Cuban OF Dariel Alvarez is 2 for 2 on debut in GCL hitting a triple and HR

[Tony-OH]

I do think that Urrutia can benefit from some strength and conditioning training. I have no idea what he had available in Cuba, I'm just going off what I saw during his few weeks in Baltimore. I haven't seen Alvarez so I have no comment on him.

I think it couldn't hurt, but I have some concerns that his bat is slow. I'm looking froward to seeing Alvarez this week.

[sportsfan8703]

1. okay but then why not say that about any other player. it's like you're treating them differently because they're Cuban when all that matters is their baseball profile.

2. you're right, politics are off limits here. speaking as someone who has studied states like apartheid South Africa, Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and fascist Hungary, in addition to Castro's Cuba, when I like talking about something that doesn't mean I support their politics. from a purely historical perspective, when the Castro government took over, they did so backed by a massive wave of popular support. that's what I mean when I say the Cuban people chose their government. also, you're not Joseph McCarthy and it's not the 1950s, so let's drop the "communist sympathizer" talk, please.

3. where on earth do you get the idea that I'm not a Urrutia/Alvarez fan. I'm a huge fan of both guys. I'm a bigger fan of manageable expectations. it'll be interesting to see them in the spring just like it'll be interesting to see any other player in the spring, fine. actually, since they're both fully grown adults, it'll probably be a bit less interesting. basically, what we're seeing now is them after an offseason, since they both had periods without playing competitively due to the defection process. they're both athletically built and their bodies have essentially filled out- we're not going to be seeing their physical attributes change much at all.

manage your expectations is all I'm saying. maybe I've gone overboard with the explanations, and i'm sorry about that, but I'm a history student and we don't usually get to apply what we learn to actual life. basically an offseason probably won't help these guys much, and we should take them as we see them without trying to project too much. it's not like they're raw high school kids here.

Well a cease fire that's cool. But let me just give you some advice, just because you are a student and just recently took an philosophy, anthropology, or whatever doesn't make you an expert on those subject matters.

Routinely on this board so and so will say I hope they spend a summer with Brady. Not implying that they already dont work hard. So not everything is an injustice. I just hope Alvarez has a good fall and works hard and has a good spring training. Cool your jets youngin.