Rusney Castillo

[cp176]

Glad we finally agree.

You were ok with it.

 

wait maybe I do need the last word. If Kimmi needed my support, which she doesn't, but if she did , she could have it. Last word- ok - with - whatever

you got it - C'mon

[User Name]

This board is just so so entertaining sometimes. But seriously fred, lay off Kimmi. It was a silly joke and she apologized. You're a grown-ass man.

[Kimmi]

Kimmi - I really wish that you had stopped after the fourth sentence ending in the word fine. I haven't been here long, but of all posters I thought and hoped that you are above this type of back and forth.

 

 

Fair enough CP.

[Kimmi]

I just want to say thanks to User, Spud, MVP, and Cycles for having my back. You guys are awesome. :-*

 

Now, as entertaining as all of this is, let's get back to baseball.

[mvp 78]

I just want to say thanks to User, Spud, MVP, and Cycles for having my back. You guys are awesome. :-*

 

Now, as entertaining as all of this is, let's get back to baseball.

 

Not a problem!

[seabeachfred]

This board is just so so entertaining sometimes. But seriously fred, lay off Kimmi. It was a silly joke and she apologized. You're a grown-ass man.

 

You're right.....no need to keep this pissing contest up. Kimmi has helped me with my avatars in the past, she is a teacher as I was, a Red Sox fan as I am, and a poster on Talk Sox. Time to stop being an ******* over this and get with the program. BTW, I notice Spud now uses Goober's picture next to his name. I guess that Goober doesn't bother him and makes me wonder if I should have just laughed it off from the beginning. Now if I could keep from getting pissed off at Buchholz today and he could pitch a gem and get us that win that would give us another leg up to taking this series.

 

Thanks again User.......my opinion of you keeps getting better. You're almost acting as my "Big Brother".

Edited April 18, 2015 by seabeachfred

[seabeachfred]

FTR Fred, I won't call you a Goober again, but not because of your silly threats, but because I really didn't mean any harm by it. I didn't think you would be offended. I apologized and admitted that I was out of line. If you can't accept that and move past it, that's fine. If you feel the need to continue taking shots at me because you now have an excuse to do so, feel free. You're hurting yourself way more than you're hurting me.

 

No Kimmi, I let my Italian temper get the best of me. I was the jerk in this, not you. Sometimes I amaze myself with some of the infantile things I do. I wish we could meet face to face someday....I think you would see a different Fred in the flesh. Besides, I shouldn't have been offended but laughed as Spud did. He even did better than that....He took Goober to heart and made it part of his persona on the board. One g ood thing that came from it. I gained more respect for him, and for you and for User who has tried to be my "big brother" through all this. Honest Injun, I am going to do my best to be on my best behavior.......at least for a while.

[Kimmi]

No Kimmi, I let my Italian temper get the best of me. I was the jerk in this, not you. Sometimes I amaze myself with some of the infantile things I do. I wish we could meet face to face someday....I think you would see a different Fred in the flesh. Besides, I shouldn't have been offended but laughed as Spud did. He even did better than that....He took Goober to heart and made it part of his persona on the board. One g ood thing that came from it. I gained more respect for him, and for you and for User who has tried to be my "big brother" through all this. Honest Injun, I am going to do my best to be on my best behavior.......at least for a while.

 

 

It's all good Fred. I'm glad we can move past this.

[Behindenemylines]

He needs to hit the ground running now that he is finally in Boston. The Sox need an offensive spark.

[Spudboy]

He was a dud last night.

 

Some will point to first game jitters or lack of familiarity of the ball park as factors in his poor defensive showing.

 

I think it is more a product of the poor coaching and instruction he received in Cuba. This is all my opinion, of course. I just see athletes with poor skills coming from there recently. You all poo-pooed my lambasting of our Cuban left fielder but after he was gone almost everyone in the Boston area talked about what a s***** fielder he was. No one was talking about his arm anymore.

 

This kid will likely be much the same. Good athlete with unrefined skills.

 

Anyone can drop a fly ball. But doing it when it was an automatic out and with only one hand, well, there is no excuse.

 

Then there is the stupid basket catch with his chest on the right field foul line. Had the stooge taken two more strides he could have cough that ball up near his chest and shoulders while standing and running. He was no where near the stands. Just terrible play that cost the Sox.

 

But hey. He will sure provide a spark of some kind.

[Northern Star]

He was a dud last night.

 

Some will point to first game jitters or lack of familiarity of the ball park as factors in his poor defensive showing.

 

I think it is more a product of the poor coaching and instruction he received in Cuba. This is all my opinion, of course. I just see athletes with poor skills coming from there recently. You all poo-pooed my lambasting of our Cuban left fielder but after he was gone almost everyone in the Boston area talked about what a s***** fielder he was. No one was talking about his arm anymore.

 

This kid will likely be much the same. Good athlete with unrefined skills.

 

Anyone can drop a fly ball. But doing it when it was an automatic out and with only one hand, well, there is no excuse.

 

Then there is the stupid basket catch with his chest on the right field foul line. Had the stooge taken two more strides he could have cough that ball up near his chest and shoulders while standing and running. He was no where near the stands. Just terrible play that cost the Sox.

 

But hey. He will sure provide a spark of some kind.

 

Much as I wasn't impressed I'm going to give him a few games before forming any conclusions or savaging him.

[Behindenemylines]

Needs to put up big numbers the rest of the season at AAA. I hope he can find himself and be of value for the Sox down the road.

[Spudboy]

I hope that they dump this stiff. Eat half the money and move on.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think this is the classic case of million dollar talent and ten cent head. And I know we've said this before about guys like Manny, but that guy was a student of the game, but came off as an idiot so he could do whatever he wanted and say he's Manny being Manny. This guy hasn't built the resume Manny did to get away with being an idiot or to intentionally be perceived as such. I think this guy is just an idiot. Doesn't do the small things most big leaguers need to do to become great. He also has incredibly poor instincts which makes it worse. The highway to stardom is littered with guys who had talent, but lacked the heart or the head. Rusney appears to be that kind of player

[Spudboy]

I think this is the classic case of million dollar talent and ten cent head. And I know we've said this before about guys like Manny, but that guy was a student of the game, but came off as an idiot so he could do whatever he wanted and say he's Manny being Manny. This guy hasn't built the resume Manny did to get away with being an idiot or to intentionally be perceived as such. I think this guy is just an idiot. Doesn't do the small things most big leaguers need to do to become great. He also has incredibly poor instincts which makes it worse. The highway to stardom is littered with guys who had talent, but lacked the heart or the head. Rusney appears to be that kind of player

 

 

I find your ideas about Manny interesting. Manny was a prolific talent with or without PEDs. One of the best RHH I ever saw. Just f***ed with pitchers when he was motivated.

 

There are many accounts of Manny showing up early to work on everything to get better. I have not heard any such talk about Castillo.

 

I don't see Castillo as a "million dollar talent". He appears to be a good athlete. I'll concede that. But he is nowhere near ready for prime time like many of the Cuban players when they first played MLB. He just does not have the well developed skills that we expect to see. Why he has not made vast strides since his arrival here is on him. I think that he is a lazy f***. And he is too old to be considered a prospect. If the Sox get any production out of him I will be pleasantly shocked.

[Bellhorn04]

In 3 days we can wish him a Happy 28th Birthday.

[Palodios]

I think that he is a lazy f***. And he is too old to be considered a prospect. If the Sox get any production out of him I will be pleasantly shocked.

 

What basis do you have for that? It seems like everyone has been vocal about Castillo NOT being a pain in the ass, and that was a big reason why they signed him. Former Red Sox Alex Cora -- his manager last year-- vouched for him big time, saying he adjusted well and worked hard.

 

http://nesn.com/2014/12/alex-cora-red-soxs-rusney-castillo-impressive-not-a-prima-donna/

[sk7326]

You sign a guy to a big league deal, fans want fairy dust. It's clear the journey from Cuba - and inescapably, how little baseball he had played until this spring - shows. No more, no less. Surprised at the character comments.

[Bellhorn04]

No character comments from me. I'm just perplexed.

[User Name]

You sign a guy to a big league deal, fans want fairy dust. It's clear the journey from Cuba - and inescapably, how little baseball he had played until this spring - shows. No more, no less. Surprised at the character comments.

 

You shouldn't be? It's what fans do.

[Spudboy]

You guys are homers and swallow the jizz-aid or you are naive. Every single one of the Cuban imports has had to go through the same or at worst a similar ordeal. He has done nothing in one year in this country. Nothing. Unless you want to award brownie points for bad reads, poor routes, and botched plays.

 

I say he is lazy because I see him playing that way. That and the fact that I have read nothing about how he is such a hard worker behind the scenes. Of course Cora's age old bag lap is out there abut the wonderful heroic efforts by the stiff in the PR winter league. What a barometer of talent!

 

So after another one year of non-production a-la Graig maybe some of you will be saying "DFA" or "TRADE HIM".

 

I said it about Cespedas and now that he is not still among the ball washing media and pink hat fans of Boston almost everyone is saying what an "inconsistent" fielder he is.

 

No. This is just a euphemistic way of saying that the player lacks skills and the desire to shore up his game at the MLB level. Even when he has all the money.

 

Yeah, I'm a character assassin.

[jacksonianmarch]

I was referencing more his lack of fundamentals. Like not telling a runner coming to the plate to slide when you're on deck. Like taking awful routes to balls in the OF. Like not being able to take a pitch at the plate or anticipate what a pitcher will throw. This isn't a 22 yr old rook. This guy is a 28 yr old vet from a good league in Cuba. These things shouldn't be new to him.

[cp176]

I was referencing more his lack of fundamentals. Like not telling a runner coming to the plate to slide when you're on deck. Like taking awful routes to balls in the OF. Like not being able to take a pitch at the plate or anticipate what a pitcher will throw. This isn't a 22 yr old rook. This guy is a 28 yr old vet from a good league in Cuba. These things shouldn't be new to him.

 

i think that you can add numb to Spud's above list. Our old saying was "Are you stupid or are you just uncoachable?" Stupid we could live with uncoachable we couldn't. I don't know which applies to Castillo but from the looks of things they already have numb covered on the current roster. I don't think they need to add him to the list again. Package him up in a trade and send him on his way. Good thing the Red Sox have no budgetary restrictions.

[Elktonnick]

There is phenomenon known as culture shock. Having moved from country to country myself, I can attest to its effects. A lot of what may be perceived as confusion on the baseball field may simply be the effects of having experienced not only a dramatic shift in cultures but also in personal lifestyle. (The kid now has boodles of money) That's why he needs more time in the minors before one should judge whether this signing was worth the money. Edited July 7, 2015 by Elktonnick

[cp176]

There is phenomenon known as culture shock. Having moved from country to country myself, I can attest to its effects. A lot of what may be perceived as confusion on the baseball field may simply be the effects of having experienced not only a dramatic shift in cultures but also in personal lifestyle. (The kid now has boodles of money) That's why he needs more time in the minors before one should judge whether this signing was worth the money.

 

I understand where you are coming from, I am just not as nice. He is 28 and represents to me another signing to appease the fan base which includes me. I am not as excited as I once was about the signings of foreign prospects or potential stars - call them what you want.

[Elktonnick]

I understand where you are coming from, I am just not as nice. He is 28 and represents to me another signing to appease the fan base which includes me. I am not as excited as I once was about the signings of foreign prospects or potential stars - call them what you want.

 

I don't totally disagree with your point of view. What I've seen out of Henry and his front office is that the underestimate human factors in their decision making.

[User Name]

One of the rare times I wholeheartedly agree with Elktonnick about something, meaning this is also one of the rare times where he is actually right about something.

[SoxnCycles]

As a comparison, Yasiel Puig was signed in the middle of the 2012 season and played the rest of the year in the Dodger minor leagues.

He also missed a year of playing before defecting and, if I remember correctly, he had some "growing pains" with the Dodgers.

 

Jose Abreu never missed significant playing time before defecting and signed his contract in October of 2013.

He played a full spring training in 2014.

 

I'm not saying Castillo is as talented as these two. i doubt that he is.

But, he probably does need more time before it's a given that he's a failure.

[sk7326]

The culture shock is significant. On top of the things Elton noticed, you also come from a culture where the duende - the bat flipping and whatnot is part of the fun, as opposed to the relatively repressed baseball culture here. (here fans often secretly love the bat flips and showboating, but like to pretend it's not classy, especially when it's not one of their guys) It's easier to catch the lazy moniker or the "no respect" or what have you.

[Spudboy]

In contrast there is Jose Eglasias.

 

He made his transition work. Like going to English as a second language lessons. He was proactive in his cultural assimilation.

 

I'm not saying that Castillo is a bust. It is too early to pin that on him.

 

But so far he has been a disappointment. And at his age, the clock is ticking.