It’s good “clean”, “hustling” baseball to take someone out at second base to break up a double play or run over a catcher in the name of scoring a run but bunting for a hit with a five run lead in the sixth inning is somehow “dirty”??

Maybe this guy isn’t the answer.

Then why do the radio broadcasters (who are paid to discuss baseball) never or rarely mention OBP, SLG, or OPS?

MW: A lot of the older broadcasters aren’t yet comfortable with those stats.

David Cooper, 1B, Low-A Lansing (Blue Jays)
With Travis Snider ranking as the entire organization’s only prospect who projects as a middle-of-the-order force, to compensate Toronto focused on advanced college bats with their first-round pick this June, and selected Cooper with the 17th overall pick. A first baseman whose only tool is the bat, Cooper has had zero issues in translating his skills to the pros, and after batting .341/.411/.553 in 21 New York-Penn League games, he’s now tearing apart the Midwest League. The former Cal star slugged his first two full-season home runs over the weekend, and is batting .386/.438/.614 in 11 games overall for the Lugnuts, looking very much like the kind of hitter who could rocket through the minors. Seeing him in Double-A at some point in 2009 could be a reasonable expectation.

Zach Cozart, SS, Low-A Dayton (Reds)
A second-round pick last year, Cozart entered pro ball as an outstanding defensive shortstop with little offense to offer. The first part of that equation hasn’t changed, but the offensive aspect of his game has taken a shocking turn. After hitting just two home runs over 184 at-bats in last year’s pro debut, Cozart just slugged his 11th and 12th home runs of the season over the weekend, and is now hitting a shocking .269/.330/.470 in 70 games for the Dragons. The on-base skills are still lacking, but the power development is downright shocking, and all he needed was some kind of offensive upside to project as an everyday player in the big leagues, because the defense really is that good.

and its free week at baseball prospectus if anyone is interested.

MW: Why would we be interested in a scouting report on Cincy’s A-ball shortstop?

MW: I deleted the rest of your comment instead of simply deleting the whole thing, because honestly, they don’t pay me enough to deal with utter crap like that. Now I’m going to go steam-clean your excrement off my living-room rug.

All kidding aside how likely is it that he gets called up come September ? There’s alot of hype about him, i’d like to see his potential. Finally, why has Gaston not yet moved Adam Lind up in the lineup ?

MW: I think we may see Snider in September, and we’ll probably see Lind move up in the line-up by August.

MW: Sure.

HUH? 2006 the jays were 7th in runs scored in the AL. that is the only offensive stat that matters. avg, obp etc dont matter because the GOAL is to score runs. 7th in runs scored is NOT GREAT. the problem with you mike is you keep repeating things that are simply not true because it makes you feel good to keep saying it, but just because you keep repeating it over and over and over again doesn’t make it true. your philosophy is “stay the course” where have we heard that before???????

MW: Wow - first ever comparison of me to George H. W. Bush. Congrats.

The only issue that I can see is, why won’t Cito drink the Wilner Kool-Aid?

MW: Did you notice that the Jays scored four runs in the 9th inning of that game?

My friend and I argue quite often over who the best player in baseball is today. I say A-Rod, he says Pujols.

Who do you think is. Is it one of these two? And if not, who is? And if not, could you please pick who you think is better of these two, just so we can stop arguing.

Thanks Mike!

MW: I think it’s Rodriguez, but you could certainly make the argument for Pujols.