can we talk about Starlin Castro?

[Shilzzz]

just saying.

 

there is very little to not love about his game. he keeps his hands back so damn well, is so quick and smooth through the zone, and is gaining pitch recognition at an encouraging rate.

 

in the second half, before today's game (8/10/11), Castro has a slash line of .340/.369/.474. Though I suppose when any one player does well, a team tends to win more often, but staggeringly Castro's OPS in wins is 1.039, while only .579 in losses. he leads the league in hits as a 21 year old.

 

and the thing is, there is reason to believe he will continue to improve. not only is his imagined power coming to fruition all of a sudden, in hitters counts, such as 2-0 & 3-1, he has largely underachieved. but as he has shown an ability to continually adapt to major league pitching, and force his way into hits, he should only get better as he learns the value of patience turning into more quality chances.

 

he still carries the smile he had during his debut when he hit that homerun and gleamed ear to ear.

 

basically, he is really fun to watch, solely makes this club bearable, and deserves a thread erected to his likeness.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CajufBiDrks/S-VvI3lK5lI/AAAAAAAABNc/g3DR76PE_hc/s1600/castro.jpg

[OleMissCub]

but...but...his defense!! bla bla

 

He's definitely the main reason I'm watching the Cubs these days. Dude is a stud.

[MWV]

http://www.chicagonow.com/offhanded-dribble/files/2011/06/StarlinCastro1.jpg

"One thread is not enough. No amount of threads can contain my greatness."

 

He continues to impress. The recent power surge is pure gravy. If gravy were made of heroin.

[TruffleShuffle]

courtesy of mojo:

 

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f19/TheMojoPin/hope-1.png

[Shilzzz]

the power is inside his brain

http://www.infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/images/2010/09/08/photo3A.jpg

[Tryptamine]

but...but...his defense!! bla bla

 

He's definitely the main reason I'm watching the Cubs these days. Dude is a stud.

 

Yeah his defensive metrics this year are really confusing. His fielding % went from .950 last year to .966 this year, he's on pace to commit fewer errors this year than last, but according to fangraphs he's been much much worse defensively this year than last year. He had a -2.1 UZR last year and he's -7.1 this year. The same metrics show that his range has apparently plummeted too. I usually hate when people say they believe their eyes and not the numbers, and maybe I'm being delusional, but I think Castro has been substantially better defensively this year and that his range has been better as well.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Tryptamine

[Shilzzz]

here, starlin castro is god hi-fiving the universe of geovany soto, as described in two instances:

 

0 /

Geovany Soto

 

 

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Starlin+Castro+ifHcR1AllZJm.jpg

[OleMissCub]

King of the facial expressions:

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0gQR19LgDMdP6/x610.jpg

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0g8igW0cSRgzF/610x.jpg

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05Hs9VM7U77cx/x610.jpg

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/032072Yfn2dV7/x610.jpg

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0djAdy2ele0sl/x610.jpg

 

he likes to hug people too

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0eo0b4C1FpeWc/x610.jpg

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03ra8ym03k4j7/x610.jpg

 

except for Yankees

 

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04T95LxegHenx/610x.jpg

[Sammy Sofa]

What's the deal with Castro and the media? Is he shy? Does he have a particular aversion to dealing with the press? Is it due to him still struggling with English?

 

It struck me the other day that I can only think of one time I've seen him "officially" talking to the media (there's locker room interviews on YouTube). I'm just surprised he's not more front and center yet.

[TruffleShuffle]

What's the deal with Castro and the media? Is he shy? Does he have a particular aversion to dealing with the press? Is it due to him still struggling with English?

 

It struck me the other day that I can only think of one time I've seen him "officially" talking to the media (there's locker room interviews on YouTube). I'm just surprised he's not more front and center yet.

 

 

doesn't seem like he's all the well spoken in english... short sentences and quick answers. don't think he's being rude; he's probably just not that comfortable yet. if he didn't speak much english in the DR then he's only had about 3 years in the u.s., and i know for a fact that in short season ball a lot of the latin players keep together in a group and basically just speak spanish to each other. so really, he probably had that year between daytona/tenn, then last season and this season to be actively learning and trying to speak english.

 

it's also possible that he avoids the media because kaplan and rosenbloom probably tell him how much better he could be if he would just work harder.

[Little Slide Rooter]

At this moment, he leads the NL in Hits, At Bats, Outs Made, and Errors.

[Little Slide Rooter]

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03ra8ym03k4j7/x610.jpg

 

Very classy of him to take a moment to pose with a young fan. I'll bet that kid has this pic all over his facebook page and his locker at the junior high.

[OleMissCub]

haha, nice one

[jersey cubs fan]

What's the deal with Castro and the media? Is he shy? Does he have a particular aversion to dealing with the press? Is it due to him still struggling with English?

 

It struck me the other day that I can only think of one time I've seen him "officially" talking to the media (there's locker room interviews on YouTube). I'm just surprised he's not more front and center yet.

 

Maybe I'm looking to much into it but I see Ramirez having a big influence with the kid and Ramirez has been fairly quiet throughout his time here. The media likes a good quote and in their collective minds it is a waste of time to try and pry out quotes from an ESL kid while there are plenty of fluent veterans and/or fluent English speakers; Dempster, Campana, Byrd, Pena, Wood and Garza.

 

And Ramirez was here when the Sosa relationship blew up, so perhaps he's always tried to avoid it and now is steering Castro in that direction.

[SouthSideRyan]

What's the deal with Castro and the media? Is he shy? Does he have a particular aversion to dealing with the press? Is it due to him still struggling with English?

 

It struck me the other day that I can only think of one time I've seen him "officially" talking to the media (there's locker room interviews on YouTube). I'm just surprised he's not more front and center yet.

 

Maybe I'm looking to much into it but I see Ramirez having a big influence with the kid and Ramirez has been fairly quiet throughout his time here. The media likes a good quote and in their collective minds it is a waste of time to try and pry out quotes from an ESL kid while there are plenty of fluent veterans and/or fluent English speakers; Dempster, Campana, Byrd, Pena, Wood and Garza.

 

And Ramirez was here when the Sosa relationship blew up, so perhaps he's always tried to avoid it and now is steering Castro in that direction.

 

Ramirez has also been public enemy #1 or 2 of the hack sportswriters in Chicago. It wouldn't shock me if he had no love for the buffoons in the press and has steered Castro the same way.

[Old Style]

Can we trade him for Ernie Broglio III while he still has some value?

[Derwood]

Guys, he prefers "Cassie"

[Shilzzz]

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04T95LxegHenx/610x.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXFSLgxtY_k/TgM5bb418TI/AAAAAAAACJc/C7OIhmvbf2w/s1600/nl.jpg

 

well played, omc

[Flames24Rulz]

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03ra8ym03k4j7/x610.jpg

 

Very classy of him to take a moment to pose with a young fan. I'll bet that kid has this pic all over his facebook page and his locker at the junior high.

 

Pretty cool moment that I had with him there.

[Sammy Sofa]

What's the deal with Castro and the media? Is he shy? Does he have a particular aversion to dealing with the press? Is it due to him still struggling with English?

 

It struck me the other day that I can only think of one time I've seen him "officially" talking to the media (there's locker room interviews on YouTube). I'm just surprised he's not more front and center yet.

 

Maybe I'm looking to much into it but I see Ramirez having a big influence with the kid and Ramirez has been fairly quiet throughout his time here. The media likes a good quote and in their collective minds it is a waste of time to try and pry out quotes from an ESL kid while there are plenty of fluent veterans and/or fluent English speakers; Dempster, Campana, Byrd, Pena, Wood and Garza.

 

And Ramirez was here when the Sosa relationship blew up, so perhaps he's always tried to avoid it and now is steering Castro in that direction.

 

Ramirez has also been public enemy #1 or 2 of the hack sportswriters in Chicago. It wouldn't shock me if he had no love for the buffoons in the press and has steered Castro the same way.

 

Yeah, I don't have a problem at all if he wants to keep the media at a distance; I was just struck by how little we've heard from a player this young and this good. I remember when Beckham was called up he was on Comcast SportsNight all the damn time.

[OleMissCub]

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/casram.jpg

 

 

 

This is a great pic

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/castro.jpg

[Guest]

What's the deal with Castro and the media? Is he shy? Does he have a particular aversion to dealing with the press? Is it due to him still struggling with English?

 

It struck me the other day that I can only think of one time I've seen him "officially" talking to the media (there's locker room interviews on YouTube). I'm just surprised he's not more front and center yet.

 

 

doesn't seem like he's all the well spoken in english... short sentences and quick answers. don't think he's being rude; he's probably just not that comfortable yet. if he didn't speak much english in the DR then he's only had about 3 years in the u.s., and i know for a fact that in short season ball a lot of the latin players keep together in a group and basically just speak spanish to each other. so really, he probably had that year between daytona/tenn, then last season and this season to be actively learning and trying to speak english.

 

it's also possible that he avoids the media because kaplan and rosenbloom probably tell him how much better he could be if he would just work harder.

 

I believe they have mandatory English classes in Mesa and the DSL for Latin American prospects though I'm not sure how much a 17/18-year old would learn from those classes with regards to media interaction (they're more immersion in the U.S. classes).

[BeerHere]

Be honest. Who here is shocked as hell that this kid came from the Cubs minor league system?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Be honest. Who here is shocked as hell that this kid came from the Cubs minor league system?

 

It's about damned time. It seems as though virtually every team in baseball has produced more elite talent than the Cubs in the past 10 years. We produced Maddux in the mid-late '80's, Grace in the late 80's, and then Wood, Prior, and Zambrano, and it's questionable whether or not any od them are truely elite, although Prior and Wood certainly would have been without the injuries.

[OleMissCub]

Be honest. Who here is shocked as hell that this kid came from the Cubs minor league system?

 

It's about damned time. It seems as though virtually every team in baseball has produced more elite talent than the Cubs in the past 10 years. We produced Maddux in the mid-late '80's, Grace in the late 80's, and then Wood, Prior, and Zambrano, and it's questionable whether or not any od them are truely elite, although Prior and Wood certainly would have been without the injuries.

 

When Soto first came up I thought he'd be a perennial all-star, now not so much. Marmol is kind of in the same vein.

 

But ya, I hated watching other teams with elite studs coming up. I remember when Tulo came up being so jealous of the Rockies to have a guy like him. Granted, Castro isn't Tulo but at least it seems we finally get to have a true home grown stud.

 

Of course, being that he's a Cub, I'm terrified that something unfortunate might happen with the lad.