle of November. You the man Grey…
Gordon seems like the prototypical “nab him on every team” SS of 2012 that you usually tout, Grey.
Is this how you’re leaning with him?
“Watch me paste this pathetic palooka with a powerful, paralyzing, perfect pachydermous percussion pitch”
-B. Bunny
I have Dee Gordon as the 12 rated ss in my early ranks. His “looks like Wille McGee score” is off my chart.
but we love bugs bunny and Dee,s legs
all we have is Paulie talking about bugs bunny today?
LOL
Dee Gordon apparently has Bugs Bunny numbers in regards to speed. When Bugs was at bat, he whacked the first ball, dashed around the bases like a whirlwind, but found a Gorilla blocking home plate. He then pulled out a pin-up poster – perhaps Rita Hayworth – distracting the Gorilla and allowing Bugs to score.
One more thing. I believe that the derivation of the “Bugs” in Bugs Bunny was an antediluvian reference to baseball fans, or fanatics (also sometimes referrred to as cranks.). Bugs was also a fairly common nickname for someone who was crazy as a bedbug. Consider Rube Waddell, who also had Bugs Bunny numbers, and was likely the most bizarre, eccentric ballplayer and talented player in the history of rounders.
Grey, this is a reply to yesterday’s post, which I didn’t get to read until today.
“Bugs Bunny numbers” is a reference to a Looney Tune cartoon first released in 1944, and then again in 1946.
Bugs is the pitcher in the cartoon. His fastball is thrown at such a speed that it zips by the batter, and then knocks out Bugs into the the backstop as he outraces the ball in a dual role as opposing catcher. Picture Sid Finch, if you will. He had Bugs Bunny numbers.