So big numbers at the plate give you an exemption from hustling?

Question

The last question received a lot of angry responses, my favorites were that the fatties puts up such big numbers that they don't have to hustle- or that his coach doesn't want him to run anything out because he might injure himself- or that I'd rather have a .300 hitter who doesn't hustle than a .250 hitter that does. Well the injury response is just plain silly. If he is an ATHLETE in good shape that stretched a lot, running out grounders shouldn't be a problem. And far as the other two arguments are concerned, hitting is a skill, HUSTLING IS A CHOICE! They don't have a .250 hitter, they have a great hitter who chooses not to hustle! Given the choice, would you rather have a mega-slugger that ran out each grounder, or a mega-slugger that doesn't? It's his choice to make...

Answer 1

It all comes down to dedication and drive. Hitting is just one part of the game and it you want the best player from the team then the amount of heart that they have and contribute to the game should be taken into account. I will take some who hustles over someone who doesn't, even if they have a lower average. You can teach someone to hit better but you can teach a person how to have heart and dedication because that comes from within

Answer 2

I think Bob nailed it above - Ideally, I'd want my superstars to hustle out every hit, but I'd still rather have a guy like Ortiz than a hundred David Ecksteins at the plate. I agree that Ortiz should be pushed to hustle in the case of a close play, or in case an error occurs, but it's tough to get on him too much considering his other contributions. I prefer Oritz make like Jeter or Pujols who hustles every time, but I'd still take Ortiz on my team if given the chance. I'm not excusing his lack of hustle, but there's not much that can be done if he doesn't make that choice.

As for the guy who said he'd rather have a poor hitter who hustles than a good player who doesn't - if you took that philosophy, then I guarantee you'd have the 30th-best team in baseball. You can teach hitting, but you can't teach heart? So you'd rather take Neifi Perez and teach him to hit, instead of having the non-hustling David Ortiz in the middle of your lineup?

Holy crap - Baseball is not won through heart and dedication, it's won through talented players throwing and hitting the danged ball. They can be the biggest jerks in the world, but it doesn't change their abilities.

Answer 3

Of course you want someone who hustles. But that is like asking what would you rather have a mercedes or a mercedes with a CD player it is a rhetorical question. However, if I was given a choice of Manny Ramierez, who often is lazy, or some Triple-A left fielder who kills himself for the team. I would take Manny. You actually have to get on base for it to matter.

Answer 4

I'd rather have someone (like Pudge) who grinds out a infield basehit anyday over somone that doesn't.

Answer 5

read my response to your other question.. you obviously dont follow the sox