Is there any player that had a worse year? I don't think I could name one. What Jean Segura had to deal with this year is unimaginable. I'm not going to sugarcoat it here - his son, who was only 9 months old, died in July. This was on top of what was already a tough season for him where he was trying to rebound from a poor 2nd half of 2013. At that point you just threw in the towel and chalked it up to a bad year. I don't really want to talk about it much (in respect to him and his family), but losing someone you love is incredibly tough. It's when thing when it's a parent or a sibling, but I have heard it's a whole different story when it is a child (and an infant child at that). It basically destroys you. You had your entire life planned with this child and planned that he would grow old and outlive you. You never expect (and never think) that a child will die before you. So I'll give anyone a pass if that happens. It doesn't matter if you are a baseball player, a teacher or a construction worker - that sadness is going to mess with your head and your heart, and it will affect your job. But a teacher or a construction worker isn't under the scrutiny and analysis that a Major League baseball player is. I understand that being a "celebrity" and a professional athlete puts in constantly in the public eye, but when real life matters come into play, it's best to just lay off the guy.
That having been said, I'm just going to state the obvious - he had a pretty mediocre year on the field. When you look at them, his stats really weren't that bad for a shortstop. That position isn't really known for being one that has a lot of power numbers or a high batting average. Shortstop is all about defense. While he did regress by the numbers, he still passed the eye test. His offensive numbers were nowhere near close to the ones that earned him a spot on the 2013 All-Star team, but I think that year was a fluke. Sorry pal, but Segura isn't an offensive shortstop. He isn't going to hit 15-20 HRs and drive in 60-70 RBIs. But if he gets on base (I would love it if Roenicke put him 2nd in the batting order) he could steal 40-50 bases per year and score 70-80 runs based on his speed alone. And if he's comfortable at the plate, he's not going to think about it. Why is that important? Because he doesn't need his offensive struggles carrying over to his defense. I feel like it did last year. He just never looked right at the plate or on the field. That will do it. Confidence is everything whether it is at baseball or with the ladies. I'm not confident in either, which leads to a lot of strikeouts.
Check out my 6th video, which covers Shortstop for the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers, recorded in my living room in the middle of the night during a weekend bender:
That having been said, I'm just going to state the obvious - he had a pretty mediocre year on the field. When you look at them, his stats really weren't that bad for a shortstop. That position isn't really known for being one that has a lot of power numbers or a high batting average. Shortstop is all about defense. While he did regress by the numbers, he still passed the eye test. His offensive numbers were nowhere near close to the ones that earned him a spot on the 2013 All-Star team, but I think that year was a fluke. Sorry pal, but Segura isn't an offensive shortstop. He isn't going to hit 15-20 HRs and drive in 60-70 RBIs. But if he gets on base (I would love it if Roenicke put him 2nd in the batting order) he could steal 40-50 bases per year and score 70-80 runs based on his speed alone. And if he's comfortable at the plate, he's not going to think about it. Why is that important? Because he doesn't need his offensive struggles carrying over to his defense. I feel like it did last year. He just never looked right at the plate or on the field. That will do it. Confidence is everything whether it is at baseball or with the ladies. I'm not confident in either, which leads to a lot of strikeouts.
Check out my 6th video, which covers Shortstop for the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers, recorded in my living room in the middle of the night during a weekend bender:
I was pretty drunk when I recorded this video in my living room in the middle of the night during a weekend bender and I wasn't able to make any kind of sense. I got some stares from my cat as I was facing the wall and talking to my camera, but I get stares when I do anything, so I'm used to it. I have been trying to limit my alcohol intake (no drinking on the weekdays) so after a few whiskey whatevers, I was lost in the supermarket and I needed an adult. I had like 19 sombreros on my head and it was really hard to stand there and try and stay upright, because everything in my body and mind was telling me to topple over and call it a night right there on the floor. But I finished the movie. And then I passed out. Classic Iceman.
Jean Segura #9 - .286 batting AVG, 10 HRs, 38 RBIs, 40 stolen bases, and part of a solid "up the middle" combo along with Lucroy/Maldonado and Carlos Gomez. Just like he used to be a part of the "Jean Jean made a machine, Yo Yo made it go, Hart Hart blew a fart and blew the whole damn thing apart" combo.
.246 batting AVG, 5 HRs, 31 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 146 games played and solid-ish defense (16 errors) but basically a lost year. If you are going to point the finger at somebody for the problems that happened in 2014, he probably deserves it. If you want to pull his finger, I hope he gets it and cranks out a loud and reverberating fart.
Jeff Bianchi #14 - .236 AVG, 3 HRs, 26 RBIs and still a valuable member of the team because he's the backup at all 4 Infield positions and emergency 5th Outfielder. A good Utility Infielder is a huge asset in the National League.
.171 batting AVG, 0 HRs, 6 RBIs, 29 games played, 70 at bats and basically a non-factor for the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers. No offense, but fuck Jeff Bianchi.
Despite his struggles on and off the field, the Brewers still stuck with him at shortstop all seasons long, and he ended up playing in 146 (out of 162) games. Jeff Bianchi made a few appearances while Segura took some time off to be with his family, but for the most part it was the Segura show. I commend the Brewers for sticking with him through thick and thin. Until September when it all started falling apart, it was ok if he was having an off year. But when things started to go in the tank, it became apparent that the lack of offense from the shortstop position contributed to the collapse. His batting average in September was .319, but he only hit 1 homerun and drove in 3 RBIs. It was nice to see him finish strong average wise (because he's never going to be a power hitter and is capable of batting .270-.280) but it was too little too late.
Not to get ahead of myself, but if he is anything like his 2013 season, he's worth an extra 2-3 wins on his own. If Ryan Braun (which I will cover shortly) also rebounds, he's worth an extra 4-5 wins. Think about that for a second. The Brewers finished with an 82-80 record and missed the playoffs. If Segura and Braun played like they were capable of in 2014, they win an extra 5-7 games. That means they win 87-89 games and make the playoffs. That's such a huge difference! If they make the playoffs in 2014, September doesn't matter and the offeseason is completely different. And so is my attitude going into the 2015 season. That's how important Jean Segura is. That just goes to show you that something so little can end up being so big. It's the whole drop in a pond and the ripple effect. All it takes is for someone to make that drop in the pond. I'm hoping Segura can be that drop.
- pookon -
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