The only things I would disagree here is 1) I don't see a path for Julks. He is limited to LF and hits RH. If he outplays Kessinger and Hensley the team will still need a player to backup Bregman and Dubon has played a total of 2 innings There his 2 seasons in Houston. If they keep him AND one of those guys they don't have a lefty on the bench. 2) I think Leon has a bit more opportunity than the others you lumped him in with. He has an extremely high ceiling, already has 2 full years in AAA, is coming off of a great winter ball season, and Brown has spoken publicly about his chances.
Got back from west Palm beach today. Tips/suggestions: - on non game days, seems like guys get their work in the field and cages in morning, and action dies down by noon. So go early if you want photos and or autographs. - if you want to chase autographs on game day, the grassy area in the stands between third base and left field is a good spot. Players. Also, go early for BP. Balls flying to the outfield concourse. West Palm: in the park area at the intersection of Clematis and Narcissus, they have live music thursday night, and the whole area has a huge farmers market on Saturday morning before 1pm or 2 pm. Lots and lots of good looking food vendors for breakfast and lunch. Pretty impressive. Supposedly one of the better farmers markets in the region. Many restaurants and bars up and down clematis. Ristorante Santucci was particularly good. We stayed at The Ben. Good hotel. Rooftop pool, DJ and drinks in afternoon and evening. Outdoor dining up there too, good view of bay and yachts in marina. My only criticism is lack of diverse food options, especially compared to what’s available in Houston. Reflects the relative lack of diversity in West Palm, and even moreso in Palm Beach.
to be sure, plenty of salads on every menu, along with seafood like salmon, scallops, branzino, octopus. It’s what you would expect for Atlantic coast, upscale area. Just not the breadth of offerings we are used to here in Houston: Mexican, Cajun, vietnamese, Jamaican, Indian, Korean, Chinese, there was one casual/takeout sushi place I walked by. It just reminds me how good we have it here in Houston.
Whitley. But that article highlighted a lot of things I have said repeatedly that give me hope for Leon. His development has been so frequently interrupted (injuries, defection, pandemic, position changes) that it’s probably not fair to judge him like a typical 25 year old international prospect. The tools are there. The odds have decreased, but there’s still a chance he can be a star level player.
They are skinny for a reason. HORRIBLE FOOD. However; while I was in St. Pete a little north, I had the best egg rolls ever. A Vietnamese restaurant used all carrots in place of cabbage. I don't know if it was a regional variation or just that restaurant, but I loved them and would buy a dozen to bring back to the hotel.
Those are Vietnamese egg rolls- full of pork meat, carrots and woodear mushrooms. If you live in Houston, you should know this. Every vietnamese restaurant has them and there are a lot vietnamese restaurants here. They are far superior to the Chinese egg rolls you get at the Americanized Chinese restaurants.
I don't live in Houston anymore (left in 91) and there is little variety in Orange beyond the basics. I'm glad to know I should be able to get them if I find a Vietnamese Restaurant.
I was just checking the web and spotted 3 or 4 in each of BMT and PA. Only 1 with a post COVID comment though.
They saw the Sheffield-like bat speed, the elite burst of speed, cannon of an arm and Roberto Clemente athleticism and figured they could teach him how to make contact…. That has not worked out well. It is possible that he actually plays better in the big leagues than AAA - he is talented enough to do that. Still I don’t want him up in the playoffs with a watermelon sized hole in his swing.
The position changes was ridiculous and not fair to him. He came over to the US from Cuba and was learning English and getting used to a new culture… then COVID hits and costs him a whole year … and then the Astros pull this bullshit about playing him at SS when he wasn’t even comfortable hitting yet. Lots of physical talent there. They have tried to make him more selective when I really think they should have let him swing away. Let’s see what happens, wouldn’t be a shock if he is out of baseball but wouldn’t be shocked if he becomes a 4-5 WAR outfielder either. He tends to hit good pitching well.
It almost sounds like Altuve with his Bat to ball skills which makes him a unicorn being able to hit balls out of the zone and miss balls in the zone. It just goes against the typical instruction and training methods. But I could be wrong since I wouldn't know what I was seeing even if I could.
I just dont get all of the Singlton love? He's a AAAA guy at best. Cabbage may also be that guy and time will tell on this. I like that they brought in the dude Gittens and Cabbage who were highly regarded prospects at one time with a lot of skills, who for one reason or another fell off of the prospect map. Get enough of these types of guys and eventually you will hit on a lotto ticket.
