Wait a minute..............Jacoby Ellsbury

[hebroncougar]

Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_

Wasn't Stubbs in a similar situation? Power projection but very limited power displayed?

Stubbs was/is a couple of years younger.

[Spitball]

I don't think the speculation is fair. Was Barry Larkin up to something when he hit 33 homers?

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Spitball

I don't think the speculation is fair. Was Barry Larkin up to something when he hit 33 homers?

Absolutely.

[blumj]

Originally Posted by hebroncougar

Stubbs was/is a couple of years younger.

It's one year, right? Ellsbury just turned 27 on 9/11, which, while obviously very minor and quite OT, must really kind of stink.

[cincinnati chili]

Originally Posted by hebroncougar

I'm not buying that. He had 10 career minor league home runs in almost 1200 PA's. 20 career HR's in almost the same number of MLB PA's.

Good lord, it's 27 homers, not 50. I have no idea if he's clean or not, but this guy always made good contact and got on base when healthy. He doesn't look appreciably bigger. The most likely explanation is a change in approach. It's not like he was a weakling his whole life and showed up to camp ripped.

I think Ichiro could have hit 20/year a until a few years ago just by trying to.

He's a former first round pick and top prospect. Scouts are not surprised by this.

[membengal]

Tell you what, it is absolutely unheard of that a right-handed hitter could have a power spike in Fenway. That part really suppresses right-handed power...

Oh, wait.

[hebroncougar]

Go ahead and criticize......that what message boards are for, to discuss things out. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm not advocating we throw him out of baseball, all I said was he's a prime candidate in my book.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by hebroncougar

Go ahead and criticize......that what message boards are for, to discuss things out. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm not advocating we throw him out of baseball, all I said was he's a prime candidate in my book.

That's fine but it is tiresome when anyone with an increase in power numbers is tarred with the steroid brush. Jay Bruce has a career high in homers. You going to say he was juicing too?

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

Good lord, it's 27 homers, not 50.


I think Ichiro could have hit 20/year a until a few years ago just by trying to.

Phil Bradley 1985, Rollins and Phillips 2007, Paul Blair 1969, Tommy Holmes 1945.

This is too easy

[blumj]

Originally Posted by membengal

Tell you what, it is absolutely unheard of that a right-handed hitter could have a power spike in Fenway. That part really suppresses right-handed power...

Oh, wait.

He's a left-handed hitter.

[membengal]

Originally Posted by blumj

He's a left-handed hitter.

So you are saying the steroids turned him into a left-handed hitter?

[RichRed]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Phil Bradley 1985, Rollins and Phillips 2007, Paul Blair 1969, Tommy Holmes 1945.

This is too easy

Wade Boggs, 1987. Same team, same side of the plate as Ellsbury. Went from 5, 5, 6, 8, and 8 homers to 24. Personally, I think it was all that chicken he ate.

But maybe the chicken was on steroids.

[blumj]

Originally Posted by membengal

So you are saying the steroids turned him into a left-handed hitter?

To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out why someone would need steroids to heal broken ribs.

[nate]

Originally Posted by membengal

So you are saying the steroids turned him into a left-handed hitter?

That's a funny joke right there!

[TOBTTReds]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Wow. No one is safe these days are they? If anyone hits 20 HR's they are a steroid user aren't they?

What? Doug, you're missing the point unless you are just being smart. I know you are educated on who he is, but your comment makes no sense. He is the ultimate point your finger at him candidate. If someone like Brian McCann hit 50 HR's and someone called him out for possible juice, then I could see you saying "no one is safe these days."

Prior to this year:
07-10 = 1372 AB's with 20 HR; 69 AB per HR
2011 = 596 AB's with 27 HR; 22 AB per HR

Even in the minor leagues he had 10 HR in 1049 AB's; 105 AB per HR

This guy had 30 power at best! Now he's dropping serious bombs, and hitting them very far.

Certainly not saying he's on anything, but if they do HGH testing in the bigs next year and he gets popped, I wouldn't be surprised one single bit. There are a lot more players out there doing stuff that people just don't expect.