Talk:Twins Preview/@comment-93339-20060317153342

First, no Stewart&quot;s OBP numbers weren&quot;t that bad prior to 2005, but then his chronic shoulder problems and a run-in with the wall ruined his season. His offense is dependent on the health of his shoulder and that&quot;s not a bet I am willing to take. My "feeling" was based on my knowledge of his injury but I guess I have to take it step by step through my thinking for some readers. Second, yes, I am sure about Lew Ford. His 2005 was better than Stewart&quot;s and his 2004 was better offensively than any of Stewart&quot;s years. Third, I said Tony Batista was the worst hitter in the lineup but it hurts more to have Stewart at the top than Batista toward the bottom, hence the bigger hole. That one was a little bit of a stretch to criticize. Fourth, as far as Hunter&quot;s defense, you switch from wanting me to use numbers(in Stewart&quot;s case) to a qualitative analysis with Hunter. Which one do you want? Have I seen him play? Yes. As often as you? Most likely not. But I will tell you right now, looking at all the defensive data I have available, his range has dramatically decreased following the 2001 season. He has been closer to league average since. Hunter specifically struggles on flyballs to his right and coming in on liners, which makes me believe he plays deep. Him playing deep allows him to make HR robs, which get him regular airtime on SportsCenter. His arm is one of the better ones in the league but he no longer has the range; therefore, he is overrated because everyone gives him the title of best CF in the AL. From the feedback I have gotten, I don&quot;t think many believe me to be a fool but you are entitled to your opinion.