M’s Second Rounder Walked Six Times
Dave · June 7, 2008 at 8:37 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Dennis Raben, the outfielder the M’s selected from the University of Miami in the second round on Thursday is playing for the Hurricanes against Arizona in a Super Regional qualifier for the College World Series. It is the 9th inning as I type this, and Raben was just intentionally walked – his sixth base on balls of the game.
Yuniesky Betancourt has four walks all season. Jose Lopez has six. Kenji Johjima has seven. Raben got six walks in one game.
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Yeah – amazing. I watched him play last night in the extra innings game versus Arizona as well.
You see that you tube clip of his swing?
Great. The Ms drafted a relief pitcher in the first round and a baseclogger in the second.
Obviously you weren’t paying attention, Dave. Jose Lopez picked up his seventh walk of the season today.
Hopefully he could start playing at the MLB level here by the end of the year or beginning of next. His swing looks awesome!
Rumor on the street is the M’s are looking to get a redo on the draft as Raben clearly is not in line with organizational beliefs.
Just because I like Betancourt, I trick myself in to thinking that he should be higher up in the line up. Four walks all season though?! Yikes. When he’s on his game I think he must be one of the best nine-spot hitters in baseball, with “hitters” being the key word. Can anyone else think of a player with a similar skill set that hits ninth? I’m sure they’re out there.
I watched most of that game, and was prett impressed with Raben. If we move him to 1B, he’ll immediately be the org’s #1 1st baseman (over Sexson and Lahair).
On a different note, is there a list of who’s coming to “The Feed”? I’m interested in putting faces to posting names. And can we make people make nametags?
Yeah, this organization will cure him of that real quick like.
But Dave! The
panicreports on him are that he is TOO patient and gets into pitcher’s counts!I just love the notion of being too patient. It really just makes me laugh.
There’s still time to fix him.
Well, this just means we drafted a trade bait player for a wily veteran. Hurrah!
I have watched both the Miami vs. Arizona games so far, and Raben has impressed me for sure. Solid approach at the plate and some pop in his bat. Not to mention a killer mohawk.
To be fair, I don’t think the M’s intentionally teach their players not to walk. Hargrove last year spoke of being really frustrated with all the free-swingers, but then said by the time those guys get here it’s a little late to be trying to change their entire approach.
Raben’s walk rate isn’t a good fit for the M’s. They need to trade him for a gritty lefty specialist pronto.
What is the manager’s role in the “hitter’s approach” to an at bat? For that matter, the hitting coach? Why can’t either of them “coach” their current approach out of them and get them to take more pitches? Or is the approach to treat them like adults and let them do what they want (even if it’s not the best)?
Has anyone done ETAs for the guys the M’s drafted in the first few rounds?
Yeah, Edgar Martinez never had any of this “patience.” Oh, wait…
On a related note, got bored and watched the 2nd half of the Quantum Leap pilot last night. Pretty sad when the fictional manager of a fictional minor league team knows enough to fine his guys for swinging at the first pitch, but our real major league team does not. 🙁
No. 16–You hit the nail on the head.
It’s been my contention for a long time that the Mariners hitting strategy is fatally flawed.
They teach their players hitting techniques, but virtually ignore hitting strategies. There is a big difference, but don’t tell the Mariners.
Take Sexson, for example. They keep talking about this new open stance that was going to help solve his problems. Apparently, it never occurred to them that Sexson might be a better hitter if he saw a few more 3-1 counts rather than his usual 0-2 and 1-2 counts.
Sexson, of course, is beyond hope, but it’s an organizational problem. And it’s why you see so many mediocre pitchers have big games against Seattle.
Same thing
Looks like we will get to see our second rounder on college baseball’s biggest stage as the ‘Canes advanced to the CWS in Omaha.
I am pretty excited to see how Raben performs under some pressure.
Thats good…but bad if you read his scouting report. He is too patient. I didn’t see the AB’s so I don’t know the situations he was in, but its good and bad.
22 – is there such a thing as too patient?