Bless You Boys' new series: grading the players

by Kurt Mensching on Oct 10, 2010 7:42 PM EDT in Housekeeping

This year, I thought we'd grade the players. This is something I haven't done before, or if I did do it I did so all in one post. I thought it would be better if we took things a little slower, looking at a new player each day and seeing where he succeeded and where he fell short.

Of course, this is going to be subjective. The grades will be my own, but it's going to be incomplete without you guys weighing in with your comments. I plan to look not just at this season, but what this season might indicate about 2011.

So who gets included? Twenty-one position players and 20 pitchers saw action, after all. Emphasis will be placed on players who competed the entire season or finished the year with the team, and who have a possible future in Detroit. What's that mean? We'll talk about outgoing Tigers Gerald Laird and Johnny Damon still. But I want to shy away from prospects like Andy Oliver or Danny Worth, as I prefer to leave that for our minor league guys. Don't expect me to talk too much about Dontrelle Willis or Adam Everett, either. They failed to complete the season in Detroit, so you can just pencil in "F" on your report cards.

I'm going to go through these, one a day during the weekdays, in the following schedule (sorry pitcher lovers, position players come first):

Oct 11 -- Alex Avila

Oct 12 -- Brennan Boesch

Oct 13 -- Miguel Cabrera

Oct 14 -- Johnny Damon

Oct 15 -- Brandon Inge

Oct 18 -- Carlos Guillen

Oct 19 -- Austin Jackson

Oct 20 -- Gerald Laird

Oct 21 -- Don Kelly

Oct 22 -- Magglio Ordonez

Oct 25 -- Jhonny Peralta

Oct 26 -- Ryan Raburn

Oct 27 -- Will Rhymes

Oct 28 -- Ramon Santiago

Oct 29 -- Scott Sizemore

Nov 1 -- Casper Wells

Nov 2 -- Jeremy Bonderman

Nov 3 -- Armando Galarraga

Nov 4 -- Rick Porcello

Nov 5 -- Max Scherzer

Nov 8 -- Justin Verlander

Nov 9 -- Phil Coke

Nov 10 -- Eddie Bonine

Nov 11 -- Ryan Perry

Nov 12 -- Brad Thomas

Nov 15 -- Robbie Weinhardt

Nov 16 -- Jose Valverde

And if I left off someone you'd really like to see graded we can add them at the end. Just let me know in the comments. I'll be putting this list on the left sidebar, by the way, so you can check back anytime throughout the offseason. Bonus: At some point I'll do a look at manager Jim Leyland, and you can expect an update to last year's feature at Mack Avenue Tigers looking at GM Dave Dombrowski.

So enjoy the series, and be sure to participate! Thanks!

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Comments

It's almost alphabetical order, by their last names

…almost.

Also, What about Thomas?

by SweetLouDoubleU on Oct 10, 2010 10:00 PM EDT reply actions

oh yes, he'll be a part of it

I knew I was going to forget someone somewhere.

Bless You Boys.com

by Kurt Mensching on Oct 10, 2010 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I've already done his....

I've written this status to catch your eye and take you to an enchanted land.

by madpoopz on Oct 10, 2010 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Great idea!

Plus, it covers your topics for a month and a half!

I’m looking forward to the series. Avila tomorrow!

Granderson was my Tiger, then Sizemore, then Willis. Since they're all gone, I'm taking Raburn and hoping the pattern holds.

by momotigers on Oct 10, 2010 10:25 PM EDT reply actions

I usually give out player grades based on a "C is average" scale

So, a player who is league average at his position gets a C. Best in the league might get an A, and so on. The Tigers would have several incomplete grades, because they had so many players this season that may have been very good for the short time that they were with the team, but couldn’t possibly have contributed enough to warrant a complete grade.
I have found in the past that this method renders results that are a bit harsher than some are comfortable with. Bench players hardly get better than average grades, and the system is impatient with developing players, as there is no slack given for potential or lack of experience. The grades also say nothing of a player’s market value for the same reasons. Should be a fun series. I’m looking forward to it.

If you survived 2003, you can get through this!

by Tigerdog1 on Oct 11, 2010 3:43 AM EDT reply actions

Great

Now I have something to look forward to :P

by DetroitSports on Oct 11, 2010 4:25 PM EDT reply actions

Sounds Fun

This help pass some of the Northern Michigan Winter time away. I’ll weigh in as I have time. I think I have my own way of already at least grading the postion players. Since we’re using grades I will go to the old school system 4=A, 3=B, C=2 etc. I will then break down the players in the following catergories 1. Offense. 2 Defense. 3. Base Running.
4. Hitting with runners on base or scoring position. 5. Intagibles. Intagibles can mean, how good a team mate, willingness to give up an AB for sacrifice, good/bad pithces swung at etc… How our player stacks up against the rest of the league at his position. I will then give these guys a number in each of these areas, add up the total and divide by 5 and we have our grade. Sorry, Im not going to use the WAR stats and all that stuff. So lets let the report cards begin.

by blueleo1 on Oct 11, 2010 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

I don't know about passing the northern michigan winter

but at least it’ll take you to rifle deer season!

Bless You Boys.com

by Kurt Mensching on Oct 11, 2010 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Zumaya,

but he may have spent too much time on the DL for a full evaluation.

by TJ92 on Oct 11, 2010 6:42 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t expect me to talk too much about Dontrelle Willis or Adam Everett, either. They failed to complete the season in Detroit, so you can just pencil in “F” on your report cards.

I’d give them a “FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!”

by Big Z in Orlando on Oct 13, 2010 3:56 PM EDT reply actions