cards05 wrote:I want to be clear, I'm not arguing that Rios is better, just much less risky. To remind (or inform) some, here is Hamilton's year by year history since 2001.
2001: Played in only 27 games (injuries) 2002: Played in only 56 games (lingering back and shoulder injuries) 2003: DNP Drugs 2004: DNP Drugs 2005: DNP Drugs 2006: Played in only 15 games (season-ending left knee injury, for which he underwent arthroscopic surgery) 2007: Played in only 90 games (wrist injury and stomach illness) 2008: Has played in 48 games; so far, so good!
I'm willing to ignore the drug issues and give him a pass there (even though I could understand where one would factor that), but there's really no reason yet to think he's not J.D. Drew as far as injuries are concerned. Once he plays over 140 games in a season, I will start to think otherwise (just like I will think otherwise if Harden ever pitches 180 innings again). Until then, I'll keep considering him among the most talented, but also among the likliest of those to miss significant time with a DL stint. He has great, great skills and is enormously talented. I own him in a couple of leagues and he's become one of my favorite players to watch and root for. But you can't just ignore the risk that goes along with owning him when comparing him to other players.
He did miss a long time so the injuries were understandable in 07.
We'll see. I really thought that Hamilton would be a top 50 player this year and so far, so good.
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." ~George Carlin
AcidRock23 wrote:"May 22 OF Josh Hamilton wasn't even supposed to play Thursday. Instead, he ended up hitting a game-winning home run in the 10th inning and taking over as the AL's top triple-crown threat. Hamilton, who turned 27 Wednesday, has struggled in day games this season, and manager Ron Washington had planned to give him the day off. Hamilton was hitting just .226 in the day, .365 at night. Hamilton said he's had problems adjusting his routine back and forth between night and day schedules. But he had no problems Thursday. He had his second consecutive three-hit game and drove in two runs. He is hitting .335 to take over the AL lead from Minnesota's Joe Mauer, who was 0-for-1 and fell to .333. Hamilton's two-out, full-count blast in the 10th gave him 12 home runs to tie him with Carlos Quentin for the AL lead. And he padded his big RBI lead by going to 53 in the club's first 49 games. "
vs.
"May 22 Rios went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the host Blue Jays' 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Advice: Rios has gone 7-for-26 (.269) with a double and three RBIs in his last six games, and is batting .258 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 46 games this season."
How is it even close? Rios 10 SB are nice but I can't help but think that leading the AL in AVG and RBI is a bit more valuable?
Well, it's not close; of course leading the AL in AVG and RBI is more valuable. And, to top it off, he clearly won the May 22 player-update smack down.
I don't think anyone would argue with you that Hamilton's been the better player so far. . The question is who would you have taken first in the draft this year and - more recently - who would you take from here forward. At the draft, for me, it was Rios hands down and now I think it's close with Hamilton inching ahead with each at bat he adds to his sample size.
Hamilton easily, Rios was one of the most overrated players going into the draft.
I love some of the responses early in this thread:
Hamilton can't hit lefties.
I just don't think Hamilton is nearly as proven... that and he hasn't shown the ability to hit lefties yet or stay healthy. He had one great hot streak last year is about it.
I just don't believe Hamilton can hit lefties so either he ends up in a platoon or he hits like .265 because the lefties drag him down.
Hamilton now batting .322 against LHP
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by Yoda » Fri May 23, 2008 2:24 pm 
. The question is who would you have taken first in the draft this year and - more recently - who would you take from here forward. At the draft, for me, it was Rios hands down and now I think it's close with Hamilton inching ahead with each at bat he adds to his sample size.
Talk about bang for ya buck.
