Wow, Kim is untouchable

[Going Underground]

Slow as Matt Wieters, power of Cesar Izturis, range of Nelson Cruz, salary close to Ubaldo.

Slow, He scored on Manny's single from first. I am kidding of course. Manny did not run the ball out and was admiring it .Kim was chugging along at that time.

[Going Underground]

So now the reason they wanted Kim to be sent down. Just trying to get him in shape. Buck should run for office.

When the Orioles tried to get him to go to the minors at the end of spring training, executive vice president Dan Duquette noted the longer spring trainings in Kim's native South Korea. He's had about as much time, between spring training and now, to replicate that. Showalter sees the improvement from a physical standpoint.

"He's running better, too," Showalter said. "I don't know if you've noticed. I don't know if it's a culture thing ? but when he got to camp, he's about 12 pounds, at least, less than he was when he got to camp.

"I think maybe their spring, they're there so long ? three months ? I think they kind of come in in whatever shape and use that to really get in shape. Not that he was out of shape, but he's moving a lot better now than when he first got to spring. That may have something to do with it."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-astros-0527-20160526-story.html

[Can_of_corn]

So now the reason they wanted Kim to be sent down. Just trying to get him in shape. Buck should run for office.

When the Orioles tried to get him to go to the minors at the end of spring training, executive vice president Dan Duquette noted the longer spring trainings in Kim's native South Korea. He's had about as much time, between spring training and now, to replicate that. Showalter sees the improvement from a physical standpoint.

"He's running better, too," Showalter said. "I don't know if you've noticed. I don't know if it's a culture thing ? but when he got to camp, he's about 12 pounds, at least, less than he was when he got to camp.

"I think maybe their spring, they're there so long ? three months ? I think they kind of come in in whatever shape and use that to really get in shape. Not that he was out of shape, but he's moving a lot better now than when he first got to spring. That may have something to do with it."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-astros-0527-20160526-story.html

Buck not being real classy.

Guess he just can't admit he got it wrong.

[WEAVERMAN]

Please play Kim every day until further notice. Offensively, we have no choice.

[24fps]

Perhaps Jon Meoli will have the presence of mind to ask Brady his opinion of Kim's conditioning at the start of ST. And while we're at it he can ask DD if Kim's unfamiliarity the the brevity of MLB spring trainings was the reason he tried so hard to find a Korean team to take all or part of Kim's contract.

[Redskins Rick]

Perhaps Jon Meoli will have the presence of mind to ask Brady his opinion of Kim's conditioning at the start of ST. And while we're at it he can ask DD if Kim's unfamiliarity the the brevity of MLB spring trainings was the reason he tried so hard to find a Korean team to take all or part of Kim's contract.

I recall Brady bragging about how good of shape Kim was in, and was able to run up their training hill and not puke like most of the guys.

[Aristotelian]

Buck not being real classy.

Guess he just can't admit he got it wrong.

Buck just digs himself deeper. "Maybe it is a culture thing"? "Not that he was out of shape..." [implication being that he was out of shape]

I remember his first two hits in spring training were infield hits that he busted down the line. Maybe he is a few pounds lighter but he is exactly the same player he was two months ago and he has been hitting since day one of the regular season whenever he has been given the chance.

At least he seems to be acknowledging that Kim has earned a fair chance.

[24fps]

I recall Brady bragging about how good of shape Kim was in, and was able to run up their training hill and not puke like most of the guys.

I remember something like that myself.

[Can_of_corn]

Buck just digs himself deeper. "Maybe it is a culture thing"? "Not that he was out of shape..." [implication being that he was out of shape]

I remember his first two hits in spring training were infield hits that he busted down the line. Maybe he is a few pounds lighter but he is exactly the same player he was two months ago and he has been hitting since day one of the regular season whenever he has been given the chance.

At least he seems to be acknowledging that Kim has earned a fair chance.

I don't remember Buck talking about this....

That has to be at least 11 pounds right?

[OsEatAlEast]

I think Buck needs to quit trying to explain it. Just give him a fair shake from here on out and it will be a good time for all involved.

[OsEatAlEast]

I don't remember Buck talking about this....

That has to be at least 11 pounds right?

It's funny! The oldest guy in that picture (Bancells) looks like he's in the best shape.

[Redskins Rick]

I remember something like that myself.

Roch wrote about it, it was a decent interview with Brady on Kim, a few weeks before ST.

We posted it here in OH, and talked about it, too lazy to look it up.

[Going Underground]

I don't know why Buck is trying to reinvent history and put a new spin on why they wanted to send Kim down.It was done poorly .It was a PR mistake. Move on and see what happens. The pitchers may adjust to Kim and he may be terrible or he might be good. Almost like if he did go down they would have brought him up when he is in perfect shape. I bet.

[Tony-OH]

What is wrong with the quote option tonight?

Huh, works for me.

[Hallas]

I've mentioned several times about the curiosity I have about bat speed, and how baseball may over-emphasize bat speed. I get the feeling that scouts tend to equate a quick bat with the ability to hit. This despite a long, long history of successful MLB hitters who basically just drop the bat into the zone and wack the ball. Sometimes turning on a pitch, but often just flaring it into the outfield. Boggs. Gwynn. Ichiro. Countless guys from pre-1965.

It's interesting that this seems to not be the case in Asia, and many players from Japan or Korea have this unorthodox approach (to North American eyes) yet are successful. We have to go overseas to find these players because it's selected out by coaches and scouts here. If you don't have a super quick bat here the scout just writes a 30 or 40 as your hit skill and you're not a prospect.

What's interesting is that Barry Bonds has talked about "catching" the ball with his bat, rather than trying to power the ball out. Of course, his steroidal version was so strong that hitting for contact meant hitting the ball 450 feet... But it's noteworthy since he also was able to hit for extremely high BA throughout his career, along with his legendary batting eye.

Pujols is another guy with notoriously bad bat speed, but he is so good at keeping the bat in the hitting zone and connecting with the ball that it doesn't matter much. It seems to me that with a little bit of arm strength and a lot of coordination, the ability to square the ball on the bat is as valuable (or more valuable) than the ability to swing the bat fast. But swinging the bat fast is more measurable objectively than having good swing technique.