I am still working on running the numbers on several guys for a new little stat I was introduced to the other day by Adam Foster (of Projectprospect.com). So I decided to put up some quotes from Dusty Baker and others on the prospects in Spring Training.
Here are some things Dusty Baker had to say about Jay Bruce:
“We’re trying to get best pieces of the puzzle and do what’s best for everybody concerned, now and for later,” Baker said. “I haven’t seen Bruce play. On the other hand, you see [Ken Griffey Jr.] came in at 19. Corey Patterson looked like he was rushed a little bit on to the Cubs and didn’t get time to mature.
“It’s like raising your kids — you don’t know if you did it right until later. You hope you did it right. It’s something that’s very hard to judge — when is now?”
Bruce, 20, was the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year and blasted through three levels last season to Triple-A.
“It’s no secret that this guy is a star of the future,” Baker said. “He could be a star of the present, who knows? I’m very impressed talking with him, but there’s more to baseball than just hitting, too.”
Here is what Dusty Baker and AAA pitching coach Ted Power had to say about the pitching situation with the Cueto (pictured first), Bailey and Maloney.
“We’ve got enough people,” manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve got some pretty good arms. It depends on how some of them mature. It depends on how their attitude and application for learning is.”
“Stuff-wise? Yes,” Power said. “I haven’t been around long enough and seen enough guys get to the big leagues to be an expert. But they have good stuff.”
On Matt Maloney:
“You’re used to left-handers having that stuff that tails away from right-handed hitters,” he said. “He doesn’t have that.”
“When he’s on, Homer has nasty stuff,” Power said. “Cueto was very impressive every time he pitched. Their stuff is pretty damn good.”
Seriously how great is it to just see baseball pictures again?
Second Photo: Sergio Valenzuela taking bunting practice
Monday, 18. February 2008
Does it bother anyone else that he’s stupid enough to compare Patterson and Griffey as equals, and then compare Bruce to them.
Minor League OPS
Griffey - .997
Bruce - .905
Patterson - .837
Patterson was a toolsy raw type player, and still is. Bruce is a slugger with tools. Griffey was one of the most highly touted, highly polished, and just pure awsome baseball players ever, right next Arod and Mays. It’s an insult for him to be compared to Patterson.
But I’m sure Bruce could easily replicate Griffey’s rookie season ( .264/ .329/.420) But the biggest difference was that he was 19.
Monday, 18. February 2008
Of course when Griffey did that and posted a .749 OPS that was the equivalent of an .830 OPS (versus the league averages in each case) for Cincinnati last season. Thats beyond ridiculous. He truly is one of those ‘once in a lifetime talents’, we just happen to be lucky enough to get Arod so close behind him.
Monday, 18. February 2008
I don’t think Dusty was in any way comparing Bruce and Patterson and what he said struck me as entirely right. You never really know exactly how to do this until after it’s done, like raising kids. You make your best assessment about when a player is ready but there’s an element of uncertainty about it and some players are probably hurt by being brought too early–is there any doubt about that? Dusty sees Corey Patterson as an example of this latter category.
Monday, 18. February 2008
I agree Fritz, Baker was likely just pointing to both sides of the spectrum on bringing up young players very soon in their careers.