The Girl Who Loved Dee Gordon

[Schwks]

Stephen King, whom I do not read, wrote a book called The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Dee's father. I find it incredible that so many NFBC players are risking their season on Dee. This is a rookie who was sent down to the minors last season when he batted in the .200 range, a guy who will almost guaranteed get you under 3 home runs, a guy whose sole asset is getting on base, who walks 3% of the time. Sure Gordon had a nice run upon his recall in the second half...but this is a guy with no power and a tiny track record.

Most significantly, Gordon has been leaping up the draft board with drafters envisioning 70 sbs from their shortstop. It appears that his ADP is roughly in the 8th round. For my money, Gordon is a 50-50 proposition. Sure he could end up being the speed superstar, but just as easily, he could end up back in the minors. Because he does not walk(has an inconsistent glove per Shandler) and has no power, when he slumps he will be demoted. A team that gambles an 8th round pick on Dee is taking a 50-50 chance with the whole season...not easy to recover from an 8th round flop. I do not think the smart money will be playing Dee Gordon inside of the 10th round this year.

[BK METS]

Stephen King, whom I do not read, wrote a book called The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Dee's father. I find it incredible that so many NFBC players are risking their season on Dee. This is a rookie who was sent down to the minors last season when he batted in the .200 range, a guy who will almost guaranteed get you under 3 home runs, a guy whose sole asset is getting on base, who walks 3% of the time. Sure Gordon had a nice run upon his recall in the second half...but this is a guy with no power and a tiny track record.

Most significantly, Gordon has been leaping up the draft board with drafters envisioning 70 sbs from their shortstop. It appears that his ADP is roughly in the 8th round. For my money, Gordon is a 50-50 proposition. Sure he could end up being the speed superstar, but just as easily, he could end up back in the minors. Because he does not walk(has an inconsistent glove per Shandler) and has no power, when he slumps he will be demoted. A team that gambles an 8th round pick on Dee is taking a 50-50 chance with the whole season...not easy to recover from an 8th round flop. I do not think the smart money will be playing Dee Gordon inside of the 10th round this year.

I think it all depends on what you are looking for in a shortstop. If you have more than enough power and need a speedster at shortstop, he is your guy, once Andrus comes off the board. If you want power, you are more likely to wait for Hardy or Peralta. All in all, he batted over .300 in 56 games last season with 24 steals. In AAA he had 30 steals in 70 games batting .333. No he doesn't walk much, which is something he needs to work on, but if you would rather have Emilio Bonifacio or Erick Aybar, who will be off the board only a few rounds later, then go for it. Dee doesn't really have a backup unless you consider Juan Uribe competition and the Dodgers are committed to him after his decent showing in the 2nd half last year. He has raw speed and can put up Michael Bourn type numbers at the shortstop position which is pretty valuable. He is the 8th rated shortstop ADP. Maybe you can put Alexei or Hardy in front of him, but they don't excite me. Its about upside and Dee has the "ability" to carry your team in steals at the shortstop position.

[Bobby D]

Stephen King, whom I do not read, wrote a book called The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Dee's father. I find it incredible that so many NFBC players are risking their season on Dee. This is a rookie who was sent down to the minors last season when he batted in the .200 range, a guy who will almost guaranteed get you under 3 home runs, a guy whose sole asset is getting on base, who walks 3% of the time. Sure Gordon had a nice run upon his recall in the second half...but this is a guy with no power and a tiny track record.

Most significantly, Gordon has been leaping up the draft board with drafters envisioning 70 sbs from their shortstop. It appears that his ADP is roughly in the 8th round. For my money, Gordon is a 50-50 proposition. Sure he could end up being the speed superstar, but just as easily, he could end up back in the minors. Because he does not walk(has an inconsistent glove per Shandler) and has no power, when he slumps he will be demoted. A team that gambles an 8th round pick on Dee is taking a 50-50 chance with the whole season...not easy to recover from an 8th round flop. I do not think the smart money will be playing Dee Gordon inside of the 10th round this year.

I think it all depends on what you are looking for in a shortstop. If you have more than enough power and need a speedster at shortstop, he is your guy, once Andrus comes off the board. If you want power, you are more likely to wait for Hardy or Peralta. All in all, he batted over .300 in 56 games last season with 24 steals. In AAA he had 30 steals in 70 games batting .333. No he doesn't walk much, which is something he needs to work on, but if you would rather have Emilio Bonifacio or Erick Aybar, who will be off the board only a few rounds later, then go for it. Dee doesn't really have a backup unless you consider Juan Uribe competition and the Dodgers are committed to him after his decent showing in the 2nd half last year. He has raw speed and can put up Michael Bourn type numbers at the shortstop position which is pretty valuable. He is the 8th rated shortstop ADP. Maybe you can put Alexei or Hardy in front of him, but they don't excite me. Its about upside and Dee has the "ability" to carry your team in steals at the shortstop position.

I think you missed his point. I don't think he was comparing him to other shortstops so to speak, more about where he is being drafted. I agree, I think drafting a 1 tool player with little to no experience in the majors is a serious risk in the 8th round. I personally think he will produce 50 SB's this year, but I think the average will be around .260. If he struggles at any point for an extended period of time, he is destined for the minors. To each his own obviously, but I do agree that the 8th round is too risky.

[BK METS]

I got his point. Just happen to disagree with it. I like Gordon in the 8th-9th round. He is a shortstop version of Michael Bourn and I just don't see the Dodgers sending him down in favor of Juan Uribe. They had more options last year with Jamey Carroll, who has a decent glove. Juan Uribe isn't pushing Dee Gordon from shortstop. He is here to stay. And 50-60 steals (with a decent average) from a shortstop warrants an 8-9th round selection, IMO, which is where I drafted him last night and posted, right before this thread started, ironically.

[Bobby D]

Sounds like you are taking it personally?

[BK METS]

Sounds like you are taking it personally?

No, I thought it was ironic that his post was just after I posted my team, but something that Doug writes isn't going to effect me one way or another. Last night was the only time in 11 drafts that I drafted Dee Gordon, but considering I have been in drafts with some of the top names in the business, and Gordon has gone in the 8th round 7 times, the 7th round 2 times, the 6th round and 5th round once each, and twice in the 9th round, never lower, it says something about Gordon's value. Saying Gordon is a 50/50 proposition to be sent to the minors is silly since the guy has no backup. It is true that Gordon has limited history, but if he had 50 SBs for 3 straight years from the shortstop position, he would be going in the 4th or 5th round, if not higher. Drafting someone like Gordon in the 8th or 9th round could be a risk, but with his upside, it is well worth it, and that is the way you win these leagues, by taking chances on upside. As I said, I have drafted him once in 11 drafts. I have tended to take Reyes/Hanley/Rollins/Asrubel as my shortstop.

[Rog]

Man what do they think about desmond Jennings in the 3rd then? I personally like dee gordon in the 8th or so but not willing to pull the trigger.for I always need a closer or a sp with that pick

[Foo Dog]

Good Luck, I think he is still a year away.

[BK METS]

From ESPN - Los Angeles

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After Jerry Hairston committed two errors at shortstop and Jerry Sands went hitless in two at-bats for the Dodgers in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Rockies at Camelback Ranch, I was feeling pretty good about my pre-spring training prediction that Justin Sellers would end up beating the odds, and Sands, to claim an Opening Day roster spot.

After all, without Sellers, the Dodgers don't have a true backup shortstop, what with Juan Uribe entrenched as the everyday third baseman and Hairston a lot more comfortable across the bag at second.

But then, as has been his tendency this spring, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly pretty much shot my theory to a million pieces.

First, he pointed out, the second error with which Hairston was charged was at least a debatable scoring decision. What Mattingly didn't say, but didn't have to, was that the first error had been a wild throw to first that in no way reflected Hairston's ability to actually play the position.

That still left the question of who will be Dee Gordon's backup at short, but when Mattingly got around to addressing that, the answer was basically that Gordon doesn't need one.

"If we get into a situation where we need a shortstop for an extended period of time, it's not going to be Jerry,'' Mattingly said. "But I really don't plan on giving Dee, honestly, that many days off.''

So on the rare occasion when Gordon needs to catch his breath or Mattingly needs to make a late-inning double switch that results in Gordon watching the rest of the game from the dugout, the Dodgers can make do with Hairston, who during 14 big league seasons has posted a perfectly acceptable .973 fielding percentage in 102 games at short.

Obviously, The Dodgers are all-in on Dee Gordon.

[Foo Dog]

Lot of noise

[BK METS]

Lot of noise

The manager says the guy doesn't need a backup and seeing that they don't have one and don't plan on getting one, is a lot more than noise, my friend.

[CraigW]

Lot of noise

The manager says the guy doesn't need a backup and seeing that they don't have one and don't plan on getting one, is a lot more than noise, my friend.

Go to the guy who started this threads blog and view his draft results and you will feel much better about your correct assessment of Gordon. He is what he is and you will get exactly what you drafted him for and that in the 9th round is pretty solid considering the only other player who may top 50 sb's is an OF and being drafted in the 3rd round.

[BK METS]

Lot of noise

The manager says the guy doesn't need a backup and seeing that they don't have one and don't plan on getting one, is a lot more than noise, my friend.

Go to the guy who started this threads blog and view his draft results and you will feel much better about your correct assessment of Gordon. He is what he is and you will get exactly what you drafted him for and that in the 9th round is pretty solid considering the only other player who may top 50 sb's is an OF and being drafted in the 3rd round.

and one more Thanks Craig for the reference.

[CraigW]

LOL
No worries. It looks as though I may have lit a fire under schwnks as he has issued a public challenge to me. Best of luck with Gordon I think he will do just fine.