Drew Stubbs

[VR]

I wonder what his time from 1st to 3rd was. Looked like he was standing on
3rd when that throw reached home.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by VR

I wonder what his time from 1st to 3rd was. Looked like he was standing on
3rd when that throw reached home.

I was thinking the same thing. But I loved Frank Robinson being in the booth on that one. Lark said something like 'were you THAT fast?'...Robby..."faster". :O) When they showed that wide screen shot it was pretty impressive as to how quickly he was making up ground on the other runners. Kid's got some fantastic wheels.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

With his ability to take a walk, Stubbs only needs to hit around .240-.250 to be an extremely productive player (accounting for defensive value).

If he keeps making quality PAs, the numbers will take care of themselves.

Simplistic view IMO.

When he doesn't hit for power, and by power I mean .400+ slg he won't draw the walks. As a leadoff hitter he was fighting his instincts with his idea of what a leadoff hitter should be. IMO he was thinking it too much. lower in the order his idea is drive in runs, and his natural instincts take over. His OBP is still pretty bad, but climbing as pitchers are respecting his speed/power combo more.

Look at his numbers throughout his career. He's always been better lower in the order. Not a little better, but light years better.

[OnBaseMachine]

Stubbs is exciting to watch in person. He had a great weekend against the Cardinals. Watching him run around the bases on that 2-run triple last night was awesome. He also covers an unbelievable amount of ground in center field. I'm not sure there's a better defensive center fielder in the game right now. Maybe Franklin Gutierrez but that's about it.

[mth123]

Originally Posted by TRF

Simplistic view IMO.

When he doesn't hit for power, and by power I mean .400+ slg he won't draw the walks. As a leadoff hitter he was fighting his instincts with his idea of what a leadoff hitter should be. IMO he was thinking it too much. lower in the order his idea is drive in runs, and his natural instincts take over. His OBP is still pretty bad, but climbing as pitchers are respecting his speed/power combo more.

Look at his numbers throughout his career. He's always been better lower in the order. Not a little better, but light years better.

I think CE is right in that Stubbs may be able to lead-off without falling into the trap you suggest at some point. Its called growing up. Doing it on a major league stage shows a lot of warts. Its been behind the growing pains of guys like Cueto and Bailey, Jay Bruce' fly happy 2009 and other such issues.

Most of the time guys grow up in the minors, but a shortage of talent, and money to get any, has caused the Reds to bring guys up before they are fully mature. It happens at differrent times for different guys. Dickerson and Hanigan were in their late 20's. Mike Leake seemingly was born that way. I think Stubbs will get there and if he'd been allowed to finish cooking in AAA it would have probably saved us all a lot of heartache.

[klw]

How did I miss that the Nats DFA's Willy T?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/0...ssignment.html

[REDblooded]

Originally Posted by OnBaseMachine

Stubbs is exciting to watch in person. He had a great weekend against the Cardinals. Watching him run around the bases on that 2-run triple last night was awesome. He also covers an unbelievable amount of ground in center field. I'm not sure there's a better defensive center fielder in the game right now. Maybe Franklin Gutierrez but that's about it.

I had him right at 11.210 seconds from contact to 3b...

That's 90 yards in 11.2... fast.

[klw]

Originally Posted by REDblooded

I had him right at 11.210 seconds from contact to 3b...

That's 90 yards in 11.2... fast.

He's going a lot further than 90 yards as he does not cut the bases at right angles.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by REDblooded

I had him right at 11.210 seconds from contact to 3b...

That's 90 yards in 11.2... fast.

Much more than 90 yards.... He wasn't running in a straight line.

[SirFelixCat]

While I am a Stubbs fan and really hope that he does well, I'm certainly not an apologist for him either.

With that said, seeing as this is his first season in the majors that started in April, is it possible that he's just a slow starter? I mean, a lot of good and great players have been known to start out the season really slowly and get consistently better as the season progresses. Just a thought....

[TRF]

Originally Posted by SirFelixCat

While I am a Stubbs fan and really hope that he does well, I'm certainly not an apologist for him either.

With that said, seeing as this is his first season in the majors that started in April, is it possible that he's just a slow starter? I mean, a lot of good and great players have been known to start out the season really slowly and get consistently better as the season progresses. Just a thought....

I really think he just doesn't have the mindset for leadoff. Some guys just can't do it, like some pitchers can't be closers. Something about the position I guess.

One thing I have said about Stubbs is if you have power and don't use it, you don't have power. He's starting to use it. I think if the Reds as an organization hadn't been so enamored with his speed/defense, they might have developed him better. Had he taken another year in the minors, as a middle of the order hitter, there would be lees angst about him. Not completely gone mind you, but less.

Put it this way, If Stubbs can consistently hit for the power his frame suggests, his ceiling could be as high as Jay Bruce when you factor in the defense. But he has to get a power mindset for that to happen. So far, batting 7th, he does.


Can it continue? His minor league numbers clearly show a dominance lower in the order. Do the Reds have the sense to leave him there? Or will they once again look past the human element, see his speed and say "Leadoff Hitter".

[Homer Bailey]

I know I'm cheating by bumping this only after he has a good game, but Stubbs is now at .218/.305/.381/.686. Obviously not earth shattering, but much better than a month ago.

Still too early for this to mean anything, but he's hitting .333/.393/.608/1.001 out of the 7 spot in the lineup in 51 AB's. He's currently on pace for a 20/40 season, and quietly has more home runs than Jay Bruce. I am loving the Stubbs we are seeing from the bottom of the lineup, and continue to think that his offensive success is a huge key to this team.

[Captain Hook]

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

I know I'm cheating by bumping this only after he has a good game, but Stubbs is now at .218/.305/.381/.686. Obviously not earth shattering, but much better than a month ago.

Still too early for this to mean anything, but he's hitting .333/.393/.608/1.001 out of the 7 spot in the lineup in 51 AB's. He's currently on pace for a 20/40 season, and quietly has more home runs than Jay Bruce. I am loving the Stubbs we are seeing from the bottom of the lineup, and continue to think that his offensive success is a huge key to this team.

With less then 400 big league PA Drew has shown that he can get the job done.So far in his short big league career he has gone on a number of pretty impressive hot streaks that would indicate to me that he can more then handle his own at the plate.He may need to do a better job of making adjustments when teams start pitching him a certain way so he can avoid prolonged cold streaks but other then that it appears to me that the Reds have a very solid Center Fielder for many years to come.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Captain Hook

With less then 400 big league PA Drew has shown that he can get the job done.So far in his short big league career he has gone on a number of pretty impressive hot streaks that would indicate to me that he can more then handle his own at the plate.He may need to do a better job of making adjustments when teams start pitching him a certain way so he can avoid prolonged cold streaks but other then that it appears to me that the Reds have a very solid Center Fielder for many years to come.

He's got a sub .700 OPS in just under 2 months this year. I'd say he hasn't proven a thing at the plate. The numbers with him batting 7th are encouraging, but I wouldn't bat him leadoff. Add in that whenever he's been at a level for an extended period of time, the league has figured him out pretty quick. High A, AA, AAA, and the majors.

Right now Cabrera has this line as the leadoff hitter: .333 .380 .409 .789 If he can keep that up, and Stubbs can post an .800ish OPS batting 7th, then his continued presence in a Reds uniform won't irk me so much.

But offensively, he hasn't proven jack. yet.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by TRF

He's got a sub .700 OPS in just under 2 months this year. I'd say he hasn't proven a thing at the plate. The numbers with him batting 7th are encouraging, but I wouldn't bat him leadoff. Add in that whenever he's been at a level for an extended period of time, the league has figured him out pretty quick. High A, AA, AAA, and the majors.

Right now Cabrera has this line as the leadoff hitter: .333 .380 .409 .789 If he can keep that up, and Stubbs can post an .800ish OPS batting 7th, then his continued presence in a Reds uniform won't irk me so much.

But offensively, he hasn't proven jack. yet.

Shocking!