Whatever it might cost to have him come mentor young hitters each spring training, it would probably be worth it.
There are few players I ever watched in an Astros uniform who I had more confidence in when they stepped into the batter's box and enjoyed watching every plate appearance more than Brantley. He joined a roster with already absurd expectations and almost immediately somehow exceeded them to become a fan favorite. I wished his body would have cooperated, but even with all the missed time, I ultimately think he was worth every penny the team spent on him over five years. Dude will be seriously missed, and I'd love for him to find a home with the organization in some capacity down the line.
One last note... the infuriating thing about last season is that I felt he wasted away on AAA or on the bench when he was healthy and ready to go.
It really came off like Dusty wanted Brantley to be an everyday player (or close to it), and Brantley's body just wasn't up for it. I think it is pretty clear Brantley was healthy enough for a while that he could have been a pinch hitter/occasional starter, and likely would have been better than Julks, Hensley, Singleton. Wanting Brantley to play everyday is not neccesarily a bad thing, but keeping him AAA because he couldn't was a bad call by whoever made it (I'm pretty sure Dusty was for keeping him down, but don't know if Brown was as well)
He was healthy but Dusty insisted in giving up back-to-back days off with the mentality of 'I'll give them one more day after they said they are ready.' Then his use in the playoffs ruined his rhythm. He also played a good number of games consecutively in Sugar Land when he could have replaced the dead weight of Corey Julks.
Hurray! Health and happiness to the Brantley family. Our favorite uncle will always be welcome in Houston. Hope he has a long and happy retirement.
Yeah I'm grateful for whatever he said. Did anyone mention what he said or did that end up staying inside the clubhouse?
Loved his fit with this Astros dynastic lineup. Rarely felt more confident in anybody else to get a hit when he was healthy.
I would love to see this. Thanks for the memories Uncle Mike...........as another poster stated, I felt more confident with him at the plate more than any other hitter
Let him design the role. Time off for his family appears to be the immediate concern, but a smaller, less demanding immediate role which could later expand if he chooses might appeal to him.
Well deserved retirement for a player who epitomized “professional”. There is a lot to be learned about Brantley’s approach not just for baseball f but for any demanding task in life.
