tulo is way better than hanley is already. tulo can field. he hits better average. has more pop. he just doesnt run like hanley. tulo is a future mvp

There are so many offensive minded ballparks out there these days the "I wonder what his numbers would look like if he didn't play 1/2 his games at Coors" argument really isn't that fair, imo.

As for Tulo vs Hanley R....I am probably biased due to my access to Tulo, and lack of coverage to Hanley, but I think Tulo is the more capable of the two to put a team on his shoulder and carry them. Looking at career numbers, though, Hanley's #'s trump Tulo's (though I think that stops this year).

Yeah, I think Tulo's got more intangibles than Ramirez, and he'll likely surpass him in top-of-mind statistical categories (sans SBs) at some point...as for the Coors Field impact, I tend to agree with the synopsis below from ESPN...sure, other parks are launching pads, but they still don't hold a candle to Coors, which means that Rockies players are going to have to deal with the asterisk - regardless of merit...


1. Coors Field (Colorado Rockies): Still the hitters' park to define all hitters' parks, humidor or not, Coors topped all ballparks in terms of runs and hits last season, as well as in 2005-09 combined. Though its dimensions are more spacious than most big league ballparks, Coors is a hitter's heaven because of its high altitude. The team's official Web site notes that a batted ball "travels nine percent farther at 5,280 feet than at sea level. It is estimated that a home run hit 400 feet in sea-level Yankee Stadium would travel … as far as 440 feet in the Mile High City."

Though the split is fairly balanced, right-handed sluggers do experience a slight advantage over left-handers in the power department, probably due to a left-field fence 6 feet shorter than in right field. According to the Bill James Handbook, which generates a ballpark "index" where 100 is a neutral park, anything significantly higher is hitter-friendly and significantly lower pitcher-friendly, righties had a home run index of 122 compared with 109 for lefties from 2007 to 2009.

I followed parts of all four games of the Rox/Mets series and the Rockies just completely bent over NY in their own house. Came from behind in each game, winning three of them by a single run. It had to be completely humiliating for the Mets.

Tulo is playing absolutely out of his skullright now. I gotta say, I've really never seen much of Hanley Ramirez. Even with the MLB package going on five years, there always seems to be something better on, and they really don't get any play nationally.

Got the Tigers/A's on right now in a tight one. Phil Coke going toe-to-toe with Gio Gonzales.

Tulo went 10 for 16, with 4 HR and 8 RBI in the Mets series.

^ Red, try and catch the Marlins on the tube the next time Johnson pitches...caught that Braves game the other night where he flirted with the no-no...filthy, filthy, filthy...that's about the only time I bother to tune in when the Marlins play...

Yeah, not saying that Coors isn't a hitters park. Only that there are plenty of other hitters parks out there that also helping spike stats that Coors isn't such an island to itself. Maybe just my opinion I guess.

To each his own, right!...to boil it down, I totally agree that its a hitter's park world out there, but Coors remains the Secretariat of that race in my book...one of the parks that doesn't seem to get the heat it deserves is in Houston w/ that Little League-level porch in left field...given the preponderance of right handed mashers in the Central (sans Fielder and Votto), playing in Houston has gotta be like Christmas morning for them especially against Houston's pitching staff...

Sorry to change the subject here, but how about that pitching performance by Cliff Lee last night?



As far as the Hanley vs Tulo argument, I definitely think Tulo is the better player and more capable of carrying a team. I'm not going to repeat what others have said above, but I think Hanley was annoited to early in his career as "superstar", and as good as his numbers have been i wouldn't call him a superstar. I think once this season is over we can definitely put that label on Tulowitzki.

oh yes he did..and carried my fantasy team yesterday in one league. Figured him and Ike in a double header had potential to put up some sick numbers..tulo produced..the only thing I got out of Davis was walks/OBP which I will still take, butwas surprised to see him get shut down

Colorado doing this with their #1 pitcher on the bench too, lets see if they can finally have a full, consistent year and be less streaky. Giants looking vulnerable, their early season defense is terrible. Phils pitching is just sick, NL teams are going to have to game plan around that and play some small ball.

Sure glad I grabbed Martin before Mauer went on the DL, I picked him too high in the draft -- not a Priest-level reach, but pretty far. At least Votto, ARod and Bautista are killing it right now for me.

Count me in the Mauer is overrated camp..he's a good player, not the superstar he's made out to be

Mauer might not be among the elite players, but I can't think of too many catchers who have posted BAs of .365, .347, .328 and .327 four of the last five years - if ever...Posey's probably the only one poised to challenge that, and it's a pretty tall order...

im not sure if posey will challenge that. most baseball players cant challenge that

he never got me excited as a player, as a catcher..yeah, he's good..but his AB's going down steadily, not including this latest DL trip. Can't march him out there every day. they should DH/1B him, and he probably wins a batting title or two in his career

they should move him to 3rd

Posey's upside is ginormous on all fronts - power, hitting for average, defense, leadership...he might never hit .365, but he'll hit for more power and drive in more runs than Mauer while still hovering in the .300 - .320 range...if the Twins are smart, they'll apply the Biggio model to Mauer and move him out from behind the plate...the guy's so damn injury-prone that they really have no choice...he's definitely no iron horse like Ivan Rodriguez...that's for certain...

I remember having an argument on stonerrock.com saying I didn't think Mauer was worth $180 million. For a catcher that is way to much money. Especially for the amount of damage they do to their bodies by playing that position. I'm a huge fan of Mauer and have been really impressed with his career so far but check out Mike Piazza's stats. They're much more remarkable.

The Twins are gonna have to change is position to recoup their investment in him. I think keeping him as productive as he's been at C is pie in the sky. I read an article on Yahoo yesterday that says some in the Twins org think he is fast/athletic enough to play CF.

Mauer is only 27. By the time he was Posey's age he'd already won a batting title. He has won THREE of them and he exists in the same league as Ichiro. The guy is awesome when he's healthy.

piazza is without a doubt the greatest offensive catcher of all time. posey will put up johnny bench type of offensive numbers. im not sure if he will be that good defensivly. but what catcher besides ivan was?

Man, Matt Kemp just owns Ryan Franklin. He just hit a walk-off HR and was 2 for 2 off Franklin, both hits HRs in this series. I don't know how LaRussa thinks he can get away with Franklin as his closer.

^ Boggs is the heir apparent, but Larussa is notorious for dragging things out...a couple years ago, it took him forever and a day to pull the plug on Isringhausen...even the Cards fan, who typically drink Larussa's Kool-Aid w/o questions, were up in arms...

RETRO RESPONSE: Re: the Mauer back-and-forth...I think Posey's got Johnny Bench/Carlton Fisk potential...Mauer would trade his batting championship for Posey's World Series ring any day...and Piazza was the best hitting catcher of all time and arguably the worst defensive catcher as well...

Anyone facing him owns Ryan Franklin. He's killing my fantasy team and as soon as Frank Fransisco comes off the DL, he's as good as dropped.

I was able to nab Matt Capps off the waiver wire in my league shortly after Nathan lost his closer job with the Twins...in exchange, I let go of Matt Thornton, who's been tanking for the White Sox...lots of closers on the ropes early this year...and it looks like Fuentes is doing all he can to make Bailey an afterthought in Oakland, although management there suggests the job will be Bailey's when he returns...

Guillen said that Thornton lost his closer job and that he will go with matchups for save opportunities for the time being.




I do think that Nathan losing the closer job is only temporary. Once he works out his problems I think he'll reclaim the job again.