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Beckham Huzzaaaah!


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1st Round Selection  

103 members have voted

  1. 1. How do you feel about the White Sox's selecting of Gordon Beckham #8 overall?

    • Approve
      83
    • Disapprove
      9
    • Not Sure
      11


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QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:46 PM)
From what I have read, he is a serviceable SS, but nothing special.

Well, a team could stick him at SS like the Rangers do with Michael Young, but they are both 2B and not SS.

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QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:46 PM)
After looking at Beckham and Smoak's Junior year stats, its hard to really pass on Beckham.

 

http://secsports.com/new/sports/bbc/08stats/lgplyrs.htm

 

Bekham has a higher average, higher slugging, identical obp and plays a more premium defensive position.

You gotta take college stats with a grain of salt. Beckham might have had close to identical stats, but there is no doubt that Smoak is the better hitter of the two.

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Well Beckham also showed the most power in the Cape Cod league of any middle infielder since Longoria according to one publication I read.

 

Ive never seen either of them play, but they both play in the same conference and put up very close stats. One of them plays middle infield, the other plays 1b. Id rather have the middle infielder unless the 1b just blows him out of the water in terms of hitting ability.

 

Here is that article about the cape cod league:

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6429

 

The talk of the league in the first two weeks was Yarmouth-Dennis shortstop Gordon Beckham, who in his first two seasons at Georgia has hit 25 home runs. Beckham has not slowed down with wood, and while he ultimately might move to third base, his nine extra-base hits in 61 at-bats are the best power display for a middle infielder in the league since Evan Longoria. Joining Beckham at the top of the power totem pole has been Miami's Dennis Raben, an athletic outfielder teamed up with Brandon Crawford for Orleans. Raben clubs right-handed pitchers from the left side, showing power potential that rivals that of anyone else in the league. Raben strikes out a lot, but the good news is that he hasn't had a drop-off with wood bats, hitting .288/.381/.635 compared to .280/.378/.514 in his sophomore season with the Hurricanes.
Edited by Soxbadger
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QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:48 PM)
You gotta take college stats with a grain of salt. Beckham might have had close to identical stats, but there is no doubt that Smoak is the better hitter of the two.

Based on your own opinion and only your own. You've been hugging Smoak's junk for months now.

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QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:50 PM)
Based on your own opinion and only your own. You've been hugging Smoak's junk for months now.

And so have many other people. I have seen both, I have compared both, and Smoak is the much better natural hitter and the ball jumps off his bat much more. Beckham has more of a mechanical type of swing and the ball doesn't jump off his bat like Smoak's.

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:29 PM)
With Smoak still on the board, I disapprove. I like Beckham, but he isn't that game-changing prospect we need, like Smoak is. Beckham is that scrappy type of player who will undoubtedly be a 2B in the future. While that's not bad, I expect better at 8. If Smoak was gone, fine, but Smoak should have been the pick.

 

In the future, I see Beckham as a good fielding 2B who will pretty much be a Michael Young type hitter except with more pop and less average.

Gordon Beckham actually had better offensive numbers in almost every category than Smoak did in 2008. Check it...

 

Beckham: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, .781 SLG, .505 OBP

 

Smoak: .383 BA, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 63 R, .757 SLG, .505 OBP

 

And Beckham is a far better overall athlete, able to play multiple positions, probably.

 

So tell me again how it is that Smoak is so much more game-changing than Beckham?

 

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 03:52 PM)
And so have many other people. I have seen both, I have compared both, and Smoak is the much better natural hitter and the ball jumps off his bat much more. Beckham has more of a mechanical type of swing and the ball doesn't jump off his bat like Smoak's.

You know who has a mechanical type of swing? Ken Griffey Jr... so how's that bad?

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:54 PM)
Gordon Beckham actually had better offensive numbers in almost every category than Smoak did in 2008. Check it...

 

Beckham: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, .781 SLG, .505 OBP

 

Smoak: .383 BA, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 63 R, .757 SLG, .505 OBP

 

And Beckham is a far better overall athlete, able to play multiple positions, probably.

 

So tell me again how it is that Smoak is so much more game-changing than Beckham?

Because BearSox says so! He needs not fact nor statistic to back his claim. Just hatred of life itself!

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QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:01 PM)
Because BearSox says so! He needs not fact nor statistic to back his claim. Just hatred of life itself!

 

 

I dont know if I would go that far. He is just very convinced that when he sees it and believes is, it must be true

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 01:54 PM)
Gordon Beckham actually had better offensive numbers in almost every category than Smoak did in 2008. Check it...

 

Beckham: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, .781 SLG, .505 OBP

 

Smoak: .383 BA, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 63 R, .757 SLG, .505 OBP

 

And Beckham is a far better overall athlete, able to play multiple positions, probably.

 

So tell me again how it is that Smoak is so much more game-changing than Beckham?

Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Beckham is the better athlete and the more hard-nosed player. From the video I have seen and the games I have watched, Smoak is the much better natural and pure hitter. The ball flies off of his bat. His power easily translates to the pro game. Plus, he has 40+ homerun power from both sides of the plate.

 

However, Beckham's power most likely won't translate to the bigs. He might have a couple 20+ homer season, but I see him sticking in the 15-20 range. His swing has more flaws in it, and I absolutely hate his high leg kick when he swings.

 

This is not to say Beckham is a bad hitter, as he is good. All I am saying is that Smoak is the better hitter overall, and is that impact bat we have lacked in our farm system for so long. Beckham is the better athlete and provides more speed and such. Beckham wasn't a bad pick, but I would have prefered Smoak.

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 03:02 PM)
Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Beckham is the better athlete and the more hard-nosed player. From the video I have seen and the games I have watched, Smoak is the much better natural and pure hitter. The ball flies off of his bat. His power easily translates to the pro game. Plus, he has 40+ homerun power from both sides of the plate.

 

However, Beckham's power most likely won't translate to the bigs. He might have a couple 20+ homer season, but I see him sticking in the 15-20 range. His swing has more flaws in it, and I absolutely hate his high leg kick when he swings.

 

This is not to say Beckham is a bad hitter, as he is good. All I am saying is that Smoak is the better hitter overall, and is that impact bat we have lacked in our farm system for so long. Beckham is the better athlete and provides more speed and such. Beckham wasn't a bad pick, but I would have prefered Smoak.

Ok, that's an acceptable and well built response. However, Smoak fell to 11 for a reason...

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QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 01:58 PM)
You know who has a mechanical type of swing? Ken Griffey Jr... so how's that bad?

Did I ever say it is bad? No. The majority of hitters in baseball have manufactored swings. Even Smoak's swing has been manufactored some. However, some have more mechanical swings than others.

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Huzzah indeed!

 

A premium prospect at a premium position.

You can always get 1bs later in the draft. This was a glaring hole...scratch that, all positions in our minors are glaring holes needed to be filled. Smoak will get his but Beckham will be perfect in a Sox uni.

 

:gosox3:

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 08:29 PM)
Beckham is that scrappy type of player who will undoubtedly be a 2B in the future.

 

Undoubtedly, huh? So you know something that guys like Keith Law (among others) don't?

 

By the way... this isn't to say that I think he'll stay at SS. My point is that you don't know, and painting it as you did -- "undoubtedly" -- is pretty absurd/comical. There are questions whether he'll stay at SS, but I haven't read anywhere that it's a foregone conclusion that he won't be there.

Edited by CWSGuy406
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ive seen them both play between 5-10 times each....i preferred smoak, because i thought he would be more projectable...big, nice major league body with great pop and a natural hitting stroke....bat was like an extension of his hands....beckham i thought was one of those guys who got the most out of his ability at the college level, so i was a bit more skeptical how that would project to the pro ball...plus hes pretty small (especially since when i saw him most he was a freshman) but he could also really hit .....couldnt really go wrong with either, but i thought smoak has 40 HR power and beckham may ultimately be a 2b, so i thought smoak was the better option....

 

that said my buddy who works for the vandy baseball team told me he thinks beckham will be better than smoak so who knows

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QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:02 PM)
Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Beckham is the better athlete and the more hard-nosed player. From the video I have seen and the games I have watched, Smoak is the much better natural and pure hitter. The ball flies off of his bat. His power easily translates to the pro game. Plus, he has 40+ homerun power from both sides of the plate.

 

However, Beckham's power most likely won't translate to the bigs. He might have a couple 20+ homer season, but I see him sticking in the 15-20 range. His swing has more flaws in it, and I absolutely hate his high leg kick when he swings.

 

This is not to say Beckham is a bad hitter, as he is good. All I am saying is that Smoak is the better hitter overall, and is that impact bat we have lacked in our farm system for so long. Beckham is the better athlete and provides more speed and such. Beckham wasn't a bad pick, but I would have prefered Smoak.

 

I would like to know your baseball experience, if you dont mind i dont know how you can make these predictions. How can you saw beckham's power wont translate to the bigs and smoaks will. Ya know there was a guy in our system with a natural swing. His name was joe borchard and he good sir is a bum.

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