Ozzie's thoughts on Brian Anderson

[fathom]

You have no idea about the clubhouse or what he has the chance to lose so why comment on something you have no idea about?

 

I doubt very much that players are telling these "informed posters" anything that they can run and spread around. I have great difficulty beleiving that. I don't care how much confidence you have in someone, that just doesn't get out without reporters and others knowing about it if you tell "informed posters." I haven't heard it from anywhere else, so I am not buying it for a second.

 

When Thome passed by him chewing Garland out? It didn't look like disgust to me. Plus how do you know what they are giving that look of disgust to? Maybe it is at Garland for not being able to hit someone? Possibly. I am just saying you are assuming way too much about things you have no idea about. Neither do I, but I am not speculating one way or another about it.

 

Well, if you're not going to believe that some people actually have "inside" information, then there's no point of even trying to argue with you about this.

[JDsDirtySox]

Who thinks Anderson is the fastest on the team? He might be the most graceful runner on the team, but Ozuna is far and away our fastest player. There are 14 guys in the majors with 30 or more steals right now, and everyone of them is a speedster (except maybe Pods, but that's another story). Every single guy on that list is significantly faster than Anderson. I don't have his career minor league stats, but since when have we projected him to be a 30-40 stolen base guy?

 

 

I don't think its absurd to ask Anderson to learn the art of the stolen base. I would like to think he could be like an Abreu, Beltran, Damon, etc in saying he could get 20-30 steals a year. 30-40 may be a stretch, but I do see what Ozzie is saying here... Not saying I completely agree with it, but I do understand it.

[Kalapse]

Who thinks Anderson is the fastest on the team? He might be the most graceful runner on the team, but Ozuna is far and away our fastest player. There are 14 guys in the majors with 30 or more steals right now, and everyone of them is a speedster (except maybe Pods, but that's another story). Every single guy on that list is significantly faster than Anderson. I don't have his career minor league stats, but since when have we projected him to be a 30-40 stolen base guy?

1.) Ozzie said he thinks Anderson is the fastest guy on the team which frankly is a crock.

 

2.) Anderson had 20 total SBs over 3 years in the minors his minor league high was 10 for Winston Salem he also stole 17 for Arizona in his final year in college. Anderson is more known for being a smart baserunner and a good runner with an excellent first step, he's not particularly fast.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 11:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Who thinks Anderson is the fastest on the team? He might be the most graceful runner on the team, but Ozuna is far and away our fastest player. There are 14 guys in the majors with 30 or more steals right now, and everyone of them is a speedster (except maybe Pods, but that's another story). Every single guy on that list is significantly faster than Anderson. I don't have his career minor league stats, but since when have we projected him to be a 30-40 stolen base guy?

 

 

 

You know this for a fact that Ozuna is the fastest or is this speculation by watching the games? He looks the fastest, but I don't know if this is fact. I never saw them race. I'm just saying.

 

 

 

Ryan Freel is a speedster? Brian Roberts is? Johnny Damon is? Derek Jeter is? Bobby Abreu is? Omar Vizquel is? Really? Those are all speedsters? If so, then ok, but I don't consider any of the speedsters.

Edited September 7, 2006 by southsideirish

[fathom]

1.) Ozzie said he thinks Anderson is the fastest guy on the team which frankly is a crock.

 

Ozuna's speed is to Anderson's speed as Jenks's speed is to Cotts speed

 

I'll have to remember that he said Anderson is the fastest guy. It assures me that Ozzie is watching a different game than all of us.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 11:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1.) Ozzie said he thinks Anderson is the fastest guy on the team which frankly is a crock.

 

2.) Anderson had 20 total SBs over 3 years in the minors his minor league high was 10 for Winston Salem he also stole 17 for Arizona in his final year in college. Anderson is more known for being a smart baserunner and a good runner with an excellent first step, he's not particularly fast.

 

 

 

A smart baserunner with an excellent first step can definitely be taught to steal 30-40 bases in the major leagues. More so than a purely speedy guy.

[fathom]

You know this for a fact that Ozuna is the fastest or is this speculation by watching the games? He looks the fastest, but I don't know if this is fact. I never saw them race. I'm just saying.

Ryan Freel is a speedster? Brian Roberts is? Johnny Damon is? Derek Jeter is? Bobby Abreu is? Omar Vizquel is? Really? Those are all speedsters? If so, then ok, but I don't consider any of the speedsters.

 

It's easy to tell....this isn't rocket science. And yes, I consider Freel and Brian Roberts to be speedsters. Look at Anderson's career stats that were just posted. 30-40 stats just isn't realistic. That's like saying Sweeney will hopefully become a 35-40 homer hitter. Anderson's calling card in the majors should be his great CF defense. I think it would be great to have a cheap, great defensive option patrolling CF at the Cell for years to come.

 

A smart baserunner with an excellent first step can definitely be taught to steal 30-40 bases in the major leagues. More so than a purely speedy guy.

 

I'd much rather Anderson focus on becoming a better hitter at the plate instead of becoming a stolen base threat.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ozuna's speed is to Anderson's speed as Jenks's speed is to Cotts speed

 

I'll have to remember that he said Anderson is the fastest guy. It assures me that Ozzie is watching a different game than all of us.

 

 

 

Really? I bet it is closer than you think.

[fathom]

Really? I bet it is closer than you think.

 

I've seen plenty of grounders that Anderson hits in the hole where he still gets thrown out. Ozuna gets down the line much faster than anyone else on our team.

[SoxAce]

I'll say this. Brian Anderson comming out of college was projected to be a 4-5 tool player. Stealing bases was his biggest flaw. IMO, he has a better chance to be a 20-20 guy, or a guy who hits 25-30+ homers than to steal 30-40+ bases. I say he can peak at a 30-30 but IMO, he will probably be a 25-25 guy which I'll take anyday.

[Kalapse]

Really? I bet it is closer than you think.

If the scouting reports I've read on both of them are any indication then no, it's not really close at all. Not to mention the visual evidence which points in Ozuna's favor.

[JDsDirtySox]

It's easy to tell....this isn't rocket science. And yes, I consider Freel and Brian Roberts to be speedsters. Look at Anderson's career stats that were just posted. 30-40 stats just isn't realistic. That's like saying Sweeney will hopefully become a 35-40 homer hitter. Anderson's calling card in the majors should be his great CF defense. I think it would be great to have a cheap, great defensive option patrolling CF at the Cell for years to come.

I'd much rather Anderson focus on becoming a better hitter at the plate instead of becoming a stolen base threat.

 

I completely disagree. A players game can drastically change over the years. Heck we are talking about two young twenties players. I won't be surprised at all to see Ryan Sweeney develop a power stroke.

Edited September 7, 2006 by JDsDirtySox

[fathom]

The question I have is this: since when have we developed a speedster? If anything, players come to the Sox, and their baserunning gets worse. I'm not an advocate of it, but you can see the writing on the wall for the Sox to go after Pierre this offseason. Personally, I'd rather see the Sox try and get J. Rollins instead.

[SoxAce]

 

Sorry, but you cant teach speed.

 

Give me a guy with blazing speed that isnt dense a rock over a guy with decent speed but a great first step. A guy like Christian Guzman had unbelievable speed, but I believe either he was too stubborn to even learn how to really steal bases, or he was just flat out lazy.

 

You can add Luis Castillo to that list and many others. I'm just dissapoitned by him cause dude seriously underacheived as a baserunner. He should be stealing 40-50+ every year.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 11:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sorry, but you cant teach speed.

 

Give me a guy with blazing speed that isnt dense a rock over a guy with decent speed but a great first step. A guy like Christian Guzman had unbelievable speed, but I believe either he was too stubborn to even learn how to really steal bases, or he was just flat out lazy.

 

 

 

Willie Harris? How did he work out with stolen bases? How is Gathright? He looks awful stealing bases.

 

 

 

Where did I say you can teach speed? You can't teach speed, but you can get faster. BA is not slow, that is for sure.

[fathom]

I completely disagree. A players game can drastically change over the years. Heck we are talking about two young twenties players. I won't be surprised at all to see Ryan Sweeney develop a power stroke.

 

Yeah, I expect he'll hit more homers than he did in the minors. However, I don't think he'll become this monster power hitter all of a sudden. Especially in the post-2004 era, 35 or 40 homers isn't as frequent as it used to be. I expect Sweeney to be more of a spray hitter like Casey...and hopefully not a slap hitter like S. Burroughs.

[Rowand44]

You can add Luis Castillo to that list and many others. I'm just dissapoitned by him cause dude seriously underacheived as a baserunner. He should be stealing 40-50+ every year.

Injuries have slowed Castillo down. He definitely used to be a stolen base threat.

[fathom]

His OBP scares me...

 

Sure...but he'd be such an overall upgrade over Uribe offensively, and it would be at one of the few positions where we can legitimately upgrade our speed over the offseason. When you think about who we have coming back, only LF and SS seem like logical places we could try and improve.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 6, 2006 -> 11:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've seen plenty of grounders that Anderson hits in the hole where he still gets thrown out. Ozuna gets down the line much faster than anyone else on our team.

 

 

 

uh oh - maybe it is effort?

 

 

 

Ozuna also seems like he tries harder than anyone else on this team. I am not saying it is true, I am just saying that is what it seems like.

[fathom]

Injuries have slowed Castillo down. He definitely used to be a stolen base threat.

 

Injuries and the buffet table

[JDsDirtySox]

Yeah, I expect he'll hit more homers than he did in the minors. However, I don't think he'll become this monster power hitter all of a sudden. Especially in the post-2004 era, 35 or 40 homers isn't as frequent as it used to be. I expect Sweeney to be more of a spray hitter like Casey...and hopefully not a slap hitter like S. Burroughs.

 

 

I would love to seem him be a Grady Sizemore like hitter. I know he doesn't have Sizemore's speed, but I think his plate discipline could be very comparable.

[fathom]

I would love to seem him be a Grady Sizemore like hitter. I know he doesn't have Sizemore's speed, but I think his plate discipline could be very comparable.

 

That would be great, but it would obviously take some improved bat speed. In my opinion, Sizemore is a future HOF.

[Rowand44]

I would love to seem him be a Grady Sizemore like hitter. I know he doesn't have Sizemore's speed, but I think his plate discipline could be very comparable.

Eh, not happening. Grady Sizemore is just a special player.

[SoxAce]

Injuries and the buffet table

 

That's the main thing. He has a horrible work ethic as far as baserunning. His D isn't too shabby though. He could still steal 25-30 though.

[Kalapse]

uh oh - maybe it is effort?

 

 

 

Ozuna also seems like he tries harder than anyone else on this team. I am not saying it is true, I am just saying that is what it seems like.

No, no it's really not effort. Anderson busts it down the line just as hard as Ozuna, yet Ozuna makes it down much faster, he just has more pure speed than Anderson it's pretty appearant if you watch either attempt to run 90 feet at full speed who the faster of the 2 is.