Dodgers of the Decade: Third Base
December 29, 2009 at 3:17 pm | Posted in Adrian Beltre, Blake DeWitt, Casey Blake, Wilson Betemit | 15 CommentsJeff Kent is killing it at second base, so rather than wait until tomorrow, let’s just close it and move on. His win was notable if only for the fact that it wasn’t unanimous. Somebody needs to own up to being the Mark Grudzielanek fan, please.
Dodgers of the Decade team:
C: Russell Martin (68%)
1B: James Loney (62%)
2B: Jeff Kent (88%)
Today we move on to third base, but before we do, let’s think about what we’re really dealing with here. Third base for the Dodgers has been a black hole from whence no light can escape for years. Before Adrian Beltre, do you know who the last Dodger third baseman to play even 500 games (just barely over three seasons) at the position was? Ron Cey, and his Dodger career ended in 1982, nearly 30 years ago. So to say that third base for the Dodgers doesn’t exactly have the cachet of, say, center field for the Yankees is a bit of an understatement.
Even in this decade, it had somehow gotten worse. In October 2007, I noted all of the Dodgers who had seen time at 3B since Beltre departed after 2004, and let me tell you – it’s a sorry group:
Dodger Third Basemen, 2005-07 (3 seasons since Beltre left):
1. Mike Edwards
2. Oscar Robles
3. Antonio Perez
4. Olmedo Saenz
5. Nori Nakamura
6. Jose Valentin
7. Willy Aybar
8. Cesar Izturis
9. Wilson Betemit
10. Bill Mueller
11. Julio Lugo
12. Ramon Martinez
13. Joel Guzman
14. Wilson Valdez
15. Tony Abreu
16. Shea Hillenbrand
17. Nomar Garciaparra
18. Andy LaRoche
I look at some of those names and blood starts rushing from my ears. Antonio Perez! Shea Hillenbrand!! Nori Nakamura!!! I am now having an epileptic seizure. And that list is only just from after 2007, because since then we’ve added 7 more names: Blake DeWitt, Russell Martin (!), Casey Blake, Pablo Ozuna, Mark Loretta, Ronnie Belliard, and Juan Castro. While Blake has finally solidified the position, that’s still 25 players through the revolving door in just five seasons.
Yet while Beltre clearly had the best season of the decade with his monster 2004, and will have the highest total WAR, that’s also because he played the longest. He was largely subpar before 2004, even putting up a .290 OBP in 2003. Blake has, in some regards, actually outplayed Beltre, including in OPS. Also competing: Blake DeWitt and Wilson Betemit.
Third Base
Adrian Beltre (737 games, 2000-04)
Dodger stats: .278/.331/.476 .808 125 hr 421 rbi
WAR: 18.8
Casey Blake (197 games, 2008-09)
Dodger stats: .272/.349/.466 .814 28 hr 102 rbi
WAR: 7.1
Blake DeWitt (148 games, 2008-09)
Dodger stats: .257/.333/.384 .717 11 hr 56 rbi
WAR: 2.3
Wilson Betemit (139 games, 2006-07)
Dodger stats: .236/.332/.455 .787 19 hr 50 rbi
WAR: 0.3
Top three seasons
10.1 WAR Beltre, 2004
6.1 WAR Blake, 2009
3.5 WAR Beltre, 2000
Just like I said for catcher, this encompasses every year of the decade… except 2005. What a horrendous year.
Dodger third baseman of the 00s: go!
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Has to be Beltre, brought up to soon and rushed (seems to be the Dodger way, hoisted on their own petard), but even leaving out his monster year in O4, he averaged 18.2 hrs and 73.4 rbi, plus a demon with the glove.
Comment by bluetrain — December 29, 2009 #
I know I’m going backward, but to defend the 2B choice of whoever picked Grudzielanik (The Original Eye Chart)…
Grudzie had a UZR of 8.6 in 2002 (the 1st year available).
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=653&position=2B/SS#fielding
Jeff Kent’s UZRs in ’05-08: -10.8, -16.9, -14.2, -11.8
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1119&position=2B#fielding
If you can get offense at other positions, 2B should be for defense. However, those Dodger offenses were lousy, so we needed Kent’s bat. I voted for Kent, but I could see the argument for MGrudz.
Comment by Mike Sharperson Lives! — December 29, 2009 #
What- this vote wasn’t based on the prettiest 2nd baseman?? Thanks for trying to validate my choice as something intelligent and having to do with something other than he was so nice to look at! Which, is a large part of why some of us enjoy the game. I love baseball and statistics and all that, but when I voted for “Grassalonik” as Vin called him. . . . . I did so only based on a sentimental, I miss that cute guy at 2nd base type of thing. Jeff Kent is a shoe in anyway.
Comment by BriannaK — December 29, 2009 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Shortstop « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — December 30, 2009 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Left Field « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — December 31, 2009 #
I’d vote for anyone over Kent. Grudz might be one of the more underrated players of his era. He has nowhere near Kent’s bat, but he is doesn’t make people want to swap the e for a u in his name like Kent either.
Comment by Alireza — January 1, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Center Field « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 1, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Right Field « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 2, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Left-Handed Starter « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 4, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green (79%) LH [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Right-Handed Reliever « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 7, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green (79%) LH [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Closer « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 8, 2010 #
[...] Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green (79%) LH [...]
Pingback by Just Killin’ Time… | LADodgerTalk.com - Get Your Daily Dodger Juice, Dodger News and Dodger Rumors — January 10, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green (79%) LH [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: General Manager « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 11, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green (79%) LH [...]
Pingback by Dodgers of the Decade: Manager « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 13, 2010 #
[...] of the Decade team: C: Russell Martin (68%) 1B: James Loney (62%) 2B: Jeff Kent (88%) 3B: Adrian Beltre (80%) SS: Rafael Furcal (87%) LF: Gary Sheffield (62%) CF: Matt Kemp (94%) RF: Shawn Green (79%) LH [...]
Pingback by Your Dodgers of the Decade Team « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness — January 14, 2010 #