If so, I'm making the call. Give Zunino the ball. OK...maybe Iactually wait another 30 games....not to have Zunino prove anything (he doesn't need to prove more in my book) but to let the M's line-up shake itself out. Because if you call Zunino up now, you either have to:
1. Demote Montero
2. Dump Shoppach
3. Demote Smoak
4. Trade Morales
Are we prepared to make that decision right now? Of that, I'm not sure. Heck, you know me....I have no confidence in Smoak and there would be my move. But he did go 2-4 last night....so that is worth another 10 starts, 8 of them dismal ones.
It's cool that you mentioned Butch Wynegar, Doc, because I've been thinking about him the last day. Wynagar come up in '76 at the age of 20. He had caught 199 MiLB games.....but he made the leap from A ball to the majors. He was in A ball in '75!!!! His 199 games were at the Cal League level and below.
And still the Twinkies gave him the ball.
You know me, precocious talent needs that chance.
Joe Torre was 20 years old when he became the man, btw.
College ball is worth something guys. Zunino knows a bit about pitchers and pitches and which fingers to hold down, etc.
He's going to have some MLB learning curve even if you wait TWO years to bring him up.
It's obvious he's going to get the chance to be the man. Make it happen sooner.
BTW: When he comes up...I hope the M's hitting coaches leave him alone. I'm becoming more and more convinced that Wedge's "Professional AB" mantra is hurting our young bats. He's all about taking pitches, looking for a pitch to go the other way with, going deep into counts, etc. I think our young guys become lost after a year of listening to all that. If anybody ever told Ken Griffey Jr. that, they should have been slapped. Man, tell Ackley and Seager AND Zunino to look for a location and cream the first pitch they get there. With experience they will figure the rest out. Paralysis through analysis is a common golf swing destroyer...I think it's happening in Safeco, with the young guys.
Morse and Raul and Morales, they probably just ignore it.
Surely some of you (grey) guys remember the old Flip Wilson/"Laugh-In" punch line, "Hit the ball, Willie! Hit the ball!" Well, that's what I'm telling our young (and talented) bats, if I'm giving instruction. Pick a spot. Be the ball. Hit the ball.
Is Ty Webb available as a hitting coach?
BTW, can we just get rid of Andino?
moe
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