Game Notes 3.1.18: Bottom Half
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TWIN .50-CAL LEADOFF HITTERS. EITHER/OR DEPT
Growing up with the Big Red Machine, it wasn't like you thought Pete Rose and Ken Griffey Sr. were going to get on base 1-2 to start the game ... well, not every time. The feeling you had was that ONE of them was on, and then you had the 3-4-5 with a man on base.
First inning, Dee Gordon pushed a bunt for a hit down the 3B line... whoop, juuuuuust foul. They wound up getting him out. But then Jean Segura drew a walk on 4 pitches and there y'go, amig-O, a rally started. Either/or, just like Rose and Griffey. I think I'm going to cry.
The bunt looks like quite the deadly threat. There is nothing you can do about a base hit if Gordon wants to push a bunt ... you can put the third baseman on the grass, but Dee Gordon hits jillions of slashing grounders at the left side, and if you give me the 3B on the grass, we will GUARANTEE you Gordon's a .320+ hitter there.
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Leadoff opportunites abound-ed. Bottom of the 3rd, Dee Gordon led off again. He's serious about that hip torque; he's practicing it between pitches, like Ichiro and his golf swing in the on-deck circle. Gordon is going after the pitches with alacrity, so that .400-.450 SLG is going to happen or else he's going to have to revert.
Bottom of the 5th, it so happened Jean Segura led off. That's three innings of 5 that you had a leadoff man starting your innings. Remember GM Timman ......
Gordon is 4-for-11, .364 with a .727 SLG thus far. Two leadoff hitters who could bring 200 hits either/or, that ain't a Big Red Machine we realize, but it also ain't Chone Figgins and outsmarting yourself into 513 runs.
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MICHAEL SAUNDERS
The SSI Mainframe has a pet phrase when it thinks a AAA player is going to have a career ... "50 percent plus he gets 3,000 at-bats," it will say about a Ben Gamel type. We remember saying that about Mike Saunders. How's he doing?
Bouncing around this Spring Training looking for work ... lemme check the baseball card. Oh! Very cool - he's got 2,747 at bats but is sputtering and smoking slightly as he tries to continue things at age 31. So, yeah. The pet phrase is probably useful. Saunders is about what we mean by it.
To whom does it apply now? You've got Gamel, who we think will get 3K or maybe a bit less if he's a role player ... Ryon Healy already you're tempted to give 3,000+ at bats in the big leagues. Speaking of ...
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RYON HEALY
Interviewed on TV in-game, and just OOOOOOOZED confidence, or aplomb, or boldness, or insufferable arrogance, or .... you watch the tape and decide for yourself. Inside Pitch used to talk about "the typical self-important SoCal athlete" and Healy was all over it: "I'm looking to show some people some things this year" he boasted, with a big handsome smile, in 4 or 5 different ways.
You choose for y'self whether you're attracted to extreme self-confidence. This guy has Robby Cano's self-assurance already at this point.
BaseballHQ doesn't quibble; it says he has shown xPWR, has shown HIT, and is going to splice them in 2018. "UP: 35 HR" Imagine if this guy blasts out with 35 !? homers in the 7 or 8 hole.
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BOOMSTICK
They revealed that one part of his workout is bench press, twin 100-lb dumbbells, 3 sets of 12. Dr. D knows not how Arnold-style pecs help with baseball, but ... Mike Blowers sez he used to know a DH who vented his no-position frustration with constant workouts, and lasted till age 40+.
The more you look, the more you wonder about age 40 for Nelson Cruz.
Enjoy,
Dr D