Comments on: Dusty on Francisco

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:59:45 +0000

I’m not all that high on Francisco. I feel he has a lot of development work to do still. He looks like he will end up being a 1B/DH on defense and one wonders if he will ever develop any plate discipline. I’m having a hard time seeing where he would fit defensively also with Encarnacion and Frazier ahead of him at 3B and Votto and Alonso ahead of him at 1B. The following is from BBA.

Francisco has a long stroke that isn’t conducive to consistent contact. His plate discipline is poor and he gives away too many at-bats by being overly aggressive. Scouts are worried that he could grow to Dmitri Young proportions if he doesn’t stay on top of his conditioning. His range already is below average at third base, and he’ll probably wind up at first base rather than the outfield.

By: Y-City Jim

Y-City Jim — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:45:56 +0000

Here’s a shocker:

BAKER ON what cleanup hitter Brandon Phillips must do to get better this year:

“He needs to be more selective, especially with runners in scoring position. That comes with concentration. Sometimes it seems he has made up his mind to swing before the pitch. Then he gets that reputation and pitchers are not going to throw him his pitch.”

By: Tartan

Tartan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:08:33 +0000

The Killer played when the average player was hitting .240. The average guy in Dunn’s career hits mid .260s. It is a significant difference.

By: catcard202

catcard202 — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:59:39 +0000

Hard to start a fire w/ Douche drool saturating the wood toothpicks.

By: preach

preach — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:05:01 +0000

Maybe he could add a few toothpicks to fuel the fire.

By: Y-City Jim

Y-City Jim — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:47:19 +0000

Plus I’m sure Dusty feels that Stubbs needs to “turn the flame up.”

By: catcard202

catcard202 — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:14:41 +0000

Dan, I’m w/ you on that…I’d GLADLY take the above line (from Stubbs in CIN) for the next 8-10years.

But we all know that he’ll never play a day of CF in CIN, not w/ the “toothpicked one” making out the line-up cards. Stubbs doesn’t like hit from the LO & prefers to be a little further down the card… So therefore, in Douche Bag’s mind…He must not REALLY be a CF.

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:34:34 +0000

Strikeouts (for a hitter) are outs, so of course they aren’t good. But they are NOT WORSE than other outs! Argue otherwise… I’d like to hear it. (And please, don’t use the phrase “make something happen”…)

Players can be very good, very valuable, even with a lot of strikeouts.

In fact, many hitters who have good plate discipline (generally considered a good thing) strike out more than average because they tend to go deep into counts.

I won’t bring up Dunn b/c I think we’re past the point of rational debate w/ him.

Let’s take Stubbs… if he can come up to the Reds and hit .260/.350/.430 and win Gold Gloves in CF, I’m happy… even if he’s striking out 100-140 times a year.

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:13:46 +0000

No matter how much power a guy has, and no matter where he bats in the order — even if he’s your prototypical slugger batting 4th — he’s not helping you much if he makes an out 70% of the time he comes to the plate (i.e., .300 OBP).

By: wanderinredsfan

wanderinredsfan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:36:56 +0000

With regards to the argument that latin players not known for ‘great discipline’; you don’t have to look any further than Pujols, Ramirez, Gonzalez, Ortiz, Beltran, Delgado, etc., etc.. to realize how ill-conceived that argument truly is.

By: Steve Price

Steve Price — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:16:20 +0000

I’m saying those guys were like Dunn and Howard, and they did make major league rosters 30 years ago and reached the HOF.

By: Y-City Jim

Y-City Jim — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 05:24:54 +0000

the name is Harmon Killebrew, hall of famer….and, he played 30-40 years ago; same type of player

Not sure I follow. Are you saying Killebrew, Mathews, McCovey, and Stargell were not patient hitters that would take a walk? If so, that is not accurate. All four fall into the 75-100 OBP over their BA range.

By: Steve Price

Steve Price — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:42:11 +0000

We can also add Eddie Mathews, Willie Mccovey, Willie Stargell…

By: Steve Price

Steve Price — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:39:02 +0000

the name is Harmon Killebrew, hall of famer….and, he played 30-40 years ago; same type of player

By: Tartan

Tartan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:01:26 +0000

Chad,

That is a different arguement in my mind. Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn, et al, wouldn’t have made a major league roster as little as 30 years ago. Players like that just didn’t have “value” as perceived at the time. Just because there aren’t a lot of those types of players in the HOF doesn’t mean a guy like that can’t succeed.

Now certainly everybody isn’t Vlad, but on the flip side, you’re not going to find any Jack Cust, Nick Swisher type players in the HOF either.