SB Nation - Pokey Reese

Heroes of the Zeros: Second Base

Slyde — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:17 -0000

Today's installment of vote for the best of the Reds worst moves us to second base. The Reds have seen some decent offense from 2B over the decade, and two of the best defenders they've ever had at the position. However, until Brandon Phillips came along in 2006, it was one of the most unstable positions on the team. This shouldn't be a difficult vote today, but who knows with you guys. Ballot is after the jump.

Other ballots: Starting Rotation | Bullpen | Catcher | First base

Click header to sort table by column
	Years	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	wOBA	WAR
Rich Aurilia	2005-2006	236	949	866	122	252	48	3	37	138	71	118	.291	.344	.482	.825	110	.352	3.2
D'Angelo Jimenez	2003-2005	260	1102	958	124	260	48	5	19	103	130	165	.271	.359	.391	.751	98	.335	3.3
Brandon Phillips	2006-2009	601	2542	2329	330	642	108	19	88	345	151	365	.276	.324	.452	.776	98	.330	5.2*
Pokey Reese	2000-2001	268	1051	946	126	228	40	8	21	86	79	168	.241	.303	.367	.670	68	.289	1.5
Donnie Sadler	2001	39	95	84	9	17	3	0	1	3	9	20	.202	.280	.274	.553	42	.251	-0.6
Bill Selby	2001	36	100	92	7	21	7	1	2	12	5	13	.228	.273	.391	.664	66	.277	-0.5
Drew Sutton	2009	42	76	66	10	14	4	1	1	9	7	20	.212	.297	.348	.646	70	.282	0.1
Todd Walker	2001-2002	221	964	873	120	260	59	3	16	96	76	123	.298	.356	.427	.783	101	.338	1.9

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/15/2009.

* Because FanGraphs only goes back to 2002, I have been using Sean Smith's WAR Database for WAR values except for 2009, which I have pulled from FanGraphs. Smith's WAR is calculated using different defensive metrics which rate Brandon Phillips much more poorly than I think anyone would actually say he is, and therefore lowers his WAR value dramatically. Using just FanGraphs, Phillips WAR with the Reds is 12.5, which I would guess is closer to a correct valuation of BP. However, for consistency sake, I have only included it in this footnote and am sticking to Smith's WAR in the table.

The Greatest Reds: #3

riverfront76 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:00:20 -0000

3. Joe Morgan

Played as Red	Primary Position	Career Rank	Peak Rank	Prime Rank
1972-1979	2B	7	1	1
Percent Breakdown of Value			Best Season	Best player on Reds
Hit	Field	Pitch	1975	1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
83%	17%	0%	1975	1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Awards/Honors as a Red	Leading the League		On the Reds Leaderboard
Inducted to Hall of Fame – 1990 Most Valuable Player – 1975, 1976 TSN Player of Year – 1975, 1976 All Star MVP – 1972 Gold Glove – 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 All Star – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979	On Base Percentage – 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976 Runs Scored – 1972 Walks – 1972, 1975 OPS+ – 1975, 1976 OPS – 1975, 1976 Slugging Percentage – 1976 Sacrifice Flies – 1976		-2nd in career stolen bases -3rd in career OPS+ -5th in career walks -10th in career runs scored -13th in career home runs

via members.socket.net

Of the 10 best individual seasons by a Reds player since the advent of the live-ball era, five of them belong to Joe Morgan (the ’72-’76 years). Since the "prime" rank is used to describe how good a player was over his best five consecutive seasons, a #1 ranking for Morgan in that category still probably understates his greatness over that stretch (Morgan’s prime score is 22% higher than the #2 guy). Upon being traded to the Reds after the 1971 season, Morgan had already turned 28 years of age, but was probably seen as an underwhelming acquisition: he had only barely topped a .400 slugging percentage in three distinct seasons, had relatively low batting averages, and had only made two all-star teams. This was worth giving up Lee May? Credit the Reds for taking the damaging effects of the Astrodome into account, however, as Morgan had a very respectable 121 OPS+ to that point of his career. Still, I have a hard time believing that the Reds’ brass had any idea just how good a player they were getting.

Words can’t possibly describe this magnificent 5-year stretch, so let’s just lay out the numbers. Remember that this is coming from a 5’7", slick-fielding 2nd baseman… 1972: 292/417/435 (149 OPS+), 122 runs, 73 RBI, 58 SB, 115 BB, 44 K. 1973: 290/406/493 (154 OPS+), 116 runs, 82 RBI, 67 SB, 111 BB, 61 K. 1974: 293/427/494 (159 OPS+), 107 runs, 67 RBI, 58 SB, 120 BB, 69 K. 1975: 327/466/508 (169 OPS+), 107 runs, 94 RBI, 67 SB, 132 BB, 52 K. 1976: 320/444/576 (187 OPS+), 113 runs, 111 RBI, 60 SB, 114 BB, 41 K. Strangely, he was never that good a postseason performer (lifetime postseason OPS of 671), but that’s pretty much the only transgression., although if he had hit at all in the ’72 World Series, the Reds might have won (Morgan had only one hit in the four losses to the A’s, all of which were one-run losses).

Morgan had a really good 1977 season, albeit not quite at the level of the previous five years, then fell down to the status of merely good, with OPS+’s of 105 and 107 in 1978 and ’79, respectively, and Morgan was granted free agency after the 1979 season—leaving the Reds with Junior Kennedy and Ron Oester to man his vacated position as he signed with the Astros. In terms of the brightest star ever to grace Cincy’s ballfields, Morgan is a strong #1 with a cushion—and we’re unlikely to see anything like it in Redsland again. His final numbers for his Reds tenure: just under 5000 plate appearances, over 400 stolen bases, 147 OPS+, 5 Gold Glove awards.

The Top 15 Second Basemen in Reds history

1          Joe Morgan
2          Bid McPhee
3          Lonny Frey
4          Miller Huggins
5          Johnny Temple
6          Ron Oester
7          Hughie Critz
8          Brandon Phillips*
9          Bret Boone
10        Dick Egan
11        Sam Bohne
12        Tommy Helms
13        Pokey Reese
14        Morrie Rath
15        Tony Cuccinello
*active

Bloody Sox Laundry, 9/28 - Belated BDay Congrats to Pesky, Papi Wasn't Framed

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:00:57 -0000

More photos » by Henny Ray Abrams - AP

Would other fielders have had a shot at this play?

Browse more photos »

Alright, let's get it out of the way:

The Yankees celebrate, and the Red Sox shrug - Extra Bases

The Yankees won. Good for them. Wait for the playoffs.

Pretty much this.

Happy Birthday Johnny Pesky! - Fenway West

Totally missed that one - my bad. Perhaps I shall create a calendar of Sox players' birthdays. I mean, who wouldn't want to wish Pokey Reese a happy birthday?

Red Sox coach John Farrell won't manage in 2010 - MLB Daily Dish

Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell is a hot commodity among teams looking for a manager. Will he finally land a job? Let's find out.

Good news, I guess. He gets to polish Lester, Buch and Dice-K next year, and perhaps take Varitek on as an apprentice. After that, we're going to struggle to find someone to replace him as we go into the crazy offseason that will be 2010-2011.

After the jump, a scouting report on Schwing-da-hammah, and a look at that "foul tip" that missed Papi's bat by several inches.

Scouting report on prospect Seth Schwindenhammer - Fire Brand of the American League

Really hope this kid makes it - SO many opportunities with his name.

David Ortiz’s phantom foul: Would’ve been strike, anyway - Boston Herald

Kinda sounds like the third base umpire is just backing up his peer, but you never know.

Comments and links to get us through another Monday would be nice.