Reading the tea (Piniella) leaves: Pie

[Transmogrified Tiger]

No way Pie is ready, he hit 260 with a sub-340 OBP in Iowa, that's not major league ready.

Pie hit .283 with a .341 OBP in Iowa last season.

 

He was really mashing the ball the last month and a half or so.

 

.310/.365/.548/.913 (126 AB) August

.444/.500/.889/1.389 (18 AB) September

 

I don't know if Pie is "ready," but he's pretty close.

 

Pie was terrible during the Dominican Winter League. His line:

 

.216/.263/.272/.535

 

It's a small sample (only 125 at-bats), but it's still pretty awful. In an ideal world I'd like to see him spend all of next year in AAA with a call-up in September. He can then have the CF spot in 2008 if he shows he's ready.

 

I dig the new handle.

 

I don't put much stock into Pie's winterball numbers. He's been playing there for several years now, and if memory serves he's never put up great production there. Yet, he continues to progress through the minor league system quite well. I'd lend a lot more credence to Pie's second half being an indication that he's made an adjustment to mash AAA pitching than his winter ball showing his second half was a fluke/he isn't ready for a promotion.

[CuseCubFan69]

No way Pie is ready, he hit 260 with a sub-340 OBP in Iowa, that's not major league ready.

Pie hit .283 with a .341 OBP in Iowa last season.

 

He was really mashing the ball the last month and a half or so.

 

.310/.365/.548/.913 (126 AB) August

.444/.500/.889/1.389 (18 AB) September

 

I don't know if Pie is "ready," but he's pretty close.

 

Pie was terrible during the Dominican Winter League. His line:

 

.216/.263/.272/.535

 

It's a small sample (only 125 at-bats), but it's still pretty awful. In an ideal world I'd like to see him spend all of next year in AAA with a call-up in September. He can then have the CF spot in 2008 if he shows he's ready.

 

I'm curious on how tired Pie was during the DWL. It's a long season to do that IMO.

[RichHillIsABeast]

No way Pie is ready, he hit 260 with a sub-340 OBP in Iowa, that's not major league ready.

Pie hit .283 with a .341 OBP in Iowa last season.

 

He was really mashing the ball the last month and a half or so.

 

.310/.365/.548/.913 (126 AB) August

.444/.500/.889/1.389 (18 AB) September

 

I don't know if Pie is "ready," but he's pretty close.

Now average in his winterball stats...

 

It's certainly a red flag, that's for sure. However, we don't know the full story. Pie could be working on certain aspects of his game (baserunning, going opposite field, bunting, etc) which could lead to a misleading stat line, instead of just playing his game and trying to put up numbers. I don't know that is the case, but that sort of stuff goes on all the time in winter leagues.