One warning though: I went to a D-Backs game a couple of years ago, and it was maybe 20% full. We had tickets near the back of the field boxes at the end of the first base line, and tried to move down to the first few rows (mostly empty). They had ushers assigned to prevent that, and we never were able to move down.
What I've read on Shuck, he doesn't have great range, because his speed is good, not great. He certainly isn't Michael Bourn. If you were okay with Biggio, Hidalgo (minus the arm strength), or Berkman manning center, than you will be okay with Shuck. I would love to see him play some infield positions and become a super utility player. He'd be a great player off the bench. LH bat, who can occasionally steal a base, will flat out hustle 100% of the time and be a good contact hitter, with a good eye.
my wife's scouting report is that she thinks he's hot :grin: it's her replacement for losing Biggio, really. as for Altuve, he's being super aggressive right now. he's young, though...i think he'll learn some patience. Martinez's 1st inning HR was refreshing. so great to see someone going opposite field on this team.
while they still will probably keep that .333 - .400 winning percentage, nights like last night are a ton of fun when almost all of your guys are very young. makes one wonder what might be ahead. kinda like '91. :grin::grin::grin::grin:
I thought about doing J.D. Martinez to Bagwell, but think the Gonzo fit is better. Schuck will never transform into what Finley became, but as of 1991, I think the comparisons aren't bad.
Shuck can't play center field every day, he doesn't have good enough instincts in the outfield. He has zero power so he can't play a corner outfield position everyday, either. He is a bench player in the majors.
Shuck got on base at a very high clip in the minors. I don't care if he has zero power, if his OBP is in the high .300's you play everyday, Even if it means playing him in RF. He isn't blocking any prospects at the moment, so he should have the everyday job for now to see if he can maintain that number. Most likely he can't and he's just a bench player, but we should give him a chance before making that assumption. Martinez, Schafer, Shuck should be the everyday outfield for the rest of the year. On a different note, Jason Bourgeois played decent 2B in the minors, before he transitioned to the outfield. If Bourgeois could play 2B and OF his value would be greatly increased as a potential Super-sub. I don't know why they gave up on that so quickly
Bourgeois played 2B earlier this year, and when healthy, he was a Super Utility player. Now, with Altuve at 2B, and an open spot in center, he is the regular CF. If Schafer is going to be here, he does have to play, even though that means the bench for Bourgeois.
I get the feeling Shuck is going to the minors once Schafer returns and Jason plays right. It should only be for a short time since the minor league season is almost over. Why Jason Michaels is still here is a mystery, JB should be taking up his spot on the roster. Schafer Altuve Jason B. Lee Martinez Paredes Barmes Q/Corp
Wasn't even thinking someone had to go. I'd put Jason at leadoff, drop Schafer to 8, and move J.D. to 3rd.
Crap... Thanks for the heads up. I'm thinking I'll just go straight to the stadium and see if I can buy some tickets right there. Don't know where good seats would be at Chase Field though. Maybe on the first or third base side?
What makes you think he can get on base at a high .300s clip in the majors? A .384 career OBP in the minors probably translates to about .350 in the majors. .700 OPS isn't good enough for a corner outfielder unless he's one of the best defensive COFers in the game. Shuck has a weak arm and takes poor routes, and his speed is above average, but not elite. He projects as an average to tick above average corner outfielder. Sorry to be a downer, but I just don't see the potential here for an everyday regular. He's got a very high floor and I expect his skills to translate well to the majors for what they are, but his ceiling is also very low, and he should wind up being a fourth outfielder at this level. I don't think either Shuck or Bourgeois are the long-term solution in right field, but you're correct that we don't exactly have a lot of options right now. I don't have any problem with letting those guys play for the rest of the year but I wouldn't expect them to stick.
Reportedly, Schafer will start a 3-4 game rehab assignment around August 20th. So it looks like a week only for whoever goes down.
Nice piece of hitting for Q and I was about to have issues if Paredes would have scarified the runners over.
