MSNBC – Braves, Mondesi agree on 1-year deal
Why? This almost makes Brian Jordan look good.
Mondesi was actually semi-useful in 2003, putting up a .272/.343/.484 line between Arizona and the Yankees. My suspicion was that he’d fattened up on lefties, but he actually hit better (less power, but much more BA/OBA) against righties that year. He was a lot better in his home parks, but since it was mostly Yankee Stadium, a pitcher’s park, I don’t really count that.
On the other hand, he was terrible last season, then went nuts or something. I’m still not really clear what happened, and I’ve forgotten most of it, but he pissed off two teams and didn’t play in the second half. And in 2002, he sucked, and he’s “34” now.
The Braves have reportedly given him right field. He can throw still, but he’s slowed down a lot over the last few years. It’s possible he’ll give them the old Brian Jordan level of production, but I wouldn’t take this bozo on a bet. At least he’s cheap — one year, $1 million with incentives.
UPDATE: Now Frank Wren says that it’s not true, that they’ve talked to some guys which might include Mondesi but he hasn’t been signed. Remember, Mondesi makes things up.
Frankly, it’s hard to see the Braves signing such a headcase.
If he really made this up, that dispels any chance of the Braves signing him. Thank god.
I fear that even Mondi could not make up this story. I am 75% confident there will be an announcement by the end of the day tomorrow. I sure hope I am wrong.
In an unrelated note, ESPN comments on Estrada’s lack of patience. No surprise there.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=schwarz_alan&id=1964607
Either it’s awful or it’s brilliant (if it’s true). Either way, I’m going to side with JS.
That patience analysis was interesting, but I think it highlights exactly what is wrong with the stats only analysis outlook. Sometime a stat can represent two completely different things and appear the same. Why is it that Adam Dunn sees so many pitches per at bat? Because he misses just about everything he swings at, but since he swings so damn much, he also hits alot. The author tries to conclude that seeing more pitches make one more patient, yet it could easily be explained that the better hitter gets his pitch the first time, and doesn’t have to try several times.
Patience is irrelevent, what is important is working the count. Patience is PART of that, but only a part. Estrada knows how to work the count, and that’s why any pitcher would dread seeing him up to bat in a tight spot. The same with Julio Franco. There’s still a game being played, it’s isn’t all numbers.
Someone has to play RF. Better Mondesi than Jordan.
Please, Please no MONDESI, this guy is trouble, got to believe we’d be better off with young hungry player from the system, than this fat overpaid jerk.
Dunn walked 108 times last year, and 113 times per 162 games for his career. His career OBP is 133 points higher than his career BA. Clearly, he’s showing some patience.
FWIW, I endeavored recently to find out what player had the highest percentage of foul balls per pitches seen. The leader, by far, was Johnny Estrada. I think #2 was Vlad, but Estrada’s foul ball percentage was significantly higher even than the #2 player. Something like 26% I think, to 24% for Vlad. Zeile was the lowest, which jibes with what Schwarz found, I suppose.
I don’t remember where I found the data, or to what it was apropos at the time. I guess it was so that I could post a reply to the Braves Journal message board two months later, making this the best of all possible worlds. Somebody tell Pangloss.
How about that he hit 24 or more homers every year 1995-2003? I think Brian Jordan has hit 24 homers…
…
Twice.
Is Mondesi’s public perception getting in the way of analysis?
Bleah! That is soooooo gross that it makes me think that we should have tried for Juan Gonzales. You’re right Brian Jordan looks like Sheffield compared to this guy. I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to pay this guy a MILLION dollars. I may be able to handle the minimum with incentives and non gaurenteed but I guess just about anyone can still get a decent pay day based on past performance in the wacky world of MLB.
I must add that my choice of the term “lack of patience” was not necessarily accurate for Estrada. It seems that many of his at bats do not go to full counts just because he is looking for a walk. He goes up to hit, and as a catcher perhaps, I think he knows how to work a pitcher efficiently. Certainly, as has been discussed in earlier posts, all catchers are not good hitters. But Estrada was last year.
Well, Johnny, I guess $1 mil can buy a two times gold glove winner…that’s probably the ONLY positive thing I can say about Mondesi…
come on guys! doesn’t anyone have the faith anymore? we have been reviving headcases and washups for a decade now. mondesi will be no different