Phelps to CWS
by palcal on Jun 7, 2008 11:48 PM EDT
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PrintStanford swept the best-of-3 super regional at Fullerton and is headed to the College World Series, beginning Friday. However, after going 1 for 5 last night, the Indians 3rd round draft choice Cord Phelps was out sick tonight in Stanford's 8-5 victory.
Following up on another top Indian draftee from Stanford, Jeremy Guthrie picked up his 11 QS of the season today to lead the American League. The Indians great rotation is led by Lee with 9QS. Byrd, Sabathia, Carmona, and Laffey have 6 each.
Interestingly, Guthrie is 3-6 and Sabathia is 3-8.
Maybe Guthrie was not a flash in the pan last year and he will go done as another Shapiro blunder a la Brandon Phillips.
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That teams let some players go that, in retrospect, they wish they hadn’t. And that sometimes teams sign players they shouldn’t. The Cleveland Indians are no exception.
One of many penetrating insights often found throughout the Internet.
And, oh yeah, you can see a current Cleveland draftee play in the College World Series that may or may not be one of those players.
"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay
what does that have to do with Phelps?
And I don’t care. Even if I used to, that horse is so dead it’s ridiculous.
I was trying to figure out why the Chicago White Sox signed Ken Phelps. Then i remember – oh year we drafted some guy name Phelps – he must be in the College World Series. :)
Nice to have at least one draftee to watch. I have to get to Omaha some season. Problem is my son’s baseball season runs too late.
Living in Nebraska, the CWS is really sweet. I go pretty much every year. This year I’ll have a future member of the Tribe to watch!
I grew up in Omaha and we went every year when I was a little kid. I loved it (and not just because we’d usually go the zoo before-hand).
by APV on Jun 8, 2008 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
What I found intriguing in watching Phelps swing is that he did not have a “leveled plane” swing that you would typically find in a non-power hitter. I would love to compare his swing from his freshmen/sophomore years to his junior year. I would almost guarantee that he adjusted it to add some uppercut. The jump in HR numbers just seem to indicate that.
I really wonder if the Indians see someone with untapped power potential.
Maybe I’m totally off on this, but when you watch a million major league swings (and minor), and then switch to watching a few pingy college at-bats, the swings look totally different. Watching Cord on Friday, he kept using this tremendous upper cut, with his hand close into his body. Like he was really trying to lift every pitch.
But then I kept watching, and most of the hitters had that same swing, on both teams. I assume its a metal bat thing, and I also assume that someone with more (some?) expertise has already analyzed this.
Yea…the bat thing would make absolutely zero difference. And Lonnie Chisenhall actually has a very “leveled plane” swing. That would debunk the college players all swing the same thought.
I actually think that what was going on was the function of two hitting coaches teaching their players to swing the same way. In college that is usually going to happen. A hitting coach will teach one way to hit and one way only.
I don’t mean to lump the swings of every college hitter together.
But I have to disagree: I think using a metal bat is fundamentally different enough that the hitters (speaking generally) can often develop different mechanics and need adjustments when switching to wood bats. No?
Can’t imagine why. The ball is supposed to travel farther when hit with a metal bat – less deformation I’m told – so why you’d upper cut a ball eludes me. Line drives is what you want dude – line drives.
"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay
Even the flattest swings have a slight upper cut. It is absolutely impossible not to have a slight upper cut. If you have a bat and a video camera by you just tape yourself swinging as flat as possible. Then watch the video and you will notice the upper cut.
Lonnie Chisenhall’s swing is nice because he keeps his bat relatively flat compared to other swings. Thus, a higher line drive count than other hitters.
Plenty of college hitters use both metal and wooden bats within a season. There is no real affect on the swing of changing between the two. The shape and feel of the bat is the same no matter what it’s made out of. It’s not like you’re changing from a baseball bat to a gold club.
A wooden bat can be heavier than a metal bat. And when we’re talking heavier it usually isn’t by more than a few ounces. That is really the only difference I can imagine.
gold club = golf club
Although, using a gold club serves the same purpose in that statement.
Man, I even previewed that post and I messed up the grammar in one spot and there was a spelling error.
gold club = patrick ewing
Sure the shape is the same, but that’s about it. But the weight distrubition is differently, and every hitter I’ve ever heard talk will tell you about how much more forgiving the metal bats are. And ounces make a difference.
It can be important to scouts that a college guy plays in a wood league. I’ve read several times that those leagues are important for just that reason.
I think you’ll have a hard time finding a scout or a hitter who says there’s no difference beyond a bit of weight and distance.
One specific thing you hear about all the time, in addition to the “sweet spot” difference, is that metal bats allow for a more upper body generated swing. The thought is that upper body power isn’t going to translate to the wood bat all that well.
Ok…we both know that a wood/metal bat will have different affects on the path of the ball.
What you are contending is something else altogether. You are saying that what bat they use changes the way a hitters swings it. It does not. A hitter may show less power when using a wooden bat, but I can guarantee a hitter doesn’t go up to the plate saying that they need to change their swing because of it.
A hitter’s swing may be altered at the next level because, as you said, they don’t use their lower body as much as they should. But that is a fundamental flaw in the swing. It isn’t changed because of the switch to wooden bats. It is changed because a hitter is wasting effort, energy, and potential power by only using part of their body.
I’m not sure where we got off track, but just to be clear: yes the hitter is the one making the adjustments, not that bat. I didn’t realize that was the argument.
When switching to a wood bat, a hitter may have to adjust his swing to have similar success. My originial point was that you see some different swings at the college level because (in part) it results in success with a metal bat – even if it would be less successful with a wood bat. Not that the bat made them do it.
This is, all things considered, one of the dumbest and most annoying posts I’ve ever seen here. First the headline of course: Phelps generally would be understood to be Josh Phelps. CWS generally would be understood to be Chicago White Sox.
And the whole thing is a moronic and not-even-thinly veiled non sequitir to bashing the Indians for letting Jeremy Guthrie go, which is (a) stupid in its own right, (b) already covered to death many times, and© has nothing to do with the alleged topic of the post, or in fact anything at all.
palcal, this isn’t the worst Diary/FanPost ever, but if we excluded those written by brand-new users, it just might be. Next time you post anything, anywhere on the Internet, I really suggest you take at least five seconds to consider (a) how someone else reading it might interpret it, (b) whether it makes any sense and, (c) whether anybody would actually care to read it.
For now, my suggestion would be that you edit the headline — either “Draft pick going to College World Series” or “Guthrie waaaaaaaaah” would work — or better yet, just delete the whole thing.
Plus, it should be a FanShot.
I prefer that he stick to pointless stats at the end of game threads, but that’s just me.
by supermarioelia on Jun 9, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Somewhat O/T, but when exactlly is Slider’s birthday? I’d appreciate the help with this.
by jhon on Jun 9, 2008 1:38 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Interestingly, Guthrie is 3-6 and Sabathia is 3-8.
This is my favorite part. I can’t even figure out if it’s a misguided attempt to say Guthrie is better than C.C. or not.
Yeah. Also! If it IS an attempt to say Guthrie is better than C.C., then by the logic of a mind that would use W-L to evaluate such a statement, it is saying “Guthrie sucks less than C.C.”
Well of course! those two losses CC caused are probably going to cost us the division! If we had Guthrie instead of CC than we would just have two less games played. The Logic!
Yes professor AngG, I’ll be sure to resubmit my 3 page research paper with the corrections you indicated I should make as well. Hopefully I get my grade ten if I can pass your class.
“Well that’s exactly right.”
Guthrie = 3-6 record = Jason Johnson = Who cares if he’s gone?
Sabathia = 3-8 record = Ryan Drese = Who cares if he leaves?
by Jay on Jun 9, 2008 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions
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