Bearish on Taylor Motter
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From Hey Bill, trying to access his comprehensive understanding of the library of baseball players since (and before!) 1900:
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A logical answer. Not to sound sycophantic, but I don't believe there are any other people around who are familiar with every SINGLE player in the baseball almanac, do you? James once casually mentioned that he is familiar with every major leaguer who ever played. This is comparable to the 1850's GM Paul Morphy, who seemed to have memorized every important chess game ever played up to that point (as well as the entire Louisiana law code - but he was too young to practice law, so he "wasted" a couple of years tearing the European GM's limb-from-limb).
Which answer may leave us with one last question: is that who Taylor Motter is -- a pull hitter who occasionally squares one up and (supposing he played full time) hopes to hit 20-25 homers with a .225 average?
Here is Motter's minors and majors record. He spent 7 full seasons in the minors, batting .275/.353/.438 which is not inconsistent (given the time spent in the minors) with that of a player who has a fatal ML flaw in his "inherent" game.
So it could be that Motter deserves less criticism for being too stubborn to learn, and more sympathy for simply lacking the talent to have much impact on the major leagues.
Or not :- )
Mark Trumbo once remarked on this in an interview: Of course I'd like to work a .380 OBP. I've tried to do it. I just go into a slump when I try it; I've got to attack the ball - I am who I yam.
Every once in a while, I wonder whether a post like this could cost a guy like Motter with the shot-callers. Just every once in a while.