Outshined_One

I tend to use a combination of all those factors, along with some basic independent statistical evaluation (Things like IsoD, IsoP, HRs, and BABIP for hitters, things like K/9, BB/9, HR/9 for pitchers). It's also worth keeping in mind relative talent levels of the different levels of the different leagues along with any factors which could influence the pitching and hitting to varying degrees. The Florida State League (High A) and the Southern League (AA) are both well-known pitchers' leagues, for example.

I've seen plenty of Christmas Vacation references, but no references to Vacation itself. Big difference there, imo.

That marks the first Vacation reference I've seen on this board. Nicely done.

Huh, forgot about that trade. I like what I've read about him. I also forgot to put Ryan Acosta on my list of guys to watch out for next season. Whoops.

ESPN has picked it up.

Compared to what you had to do while in Chicago? Please just leave, and thank you Paxson http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/fullcourtpress/2008/02/times-up-on-big.html Ben Wallace can kiss the hairiest part of my ass.

*Ding Ding Ding* We have a winner!

Hey, that's part of the Rays' identity! If they built a new Fenway, it would have a big green monster. If they built a new Wrigley, it would have brick walls and ivy. Now that they're building a new Tropicana, it'll have catwalks that disrupt routine flyballs.

Mine... 1) Josh Vitters Comments: This one is pretty obvious. Right now, Vitters is all potential. I'm a little concerned about his numbers in limited playing time last season, I won't deny it. However, considering the guy is still really young, has a very good swing for a right hander, and apparently has an excellent approach at the plate, there's reason for plenty of hope. I'd like to see and read more about him before officially going ga-ga over him, but there's plenty there to make me think the Cubs could have a bona fide stud in the system ready to step in at 3B. In all honesty, from what I've read about him, I think Vitters has the potential to be an Aramis Ramirez type of player at his ceiling. If the Cubs can somehow pull that off, then we've got a bona fide stud on our hands. Considering we're still a ways away...well, yeah. 2) Comments: The man. The myth. The legend. Prior to this season, Soto was regarded by many to be a decent backup C in the future. He was good defensively, one of the most patient hitters in the system, and could have been slotted in the 8/9 slot without many people complaining about his offense. All of a sudden, last season, he just started crushing the ball. I don't know what the heck happened. Draw your own conclusions, be they legitimate or not. The fact remains that he suddenly developed enough power to become a legitimate middle of the order threat. I don't know about you, but considering the offense the Cubs got out of Barrett/Bowen/Kendall last season, it's not going to be hard for Soto to do much better than them both at the plate and behind it. I'll keep my fingers crossed that last season was no fluke in the meantime. 3) Sean Gallagher He's been with the system long enough now that anything I write here will just rehash it all. The added velocity will help him a lot and the continued adjustments lead me to believe he has the ceiling of a #2 starter, which says a lot considering certain people even a year ago saw him as a potential relief pitcher down the line. I think a half season in AAA will do him good, but that depends on spring training and whether that damned Brian Roberts trade goes down. 4) Josh Donaldson A pleasant surprise! I found it hilarious that people were screaming about not drafting an SEC catcher with an advanced approach at the plate and questions about defense and his natural position in the first round...and then turning around and bashing this pick. Donaldson has all the tools to become a plus hitter at catcher and still has some development to do before he becomes accustomed to being behind the plate. I'd like to see how he develops defensively in terms of calling games, blocking pitches, and throwing out runners. I love his potential and I think he's got what it takes to overtake Vitters as the top position prospect in this system. His bat's already there, but his defense needs to catch up. 5) Eric Patterson What a weird situation the Cubs have with him. This ranking is contingent on him remaining at 2B and not being moved to CF. If that happens, kick him out of the Top 10 and move up my #11 guy. With that in mind, E-Patt is in the same boat as Gallagher in terms of having everything said about him pretty much being a rehash at this point. He's got a good bat and has all of the basic tools he needs to become a decent 2B, but he needs to get with the program defensively. He doesn't have very much left to prove in AAA as it is, so it's pretty much sink or swim for him at this point in the majors. I think he'll eventually grow into a good 2B, so I'm fine putting him here. 6) Tyler Colvin I'm skeptical. Actually, I'm enormously skeptical. I see what everyone's saying. I get the hype. But...I can't shake the feeling that he's more hype than substance at this point. I try being really hopeful with him and I go back and forth on how good he is on a fairly regular basis when this topic comes up. When I look at him, I can't help but see Jacque Jones. I don't like seeing Jacque Jones. Maybe he'll pull a Jose Reyes on us and suddenly start drawing walks. I don't like this system's potential to teach a guy how to take a walk...but stranger things have happened. If you want my honest opinion, he's the top guy in this system I wouldn't mind seeing traded now. I don't think his value is going to be much higher. Maybe he'll come through and become a guy who regularly hits .300/.350/.470 with 20-25 HRs in CF. I don't think it'll happen, but who knows? 7) Donald Veal Speaking of skeptical. Here's #2 on the list of guys in this system I wouldn't mind seeing traded. His walks just scare the crap out of me. His injury history makes me wonder. If he can put all that behind him, he's got the potential to become a legitimate stud starting pitcher. The problem is, guys who fit into his profile have a lot of trouble panning out. His attitude and coachability are supposed to be very good, so it's definitely possible that he can get those walks down. Next season in AA will pretty much make or break this guy. 8) Jeff Samardzija I don't think this is his make or break season. I think that'll be next season. His hype and contract aren't helping when it comes to the amount of patience people should have for him, which hasn't helped his status around these parts one bit whatsoever. However, he finally finished his first full season of pitching and managed to make it through injury-free without having catastrophic numbers. That counts for something. He managed to look halfway decent during his time in AA, which also counts for something. We all know the potential and scouting reports by this time. I have a feeling he'll finally start delivering this season. 9) Chris Huseby I absolutely love this guy. He sounded good coming back from injury and now he's another year removed from surgery. There's a lot of growing, maturing, and adjusting that needs to be done, but that'll all come in good time. I have a feeling he'll crack the Top 100 prospects next year. There's a lot to like with him, so I'll happily keep up the optimism. 10) Tony Thomas It's tough to get a read on this guy. He tore apart the competition in the Northwest League, but considering he faced very good pitchers during his college career, I don't know how much of a jump it was for him. We'll get a much better picture of him next season, but for right now, this guy has me scratching my head. I like his bat, but sketchy defense at 2B is never a good sign. In no particular order, just missed the cut: Jose Ceda (BBs, arm injury history, and a relief pitcher? I think he'll be good next season, but the hype for him is getting out of hand) Robert Hernandez (Love his upside, but he still needs to grow, fill out, and strike out more batters) Kyler Burke (My big sleeper for next season. The batting average will come, but his IsoD and IsoP are already there.) Juan Mateo (He needs to get healthy, but he's got the potential to be a decent back of the rotation guy) Names to watch for next season (aside from the above-mentioned names): RHP Larry Suarez, RHP Oswaldo Martinez, RHP Dae-Eun Rhee, LHP Harol Tolentino, RHP Alberto Cabrera (A bunch of foreign teenage pitching prospects with excellent upsides among them. If even one pans out as advertised, we'll be in the beans.) LHP James Russell (Collegiate lefty out of UT-Austin could be one of the steals of the 2007 draft) C Mario Mercedes, C Wellington Castillo (Two catching prospects who've been moving along slowly, but are quietly producing as they move along) OF Cliff Andersen, OF Drew Rundle (I keep thinking about that scene in Caddyshack with Judge Smails when I think of these guys. "Well? We're waiting!") 3B Josh Lansford, 3B Marquez Smith (Between Vitters and Ramirez, I feel bad for these guys on the 3B depth chart)

Considering Spring Training is starting up and I haven't seen anyone post their lists yet, I figure I might as well get this thread started. I'll post mine a bit later. In the interim, let's see what you people think!

According to Wikipedia, only four players ever hit a homerun into the center field stands at the Polo Grounds after the 1923 remodeling: Luke Easter Joe Adcock Hank Aaron Lou Brock The unofficial length from homeplate to the centerfield stands was 505 feet. :shock:

Anything involving an Ozzie Smith backflip.

You're the resident gay guy? Cool. This place needs its property values to increase.

The problem with it(sorry if this has been addressed) is that in order for it to be faster you have to time your dive perfectly such that you land at just the right point. It's possible to time that dive perfectly, but most of the time you would either break stride to time the dive, or you'd dive too late and get to the bag later than if you ran through. But isn't it just as likely that you would have to break stride to step on base anyways? Potentially, but it depends on if the difference between breaking stride to slide and breaking stride to step on the base has any meaningful value in this analysis.

Link :D

How the hell did the Indians get into this :rotfl: Can we get Asdrubal Cabrera from them if they get Roberts? I've been coveting him for the past year now.

Hypothetically speaking, if sliding would get you to the bag faster than running, at what point should you begin your slide? With sprinters, you're just talking about getting a part of your body over an imaginary line. With 1B, you're talking about getting part of your body to touch a specific object on the ground that you must reach and with which you must make contact. I'd have to imagine there's some ideal point in the course of running that would be the time someone should slide instead of run, but if that point is a limited area, I'd imagine it would be hard for someone going into a dead sprint to know exactly when they should attempt a slide into the base. Moreover, in the times I have seen guys slide into first base, umpires have not been forgiving. It could be as I mentioned before, where they lack a good spot from which to view the base and therefore cannot make a good call. On the other hand, sliding into first base is usually done in situations where there is a likely close play at the bag. I wouldn't be surprised if numerous umpires had a slight bias against people sliding into first under those circumstances and would be more likely to call someone out.

I can't wait until some of the Reds start lashing out at the fans for their struggles and Baker condones it. I've never seen a manager in my life who didn't hold his veteran players accountable the way Dusty did. Guys like LaTroy Hawkins could have gotten away with murder on those Cubs teams.

:lol: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I see Samardzija's growing the mullet back out.

If we were talking about times and deviations in terms of full seconds, I'd be inclined to agree with you on this matter. However, when you start getting into fractions of a second, it's very difficult to get accurate readings across the spectrum. The deviations when you hand time someone comes from two sources: when you start the watch and when you stop the watch. You have to be able to start it at the exact moment the person starts running and stop it the moment they hit the bag. If you start the watch too soon or stop it too late, you could have an extraordinarily different results in terms of the fractions of a second. It takes some people longer than a tenth of a second to blink, you know?

Sorry i was off, I just looked back at the results. Running through was 4.425 secs, Sliding head first was 4.325 secs, and sliding feet first was 4.2 secs. So it was about .2-.3 secs faster from sliding feet to running. I'm guessing you hand-timed this?

You need a "dude" in there.

No. Since you are ignoring my earlier explanation entirely, and the link that followed it up, I'll post it again. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_sliding_into_a_base_make_you_reach_base_faster Read it this time. And yes, the Mythbusters episode "busted" a "myth" that didn't actually exist in the first place. Total waste of time. One thing I would argue is that the umpire is not typically in a very good position to judge whether a runner sliding into 1B is safe or not. I think part of the difficulty of sliding into 1B is that your hand might not be easily visible to the umpire when it comes into contact with the base. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'd imagine it might make a difference in terms of deciding whether to run or slide.

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