Scout Thinks Crowe is Fastest in MLB

gonna try my own coding skills here since blockquoting doesn't work any more: Guess not Here we go, old fashioned style...
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[W]e asked a group of scouts to help us compile the five fastest men in the big leagues. Here's our top five:

4. Trevor Crowe (Indians): "You'd have a tough time convincing me he's not No. 1," said one scout.
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Also, in this column:
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Cliff Lee. The 2008 Cy Young winner is a free agent in seven months. But he had an ugly spring (46 hits in 21 2/3 innings), and he was a mess again Monday (5 IP, 10 H, 6 R). "He was awful this spring, but I chalked it up to spring training," said one scout. "He was better than that Monday, but not a whole lot. The common thread was, everything was middle-middle, and high all the time. It didn't matter what he threw. It was up, and it was out over the plate."
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almost 3 years ago westbrook 27 comments 0 recs |

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Cliff Lee is not really a free agent in seven months, of course.

Didn’t realize that Crowe had such extreme impact speed. Hasn’t been emphasized in scouting reports.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on Apr 9, 2009 11:54 PM EDT reply actions

I thought I recall Atkins saying the Indians acknowledge that Crowe has above average speed, but they don’t think his speed necessarily equates to that of an impact base-stealer at the major league level. He’s stolen bases at a 73% clip in his minor league career. I just googled for a bit but can’t find the article.

by xrickx on Apr 10, 2009 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Here are Crowe’s minor league stats, fwiw. 102/138 across all levels = 73.9%. Good memory

by SanD on Apr 10, 2009 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Stolen base rates are pretty unreliable in the minors, though—organizations are more willing to live with outs as the player learns the ins and outs of basestealing than they are in the majors. They’re not concerned with breakeven rates or anything like that.

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 10, 2009 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions

I actually thought Lee had decent stuff Monday. Great breaking ball. But as the scout said, he wasn’t driving his fastball down in the zone. Remember that last year, in addition to his great command, his GB/FB ratio was the best of his career by far. On Monday, only 3 of the 15 outs were on the ground.

by TribeJay on Apr 10, 2009 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

Maybe Lee didn’t do as many crunches during slow times in the duck blind during the off-season.

by Deep South Ken on Apr 10, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m guessing we would have known about Crowe’s speed if he were a part of an organization that values speed over on base and power skills. If he is indeed faster than Bourne, Reyes, Gomez, etc., another organization would have rushed him into the leadoff spot last season.

Or it simply could be one “scout’s” opinion.

by SanD on Apr 10, 2009 12:38 AM EDT reply actions

Ditto what people have said; I feel I’ve heard that he’s fast or an athlete, but never that he’s that quick. Nice to know it’s on the team, I suppose. Rather have him on that list than the slowest guy in the majors.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Apr 10, 2009 12:47 AM EDT reply actions

We have some other candidates for that one.

by still ill on Apr 10, 2009 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions

If Lee doesn’t locate, it’s going to be a long, long year.

by afh4 on Apr 10, 2009 12:48 AM EDT reply actions

I think Lee’s going to face the issue this year of most teams knowing that he’ll use his fastball to get ahead. I think this year, more than last, he’ll have to mix in the curveball for a strike early in the count. Still, he’ll have the establish the fastball. And like you said, it’s going to come down to location. If he gets it on the inside corner, or at least down in the zone, he throws a whole different ballgame on Monday.

by xrickx on Apr 10, 2009 3:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Not to pick on you, but you realize this is true for anyone who throws baseballs for a living.

by tabler84 on Apr 10, 2009 6:49 AM EDT up reply actions

But if say, Masa doesn’t locate, whatever. There’s a much higher leverage index for the Indians season based on whether or not Lee can locate.

On top of that, Lee’s entire gig is locating. If location is some kind of spectrum, Lee has to live at 90-100 on location, wheras somebody with much better stuff could be effectively wilf-Fausto only has to be around 60-70 prbably.

by afh4 on Apr 10, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Betancourt is another guy that absolutely needs to locate

by Roger Dorn on Apr 10, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Also mix in a second pitch every 15 pitches or so.

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 10, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

This is a nice example of why I don’t mind hearing from scouts, but I rarely find them as insightful as they think they are. There are empirical ways to measure speed. There is, of course, nothing wrong with saying that someone just looks wicked fast, but the power of observation is hardly sufficient in this case.

Also, what exactly does it mean to say that, “I chalked it up to spring training?” I mean, we know that spring generally entails loosening up and trying to work into form, but does this mean that even the biggest problems are absolved?

by tabler84 on Apr 10, 2009 6:52 AM EDT reply actions

I guess it’s possible, but I doubt that Crowe made the top 5 because one scout was really THAT convincing.

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Apr 10, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Doh. Galaragga with 2 (TWO!!) scoreless innings against the mighty Rangers. In Detroit, but still…

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Apr 10, 2009 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

Amazing what happens we you get ground balls. Many of them become outs, and even a 40 MPH wind can’t turn a grounder into a HR.

by FredOx on Apr 10, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t understand why Galaragga was lined up after Porcello in the rotation. Isn’t Galaragga ok?

by afh4 on Apr 10, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, when I checked to see who the marvel of the pitcher was that was shutting down the Rangers (sss) I expected it to be some bum. But it actually has to be him, since the other 4 have already pitched.

The ESPN depth chart lists Gala— 3rd behind Edwin Jackson. Which doesn’t make sense either.

Maybe they were saving Gala— for Texas, not expecting to need much pitching against the M’s?

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Apr 10, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Leyland made it pretty clear that he might like to start Armando Galarraga for the home opener April 10, depending on how the rest of the rotation works out. It would be a reward of sorts for the season he had last year, though I also imagine Galarraga’s temperament lends itself to not getting caught up in the atmosphere.

Link.

by FredOx on Apr 10, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions