microline133

8 hours ago, theroundsquare said:

mostly because the parks tend to be so big?  

Big parks, typical weather conditions, more consistently advanced pitching than most teenagers have ever faced, physical maturity, skill/approach development.....it's all of those things for a teenager in A-ball.

7 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

one report I read along the way said Clark's frame was already nearly maxed out (no pun intended). I assume that kind of assessment entails a fair amount of guesswork given all the genetic variability in the population, but FWIW I suppose if that person was right he would be closer to his power than a kid expected to fill out more?

Depends who is saying he's maxed out....some armchair scout looks at some pictures or some video and see his listed characteristics, then I'd say they are full of ****. If it's a real scout with some experience....a guy that's met the family and seen the physical maturity of parents, siblings, close relatives, etc., and been able to see his physical development over time, then if they're saying he's maxed out, I'm more inclined to listen.

From what I know....I wouldn't say maxed out. I would say physical development is not going to be the biggest contributor to his development. He will still make some physical gains with overall maturity, but his ultimate ceiling will be dictated by bat to ball dev, pitch rec, lifting the ball, etc....you're not projecting stardom because he looks like a young Aaron Judge and you think he will be a physical monster and has skill projection. You're projecting stardom for him because he's got good now skills, has skill projection, and the present physicality doesn't need to progress for his skills to develop.

Hitting for power in the FSL as a teenager would be a momentous achievement. 

The concerns I've heard with Quebec City revolve around having a sufficient fan base to support the team day-in and day-out. Highly educated hockey people have expressed this concern repeatedly.

Expansion will probably venture back into the Atlanta market, and I'd wager Arizona still gets a team back eventually. Give them lead time to acquire land and build a proper stadium (both of which are already in the works) and that market can support a team.

13 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

OTOH, some of the eco stuff can get pretty silly. The greenhouse gas contribution from cooking a dinner on a gas cook top is a pimple on a gnat's ass. Spend the political energy where the real payoff is - the grid, transportation, utility generation, heavy industry.

Ding, ding, ding. This is akin to trying to blame greenhouse gas emissions on cows and beef consumption. Focus on the actual significant contributors.

I shouldn't do this because I'm just beating my head against the wall, but for those interested in how the situation can actually be read by fans....

The argument was never that the Tigers were demonstrating an interest in moving Madden to the bullpen today. They are not and they should not. The argument was quite clearly that the club's actions speak pretty clearly about how they view Madden as a long-term prospect, and that view is divergent from most of the online fan base you will read. The point of bringing that observation to the fore was simply to help folks here adjust expectations for the player accordingly. If you choose not to, no skin off my back.

Not moving him to the next logical level, as a starter, to face more advanced competition after having extended success at the prior level, is quite telling. There was room to move him there to start the season if they chose to do so. They didn't and as I said in my original post, team's actions align pretty closely with their view of a player, if you're willing to listen.

So, yes, they will continue to get him starter's innings for the foreseeable future, just not at the next logical developmental level, because they apparently didn't prioritize his development as a starter over a minor league vet and some bullpen days.

If you don't like the way the board is moderated, you are free to leave. If you choose to stay, then you are obligated to abide by the established rules and preferences of those that are tabbed with moderating the forum. With that, this matter is closed and I expect no further debate regarding the moderation of this thread.

Willful ignorance....I'm not sure why I even bothered. 

7 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

Mark, has the Org stated SPECIFICALLY that they intend Madden to be in the bullpen?

Because otherwise, it sounds like pure speculation on your part.

And I see zero basis in reality for that speculation.

 

 

No, they have not. My assessment is based on years of scouting players, including many like Madden, and speaking with industry professionals that have spent plenty of time watching Madden and formulating their own opinion. It's also based on years of talking with teams about their players, assignment decisions, and how they develop players. The overwhelming consensus in Madden's case? He's a reliever at the highest level.

Sure, you can label it speculation, but it's a helluva lot more informed speculation than what you're tossing around.

32 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

I'll echo what @microline133 said, but also point out there's room for him in the rotation if they really wanted him there.

I'll elaborate a bit....

Teams are really good at telling you what they think of prospects if you are willing to listen. When they conduct minor league roster construction to start a season, they place their "priority" prospects first and then place everyone else around them. Guys they view highly aren't squeezed out of a spot unless there are somehow more "priority" guys at a position than they can fit on a roster. 

That's not the case here. After 30+ starts at Double-A, if Madden was a "priority" starting pitcher prospect, he would be in Toledo; there's room for him there.....if they wanted him there. That they chose to send him to Erie is telling you how they value him as a starting pitching prospect. Either they believe he's not a starter but they're not ready to make the conversion, or they think he's a starter prospect, but not one of significant long-term value to make his placement a priority over others. Neither is a ringing endorsement. Noting roster crunches is a cover long used when asked about such assignment decisions.

For me, when I see an assignment decision like this for a player that I've always viewed as a relief prospect, I connect the dots. He's not a long-term starter in their eyes, they just may not be ready to make the conversion for whatever reason.

1 hour ago, 1984Echoes said:

Why do you want Ty Madden to replace Bryan Sammons in the Toledo bullpen?

Because that's where he's going to end up at the big league level.

I don't understand dragging the hiring process out....in any field, and I'm a huge culture/fit guy. I don't think it makes the hiring organization look good....you really need all this time to make a decision? What's business decision making look like for you? 

I say this as someone that works for the federal government with a painful hiring process. 

I did a phone screening with a guy two weeks ago, panel virtual interview with him last week, and flew him here from the UK this week to put a bow on things. We had drinks tonight to talk ancillary stuff (towns to look for houses, commutes, the non-work side of the process) and he'll come into the office tomorrow to talk nuts and bolts, potential project assignments, and next steps....it'll be a done deal by Tuesday and we will just have to figure out his start date with the move back to the States factored in. 

4 hours ago, chasfh said:

Do you know whether some guys regularly switch back and forth between gloves to keep them broken in, or is it usually only use one and the other is a backup?

Typically use one.

Its about ready and broken in backups that the player is comfortable with in the event a glove breaks or is lost, not anything to do with different gloves for different uses at the same position. They have backups for the positions they play regularly....likely more quantity of backups for the positions they play most frequently.

Good season. Keep building.

Just now, holygoat said:

The Lions should win this, which is making me even more nervous.

This is precisely where I am with the game.

Robert Kraft said publicly in the last year or so that Mayo was the heir apparent. This has been a done deal for quite a while. Nobody else was getting that job.

It's an attempt to create a story leading up  to the game; a story that hopefully generates questions for UM players and coaches, and potentially offers some distraction from the task at hand. Nothing more.

I'm sure he has plenty, but they are almost assuredly internal and carry bias/agenda that he likely doesn't have the necessary information to counter.

All of Lynn's info for these comes from internal folks. Temper your enthusiasm accordingly.

Just now, TP_Fan said:

Why is Payton yelling at Wilson?  Dude looks like a psycho.  Have some control asshole.  

There's an immense amount of irony in this post. 

He's not walking away until he gets Shula's record.

While that may end up happening, Curran's report that the Tweet/graphic is based on was him speculating after the Germany game. He made it very clear during his original info on this that he thought that was what was happening, not that he was told it is happening.

14 minutes ago, Toddwert said:

what do we think about maybe losing Robert Campos? since he wasnt put on the 40 man

Correct decision. I have a really hard time seeing a team carry him on a MLB roster all year.

27 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

Heard from anyone yet? 

Heard from relatives of theirs this morning that folks are okay. Most of it went down about two miles from their home, locked down, but okay 

I have numerous friends in the Lewiston-Auburn area....hoping to hear from them soon.