I didn’t even think about the leg kick. That sounds way more probable than my tipping pitches idea. I did figure that it was definitely something Feliz was doing or not doing, though. By the time Gradoville received the ball, the guys who stole were usually within four or five steps of second. He was handcuffed.

I agree on Andrus…I heard some dude way up behind my friend and I yelling “c’mon, you gotta get those!” and I wanted to turn around and say “really? how about you give it a try.” That part of his game reminds me a bit of Kinsler, who looks like a bad fielder at times because he narrowly misses balls where most other 2Bs wouldn’t even be able to make a play.

Borbon looks like a track and field guy to me, but yeah, he’s fast the same way Feliz throws gas. He doesn’t look like he’s laboring when he’s running; he’s not a mass of flailing arms or high knee action. He’s just fast as hell. He’s got the kind of speed where if you blink, you’re going to miss him taking second on a double or stealing a base.

We were in the same section. We were in 119; our tickets were for row 7, but since no one was sitting down around row 2, we moved down. We spent most of Feliz’s time in the game sitting 2 rows behind the visitor’s dugout. There were four people sitting in the front row to our left and a guy and his son sitting in the front row to our right. After the second food run, we moved further up in the section. My friend was wearing a Bradley t-shirt and was taking pictures; I was wearing a Spokane t-shirt and wasn’t doing much of anything except watching the game!

That was one thing that I was constantly reminding myself while Feliz was in the game last night: “He’s only 20. This is his first AA start. He’s only 20. This is his first AA start.” I suppose like the basketball maxim that you can’t teach height, you can’t teach easy 98 mph heat. My impression from watching him last night was that his natural talent with the fastball is eye popping. Everything about his delivery…the ease, the repeatability and, like you mention, the fluid motion, just screamed “real deal”. My friend and I also saw that “01” on the stadium gun. At first I thought that was because Gradoville had to block the ball and that the blocking somehow threw the reading off. As my friend pointed out later when Gradoville blocked an almost identical Feliz pitch, the gun read 96. So I think we were definitely looking at some 101 mph heat!

Agree 100% on Borbon being the more polished baserunner and on all three of their speed. I think that college experience is the difference between Borbon and Andrus. That rundown picture I linked in the fanpost, while funny to watch, was a great example of that difference in experience. I bet that if that was Borbon instead of Andrus, he probably would not have rounded first. I also kept reminding myself that Andrus is only 19 and that this is what minor league ball is for: Getting playing time, getting game experience and translating that experience into game-in game-out performance.

but he’s going to have to learn to walk. He makes easy contact, and though he apparently has never hit for any power, he does hit the ball pretty hard. But he’s primarily going to be a singles/gap hitter and a base stealer offensively, and to be effective in that role he has to have a solid OBP. He does take pitches, doesn’t go to the plate with a desire to swing at everything, but one walk per 20 official at-bats won’t work in the majors for a player like him. Hopefully he’ll develop that.

that much, speaking in general strategy terms. But in trades this summer I’d be targeting high ceiling pitchers, OFers that are close to the majors and 3B. Of course, I’m taking the best deal overall regardless of positions, but given the choice that’s what I’m looking for.

Not sure who TX would match up well with on those fronts, I need to troll through some other teams systems.