Why Aren’t More Super Fast Guys Good at Baseball?

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on June 21, 2011

I had a buddy call me yesterday wanting to know if I thought Burriss or Ford were worth picking up off his waiver wire in a fantasy baseball. He’s desperate for sb’s and isn’t much of a Giants fan so he was wondering if I thought they’d be able to pick up a few random sb’s in the coming weeks (he called me before Ford got sent down). Anyway, I told him I didn’t think either can get on base enough to ever get the chance, though Burriss might get his pinch run vulture sb opportunities now and again. At least before he gets sent down to AAA, which will probably happen soon.

It got me to wondering, why aren’t more of these super-fast guys good at baseball. I mean, they obviously are good enough to make it to the major leagues, but their speed doesn’t seem to ever translate into something dominant or even playable at this level. Why is that?

My theory is that speed is like a drug for scouts. They see it, they love it, they take it in even though they know it’s probably not good for them in the end. And the Fords and Burriss’ can definitely use their speed to motor through the lower levels. But I think it masks certain major gaps they have in their overall game–they can’t hit for power (or at all), they have no intuition or baseball knowledge, they can’t bunt or take a walk. Why can’t they at least learn how to bunt or take a walk? Basically, the game doesn’t come easy to them; except when they get to kick that gift into high gear. The problem is, they don’t get the opportunity to go full speed that often. Put another way, once they get to first base they turn into Rickey Henderson. It’s the “getting on first base part” that’s the problem….

It makes me think that when you are talking *best player of all time* you almost have to include Rickey in the discussion. Ok, maybe not *Best Ever*. But 297 bombs coupled with 1,406 stolen bases, man, that’s a mind blowing exacta…..

XOOT actually won the vote for “Post of this Voting Period” but I gave it to Bill2 because I didn’t think Xoot would want his call out of Murph on the main page for such a long period of time. Of course, if he doesn’t mind I will slap it up there, it would just need a few edit corrections….

and just for the hell of it…

186 comments

186 Responses

Subscribe to comments with RSS.

blade3colorado said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:08 pm

Flav, IrishGiants (Kevin) has Bum on his team . . . Nice crooked .1 inning pitched, 216 ERA, 1 SO, and a 27 WHIP.
PawlieKokonuts said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:10 pm

Baggs: Tejada was ready to pitch earlier this year. [brickbats coming toward me]
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:15 pm

Position players seemed to pitch a lot more often in the 70’s and 80’s—even the 90’s. Nowadays they probably all have their agents up their asses telling them not to do it…..
PawlieKokonuts said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:17 pm

LaRussa did it last year (was it) in 24-inn game against Mets. But I more clearly recall Kyle Lohse in LF. It was like LaRussa wanted to lose that game and go back to the hotel.
PawlieKokonuts said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:24 pm

StL bullpen gave up a 9-spot in one inning.
Nipper said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:24 pm

Just a wasted game. Sniff…..
DJLoo said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:25 pm

Radio guys mentioned this one (against Gibson, no less):

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196706290.shtml
- Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:31 pm
  
  that’s unreal. Someone should show this box score to Bum tonight….
Nipper said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:25 pm

Lets go out and drink. …. now!
Nipper said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:27 pm

Where’s Twin? Where’s Zeke? Arf!
- unca chuck said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:35 pm
  
  Bleep you, you bleeping bleep.
Nipper said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:29 pm

We need some techtron….the tank is empty.
Rough Trade said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:31 pm

Could be another end of June swoon like they had last yr when they dropped last 9 of their last 12.
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:34 pm

Burriss just checked in at first? Sorry, I’m watching it on the internet tonight. What happened to Huff? Too early to give Mota POTG? Maybe I just go *bullpen* again…..
- unca chuck said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:39 pm
  
  He looked fine after the double . . .
unca chuck said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:36 pm

Good to see the 0 fer with RISP in full force.

32 now? Or is it 33?
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:39 pm

there’s something about games like this that don’t bother me in the slightest….
PawlieKokonuts said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:41 pm

Baseball’s irrational. So far, NO walks in the whole game. And someone should definitely show Gibby’s line for that game in the Sixties to Madison. Gibson went on to have a pretty good career ERA, didn’t he? [insert thingy]
PawlieKokonuts said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:43 pm

Uh-oh. Zito’s line tonight: Zito: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 2 K, 67 pitches, 43 strikes. Retired 16 of last 17.
- That's *mr* mrbill to you! said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:11 pm
  
  Amy Winehouse could learn a thing or two from the ol’ Zito about rehab starts!
PawlieKokonuts said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:44 pm

and, hey, we can give the whole rotation an extra day of rest, right? try it again tomorrow, MadBum
- That's *mr* mrbill to you! said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:09 pm
  
  I actually like that idea. He only threw 25 … a warm up sesssion. Should be able to do an “I can do better” tomorrow.
DJLoo said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:47 pm

50/50 whether or not Bum knows who Bob Gibson is…
- blade3colorado said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:54 pm
  
  Trying to remember the imbecile who didn’t know the impact Jackie Robinson had on the game of baseball and civil rights, much less even who he was. Shameful.
  - blade3colorado said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:56 pm
    
    I should have been more clear – this was an MLB black player who reaped the rewards of Robinson’s role in breaking the color barrier, not to mention Curt Flood’s fight against MLB owners.
  - Macdog said, on June 21, 2011 at 8:59 pm
    
    Vince Coleman?
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:02 pm

why would you hold that against him? If he didn’t get a lot of education, that’s not shocking. And the players/managers/scouts/etc aren’t running around blabbering away about Jackie Robinson. I just found out this year that Branch Rickey was the dude who got him into the bigs. Why didn’t I know that? No one ever fucking told me and I never bothered to look it up. And they didn’t teach it in school right? I would go easy on the guy who didn’t know who Jackie Robinson was (though I, too, would like to know who it was). Not throwing stones Blade, I just wanted to toss my two cents in to the *other side*…..
- blade3colorado said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:16 pm
  
  No offense taken Flav . . . Mac, no idea if it was Vince Coleman. I just recall a number of articles/columns about it and it was partially the motivating factor in MLB having Jackie Robinson Day initiated in 2004.
  - Macdog said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:30 pm
    
    From Wikipedia: He offended many baseball fans, the press and many African Americans in 1985 when he declared “I don’t know nothin’ about him. Why are you asking me about Jackie Robinson?” Responding to Coleman, Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s widow said, “I hope somehow he’ll learn and be embarrassed by his own ignorance.”
twinfan1 said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:03 pm

Twins knew that Bumgarner didn’t nibble and they just laid into him. He and Whitey made no adjustment.
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:04 pm

there are lots of players who will tell you the first major league game they ever went to was the game they played in…..
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:12 pm

Hey, getting swept by Oakshit and getting annihilated by Minnesota might just convince Sabes that we might not be able to go ahead with El Presidente at catcher. Or fucking Tejada at SS. Good things could come from all this…..
willieD said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:14 pm

In honor of this train wreck of a game, here’s a follow up willieD train wreck of a car story. After I dumped the one that couldn’t shift, I bought another of the same model, different year. It had great set of tires, which were worth more than the whole rest of the car (in other words, less than $400). so one day after work I’m heading north on 101 out of sunnyvale after just getting on the fwy, and the hood, which has held in place by one of those pins, flies up right in front of the windshield at about 60 degree angle. I managed to get it off onto the gravel of the shoulder without incident.
the hood would not go back on, so I took it completely off, and then notice the CHP cycle jockey pull up. He asked me, “Is this your car?”, and when I answered in the affirmative, the guy must have figured I had worse problems than he did, because he just nodded and didn’t do anything. I asked if I could leave the hood where it was, and he OK’d it, so I left and drove the car around without one. No license/registration/sobriety etc./ check or nothing.
DJLoo said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:16 pm

I’m sure AZ & COL are looking to deal, too. How stocked up are they prospect-wise? What are their needs? This division could be decided by the GMs…
That's *mr* mrbill to you! said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:18 pm

Whitey, our saviour!
DJLoo said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:20 pm

Bum high-fives Eli!
- SanDawg said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:35 pm
  
  Please tell me that really happened! That is fucken cool if Bum hung around after getting his ass handed to him and gave poor Eli some love.
  - DJLoo said, on June 21, 2011 at 10:17 pm
    
    It’s true, Dawg. A great moment…
twinfan1 said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:23 pm

I’ll watch comeback in bed. Night.
That's *mr* mrbill to you! said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:24 pm

The rest of Zito’s line tonight: 9IP, 2H, 2BB & 7Ks — CG SHO.
- blade3colorado said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:31 pm
  
  Zito? Did he play for us recently?
Flavor said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:31 pm

isn’t that the perfect Zito Law nightmare? The night that our stud young pitcher does something not seen in the live ball era, Zito is busy tossing a complete game shut out in the minors. I’m telling you, there’s some type of imperfect perfection there……
snarkk said, on June 21, 2011 at 9:39 pm

I’ve not watched any of this carnage. This either is the nadir of the season, with all things turning thereafter upward, or the beginning of the decimation of the staff after 2 1/2 months of toiling with no run support. Time will tell. Imagining Zitoid in this one is lame. Do you want one of these debacles every ten days to justify Zits on the staff? Meanwhile, truck on and good nite….
xootsuit said, on June 21, 2011 at 10:03 pm

One of the best cars I ever owned was a Borgward Isabella station wagon I bought for $500 from a guy who lived above Postively Front Street with a woman who never seemed to wear clothes. Drove that car all over Santa Cruz County looking for waves. (Yeah, she was pretty hot.) Many minor repairs, but a mechanic in town had run a Borgward franchise in the 1950s. He knew all about it. Very positive memories.
twinfan1 said, on June 21, 2011 at 10:21 pm

When a guy gives up 8 in the first, previous lack of support has nothing to do with it, Fact is, MadBum did not compete…
Not endorsing it, but if they’re ever going to rtrade Dirty,this would be the time..
Yeah, Torres is sucking….he and Huff keyed it all last year…
How many ground outs tonight? 80? Seemed like it…
Man, you can’t give POTG to the pen. Give it to Mota..
Finally- I hope they think REAL hard or get a whole lot if they trade Dirrty. Zito and Vogelsong could faceplant simultaneously….
- snarkk said, on June 22, 2011 at 12:54 am
  
  Nothing to do with it? NOTHING? Totally illogical….
twinfan1 said, on June 21, 2011 at 10:24 pm

“the beginning of the decimation of the staff after 2 1/2 months of toiling with no run support”
How long has Snarkk been puhing that now thoroughly discredited theory?
- xootsuit said, on June 21, 2011 at 10:46 pm
  
  decimate means “destroy 1/10th of.” Sometimes that’s a real big deal. Genocide, for example. Starting rotation? No.
  - snarkk said, on June 22, 2011 at 12:53 am
    
    Nice try. The common dictionary definition is understood by most reasonable persons to mean most of. I gave it a possible, not a probable. As I said, we shall see. No need to get your knickers in the usual uproar…
  - xootsuit said, on June 22, 2011 at 7:35 am
    
    Your superficiality is stunning. Ignoramus. Check the etymology of that one.
TedSpe said, on June 21, 2011 at 11:09 pm

Just a reminder, fans, comin’ up is our “Die-hard Night” here at the park. Free admission to anyone who was actually alive the last time the Giants scored 5 runs. Bring your grandparents, kiddies, because it’s going to be a nostalgic evening for everyone!
- xootsuit said, on June 22, 2011 at 7:38 am
  
  The Barry Bonds on Steroids bobble-head night? (I’m surprised mlb approved those things. They could hurt a right fielder.)