tyler colvin

[goonys evil twin]

"If Colvin doesn't live up to first round status and the ND kid chooses football this may well be one of the worst drafts ever if none of the other picks pan out."

 

You can make this comment on every team's draft - if all of their picks fail then it may well turn out to be one of the worst draafts ever.

 

The difference is the Cubs only had 2 picks in the first 5 rounds and they used both of those picks very strangely.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

"If Colvin doesn't live up to first round status and the ND kid chooses football this may well be one of the worst drafts ever if none of the other picks pan out."

 

You can make this comment on every team's draft - if all of their picks fail then it may well turn out to be one of the worst draafts ever.

 

The point being, it's compounded with the Cubs' draft since they only have 2 picks in the first 5 rounds.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I have been reading the ridiculous comments on this board about Tyler Colvin for 2 days now, and can't take it anymore. How can all of you people who have never seen him play and never talked to any scouts about him "decide" that he was a terrible pick? Are you assuming that your judgement based on no evidence is so superior to Joun Manuel or Tim Wilken?

 

Most of the comments on Colvin are based on what BA and others have said of him - so there is evidence. Even with what John Manuel said yesterday about Colvin moving up, BA still made it sound like a reach. I do have faith in Wilken and his track record, so I hope this pans out...but from my vantage point, this pick seemed like an overdraft to allow for more financial leeway to sign the Cubs 5th round selection. I'm not sure how this can be considered ridiculous criticism.

[CubinNY]

"If Colvin doesn't live up to first round status and the ND kid chooses football this may well be one of the worst drafts ever if none of the other picks pan out."

 

You can make this comment on every team's draft - if all of their picks fail then it may well turn out to be one of the worst draafts ever.

 

This is true, but if the Cubs would have chosen Snider or one of the top ranked college ptichers we wouldn't be having this conversation.

 

To me it's like the Cubs bet all their money on two 50:1 shots to win, when they could have made much safer bets with the little money they had (two picks in the first 5 rounds).

[Mephistopheles]

I'm sure they could have gotten a better player who would have signed for the same money Colvin would want.

[VicCub]

If the Cubs are right, then we got an outfielder who will hit for average, play adequate D, and steal a few bases. Couldn't we have found and developed guys like that in rounds 5-50? It seems like a defeatist attitude by the Cubs brass.

 

Maybe they hope he will exceed even their own expectations?

[Laura]

Good to see they set the bar low. I'm used to that.

[CubinNY]

He should fit right in. I just him swing at a bad first pitch and ground out 4-3.

[CubinNY]

They should have drafted the fat kid from Oral Roberts who just it a 500 Ft Alluminium bat HR.

[Rob]

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2006/6/9/17952/19623

 

Pretty good article on him...

[sporrer17]

Walk off grand slam for Tyler Colvin to take game 1 vs. Oral Roberts. :shock:

[ddwyer]

Great job Tyler Colvin!!! Tyler hit a grandslam with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give Clemson an 11-8 win.

[ddwyer]

Damn, Sporrer ... you beat me to the punch. I was typing my response when my wife interrupted me for a couple of minutes before I could finish posting. Colvin does have a nice swing and he certainly looks skinny.

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

I'm sorry but can you folks say Brooks Keishnick?

 

For a lefty his swing is long. I am fired up about his frame, it is a pro body with out a doubt. I just see him with his swing getting pounded up and in with fastballs and being over powered. Given the Cubs track record in player development I am seriously worried.

 

From what I saw today I can see why everyone was expecting him to go in the 3rd round. I am not impressed at this point with the first two picks by the Cubs. However it's takes three years to judge a draft, so I will give them that long.

[texascub]

I'm sorry but can you folks say Brooks Keishnick?

 

For a lefty his swing is long. I am fired up about his frame, it is a pro body with out a doubt. I just see him with his swing getting pounded up and in with fastballs and being over powered. Given the Cubs track record in player development I am seriously worried.

 

From what I saw today I can see why everyone was expecting him to go in the 3rd round. I am not impressed at this point with the first two picks by the Cubs. However it's takes three years to judge a draft, so I will give them that long.

 

His swing was rather long, but I think that can be easily correctable. Also, today he didn't seem to have many problems with the inside pitch; he was having much more problems rolling over outside breaking pitches IMO. He's still raw but he's also young and quite projectable.

 

I was also really encouraged by the play of Smith as well today. His swing definately needs some work, but his glove and arm over at 3B was pretty good. He's only 21 and this was his first year at a major college program so I think he's still got alot of room to improve as well if he signs.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

His swing was rather long, but I think that can be easily correctable. Also, today he didn't seem to have many problems with the inside pitch; he was having much more problems rolling over outside breaking pitches IMO. He's still raw but he's also young and quite projectable.

 

It's far easier to handle an inside pitch with an aluminum bat compared to a wood bat.

 

(Didn't see Tyler play today so I can't comment on anything else.)

[texascub]

His swing was rather long, but I think that can be easily correctable. Also, today he didn't seem to have many problems with the inside pitch; he was having much more problems rolling over outside breaking pitches IMO. He's still raw but he's also young and quite projectable.

 

It's far easier to handle an inside pitch with an aluminum bat compared to a wood bat.

 

(Didn't see Tyler play today so I can't comment on anything else.)

 

True, they really didn't throw much inside to him though. The report on him seemed to be he's vulnerable to breaking pitches low and away. Before the GS in the 9th, he had several groundouts to the 2B where he had rolled over on an outside pitch.

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

I like the kid playing third that the Cubs took late. I hope he can play several IF positions in the Minors because that is what I would think they are looking at him to do. I love his hands though. He fired them into the strike zone with every pitch ready to hit. The thing he did with them what I wish Colvin would do, he kept them inside the baseball and was short to the ball.

 

As a team I was noticing that Clemson did not adjust well the ORU pitching pattern. ORU worked away, away, and away for the most part. I didnt really see and Clemson hitter make the adjutment and be willing to drive the baseball the opposite way with any consistancy. When an ORU pitcher did make a mistake however...

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

http://images.minorleagueball.com/images/admin/colvin.JPG

 

Looking at the picture shows exactly what I am talking about. Looking at the position of the bat he has it wrapped. The forearm is locked out keeping it from allowing him to get his hands inside. He is set to hit a mistake or a below average fastball away in that picture. Basicly this swing with a wooden bat is going to result in lots of broken bats.

 

Also look at the hips, they have already fired and his hands are still back. This is the only way he is consitantly going to get to the inside pitch. However doing this means all he can do is roll over an off speed pitch, swing and miss, or pull a pitch foul. Dont get me wrong, It is imperitive that a hitter keep his hands back, but with the bat wrap and forearm locked he is begging to be pounded in with fastballs all day long.

[texascub]

http://images.minorleagueball.com/images/admin/colvin.JPG

 

Looking at the picture shows exactly what I am talking about. Looking at the position of the bat he has it wrapped. The forearm is locked out keeping it from allowing him to get his hands inside. He is set to hit a mistake or a below average fastball away in that picture. Basicly this swing with a wooden bat is going to result in lots of broken bats.

 

Also look at the hips, they have already fired and his hands are still back. This is the only way he is consitantly going to get to the inside pitch. However doing this means all he can do is roll over an off speed pitch, swing and miss, or pull a pitch foul. Dont get me wrong, It is imperitive that a hitter keep his hands back, but with the bat wrap and forearm locked he is begging to be pounded in with fastballs all day long.

 

I can see what you're talking about but I think it can be easily fixed. It seems to me that alot of his problems start with his setup at the plate. He's holding his bat pretty far back and high as well so he's got his front arm rather stretched. In the picture you posted all he's really done with his upper body is slide his hands down a little bit. I think that his setup is also hampering his power, because he can't use his tri's to really drive into the ball when his arm is locked like that.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It's probably not wise to extrapolate Colvin's strengths and weaknesses as a hitter based off of one game and a photograph.

[Brian]

It's probably not wise to extrapolate Colvin's strengths and weaknesses as a hitter based off of one game and a photograph.

 

And If Joe Schmoe on an internet message board (no offfense to you Sparly) is able to see what's wrong there, I hope (no matter how bad they are) that someone in the Cubs organization can see and correct that.

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

As you say it isnt wise, but game scouting hitters (coaching) has been what I have done for the last 9 years. (I believe did very well) One of the things about the internet you can say what ever bovine fertilizer you like, but its what I have done. No offense taken because I know none was offered.

 

As far as the Cubs organisation fixing his swing. Look at the long and sucessful track record they have posted the last 5 or 6 years with position players. Add to that the human sturboness we all possess, meaning until he sees a need to adjust he wont despite what the Cubs want him to do. Every time I have sat down with another coach, (HS, College, Pro), they all get back to that point. Until the hitter is ready to adjust or you can point to others who have made adjustments and gone on to success making the player believe in you. You are wasting your time trying to change them.

 

Patterson, Hill, Meyers, Murton, anyone? IMO Patterson never bought fully into what the Cubs wanted of him, and maybe the Cubs never really settled on what they wanted of him. Hill and Meyers were good average guys who came in and were told that they had to pull the ball. Instead of utilizing strengths, they were pushed to do things they really didnt need to do. Murton is an example of that also. Does anyone notice the connection with Murtons struggles and his being pushed to be more agressive?

 

Dont get me wrong, I want Colvin to be a guy who plays for 20 years and is part of a Cubs team that wins 15 World Series in that time. But I just dont have faith in the player development side of the house to make that happen.

[sporrer17]

It sure was nice to see two things from Colvin today.

 

One...an opposite field single. Not a bad thing considering he had been rolling over groundballs a few times to the right side. The other...a clutch hit. Obviously the game winning, walk-off grand slame is about as big a hit as this kid will ever have, especially in such a good game (in the super regionals none the less).

 

He seemed like he's got a good amount of potential, and has room to add a lot of muscle. Once he adds 15-20 lbs of weight, (he's only 190, 215-220 is not unrealistic for a 6'3 frame) he could develop some legit power. He at least looks like he has a clue at the plate.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

As you say it isnt wise, but game scouting hitters (coaching) has been what I have done for the last 9 years. (I believe did very well) One of the things about the internet you can say what ever bovine fertilizer you like, but its what I have done. No offense taken because I know none was offered.

 

I'm not overly optimistic about Colvin, but the point still remains that one game doesn't tell the whole story. Everyone has bad days and bad at bats, or even days/at bats where they get away with poor form. You can't evaluate Colvin based on one game, and you especially can't diagnose flaws in his swing without seeing it more than that.