Joe Randa

paperstreetsoap · 04-06-2005, 06:34 PM

Was he one of those underappreciated players in KC? I know, I know, it's only 1 1/4 games in, but he hit that clutch walk-off monday, and then with the bases loaded, 2 outs, 1-2 count, me figuring typical Reds waste a good opportunity, he goes and sends 2 runners in. I like him already.

SackAttack · 04-06-2005, 06:41 PM

Randa was always unappreciated because of his age, I think. Sweeney being the younger bat, he was the guy the Royals seemed more enamored of.

kcchief19 · 04-06-2005, 06:51 PM

Under appreciated in Kansas City or under appreciated nationally? We appreciated him a lot here. I dare say he was one of the most popular players on the team, probably more popular disproportionately to his productivity. But he liked playing here, he was cheap and he played hard. Not too much there not to like.

His nickname here was The Joker because he has a permanent sly grin. He's very nonplussed -- nothing seems to rattle him, so he's great in clutch situations.

He'll hit his .280, he'll pop a homerun 10-15 times a year and play exceptional defense. He's a great role player on a team with other guys who hit can hit the ball hard. On the downside, for all his talk about enjoying playing in Kansas City and being "The Joker," I think he complained a little too much, but the media loved him and would never criticize him for it. He also HATES to bat anywhere but middle of the lineup. Bat him anywhere but fifth or sixth and you'll hear about it eventually.

That said, you'll like him. He won't loaf and he won't screw up much. But if you're hoping he'll hit .330 and drive in 100 runs, you'll be disappointed.

Logan · 04-06-2005, 06:53 PM

Not to downplay Randa's good job of hitting, but Glavine's pitch was easily a strike.

BigJohn&TheLions · 04-06-2005, 07:01 PM

Remember, the Tigers dumped Fryman because they didn't want to pay him. Signed Randa. Had him for a year. They decided they needed a better guy at third who they could rely on, so they signed Palmer to a bigger contract than Fryman.

Of course Fryman developed into an All Star, Randa turned into a good, solid player, and Palmer spent a lot of time on the DL.

Ksyrup · 04-06-2005, 07:03 PM

He is an above-average player. Not a super star, but under-appreciated beccause as a corner infielder, he doesn't hit for power.

sterlingice · 04-06-2005, 07:14 PM

Slick fielder, good average, pretty good at RBI's (I know that makes sabermetricians bristle)- but there were some brutal offensive years here in KC but he still got numbers somehow. Easily one of the most popular players while he was here- Beltran was glitzy and Sweeney is the star but Randa was the lunchpail guy who took less money to stay here last time around and a lot of people here really hated to see him go. I know I was cheering for him when he hit the homer on Monday.

SI

DeToxRox · 04-06-2005, 07:17 PM

I liked Randa in his stint with the Tigers.

Randy Smith, arg.

Balldog · 04-06-2005, 09:14 PM

Grand Fucking Slam Biotches!!!

TargetPractice6 · 04-06-2005, 09:27 PM

7 RBIs in 2 games... I'll take it.

sovereignstar · 04-06-2005, 09:56 PM

Randa used to be a rabid Twin killer.

Swaggs · 04-06-2005, 10:33 PM

He was popular and pretty productive in his season with the Pirates. I believe he was taken in the expansion draft so that we could keep Freddy Garcia.

Butter · 04-07-2005, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

Not to downplay Randa's good job of hitting, but Glavine's days of getting bullshit strike calls on balls 4 inches off the plate are over.

Fixed that for you.

Scarecrow · 04-07-2005, 07:49 AM

"Joe Randa is a hard worker with solid tools. Most managers would give anything to have eight of these guys in the starting lineup. Joe has decent batting skills and will get his share of base hits. He has incredible range and soft hands. He makes the easy plays, the hard plays and everything in between."

Logan · 04-07-2005, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Fixed that for you.

Except that those pitches caught the inner half of the plate, not the black or even further out.

If you saw Randa's reaction to the pitch, he knew he should've been punched out.

weinstein7 · 04-07-2005, 10:34 AM

Randa was a Met for about a day and a half as I recall.

Ramzavail · 04-07-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weinstein7

Randa was a Met for about a day and a half as I recall.

That is true.

st.cronin · 04-07-2005, 11:19 AM

So which cap does he wear into the hall of fame?

weinstein7 · 04-07-2005, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramzavail

That is true.

Do you remember how? It was something goofy, back when Steve Phillips was getting carried away I think.

SoxWin · 04-07-2005, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weinstein7

Do you remember how? It was something goofy, back when Steve Phillips was getting carried away I think.

6 days actually

http://www.forecaster.ca/thestar/bas...layer.cgi?0928

10-Dec-98 New York Mets traded Joe Randa to the Kansas City Royals for Juan LeBron.

04-Dec-98 Detroit Tigers traded Joe Randa to the New York Mets for Willie Blair.

weinstein7 · 04-07-2005, 07:22 PM

Juan LeBron...Geez, I forgot all about that guy. The scouting report on him was that he was a young Juan Gonzalez. He had the same swing, and the ball made a great sound when it came off his bat (I distinctly remember that line). That sure worked out well for the Mets. Getting Randa for Willie Blair was great value though, and at least it showed creativity by Phillips.

paperstreetsoap · 04-07-2005, 07:42 PM

RendeR · 04-08-2005, 10:43 AM

I must say, I'm liking this season so far! God I hope the pitching staff keeps this up.....

Balldog · 04-08-2005, 10:49 AM

Give a young team like this confidence and they should be capable of making a run...its a little early though and they could easily get swept this weekend.

Swaggs · 04-10-2005, 11:12 PM

A nice article about Randa (and not so nice about the Pirates):
_____
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib.../s_322704.html

Losing Randa still a mistake

Tools Print this article
E-mail this article
Subscribe to this paper
Larger / Smaller Text

By Guy Junker
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, April 11, 2005

Joe Randa played just one year for the Pirates, but that's their loss.
His numbers from 1997 aren't bad. He hit seven homers, drove in 60 runs and had a .302 batting average. Ideally, one would like more power from a third baseman, but the Pirates organization certainly is not one that can afford to just throw away a .300 hitter and get nobody in return. But the Pirates did just that when they allowed Randa to be taken in the expansion draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks in November of that year.

Economics had nothing to do with that decision. Randa was paid $220,000 in 1997. This was just a bad baseball decision.

Randa was selected in the second round of the expansion draft, but the Pirates could have protected Randa after he failed to be selected in the first round. He was taken with the 57th pick and immediately traded to the Detroit Tigers for Travis Fryman.

The Pirates' company line at the time was that Randa wasn't what they wanted defensively. He made 21 errors that year at third base, although had was error-free in the 13 games he played at second base.

I usually wait until later in the year to perform my perennial Randa rant, but when he started the season last week by winning his first game in a Cincinnati Reds uniform with a walk-off home run, then followed it up with a grand slam and six RBI the next game, there was no reason for me to hold back. By the end of their opening series, he was one of the main reasons the Reds swept three from the supposedly new and improved New York Mets.

When the Pirates let Randa go, Aramis Ramirez was the Bucs' third baseman of the future. But Ramirez was nowhere close to being ready to take over the job on a regular basis. In fact, he did not play in 100 games in a season until 2001.

In the meantime, we were treated to guys like Freddy Garcia, Doug Strange, Dale Sveum, Luis Sojo, Mike Benjamin, Enrique Wilson, Doug Strange and Ed Sprague. For the record, Sprague made 29 errors in 1999, eight more than Randa, the guy who wasn't good enough with the glove to stay here.

Sprague also made $1.3 million to play that year, more than a million dollars more than what Randa made when he committed eight fewer errors two seasons before. Heck, Ramirez, who made 25 errors for the Bucs in 2001, was young and slow to develop. From the time Randa left, until Ramirez was dealt to the Cubs the end of the 2003 season, Randa had 475 RBI to Ramirez's 355, and he only hit 11 fewer home runs (91 to 80). After one year with the Tigers, Randa hit over .300 two of his first three seasons in Kansas City. Before last year, Ramirez hit .300 only once -- and it was exactly .300 in 2001 for the Pirates.

There is no denying that Ramirez has seemingly developed into the star he always appeared to have the natural talent to become, and therein lies the rub for Pirate fans. Here was a guy who seemed to lack motivation, not talent, when he played here. In Chicago, he is almost considered a hustler, if you can believe that. He hit .318 with 36 homers and 103 RBI last year. And after averaging 24 errors a season the previous three years, he made only 10 in 2004, showing a willingness to get his uniform dirty on a regular basis. He was rewarded with a new four year, $42 million contract last week and is entering the prime of his career.

Randa is 35 and, despite a terrific start in Cincy, his best days most likely are behind him. But not only would Randa have been a much better choice to stay in Pittsburgh to play third base until Ramirez was ready, he might have been a better keeper.

Until last year his numbers were just as good, if not better than Ramirez's. And when you consider the junk the Pirates got in return from the Cubs in the Ramirez salary dump trade, the case grows even stronger.

By the way. Randa has settled into a more dependable role defensively as well. He made only 11 errors last year and has averaged just 10 per year the last four seasons. Randa's lifetime fielding percentage is .964; Ramirez's is .942.

When it comes to Cam Bonifay's tenure as Pirate general manager, everyone wants to point at his deals for Pat Meares and Derek Bell as his worst. Granted, the Bell acquisition was a awful, and it ultimately got Bonifay fired. Meares was a jerk, but the move would have paid off had he stayed healthy.

But nobody hardly ever mentions Joe Randa. Letting him go in the expansion draft was major mistake. I said so at the time, and I'm saying so now.

You remember Joe from that one summer at Three Rivers Stadium, don't you? He's no Chris Stynes. But then again, who is? But he was the guy they called the Joker because he never stopped smiling.

Good guy in the clubhouse. Good player on the field. But the joke in his case, most definitely, is on the Pirates.

Guy Junker is the co-host of the Junker and Crow Show, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio1250. You can e-mail Guy at [email protected].

Ksyrup · 04-11-2005, 07:10 AM

Speaking about letting guys go in the expansion draft...thank you Houston (and then TB, for Kevin Stocker, LOL!) for letting Bobby Abreu go!

The Devil Rays were (are) so incompetent, Chuck LaMar actually hired Cam Bonifay after the Pirates fired him. As if LaMar needed any more help in destroying a franchise, he went and added the MJ of disphit GMs.

Hammer755 · 04-11-2005, 02:50 PM

There is a lot of love in this room for a crappy ballplayer. Career OPS+ of 94, only 2 seasons > 100. He played in KC, which buoyed his numbers significantly. That article about Pittsburgh is partially right - you can stomach a guy like this if he's cheap, plays several positions and he doesn't get many AB, but Randa's average salary has been $4 mil the past 3 years, and he's averaged nearly 600 AB per season since 99. This guy has to be one of the worst values in the league.

st.cronin · 04-11-2005, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammer755

There is a lot of love in this room for a crappy ballplayer. Career OPS+ of 94, only 2 seasons > 100. He played in KC, which buoyed his numbers significantly. That article about Pittsburgh is partially right - you can stomach a guy like this if he's cheap, plays several positions and he doesn't get many AB, but Randa's average salary has been $4 mil the past 3 years, and he's averaged nearly 600 AB per season since 99. This guy has to be one of the worst values in the league.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OPS doesn't adjust for defense. A guy who plays average defense at third with that OPS is a good player. Randa's defense is better than average.

Look, he's no Mike Schmidt, but he's about like Carney Lansford.

dawgfan · 04-11-2005, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Look, he's no Mike Schmidt, but he's about like Carney Lansford.

Uhhh, not quite. Lansford was a better hitter than Randa when you consider the eras in which they each played. Hence the career OPS+ of 111 for Lansford vs. the 94 for Randa.

st.cronin · 04-11-2005, 03:11 PM

And Randa plays better D than Carney. But if you don't like that comp, try Ray Knight.

My point is: Randa's a man you can win a WS with. He's a solid player.

dawgfan · 04-11-2005, 03:16 PM

Randa may have an edge with the glove over Lansford, but I doubt it's enough to overtake the gap in their hitting.

I won't argue that you could put Randa on a good team and win a World Series with him - hell, Scott Brosius has 3 W.S. rings, and he's no better than Randa - but by himself he's basically a slightly above average guy; a steady, reliable player but not a guy star, a guy that carries your team.

sterlingice · 04-12-2005, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammer755

There is a lot of love in this room for a crappy ballplayer. Career OPS+ of 94, only 2 seasons > 100. He played in KC, which buoyed his numbers significantly. That article about Pittsburgh is partially right - you can stomach a guy like this if he's cheap, plays several positions and he doesn't get many AB, but Randa's average salary has been $4 mil the past 3 years, and he's averaged nearly 600 AB per season since 99. This guy has to be one of the worst values in the league.

Thanks, but no. We're not saying he's going to win anyone a World Series. But he's got 20 VORP each of the last 3 seasons and doesn't cost an arm and a leg: $4M in 2000 FreeAgencyBuck$$ (which look a lot like 2004 FreeAgencyBuck$$ but not like 2003 FreeAgencyBuck$$ which were worth about 70c on the dollar). Solid bat, good fielder, good guy in the clubhouse and community. No one was nominating him for MVP and to call him one of the worst values in the league is bad hyperbole. This is the same price that the Derek Bell's and Jeff Nelson's of the world got during those same years and I'm pretty sure this year (barring injuries to all parties), he'll be better than 1/4th a Kris Benson or Jaret Wright.

SI

Hammer755 · 04-12-2005, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Thanks, but no. We're not saying he's going to win anyone a World Series. But he's got 20 VORP each of the last 3 seasons and doesn't cost an arm and a leg: $4M in 2000 FreeAgencyBuck$$ (which look a lot like 2004 FreeAgencyBuck$$ but not like 2003 FreeAgencyBuck$$ which were worth about 70c on the dollar). Solid bat, good fielder, good guy in the clubhouse and community. No one was nominating him for MVP and to call him one of the worst values in the league is bad hyperbole. This is the same price that the Derek Bell's and Jeff Nelson's of the world got during those same years and I'm pretty sure this year (barring injuries to all parties), he'll be better than 1/4th a Kris Benson or Jaret Wright.

SI

An average annual VORP of 20 is not exactly something I'd state in my defense of a player. Randa's VORP ranked 11th last season among AL 3B. The only AL 3B who had > 400 PA and a lower VORP was Joe Crede of the White Sox, who had a horrible season.

Edit - Hinske also had a worse VORP than Randa and Crede both, posting an incredibly awful -2.2.

Crapshoot · 04-12-2005, 10:06 PM

Yeah. Randa's season so far is nice, but he's a below average 3b who's mediocre at best. He's exactly the kind of guy who gets paid for being a "veteran" gamer.

Swaggs · 04-12-2005, 10:18 PM

Those of us who are struggling along with the Ty Wigginton/Rob Mackowiak platoon would be happy to have an average Randa season.

Crapshoot · 04-12-2005, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Those of us who are struggling along with the Ty Wigginton/Rob Mackowiak platoon would be happy to have an average Randa season.

Dude, I spent the last 4 years in Pittsburgh- I share your pain. but the teams desire to sign mediocre veterans every year to go from 60 to 70 wins does nothing in the long run.

andy m · 04-13-2005, 03:07 AM

randa is one of those crappy players that fans like because they can relate to how crappy they are.

Balldog · 04-13-2005, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy m

randa is one of those crappy players that fans like because they can relate to how crappy they are.

If "crappy" is being a career .287 hitter then ok.

dawgfan · 04-13-2005, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy m

randa is one of those crappy players that fans like because they can relate to how crappy they are.

Let's be fair - Randa isn't a star, but he's also not a "crappy" player. He's not one of the best 3rd basemen in baseball, but he's good enough to be a starter. He's not egregiously overpaid either, so while I'm not going sing his praises as a player, he's also not really hurting his team any.

Crapshoot · 04-13-2005, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Let's be fair - Randa isn't a star, but he's also not a "crappy" player. He's not one of the best 3rd basemen in baseball, but he's good enough to be a starter. He's not egregiously overpaid either, so while I'm not going sing his praises as a player, he's also not really hurting his team any.

Meh - he's mediocre, and they are paying 4 mil for him. as a one year stopgap deal it isnt bad, but Randa is not a good player. Now Eric Milton and that 25 million- that's a brilliant move.

04-06-2005, 07:01 PM	#5
BigJohn&TheLions College Benchwarmer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New York	Remember, the Tigers dumped Fryman because they didn't want to pay him. Signed Randa. Had him for a year. They decided they needed a better guy at third who they could rely on, so they signed Palmer to a bigger contract than Fryman. Of course Fryman developed into an All Star, Randa turned into a good, solid player, and Palmer spent a lot of time on the DL. __________________ In the immortal words of a great alcoholic, "Can't we all just get along?"

04-06-2005, 07:03 PM	#6
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	He is an above-average player. Not a super star, but under-appreciated beccause as a corner infielder, he doesn't hit for power. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

04-06-2005, 07:14 PM	#7
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	Slick fielder, good average, pretty good at RBI's (I know that makes sabermetricians bristle)- but there were some brutal offensive years here in KC but he still got numbers somehow. Easily one of the most popular players while he was here- Beltran was glitzy and Sweeney is the star but Randa was the lunchpail guy who took less money to stay here last time around and a lot of people here really hated to see him go. I know I was cheering for him when he hit the homer on Monday. SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" Last edited by sterlingice : 04-06-2005 at 07:14 PM.

04-06-2005, 10:33 PM	#12
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	He was popular and pretty productive in his season with the Pirates. I believe he was taken in the expansion draft so that we could keep Freddy Garcia. __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

04-07-2005, 07:49 AM	#14
Scarecrow College Prospect Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Flatlands of America	"Joe Randa is a hard worker with solid tools. Most managers would give anything to have eight of these guys in the starting lineup. Joe has decent batting skills and will get his share of base hits. He has incredible range and soft hands. He makes the easy plays, the hard plays and everything in between." __________________ Post Count: Eleventy Billion - so deal with it! Last edited by Scarecrow : 04-07-2005 at 10:45 AM.

04-06-2005, 06:41 PM	#2
SackAttack Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI	Randa was always unappreciated because of his age, I think. Sweeney being the younger bat, he was the guy the Royals seemed more enamored of.

04-06-2005, 06:51 PM	#3
kcchief19 Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Kansas City, MO	Under appreciated in Kansas City or under appreciated nationally? We appreciated him a lot here. I dare say he was one of the most popular players on the team, probably more popular disproportionately to his productivity. But he liked playing here, he was cheap and he played hard. Not too much there not to like. His nickname here was The Joker because he has a permanent sly grin. He's very nonplussed -- nothing seems to rattle him, so he's great in clutch situations. He'll hit his .280, he'll pop a homerun 10-15 times a year and play exceptional defense. He's a great role player on a team with other guys who hit can hit the ball hard. On the downside, for all his talk about enjoying playing in Kansas City and being "The Joker," I think he complained a little too much, but the media loved him and would never criticize him for it. He also HATES to bat anywhere but middle of the lineup. Bat him anywhere but fifth or sixth and you'll hear about it eventually. That said, you'll like him. He won't loaf and he won't screw up much. But if you're hoping he'll hit .330 and drive in 100 runs, you'll be disappointed.

04-06-2005, 06:53 PM	#4
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	Not to downplay Randa's good job of hitting, but Glavine's pitch was easily a strike.

04-06-2005, 07:17 PM	#8
DeToxRox Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Michigan	I liked Randa in his stint with the Tigers. Randy Smith, arg.

04-06-2005, 09:14 PM	#9
Balldog Pro Rookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Macomb, MI	Grand Fucking Slam Biotches!!!

04-06-2005, 09:27 PM	#10
TargetPractice6 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lexington, KY	7 RBIs in 2 games... I'll take it.

04-06-2005, 09:56 PM	#11
sovereignstar Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2004	Randa used to be a rabid Twin killer.

04-07-2005, 10:34 AM	#16
weinstein7 High School JV Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Rochester, NY	Randa was a Met for about a day and a half as I recall.

04-07-2005, 11:19 AM	#18
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	So which cap does he wear into the hall of fame?

04-07-2005, 07:22 PM	#21
weinstein7 High School JV Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Rochester, NY	Juan LeBron...Geez, I forgot all about that guy. The scouting report on him was that he was a young Juan Gonzalez. He had the same swing, and the ball made a great sound when it came off his bat (I distinctly remember that line). That sure worked out well for the Mets. Getting Randa for Willie Blair was great value though, and at least it showed creativity by Phillips.

04-07-2005, 07:42 PM	#22
paperstreetsoap Mascot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: DYT	3-0 __________________ You wake up at Seatac, SFO, LAX. You wake up at O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, BWI. Pacific, mountain, central. Lose an hour, gain an hour. This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. You wake up at Air Harbor International. If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?

04-08-2005, 10:43 AM	#23
RendeR Coordinator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Buffalo, NY	I must say, I'm liking this season so far! God I hope the pitching staff keeps this up..... __________________ http://wotlabs.net/s...8/signature.png http://wotlabs.net/sig_dark/na/banichi18/signature.png

04-08-2005, 10:49 AM	#24
Balldog Pro Rookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Macomb, MI	Give a young team like this confidence and they should be capable of making a run...its a little early though and they could easily get swept this weekend.

04-10-2005, 11:12 PM	#25
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	A nice article about Randa (and not so nice about the Pirates): _____ http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib.../s_322704.html Losing Randa still a mistake Tools Print this article E-mail this article Subscribe to this paper Larger / Smaller Text By Guy Junker FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, April 11, 2005 Joe Randa played just one year for the Pirates, but that's their loss. His numbers from 1997 aren't bad. He hit seven homers, drove in 60 runs and had a .302 batting average. Ideally, one would like more power from a third baseman, but the Pirates organization certainly is not one that can afford to just throw away a .300 hitter and get nobody in return. But the Pirates did just that when they allowed Randa to be taken in the expansion draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks in November of that year. Economics had nothing to do with that decision. Randa was paid $220,000 in 1997. This was just a bad baseball decision. Randa was selected in the second round of the expansion draft, but the Pirates could have protected Randa after he failed to be selected in the first round. He was taken with the 57th pick and immediately traded to the Detroit Tigers for Travis Fryman. The Pirates' company line at the time was that Randa wasn't what they wanted defensively. He made 21 errors that year at third base, although had was error-free in the 13 games he played at second base. I usually wait until later in the year to perform my perennial Randa rant, but when he started the season last week by winning his first game in a Cincinnati Reds uniform with a walk-off home run, then followed it up with a grand slam and six RBI the next game, there was no reason for me to hold back. By the end of their opening series, he was one of the main reasons the Reds swept three from the supposedly new and improved New York Mets. When the Pirates let Randa go, Aramis Ramirez was the Bucs' third baseman of the future. But Ramirez was nowhere close to being ready to take over the job on a regular basis. In fact, he did not play in 100 games in a season until 2001. In the meantime, we were treated to guys like Freddy Garcia, Doug Strange, Dale Sveum, Luis Sojo, Mike Benjamin, Enrique Wilson, Doug Strange and Ed Sprague. For the record, Sprague made 29 errors in 1999, eight more than Randa, the guy who wasn't good enough with the glove to stay here. Sprague also made $1.3 million to play that year, more than a million dollars more than what Randa made when he committed eight fewer errors two seasons before. Heck, Ramirez, who made 25 errors for the Bucs in 2001, was young and slow to develop. From the time Randa left, until Ramirez was dealt to the Cubs the end of the 2003 season, Randa had 475 RBI to Ramirez's 355, and he only hit 11 fewer home runs (91 to 80). After one year with the Tigers, Randa hit over .300 two of his first three seasons in Kansas City. Before last year, Ramirez hit .300 only once -- and it was exactly .300 in 2001 for the Pirates. There is no denying that Ramirez has seemingly developed into the star he always appeared to have the natural talent to become, and therein lies the rub for Pirate fans. Here was a guy who seemed to lack motivation, not talent, when he played here. In Chicago, he is almost considered a hustler, if you can believe that. He hit .318 with 36 homers and 103 RBI last year. And after averaging 24 errors a season the previous three years, he made only 10 in 2004, showing a willingness to get his uniform dirty on a regular basis. He was rewarded with a new four year, $42 million contract last week and is entering the prime of his career. Randa is 35 and, despite a terrific start in Cincy, his best days most likely are behind him. But not only would Randa have been a much better choice to stay in Pittsburgh to play third base until Ramirez was ready, he might have been a better keeper. Until last year his numbers were just as good, if not better than Ramirez's. And when you consider the junk the Pirates got in return from the Cubs in the Ramirez salary dump trade, the case grows even stronger. By the way. Randa has settled into a more dependable role defensively as well. He made only 11 errors last year and has averaged just 10 per year the last four seasons. Randa's lifetime fielding percentage is .964; Ramirez's is .942. When it comes to Cam Bonifay's tenure as Pirate general manager, everyone wants to point at his deals for Pat Meares and Derek Bell as his worst. Granted, the Bell acquisition was a awful, and it ultimately got Bonifay fired. Meares was a jerk, but the move would have paid off had he stayed healthy. But nobody hardly ever mentions Joe Randa. Letting him go in the expansion draft was major mistake. I said so at the time, and I'm saying so now. You remember Joe from that one summer at Three Rivers Stadium, don't you? He's no Chris Stynes. But then again, who is? But he was the guy they called the Joker because he never stopped smiling. Good guy in the clubhouse. Good player on the field. But the joke in his case, most definitely, is on the Pirates. Guy Junker is the co-host of the Junker and Crow Show, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio1250. You can e-mail Guy at [email protected]. __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

04-11-2005, 07:10 AM	#26
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	Speaking about letting guys go in the expansion draft...thank you Houston (and then TB, for Kevin Stocker, LOL!) for letting Bobby Abreu go! The Devil Rays were (are) so incompetent, Chuck LaMar actually hired Cam Bonifay after the Pirates fired him. As if LaMar needed any more help in destroying a franchise, he went and added the MJ of disphit GMs. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

04-11-2005, 02:50 PM	#27
Hammer755 High School Varsity Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Houston, TX	There is a lot of love in this room for a crappy ballplayer. Career OPS+ of 94, only 2 seasons > 100. He played in KC, which buoyed his numbers significantly. That article about Pittsburgh is partially right - you can stomach a guy like this if he's cheap, plays several positions and he doesn't get many AB, but Randa's average salary has been $4 mil the past 3 years, and he's averaged nearly 600 AB per season since 99. This guy has to be one of the worst values in the league. __________________ I failed Signature 101 class.

04-11-2005, 03:11 PM	#30
st.cronin General Manager Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Mexico	And Randa plays better D than Carney. But if you don't like that comp, try Ray Knight. My point is: Randa's a man you can win a WS with. He's a solid player.

04-11-2005, 03:16 PM	#31
dawgfan Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Seattle	Randa may have an edge with the glove over Lansford, but I doubt it's enough to overtake the gap in their hitting. I won't argue that you could put Randa on a good team and win a World Series with him - hell, Scott Brosius has 3 W.S. rings, and he's no better than Randa - but by himself he's basically a slightly above average guy; a steady, reliable player but not a guy star, a guy that carries your team.

04-12-2005, 10:06 PM	#34
Crapshoot Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003	Yeah. Randa's season so far is nice, but he's a below average 3b who's mediocre at best. He's exactly the kind of guy who gets paid for being a "veteran" gamer.

04-12-2005, 10:18 PM	#35
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	Those of us who are struggling along with the Ty Wigginton/Rob Mackowiak platoon would be happy to have an average Randa season. __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

04-13-2005, 03:07 AM	#37
andy m High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: norwich, UK	randa is one of those crappy players that fans like because they can relate to how crappy they are. __________________ mostly harmless FOFL 2009 champs - Norwich Quagmire

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)