Sean Doolittle

by jvidri9 on Jul 10, 2008 8:48 PM EDT

Sean Doolittle...has he been called up to AA Midland permanently, or is this just an injury replacement thing? Either way, it's a little surprising since he's been struggling a bit at the plate lately.

Season numbers are still looking good (.945 OPS and 18 HR), but he's only batting .205 over his last 10 games.

What are everyone's thoughts on his status as a prospect? Solid player, future star, neither?

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The A's don't care about what a player has done in his last 10 games

I’ll guarantee you that much.

Coming into the season he looked like a Kotchman type—high average, modest power, very good defense. If the power spike is real, he’s got star potential. I’m an agnostic right now—I know what the CA league does to guys’ numbers, but at the same time he’s apparently put on a lot of muscle and they were raving about him in instructional league last year. I guess we’ll find out.

The A’s ‘07 draft looks great so far—Corey Brown just moved up to Stockton with very good numbers for the MWL. James Simmons’s last two outings have been a combined 16 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 16 K. Josh Horton still has a rock solid OBP, albeit with no power. Sam Demel has 60 Ks in 41 IP. Travis Banwart was out for a while with an injury but looks very good otherwise. Andrew Carignan’s been walk prone but has 50 K in 38 innings.

Really the only bust to this point is Grant Desme, who hasn’t been able to stay healthy for more than 5 minutes at a time.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Jul 10, 2008 9:14 PM EDT reply actions

K rate and power numbers

Be very skeptical of prospects who are striking out as much as Doolittle is doing to go along with the power numbers in the Cal League.

For a supposed polished college draftee, a 25% K rate in high A should be a red flag.

by npurcell on Jul 10, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Since I don't think any of us have seen him in 08

we probably should set aside any thoughts on what polish he was supposed to have coming out of college. I saw him at UVA and he did in fact look polished and did not strike out often at all. He also wasn’t very big and didn’t drive the ball deep (with his freshman year excepted)
He is a different player now

by nms on Jul 11, 2008 2:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Even though he was a year younger at the time

And performed better (more power), Jack Cust struck out even more often than Doolittle did. Their Cal League numbers are actually fairly similar, with Doolittle being a bit of a poor man’s Cust. The only thing that kept Cust out of the big leagues so long was being in organizations that didn’t understand his true value (and the A’s not having a spot for him in ‘05).

http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/

by thejd44 on Jul 11, 2008 5:43 AM EDT up reply actions

um

what?
The only thing keeping Cust out of the majors was other teams “not knowing” his value?

Get over yourselves. Realizing that walks n homers are cool isn’t like cracking the genome. People know this. What kept Cust out of the major was being a horrible defender and baserunner who made such poor contact for a few year stretch there that it took a lot off of his homer n walk abilities. Plus Cust was battling injuries from 04-06 or something, which damped his only plus tool (power) even more.

What kept Cust out of MLB was the fact that he was not a very good baseball player

And not in 500 years is Doolittle a poor mans Cust. They just are not very similar.

by nms on Jul 11, 2008 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

When I read the ‘poor man’s Cust’ I thought to myself, “Does thatmean Doolittle will spend most of his career in AA since Cust spent most of his in AAA?” Players like Cust and Dunn have their place in baseball, but I am not a fan of that skillset. No defense, inability to move runners on the basepaths unless they are walking or hitting homers, low doubles. I’ll take an OF who hits less homers, but can hit more doubles, play more defense, and hit over 270.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Jul 11, 2008 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I don't know

Maybe their similar size and similiar offensive skill set makes them pretty similar players, especially if Doolittle’s power is for real, which is what the comment was based on. My entire post was based on the offensive aspect, so to assume I was speaking of anything else is just plain idiotic.

http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/

by thejd44 on Jul 11, 2008 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Is it possible

to just correct someone when they misinterpret what you say without insulting them? Is that a requirement at this blogsite now?

“Must add insults to every argument.”

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Jul 11, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

really?

idiotic?
thanks.
I love how that is the immediate reaction. That because you said Doolittle was a poor man’s Cust and I thought you to mean that as an overall comparison of playing styles/abilities instead of just how they both, currently, hit for power and strikeout i am an IDIOT.

Isn’t it possible your writing was unclear? Or isn’t it possible that this is just a message board and I didn’t reread your post five times and critically examine all possible meanings of your words and I simply misunderstood you or made a mistake?
Really? That isnt possible?
The only explanation is that I am idiotic? Great

Also, even if Doolittle has recently added muscle I have a hard time believing he has similar size to Cust. Athletes don’t go from slim to lumbering in 6-8 months.

by nms on Jul 11, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

the trouble is

Doolittle didn’t just struggle for 10 games. After a strong April and May (yes, the k’s were high, but the walks and hits and hr’s where there too), he slumped in June and has continued that in July. The big problem is that his K’s went even higher, while his walks dropped off. I have high hopes for him, but he has a lot left to prove.

by ozzman99 on Jul 11, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions