Do Bloggers Belong in the Press Box?
Mon, Aug 4, 2008
by Geoff Young
I’ve hesitated to run this because I find the whole “bloggers talking about bloggers” thing a bit esoteric, but people keep asking me my opinion, so here goes nothing…
A while back, when I had the opportunity to chat with Padres CEO Sandy Alderson, he mentioned that he wouldn’t be against bringing bloggers into the press box. I learned via the Superfans message board that the Big Lead had some thoughts about this, so I gave my take. What follows is a cleaned-up version of those two posts.
Do I want to see bloggers in the press box? Well, if a particular blogger has demonstrated a certain level of professionalism and integrity with respect to their craft, then why not?
Do I want to be in the press box? Probably not, at least not in any capacity beyond adding it to my list of life experiences.
My work typically involves analyzing situations from a distance and trying to think along with the folks in charge, which doesn’t require the acquisition of choice quotes or other inside information. I’m also a fan who writes about baseball, and I like to cheer at ballgames. Being forced not to cheer would kill me.
I’m not one to say “never,” but press box access isn’t something I’ve actively sought. It’s been offered to me through various channels in the past and I’ve declined because I feel better positioned to serve my readers by remaining on the outside.
Getting back to the original question, I think it’s largely a non-issue. The first priority for folks blogging or doing anything else in life should be not to suck. Once you’ve got that nailed, the rest will take care of itself.
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
August 4, 2008 at 7:52 am
I mostly agree with your take GY, but I think it depends on the type of blog being authored. Your blog does a phenomenal job from a distance. The analysis that you provide here is probably even better because you’re not caught up in the team’s CW. Not that I think you’d temper your opinions due to your position, but many journalists have mentioned that the closer you are to your subject, the less objective you become, as subconcious as this can be.
In summary, I think most bloggers probably do not need press box access. The blogger’s perspective is interesting and different precisely because it’s an outside-looking-in perspective. Bloggers, who are vehemently passionate people, are able to float ideas that are seemingly beyond the rhetorical reach of traditional sports journalists.
I guess you could have a blog that focused more narrowly on relationships with the players and their lives, but I think the vast majority of blogs do not fall into this category. For what you do, and for what I think most blogs are best at, press box access is not a necessity. It might even erode some of the intellectual creativity that make blogs so interesting.
August 4, 2008 at 8:24 am
I believe it comes down to what your role is. Bloggers that are filling in game details for their readers are essentially reporters and access would serve them well. On the other hand, bloggers who are providing their opinions based on whatever analysis method they choose, are better served by distance.
August 4, 2008 at 8:31 am
OT: I can post to this site from my work computer, but not my home computer. I am beginning to believe that AT&T has broken their potion of the blobosphere.
August 4, 2008 at 9:26 am
What about having a “blog box”? A place where bloggers (and/or “commenters”) can do IGD-like interactions from “inside” the stadium but “outside” the press box …
August 4, 2008 at 9:33 am
“The first priority for folks blogging or doing anything else in life should be not to suck.”
I like this.
August 4, 2008 at 11:27 am
OT … from FJ blog …
http://padres.mlblogs.com/arch....._au_3.html
This date in Padres history: August 4
1974: Right-hander Dave Freisleben pitches 13 shutout innings but winds up with no decision as the Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 in 14 innings at San Diego Stadium. Freisleben, the starter in the second game of a doubleheader, keeps the Reds off the board despite allowing eight hits and three walks. Rusty Gerhardt gets the win with one inning of relief. Fred Kendall has a walk-off sacrifice fly off Pedro Borbon with one out to bring home Nate Colbert, who led off the bottom of the 14th with a double and advanced to third on a ground out by Cito Gaston. Former Padre Clay Kirby pitches nine shutout innings for the Reds.
… this is one of my favorite feats in Padre history … 13 innings of shutout ball versus the Big Red Machine, a team that would win 98 games in 1974 … yowza!
August 4, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Blogging ~ Getting around the filter and maintaining class and dignity. Not easy. This is what makes Ducksnorts so special. Therefore, if Ducksnorts is of value outside of the press box then why not inside the press box ?
August 4, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Geoff,
As a guy who has worked and watched games in a pressbox, you’d be surprised by the level of cheering that actually happens during a game. Granted, the reporters aren’t outwardly rooting and yelling and hollering for a particular team but they are gasping and talking and showing outward emotion on great plays, regardless of team or allegiance. But that is just a side issue.
The only thing the press box gets you that you can’t get from home is a higher angle of the field - which in turn makes everyone hard to see - and interviews with players after games. The comment Phantom made in his first post about getting close to players and becoming less objective is pretty true as well at least for me because any time I talked for to a player and knew what they were going through, you secretly hope they can bounce back, stay hot, whatever to overcome the adversity they’ve faced in their life.
But enough rambling. This has actually inspired me to post on this topic on my blog so thanks for the idea Geoff.
August 4, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Kellen Kulbacki gets Kevin Goldstein’s praise in the “Monday Ten Pack” at BP.:
“A supplemental first-round pick in 2007 after being one of college baseball’s top hitters, the problem with Kulbacki was that swinging the bat was really the sum of his skills, as he’s a little on the small side for a corner outfielder, doesn’t run well, and has a below-average arm. He hit just .164/.260/.295 during the first month of the season at Low-A Fort Wayne, but some numbers games roster-wise forced a move up to the California League, which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to him. He hit just .221 during his first month for the Storm, but since then he’s been the best hitter in the league. A 7-for-12 weekend that included a double and a pair of home runs brought his season averages up to .347/.440/.620, and in his last 30 contests, he’s batting .433 (52-for-120) with nine doubles and nine home runs. As far as the ratio of offensive potential to media attention goes, Kulbacki is huge.”
August 4, 2008 at 1:54 pm
#9@Lance Richardson: Is he our #1 prospect right now? Last year’s #2 and #3 (Latos and Antonelli) surely have drop’d … Venable has step’d up … Huffman hasn’t drop’d … Blanks has step’d up … no pitchers seem to have step’d up …
August 4, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I heard someone today say that bloggers need stuff to blog about…that generally comes from other sources.
Geoff, I don’t want you wasting your time being a reporter, I come here to read what you think about…
August 4, 2008 at 2:32 pm
#10@LynchMob: Assuming he continues hitting the way he has been, I think he is probably our #1 or #2 prospect. I’m not really sure who could be ranked ahead of him at this point.
Another question: Does Kulbacki get moved to AA before the end of the year? I’m assuming this would only happen if Huffman moved up to AAA and I’m not sure Huffman’s numbers merit an immediate promotion.
August 4, 2008 at 2:38 pm
#12@BigWorm: There is very little time left in the minor league season, It seems a little late for promotions and it is getting later by the day.
August 4, 2008 at 2:40 pm
#10@LynchMob: Kulbacki is far and away my pick as the #1 prospect in the organization. Latos still probably has the higher ceiling as a potential #1 starter but Kulbacki can’t be far behind with the season he’s putting together. The fact that he’s below-average defensively and slow-footed might keep him from being an elite prospect but the guy can flat out hit. I can’t wait to see how he’s ranked in all of the offseason Baseball America prospect lists. Same with Kyle Blanks. He’s having a very good year in a pitcher-friendly league at a very young age (21).
Re: blogging in the press box? Now if it gives you access to the GM, scouting director, or someone who will tell you something interesting, it would be . But that’s what beat writers are for.
August 4, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Sorry. I didn’t finish my though before I pressed the submit comment bar. Here it is.
#10@LynchMob: Kulbacki is far and away my pick as the #1 prospect in the organization. Latos still probably has the higher ceiling as a potential #1 starter but Kulbacki can’t be far behind with the season he’s putting together. The fact that he’s below-average defensively and slow-footed might keep him from being an elite prospect but the guy can flat out hit. I can’t wait to see how he’s ranked in all of the offseason Baseball America prospect lists. Same with Kyle Blanks. He’s having a very good year in a pitcher-friendly league at a very young age (21).
Re: blogging in the press box? Now if it gives you access to the GM, scouting director, or someone who will tell you something interesting on a weekly basis, it would be something. Talking to some of those old sportswriters who have been watching baseball since the 50’s and 60’s would also be interesting.
But talking to players and coaches? That’s what beat writers are for. You can find those stories everywhere and they’re all pretty similar.
A blogger that doesn’t suck can wake up with a unique idea for a story, do the research online, and write a story that is interesting and different than anything else online or in the newspaper.
August 4, 2008 at 2:57 pm
8. Jim, you don’t paint my sports writing brethren in a positive light, though the only cheering I’ve witnessed in the press box has come from people who probably don’t belong there in the first place, don’t have season credentials and, sadly, are just there for the free game and hot dogs. I’ve been doing this a while and I can assure you real journalists, beat writers, columnists, don’t cheer in the press box. I know I got a little off-topic there, but that was a pretty big generalization you threw out there. — Corey Brock, MLB.com
August 4, 2008 at 3:02 pm
#15@JMAR: You think that Kulbacki rates above Blanks? I would see it as the otherway around as Blanks is still nearly a year younger then Kulbacki and a level ahead. Granted Kulbacki’s stats are amazing (347/440/620) at Lake Elsinore but it’s still the California League and Kulbacki doesn’t exactly have the greatest defensive reputation.
August 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm
#17@Schlom: It would be interesting to know what scouts think about Blanks. No one has ever really made a big deal about him despite his size and his age and his .300+ batting average. He’s quietly putting together a very good year. But while his numbers were good in the Cal League and he was only 20, he didn’t put up the numbers Kulbacki is currently putting up. In just two months, Kulbacki has become the best hitter on a very good Lake Elsinore team and maybe the best in the league. I imagine he will be hyped as the best hitter in the organization this offseason.
August 4, 2008 at 3:25 pm
#18@JMAR: What kind of numbers do you think Blanks would put up in Lake Elsinore next season? That’s a better comparison. I’m sure he would put numbers at least as good as Kulbacki is doing this season. With Kulbacki’s lack of defensive ability he’s going to have to really hit in the majors — if he’s not around Pat Burrell numbers (Petco adjusted of course) he’s not going to be much more then average. His numbers at the same age are similar to Scott Hairston’s (who was actually too good for High A and pretty much skipped it, he played 18 games and hit 405/447/797) but he doesn’t have the defensive ability that Hairston has. Kulbacki’s small size (listed at 5′11″ 185 lbs) worries me a bit also, as all other mostly starting corner outfielders except for Juan Pierre and Gregor Blanco are bigger then him (although he’s roughly the same size as Xavier Nady who is listed at 6″0″ 190).
As far as Blanks not getting that much publicity, I linked on Saturday to a Baseball Prospectus article that ranks him as the 3rd best hitter in the high minors (Double A and Triple A) behind Dexter Fowler and Mat Gamel This was using BP’s minor league translations plus their Peak Translations (basically age compared to league with power and strikeouts as the strongest factors). Here’s the article:
http://www.baseballprospectus......cleid=7893
August 4, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I think bloggers rely on other reporters for access to players and team personnel, but the questions the reporters ask aren’t always a blogger’s first priority.
For example, I’m making an unfair generalization here, but I think the first goal of columnists is to create storylines while many bloggers want information to analyze.
If press box access also provides access to player personnel, I would be all for Geoff or MB getting more interviews with Sandy Alderson than Philly Billy.
August 4, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I go back and forth on this issue. Although I’m leaning toward the conclusion that bloggers should be in the press box if they want — but why would they want to. Also, I’m disgusted with journalism, and many of the journalists who are there don’t deserve to be.
The ones who don’t deserve to be — they want the team they are covering to do well, but a journalist shouldn’t care. A bad season from a team can often be more interesting than a good one. They don’t press the team enough in terms of their judgment or try to break news. They have almost no interest in sabermetric stats or information. There are some who think on-base percentage is too exotic.
(Contrary to my complaints, I think the UT does mostly a good job.)
Blogs may not break news or have “inside information,” but their analysis often puts the analysis of newspapers to shame.
Here are other places where bloggers have it all over newspapers:
– 99 percent of quotes from players and most from management are terrible. And when necessary, a blog can still interview Sandy Alderson, for example. It’s not like blogs can’t talk to players or management.
– The press pass has become overrated. The view is better on TV. You get replays from every angle. Half the time in the press box, the writers are watching the TV monitors. You can cheer at home, use your own bathroom, whatever. And if you really like the smell of the park and all that good stuff, it’s better to just buy a ticket. Drink beer, look at girls, score the game, whatever.
There will always be a need for journalism, because that is what bloggers and Web sites and TV stations get their news and inks.
But as someone who has been in journalism since 1991, it’s over. Newspapers never reacted to cable TV and now they are playing catch-up on the Internet.
August 4, 2008 at 3:40 pm
#19@Schlom:
I did a writeup on Blanks and the new minor league translations from Baseball Prospectus:
http://thesacrificebunt.com/28.....epartment/
August 4, 2008 at 3:51 pm
#19@Schlom: That BP article is exactly why I have questions about Blanks. The data obviously shows that Blanks is having one of the most productive seasons in the minors. But nobody is writing, “Look out for this Blanks kid. He’s going to be a beast.” He doesn’t have the huge HR numbers and he’s blocked in San Diego at 1B but why is no one out there talking about him? If scouts were raving about this kid, I just figure we’d hear his name come up more. I would love to hear what the experts are saying about his future in the big leagues.
I believe Kulbacki was compared to Brian Giles when he was drafted because of his size and his plate discipline. That’s more of what I’m expecting, just less skilled defensively.
August 4, 2008 at 3:51 pm
#22@Melvin Nieves: Equivalent runs sounds like a very intersting stat and it bodes well for the Padres future. As per me, I will continue bitching and moaning until Equivalent runs, turns into actual wins.
August 4, 2008 at 3:52 pm
#19@Schlom: You’re sure Blanks would put up numbers “at least as good” as Kulbacki? That’s a bold statement. Slugging over 600 is a high target; Nady didn’t do it and he came from a bigger college program than Kulbacki. Kulbacki also has superior plate discipline, although Blanks has made strides this year.
Blanks may have a greater chance to be a game-changing, elite player, if he can harness his Hondo-Plus size. But the odds of him putting up a 1.060 OPS at Elsinore next would be slim. Certainly not a sure thing.
Kulbacki has more defensive ability than Blanks. If Kulbacki has to hit like Burrel to be average, Blanks would have to hit like….who? Pujols?
August 4, 2008 at 3:59 pm
#18@JMAR: Gotta agree with Scholom on this (never thought I’d see the day
). Blanks putting up his numbers in AA, in a tougher offensive environment and at a younger age is WAY more impressive than what Kulbacki is doing.
Doesn’t matter a whit that Kulbacki is putting up better numbers than Blanks did last year since he’s doing it at essentially 2 years older. Age is a BIG factor when evaluating minor league performance.
Blanks has maintained his BA, cut down on his K rate (1 every 5.5 AB’s this year versus 1 every 4.75 last season), improved his BB rate (one every 10.25 PA’s this year versus 1 every 12 last season), and while his slugging is down it is likely somewhat attributable to the league/park factors. Blanks right now is hitting .309/.390/.482. Chase Headley led the league in all three categories last year at .309/.409/.551 and he was 2.5 years older than Blanks! Blanks is nearly duplicating the top offensive performer in the league last season AND he’s 2.5 years younger. WOW!!!
I guess the downside is he’s pretty limited defensively. But since Kulbacki is as well, I’d have to rate Blanks in front of him (going strictly by numbers, of course, since I don’t have any personal experience with either of them).
August 4, 2008 at 4:06 pm
#25@Tom Waits: If he hit 301/380/540 as a 20 year old in 2006, I would think that hitting anything less then 350/450/600 would be considered a great disappointment.
As far as defense goes, one of the reasons Kulbacki wasn’t drafted higher is because teams questioned his ability to play the field. From what I’ve read, his best case defensive scenario is that he’d be just adequate in the field — I doubt that he has the athleticism of someone like Pat Burrell who played 3B in college. I think there are legitimate questions on whether he will be able to play the outfield in the majors. As far as Blanks goes, I thought he had the reputation of being a good fielder? He’s probably more athletic then Kulbacki (at least for right now) as he stole 11 bases in 13 attempts last season (and 4 of 7 this season) while Kulback is 2 for 7 in 155 minor league games.
I’m not sure why you are comparing the defensive abilities of Blanks and Kulbacki as they don’t play the same position. Since Kulbacki is going to be stretched defensively no matter where he plays, he’s going to really have to hit to make up for it. As a 1B Blanks is going to have to really hit no matter what so his defense really doesn’t matter as much.
August 4, 2008 at 4:15 pm
#26@Pat: I don’t necessarily disagree. I just know that there are scouts and minor league experts who know more than we do and they’re not talking about Blanks, so what is the reason? I’m just wondering why he hasn’t become a household name in the prospect world while I can guarantee that people are starting to talk about Kulbacki with the way he’s destroying Cal League pitching.
In regards to the Kyle Blanks data, I think Baseball Prospectus has made an error in its data. Blanks has 13 HR’s, not 21. I don’t know how far that knocks him down on the list, but at least he got a mention. By the way, the U-T’s minor league blog by Tom Krasovic also states today that Fort Wayne shortstop Lance Zawadzki has 16 HR’s but he only has six. He’s still having a pretty good year but 16 HR’s from a SS in the Midwest league would be some feat. Maybe Mr. Krasovic is spending too much time in the press box and not enough time on milb.com. Or on the Ducksnorts website, with all of us freaks that think about Padre baseball waaaaay too much.
August 4, 2008 at 4:18 pm
#23@JMAR: Unfortunately, the scouting opinions I have read have not been favorable of Blanks. In an ESPN chat Jim Callis rated his upside as lower than James Loney’s, saying he has never been a believer in Blanks. Kevin Goldstein recently featured a scout who had this to say about him:
“After a big year in the California League last season, gigantic 21-year-old first baseman Kyle Blanks continues to hit at Double-A, but at the same time, a .315/.398/.482 line with just 10 home runs in 340 at-bats seems like a bit of a mismatch for a hulk listed at 6′6″ and 270 pounds. One scout who saw Banks at San Antonio recently was as mystified as anyone. “I just don’t get him at all,” explained the exasperated evaluator. “He’s a huge guy with power, but it’s just not used. He has legitimate contact skills, and that’s great, but he just doesn’t hit the ball hard enough.” The scout went on to explain why Blanks’ swing mechanics are the primary culprit. “He’s doesn’t load up, so there’s not much transfer in his swing—he’s got dead hands, dead feet, and he just kind of turns his body and makes contact. I don’t see game power in the future with that kind of swing.”"
So the scouting viewpoint is not particular enthused with his showing. At the same time, the scouting of hitters seems a lot sketchier than scouting pitchers to me. Who cares if he doesn’t look great while doing it; he’s currently slugging almost .500 in a pitcher’s park in a pitcher’s league. And if he’s going to hit like John Olerud in the majors, great, even if it does look like he should be slugging .600.
August 4, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Here’s the list of the Texas League Leaders in Runs Created per Game:
http://minors.baseball-referen.....;sort=RC27
Blanks is the youngest player in the top 20 although he is only 6 months younger then Chris Davis (tearing up the majors right now) and Dexter Fowler and 5 months younger then Aaron Cunningham. However, those are among the best prospects in the minors. The next 21 year old is 53rd place and about 50% worse. The only other qualifier (150 PA’s) under 22 is the Rangers Elvis Andrus (only 19) in 57th.
He’s also done this in one of the lone pitchers parks in the Texas League (88/80 for Runs/HR last season, 91/88 the last three seasons). The only other pitchers park over the past three seasons is Corpus Christi (the Astros affliate).
August 4, 2008 at 4:29 pm
#29@Ben B.: Thanks Ben. That’s exactly what I was looking for. I knew the scouting reports hadn’t ever rated him as a great prospect and that’s a good example of one.
But, if this guy does learn to hit the ball hard, I think he’ll be a beast. The question is, how hard is it to learn to hit the ball hard?
August 4, 2008 at 4:33 pm
#28@JMAR: Those are minor league equivalents, not the raw numbers. Basically, it’s a projection for what the player would do in a neutral environment so they have a way to normalize all players throughout the minors (no matter what the level).
August 4, 2008 at 4:37 pm
#32@Schlom: So if he played in a neutral environment, he’d have 21 HR’s? The Texas League must be tough.
I wonder if Drew Macias has done enough to get another September callup? His OPS is better than Chad Huffman’s. And then there’s the 15 SB’s and above average defense.
August 4, 2008 at 4:42 pm
#29@Ben B.: It’s odd that they compare him to Loney since Blanks’ numbers in the minors are far superior to Loney’s (although he didn’t get to play in the Cal League).
Loney: http://minors.baseball-referen.....i?pid=8471
Blanks: http://minors.baseball-referen.....i?pid=1391
The difference is probably the draft position: Loney was the 19th pick in 2002 while Blanks was the 1241st (42nd round) in 2004. Another player that is held in much higher regard with similar stats is Boston 1B Lars Anderson — again probably because he was higher regarded coming out of high school.
August 4, 2008 at 4:48 pm
#33@JMAR: No, his regular translation is also 13 but his Peak Translation is 21. The regular translation just takes into account the league and park environment while the Peak Translation takes into account the players age and some other factors.
Here’s the BP minor league stat page with some explanations:
http://www.baseballprospectus......noreqa.php
August 4, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Tell me if I have this right? That is a projection of what he would hit in the majors at age 27?
August 4, 2008 at 4:59 pm
#34@Schlom: I believe the scouts are comparing him to the expectations generated by his size, then judging him by what he cannot do, rather than by what he can. He is one of those players who gets the sabermetrics guys wound up, and the scouts wound down.
August 4, 2008 at 5:06 pm
#27@Schlom: Adding 60 points of OBP, substantially cutting down his strikeouts, and tacking on 30 points of isolated slugging is harder than you think. There’s the age difference, but Blanks has a lot more experience with wood bats.
You’re not sure why the defensive comparison is valid? Blanks can ONLY play 1b. Kulbacki is currently playing a lot of RF. Scouting reports have a way of getting more positive the more a guy hits, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him turn into an adequate RF.
We can assume that Kulbacki could play 1b (I’ve not seen Blanks described as a good defender, in fact that was something the Padres wanted him to work on IIRC). So if Kulbacki can play 2-3 positions, and Blanks can only play 1, why is it that KK has to mash more in order to be average? That doesn’t make sense. 1b is the position that demands the MOST offense.
I like Blanks a good deal, but you’re underestimating how good Kulbacki has been and how hard it would be for anyone to put up a 440 OBP and 600 SLG, regardless of age.
Blanks should probably be a Top 5 Padre prospect at the end of the year. I don’t know how I’d arrange them yet, but those scouting concerns about his swing are worrisome.
August 4, 2008 at 5:09 pm
#36@JMAR: Something like that although he says “around 27″ in the definition.
#37@Field39: I’m not sure why he’s held in such low regard. The performance is there obviously, especially when you consider his age relative to league. In 2005, when he was 19 in the Midwest League, the only other players his age in the top 20 in Runs Created per Game were Colby Rasmus, Cameron Maybin, and Jay Bruce — or Top 5 overall prospects this season. He’s also somewhat athletic, evidenced by the 11 for 13 in stolen bases last season. I guess they look at his size and expect something like Ryan Howard (although his first good year in the minors came at age 23 in Single A) or Prince Fielder.
August 4, 2008 at 5:09 pm
#37@Field39: Maybe, but the load questions don’t usually have much to do with size. An unloaded swing looks unloaded whether you’re Rafael Belliard, Sean Burroughs, or the unloaded second coming of Frank Howard. Scouts may see him as a guy who beats up on pitchers without enough stuff or savvy to exploit his holes. Doesn’t mean they’re right, but the way that report is written, it doesn’t sound like he’s expecting 500 foot HR, just more smashes.
August 4, 2008 at 5:22 pm
#38@Tom Waits: Since Blanks is a better athlete then Kulbacki, I think it’s safe to assume that Blanks can play the outfield just as well as Kulbacki. He might not have the arm that Kulbacki has but he can probably cover just as much ground.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Kulbacki but the California League isn’t exactly the best place to judge future performance. My question is why Kulbacki is still playing there. He’s obviously too good for the Cal League and there really isn’t anyone blocking him at San Antonio (Craig Cooper is hitting 271/337/406).
August 4, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Blanks reminds me a bit of Carlos Lee, who also had fairly low homerun totals his first couple of years of pro ball. I believe that the homeruns will also come with Blanks.
Meanwhile, his balance at the plate along with his overall approach to hitting is very good.
August 4, 2008 at 5:28 pm
#41@Schlom: You’re right Schlom….has anyone seen Blanks run ? For being 6′6 the guy can run and with a decent amount of fluidity !
http://tinyurl.com/6ksnwd
August 4, 2008 at 5:39 pm
#41@Schlom: That’s one man’s analysis of their athleticism. Blanks is usually described as a good athlete for his size. There are a lot of scouting reports that say Blanks has no chance to play the outfield. Kulbacki’s playing there now.
There’s only about a month left in the minor league season. If they promote Kulbacki now and he has a bad month, it’s not good for his confidence, and they’re not going to learn that much about him. I can see why they’d want him to play out the year in Elsinore.
Blanks has the potential to be an offensive monster, a greater chance to be that than Kulbacki. But there are legitimate reasons why he doesn’t get the hype. If his bat looks slow to scouts, that’s poison.
August 4, 2008 at 5:50 pm
#44@Tom Waits: How could Blanks be a good athlete for his size but yet have no chance to play a corner outfield position, especially left field. Trust me, Blanks can play left field.
Isn’t it a bit early to compare KKulbacki and Blanks. Blanks has a 1,000 more plate appearances in pro ball.
August 4, 2008 at 6:01 pm
#45@JP: I’ve read several scouting reports from professional evaluators that say he can’t. A good athlete for his size is like saying a girl has a good personality.
That YouTube video doesn’t exactly show a speed burner. The one of him tripping over first base is hilarious, though. I’d wager our standard bet that Kulbacki is substantially faster and a much superior outfielder, even if he’s only marginal out there.
August 4, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Now that I am in another market (Dallas) it’s been interesting to juxtapose two totally different views on player development. Nolan Ryan (Texas) has been beating the drum as far as moving players up the chain at warp speed, repeatedly stating that he wants players that perform at their current level to move up and be challenged at the next level.
While the Padres are taking the opposite view on the same issue, worrying about rushing players, making sure they have a full year of success at the same level so as to not ruin their confidence.
Being that the Padres are markedly older on the farm, it would seem that the Rangers philosophy would be the Padres. For example, DePo justifies Bryan Corey’s roster spot by saying that they don’t want to rush anyone up, yet the Padres have a bevy of AAA pitchers, all over 24 years and older, that have had some decent success.
August 4, 2008 at 6:09 pm
#46@Tom Waits: The tripping incident could have happened to anyone and I never said he was a speed burner. Nevertheless, lets see Kulbacki develop over the coming 2 to 3 years. I do hope your right –it would mean another much needed bat .
August 4, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Mirroring Coronado Mike’s comments, I say don’t waste your time in the press box. I’m not sure how it would benefit the blogger. I don’t get it.
You run a class business here, you don’t need the press box.
August 4, 2008 at 6:11 pm
#44@Tom Waits: Of course, I’m not sure that anyone knows what is going on in the minor leagues. Usually when a player is too good for a level, you would promote him to the next level. He’s going to end up in Double A anyway, why not promote him now? And if they are worried that one bad month (in Double A) is going to affect his confidence, then he’s not going to make it to the majors anyway so who cares?
I’m not exactly sure exactly what the Padres are doing in the minors. We’ve heard that the Padres are going to really rebuild their farm system, if that’s true, then why haven’t they signed 6 (Dykstra, Darnell, Kipnis, Zornes, Thebeau, Mooneyham) of their first 20 picks? The Darnell, Zornes and Thebeau picks are the ones I really don’t understand as they are college juniors and pretty much everyone drafted around them has signed already. Why would you draft someone that you have no intention of signing?
August 4, 2008 at 6:18 pm
#46@Tom Waits: If Greg Luzinski (2000+ games) , Harmon Killebrew (471 games), or even Frank Howard (1000+ games) can play left field why do you think *if* Blanks hits that he isn’t athletic enough to play left field ?
August 4, 2008 at 6:24 pm
#46@Tom Waits: If Kulbacki was faster, wouldn’t he have run more in his career? He basically hasn’t run at all as a pro. In college he ran more frequently (44 attempts in 160 games) but his last season he basically ran the same amount as Paul McAnulty which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. He’s also run less then P-Mac as a pro.
Now he probably won’t have the same comic-like defense as P-Mac as he’s a lot lighter (35 pounds) but it might be similar. Whether or not he can play 1B probably doesn’t matter as there is almost no chance he will end up there (already being a full season behind Blanks, plus with A-Gon and the possible signing of Dykstra).
August 4, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Man….shows how outta the loop I am…..On the road, finally with good internet connection, ready to set up mlbtv and watch the game and the Pad’s are off!!??? Monday? Ticked off to say the least.
I’m in LA and it’s all Manny here on TV.
I kind of wish we had a .500 record or better and acquired someone covered nationally who could hit serious HR’s. Maybe next year or after?
Oh well, we have awesome weather. As Mad Dog says, ” everyday you wake up in SD feels like vacation”. That’s why I live there.
August 4, 2008 at 7:50 pm
#50@Schlom: One bad month could slow him down next year. It could diminish his trade value. The Padres also believe in keeping teams together and trying to win at the minor league level, and the Storm have a better chance of making the playoffs.
#52@Schlom: Career? He’s played 155 games. If you’re using stolen bases as an indication of athleticism…..you shouldn’t. Kulbacki’s a middle of the order hitter with a 270 ISO in his first full pro season, and he started the year with a sore leg. He’s not going to be running, and Blanks’ 20 stolen bases in 4 seasons don’t show us much.
Whether or not he can play 1b matters in that your assertion is he has to hit a ton to play. If he has to hit a ton to play a more difficult defensive position, it follows that Blanks has to hit more than a ton to play 1b.
#51@JP: By that logic, Adrian Gonzalez or Mike Piazza could play LF. Petco’s a big park. I seem to recall people blasting McAnulty’s play in LF, and McAnulty’s a gazelle compared to Blanks. An experienced gazelle.
I didn’t mean the tripping video to be an indictment of his athleticism; it’s just hilarious. It actually showed pretty good grace, it’s hard to imagine the force on that one leg right after he goes over the bag. But the other clip shows exactly what “moves well for his size” means.
August 4, 2008 at 9:13 pm
#54@Tom Waits: I know that you may find this hard to believe but McAnulty is not the athlete that Blanks is and I would even guess that Blanks is faster than McAnulty. Were you aware that Blanks had 11 stolen bases last year and has legged out 5 triples this year ?
August 4, 2008 at 9:17 pm
#54@Tom Waits: I blasted PMAC’s outfield play because it was bad. Bad stemming not necessarily because of his lack of speed or because he was not a good athlete but because he would often airmail the cut off, get a horrible read on the ball of the bat or run over the centerfielder on a ball that was clearly not his.
August 4, 2008 at 9:18 pm
#53@Oside Jon: Enjoy that San Diego weather, we have had 11 days over 100 degrees here in Dallas.
August 4, 2008 at 9:28 pm
#54@Tom Waits: Sorry Waits, I just read that you were aware of Blank’s stolen bases. Not earth shattering, but if he really is the lumbering giant that can’t play the outfield then how does he swipe double digits in stolen bases and leg out 5 triples in a season ? Anyway, you led off these line of posts by saying that you like his play and potential so we may be splitting hairs but I have enjoyed the debate nonetheless. Like GY says in his 2008 prospectus, if he can handle the outfield, great…if not, then he makes a pretty nice bargaining chip.
August 4, 2008 at 10:09 pm
#16. Corey. I knew that would come out wrong when I said it but what I was trying to say is that as unbiased as sports writers are supposed to be, they still tend to appreciate tough and amazing plays regardless of the sport. I have never seen outloud cheering but when there is a nice defensive play by a short stop, a great diving catch by a wide receiver or something similar, you can hear a buzz throughout the press box of guys talking about what they saw. It may not be considered cheering but you know the guys like what they saw.
August 4, 2008 at 10:24 pm
#59@Jim: Yeah, I wouldn’t consider that cheering.
August 5, 2008 at 9:28 am
#28@JMAR: “I don’t necessarily disagree. I just know that there are scouts and minor league experts who know more than we do and they’re not talking about Blanks, so what is the reason?”
Yes, and I made sure to state that I’m going solely off numbers with no personal/scouting experience of either. If I were to hazard a guess on Blanks, I’d say it’s a size bias. There simply is not much history of guys his size making it. There are exceptions like Frank Howard and a few other big guys, but not many who were very successful. But it could be more than that; I don’t know. Whatever it is though is not showing up in his production.
BTW, I wasn’t looking at BP’s numbers at all. My info is strictly from the Baseball Cube.
August 5, 2008 at 9:32 am
#34@Schlom: Yeah, I think Blanks suffers from the fact that he doesn’t look like a prospect to a scout. I have visions of Moneyball running through my head. Great numbers, bad body = poor scouting report.
August 5, 2008 at 9:47 am
#62@Pat: Scouts don’t seem to think his body is bad, in fact it seems like they love his body. Many of them don’t like how he uses it in terms of generating bat speed and such.
Still, he doesn’t seem like he’d sell any jeans. In a lot of pictures his cap looks about 2 sizes too small.
August 5, 2008 at 9:55 am
#63@Tom Waits: Yeah its like of like a Sean Burroughs type thing, they see a big kid and they expect big power, which has not really come consistently yet.
August 5, 2008 at 10:00 am
#64@Steve C: It does seem to be a lot like Burroughs, except that scouts are talking about possible weakness in his swing instead of glossing over it. Burroughs almost always had solid (and sometimes great) numbers. It was probably only his pedigree and draft position that kept some scouts from worrying more about the total lack of load in his swing.
August 5, 2008 at 10:07 am
Maybe the scouts are confusing Blanks with former and recent Padres farmhand Walter Young.
http://tinyurl.com/5n3w7k
Young had conditioning problems and couldn’t run well.
The Missions are struggling, having been swept by Frisco at home. I am hoping to see the Missions play Springfield on Thursday.
August 5, 2008 at 12:03 pm
#16@Corey Brock: One comment that should be addressed is that because someone writes on the Internet, as Corey’s association with MLB.com, does not automatically make them a “blogger”.
For example at Madfriars.com about 90% of what we put on our site is either game summaries and interviews. We believe that our audience is much more interested in hearing from those involved than our opinions. Twice a year we rank the prospects, have a player and pitcher of the month and a yearly draft review, but for the most part we try to run a news site. A big part of our job is having press access so we can be on the field before the game interviewing players/coaches along with locker room access afterwards to write game reports.
I know in the print media the term blogger has become a type of pejoritive phrase but in reality a good blogger is about the same as a good columnist, both are writing about their opinions with varying degrees of facts to back up their assertions. Frankly I enjoy reading Geoff’s opinions more than Canepa or Sullivan because they are usually backed up by some type of numerical analysis compared to “I think..”
August 8, 2008 at 10:29 am
Ringing in late on the Press Box issue…
I personally would love the access and think that it would enhance my work. But, I also recognize the fact that it would create more hassles from a team side, i.e. credentials and crowding and costs and marketing. Not to mention player relations.
What I have often felt would be a good compromise would be greater access to press conferences. With the use of email lists and the facilities available in most modern ballparks, there is very little to no reason why the team shouldn’t make use of the extra potential for media attention and gain goodwill with the fanbase.