Capt Jack and Wok get a snowball rolling
SABRMatt sez,
+++++ Yuniesky Betancourt is getting a great opportunity to watch a far less talented middle infielder take his job. And his reaction? He doesn't show up for batting practice, take ground balls, or listen to his coaches at all...he pouts, makes cheap excuses, and boycotts his own life to get back at the boss for benching him.
You know what we call a guy like that? UNEMPLOYED
Betancourt is about to get his butt sent to A ball...and it's a short hop from there to the waiver wire. +++++
C-Points. :- )
The amazing thing to me, is how the other 24 Mariners have been both privately and PUBLICLY supportive of the rookie Wakamatsu imposing the doghouse collar on the entitled vet Betancourt. This rook manager is making all the right moves, playing his card with surgeon-like precision.
The media has joined in. Betancourt is absolutely the only one taking any heat. It is beautiful to see Commissioner Gordon take control of Arkham Asylum.
My fave quote, off Dreyer's blog IIRC, "you can't have 24 guys busting their tails and one guy who doesn't care," or somesuch. I just can't believe my eyes on this culture turnaround. From a ROOKIE manager. Wow.
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+++++ Baseball Intelligence Instead of Tools: That's Zduriencik's philosophy...in one simple line. He drafts guys who are smart about the game...who play hard and who work their butts off to get better.
That's what Franklin is...that's what Baron is... +++++
And, of course, Willie Bloomquist is the definition of this kind of player. :- ) Even the sharpest baseball analysts figured, well, his intelligence and drive will help him get better.
I don't have much use for the idea that intelligence is a giant trump card in a position player's pocket. I'll take fast hands and an attitude of outsmarting the pitcher (in the context of the pitcher's three simple pitches). Now, intelligence in pitchers, that's a different story.
Offense -- in baseball that's the pitcher, attacking the strike zone -- requires intelligence. Defense -- in baseball that's the hitter, reacting to the pitcher -- requires speed and intensity/focus.
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Of course, that little birdwalk doesn't really address your basic point there, Matty. Capt Jack targets RESULTS players as opposed to TALENTED players. Head cases, apparently, need not apply. It's fascinating to watch what he does do when handed a head case like Brandon Morrow.
I've been nothing but impressed with Morrow's forthrightness this week. It reads like a Catholic parishoner coming forward with penance, asking to be allowed back into grace. Unreal.
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San-Man sez,
+++++ Building a winning ORGANIZATION is a much, much, much more daunting task than assembling a roster full of talent.
Z keys on those intangibles that don't show up on radar guns. He looks for **baseball** INTELLIGENCE. So, he goes out and gets guys like Vargas and Olson.
But, he cedes to Morrow's request/demand, and then Vargas and Olson, (guys of seriously less talent than Morrow), come in and thrive as starters. Meanwhile, Morrow is struggling more and more as "just" a reliever. (He's also being called a wuss all over the web, which he probably knows about, too).
Why is Morrow listening today, but wasn't yesterday?
Because he had the opportunity to *SEE FIRST HAND* the results from pitchers who have put in the time. ....
You want your really, really talented guys to work harder? Bring in less talented guys who just continue to outperform them. THEN, they might get the message. If not, it won't take long to know you're dealing with a lost cause.
To learn ... first you have to listen. +++
The winning culture is definitely gathering momentum as the snowball rolls downhill. The young players who were starting to get used to losing attitudes are now being exposed to players who EARN their playing time. Impressed with this spectacle, a lot of them are changing their attitudes.
Too often, the sabermetric take is that Zduriencik is doing nothing more than selecting the right $/VORP players. I actually don't think he's done much of that at all, so far, except for Russ Branyan. What he HAS done, is shop the Scrubs pile to come up with fungible pitchers who have helped the club. Jason Vargas, David Aardsma, Sean White, and these kinds of guys aren't sabermetric $/VORP adds. They're guys who, sabermetrically, looked lousy. But Capt Jack is more than willing to kick a Carlos Silva to the curb so that he can get some fresh water in the pipe.
This momentum has kicked in the benefit of improved enthusiasm from some veterans, including Bedard and Washburn.
But as Sandy sez, Zduriencik is building a BALLCLUB (OF's helping the pitchers etc) and he is instilling the fear of failure in everyone.
Crowd psychology is momentum-based. It's a real treat watching men who understand it.
Cheers,
Dr D