Answer me this, baseball fans:

[Oeditpus Rex]

The Dodgers' Matt Kemp leads the NL in outfield assists (throwing out a runner trying to advance) with seven, two of them tonight.



Tell me why this is not necessarily a good thing.

[Chan790]

1. for the same reason that it's not really good when Manny Ramirez leads the AL...

because if your arm is really that good people don't run on you and you don't have the opportunities to get assists. It's the same reason that Jason Kendall (a catcher with a terrible arm) usually gets more runners caught stealing than Ivan Rodriguez (a catcher with a great arm) over the course of a season.

Nobody tests Torii Hunter's or Vlad Guerrero's arms anymore...too many people have seen them hit the catcher in the chest on one bounce.

[KitchenWitch]

2. They are learning not to test Michael Cuddyer's arm as well.

I believe he lead the league last year with RF assists.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. Ding!

Charlie Steiner's all up about how it's a Great Thing that Kemp leads the league in assists. Funny thing is, I didn't hear his broadcast partner, Rick Monday, a former outfielder, correct him.

[Tektonik]

4. That's because Rick Monday is an imbecile!

:P

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. Nah

When they first got him in the booth, I didn't care for him, and two years ago he and Steiner were not a good fit. But he's gotten much better, and now I think they're one of the best crews in baseball.

[Tektonik]

6. No way

Well in comparison to the Angels & Pads announcers they're good, but Rick is a dolt.