So I keep on working every day, and I don't get tired of it. (Age 40-201d) RELATED: Tim Anderson focused on positive energy for 2023 season Anderson has had Abreu as his first baseman for Abreu is financially set for life, and his family could join him in the United States sometime soon. In 2006, Abreu led the major leagues in walks (124), pitches per plate appearance (4.45), and number of pitches seen (3,056), and was second in the major leagues in percent of plate appearances that were walks (18.5%),[15] and led the AL in percentage of pitches taken (66.2), and in walks per plate appearance (.181), third in batting average on balls in play (.375),[15] eighth in on-base percentage (.424), 18th in stolen bases (30), and 19th in doubles (41). Bobby Abreu is one of the most underrated players in baseball history. It's 1:45 p.m. on a Friday afternoon at Camelback Ranch, almost two hours after the day's workout has ended, and the only sounds at the facility are coming from souped-up trucks, sports cars pulling out of the players' parking lot and those poor balls being crushed by Abreu's bat. The point of this boring story is that, to recognize the excellence of Bobby Abreu, you have to look at his all-around game. How many still-active players will, in the next 10 years, surpass what hes accomplished? He just didnt have the fame of Gwynn, across his career. They Appreciating Albert Pujols Hall of Fame Career. Same (just average) for his .354 OBP & .841 OPS. Please follow Cooperstown Cred on Twitter @cooperstowncred. 79. Plus, theres this remarkable comparison between Abreu and another left-handed-swinging right fielder, the late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn: Thats a different way of saying that Abreus career .395 on-base percentage was superior to Gwynns .388 career OBP, despite the eight-time batting champion having a huge edge in batting average (.338 to .291). [1], After sitting out the 2013 season, Abreu participated in the 201314 Venezuelan Winter League and logged a .322 batting average in 180 plate appearances with Leones del Caracas. He was voted a starter in the NL outfield for the All-Star Game, finishing second in fan voting, behind St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds. Abreu was courted by several teams, but he eventually signed a six-year, $68 million deal with the White Sox in October. On February 12, 2009, Abreu signed a $5million, one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and was expected to play left field. Bryan Abreu was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on April 22, 1997. Three did neither but stole over 800 bases (Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, Tim Raines). Bobby Abreu has yet to crack 10% in the Hall of Fame vote in his first three turns on the BBWAA ballot, so there isnt a plethora of proverbial ink spilled on why he belongs in the Hall of Fame. He still contributed 20 HR, 78 RBI, 88 Runs scored and 24 steals with a 118 OPS+. The point was that there are four people with 250 HR and 350 SB who are NOT in the Hall of Fame. However, I do also think there are a great many of his peers (both currently on the ballot, recently purged from it, and coming in the upcoming years) who I feel have better cases. Baseball is Abreu's passion. Buster Posey Retires: What are his Hall of Fame Chances? He debuts his MLB career with the Chicago sox. [12] Abreu became the first Angels player to reach those figures in batting average and RBI in one calendar month since Tim Salmon, who hit .390 with 32 RBI in 27 games in July 1997. "Thank God, my dad also dedicates himself a lot to me, and he talks to me every day, asks me how I'm doing in my training. [11] He finished the season with a .301 average, 30 home runs, and 105 RBI, and ranked among the National League top five in five offensive categories: runs (fourth, 118) -- the third time in six years that he scored 118 runs, doubles (fourth, 47), stolen bases (third, 40a career high), walks (second, 127a career high) and on-base percentage (fifth, .428). Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'r9Tf2lFOQYxh5Nic2KF7VA',sig:'_jznwM5vfRNwDzWEbx31bGzqy5C0fG8GYVoz4ZjVp8Q=',w:'594px',h:'394px',items:'361597',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); I absolutely do think Bobby Abreu is a HOFer. When his career ended, after the 2014 season with the Mets, he had accumulated some highly respectable career numbers, even if they dont scream Cooperstown in neon lights. Working every day, every hour, every minute is the best way for me to have God provide me with the things I can hope for and I deserve.". By using the play index tool on Baseball-References Stathead, we can see that in the history of baseball, the only other player to log 150+ games in 13 consecutive seasons is Willie Mays. Bob Kelly Abreu (/bre.u/; Spanish:[bo aew]; born March 11, 1974), nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Leche", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets. The Houston Astros finalized a deal with free agent first baseman Jos Abreu for three years, the team announced Monday night. RELATED: Jose Abreu wants to play baseball in 2023 Abreu has earned Rookie of the Year, MVP, three All-Star nods and three Silver Sluggers since arriving on the team. Tony Gwynn, like Abreu, was a portly left-handed batter who nonetheless stole 300+ bases, but he was a slap hitter who couldn't stay in the lineup. On the other hand, Abreus WAR is lower than the aforementioned Rolen (70.1), Lofton (68.4), Jones (62.7), Helton (61.8), and Edmonds (60.4). 3rd year on BBWAA ballot in 2021: Received 8.6% of the vote in 2022. Abreu is a two-time All-Star, and has won a Thanks for reading. [19] However, after Vladimir Guerrero was moved to DH due to injury, Abreu saw more action at his natural position in right field. The noises echo throughout the complex. When it comes to Bobby Abreu and the Hall of Fame, although hes always been on the fence for me, I am making him a yes on my 2023 virtual ballot. He is not dating anyone. Larry Walker Is In the Hall of Fame, Overcoming the Coors Field Bias, Marvin Miller: Cooperstowns Greatest Snub No More, Cooperstowns Greatest Speech (N)ever Made, Wally Schang: 3-Time World Series Champion Backstop, Not in the Hall of Fame. Abreus first playoff game in Pinstripes went swimmingly; he went 2 for 5 with a double and 4 RBI in the teams 8-4 Game 1 victory. Meanwhile, his friends are like the lights on the side of the road as they brighten the walkway and make the stroll enjoyable. In the 2009 ALDS, a three-game sweep over the Boston Red Sox, Abreu played a huge role, slashing .556/.692/.778, which led to 4 runs scored. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. September 28, 2014 He and his wife, Yusmary, are believed to have left Cuba in the middle of the night sometime last summer and made their way to Haiti to begin Abreu's process of becoming eligible to sign with a Major League club. East; they were matched up in the ALDS against Jim Leylands Detroit Tigers. In 2001, he was the Honorary Chairman for the American Red Cross Blood Drive. Bobby Abreu. Abreu is known as "El Comedulce" in Venezuela. Among right fielders, this is 19th best alltime, and he is one of 191 players as of 2023 with a WAR over 60.[44][45]. Objectivity is the most important thing. Jones, however, now has serious momentum and is currently tracking at a robust 68.5% on the current ballot (according to Ryan Thibodauxs Hall of Fame tracker). If the answer is many hes not a Hall of Famer, if the answer turns out to be hardly any, then the case is more compelling. There are dozens of Hall of Fame players (mostly from the first half of the 20th century) that were inferior to Abreu. [40][41] In 2009, he led the American League in percent of pitches taken at 67.5%,[42] while also having the fourth lowest percentage of swinging at the first pitch at 9.5%. The Phillies, under new manager Charlie Manuel, won 88 games in 2005, finishing one game out of the playoffs, and Abreus second-half slump was cited as one of the reasons the Phils fell short. Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox hits an RBI single during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. He signed a week later with the other team in Los Angeles and spent the balance of the campaign serving as a part-time left-fielder and pinch-hitter for the Dodgers. Afterward, teammate Jimmy Rollins proclaimed Abreu the King of Venezuela.. [27], On May 4, 2012, Abreu signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bobby > Helton. She encouraged him to choose a career in sports, and he gives her credit as the person who helped him become what he is today. Bryan Abreu is a Dominican baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. Of course you want a team that is going to give you opportunities to be in the World Series and win the World Series. He had 13 consecutive seasons in which he logged over 150 games and was a positive contributor (at least offensively) in all of those 13 campaigns. The Chicago Cubs are expected to pursue free-agent first baseman Jos Abreu this offseason, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Abreu, who has spent his entire Bobby Abreu weighed 220 lbs (99 kg) when playing. WebBobby Abreu and Jose Abreu are talented baseball field players representing two different teams. Abreu wanted to give back as soon as he joined the White Sox, and O'Reilly-Riordan mentioned the organization's knowledge of a special relationship Abreu Only 22 out of the 397 eligible writers (5.5%) checked Abreus name on the 2020 ballot. Gwynn has him by 4 points in OPS+ and 9 wins in WAR. Two batters later, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero delivered a bases-loaded, two-run single to give the Angels a 7-6 win and, ultimately, the victory. In most of the history of Hall of Fame voting, when it comes to corner outfielders, voters have looked for high-average hitters, home run hitters, or stolen base specialists. "Those experiences have helped me out a lot so I can be here," he said. Thats incredibly brilliant consistency., Ryan Fagan,The Sporting News (Jan. 3, 2023), I did vote for Bobby Abreu, who has an intriguing, albeit, borderline statistical case His numbers are compellinghe reached base more times than Tony Gwynn, for instance. In both 2007 and 08, his two full seasons with New York, he surpassed 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. His .335 career-high average that season ranked third in the National League and was the highest posted by a Phillies player since outfielder Tony Gonzlez hit .339 in 1967. How could you sell Abreu to a skeptic, one not schooled in sabermetrics, between the 1st and 20th floors of your office building or hotel? Not sure if this alters your opinion but Abreu and Barry Bonds are the only 2 players in MLB history with 400+ SB, 1,350+ RBI, and 1,400+ BB over a career. In this piece, Ill recap Abreus productive career and attempt to answer the question of whether he has deserved better from the members of the BBWAA. As you can see, Bobby Abreu does indeed have a strong argument for the Hall of Fame. [12] He also led the NL for the month in slugging average (.792), on-base percentage (.535), and walks (30) and was tied for the league lead with 30 RBI. However, he was no more than a supporting cast member on any of those teams. By comparison, Damons XBT% is 48% while Loftons is 55%. "I've had a lot of people next to me helping me out and teaching me things so I can get a better idea of how Major League Baseball is like.". He had two seasons in which he collected thirty home runs and thirty stolen bases, making him one of thirteen players to have achieved the 3030 club twice in a career. Of course, we have to take into account the era and the parks a player played in to make sense of those numbers. An international star, Abreu hit .453 with 33 homers and 93 RBIs in 66 games during a historic 2010-11 season in Cuba, after which he was named the Cuban League's Most Valuable Player. There are 11 players with more TOB that are not yet in the Hall: Rose, three not yet eligible players (Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre, and Miguel Cabrera), four PED-linked players (Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Sheffield, Manny Ramirez), Omar Vizquel, and Rusty Staub. Regardless, when it comes to consistent durability, Abreu has a record thats hard to beat. I'm definitely not satisfied just being here. If you go strictly by Baseball-Reference WAR, his 60.2 is tied for the 8th best (with Andy Pettitte) on the 2023 ballot and a voter is limited to 10 selections. He and Scott Rolen were the 2 best young hitters I ever saw, on the 1997-99 Phillies, and Curt Schilling the best young pitcher. Remembering that WAR is an approximation, its not easy to look at these numbers and conclude that Bobby Abreu is more worthy than any of the others. This article was originally posted in March 2019 and has been updated in advance of the 2023 vote. Although he hit just .255 (his lowest total as a full-time player), Abreu had another solid season in 2010. Most of the next 15 balls are smashed up the middle. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Of the other 13, all but 4 had at least 350 home runs. He grew up in a well-settled family so it was easy for him to pursue his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. But the mother is the most important thing," he said. That line wasnt written very well. In Game 3 of the 2009 ALDS, Abreu hit a 9th inning, 2-out double off Jonathan Papelbon to cut the Red Sox lead to 6-5. Agreed, Konerkos 28.1 WAR is surprisingly low, considering that 3 of his top 5 similarity score players are Willie Stargell, Orlando Cepeda, and Fred McGriff. In 2000, he finished fourth in the league in triples (10), sixth in doubles (42), seventh in walks (100), and ninth in OBP (.416). Lofton only played 150 games twice and only made it to 130 games 9 times. What Happened To Nia From Real World Portland? Despite only 15 home runs, he drove in 107 and scored 98 while drawing an MLB-best 124 bases on balls. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Cuban slugger starts his workday every morning at 7 a.m. in the batting cage, and he ends it there six or seven hours later when one of his coaches relays some version of "that's enough for today." All rights reserved. Or write about sports? The Cooperstown Candidacy for Mark Buehrle. 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