Gordon Beckham Ranked #36 Prospect

[RockRaines]

So he's overweight? He's 19 years old for god's sake. Give him a year or two with a professional training staff, a personal chef, and the pride of being a cuban MLB player and I think he'll be a bronze titan soon enough. Most non-track athletes (football players, baseball players, basketball big men) are a bit soft in their late teens. I see no worry here.

He's been called overweight by people who have never seen him play in person and only have gritty youtube videos to grade out on. We dont even know anything true outside of what Cubano tells us. He gets signed by the Red Sox and he's a power hitter growing into his body who will challenge A-rod for superiority at the hot corner offensively.

[fathom]

He's been called overweight by people who have never seen him play in person and only have gritty youtube videos to grade out on. We dont even know anything true outside of what Cubano tells us. He gets signed by the Red Sox and he's a power hitter growing into his body who will challenge A-rod for superiority at the hot corner offensively.

 

It's like how people b**** about Miguel Cabrera getting so heavy. Who the f*** cares, as long as they hit, they can be as fast as they want. These players will get their ass in shape when they have the chance to sign a 8 yr contract.

[Steve9347]

It's like how people b**** about Miguel Cabrera getting so heavy. Who the f*** cares, as long as they hit, they can be as fast as they want. These players will get their ass in shape when they have the chance to sign a 8 yr contract.

Exactly. If he produces, who cares?

[rangercal]

You seedy bastard.

 

well I have an Insider subscription at the moment. But I had to do something during my college years when the curiosity of unknown sports rumors drove me nuts.

[RockRaines]

FYI.

 

Jim Callis who I think is better than Law at ranking prospects, put Becks #23 on his personal list.

 

He also said in his chat that Viciedo could be an All-Star, he prefers Alexei over Aviles and thinks Fukudome is garbage.

Edited January 29, 2009 by RockRaines

[ptatc]

It's like how people b**** about Miguel Cabrera getting so heavy. Who the f*** cares, as long as they hit, they can be as fast as they want. These players will get their ass in shape when they have the chance to sign a 8 yr contract.

 

I would care if I was giving them a long term deal. Injury factor increases. It also shows a lack of discipline. If they are hitting people would look the other way.

 

However you can't deny that he would be a more effective player with less weight. Just ask Sosa or Juan Gonzalez who were effective CFer's early in their career and lost their athletcsim later and they weren't even fat. Ask Manny how effective of an outfielder he is.

[Balta1701]

I would care if I was giving them a long term deal. Injury factor increases. It also shows a lack of discipline. If they are hitting people would look the other way.

 

However you can't deny that he would be a more effective player with less weight. Just ask Sosa or Juan Gonzalez who were effective CFer's early in their career and lost their athletcsim later and they weren't even fat. Ask Manny how effective of an outfielder he is.

Um, i'm not sure either of those guys would be the best examples. They may have had other reasons to um, lose their athleticism in favor of additional muscle growth.

[ptatc]

Um, i'm not sure either of those guys would be the best examples. They may have had other reasons to um, lose their athleticism in favor of additional muscle growth.

 

Yes, it was the PEDs. However why did they lose their effectiveness as CFers if the PEDs was supposed to improve performance?

 

They used it to add muscles mass and thus weight. While they were stronger not fatter , they weight gain still decreased their effectiveness to play an aspect of the game, ie defense and probably mobility on the base paths.

 

The point being increased weight whther it's fat or not will decrease your performance in some aspects of the game.

 

So, you cares how heavy they are?...the teams should. But as someone said earlier if they are hitting teams will look the other way regardless of how it effects other aspects of the game.

[sircaffey]

I would care if I was giving them a long term deal. Injury factor increases. It also shows a lack of discipline. If they are hitting people would look the other way.

 

However you can't deny that he would be a more effective player with less weight. Just ask Sosa or Juan Gonzalez who were effective CFer's early in their career and lost their athletcsim later and they weren't even fat. Ask Manny how effective of an outfielder he is.

 

You take that weight off of Sammy or Juan and they are not nearly the same type of hitters. Sammy came up a skinny ~175 lbs. Some players need the added weight to become the best player that they can be. Both of them were much more effective with that weight.

Edited January 29, 2009 by sircaffey

[southsider2k5]

It's like how people b**** about Miguel Cabrera getting so heavy. Who the f*** cares, as long as they hit, they can be as fast as they want. These players will get their ass in shape when they have the chance to sign a 8 yr contract.

 

I seem to remember one Albert Pujols slipping to the later rounds of the draft because of his weight as well. If a guy is a hitter, he is a hitter.

[ptatc]

You take that weight off of Sammy or Juan and they are not nearly the same type of hitters. Sammy came up a skinny ~175 lbs. Some players need the added weight to become the best player that they can be. Both of them were much more effective with that weight.

 

Were they more effective? They were more effective HR hitters but were they really more effective as overall players?

 

Since the gained the weight and never lost it it's hard to tell. But is the increase in HR more effective than what is lost.

 

In the case of Cabrera. Would he be more effective if he lost the weight and could still play 3B or the OF as opposed to being at 1B? His hitting may change some but is that change enough with the position change?

 

Interesting question.

 

[BaseballNick]

Were they more effective? They were more effective HR hitters but were they really more effective as overall players?

 

The biggest paychecks generally go to the guys who hit HRs, so clearly they saw value in getting bigger and becoming more one dimensional.

[sircaffey]

Were they more effective? They were more effective HR hitters but were they really more effective as overall players?

 

Since the gained the weight and never lost it it's hard to tell. But is the increase in HR more effective than what is lost.

 

In the case of Cabrera. Would he be more effective if he lost the weight and could still play 3B or the OF as opposed to being at 1B? His hitting may change some but is that change enough with the position change?

 

Interesting question.

 

It's just not the same weight. There's good weight gain, lean muscle. And bad weight gain, fat. Sammy gained nearly all lean muscle. There's concern over Miguel because his gain is fat. Sammy probably never played above 10-11% body fat. Miguel is sitting in the 15-17% range. Meaning, he's carrying roughly an additional 15 lbs of fat. It's useless to Miguel for the most part, and negatively effects his mobility.

 

Bigger does not always mean slower. 15 lbs of muscle does not necessarily negatively effect your mobility if your frame can hold it. When Sammy came up, he was so scrawny that his frame could take an additional 15 lbs of muscle without losing much in terms of mobility (he obviously went more than that though).

[Paint it Black]

It's like how people b**** about Miguel Cabrera getting so heavy. Who the f*** cares, as long as they hit, they can be as fast as they want. These players will get their ass in shape when they have the chance to sign a 8 yr contract.

Yeah, cause getting paid and fat worked out for Mo Vaughn so well

[ptatc]

It's just not the same weight. There's good weight gain, lean muscle. And bad weight gain, fat. Sammy gained nearly all lean muscle. There's concern over Miguel because his gain is fat. Sammy probably never played above 10-11% body fat. Miguel is sitting in the 15-17% range. Meaning, he's carrying roughly an additional 15 lbs of fat. It's useless to Miguel for the most part, and negatively effects his mobility.

 

Bigger does not always mean slower. 15 lbs of muscle does not necessarily negatively effect your mobility if your frame can hold it. When Sammy came up, he was so scrawny that his frame could take an additional 15 lbs of muscle without losing much in terms of mobility (he obviously went more than that though).

 

no it's not the same weight. But increased weight does generally mean a decrease in mobility. On a scrawny guy to a matured guy, the weight is probably good. But once you've hit the early twenties any extra weight will impair the speed and mobility

 

[caulfield12]

Well, players like Tony Gwynn, John Kruk and David Ortiz have had pretty "decent" careers (to say the least for 2 of them) at least less ideal body weights....same with Manny Ramirez.

[Balta1701]

Well, players like Tony Gwynn, John Kruk and David Ortiz have had pretty "decent" careers (to say the least for 2 of them) at least less ideal body weights....same with Manny Ramirez.

Manny Ramirez? I'm sorry, but that man isn't, at least in most of his years, what I'd consider to be a fat man. He's just built.

[sircaffey]

Well, players like Tony Gwynn, John Kruk and David Ortiz have had pretty "decent" careers (to say the least for 2 of them) at least less ideal body weights....same with Manny Ramirez.

Kruk? He crapped out at age 34. Cecil Fielder only lasted to age 34 as well. Prince probably won't even last that long as he's much fatter than his father. Longevity isn't a fat man's friend.

[4 points]

Yea I really think people are sleeping on Viciedo hard core. From the amount of money he got (and the interest from teams like the Yankees) I would think he would have been a top #10 pick in this year's draft.

 

So he's overweight? He's 19 years old for god's sake. Give him a year or two with a professional training staff, a personal chef, and the pride of being a cuban MLB player and I think he'll be a bronze titan soon enough. Most non-track athletes (football players, baseball players, basketball big men) are a bit soft in their late teens. I see no worry here.

 

Plus the Sox are expecting him to compete for a starting 3B spot as a 19 year old! That speaks to the lack of any real options in the org, but it also speaks to how advanced Danny is for his age.

boy that koolaid must taste good.