Gordon Beckham

by deezle on May 4, 2008 8:21 PM EDT Comment 33 comments

Despite his ridiculous season, it seems as though Georgia's Gordon Beckham is still flying under the radar. Why?

At this point, Beckham is sporting an amazing line of 412/524/874(!) with 22 HR, 36 BB, 18 SO, and 16/17 on SB attempts. He plays at a premium position (shortstop) and can make all the plays. He's the leading contender for the Golden Spikes Award. So why is he not being talked about as a top three, or even top overall pick?

I've heard some doubt the power, but he had 25 HR combined during his first two years at Georgia, and led the Cape Cod League in HR and RBI last season. Some have doubts that he will stick at SS, but at best it seems like that is a split argument, and even the doubters concede that he would have no problem moving to 2B or 3B.

I guess I just don't understand what this guy has to do to get some real respect. I see him play and I think of Troy Tulowitzki or Evan Longoria. What do you guys think?

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Comp

I’ve read comparisons to Khalil Greene. Not sure if I agree or disagree with this.

GB has good pop and plays adequate defense for shortstop.

I have heard some concerns about his ability to hit for a high average at the ML level.

Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock!

by Dewey Finn on May 4, 2008 8:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

I’ve heard the Khalil Greene comp also, but Greene never displayed this kind of power while at Clemson.

I’m not sure if that comp started because of their similar size/body type, or because of the way they play.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sigh.

green never displayed what kind of power at clemson? his 26 HR, 30 doubles power his senior year?

i may the green comparison while writing for The College Baseball Blog. Green is much better defensively.
He does not figure to hit for alot of avg. right now because he is a extremely pull happy and does not have a great swing..but those are fixable.

by jsmall404 on May 4, 2008 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Double sigh

I should have said Greene never consistently displayed the type of power Beckham has. He had 13 HR his first two years – Beckham had 25. I’ve always thought Greene’s senior year was a bit of a fluke considering his three previous seasons, and it looks like that is accurate considering his less than stellar MLB career thus far.

I respect your comp, but I think Tulo or Longoria is a better one. Beckham has a long, powerful swing that will translate to big league power.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

wellll

that long powerful swing is why it looks like he wont hit for much average.

Green hasnt been amazing but hitting 27 HR last year at petco is very impressive.

Also, Tulo is light years better than Beckham at SS.

by jsmall404 on May 4, 2008 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Correct

Which is why the Khalil Greene comp doesn’t make much sense. Beckham projects to hit for much more power than Greene ever has in the majors.

Tulo being “light years” ahead of Beckham at SS is an exaggeration if I’ve ever heard one. Have you seen many of Beckham’s games this year? He’s made some fantastic plays this year. Now, I’ll give you that Tulo was the better defensive player coming out, but I think Beckham makes up for that by offering more at the plate.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

??

he will hit for much more HR that greene ever has!!!?? greene just hit 27 HR in the worst hitters park in the game..what world are you living in lol…
tulo is regarded as a top 3 defensive SS..beckham will never approach that.
i dont know if you are misinformed or just in love with beckham lol

by jsmall404 on May 4, 2008 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Greene

First, I’d appreciate it if you stop attempting to hijack this thread.

Second, I really, really hate the Khalil Greene comp. I don’t think the players are similar at all in how they play, and I question how much of either player you have actually seen.

Yes, Greene had 27 HR last year – that’s great, and in all likelihood that was a career year. He hit 15 each of the past three years before that, and I think most would agree that is the norm for him. As you said yourself, Beckham has a long swing, and that should translate into more power and probably less BA than Greene. Greene was never projected to have much power coming into pro ball, and until last year that analysis was accurate.

Finally, I stand by the fact that saying Tulo is “light years” ahead of Beckham is an extreme exaggeration. If you think Tulo is the next coming of Ozzie Smith then by my guest, but most will disagree with you. I can think of many SS that are better defensively than Tulo. As I have stated numerous times now, Tulo was better defensively when he came out, but I feel Beckham makes up for it with the bat.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

15 homers

from a SS in Petco is pretty damn good.
That qualifies as a power-hitting SS.
Also, you are throwing the 15 HRs out there as if those were full-seasons. Those 15 homer years game in 120ish games with 400-something at-bats;.
If he had had 611 at-bats those years, as he did in his 27 homer year, he would have been on a pace for 22 homers. Again, good for a shortstop period.. esp in Petco
Greene was projected to have some pop as a pro and has consistently shown good pop every year he has been in MLB.

And career years are not to be just thrown out of consideration or assume to be flukes. A guy setting a career high homer mark at age 27 is a demonstration of his peak talent, not some fluke

by nms on May 4, 2008 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tulowitzki vs Greene vs. Beckham

Just my two cents, but they’re all really similar players. If Tulowitzki were playing 81 games at Petco and Greene played 81 games at Coors Field, how would that affect their numbers?

As for Beckham, he’s an extreme pull hitter with shaky strikezone judgement. That’s going to make it tough for him to hit for average at the next level. The same things can be said about both Greene and Tulowitzki at the plate.

The one question I have about Beckham that I don’t have about Greene or Tulo is the glovework. I’m just not sure he’s rangy enough to be a major league shortstop, though at the same time Greene isn’t all that rangy either. He makes the most of his skills with good positioning though.

by jewscott on May 5, 2008 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

??

what are you talking about hijacking the thread? you have posted as much as i have…i didnt know the thread was only for guys who think he is a HOF lol.

for the record, i like beckham just fine..but to say he is better than green (27 HR) and tulo (29 HR) is just irresponsible at the point.

you can question how much i have seen of them all you want…i can say i have seen 1 game and i can say i have seen 30 and that wouldnt matter..i am not saying anythign on here that other people havent said..it is just evident you are biased towards him.

by jsmall404 on May 5, 2008 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

serious question

Do you have a learning disorder? If you do that’s fine, I will just stop arguing with you. At this point I have to imagine that you do, otherwise you wouldn’t continue to put words in my mouth.

Not once – NOT ONCE – in this thread have I insinuated that Beckham is a HOF player. The whole point of this thread was that I feel he has been underrated up to this point. If you can’t argue that intelligently without continually making extreme exaggerations, then find a new outlet for your illogical rants.

Obviously I don’t think he is better than either Tulo or Greene – it’s shocking that you can’t comprehend this by now. I think Tulo is a good comp to Beckham, but of course not a perfect one. I think the Greene comp is not a very good one, and is actually rather lazy as it appears you pulled it out of your ass because they are both short, white shortstops from the southeast.

I am not biased at all towards him; I’m not a Georgia fan and my favorite team won’t come close to drafting him. That said, I do think it’s curious that he has seemingly flown under the radar despite his great performances this year and in last summer’s Cape Cod League. I was hoping to generate good discussion on him as a prospect, but sadly you have attempted to takeover the thread.

I’m not sure if you’re the reincarnation of BravesFan07 or what, but you’re terribly annoying and repetitive. Good day.

by deezle on May 5, 2008 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

calm down

are you a little baby? it is obvious that the HOF reference was an exaggeration so stop crying about it. i said it because it is evident you created the thread because you thought everyone would agree with you, and its obvious they dont as referenced by you saying i “hijacked” your thread.

i have read people who actually do this for a living make the greene comparison..so no, i didnt pull it out of my ass. you are the only ass on here. a dumb one at that.

by jsmall404 on May 5, 2008 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So unfortunately for John...

he should have stepped in before this but you were allowed to get to this point. It’s funny that you are in an 2-3 threads seemingly every day arguing and they always seem to end with personal attacks/insults. That could mean 3 things as far as I’m concerned:

(1) coincidence (highly unlikely)
(2) that is what you want to happen
(3) you can’t have a discussion with someone without resorting to this level.

John really needs some mods or this behavior is going to get to a point where it is what is expected as it was on the old forum before the whole LaGoofy fiasco. You need to be pointed in the direction of the thread below…

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/5/2/471562/grow-up

by jfish26101 on May 5, 2008 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What is your problem?

Obnoxious loudmouths like yourself are keeping solid posters away from this site.

We all see your viewpoint on Beckham by now, so it’s time to move along and ruin other threads.

It’s too bad this site doesn’t have the ignore feature.

Founder of the Rowdy Hardy Fan Club

by eazyb81 on May 5, 2008 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

settle down

Settle down everyone. Nothing to fight about here. Take a deep breath and move on.

by John Sickels on May 6, 2008 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

calm down

Calm down. Back off.

by John Sickels on May 6, 2008 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and

you cant name 5 better defensive SS than Tulo…not with any accuracy anyway. reyes, green, tulo, escobar off the top of my head are the top 4.

you think scouts questions about beckham staying at SS are a joke?

by jsmall404 on May 5, 2008 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Stud

This guy will mash in the majors. He has improved his game tremendously this year and has convinced many scouts that he has the glove to stick at short. Personally, I see him developing into a player capable of hitting .290 with 30 homerun pop.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on May 4, 2008 8:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

GB

How exactly is he flying under the radar? He’s considered a top 10 pick.

But Beckham will never hit 30 HRs in a MLB season, at most, I see him developing into a .300, 20 HR, will average defense at SS, or great defense at 2B

by adschofield on May 4, 2008 8:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Eh

I rarely see a mock with him in the top five, and I think that’s where he deserves to go.

Plus, I think it’s a bit premature on your part to say he will “never” hit 30 HR in an MLB season despite the fact he’s currently leading the NCAA in HR.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

who are you gonna kick out?

the top 10 of this draft is very very good. its going to come down to cost and preference. SF, FLA, and Cinci 5-7 are all going to be in play for him.

I have also heard Pitt. is interested.

by jsmall404 on May 4, 2008 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Crow or Matusz

I love the upside of each, but I also don’t think either is worthy of a top 4 pick at this point considering the college positional talent available. Personally, I haven’t seen the consistent dominance from either player that warrants a pick that high.

Crow had his nice scoreless streak, but has fallen apart lately. I really like the arsenal Matusz brings to the table, but stuff-wise I still think he leaves a bit to be desired.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the only reason

i would kick 1 of them is out is if Crow really wants 7 million. yes, he is good, but he isnt 4 million better than some of the other players (like Beckham)

by jsmall404 on May 4, 2008 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

not really under the radar. If reports are correct, it’s between him, Posey and Pedro going #1 overall.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on May 4, 2008 9:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tim Beckham?

He’s no longer under consideration?

by deezle on May 4, 2008 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No he's there too

but the latest projections had those 3 as the main ones they were considering. But we’ve got a month till the draft. A lot can change.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on May 4, 2008 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chris Burke

I see a lot of similarites between Beckham and Chris Burke who hit .435 with 20 HRs and a 51-28 BB-K ratio his junior year at Tennessee. Burke, who stands 5’11’’, also had questions asked of his ability to remain at SS. After one half season in the minors, the Astros moved him to 2B. He turned into a fabulous prospect, but never became a great big leaguer.
One thing that Burke has that Beckham doesn’t is outstanding speed. Burke stole 49 bases in 55 tries his junior year. Beckham probably doesn’t have much more than 5 SB speed at the major league level.

The point of this isn’t to say Beckham will bust like Burke, but rather to say not all polished college hitters become .300, 25 HR hitters at the major league level. I think it’d be safer to project Beckham as a .280-.290, 15-20 HR hitter. Maybe a Rich Aurilia type hitter. He does seem to have good pop as he’s hit for double digit home runs every year at Georgia, but his averages the past two years were both below .310.

Best Case: Nomar Garciaparra (similar junior year numbers to Beckham)
Middle Case: Rich Aurilia, Khalil Greene
Worst Case: Chris Burke

by UncleBuck44 on May 4, 2008 10:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great points

There have been a handful of college middle infielders that put up eye-popping numbers, only to disappoint once they move on to pro ball. Beckham’s success with wood in the Cape last year makes me think his bat is real, but it’s hardly a certainty.

by deezle on May 4, 2008 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

just because a college SS hits for 20+ HR in a good conference dosent mean he is gonna be a perennial all star

by jsmall404 on May 4, 2008 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Being the best player in college ball

doesn’t mean you are going to be an MLB star, which is what you want to see a #1 pick become… or at lesat have a chance to become.
Im a UGA fan and I LOOOOOOOVE Beckham.. I’ve been on the Gordon Beckham Should be a First Rounder bandwagon since Feb or March 06. So its not like I’m biased against the guy..
But go back if you look at history being an amazing college player does not make you a surefire star.
Most Golden Spikes winners have become MLB regulars but not nessecarily superstars.

College stats aren’t going to tell you everything and a Khalil Greene comp is not unfair. Khalil Greene had one of, if not THE, most legendary college seasons ever and he has been a solid but unexceptional player.
I love Gordon but he is much more of a grinder with good talent that a guy with the top-flight athleticism that most #1 overall picks have.

by nms on May 4, 2008 11:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Outside of Tim Beckham

which of the top picks have “top-flight athleticism”?

I don’t think the OP is saying Beckham is definitely going to be an MLB All-Star; rather, he just thinks he’s a bit underrated based on his production and tools.

Beckham seems like a guy that gets by more on baseball skills than pure athleticism, but I’m not sure that should be a huge negative, especially when it seems like many of the top players in the draft this year are in the same boat. Just my 2 cents.

Founder of the Rowdy Hardy Fan Club

by eazyb81 on May 4, 2008 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

not making a big deal of this

but how many people think to say that with his flaws RIGHT NOW – it is safe to say that he will be an above average player (top 15 SS) but not elite (top 5)? comparing him to tulo (who was a top 5 SS last year) is a lot different than green (who has been solid at the plate, and great defensively).

by jsmall404 on May 5, 2008 4:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs