What's the deal with Michael Garciappara?

by Keenlow on Apr 2, 2005 8:15 PM EST

I saw this guy in the Seattle vs. Chicago game and he got the winning run but i had never heard of him before. Where is he in the Mariners farm system and is he a legitamite prospect? what kind of tools does he have. He looks like his brother at the plate and on the field, is he Nomar mark II?

Thanks!

Keenlow

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Michael Garciaparra

Statistically, he is very mediocre. He's only 22 (today's his birthday), but in 876 minor league ABs, he's hit 3 homers, struck out 186 times, walked 95 times, and has a line of .242/.332/.314. At high-A Inland Empire last year, he put up a line of .226/.333/.316 in 234 ABs.

John can probably tell you more than I, so it's possible that he has a much higher ceiling. He didn't make John's top 20 though...

by kingofthehobos on Apr 2, 2005 8:54 PM EST reply actions

Michael Garciaparra

A little background - I may not be absolutely correct about his HS days but this is what I believe to be true. - Michael's primary interest in high school was soccer, not baseball. He was also a place kicker for his HS team. I believe he was injured in his senior year and did not play baseball. He did participate in area code games prior to his senior year.

Seattle made him a supplemental 1st round pick in 2001 out of HS. It was a shock to many experts that he was selected that high. He received a 2M bonus which was significantly higher than anyone taken as a supplemental. Seattle could easily have waited and taken him in a lower round. But based on the bonus they gave him, they obviously wanted him.

His minor league career has not been productive. Last season (his 3rd full season in pro ball) he had 234 ABs at Inland Empire (High A) and hit .226.

by waders on Apr 2, 2005 9:48 PM EST reply actions

Typical M's pick...

...that is to say, lots of tools, but not necessarily baseball skills, or such has been the pattern in prior years (could be changing).

All of the above is true, he was primarily a soccer player in high school, and he wasn't even really on the draft board for a lot of teams. If not for his name, he might be out of baseball already, if he was drafted at all. That aside, watching him for the past few years, I have to say his career has followed a particularly odd route: every year, he goes down with some rather serious injury (wrist, etc), comes back towards the end of the season, and hits like a completely different player (surprisingly, much much better). We've seen flashes of brilliance there, but it's hard to tell if and when he'll put things together for good.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." -- Samuel Beckett

by JY on Apr 3, 2005 12:13 AM EST reply actions

Pretty good analysis

To say that Michael rode Nomar's shirt-tales isn't completely true.

But he got a bump from the Mariners because of his physical similarity to his brother and the tools were there for him to be good player. I remember reading either right before or right after he was drafted that teams were comparing him to his brother after high school.

His development is slow but because of his lack of a "pure" baseball background he could be one of those late-bloomers who keeps hanging around and suddenly is a utility player at 29-30.

Or he could be living in his brother's basement listening to Journey CDs talking about the old days.

by rockies73 on Apr 5, 2005 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Nomar had...

The benefit of playing at GA Tech for a couple years as well as breaking in to wood bats in the CC league.

Besides, I thought the music of choice for washed up ballplayers was Springsteen. Maybe Glory Days...?

by IBCCommish on Apr 5, 2005 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

They probably

thought he was going to be just like his brother. The M's really only have luck drafting when they get the first pick dont they (Griffey, ARod). Their other "homegrown" prospects seem to be from trades (Reed).

by Zonis on Apr 3, 2005 3:58 AM EST reply actions