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Thread: A Minor(s) Tribute

  1. #1
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    A Minor(s) Tribute

    Years ago on the old Fastball site (I think) I pushed for the Reds to pick up a speedy Angels prospect by the name of Norm Hutchins. At the time Hutchins was a switch-hitting CF with a .312/.340/.490 line and was 32 for 42 on the basepaths.

    This was 1998. And I hadn't thought about him since. Then for some reason he popped into my head today. So I looked him up only to discover that he just retired at the end of last year at age 36, after playing 18 years in the minors, the last 10 in unaffiliated leagues. He never saw an inning in the big leagues.

    Norm!


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    Member klw's Avatar
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    Re: A Minor(s) Tribute

    http://www.rotorob.com/2007/03/26/wh...norm-hutchins/


    Hutchins spent four years on the Angels’ top prospect list (as per Baseball America), enjoying his finest season in 1998 when in just 89 Double-A games, he scored 74 runs, smacked 20 doubles, 10 triples and 10 homers, while swiping 32 bases with a .312 BA. Power, speed, average…and he did it as a 22-year-old.

    So what the hell was the problem?

    Pretty simple, really. Despite all his raw talent and blazing speed, Hutchins suffered from a complete lack of understanding of the strike zone, a problem that afflicts many young hitters. His BB/K ratio from that season was an ugly 14/84.

    Shame he never got his cup of coffee. If I counted correctly, he played for 25 different teams.
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi...d=hutchi001nor
    Last edited by klw; 08-29-2013 at 09:32 PM.

  4. #3
    he/him *BaseClogger*'s Avatar
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    Re: A Minor(s) Tribute

    Perhaps your intention was to limit this thread to players who never reached MLB, but this guy only has 175 career PAs at the show so close enough. I remember him being one of the first players I posted about on RedsZone that I wanted the Reds to go after (in this case, to be a platoon partner with Hatteberg and/or Votto). Not sure why he was never able to hit at the highest level--he has a career .849 OPS in the minors, including a .978 OPS across AA and AAA as a 22 year-old...

  5. #4
    Moderator RedlegJake's Avatar
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    Re: A Minor(s) Tribute

    How about this guy from mace's Player of the Day:

    Mike Hessman, Louisville . . . 3-4, 2 HR (25), BB, 2 R. 5 RBI. That's 403 home runs, including his 14 in the majors, for the 35-year-old first baseman. He has hit 279 in Triple-A. (That's just not right.)

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    Member Tom Servo's Avatar
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    Re: A Minor(s) Tribute

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi...d=skelto001jam

    This guy popped into my head as someone I remember Redszone wanting to go after in the mid 00s, I didn't even realize he spent 2011 in our system. Still looking for his first ML appearance.
    “I don’t care,” Votto said of passing his friend and former teammate. “He’s in the past. Bye-bye, Jay.”

  7. #6
    Member mth123's Avatar
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    Re: A Minor(s) Tribute

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Servo View Post
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi...d=skelto001jam

    This guy popped into my head as someone I remember Redszone wanting to go after in the mid 00s, I didn't even realize he spent 2011 in our system. Still looking for his first ML appearance.
    I was a believer in Skelton. Thought he'd be a multi-position utility type who could catch and play some 2B (and probably learn the IF and OF corners) with decent On Base skills. Shows you that stats aren't everything.
    All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!


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