http://i52.tinypic.com/2rruvx3.jpg
That's Ji-Man Choi in his catcher's gear jogging over toward the batting cage. I'm glad it seems they might let him catch. Nobody's gonna work harder than Choi. The bat could be plus, but as a catcher? Man would that be awesome. If Choi can stick behind the plate he instantly jumps into the upper echelon of our prospects - and if we let him actually apply himself to it, I wouldn't doubt him.
Nice guys with crazy-good work ethics do play into that Bill James frame of mind. "Confident" players with great work ethics can probably pull it off too - or at least I'm hoping in Nick Franklin's case they can.
And at least Choi's not repped by Boras. ;) Smoak is, Ackley is, Franklin is as of 2 weeks ago, and both Cole and Rendon are, so no breaks there. But Smoak and Ackley go about their business like seasoned pros already. They were the lords of all they surveyed in high school and college, and as they get their cleats dug in to the big-league box they sure look like they're gonna own that too. We just need some backup so they don't have to be HOFers to get it done here.
If we're getting set up for a 4-6 year window, then I'd be happy to pair a Carlos-Santana-style catcher with a Stephen-Drew-esque shortstop in 3 years or so to put the afterburners on that chase. May the work ethics win out for Choi and Franklin.
Prospecting will be fun this year. :) It's nice to have some talent back in the system worth getting excited about. Not all of it will make it, but at least I believe all the kids will be giving it their best shot, and the coaches in place might actually be able to help them.
It took me until March, but I'm finally getting excited about the season. The taste of last year is almost gone. We're a better team than last year, even if we are relying quite a bit on the kids.
I can't wait to see those kids, both in the bigs and on the farm, start to make their mark.
~G
Sez G,
Only saw Ackley on a couple of days, but I don't see how he's any worse than Lopez out there, and he should have more range (Ackley's quick). WAY faster on the bases, but even on hustling to make bouncing plays in the hole. He's looking far more sure of himself even on just backing plays up or trusting his instincts. I think he'll make it as a 2B. He looks "right" out there. Cool as a cucumber.
Which jibes with the eyes he opened when he first transferred over -- the coaches wow'ing about how natural he looked, how early.
For those who just joined us, here's a tale of two SSI predictions .... (1) Dr. D called for the Figgins / Lopez swap last spring. He fouled that one back up off his cup, didn't he...
Light bulb on, for me, was that there is a certain kind of personality that takes well to defensive challenges. James predicted that Chone Figgins, specifically, would not do well with them, and he certainly didn't.
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(2) As against the horrible Figgins analysis we offered ... SSI was your local spot for all things Ackley 2B ... see Small Mammals, from the year 2009, and SPD Dustin Ackley.
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It was a short trip to the desert, but it was rewarding. :) Ackley and Smoak are the Real Deal.
What's the line you always hit me with G ... welcome to the Justin Smoak fan club ... :- )
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Now, I got there just in time for Smoak to finally heat up and start crushing the ball, but his power swing is a thing of beauty. Ackley went fishing a couple of times and still hit triples, but most of the time his bat just stayed on his shoulder as balls were called. Between the two of them and Cust we'll finally get some OBP back in this joint, and hopefully Figgins will follow suit.
If they say they want him to work on D and send him down...it'll be a smokescreen. And that's a very good thing.
Wonder what the blog-o-sphere's chances are, of staying clear on that point. The smokescreen one.
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And I understand nobody cares about 2017 right now, but when you GET to 2016-2017 and you're talking about breaking up Smoak/Ackley/Pineda instead of gearing up for one more run at a title with them, it matters.
I want a dynasty, and to get one you preserve all the years you can on your core players, draft like Nostradamus, and pray for health. Right now Felix, Smoak, Ackley and Pineda are core players. We need a couple more (one should be coming in the draft). If the latter 3 don't work out, then we have no dynasty, Zduriencik's lookin' for a job and we're doing this all over again.
The decisive factor here is probably Scott Boras :ralph:
Bavasi handled this in Anaheim by offering all of them nice deals very early. But that won't work with Boras...
Sigh. Considering Boras' greed, the Mariners probably have no choice but to delay Ackley, even if he OBP's .500.
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Right now we're two levels deep. First wave = Saunders/Smoak/Pineda/Lueke/Moore/Ackley. There's no good reason other than his head for Moore to fail. Saunders has a couple other reasons, and I think he will fail to be the power hitter we want right now. Pineda and Lueke only have health standing in their way, IMO. And there isn't anything in the way of Smoak and Ackley.
Next wave is Franklin/Chavez/Tenbrink/Paxton/#2 draft pick (we'll call him Rendon)/Poythress/Choi. I expect a coupla pitchers to show up in there as well, and you never know if Morla or the like will come through, but those are the guys I'd be drawing straws from to start with.
So according to your earlier remarks, you weren't there for Bedard's game ... 6 K's in 3.1, pulling a Sidd Finch except for the times he faced Poythress :- )
Just a ST game, but here's a Randy Johnson performance except one kid from A+ hits a homer every time up... whodat say dey gonna beat dem Saints...
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Back to Ackley: John Hart was just on saying, if Ackley's a 2B, he's a star in the big leagues. If he's in LF, he's not.
Bill James has observed a pattern in baseball history: it's the nice guys who cope well with defensive challenges. Their unselfishness serves them well when it comes time to put in the practice work that they get no thanks for.
Ackley's gonna play 2B, and right now it's looking like he's going to address a big part of that OBP hole that Edgar left...
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Wish that Ackley had a different agent, but if wishes were fishes, we'd be casting our prospect nets in the deep blue sea (of the ammy draft)...
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Good stuff,
Jeff
Comments
Here's an SSI exclusive photo from the game today. Bedard, looks absolutely FIERCE on the mound!
http://www.windingpathdesign.com/st11/03-15/bedard1.jpg
The shot hit by Poythress was VERY impressive! It was a line shot rather than a moon-blast.
Lonnie
Scott Boras does work for Dustin Ackley. From all reports, he's a great guy, building friendships and close ties with the guys he played with in AA and AAA. If the Mariners look any kind of good over the next 2 years, and other guys end up sticking around, you never know, he might just tell Scott to get it done.
Of examples, wherein Boras clients told Scott to get it done?
Since Boras has hundreds of clients, I'm sure it has occurred quite a few times, but I couldn't name any.
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We vividly remember ARod assuring us that "Scott works for me." Works to get me 250 mills...
Usually they fire him and go with a different agent to get a deal done if they don't want the maximum amount of blood squeezed from that stone.
I remember A-Rod signing with us as a high-schooler when Boras wanted him to hold out for at least twice as much. I think we signed Alex for 1.5 and Boras wanted 3.
But that was as a kid. We all know what happened with A-Rod in subsequent contract negotiations.
If all these guys are awesome and want to stay, then we're gonna have to come to some kind of arrangement.
Odds are they aren't all staying. So let's just hope for 6-7 AWESOME years from all of em and then flip whichever one we're not keeping for someone else's farm system. ;)
No sense getting greedy at this point - let the kids be outstanding first and then we'll see how long we can keep em.
~G
I would love for all those guys to get together, have great success, and enjoy playing together so much that they all have a conference with Boras about taking their talents to Alki Beach permanently. :D
If wishes were horses...
Let's just start with winning some pennants and see where it takes us.
~G
Find it here
From his equally awesome AZ coverage. Featuring: Choi, Morla, and the new sensation Jose Vicente Campos (which is his full name, though the Ms have been referring to him as "Vicente" -- but the righty by any other name would still throw 99). Churchill apparently was raving about him as well, but behind the pay wall.
I won't take credit for calling attention to Campos last month, except, well, OK, I will.
...unless I miss my guess, also against Campos. Carraway's in there, as is Stephen Landazuri (another HS draftee by the same scout who picked Taijuan Walker IIRC). Lonnie needs to tag his Youtube vids with some names, but he's probably too busy taking more video down there in the desert. Sheesh.
Morla is somebody I'm REALLY eager to see in full-season ball this year. He didn't find power until last year, but his swing is quick and effective, even if it does seem pull-heavy. Nothing wrong with being a pull hitter if you can do it well.
Spec's right, lots of good stuff in there.
~G
...then we'd all be eating steak. G, your stock just went up about 72 points in my book.