| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Mets69 |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 14:33:22
Just curious as to what people thought about the following "hypothetical" question.
Say that you're a "Majors" level team, and you had to pick between 2 kids who were equal in all aspects of the game, with the following exception ...
Player A has played only at the Major's level, but never had higher than a 0.250 batting average.
Player B has played only at the AAA level, but consistenly has a batting average above 0.500.
Which one would you pick for your team (all other things being equal) and why? Remember, the only distinguishing features are batting average and level played at.
The only reason I bring this up is because I see some teams looking for players only "with Major's level experience", which seems to exclude a whole group of potentially really great ballplayers. I would guess that the top players at the AAA level are likely better than the mid- to low-level players at the Major's level. Any thoughts? |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Leftypitcher |
Posted - 12/20/2010 : 22:55:13
Just checked with my 15 year old son, and he said take the .250 Major player. His reasoning was that the .250 Major has proven himself against major level pitchers, and most likely the .500 hitter is going to falter when facing Major pitchers on a routine basis. He said he has seen it happen before.
I think he is right. Major pitchers are major pitchers for a reason, they know how to pitch against good batters.
My recollection is that his previous coaches expected the same drop in overall team average when his previous team moved up from AAA to Major.
For what it is worth. |
| Hitman |
Posted - 12/16/2010 : 15:43:00
It's an easy decision to make. I would take the AAA player hitting .500 over a major player hitting .250 |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/16/2010 : 08:01:31
Sorry, I guess I should have started a new topic called...remember when?
Not much else to talk about right now. Get this...our baseball team is hosting a hoops tourney fundraiser next week (Monday-Thursday), and we've got 40 teams! Mostly in this age group, and a lot of travel baseball players competing on the hardwood. Sold the darned thing out. And yes, Concessions will be OPEN...whatta yah have...whatta yah have...whatta yah have? Cooperstown here we come! Anyone want to see my 11 year old slam-dunk, come on out to the Dobbs Creek Gym in Cumming (slam hotdogs, and dunk doughnuts)
quote:
Originally posted by Bandit_Hawk
OK, bmoser, you have seriously gone off track with this one !!!! ;)
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| da97076 |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 20:15:12
@bmoser, yes I do remember but I was a yankees fan. I am going to google strat-o-matic. Hampton Bays not too far from where I grew up
@mets I was a Jets,Knicks,Yankees fan. I remeber listening to the Knicks on the radio. My dad took me to a Jets game for my 8th birthday and the only thing that I can remeber is being very cold. |
| biged |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 17:14:07
Any coach Major, aaa, or other wise should be able to identify a good hitter when one is presented. This is why batting averages should be only one of the factors when evaluating a player's hitting ability.
For example, when evaluating the major player that batted .250 a few questions come to mind. 1st. where in the line up does this player hit. Even at the major level a kid hitting in the 8 hole will get a lot better pitches to hit then a player hitting in the 3 hole. 2nd. Is this major team a contender or an average team. The average or below average major teams WILL NOT see the best pitching major level teams have to offer and conversely the better teams will see better pitching. 3rd what was the role of this player (ie move batters into scoring position , 2 hole hitter). These same questions need to be asked about the aaa player who batted 500.
So along with taking into consideration BA a coach should evaluate players by seeing how they hit opp field. Bat speed, power, adjusting to off speed, eye for strike zone and contact. |
| TAZ980002 |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 14:28:40
OK, bmoser, you have seriously gone off track with this one !!!! ;) |
| Mets69 |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 12:23:06
quote:
Originally posted by bmoser
Do you remember watching the miracle Mets? Tommy Agee was my Met's hero, and Brooks Robinson was my Orioles hero.
I grew up in New Hyde Park and was 8 years old at the time the Mets won in 1969. Those were my first real memories of professional sports teams. For those who grew up in the area, it was a magical time for NY teams in general, with the Jets, Mets, and Knicks all winning championships within successive years.
We played alot of stickball down in the schoolyard and I learned to switch-hit by emulating the lineup of the Mets. I also "honed" my ability to hit the ball back up the middle, since anything left or right of middle was an out (we used trees as foul poles).
On the topic of Brooks Robinson ... One of my high-school friends actually got to meet Brooks at a local charity golf-tournament in Maryland a number of years back. From what I understand, my friend couldn't contain his excitement, almost to the point of being a nuisance! Not sure if Brooks found it amusing. |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 09:13:25
I was in Hampton Bays along Shinnecock Bay. Do you remember watching the miracle Mets? Tommy Agee was my Met's hero, and Brooks Robinson was my Orioles hero. The Hampton's are a great place for kids.
Long before video games, there was Strat-O-Matic. Its a baseball simulation game. There's a whole chat forum just for Strat-O-Matic fans. We used our own baseball cards instead of the stat cards the game provides. Google Strat-O-Matic, and read up on it. Or, go to Dan's Strat-O-Matic forum.
quote:
Originally posted by da97076
@bmoser...not sure about the Stat-O-Matic, but I grew up in Westhampton Beach and all we did in the summer was play baseball. I am 48 so about the same time frame
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| Spartan4 |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 22:31:54
I think the kid who was hitting 500 should have more than likely been playing against major talent all along, and he is probably a better athlete than a major teams role player....I agree with just about everyone I think the pitching is much better and much more consistent at the major level.....But not .250 better.....One thing I have really noticed about major teams is the coaching is IMO a little more aggresive and usually more experienced....I also believe the average major player has much better defensive skills, but there are exceptions....I think there are several AAA kids who could/should be playing major..... |
| da97076 |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 20:51:39
@bmoser...not sure about the Stat-O-Matic, but I grew up in Westhampton Beach and all we did in the summer was play baseball. I am 48 so about the same time frame |
| LeftyBat |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 20:03:47
quote:
[
The only reason I bring this up is because I see some teams looking for players only "with Major's level experience", which seems to exclude a whole group of potentially really great ballplayers. I would guess that the top players at the AAA level are likely better than the mid- to low-level players at the Major's level. Any thoughts?
I would lean toward the player with AAA experience and a high batting average. Pitching may be better at the Major level, but not 250 points better....
You are correct in your analysis of excluding really great ballplayers if you stick to "Majors" level experience. Almost all major level players now were AAA players or AA players at some time. Tough part is that it's really hard to judge a player with just a tryout. Takes a lot of work to sort through all the players who want to play at a high level (or their parents want them to...) and figure out which ones belong. I love the concept of using tournaments to evaluate a players parents and a player. There is a difference in accountability and expectations at a major level and over the course of the fall, I saw more parents than kids who could not handle what the coach was dishing out in those areas to his players. |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 19:01:01
I'm taking the AAA .500 hitter, with an asterisk.
*hand speed...gotta see how quick his hands are into the hit area. If he's slow to pull the trigger, or has a long and slow swing, I'll take the .250 hitter.
69Mets, gotta share a story with you. I'm 10 years old and in the Hampton's at my Grandparents beach cottage for Summer vacation and I get the dreaded chicken pox. I was immediately quarantined with the wood-framed black & white TV and voila! 69 World Series is on. I didn't miss a minute of the Orioles-Mets. I knew the O's being from Detroit, but knew nothing about the Mets. Good thing I had my baseball card collection with me. I brought them because I knew the local kids played Strat-O-Matic. Anyway, I started out rooting for the O's, but after game 3, I'm a Mets fan.
The World Series has followed me around since birth. Born in Brooklyn (Dodgers), moved to Detroit (1967-8) then St. Louis (1967-68), then New York 1969, then Atlanta. Lived in Tampa, but was a few year early. Any wonder I'm a baseball freak? any Strat-O-Matic players out there?
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| loveforthegame25 |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 18:38:28
If a kid is hitting 500 at the AAA level in my opinion he has the basic fundamentals and hopefully you can coach him up to hit above 250 at the MAJOR (NO S) level. |
| Gwinnett |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 18:03:23
M, IMO the only difference between a AAA team & Major team is the depth of pitching and no weakness in batting. Meaning Major teams are formed from most kids batting over .500,(from AAA), but throughout the whole batting line up. Major teams usually have 7-8 really good pitchers. This allows the major team to save the super stud pitchers all the way to the ship. Thus getting to the ship more often and winning. A few more ingredients are present for Major like speed, defending the ball, instinct.
So back to your question-- if all things were equal and the kid had all the ingredients I would take the kid batting over .500.
Now the level of play is always another factor because if your a Major team you are probably playing the best competition around thus making your players even better for playing at that level. So I could see taking a player based on having that experience playing Major level.
Usually nothing ends up being equal and when your a coach you have to consider many, many other things like: parents, attitude, technique, coachability, money, time, etc, etc.
I know if you took a group of excellent coachs they will all have a different take on a players ability.
Wow, tougher question than I thought?????
I would still take the kid with the average over .500.....if he's a stud pitcher, stud hitter, super fast, and not one ball gets past him no matter what position he plays.....lol
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| SSBuckeye |
Posted - 12/14/2010 : 17:03:13
I am not the person to trust on the topic of major players, but if a kid can hit .500 against good AAA teams, that kid is a hitter. Not sure what a kid who hits .250 against major teams tells me. Could be that he can't hit a curveball or has a slow bat. I'd go for the .500 bat and wouldn't think twice. But again, I'm not an expert in this area. |
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