Should Jackie Bradley Jr be traded?

[a700hitter]

And just try to imagine what it would have been like if it was major league pitching you'd been trying to hit.

If you want to stay a major leaguer, you must constantly make adjustments. If it takes you 3 or 4 months to adjust, you will not last long. Bradley is not merely slumping or hitting in some bad luck right now. He is completely lost.

[Bellhorn04]

You can LOL it all you want, but the more I read from sportswriters, the more I see that MLB players are dumb as rocks, NBA guys are average and NFL guys tend to be smarter than expected. Why do you think NFL and NBA players are dumber than MLB? Football players need to memorize a playbook. Basketball players need to analyze every play while on the court. Baseball players are just "see ball hit ball."

 

Most baseball players aren't just see ball hit ball any more, I don't think. A lot of them study plenty of film.

 

I can't see any particular demographic reason why any of these groups would be smarter than the other, really.

 

I could also argue that anybody who wants to play NFL football and jeopardize their long-term health is about as stupid as they come. If you look at it that way, football players and boxers or UFC guys are easily the stupidest.

[mvp 78]

Most baseball players aren't just see ball hit ball any more, I don't think. A lot of them study plenty of film.

 

I can't see any particular demographic reason why any of these groups would be smarter than the other, really.

 

I could also argue that anybody who wants to play NFL football and jeopardize their long-term health is about as stupid as they come. If you look at it that way, football players and boxers or UFC guys are easily the stupidest.

 

Why would anyone look at it that way though? If you enjoy something, go do it. People do a lot of crazy s*** that are risky or not great for their long term health: driving above the speed limit, rock climbing, drinking, drugs, being out after 1 AM, watching endless MLB games on tv while sitting on your ass, too much internet, not eating healthy, not getting enough sleep, etc.

[a700hitter]

You can LOL it all you want, but the more I read from sportswriters, the more I see that MLB players are dumb as rocks, NBA guys are average and NFL guys tend to be smarter than expected. Why do you think NFL and NBA players are dumber than MLB? Football players need to memorize a playbook. Basketball players need to analyze every play while on the court. Baseball players are just "see ball hit ball."

Most NBA and NFLplayers spend some time in college. MLBers are being scouted at age 14-15. Very often their path includes no education.

[illinoisredsox]

Most NBA and NFLplayers spend some time in college. MLBers are being scouted at age 14-15. Very often their path includes no education.

 

Not so much at the major league level any more. The article below says that since 1985, more college drafted players have made it to the majors than high school drafted players.

 

https://automatedinsights.com/blog/mlb-draft-data-college-high-school-draftees

 

It also says that the cream of the crop (the Trouts of the world) sign out of high school. Players who do go to college (4-year type, not junior colleges) have to stay 3 years before being eligible to be drafted again or for the first time, so they get a decent amount of schooling in theory.

[a700hitter]

Not so much at the major league level any more. The article below says that since 1985, more college drafted players have made it to the majors than high school drafted players.

 

https://automatedinsights.com/blog/mlb-draft-data-college-high-school-draftees

 

It also says that the cream of the crop (the Trouts of the world) sign out of high school. Players who do go to college (4-year type, not junior colleges) have to stay 3 years before being eligible to be drafted again or for the first time, so they get a decent amount of schooling in theory.

I think that MLB still has far less college kids than the other 2 sports.

[Bellhorn04]

I think that MLB still has far less college kids than the other 2 sports.

 

True, but how many of the kids who play football or basketball in college even go to classes anymore? The whole 'student-athlete' thing has become kind of a joke.

[S5Dewey]

Baseball players are generally considered the dumbest professional athletes. I'm not surprised that JBJ is this way.

 

Wait a minute! We haven't decided that's what's going on... have we?

 

I raised the issue in my post back a couple of pages that I didn't understand why, with all the technology available, JBJ isn't hitting better.

 

How did that morph into JBJ is "stubborn" or "dumb"? There are other possibilities... glasses?....pitch recognition issues?

 

Were it up to me I'd give him a rest the next time we play a 2nd division team and let him go into the video room and then the cages to try to replicate what he was doing 'way back when'. But what do I know?

 

I used to coach with a guy who told the kids that no matter what they hear, "Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect."

[a700hitter]

True, but how many of the kids who play football or basketball in college even go to classes anymore? The whole 'student-athlete' thing has become kind of a joke.

They always got special academic treatment, but I still believe that their college time has a positive effect on their maturity level.

[illinoisredsox]

I think that MLB still has far less college kids than the other 2 sports.

 

Obviously. All NFL and NBA players attended college (with the exception of some of the foreign players in the NBA, and I don't know enough about foreign schooling to know what their US equivalent might be).

 

OTOH, equating attending college is a poor way to evaluate intelligence.

[a700hitter]

Obviously. All NFL and NBA players attended college (with the exception of some of the foreign players in the NBA, and I don't know enough about foreign schooling to know what their US equivalent might be).

 

OTOH, equating attending college is a poor way to evaluate intelligence.

I wasn't equating it with intelligence. I think the college experience even if not a 4 year experience helps to mature them.

[illinoisredsox]

True, but how many of the kids who play football or basketball in college even go to classes anymore? The whole 'student-athlete' thing has become kind of a joke.

 

More than you think. As always, the extreme cases get publicized, but most do do what they are supposed to be doing.

[harmony]

True, but how many of the kids who play football or basketball in college even go to classes anymore? The whole 'student-athlete' thing has become kind of a joke.

Depends on the university and program.

 

I am old enough to remember when many top football and basketball programs had incredibly low graduation rates, in part because many athletes rarely went to class. Still those athletes got a taste of higher education that many of their parents did not. In turn, the children of those athletes are more likely to pursue higher education regardless of whether the offspring participate in sports.

 

The benefit may not be immediately apparent but may be passed down to the next generation.

[illinoisredsox]

I wasn't equating it with intelligence. I think the college experience even if not a 4 year experience helps to mature them.

 

Totally true. I'm an advocate of actually going away to college. When you aren't in Mommy and Daddy's back yard, you learn to solve everyday things on your own.

Edited May 9, 2018 by illinoisredsox

[illinoisredsox]

Wait a minute! We haven't decided that's what's going on... have we?

 

I raised the issue in my post back a couple of pages that I didn't understand why, with all the technology available, JBJ isn't hitting better.

 

How did that morph into JBJ is "stubborn" or "dumb"? There are other possibilities... glasses?....pitch recognition issues?

 

Were it up to me I'd give him a rest the next time we play a 2nd division team and let him go into the video room and then the cages to try to replicate what he was doing 'way back when'. But what do I know?

 

I used to coach with a guy who told the kids that no matter what they hear, "Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect."

 

I said he may be stubborn, and if it's true that he won't go into a film room or adjust in any way, he is being stubborn. And I guess if that is adversely affecting his ML career, it could be considered dumb as in a dumb decision.

 

I said a couple of times, this has gone on through 2 managers and 3 hitting coaches, so the reason may well be and likely is JBJ himself.

[notin]

 

I used to coach with a guy who told the kids that no matter what they hear, "Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect."

 

That saying really needs to be modified to "Practice makes progress!"

[a700hitter]

I said he may be stubborn, and if it's true that he won't go into a film room or adjust in any way, he is being stubborn. And I guess if that is adversely affecting his ML career, it could be considered dumb as in a dumb decision.

 

I said a couple of times, this has gone on through 2 managers and 3 hitting coaches, so the reason may well be and likely is JBJ himself.

The hitting coach needs to drag him into the video room. Even if they are not going to work on mechanical flaws, it could do nothing but help if the video drills into his mind pitching patterns and tendencies of pitchers who they will be facing.

 

I remember a story that Hawk told about Yaz after Hawk arrived in Boston in 1967. The Sox were facing the A’s (Hawk’s former team). They A’s brought in a reliever to face Yaz. Yaz walked over to Hawk and asked him what the pitcher had. Hawk stammered that he had a good fastball. Yaz kept staring at him waiting for more. I think he said “I need more than that”. He wanted to know about the movement, where he liked to locate etc. Hawk was intimidated. In telling the story, Hawk said that he knew right then that had wasn’t going to be very good. He was a see the ball hit the ball guy, and Yaz’s approach was on an entirely different level. Hawk was right. He had 2 years of very good productivity and then he fell off a cliff and took up golfing.

 

Bradley had better find a better way to approach making adjustments (not just mechanical but in mental approach) if he wants to stay as an MLB starter.

[Bellhorn04]

They always got special academic treatment, but I still believe that their college time has a positive effect on their maturity level.

 

Seems to me that NFL players are the biggest culprits when it comes to instances of crime and misbehavior.

[illinoisredsox]

The hitting coach needs to drag him into the video room. Even if they are not going to work on mechanical flaws, it could do nothing but help if the video drills into his mind pitching patterns and tendencies of pitchers who they will be facing.

 

Ortiz did this constantly. One would have hoped it a little of that would have rubbed off.

 

 

 

Bradley had better find a better way to approach making adjustments (not just mechanical but in mental approach) if he wants to stay as an MLB starter.

 

Yep. I hate to say it though, but it might take a trade or a long benching to get through to him. He may also be one of those players who doesn't really like baseball, he does it because he's always been good at it (relatively speaking), in which case he may never get it.

[mvp 78]

Seems to me that NFL players are the biggest culprits when it comes to instances of crime and misbehavior.

 

Ugeth Urbina, Wil Cordero, Steven Wright, Oil Can Boyd, Bobby Jenks, etc.

[Slasher9]

you guys do realize that we are crucifying JBj for his lack of video usage based on a Yankees troll posting that about him in this thread, right?

in reality, he could be spending 10 hours a day looking at video.

[mvp 78]

you guys do realize that we are crucifying JBj for his lack of video usage based on a Yankees troll posting that about him in this thread, right?

in reality, he could be spending 10 hours a day looking at video.

 

I don't care if he watches video. I think MLB guys are generally dumb tho.

[illinoisredsox]

you guys do realize that we are crucifying JBj for his lack of video usage based on a Yankees troll posting that about him in this thread, right?

in reality, he could be spending 10 hours a day looking at video.

 

Well, if he is, maybe he should cut back, Whatever he's doing or not doing ain't working.

[Bellhorn04]

Ugeth Urbina, Wil Cordero, Steven Wright, Oil Can Boyd, Bobby Jenks, etc.

 

The list of NFL'ers and ex-NFL'ers would take up pages.

 

It's not nicknamed the National Felons League for nothing.

[Spudboy]

You can LOL it all you want, but the more I read from sportswriters, the more I see that MLB players are dumb as rocks, NBA guys are average and NFL guys tend to be smarter than expected. Why do you think NFL and NBA players are dumber than MLB? Football players need to memorize a playbook. Basketball players need to analyze every play while on the court. Baseball players are just "see ball hit ball."

 

I think it's cultural and environmental. Those are the determinants of smarts in pro athletes. I am not saying that I disagree with you. I have not really given it much thought.

 

I would be hesitant to make a generalization.

[mvp 78]

The list of NFL'ers and ex-NFL'ers would take up pages.

 

It's not nicknamed the National Felons League for nothing.

 

Because of racism.

 

I only picked some random Sox players that popped into my head.

[mvp 78]

I think it's cultural and environmental. Those are the determinants of smarts in pro athletes. I am not saying that I disagree with you. I have not really given it much thought.

 

I would be hesitant to make a generalization.

 

I haven't given it that much thought either, I've just always seen and heard baseball writers talk about how the players were far dumber than those they covered in other sports.

[moonslav59]

And just try to imagine what it would have been like if it was major league pitching you'd been trying to hit.

 

I'd have 100 Ks in 100 PAs, assuming I wasn't demoted before that!!!!

 

[kenmeister]

The hitting coach needs to drag him into the video room. Even if they are not going to work on mechanical flaws, it could do nothing but help if the video drills into his mind pitching patterns and tendencies of pitchers who they will be facing.

 

I remember a story that Hawk told about Yaz after Hawk arrived in Boston in 1967. The Sox were facing the A’s (Hawk’s former team). They A’s brought in a reliever to face Yaz. Yaz walked over to Hawk and asked him what the pitcher had. Hawk stammered that he had a good fastball. Yaz kept staring at him waiting for more. I think he said “I need more than that”. He wanted to know about the movement, where he liked to locate etc. Hawk was intimidated. In telling the story, Hawk said that he knew right then that had wasn’t going to be very good. He was a see the ball hit the ball guy, and Yaz’s approach was on an entirely different level. Hawk was right. He had 2 years of very good productivity and then he fell off a cliff and took up golfing.

 

Bradley had better find a better way to approach making adjustments (not just mechanical but in mental approach) if he wants to stay as an MLB starter.

 

Awesome story! Makes me love Yaz even more.

[illinoisredsox]

I'd have 100 Ks in 100 PAs, assuming I wasn't demoted before that!!!!

 

 

Nah, there would be a couple times an errant pitch might get you or somehow 4 balls go by before 3 strikes do.