The Gold Glove Awards were doled out today, and one Cubs All-Star (the only one to get a finalist spot if I’m not mistaken, sorry Nico Hoerner) got himself the prize:
Never mind the irony that a gold plated glove wouldn’t be able to very effectively catch a baseball, but apparently this was well-deserved for Ian Happ, both by the numbers and by the eye test:
Obviously the Cubs will promote this until he’s traded for Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani:
All kidding aside, this is a pretty solid year for Ian Happ, who made just under $7MM in 2022 and should be closer to $10MM if not exceeding it (if MLBTR is in the ballpark, which they usually are) in his final arbitration year. The prevailing thought is that Happ will be an extension candidate, and I think that’s wise for maintaining some level of veteran leadership, continuity, and also because he’s pretty solid even if Aisle424 still hates him. Based on what I can tell with my eyeballs and rudimentary understanding of baseball, Happ has always been above average offensively, and while I wish he had shown more ability at center field or second base, he’s looked alright in left field, and this past season he has at least made you think, “yeah, he should probably win a Gold Glove” and that’s saying something even if FanGraphs might not be as kind.
If he is anchoring LF, then you do wish he would hit for more power, given that his ISO has been dropping for a while yet, but I think he’s also been hitting better against lefties while batting right handed, which I hope is not a fluke. And despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary, Happ has also recorded his lowest K-rate of his career in 2022, so he seems capable of adjusting in an era that is definitely not kind to hitters. I am at the point where I would welcome the continuity and would not object to Happ sticking around for a few.
The entire Gold Glove winners list, if you care about these things:
Comments
I can’t generate as much content as some out there, but now that my work-life balance is a bit more manageable, I’m all for ideas and of course more podcasting should anyone be interested.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I hope everyone is enjoying tonight’s home run derby
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Maybe this wasn’t a dumb idea after all
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/ian-happ-earns-extension-cubs-failed-deliver-last-core?cid=sm_npd_rsn_chi_twt_mn
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Go war bear go
berseliusQuote Reply
We should probably start charging people $7 a month to be discredited officially by this site.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
It might help to pay for the cheesesteaks I order while generating content…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I guess a combined no-hitter is still a no-hitter https://twitter.com/astros/status/1588010324992708610?t=pB8UR68JLHM7E7Z1yVDcow&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
andcounting,
(dying laughing)
RC, I’m enjoying all the content. It’s the most I’ve read about baseball in 2-3 years.
Fuck the Astros.
dmick89Quote Reply
So a fun fact is that Dusty Baker was on the receiving end of one no-hitter and just managed that combined no-hitter, meaning he has been a party in 50% of all World Series no-hitters and 67% of all postseason no-hitters
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Besides hoping the Astros crash and burn, I’m bummed about the no-hitter for posterity’s sake. Prior to yesterday, the only no-hitter in World Series history was a perfect game and the only triple play an unassisted one, and I thought there was a neat symmetry in that.
PerkinsQuote Reply
War Bear!
berseliusQuote Reply
Dang, a pitcher’s duel after all.
New shit for the off day before someone wins it –> http://www.obstructedview.net/random-crap-for-the-off-day/
Rice CubeQuote Reply