Are the O's done with Hanser Alberto?

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Today a Wade Boggs would be told at the age of 11 that he needed to use a lighter bat and really start driving the ball every at bat.  There wouldn't be all those sub-optimal opposite-field singles, because he'd have been raised knowing that line drives to RF were the goal. 

If he refused he'd get a scouting report like "slow bat, poor launch angle, below-average glove and running speed.  Not a prospect."

He was a seventh round pick.  You put up the numbers in HS that he would and someone would take a flyer on you.  Scouts would have plenty of film on him.

Teams aren't so myopic that they would turn their nose up at a guy with huge OBP numbers just because the power isn't there.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

He was a seventh round pick.  You put up the numbers in HS that he would and someone would take a flyer on you.  Scouts would have plenty of film on him.

Teams aren't so myopic that they would turn their nose up at a guy with huge OBP numbers just because the power isn't there.

Sure.  But my main point is that Wade Boggs wouldn't be allowed to be Wade Boggs today.  His 12U coach would have told him to try to hit every ball off the 340' sign in right.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, DrungoHazewood said:

Sure.  But my main point is that Wade Boggs wouldn't be allowed to be Wade Boggs today.  His 12U coach would have told him to try to hit every ball off the 340' sign in right.

Would all depend on if he was willing to change.  If he refused you think his coach wouldn't have played him?

Just because the majority of baseball is moving in one direction doesn't mean folks that deviate from that have no chance.

[DrungoHazewood]

14 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would all depend on if he was willing to change.  If he refused you think his coach wouldn't have played him?

Just because the majority of baseball is moving in one direction doesn't mean folks that deviate from that have no chance.

I don't know, depends on how stubborn Boggs and his coach were.  Some people deviate and succeed.  Hanser Alberto exists in a world of Mark Trumbos.  But the deck is stacked against them.

[Frobby]

20 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

I don’t think Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs would be allowed to exist as they were coming up in the 1980s.

Boggs would get praised for drawing walks, but otherwise they would be instructed to adjust the launch angle of their swing and stop hitting so many useless singles. 

Sports Illustrated ran a great piece one time in which Ted Williams, Boggs and Don Mattingly had a lengthy debate about swing plane and swing mechanics.   It’s a classic.  Williams, of course, advocated a slight uppercut.   https://www.google.com/amp/s/vault.si.com/.amp/vault/1986/04/14/a-real-rap-session

Edit — I just re-read this.   Read it. It’s awesome!

[LocoChris]

On 1/24/2021 at 10:46 AM, wildcard said:

Hanser Alberto was not non tendered because the O's did not like the person or the way he hit left-handed pitching.   He was non tendered because they did not think his overall play was worth what he might get in arbitration.   So with the free agent market slow and not much money being thrown around because of Covid limiting revenue,   What is the chance that Alberto signs a minor league deal with the O's and is invited to camp?

Signed with the Royals on a MINOR LEAGUE deal. Another O's F up

[LocoChris]

Nevermind... I thought this guy had a much higher OPS than what he did.

[scOtt]

3 hours ago, LocoChris said:

Nevermind... I thought this guy had a much higher OPS than what he did.

I'm no expert on stats or hitting... but yeah, his OBP is all because of his BA. He never strikes out and doesn't walk much. So he always makes contact. I haven't looked but I would guess his best years come when his BABIP is the highest.

edit: To clarify, I'm not saying Hanser is lucky, just saying the years he IS lucky he's better than most would be when they're lucky

[InsideCoroner]

On 2/3/2021 at 1:57 AM, Frobby said:

Sports Illustrated ran a great piece one time in which Ted Williams, Boggs and Don Mattingly had a lengthy debate about swing plane and swing mechanics.   It’s a classic.  Williams, of course, advocated a slight uppercut.   https://www.google.com/amp/s/vault.si.com/.amp/vault/1986/04/14/a-real-rap-session

Edit — I just re-read this.   Read it. It’s awesome!

This is the roundtable discussion, right? One of my favorite baseball articles ever. 

I also remember watching Boggs play in some celebrity softball game on TV once. Every at bat, he was lining the ball *just* inside the left field foul line with absolute precision. Even for slow pitch, it was impressive. 

[Woody Held]

I saw Nunez signed a minor league deal with the Tigers. They are going to try him at first base