Ross Atkins confirms Goedert injury troubles hampered production

From Tony Lastoria's site

"Q: What can we take from Triple-A Columbus third baseman Jared Goedert’s performance so far this year?

RA: I think the interesting thing with Jared is that he injured his shoulder [in 2007] at a time when we were moving him through the system at a time similar to how we would be moving him this year. He was outperforming the league and the best hitter in the league at the time. At the time he was having some pain in his shoulder and we were also asking him to play some second base and it compounded and turned into an injury. Whether or not it was second base or the increased throwing it is hard to say, but I think it just took this long to get his swing and confidence back. I think initially what it took was a lot of time working through pain and finding exactly where he could swing the bat without pain, and then getting to the point where he was pain free enough to have the most efficient and productive swing possible. I think it was just the time that it took because he came into spring training [this year] and our hitting coordinator and hitting coaches all said to a man, 'wow, Jared has his swing back". Sure enough, five games into spring training he had several home runs and was having great days and he has just continued that from day one of the season."

almost 2 years ago V-Mart Shopper 24 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Interestingly, in this article Tony also asks Atkins who are the surprises this year, and Atkins mentions Phelps, Sturdevant, Stowell, and Chun Chen. Either he accidentally omitted Joe Gardner, or they were expecting him to progress this quickly coming into the season.

In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).

by V-Mart Shopper on Jul 15, 2010 11:13 PM EDT reply actions

He’s not really moving that quick. Is he having a great year? Sure. But he was a 3rd round pick out of college and turned 22 before the season started.

He wouldn’t necessarily be behind if he spent the whole year in low-A. As a third-round pick college pitcher, though, I wouldn’t call him ahead of schedule just by being in Advanced A-ball.

by xrickx on Jul 15, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I meant to say he wouldn’t be behind if he spent the whole year in Lake County. But that puts him in his age 23 season in Kinston. Then age 24 in Akron. And age 25 in Cbus, if we’re following the usual slow path Cleveland takes. And that’s nothing special.

Ideally, he starts next year at age 23 at Akron, has a good first half, then finishes up in Cbus. Then, he’s a major league option at age 24 in 2012.

by xrickx on Jul 15, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think the Indians hold back pitchers drafted out of college if they’re getting the strikeouts. They often will jump two levels in one season if not three.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2010 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions

The title is a bit deceptive. How about past injury troubles? Not that the franchise would collapse if Goedert disappeared tomorrow, but yea.

by xrickx on Jul 15, 2010 11:42 PM EDT reply actions

I didn’t realize that could be misinterpreted. “Deceptive” implies that I purposely misled people, which I certainly did not.

In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).

by V-Mart Shopper on Jul 16, 2010 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

“Deception” does not imply intent. The title deceives even if the author intended no deception.

Now go edit the title.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2010 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions

I had already edited it a long time ago.

In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).

by V-Mart Shopper on Jul 16, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

I didn’t think you were trying to be cute with the headline. Intent or not, I just imagined everyone who read it thinking “Great, now Goedert’s hurt?!?”

by xrickx on Jul 16, 2010 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions

On a substantive level, I will say that health definitely is a skill worth having. We’re all familiar with the hangover effect surgery has on a pitcher. Sometimes, not getting surgery (because it’s not necessary) requires a longer recover time. I’m glad to see Goedert healthy again.

There’s also the chance that Goedert is having a phenomenal hot streak, and it will amount to nothing substantially better than what Jhonny Peralta gives. Or even if his hot streak is his true level, what does it mean at the major league level? Look at what Kouzmanoff did prior to this year, albeit in the NL West yet in a huge ballpark. Look at what he’s done in Oakland this year. No great shakes, right? At least not better than Peralta, offensively.

The reality is, Goedert’s 25 and probably not that good of a hitter. And if he is, then the only thing that makes him better than Jhonny Peralta (still just 28 years old) is 1) better defense and, most importantly, 2) doing it for $400K. And we know he’s now been publicly labeled by the organization as needing to clean up his defense at third base, so the only thing he has going for him is the cheap thing.

On a different note, Peralta is 28 and finishing his 6th full year in the major leagues, having spent parts of 8 seasons with the Indians. Wow, did he come up young. Wow, did I think he was going to be really good.

by xrickx on Jul 16, 2010 3:35 AM EDT reply actions

I think you’re going a little too far. It’s enough to say that this is a hot streak. It’s too far to say that if this is “his true level” then it’s no big deal. His MLE, including both Akron and Columbus, and that would put him in the top 10 of major league 3b.

by dgcambridge on Jul 16, 2010 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

As a Cleveland fan, I want nothing more than this to be his true talent level. But the infrequency with which he’s performed, whether it be attributable to poor health or any other reason, gives more room for skepticism.

by xrickx on Jul 16, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Yep

by dgcambridge on Jul 16, 2010 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Hard hit balls. To me that will always be called the Jared Goedert Award.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2010 9:39 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Having a breakout performance against kids three years younger than you and then going into a three-year slump. To me that will always be called the Scott Bricker Award.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2010 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions

we need an award for failed second base conversions, too. The Trevor Crowe, Not that Good an Athlete Award.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Just had to post this from Castro’s latest Inbox:

Where did this Jared Goedert come from, and will he be in line to replace Jhonny Peralta if he’s traded?
— Ryan M., Lakewood, Ohio

Goedert was raised by wolves in the Pskem Mountain Range of Uzbekistan. He was discovered by Georgian Apostolic Orthodox monks and was employed, at a young age, as a short-order cook for the Archbishop of Constantinople. He ran away at 16 and hitched a ride on a train to Nettuno, Italy, where he learned baseball from the locals and was discovered by legendary European scout Angelo Giuseppe Rosetti. Goedert fell in love with Rosetti’s daughter, the voluptuous Viviana Rosetti, whose lifelong dream was to study kinesiology and dietetics at Kansas State. Geodert followed her there, and the Indians drafted him in 2006.

by mcrose on Jul 16, 2010 12:12 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs