Bobby Abreu - Mr Strat?

[markp65]

Is there any other player who, year in and out, provides us Stratheads with a more consistently ideal card than Bobby Abreu? OBP, power, doubles, steals, killer arm, low/no injury factor... year after year. That's the amazing thing. Everybody tanks once in a while, gets hurt, has an off year... Not this guy. Downsidewise, maybe he'll lose his "N" vs LHP once in a while. Still, he's a keeper's league lock if there ever was one.

Bobby A has his rivals for the throne: ARod, Pujols, D Lee, Manny, Tejada, IRod, SF Leftfielder (until this year)... But, other than perhaps ARod, none of these guys has been as year-to-year consistently productive in so many key Strat-stat categories.

I was thrilled last winter when it was rumored my St Louis Cardinals had their eye on Abreu to replace Larry Walker. As a Strat manager, can you imagine Abreu, Pujols, Edmonds and Rolen as your 2007 Strat 2-3-4-5 guys?

:shock: :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh well. I raise a Tony Luke's pork sangwich and a Yuengling to ya, Bobby A. You da man.

On a related note, I was wondering if any of you vets have any "pet players" you find yourself gravitating towards, year after year. I know that a strat card is, essentially, an arbitrary name/label slapped on to a given set of probabilities, but I'm guessing we all have our attachments to certain players, including purely sentimental ones.

[goredsox33]

sometinhg i have noticed about abreu also, though i have only played 2005 and 2006 is that he is CHEAP!!! for what you are getting!

[JdEarly]

Very true. Bobby Abreu is a very good price for the production you get out of him - at least from the production I have received with him on my teams. My only problem with using him is that I also want to use Vlad... and David Ortiz... and if I have RF and DH filled with those two guys all the time, I have nowhere to put him. So, I guess my only problem with Bobby is of my own doing. Grab him every chance you get!

[ArtemusRex]

As a Yankee fan I've always had a fondness for Tino Martinez. Seeing that I play mostly the 2001 game. When I finally got around to the 2005 game for $12.50, there he was ready to use. Consistant bat and fielding, he's usually good to put in the 5 or 6 position in my lineup. Now I haven't seen his card yet as I'm waiting for my tax refund but I remember him having a good first half year before Giambi made his "comeback." I believe he will still be good as a backup but I'll have to see. My favorite player is Bernie Williams but his popgun arm rating has always kept me from playing him after my first team (even in 2001) because cutting him is always tramatic (crazy, as like you said the card is only a list of probabilities with a comestic name slapped on it).

I always wanted to use Abreu since I am from central Pa and have followed his career since he was traded to Philly (from San Diego I believe). I haven't tried to use him yet as I was always drawn to Ichiro or more recently, Shawn Green (someone who I would have never thought of using until this game).

I also seem to gravitate to low priced players who have perfomed for me in the past. From Jolbert Cabrea, Mordecai, and Benji Molina to Marte, Spier (sp?), and now Kolb in the pen. Okay, Kolb isnt exactly a value pick but he is when you compare him to other high end relievers. Hope he is as good in the 2006 game as he is doing for me in 2005.

Alexx

[paul.czarnecki]

I made him my first pick in my first 2006 league and so far he's been a disappointment.

He's hitting .253 with 2 HRs.

[1crazycanuk]

I had him in Petco and would use him there again. :D

One of my pet players in '05 was Tom Gordon but with my last team he just started doing real bad towards the deadline and not worth the money so I dropped him. Didn't even care about the huge salary penalty.

[visick]

Been my favorite player for the past 3 Strat seasons... 8)

He can lead-off, bat 2nd. or 3rd...heck even somewhere in the middle of your lineup if needed.

[SEANCALHOON]

First off, I am a Phillies fan, not the media overblown guy who eats cheesteaks like there is no tomorrow and boos a Home Run because it didn't go far enough. The media really does not paint a good picture of the philly fan.

Rather, I am the fan who loves his teams, will root for them and players that play hard and want to win, but will not root for players who show-off, think "me first" or a lazy.

That last point is my view of B. Abreu. He can be an extremly lazy player. He steals 30+/- bases, but can't get to some flyballs that honestly, John Kruk would have a chance at. (Kruk did play RF for a few games early in his career so I have seen this).

Also, along with the lazy factor, there seems to be no urgency or fire in him at the plate. It seems a Strikeout is..."eh..just a strikeout" to him and no big deal, especially with runners on.

What I do like about Abreu is a joy he brings to the game. When he is huslting and playing hard, there might not be a RF with all his tools. When he is playing this way he is awesome to watch.

If St. Louis wanted him, I think Marquis and a minor leaguer would suit me fine, but as I read in the many articles this past winter, the Phillies are shoppping him around, but not getting any true value in return.

[doug_tucker10]

Abreu is also a nice 0 injury for 2005...

[T.Richardson]

I am a Cardinals Fan and I can say if Marquis and a draft pick or a medium minor leaguer is all it would take he would be a cardinal. Larussa and Duncan do not trust Marquis. He has a very fiery and quirky personality and it wouldn't be a surprise to me if he turns out to be a 14-20 game winner for many seasons or is out of babseball before the end of the season.