The collected thoughts of sportswriter, bookworm, & food critic Keith Law
I AM WRITING THIS FROM MY BLACKBERRY!
Some notes/errata from today’s chat…
•I wrote a doubly misleading comment on Antonelli. One, he played 3b at Wake Forest – I confirmed this with his agent. Two, more importantly, I implied that I had seen him at Wake. I did not – I have never seen him swing a metal bat, and only saw him on the Cape as an amateur.
•more to come as I think of things…
[…] This first one’s not related to the Cardinal organization directly but I think a) it’s something to keep in mind when reading comments from the Cardinal staff and b) it’s something some people in the organization still need to learn. Over at his blog, Keith Law said: I worked in a front office; when I was asked on the record about any of our prospects, I raved about them. You don’t denigrate your own players in the press, not even a tiny bit. […]
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Hey Keith,
Carlos Triunfel ranks 18th on your current Top 100 and in the ESPN chat you mentioned possibility of him ascending into the top 10 next year. Considering this, would it be rather daft of the Mariners to cave and package him with Adam Jones for Erik Bedard?
Keith,
Both you and Kevin Goldstein ranked Snider as the 7th best prospect in baseball. Can you perhaps shed some light on what his upside is? Perhaps a major league comparable?
Thanks.
I have a question on Nomar. What happened to him? Was he ever as good as Bostonians thought? He used to be my favorite player and after watching him here and there recently, I’m wondering what I was smoking. I’m assuming the combination of approach and injury has led to his demise? I’d appreciate your 2 cents, Keith.
Thanks,
Q
Keith,
You discussed purchasing fish on your chat today. I love seafood, but I’m clueless as far as home prep. Any recommendations for good cooking/technique books geared towards seafood prep? thanks
ARE YOU GOING TO BECOME LIKE ANOTHER ESPN “PERSONALITY” AND POST EVERYTHING FROM YOUR BLACKBERRY? IT SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED OUT WELL FOR HIM. IF THAT’S THE CASE, YOU SHOULD ALSO ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE AND ALSO HAVE A PENCHANT FOR CHEEZ DOODLES.
Also, in case some people didn’t get this, the capital letters were on purpose.
Never thought I’d see the day where Keith Law gets compared to Stephen A. Smith, but there’s a first for everything. Nice Deadspin ref, Tom.
Thanks for the update Keith. Even though some people on ESPN are idiots and claim you have a bias against (insert team here), most of us appreciate your honest opinions and information.
Keith,
You posted “RDF” (I think that was it) as a response to someone who didn’t like “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” and who specifically made fun of the accent with which the people spoke in the book. I assume that’s an acronym, but I don’t know what it means. I also assume it’s obscene, insulting, or both, and that you abbreviated it to get past the evil espn editors. Care to elaborate?
Hey Keith,
So I’m kind of confused because I find myself unable to see your side of a particular position. Giving you credit for being smarter, more informed and rational than your average chat member, I find myself puzzled by your assertion that brad Penny is a better pitcher than Aaron Harang. I’m not trying to trap you or anything. I’m just genuinely curious how someone such as yourself who views K’s as the single most important indicator of a pitcher’s control over a game, can you say a guy with 137 k’s in over 208 ip with a k/bb ratio of under 2:1 is CLEARLY a better #1 than a guy with a 4:1 k/bb ratio (218 k’s in 237ip). Additionally while Penny’s era was 3.01 last year it was over 4.00 last year and 3.90 the year before, whereas as Harang’s numbers are very near identical the last 3 years (3.70ish). I know I am at least missing SOMETHING as ERA+ heavily favors favors Penny, I just don’t see what it is I’ve missed.
Grant: RDF means really damn funny.
Keith, I also assume that you have Dakotan (both North and South) and Montanian (Montanan? Montananian? One of those, anyway.) biases, because you NEVER mention anything about them. Please explain yourself.
I don’t think the guy who posted as Tea-Cake was making fun of the book – he was being clever.
I think a healthy Brad Penny is significantly better than Harang. ERA+ favors Penny, but Harang also has the benefit of playing in an extremely weak and impatient division.
No idea what happened to Nomar, other than injuries. And no, I’m not speculating on that.
Snider’s an offensive RF who plays adequate defense and will hit in the middle of the order, maybe 3rd, with average and power.
I’m OK with the M’s trading Triunfel, who’s several years away, but not Jones, who will make them a better club in 2008.
ADG, I’ll have a fish recipe up shortly.
Bill (San Diego, CA): If you have seen Antonelli live more times than anyone else, you should probably know he never played a game in the minors at shortstop. Oops.
SportsNation Keith Law: He played shortstop on the Cape when I first scouted him. Facts/way/story.
So Keith, did you change this response in your chat wrap? I seem to remember something about seeing him in college in your response…
Keith:
I was just looking at your top 100 on Espn and got confused reading about Sean Gallagher. You said he has good control but poor command. What is the difference between control and command in scoutspeak? i thought they were one in the same. Sorry i couldn’t wait until you next ESPN chat to talk about this.
Keith,
You forgot to mention you wrote a third misleading comment on Antonelli – the Padres moved him from third, not shortstop, to second base.
Additionally it wasn’t because he couldn’t handle the position defensively, they had Headley there already and believed Antonelli could play second.
Also he’s not as bad a second baseman as you allege.
Yes, I edited the chat transcript. No sense letting the mistake stand.
John, Antonelli was moved off 3b because he wasn’t going to hit enough to play there every day. And I think you need to bring some more evidence to your argument about his defense at 2b. His actions are a mess, especially in his feet. He’s athletic and can run, but footwork at a middle infield position is about quick reaction times, and he doesn’t have that. The Padres seem to at least agree in part, having worked Antonelli out in CF in the fall.
Hey Todd, I’m not Keith or a scout, but I think the simple explanation is
Control = ability to throw strikes
Command = ability to locate the ball within the strikezone
Tom,
It is Montanan. I’m sure Keith doesn’t have a bias against us, we just don’t produce good ballplayers. Taylor Tankersley and Jeff Ballard aside. 😉
Keith,
Thanks for responding to my message, and by the way I do enjoy your chats and don’t feel that you are “biased” against the Padres.
From the stories that I have read Antonelli was moved off of 3b because the Padres thought he could really play at several positions, and they had depth at third already. Additionally from whom I’ve spoken with the team didn’t appear disatisfied with his progress.
(I write for Madfriars.com, a website that covers the Padres’ minor leagues).
In fact Grady Fuson stated that in an interview with Madfriars.com before the season.
MF:Not only are you shifting Antonelli from third to second but you also are trying to move him into a different role offensively as a leadoff hitter. How has that been working out?
Grady Fuson: It’s been going great. Matt has tremendous pitch recognition and knows the strike zone. When we drafted him I said I don’t really know where he would end up, he’s a great athlete and can probably play every position on the field. This year he will primarily be at second, but could also see some time at third and maybe even a little shortstop. I don’t doubt his power, it’s not that I think he’s going to hit 25 to 30 home runs, but I see his power similar to Josh Barfield. He looks great like he’s put on about 10 pounds this year.
http://padres.scout.com/2/632960.html
Randy Ready, who was his manager in San Antonio, also commented on his progress.
MF: Last winter a few pundits, not us, but writers such as ESPN.com’s Keith Law kind of implied that he was a semi-bust, projected as a utility man in the majors at best.
Randy Ready: A bust? You have to understand that there are tough assignments when you sign a contract to play pro ball. One of them is your first year of pro ball. It’s kind of a wash, the playing field levels out. Then you have your first full season where you get a better idea of what someone can do. This guy is pretty green in the pro ranks. You have to give props to the pro scouts who signed him and made him our number one pick, because now everyone is standing back and saying, “I told you so.” But that is part of the business that we are in. This kid has made great progress, has aptitude, and, most importantly, wants to be a good player. Really wants to be a better than good player.
MF:Fuson was raving about his athletic ability before the year. He said that he probably could make it at three or four positions.
Randy Ready: Absolutely, I agree with that. I hope it doesn’t become an occupational hazard for him and want to see him settle down at one position where defense can become a big part of his game.
http://padres.scout.com/2/695688.html
I don’t believe Antonelli is ready right now to play 2b in the major leagues, but it doesn’t seem like the team has a desire to move him either.
In an audio interview on the XX Sports Radio, the flagship station of the Padres, Sandy Alderson stated the team is still very happy with Antonelli and plans to play him at second.
The CF move was in case Iguchi has a spectacular year, but the fact the Padres only offered him a one-year deal should be an indication that they plan to have Antonelli as their regular 2b in 2009.
Sorry about the length of the message. If you want we also have interviews with Antonelli on why his power increased this year.
If you would like to read the entire stories in full, shoot me an email – its a pay site.
Thanks again,
john
Two people in the Padres’ organization said wonderful things about one of their players? Grady Fuson said wonderful things about a player he himself drafted?
I don’t understand why I should take any of that even a little bit seriously. I worked in a front office; when I was asked on the record about any of our prospects, I raved about them. You don’t denigrate your own players in the press, not even a tiny bit.
Well Fuson is the Vice-President of Scouting and Player Development, the top person on the minor league side, and Ready was his manager in San Antonio and played 13 years in the majors – a majority at second base. So I think that is a little more than one of the interns saying that they thought he could play.
The reality is anyone who has seen him play second this year over long periods of time in Lake Elsinore or San Antonio usually says about the same thing – he’s very athletic and has improved every month that he has been playing second.
There hasn’t been any indication that he can’t handle second or won’t eventually be the Padres everyday second baseman, just not next year. I don’t think anyone doubts he needs to improve at second, but so far you are the only one who seems to state that the ability isn’t there.
Also, the Padres will say somewhat negative things, couched in “this is what he needs to improve on” as Fuson said in the very next question on Bush in the same article.
MF: Matt Bush was one of the better defensive players in the Midwest League in 2005, but offensively he was never sure of what type of player he was. How has his bat looked this year compared to years past?
Grady Fuson: He does have a great arm, maybe one of the best arms in the minor leagues, but he has a lot of work to do with his hands and feet defensively.
John you are spot on ..
Kevin Towers wanted to hand the 2B job to Antonelli this spring, and the scouting department talked him out of it.
Antonelli was given a look at CF this winter simply because he was a need and an option. Headley got a look there also, and I don’t see anybody calling him a bust ..
alos, Tadahito Iguchi was only signed for a year, no options. From a team that lives and dies by the option .. because ..
Antonelli is penciled in at 2B in 2009.
sheesh ..
San Diego never gets any respect.
If it wasn’t for Chris Bermans love of the powder blue, I doubt anybody at ESPN could even locate SD on a map.
20 bucks say half of them point to Cabo.
alos, Tadahito Iguchi was only signed for a year, no options. From a team that lives and dies by the option .. because ..
Antonelli is penciled in at 2B in 2009.
No.
Iguchi is under control to San Diego through 2010. He doesn’t have the service time to reach free agency until after that season, and does not have a no-arb clause as he did in his last contract with the White Sox. The Padres did not need an option.
And by the way, I’ve driven into San Diego twice in the last 16 months and will be there again in late February, so I’m pretty sure I could locate it on a map. What an inane comment to make.
Keith,
He is under control by the Padres until 2010, but San Diego isn’t obligated too keep him past this year.
Antonelli will be the everyday second baseman in Portland this year and in San Diego in 2009.
Also I think you underated Cedric Hunter, who should have a much better year in Lake Elsinore this year.
I’m still curious why you rated Kyle Blanks so highly. I like him too, but in the Top 10 – not as the #2 overall prospect.
Keith,
There is no record of your 1/31 chat on ESPN.com in your archive. Do you know if there is a reason for this, or somewhere it can be found?