Here's some weird news: Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena and Geovany Soto combined have one more hit with men in scoring position than Darwin Barney.
Roughly 660 pounds of baseball player developed to drive in runs are barely beating 180 pounds (that's how much it says Barney weighs, but I'd guess 165?) of baseball player developed to get on base.
RBIs? Aramis has 11, Pena has 6, Soto has 8.
Barney has 14.
After a full month of baseball, that's very disturbing.
But I was trying to write something nice about Darwin Barney and not something damning to the rest of the team.
Here are Barney's minor league stats:
Pretty much, he starts in a league, gets better in year 2, then gets promoted, takes a step back, then better, then promoted...
Now he's here.
Somebody told me SI had an article that called Barney out as really really bad.
Really?
Yes it is way too early to tell, but what if Darwin's Theory of Evolution keeps evolving?
You guys know I'm not really a stats guy, and compared to many fans I hardly pay attention to the minor leagues.
Remember when Geovany Soto came out of nowhere?
I should have been at least a little prepared for him.
When you look at his minor league stats, something clicked between '06 and '07, because he went from 6 homers to 26, from 38 RBIs to 109, from slugging .353 to .424.
Wouldn't it be fabulous if in 2 years we look back and say, "Man, something clicked for Barney between '10 and '11"?
Of course, this is me.
I'm the guy who likes to celebrate steps along the way.
Have a good meeting? Have a martini.
Barney's still just a little puppy.
But he's sure been fun to watch so far.
Super busy at work, I think I'm gonna have to trust the rest of these West Coast games to Santa.
I go to bed about the 3rd and wish for a victory gift in the morning's sports page.
Didn't happen today.
