06-17-2019, 09:46 PM
I don't know that this merits its own thread, but I'm in a hotel in Philadelphia, and the ESPN game on TV is the Giants vs. Dodgers. it's the ESPN announcing team, which has A-Rod for color observations.
A-Rod's opinions are interesting, very different from Kruk and Kuip and honed by 20+ years as an All-Star. His observation on Brandon Crawford was interesting. He thinks Crawford is bored. He says he won three rings by his late 20s and played before full houses that entire time. Now, the crowds are 15k to 20k. He says Crawford still has the ability, and needs a bigger stage. Said if he went to one of the six division leaders, he would have a career renaissance.
He thinks Beede could be special. Sixth inning as I write this, Giants ahead 2-1. Says Beede had two good pitches before, which is not enough in MLB, says you need three. Says Beede's off-speed stuff is now very good, but says that Beede's inexperience shows. In a few occasions, A-Rod said Beede should have thrown this pitch instead of that pitch, basically making it easier on the hitters. Did not opine as to whether Posey would have made better calls than Vogt.
Noted that Maeda tries to make the perfect pitch too much. Had thrown more than 50 pitches his first two innings, was gone by the sixth.
Hates it when pitchers waste pitches, or as Kruk would call them "easy takes."
Implied that Brandon Belt's bat isn't quite there, bat-speed wise. Should do more damage with middle-in pitches. Likes Belt's .369 OPS, thinks Belt would be a star in almost any other ballpark, thinks Belt is highly underrated. "I love Belt" he said. Says Belt (after laying off a 3-2 low inside 96 mph fastball) is the difference between good and great.
Says the Giants have slow bats. Says that the Dodgers are throwing fastballs in fastball counts and the Giants are late almost every time.
Slammed the Dodgers shortstop for a throwing error on a DP attempt, Giants on first and third. Giants had guy on third, said it was almost a guaranteed run. he said shortstop should have visualized the scenario before the pitch was thrown.
A-Rod made a lot more interesting comments. He's on my listening list.
A-Rod's opinions are interesting, very different from Kruk and Kuip and honed by 20+ years as an All-Star. His observation on Brandon Crawford was interesting. He thinks Crawford is bored. He says he won three rings by his late 20s and played before full houses that entire time. Now, the crowds are 15k to 20k. He says Crawford still has the ability, and needs a bigger stage. Said if he went to one of the six division leaders, he would have a career renaissance.
He thinks Beede could be special. Sixth inning as I write this, Giants ahead 2-1. Says Beede had two good pitches before, which is not enough in MLB, says you need three. Says Beede's off-speed stuff is now very good, but says that Beede's inexperience shows. In a few occasions, A-Rod said Beede should have thrown this pitch instead of that pitch, basically making it easier on the hitters. Did not opine as to whether Posey would have made better calls than Vogt.
Noted that Maeda tries to make the perfect pitch too much. Had thrown more than 50 pitches his first two innings, was gone by the sixth.
Hates it when pitchers waste pitches, or as Kruk would call them "easy takes."
Implied that Brandon Belt's bat isn't quite there, bat-speed wise. Should do more damage with middle-in pitches. Likes Belt's .369 OPS, thinks Belt would be a star in almost any other ballpark, thinks Belt is highly underrated. "I love Belt" he said. Says Belt (after laying off a 3-2 low inside 96 mph fastball) is the difference between good and great.
Says the Giants have slow bats. Says that the Dodgers are throwing fastballs in fastball counts and the Giants are late almost every time.
Slammed the Dodgers shortstop for a throwing error on a DP attempt, Giants on first and third. Giants had guy on third, said it was almost a guaranteed run. he said shortstop should have visualized the scenario before the pitch was thrown.
A-Rod made a lot more interesting comments. He's on my listening list.
Audaces fortuna iuvat