Interview With Mark Simon Part II

by Brandon C. on Dec 4, 2011 10:00 AM EST in Interviews

Mark Simon writes for ESPNNY, covering the Mets and Yankees. Simon also co-hosts the Baseball Today podcast, and his primary work is as a Baseball Research Specialist for ESPN Stats & Information.

Mark was kind enough to answer ten questions about the Yankees, stats, and more for us!

BC: A.J. Burnett, do you think there is any chance that he improves, or will he continue to decline?

MS: I think he's going to have a better year in 2012. The advanced stats seem to indicate that he pitched a little better than his final numbers showed and was hurt by a high rate of fly balls that became home runs.

How about a 4.30 ERA and 15 really good starts (there will still be a few bad ones)? Could you live with that?

BC: Who do you think should have won the main MLB Awards this season?

MS: In my mock ballot, I voted Ellsbury and Kemp for MVP, but I had Verlander third and Braun second (and I switched late from Braun to Kemp), so I wasn't terribly bothered by it. Kemp's season was statistically ridiculous, barely-precedented (the next-best thing to unprecedented)

I was a match for what the writers voted for the other awards (Cy, Rookie), though I think the best AL rookies for the long term will probably be Brett Lawrie and Dustin Ackley.

BC: Who do you think is the greatest MLB player of all-time is?

MS: I'm going to say Willie Mays, since he's the five-tool standard setter (and my dad's all-time favorite player, so I'm biased). I'll put Babe Ruth second and Hank Aaron third, but I have no issue with anyone who flips the three of them in whatever order they wish.

I just went to Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs to look at the best players by WAR spanning my lifetime (I was born in 1975)...my gut would have said something like Bonds, Pujols, A-Rod, Griffey Jr...was very surprised that Griffey's career WAR is a match for Bagwell. I think Pujols will end up being the best of my lifetime.

Thanks again to Mark Simon for the answers!

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Nice job with the interview Brandon

I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.- Kobe Bryant

A.J. Burnett's only fan!

by nyyrocks29 on Dec 4, 2011 10:08 AM EST reply actions

Thank you!

Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc

Co-Manager/Writer for Pinstripe Alley, Editor/Writer for Blueshirt Banter

"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."

"Every day is a great day for hockey."

by Brandon C. on Dec 4, 2011 1:20 PM EST up reply actions

Bagwell vs Griffey?

Have I heard this argument here somewhere?

The idiot formerly known as pkyankeefan! Now in Technicolour!

by Hasan Paliwala on Dec 4, 2011 10:22 AM EST via mobile reply actions

I was about to say the same thing.

Realist.

by DCyanks21 on Dec 4, 2011 10:24 AM EST up reply actions

Not as dumb as you all thought with the Griffey vs. Bagwell...

Realist.

by DCyanks21 on Dec 4, 2011 10:24 AM EST reply actions

sigh

Romine!

by david d on Dec 4, 2011 11:43 AM EST up reply actions

We know you don't like advanced stats so why bother even comment?

Realist.

by DCyanks21 on Dec 4, 2011 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

Never siad I didn't like them

Keep your own words to yourself

Romine!

by david d on Dec 4, 2011 12:07 PM EST up reply actions

sigh

by waw on Dec 4, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions

Besides, that’s not what the “sigh” was about.

Romine!

by david d on Dec 4, 2011 12:19 PM EST up reply actions

Then don't be so vague.

Realist.

by DCyanks21 on Dec 4, 2011 12:50 PM EST up reply actions

Nope, it's still dumb.

The guy straight-up says he didn’t expect to see Bagwell so high.

Once again, Griffey was a better hitter and played a much more valuable position in the field.

Bagwell also never had the chance to have the injury decline that Griffey did because his own injury was career-ending, unlike the small nagging ones that Griffey suffered. If it was just a normal 60-day DL injury, you know he would have tried to come back for another few seasons, like Griffey was doing- Bagwell was only 37 in his final 2005 season.

"Don't you think it's strange that you'll make more money than President Hoover this year?"
"Why not? I had a better year than he did." - G.H. Ruth

Posting pictures

by Andrew GM on Dec 4, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

+1

by Yankees10 on Dec 4, 2011 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

Lets not get into the debate though. haha.

Realist.

by DCyanks21 on Dec 4, 2011 10:59 AM EST reply actions

Mark Simon agrees with me.

He is a good boy.

Boone Logan is a good boy. So is David Robertson. Team A.J.

by goyanks69 on Dec 4, 2011 11:46 AM EST reply actions

I would be quite excited with a 4.30 ERA and 15 "really good" starts from A.J.

Although, I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

by waw on Dec 4, 2011 12:50 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, I thought that was pretty optimistic as well.

Am I the only one flagging this guy?
Seriously, do we have to wait for the money shot or a "F*** THE SOXXXXXX!" before we ban him? Doubleteapot… BAN HIM!!

by AlohaSox on Sep 28, 2011 10:20 PM CDT

by SandalsNoPants on Dec 4, 2011 1:34 PM EST up reply actions

Matched up Mantle vs Bagwell stat wise-very similar. HOWEVER, Bagwell didn’t have 461’ to dead center with a 30’ wall, 457’ and 440’ in the alleys to contend with. That will always be Mantle’s legacy-a homerun hitter whose power was wasted in the alleys. Guys like Berra and Maris were pull hitters who took advantage of the short fences in Yankee stadium-Mantle did not. Plenty of guys played in Yankee stadium, but ALL the power shots in Yankee stadium were by Mantle.

Prior to Winfield coming to NY, Yankee owner ship moved the fence in to 420’ in dead center and 410" in the alleys.
When Winfield arrived, his 1st comment was that I can’t hit for power in this ballpark, it’s just too big. Yankee management advised him they had already done it to accomodate Winfield. Winfield’s 1st wordsa out of his mouth were that Mantle must have had the most power of any ballplayer to produce in the old Yankee Stadium (and with a dead ball and an elevated mound).

Since then, CF and the alleys were brought in closer AGAIN.

To think that any player could have played their entire career in Yankee stadium and been a productive home run hitter
is hard to believe. But the legend of Mantle and cavernous Yankee Stadium will live 4ever. Stats about Bonds, Bagwe11 are meaningless. Geez, EVEN CLETE BOYER HIT 40 HRS in Aaron’s ballpark (nicknamed the Launching Pad).

In Pelham HS, NY, we had a CF that was about 800’ to dead center and 340’ to RF. Obviously, no one ever came close to the CF fence- but we all appreciated Mantle’s exploits in Yankee Stadium when comparing it with our ballpark.

by frankiec on Dec 4, 2011 3:20 PM EST reply actions

My old boss would talk about getting to the stadium early as a kid to see batting practice. He claims Mantle would hit balls into the upper deck that were still on an upward trajectory.

I would love to see that.

Live every week like it's shark week.

by Sgurd0187 on Dec 5, 2011 9:27 AM EST up reply actions

Joe DiMaggio had the same problem.

DiMaggio was less of a pull hitter than Mantle and hit a lot of long outs to left and right center. Bill James once estimated that DiMaggio lost more home runs because of his ball park than any player in history.

Mickey C

by Mickey C on Dec 5, 2011 5:23 PM EST up reply actions