Keith Law chat questions - Reds related

[edabbs44]

Maybe a bit of controversy in here...bon appetit.


Matt(Cortland,NY): I'm a yankee fan, and I can't believe how little attention Jay Bruce is getting. He's hit everything everywhere he's been this year, but he still is rarely mentioned in the same breath as Maybin or Upton, what are your thoughts on Bruce?

Keith Law: Well, Bruce is a good RF, while the others are good - potentially excellent - CF. And Upton and Maybin are five-tool, athletic, superstar-caliber prospects, while Bruce is more of a man-child slugger, huge raw power but not the game-changing contact and speed capabilities of a guy like Upton. To put it another way, Bruce is a very good prospect who is just a touch below two outstanding prospects.



Zach (Cincinnati): Do I need to put something food oriented in this question to get it answered? When will Jay Bruce and Joey Votto be dining in Cincinnati?

Keith Law: Shame on Rivsy for not moving Hatteberg for anything now and getting Votto to the big leagues. He's ready. Bruce probably in the spring.

[Degenerate39]

I don't like this guy at all. He doesn't know crap about the Reds org. so he shouldn't even be writing about them.

[remdog]

I thought it was generally agreed that this guy is an idiot---make that with a capital 'I', Idiot.

Rem

[BearcatShane]

I would agree that most of Law's opinions on the Reds are idiotic, but I can't rip him for what he said above.

[Screwball]

Is it just me, or does
"Upton and Maybin are five-tool, athletic, superstar-caliber prospects, while Bruce is more of a man-child slugger, huge raw power but not the game-changing contact and speed capabilities of a guy like Upton" seem to be much worse of an opinion than
"a touch below two outstanding prospects"?

[AmarilloRed]

Bruce has had a reduction in the number of stolen bases he had from last year. He stole 19 last year, and 6 combined in all the levels he has played this year. Still, I believe the writer is not objective about the Reds.

[OnBaseMachine]

Keith Law's opinion means pretty much nothing to me.

[Heath]

Who's Keith Law?

[Aronchis]

He is right. Upton and Maybin know how to handle the plate. Bruce does not at this time. His batspeed is underrated though.

Bruce's power potential is probably off the wall so he if improves his plate discipline enough, he will probably be a prodigy like Pujols or Vlad. But that is rather hopefull at this point.

[REDREAD]

Who's Keith Law?

Some guy that used to patrol rec.sport.baseball newsgroup.

He somehow persuaded someone to give him a job in the Blue Jays organization doing stat stuff. After the Jays gave him the boot, he became one of those "I'm smarter than all GMs" type writer.

I actually had the 'honor' of conversing with him on the internet back in the early 90's. He was pompous back then too.

[Muggerd]

I really dont care about someones opinion when he considers Harang a 5th starter for every other team in the majors

[reds44]

Who is Rivsy?

[Superdude]

I am officially ignoring anything Kieth Law says from now on. Maybin is flat out not in Bruce's world.

Why is it that most people have accepted the fact that unless you're Jose Reyes, your speed is not helping the team that much statistically, but yet "experts" still act like guys like Maybin are gonna wil you a world series just because they can run a little bit? If Jay Bruce is missing a tool because he's a chubby white kid, so be it. I'll take the tool box that's gonna belt me 30-40 homers a year every day of the week.

[dougdirt]

hahahahahahahahaha.

Cameron Maybin is a potential 5 tool player. Problem is, he currently knows how to use 2 of them with consistancy. Speed and defense. Great. So does Chris Dickerson.

Maybin isn't in the same realm of prospects that Jay Bruce is. Keith Law is a moron. I would love to have a conversation with this guy.

Cameron Maybin knows how to do 3 things at the plate quite well. Walk. Strikeout. Hit ground balls.
Are those tools? He has some raw power, but it comes in spurts, then disappears for the next 100 at bats. I like the kids future and all, so don't take it the wrong way.... but he is about as raw as can be still at the plate when it comes to hitting the baseball. Nothing about a sub 11% line drive rate in High A suggests he is even close to being in the same realm of readiness for major league baseball....

[camisadelgolf]

Who is Rivsy?

Exactly.

[LoganBuck]

Bruce has had a reduction in the number of stolen bases he had from last year. He stole 19 last year, and 6 combined in all the levels he has played this year. Still, I believe the writer is not objective about the Reds.

Stealing third is different then stealing second. With all his extra base hits, why sweat the small stuff. Stolen bases are overrated anyway.

[NJReds]

Cameron Maybin is a potential 5 tool player. Problem is, he currently knows how to use 2 of them with consistancy. Speed and defense. Great. So does Chris Dickerson.

Maybin didn't impress me defensively during the Yankees series...and he was playing left field.

[dougdirt]

Maybin didn't impress me defensively during the Yankees series...and he was playing left field.

To his defense, he has never played left field in his life. Its a little different. In CF, his speed helps him a whole bunch, although I have heard his routes are still needing work.

[AmarilloRed]

One of the writer's questions was about the number of tools. It has been too long since I could recall all 5 tools, but I believe 4 of them are Hitting, hitting with power, good defense, good baserunning, and I forget the fifth. In any case, I would expect a true 5 tool player like Bruce to continue to develop good baserunning skills.

[Patrick Bateman]

One of the writer's questions was about the number of tools. It has been too long since I could recall all 5 tools, but I believe 4 of them are Hitting, hitting with power, good defense, good baserunning, and I forget the fifth. In any case, I would expect a true 5 tool player like Bruce to continue to develop good baserunning skills.

The other is arm strength.

And one of them isn't baserunning. It's speed, and you can't teach it. It's not that Bruce is slow, it's just that speed will not be an asset for him like Upton and Maybin. Either way, it's not a big deal.

[Prf15]

Speed is nice but I would rather have a hitter like Bruce who has power, can get on base, good defense than someone who hits maybe .260 with 10 homers but has amazing speed and has potential to steal 50 plus.

[AmarilloRed]

The other is arm strength.

And one of them isn't baserunning. It's speed, and you can't teach it. It's not that Bruce is slow, it's just that speed will not be an asset for him like Upton and Maybin. Either way, it's not a big deal.

I appreciate the clarification. I will remember all 5 in the future.