Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

RedsFanatic · 07-16-2006, 11:06 AM

I've seen Bruce often compared to Larry Walker. Bruce strikes me as much more athletic than Walker and a better fielder. The only player that strikes me as having a similiar tool set as Bruce is Vernon Wells. Thoughts?

icehole3 · 07-16-2006, 11:36 AM

Ive seen him a half dozen times now and yes Walker with speed is what Im seeing. He hasnt drove the ball to left the annoucers say he's working on that, but he'll get better. He's a contact guy, thats what I like most about him.

StillFunkyB · 07-16-2006, 11:49 AM

The thought of Deno, Bruce, and Dunn gives me chills.

Steve4192 · 07-16-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedsFanatic

Bruce strikes me as much more athletic than Walker and a better fielder.

I'm guessing you don't remember Larry Walker when he was a young pup.

Larry was one of the most athletic young OF in all of MLB. He was a high percentage base stealer who could swipe 20-30 bags, leg out oodles of extra base hits, track down just about anything in RF, and had a howitzer attached to his shoulder. Larry has six well deserved gold gloves and was among the most feared RF in MLB (both at the plate and in the field) before age slowed him down.

If Jay Bruce even has a smidgen of the athleticism and talent of a young Larry Walker, he will be one heck of a player.

cincyinco · 07-16-2006, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainHook

I'm guessing you don't remember Larry Walker when he was a young pup.

Larry was one of the most athletic young OF in all of MLB. He was a high percentage base stealer who could swipe 20-30 bags, leg out oodles of extra base hits, track down anything just about anything in RF, and had a howitzer attached to his shoulder. Larry has six well deserved gold gloves and was among the most feared RF in MLB (both at the plate and in the field) before age slowed him down.

If Jay Bruce even has a smidgen of the athleticism and talent of a young Larry Walker, he will be one heck of a player.

Amen to that brotha! Living in Colorado, I got to see plenty of Larry Walker. The guy was absolutely amazing in his prime. He could def. do it all, including gunning out runners at 1st who thought they had singled. If Bruce can be Larry Walker part deux, we'll all be very very fortunate. He'll be what we all thought Austin Kearns should have been.

Doc. Scott · 07-16-2006, 05:31 PM

Walker's problem was that he was injury-prone. Otherwise I'm echoing the rest of you on his ability to do it all.

LoganBuck · 07-16-2006, 10:38 PM

I once saw Walker throw a Dodger out at the plate from about two steps in front of the warning track. It was absolutely amazing. The nondescript runner, looked up and shook his head.

thatcoolguy_22 · 07-17-2006, 04:06 PM

I once saw Larry Walker finger paint with 3 orphans in between the 3rd and 4th in Pittsburgh. Afterwords, words were exchanged over their quality of work and he ate them...

WVRed · 07-18-2006, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StillFunkyB

The thought of Deno, Bruce, and Dunn gives me chills.

The thought of Griffey, Dunn, and Kearns gave me chills once.

If he can duplicate the 1997 version of Larry Walker, I will be very, very happy.

Steve4192 · 07-18-2006, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVRed

If he can duplicate the 1997 version of Larry Walker, I will be very, very happy.

That might be asking a little bit much, given that Bruce won't be playing in Coors Field. I would be perfectly happy if he turns into the 1994 version of Walker.

guttle11 · 07-18-2006, 04:51 PM

As long as Jay knows how many outs there are when he catches a fly ball, the comparison to Walker is a good thing to hear.

cincyinco · 07-18-2006, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc. Scott

Walker's problem was that he was injury-prone. Otherwise I'm echoing the rest of you on his ability to do it all.

Yes, that is true.. its a shame too.. becuase when he was on.. well - i'm not sure that there was really any better RF in baseball - aside from perhaps Vlady.. but he was defenitely awesome. I'm fortunate to have been able to watch him for quite a few years.

Doc. Scott · 07-18-2006, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincyinco

Yes, that is true.. its a shame too.. becuase when he was on.. well - i'm not sure that there was really any better RF in baseball - aside from perhaps Vlady.. but he was defenitely awesome. I'm fortunate to have been able to watch him for quite a few years.

Vlad has never been the defensive player Walker was, with the possible exception of the arm. Walker was much more fundamentally sound all-around.

dabvu2498 · 07-19-2006, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc. Scott

Vlad has never been the defensive player Walker was, with the possible exception of the arm. Walker was much more fundamentally sound all-around.

The guy that plays RF in Seattle could be in that mix as well. He can D up.

Superdude · 07-19-2006, 11:30 PM

Bruce's frame and swing remind me of Justin Morneau. It's hard to compare numbers this early in Bruce's career, but their power and patience has been pretty much identical in their first low A season.

07-16-2006, 11:06 AM	#1
RedsFanatic Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 146	Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? I've seen Bruce often compared to Larry Walker. Bruce strikes me as much more athletic than Walker and a better fielder. The only player that strikes me as having a similiar tool set as Bruce is Vernon Wells. Thoughts?

07-16-2006, 11:36 AM	#2
icehole3 Member Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 3,036	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? Ive seen him a half dozen times now and yes Walker with speed is what Im seeing. He hasnt drove the ball to left the annoucers say he's working on that, but he'll get better. He's a contact guy, thats what I like most about him.

07-16-2006, 11:49 AM	#3
StillFunkyB Your killin' me Smalls! Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 3,098	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? The thought of Deno, Bruce, and Dunn gives me chills. __________________ "And the fact that watching him pitch is like having someone poop on your soul." FCB on Gary Majewski

07-16-2006, 05:31 PM	#6
Doc. Scott Lover of Trivialities Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Portland, OR (West Chester, OH) Posts: 6,073	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? Walker's problem was that he was injury-prone. Otherwise I'm echoing the rest of you on his ability to do it all.

07-16-2006, 10:38 PM	#7
LoganBuck I hate the Cubs Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 5,627	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? I once saw Walker throw a Dodger out at the plate from about two steps in front of the warning track. It was absolutely amazing. The nondescript runner, looked up and shook his head. __________________ Whenever you get mad over a called strike or ball on a close pitch, it's the equivalent of being mad at the QB pump-faking one time before throwing a pass in your average NFL game. ---Caveat Emperor

07-17-2006, 04:06 PM	#8
thatcoolguy_22 Battle Toad Historian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pyeongtaek, ROK Posts: 1,662	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? I once saw Larry Walker finger paint with 3 orphans in between the 3rd and 4th in Pittsburgh. Afterwords, words were exchanged over their quality of work and he ate them... __________________ A lil more east than most on this board.

07-18-2006, 04:51 PM	#11
guttle11 Raaaaaaaandy Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 4,118	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? As long as Jay knows how many outs there are when he catches a fly ball, the comparison to Walker is a good thing to hear. __________________ "I saw Wedding Crashers accidentally. I bought a ticket for Grizzly Man and went into the wrong theater. After an hour, I figured I was in the wrong theater, but I kept waiting. That’s the thing about bear attacks. They come when you least expect it."-Dwight K. Schrute

07-19-2006, 11:30 PM	#15
Superdude Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 2,470	Re: Comparisons for Jay Bruce?? Bruce's frame and swing remind me of Justin Morneau. It's hard to compare numbers this early in Bruce's career, but their power and patience has been pretty much identical in their first low A season.

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