all things baseball. if you swing that way (2 Viewers)

Dunn is a lot of fun to watch, and provides much needed protection to Zimmerman in the 3 hole.

and yes, what the hell is up with the McLouth trade? it looks like one of the Expos deals from the late '90s. and, as you probably guessed, that ain't a compliment.

but, here's one guy worth keeping an eye on.
 
hoochmonkey9 said:
but, here's one guy worth keeping an eye on.
Click to expand...

I read about him the other day and saw a video of him online. No doubt he's a really impressive talent, but this kind of jumped out at me:

When asked about his goals as a ballplayer, he replies, "Be in the Hall of Fame, definitely. Play in Yankee Stadium. Play in the pinstripes. Be considered the greatest baseball player who ever lived. I can't wait."
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm just being cynical, but the kid should probably play more than 2 years of high school varsity before he punches his ticket to Cooperstown. I wish him the best, but disappointment seem inevitable when you're talking like that.
 
he's not humble, for sure.

but 16 year old jocks are supposed to be dicks, right? ;)

but seriously, this guy reminds me a bit of Josh Hamilton. I wouldn't be surprised to hear in 3 years that Harper has dropped out of baseball due to some mental breakdown.
 
A left-handed hitting catcher with power would be a prized commodity for sure. They say Mantle could crush the ball at that age too, and I hope we have another natural phenom like him. But the cynic in me has to wonder if the Nevada High School Athletic Association is doing any kind of screening for these kids. A 570 ft. home run - even with an aluminum bat - sounds a little suspect to me.
 
I've been watching some video and he's going to have to change his timing mechanism with his front foot. he turns it in way too much. I realize he's trying to get extra torque for clearing his hips, but once he faces pitchers with more giddy up, that front foot step will be a major hole.

but his bat speed is stunning. seriously stunning. his speed through the zone rivals a young Gary Sheffield. could be faster than Sheffield. and unlike Sheffield, he keeps his top hand on the bat. Ted Williams would be proud.

but yes, 'roids are always a concern. even at 16. especially based on his 'best player ever' comments. but the baseball lover in me hopes not.
 
Hooch, you are a baseball scholar for sure. I saw that viddy on yahoo about a week or so ago, and I noticed his front foot. He really is generating a large amount of hip torque from that. Compared to most major league hitters, his foot work is very unorthodox, and perhaps the very reason why is because he has the time to do it now.

Up against a flame-thrower, he'd have to do that a half-second before the ball was pitched. ;)

What is a good speed for a 16/17-year old fastball? Maybe 85 mph? I'm wondering if the difference is more speed or location/control. The difference between 16 and 19 years old is probably a huge jump. Pitchers get better, but do hitters generally ramp up as much?
 
They all ramp up fairly equally, I think. And then they really separate the men from the boys when the jump is made from High Single-A to Double-A. That is where the GM's really keep an eye out for their future players. Triple-A is more of a holding pen for Major League-ready rookies waiting for the call and pros on the mend from injury, surgery, etc..
But my esteemed fellow scholars already knew that. ;)
 
Of Fante ,I also love Tales from Bunker Hill, with the famous golden arm.
How human was that book.
I happened to have seen the Montreal Expos play a few times and loved the pace of baseball for some reason.
 
Because the pace of baseball isn't determined by a clock, right ? Three outs is three outs, whether they take 3 minutes or 3 times through the line-up, and the inning has no "limits".
That's why I love it too.
 
It used to drive me crazy. When I was younger, I thought that there was a lot of waiting around and wasted time. As I've matured, I have come to appreciate the behind the scenes action of the game. The strategy is not obvious to the casual viewer.

What's going to happen with pierre when Manny returns. He's one of my favorite players. I love his scrappyness. I would hate to see him go back to riding the pine, but I would hate even more to see him get traded to another team.
 
number6horse said:
Because the pace of baseball isn't determined by a clock, right ? Three outs is three outs, whether they take 3 minutes or 3 times through the line-up, and the inning has no "limits".
That's why I love it too.
Click to expand...
Right you are. And I think that anybody who played as a kid, even just sandlot ball and gym class like me, loves the game and has fond memories. When I was a teenager, I was the only kid in my neighborhood who could swing the bat and hit the roof of the barn across the road with the ball. That and the memory of getting a standing ovation for my curtain call at my senior class play are memories that still make me proud into my 50s and I'll probably croak feeling that way. :-)

And yeah, that Bryce Harper kid could be the real thing ...
 
Sandlot pick-up games are my memories too, because music consumed me by the time organized ball came along in my teen years. As a kid I was fast and had the best arm so I was in center field usually. As a hitter, the catchers loved me because I created a nice breeze with every at-bat. :(
 
As I was typing my last response, my favorite center-fielder in the entire game, Detroit's Curtis Granderson hit a dramatic 9th-inning 2-run homer to tie the game 3-3 vs. the White Sox. Did I inspire him telepathically with my nostalgia powers ? I think so.....
 
I hope he saw my notes on his swing. ;)

but I hate to admit I'm drooling a little bit. although growing impatient: I've been suffering with this franchise since I was 7 or so. 30+ years for some sort of payoff is a long time. maybe I'm practicing tantric baseball.
 
If this kid's parents don't have the sense to see that he finishes high school, then he is doomed. I'm going to go on the record and say that he will flame out before he can reach full potential. Or maybe the major leagues at all. Hope he doesn't, but I'm not optimistic.
 
everybody has a wad to shoot. his wad is baseball. if he didn't have baseball, he might end up working at Taco Bell. he might blow his wad the wrong way and still end up working at Taco Bell, but not until he made a few bucks working at the MLB minimum.

education is sometimes overrated. I have a university degree, dabbled with law school, and now I work 3 days a week in a department store and make about 10 grand a year. but maybe I'm an underachiever. ;)

EDIT: my wife has a VERY good job, and we're doing fine. me working 3 days a week was my choice for personal reasons. don't cry for us, Argentina. or wherever the hell you people are from. heh.
 
To me there's a difference between "wasting" a college degree and walking away from high school at age 16. Plenty of people have had to leave for economic reasons (and there are huge economic considerations in play here), but it just doesn't seem to me to be that urgent, except that everybody wants the big payday. That quote from him sounds more than a little self-centered and egotistical.

Now my own lifestyle, on the other hand, is that of an ascetic monk with merely a simple robe and rice bowl to his name....
 
At this point since he has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated he is essentially in a different league from his peers already. He may as well go for it. Worst that could happen is he never makes it to the Majors.
He will more then likely be in exactly the same spot as his peers anyway by that point. He can go to college and figure out what he wants to do. Most 18, 19 year old College Students haven't made a solid decision about their future anyway. They are going to go to college but as far as locking down their long term career and goals... I think they are still figuring out who they're going to be. Besides there are plenty of people who have started college later in life.

He will be the Wonderboy and if he doesn't get hurt he will eventually retire a very wealthy man someday.

Besides who actually remembers high school anyway. Most of it was somewhat painful. All that growing up and stuff..

Also an Ascetic monk with just a robe and rice bowl to his name is very lucky man indeed.
 
The concept of Harper being the basis of a team's rebuilding segues nicely into something I've been thinking about posting here. Perhaps this is a bit off-topic, but this is "all things baseball."

So, if you could pick one player, past or present, as the basis for building a team, who would it be and why?

My answer is an unequivocal: Roberto Walker Clemente. Lifetime .317 hitter, 3,000 hits in 18 seasons, and when the heat was on, in 14 World Series games, a .362 BA. But the real kicker is this: he had an absolute howitzer of a throwing arm; something that's just not so common these days. Of course, his was anything but common!

Sure, there are planty of great names: Mantle, Mays, Ruth, Williams, but hell, I got first pick.
 
that's a weird coincidence. I watched PBS' American Experience last night on Clemente.

my fav all time player is Ted Williams, but I would pick Willie Mays as my one player. I think he's probably the best all around player ever.

although if I pick Mantle, I would also have someone to drink with. all these players in the past decade taking stimulants, and Mantle had to take a depressant to not make everyone else look bad. ;) sheesh.
 
hoochmonkey9 said:
that's a weird coincidence. I watched PBS' American Experience last night on Clemente.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's not a coincidence; I saw it as well and that was what prompted me to post it here. Don't get me wrong; it wasn't the show that made me choose Clemente as my #1 guy. I've felt that way since I was about 7 or 8 years old.

That was a great episode for me.
 
Just wanted to post Nats leading the Yankees 3-2 in the top of the 6th. Go Nats !

Now I have to answer PS's question...... lemme return with an answer....
 
it was a great episode.

it's funny, while i watched the show, Clemente's arm reminded me of Ellis Valentine who played for the Expos in the late '70s. nowhere near Clemente's level, but as far as throwing arms, they were very close. and I hadn't thought about Valentine in a while. sometimes we just need a gentle reminder.

one of my favourite memories of Valentine was him catching a fly ball in the right field corner and throwing home to try to cut down the runner tagging up from 3rd. the throw missed the catcher, bad throw. but it hit the backstop on a line. not a looping flyball toss, a laser. I remember watching the CBC broadcast and the stadium oohed and ahhed and all the players were shaking their heads and Valentine was trying not to smile.

but, yes Clemente was a special player.


number6horse: all 3 Nats runs on a light hitting Anderson Hernandez home run. his first this season. and second of his career. 5 foot 9, 185 lbs. and those measurements are probably slightly ;) exaggerated.
 
OK - first I need to rule out pitchers because they only play every 4th or 5th day and as important as pitching is, you want an everyday presence in the lineup to establish a franchise. (Though it would be awesome to have Satchel Paige in his prime to completely mind-fuck the opposition every 4-5 days.)

Hmmm.....I'm trying to watch Cards vs. Tigers, answer a great baseball question here, and Ozzie Smith just entered the announcers booth back at the mlb.tv broadcast. Safe to say I'm having a prolonged baseball orgasm right now.

Lemme clean up and get back to that question....


For now, I will say Willie Mays. Maybe I will dig up some stats later to give someone else the edge, but shit - Willie could hit for average, power, field his position superbly, throw like a motherfucker, and steal bases. What else do you want ?

Oh - he really sucked at singing the national anthem ? Well, forget him....;)

Roberto Clemente - I need to make a whole other post for him.
An icon for the ages. No doubt.
 
hoochmonkey9 said:
it's funny, while i watched the show, Clemente's arm reminded me of Ellis Valentine who played for the Expos in the late '70s. nowhere near Clemente's level, but as far as throwing arms, they were very close. and I hadn't thought about Valentine in a while. sometimes we just need a gentle reminder.

one of my favourite memories of Valentine was him catching a fly ball in the right field corner and throwing home to try to cut down the runner tagging up from 3rd. the throw missed the catcher, bad throw. but it hit the backstop on a line. not a looping flyball toss, a laser. I remember watching the CBC broadcast and the stadium oohed and ahhed and all the players were shaking their heads and Valentine was trying not to smile.
Click to expand...

That's freaking craaazy! I'd like to see that.

There are some "famous" viddies out there on mlb.com and probably youtube of Clemente making some great throws from RF. One that comes to mind was during the '71 WS against the O's when he dug a ball out of the deep RF corner, wheeled (not really looking) and chucked it home to freeze a runner at 3rd. Manny Sanguillen was standing on the plate, and it one-hopped him smack dab into his glove. That's just fantastic. I don't care if he had been a lifetime .208 hitter; I'd take him for that ability alone.

try this: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w_id=530329&w=/library/mlb_%21/bb/71ws/71ws_pitbal_film_350.wmv&vid=7808&pid=bb_video&cid=mlb&v=2

number6horse said:
For now, I will say Willie Mays.
Click to expand...

Well, you know; not a bad choice. I'm assuming you mean the Mays of the Mets years ('72-'73) when he would nap in the dugout. ;)
 
And there are stories of Clemente throwing out a 3rd base runner from the warning track in Wrigley Field. I've heard it enough times from varied enough sources to believe it. And apparently WGN-TV has since destroyed the videotape because it wasn't a playoff game and nobody cared at the time.

He did have a hell of an arm. Very few like that today and the game is lesser for it.

Also -
There are only two hitters
who have ever hit a baseball past
the scoreboard at Wrigley Field.
Both were NL Central players.
Who were they ?
 
Well, to answer my own trivia question, the two players were Roberto Clemente and Dave Kingman. This is admittedly based on hearsay, but we need a little legend and lore when talking baseball.....

On a selfish note, I am raising a glass to the news that Mark DeRosa is now a St. Louis Cardinal. Not just because we need to strengthen the infield, but because we absolutely piss off the Cubs fans who have been missing his production this year. Ha ha - I guess Milton Bradley hasn't lived up to that $30 million dollar contract, huh ?

Bradley was actually sent home from the game yesterday after one too many tirades in the dugout. Fuck him. He needs to grow up and produce like a professional. What a crybaby.

And as long as I'm chirping about my Redbirds, how 'bout that Albert Pujols character ?
I think he has a future in this game.....just a hunch ;)
 
Milton Bradley?, hell, whatever happened to Izzy Alcantera?

Now there's a truck-load of rotten dynamite! Pujols scares me, looks like a latter-day Manuel Trujillo. And where's Turk Wendell hunting these days, God, that dude always made me laugh.
 
NASCAR Be Damned.... Guess Where I Was Today !

MillerPark006-1.jpg
 
Heading over to Wrigley Field for Cards vs. Cubs today. Hope the rain holds off, but it doesn't look good. Thunderstorms due within the hour, so there might be another postponement.

Maybe Pujols can wave his bat toward the heavens and quiet the storm.... fucker can do everything else with it.
 
Time to revive this thread for a Hoochmonkey9 vs. Number6horse showdown.

Oh, it is ON, people. It is ON. Tickets going fast.

7:05 E/6:05 C/5:05 M/4:05 P

This time it's personal....
 
be afraid, my friend.


(that the Cards don't get worn out from all that running around the base paths...)
 
:D

Actually, they might be thinking about the upcoming Phillies and Dodgers series,
and let their guard down. Who knows...

On a baseball note, I had planned to go to the White Sox game today but chickened out because of the rain threat. I will be kicking myself for the next week and a half.
 

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