So how about Daniel Nava?

[kapsis21]

Jacksonianmarch is an angry man!

 

lol he cant fathom their outfield at times is becoming a joke and our 5thOF who is AAAA level at best is lighting it up..

[SoxSport]

Pretty funny looking at these posts about Nava. I don't think it's possible at this point to say very much about him--after 12 at bats. He's a kid who could break out. He just needs a chance. He has a good swing and has hit like hell in the minors. A .900 OPS, high average hitter with not a lot of power. His recent numbers at Pawtucket suggest he could be ready to break out. He could well be a .300 hitter.

 

Lehair, the Cubs rookie first baseman, is in the same situation. He has great numbers the first 30 or so games for the Cubs. You might think this is a flash, but last year he tore up AAA--38 homers, about .360 average in 129 games. Continued to hit when called up by the Cubs, and has continued this year so far. Looks like he might be for real.

 

When these kids are ready, they tell you with their bat. The only question is when. Sometimes never. But you can't hold them back. Middlebrooks is another example.

 

Baseball can be unpredictable, and laden with surprises.

[iortiz]

Well, If Nava is the answer to no see McD's ass on the field, Welcome Nava.

[SoxSport]

I've said this before: I saw Nava play for Pawtucket one night against the Scranton Yankees a couple years ago--the catchers were Salty and Montero. The best hitter of the three that night was Nava. He has the best swing--much like the young Yaz--before he became a power hitter.

 

Thing is, Nava is 29 years old! But you check his records, he didn't start playing minor league ball until he was 24. He's only played for 5 years--he was pushed up from A to AA to AAA after a couple of years--very fast. He's been approaching his AA form lately at Pawtucket, and got called up. He has a good shot at breaking out, if given the chance to play. That's a big if on the Red Sox filled with retread veterans.

[a700hitter]

I've said this before: I saw Nava play for Pawtucket one night against the Scranton Yankees a couple years ago--the catchers were Salty and Montero. The best hitter of the three that night was Nava. He has the best swing--much like the young Yaz--before he became a power hitter.

 

Thing is, Nava is 29 years old! But you check his records, he didn't start playing minor league ball until he was 24. He's only played for 5 years--he was pushed up from A to AA to AAA after a couple of years--very fast. He's been approaching his AA form lately at Pawtucket, and got called up. He has a good shot at breaking out, if given the chance to play. That's a big if on the Red Sox filled with retread veterans.

He's getting his chance now, and he is making the most of it. He is going to have to continue to impress to have a shot of sticking-- probably need to hit a few HRs. I didn't think he would get another chance after 2010. A lot of things had to go wrong for the team for him to get this shot. This is probably the last shot he'll get.

[Soxfan1]

Gabe Kapler ceiling.

[a700hitter]

Gabe Kapler ceiling.

Kapler had HR pop. He could play CF and RF, much better fielder with a stronger arm and much more speed. Talent-wise, it's not even close.

[Dojji]

Yeah, the thing with Kapler is that he was all talent. Consistency, proficiency, competence in the sport he devoted his life to, these were things he never really got around to. He had talent galore, and made his bread by flashing it far too infrequently. He looked good when he was on, but to call him a good ballplayer... well that's a real stretch. He was a physical specimen who never really figured out that whole "baseball" thing, and never, ever lived up to his talent.

 

Nava is pretty much the anti-Kapler. Much less raw physical talent, but he can do a great deal more with what he does have. And it's not like all that Kapler talent really allowed him to make anything of himself, so it's kind of a trade-off.

[seabeachfred]

Jacksonianmarch is an angry man!

 

You have to understand that Jacksonianmarch would rather have us keep McDogshit around because when we play the Yankees he would be a total eunoch while Nava might actually get a couple of hits for us and cost his beloved New Yorkers the game. Never heard him tear down McDonald for being a worthless s***, so right there his credibility is halfway between the toilet and the outhouse.:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown

[SoxSport]

Kapler had that big power year somewhere--was it Colorado? He started off as a power hitter, but then lost it and became mainly a defensive replacement.

 

Nava is a high OBP kid. 10-12 Hrs per season in the minors. Very high batting average.

A lot like Yaz when he came up. Yaz later became a HR hitter but he wasn't his first couple years. He didn't pull much--hit a lot of balls off the Fenway Monster. Nava could be a late bloomer--starting his minor league career at 24.

 

Yaz of course was a great outfielder. One of the best. I don't know where Nava is as an outfielder. Probably average. He's played all outfield positions in the minors--mostly the corners.

[redsoxfan3]

Kapler had that big power year somewhere--was it Colorado? He started off as a power hitter, but then lost it and became mainly a defensive replacement.

 

Nava is a high OBP kid. 10-12 Hrs per season in the minors. Very high batting average.

A lot like Yaz when he came up. Yaz later became a HR hitter but he wasn't his first couple years. He didn't pull much--hit a lot of balls off the Fenway Monster. Nava could be a late bloomer--starting his minor league career at 24.

 

Yaz of course was a great outfielder. One of the best. I don't know where Nava is as an outfielder. Probably average. He's played all outfield positions in the minors--mostly the corners.

 

I don't think it was Colorado. He played for Detroit and Texas at the beginning of his career before he ever played for the Rockies. I think that he had three years with 14+ homers. He had those three years where he hit those home runs in his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years as a player.

 

Nava has had 10 homers in three of the years he has played in the minors.

[SoxSport]

I don't think it was Colorado. He played for Detroit and Texas at the beginning of his career before he ever played for the Rockies. I think that he had three years with 14+ homers. He had those three years where he hit those home runs in his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years as a player.

 

Nava has had 10 homers in three of the years he has played in the minors.

 

 

Yeah. I think it was Detroit. After that, he had some injury and never regained his power.

He was mainly used defensively in Boston.

 

Nava doesn't look like a power hitter. But neither were Rolen or Youks when they came up--for a few years. He's a high OBP/average hitter--at least that's his history. Nothing special defensively, to my knowledge.

 

 

I just read Brett Lawrie's helmut bounced off the ground and hit an ump last night. The Globe has brought up the spectre of a suspension. I guess they mean maybe the ground should be suspended. I hope Selig knows the difference.

[Dojji]

If he can make the kind of contact in the bigs that he could make in the minors, he'll probably hit 15 HR's over 400 at bats -- which is a number of at bats he'll never get in any one year, so you have to prorate that -- if he hits as many as 5 over the kind of at bats he's going to get (~150) that's a pretty good result..

[seabeachfred]

Yeah. I think it was Detroit. After that, he had some injury and never regained his power.

He was mainly used defensively in Boston.

 

Nava doesn't look like a power hitter. But neither were Rolen or Youks when they came up--for a few years. He's a high OBP/average hitter--at least that's his history. Nothing special defensively, to my knowledge.

 

 

I just read Brett Lawrie's helmut bounced off the ground and hit an ump last night. The Globe has brought up the spectre of a suspension. I guess they mean maybe the ground should be suspended. I hope Selig knows the difference.

 

A slight correction SoxSport. His problem came when he went on an intense weight lifting program, one NOT designed for baseball players. He got musclebound and stiff, lost his flexibiity and bat speed and became a real dud at the plate. A great team player and a guy you wanted at your side if things got dicey in a game where a fight could break out, but nothing in the way of a hitter.

[SoxSport]

I didn't realize Nava was a switch hitter. Prior to last night, the only times I saw him was batting left-handed.

He just missed being star of the game last night with the bases loaded--hitting that liner to left down the line that was foul by 2 inches. It would have cleared the bases. Then he struck out on the next pitch on a changeup that was way low.

 

On seeing the video of Lawrie's tantrum, he threw his helmut down much too close to the umpire--which probably caused the suspension. Too bad he doesn't have Clemens' lawyer to argue in a court of law about it. The suspension would be overruled in a minute.

 

Getting off-topic, it's disturbing how these baseball stars who took steroids and lied about it are weaseling their way out of it in court on technicalities. Granted many fans could care less, but it has damaged the integrity of the game. Clemens' big years in Toronto after Boston apparently were due partly to steroids.

He looked better conditioned as well, but maybe that had something to do with fast recovery from fatigue taking steroids. The benefits of steroids to a pitcher has never been spelled out. Of course, the whole steroid issue in Baseball is still not transparent--deliberately, I suspect.

[a700hitter]

I didn't realize Nava was a switch hitter. Prior to last night, the only times I saw him was batting left-handed.

He just missed being star of the game last night with the bases loaded--hitting that liner to left down the line that was foul by 2 inches. It would have cleared the bases. Then he struck out on the next pitch on a changeup that was way low.

 

On seeing the video of Lawrie's tantrum, he threw his helmut down much too close to the umpire--which probably caused the suspension. Too bad he doesn't have Clemens' lawyer to argue in a court of law about it. The suspension would be overruled in a minute.

 

Getting off-topic, it's disturbing how these baseball stars who took steroids and lied about it are weaseling their way out of it in court on technicalities. Granted many fans could care less, but it has damaged the integrity of the game. Clemens' big years in Toronto after Boston apparently were due partly to steroids.

He looked better conditioned as well, but maybe that had something to do with fast recovery from fatigue taking steroids. The benefits of steroids to a pitcher has never been spelled out. Of course, the whole steroid issue in Baseball is still not transparent--deliberately, I suspect.

Steroids did damage the statistical integrity of the game, but it wasn't just the players. The owners, management, the Commissioner and even the Press were complicit in the steroid era.

[MANNYHOF24]

The supreme court should had never gotten involved in this case, it's a waste of tax payer money and time that could be spent on more important topics.

[Dojji]

When did the SCOTUS get involved again? Clemens perjured himself in front of a Senate committee, not in front of 9 robe-clad anacrhonisms.

[SoxSport]

Steroids did damage the statistical integrity of the game' date=' but it wasn't just the players. The owners, management, the Commissioner and even the Press were complicit in the steroid era.[/quote']

 

Yeah. That Mitchell report spelled it out. They all knew. And now they are trying to make it disappear like it never happened. For all we know, it still may be happening. The testing is not transparent.

 

This happened because of the tremendous amounts of media (TV) money in the sport. The stakes are enormous for cheating--especially in contract years.

[FredLynn]

All this on the Daniel Nava thread?

Is he juiced too?

[mvp 78]

All this on the Daniel Nava thread?

Is he juiced too?

 

Hi-C Ectocooler

[FredLynn]

Hi-C Ectocooler

 

Tang.

[Beaneater]

So when does a sample size move out of the "small" category? Serious question. Nava is still killing it, and when he's not killing it he's taking ball 4. So, honestly, at what point do you get to say, "Nava is a good hitter"? I don't know enough statistics, and certainly not enough baseball statistics, to know when you can make some sort of valid judgment.

[Bellhorn04]

So when does a sample size move out of the "small" category? Serious question. Nava is still killing it' date=' and when he's not killing it he's taking ball 4. So, honestly, at what point do you get to say, "Nava is a good hitter"? I don't know enough statistics, and certainly not enough baseball statistics, to know when you can make some sort of valid judgment.[/quote']

 

It's still a small sample but that doesn't mean it isn't an impressive 14-game stretch. Nava and WMB have given this team a huge lift that they desperately needed.

[mvp 78]

So when does a sample size move out of the "small" category? Serious question. Nava is still killing it' date=' and when he's not killing it he's taking ball 4. So, honestly, at what point do you get to say, "Nava is a good hitter"? I don't know enough statistics, and certainly not enough baseball statistics, to know when you can make some sort of valid judgment.[/quote']

 

If he's still putting up these numbers at the end of June, he should be up for good.

[Dojji]

That wasn't a cheap homer either, for what it's worth. He pretty much got all of it.

[SoxSport]

Ha. Nava might be "juiced." Brooksie, too. AdGon could use some of that juice!

 

God only knows what's going on in Baseball. You just don't know. What's it do for pitchers?

Apparently lets them come back quicker from injuries and soreness. Clemens sure turned it around after he left Boston.

 

Sometimes I think those that say, screw it, who cares, might be right. But what about Ruth and Maris?

They made a joke of that HR record.

 

You gotta love Nava's swing. Left handed, that's just the way Yaz swung when he came up his first few years. A line drive hitter. He could hit .350 if he can stay focussed and make adjustments.

[jung]

The biggest difference between Nava and Agons that is a plus for Nava is something that Agons should take to heart. It is the way that Nava plays the game. It makes up for a monumental deficit in pure talent when you look at a player like Agons and compare him to Nava. If Agons played the game with the focus and intelligence that Nava plays with, his slumps would not be as telling and as much of an eye sore as they are.

 

Agons has more raw talent in his pinky finger than Nava has in his whole body. However, you rarely ever see Nava have a bad at bat for example and to be honest you rarely see Agons have a good at bat...even when he is going good he is not very disciplined at the plate. When he is going poorly, that lack of discipline is just another element to Agons game that makes it difficult for him to come around.

[Spudboy]

All this on the Daniel Nava thread?

Is he juiced too?

 

He was small for his age so his parents had him dosed with HGH. Fact, from what I read.

[seabeachfred]

Ha. Nava might be "juiced." Brooksie, too. AdGon could use some of that juice!

 

God only knows what's going on in Baseball. You just don't know. What's it do for pitchers?

Apparently lets them come back quicker from injuries and soreness. Clemens sure turned it around after he left Boston.

 

Sometimes I think those that say, screw it, who cares, might be right. But what about Ruth and Maris?

They made a joke of that HR record.

 

You gotta love Nava's swing. Left handed, that's just the way Yaz swung when he came up his first few years. A line drive hitter. He could hit .350 if he can stay focussed and make adjustments.

 

After suffering with McDonald until he did us all a favor and went on the DL, Nava is like a breath of fresh air. I do agree with MVP that we should see down the road if he can keep this up, though I wouldn't say the end of June. If this keeps up for the next two weeks it looks like he may have cracked the code this time around. Remember, he started strong two years ago and then faded like a pair of old jeans. This time around he may have a stronger reign on the Red Sox. Let's just hope he can keep hitting and getting on base.