Manny Machado is our best player

[DrungoHazewood]

This must be what it was like when Cal Ripken came up in the beginning.

No, not really. Cal went 12-for-his-first-99 (.121) in the majors. On May 13th, 1982 Cal was hitting .204 with a .621 OPS.

I was 10, almost 11, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't happy this guy was who they'd traded Doug DeCinces to make room for.

[SerenityNow]

It's not like Wieters is calling the games. He gets the pitches from the dugout.

We have been over this about 100x on this site. Wieters calls the pitches but looks over for throw overs and pitch outs.

I feel like this comes up literally once a month during the season and we always come to the same conclusion.

[Moose Milligan]

We have been over this about 100x on this site. Wieters calls the pitches but looks over for throw overs and pitch outs.

I feel like this comes up literally once a month during the season and we always come to the same conclusion.

Have we really? Guess we could do it 101x then.

[SerenityNow]

Have we really? Guess we could do it 101x then.

Sounds like a blast. I'm sorry that you are so sensitive if you are wrong about something. I will keep that in mind in the future.

[scOtt]

This must be what it was like when Cal Ripken came up in the beginning.

This must be what it was like when Brooks Robinson came up in the beginning.

[Can_of_corn]

This must be what it was like when Brooks Robinson came up in the beginning.

Brooks was terrible with the bat in his hands in the early years. -49 OPS+ in 1955, he didn't break 700 OPS until his fifth season (at 23).

[Il BuonO]

Just a shame he's not in Harper or Trout's league. We'll have to make due with a 2nd tier star.

Recalibrating level on sarcasm meter.

[Can_of_corn]

Recalibrating level on sarcasm meter.

I think a significant portion of the population is incapable of detecting sarcasm in written form.

[scOtt]

Brooks was terrible with the bat in his hands in the early years. -49 OPS+ in 1955, he didn't break 700 OPS until his fifth season (at 23).

I didn't know that (and didn't look it up... ) Assumed he was good right off.

[Can_of_corn]

I didn't know that (and didn't look it up... ) Assumed he was good right off.

He was 18 in 1955. His glove was just fine but the franchise was a HUGE mess. He was in the big well before he should have been.

[scOtt]

And I have to say... I'm just amazed at Manny's play, especially at bat. I mean, he's incredible in the field, no doubt. But to be hitting like this! I keep expecting the league to find a hole in his swing and adjust, expecting him to go in a slump. So far they haven't.

That AB Friday night for the go-ahead run in the tenth. Manny was seriously jammed down and in and he just flicks thru the vacated 1B hole. With plenty of mustard on it. Bordick raved on it. Great piece of hitting in a clutch situation.

EDIT: I've also mentioned in the game thread a couple times... he looks like he has almost instant pitch recognition. Doesn't even begin to offer at pitcher's pitches. He's like "Get that [crap] outta here!"

[Can_of_corn]

And I have to say... I'm just amazed at Manny's play, especially at bat. I mean, he's incredible in the field, no doubt. But to be hitting like this! I keep expecting the league to find a hole in his swing and adjust, expecting him to go in a slump. So far they haven't.

That AB Friday night for the go-ahead run in the tenth. Manny was seriously jammed down and in and he just flicks thru the vacated 1B hole. With plenty of mustard on it. Bordick raved on it. Great piece of hitting in a clutch situation.

I agree with all of the above and yet...

(You all knew there was going to be an and yet)

I would like to see more walks.

[Il BuonO]

I agree with all of the above and yet...

(You all knew there was going to be an and yet)

I would like to see more walks.

Remo: Chiun, you are incredible!

Chiun: No, I am better than that.

[DrungoHazewood]

He was 18 in 1955. His glove was just fine but the franchise was a HUGE mess. He was in the big well before he should have been.

Well... when should he have been in the majors? I know there's this idea that nobody should move up a level until they've dominated the last, but that's not universally true today (or even close), and it definitely wasn't in 1955. Heck, in the early 50s there were still teams that didn't even have an affiliate at every level. I'm pretty sure it was the mid 50s before the Senators had a AAA team at all. As late as the mid-60s you had guys like Jim Palmer jump from A ball to the majors after what I'd describe as a Brad Pennington season.

Brooks was called up because they thought he was better than the guy they had playing third base at the time. That's really the only constant through the years in determining promotions - is the new guy giving us a better chance to win than the old guy?

[Can_of_corn]

Well... when should he have been in the majors? I know there's this idea that nobody should move up a level until they've dominated the last, but that's not universally true today (or even close), and it definitely wasn't in 1955. Heck, in the early 50s there were still teams that didn't even have an affiliate at every level. I'm pretty sure it was the mid 50s before the Senators had a AAA team at all. As late as the mid-60s you had guys like Jim Palmer jump from A ball to the majors after what I'd describe as a Brad Pennington season.

Brooks was called up because they thought he was better than the guy they had playing third base at the time. That's really the only constant through the years in determining promotions - is the new guy giving us a better chance to win than the old guy?

And that would be why I said the franchise was a huge mess.