Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Of course not.
I can barely turn around an 80 mph cage these days and that's when I know what's coming.
I wouldn't be able to foul off 90. And god help me if they were throwing 95 and breaking shit. No, you don't have a prayer in the world. Best you could do is swing at the middle and hope you accidentally barrel one.
Oh I knew I had no chance. Just wanted to see what speed and different pitches look like when you are in the batters box. And that's a cage, not a live pitcher that may come inside with the 95 to keep you off that outside pitch they want to throw.
I still think that hitting a round ball with a round bat thrown at that speeds and spin rates is the toughest athletic feat in sports. You fail 7 out of 10 times you are an All-Star and getting generational wealth. You fail 8 out of 10 times you are not even making it to MLB. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
Oh I knew I had no chance. Just wanted to see what speed and different pitches look like when you are in the batters box. And that's a cage, not a live pitcher that may come inside with the 95 to keep you off that outside pitch they want to throw.
I still think that hitting a round ball with a round bat thrown at that speeds and spin rates is the toughest athletic feat in sports.
I had a college roommate who was a catcher and emergency pitcher for Truman State's completely forgettable baseball team.
He threw a high school caliber overhand curve.
I struggled to CATCH the damn thing.
From an emergency pitcher out of a mediocre mid-tier program. The fact that any of them ever get a hit impresses the hell out me.
I mean think of it this way - Nolan Gorman in High School had 146 plate appearances and only struck out 16 times. So against the same level of pitch that I struggled to catch, he managed a strikeout rate 12%.
It's THIRTY EIGHT PERCENT at the big league level. And he's better now than he was at 17. That's how much better big league stuff is than the stuff you and I have ever seen.
Then you look at someone like Jacob Wilson in AAA this season. With wood bats against relatively advanced pitching, Jacob Wilson struck out FIVE TIMES after adjusting to AAA in April. 140 PAs over 33 games and the dude had a strikeout rate of 3% (before getting promoted, getting a knock in his first big league at bat and promptly pulling a hammy rounding 3rd).
Just...how? And the dude managed a .670 SLG (roughly .250 ISO) over that time so he wasn't just out there bunting to make contact or anything. Kid was playing for Grand Canyon University a year ago and now he's in AAA hitting everything these guys throw up there at 22 years old.
The guys that do stuff like that just have hands that are beyond my understanding. The eyesight and coordination is absurd. [Reply]
The fact that this team played Nolan Gorman for 105 games at 2b is an embarrassing testament to where they are as an organization.
Not one single game at DH. He's taken 3 innings at 3b this year and every other inning at 2b. It's just staggering.
At least this should finally get Donovan a permanent home at 2b. I mean we dumped a potential top of the order hitter and GG 2b in Edman for another aging arm because he aging arms we have broke down and we refused to even acknowledge that Edman is incredibly valuable on the IF and pretty much replacement level in the OF.
But again, silver lining is that Donovan at 2b is where he should've been all season anyway.
There’s another one that will get traded for shot returns and then ball out with the new team. I remember seeing the 64 Cardinals win the WS. One of my first memories of life. I suffered through the 70’s as a fan. I think this is just a repeat in some ways. They lost their way. Had horrible front offices and sometimes coaches.
This feels worse because the right GM and a farm system developing talent, we could be competing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Thaaaat's a shame.
The fact that this team played Nolan Gorman for 105 games at 2b is an embarrassing testament to where they are as an organization.
Not one single game at DH. He's taken 3 innings at 3b this year and every other inning at 2b. It's just staggering.
At least this should finally get Donovan a permanent home at 2b. I mean we dumped a potential top of the order hitter and GG 2b in Edman for another aging arm because he aging arms we have broke down and we refused to even acknowledge that Edman is incredibly valuable on the IF and pretty much replacement level in the OF.
But again, silver lining is that Donovan at 2b is where he should've been all season anyway.
This team is just lost.
They appear to be the last people to grasp anything that's happening.
Oli has to be in panic mode at this point and Mo wondering if gets to pick yet another manager.
Not that any of that matters if they don't start drafting and developing better. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Of course not.
I can barely turn around an 80 mph cage these days and that's when I know what's coming.
I wouldn't be able to foul off 90. And god help me if they were throwing 95 and breaking shit. No, you don't have a prayer in the world. Best you could do is swing at the middle and hope you accidentally barrel one.
My 4 seamer topped out in the mid 80s in high school, got to JUCO and guys were hinting 95. I felt like a right handed Jamie Moyer.
I did go 2 for 3 with a triple against Jim Winn in high school who eventually was drafted in the first round (14th overall) by the Pirates. [Reply]