So I have really gotten back into the Astros b/w last year and this year. I think this is my first post in this forum but here it goes.... I was blown away yesterday watching how smart this guy is. Couple things stood out to me. First was the intelligence to block the throw by Betances. You can bet your ass that Correa was gambling that Betances wouldn't know to just hit him with the ball. Correa smart and Betances dumb. The most amazing play was on his steal. Watch how he keeps his toe on the bag. He has a lot going on and yet has the intelligence and body control to keep his toe on the bag the entire time. One slip and you are out. He gets up and tells them to challenge it right away. I was amazed.
I'd have to go back to Caesar Cedeno to name an Astro who played the game so fluidly; he's the complete package - he makes it looks effortless. I have no idea how he kept his foot on the bag on that steal; it was almost like he willed his body to just stop its forward momentum. What struck me yesterday, for some reason... we likely, assuming health, have the AL's starting SS for the next 8-10 All-Star games.
While I don't disagree that he's a sharp player, gambling that a pitcher may not know a rule isn't really smart. He basically gave Betances a free out, on what would have otherwise been a very tough play, even if he wasn't in the baseline. I would chalk that more up to luck. And body control and intelligence aren't really related. Good steal, but I wouldn't call being able to stay on the base "smart". One thing I have noticed is his speed. Coming up he was projected to have solid, but unspectacular speed. But he plays very fast, it certainly seems like a plus tool, which it wasn't supposed to be.
Agreed; I thought it was smart of him to purposefully run almost literally on top of the ball to disrupt Betances, which, I think, he was able to do. If you watch the replay, it sure looks like he made a conscious decision to run inside the baseline and be a distraction.
Everything he does just looks so natural... he was born/bred to play this game. Very scary for the rest of the league once he actually gets accustomed and completes his learning curve...
He mentioned in an interview this offseason that one of the things he worked on over the winter was speed and quickness, because he wants to steal more bases and stay at SS longterm.
I am surprised there is a thread commenting on Correa's intelligence that does not cite his several articles. Personally, I love that he writes an occasional column, and I tend to agree with his stances. From 2 days ago: http://solecollector.com/news/2016/04/carlos-correa-baseball-is-not-dying http://www.theplayerstribune.com/carlos-correa-astros-mlb-puerto-rico/ He might've authored more articles; these are the only two I recall. Still must reads for Astro fans, IMO.
cool articles. This wasn't penned by him, but it fits this thread in that it highlights his interest in learning English from a young age, and his understanding of personal branding / the complexities of the business+sports world. bleacherreport.com/articles/2628538-brand-name-ambition-astros-carlos-correa-focuses-on-baseball-and-a-lot-more
