Look, I am a big Positive Thinker. I believe that you get what you believe. A wise man once said: “As you believe so it shall be done unto you.” I have seen it work in my life (big time) , so I admire a guy like Willie Calhoun who is undersized and physically challenged in almost every aspect of the game of baseball… except hitting! When it comes to hitting, Willie Calhoun is a pure thoroughbred, but when it comes to running, defense and speed, he is a Shetland pony. He showed up weeks early to Spring Training where is continues to work on his conditioning, fielding, running and defensive positioning.
By all counts, he is hard worker and has an indomitable spirit. I admire that. I like that a lot. It will take him a long way in life. The only thing is, you have to have some physical talent in certain areas to accomplish great things. A person may like to run, but if they don’t have the requisite foot speed, they are not going to beat Usain Bolt in the 100 meters… no matter how good their attitude is.
I am sure that I would have been the Greatest NBA Center of all time. All I lacked was an additional 8 to 10 inches in height. I wanted to… I was determined… I was relentless…I was a beast in high school (17.1 ppg/17.7 rpg), but at 6′ 4″ and a natural “back-to-the-basket” center, I simply could not make it to the next level… no matter how much I wanted it or how good my attitude was. I lacked the requisite height.
Willie Calhoun lacks the requisite foot speed, agility, athleticism and defensive ability to play 2B and Andrew Friedman knows it. The Dodgers know it. Even Ray Charles can see it. They are just trying to drive up the price. Willie Calhoun needs to be a DH, but the Dodgers are trying to convince ONE TEAM that Willie Calhoun can play 2B. That’s all it takes – ONE TEAM!
One Team! One GM who believes Willie can play 2B and is willing to trade for him in the right package. I can’t confirm it, but I was told the Dodgers would have traded De Leon and Calhoun for Dozier, but the Twins insisted on Alvarez as well. I do not think Willie will play 2B for the Dodgers – he is way slow with his “tree trunk legs” and he’s not quick, nor does he have a “soft glove.” Now, I will be the first to admit that WANT TO goes a long way and it’s hard to beat someone who never gives up. It would be a miracle if he makes it as a second baseman… but miracles do happen! Maybe, he can learn to play LF – he would be a slow one, but if his bat plays like I think it will, maybe he can find a home there.
However since he is LH, I think it is more likely that he gets traded. If you look at the Dodgers lineup, you will see that they are very heavy with LH hitters going forward. Since A-Gon is Gone after 2018, I am not including him, but Seager is LH, so are Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Gavin Lux, Mitch Hansen, Cody Thomas, Andrew Toles, Oneil Cruz and Alex Verdugo. Pederson does not hit lefties well and Seager has work to do in that area as well. I am watching Verdugo very closely this year – he needs to take another step-up. If he can take another step forward and if he can start hitting lefties better, he can be a Tony-Gwynn-Like Player.
I like just about everything about Willie Calhoun, especially his attitude, but the fact that he is defensively challenged and hits LH works against him considering the Dodgers plethora of left-handed hitters. I can see him and a couple of other prospects packaged for a power-hitter who is Right-handed. That’s my opinion – what’s yours?
Rants & Raves
- I like Brock Stewart a lot. I think he will be an excellent #4 or #5, but I think 2018 will be his year. He needs a full year at AAA. Maybe I am wrong, but I am scratching him from the rotation THIS year. Now, this could all change with a trade or two…
- Kike Hernandez was 2-3 with a BB. Two games in a row he has shown up. He is also saying he has a more mature attitude. You know what? I believe him and if it boils down to Taylor ad Kike, it will be Kike, because he has POWER! Taylor doesn’t. It’s early, but Kike is back on track.
- I am not convinced that Joc Pederson will hit LH pitching. I mean, last year he was at .125. I can probably do that. If Trayce Thompson is healthy, I see a platoon in CF.
- That means that LF will be somewhat of a platoon between SVS and either Toles or Ethier. They can send Toles down, but they would have to trade Ethier. Either on is possible. Of course, Toles is not playing with purpose right now.
- How about trading Alex Wood and Pedro Baez for Brad Brach? Baez partially replaces Brach and Wood gives them another starter that they desperately need. Or they can have McCarthy or Ryu or Kazmir instead.
Today’s Music
Discussion (38)
Disagree, not disagreeable
OK, that was my March Rant.
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I can hardly wait until April!
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What do you think about the Colts right about now?
Damn Mark, I agreed with almost everything you had to say today. Much better than that rant the other day. Although I might need some verification of those high school stats.
I watched Calhoun play today on MLB.TV – he singled through the right side and had a 4-3 putout that looked a little unsmooth wrt footwork. I’m rooting for him, but he’s got some work to do if he wants to make it to the big leagues.
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Here’s an interesting article from ThinkBlueLA on Istler and Spitzbarth – http://www.thinkbluela.com/2017/03/istler-and-spitzbarth-two-young-dodgers-to-keep-an-eye-on/
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Got to watch Istler today and he looked sharp. He pitched the 9th and struck out two batters looking then got the last out on a grounder to short. He’s got some arm side run on his fastball – I can’t tell if it’s because he is throwing a two-seamer over the top or not but it had enough good movement to fool the first two hitters -both of whom had two strikes at the time he threw that same pitch.
http://www.krustysoxsports.com/2017/03/joc-pederson-got-engaged.html
Hey Mark, do you think they are showcasing Ethier right now to bundle him up with a couple of surplus starters for a trade down the line? Or are they waiting to see what Toles and Thompson are gonna do this spring. Both of these guys seem like the future in the outfield, and both have speed and a good stick. Do they take a chance and put them on the opening day roster and trade ‘Dre and some pitchers for a Baltimore reliever, or do they stand pat? Alot of story lines right now, and way too many good guys on the roster with not enough room. Seems like something is going to have to give. Will it be during spring training or the season?
If Kike’ makes the team, Roberts will look for ways to get him into games. That means he will play more CF than I want him to play. I’d rather have Taylor and use his speed as a pinch runner to add opportunities to get him into games plus sub in at short and third.
Mark
All I can say, if Calhoun had no chance of being a major leaguer, then why did Friedman not only draft him once, but twice?
It appears that the suits don’t have the commitment to Calhoun that would give him or his fans a lot of confidence going forward. Trading for a starting 2B, now trading for another middle infielder, not playing yet in ST can’t bode well. For his own career, he should be traded. With another team where 2B is sparse, he will get a chance to play. That is what he should be thinking right now. I hope he is successful.
Look – we have all known people with all of the talent in the world who squandered it and made nothing of their lives and we have know others who were grinders and made it on effort alone. The problem is that sometimes, effort is not enough. No matter what, I was never going to be able to pitch for the Dodgers. The basics still have to be there. I haven’t seen Calhoun but from what I have read, he doesn’t have it. If he does, then great!
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Thompson isn’t going to be on the opening day 25. 5 bench players is all they are allowed and if they start Ethier, Pederson and Puig in the OF, the 5 on the bench will be Barnes, Utley, Gutierrez, a utility INF (probably Hernandez) and Van Slyke (the only RH guy who plays 1B – and don’t say the Dodgers will player Turner at 1B – they won’t). Thompson and Toles have options left and they will be exercised.
The Dodgers can have Forsythe at second through 2018 if they use their option for 2018. They would have to sign him as a free agent to keep him longer and most likely would have to commit to at least a two year contract, probably three.
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It is possible the Dodgers will not trade Calhoun until they have someone in the organization they feel can play second full time.
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Hitters face lefties somewhere around 40% of the time so if a full time player got 600 plate appearances, 240 of them would be against lefties and 360 against righties. Given Gonzales age, neck problems, and now elbow pain, should he get more than 360 plate appearances? If not, then SVS will probably get 240 PAs at first base which means that he wouldn’t be available to platoon in two positions at once which means he wouldn’t platoon in LF.
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Grandal
Barnes
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Gonzales
SVS
Forsythe
Taylor
Turner
Utley
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Ethier
Pederson
Puig
Thompson
Guetierrez
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Kershaw
Maeda
Hill
McCarthy
Rhu/Kazmir/Wood (whoever is healthy)
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Jansen
Romo
Dayton
Diaz
Stripling
Spitzbarth
Spitzbarth? hmmm
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Apparently he assumed he would get drafted out of high school so didn’t bother to have a backup plan that would get him a scholarship in a Division I school. Did he flunk shop? A few short quotes from him seem to reflect a person that has a philosophy on life. I think I am going to like this guy.