What can you tell me about Michael Choice?
by Llewdor on Aug 17, 2010 12:10 PM PDT
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PrintI'm a Mariners fan, living in Canada. The only live professional baseball in my immediate area is Oakland's short-season A-ball affiliate - the Vancouver Canadians.
Because I'm a Mariners fan, I went to see the Canadians play a couple of games last week when the Everett Aquasox were in town. The Aquasox were entirely underwhelming, but Michael Choice (Vancouver CF) caught my eye. He's easily the most powerful bat I saw in either game. He hit the ball hard to all fields, often off the wall (Nat Bailey stadium is enormous - 335' down the lines, 420' to centre - so I can't imagine a lot of A-ballers hit homeruns there). Watching him felt a lot like I was watching a future star.
So who is he? I know he got drafted this year. Am I right that he has serious potential?
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Choice is the A's number one draft pick in 2010
he was #10 overall in the draft. He played college ball in Texas and signed pretty quickly after being drafted. In college he was known for a powerful bat, for walking a lot, and for good centerfield defense
As an A’s fan it’s nice to read your reaction to watching him play. We’re of course looking forward to seeing him progress quickly through the minors and contribute to the major league club as soon as possible.
I thought it was pretty much universally thought that he'd have to move from CF by the time he reached the majors.
The A’s will keep him there and let him play himself off, for sure, but there still weren’t a lot of reports I read that were optimistic about him being a plus, or even average CF defensively.
The knock was because he's supposed to have "average" speed
He’s already had 4 stolen base attempts in 9 games with Vancouver. Small sample size, of course, and I know baserunning speed doesn’t necessarily correlate with natural speed, but that should show the A’s do believe he has the speed to stay in center.
I’ve heard his reads are average to below average as well.
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions
And having average speed doesn't keep a guy from being awesome in center (see: Edmonds, Jim)
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 17, 2010 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions
I like to use Eric Byrnes for the reverse
Speedy guy who has no idea where the hell he’s going while trying to “track” a ball.
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
Dude. Eric. Patterson.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
How long was he considered a 'fantastic defensive CFer'?
2 weeks? That guy is always sidelined with back injuries.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Mostly when he was in the NL before coming to the A's
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 17, 2010 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions
First few years with the A's he was awesome
Choosy Feebas choose Leopold Bloom nipples
Daring. Sensual. Invigorating. Squirrel.
BLOOM. For men.
2003
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Ryan Sweeney?
Keep in mind, of course, that "the best defense of Derek Jeter's life" ranks somewhere in between "the best fiscal responsibility of Mike Tyson's life" and "the best not-getting-assassinated-ness of James Garfield's life." -FJM
He was a better corner OF
Who knows what he and his robotic knees will be like now
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 18, 2010 12:26 AM PDT up reply actions
We can rebuild him.....if we don't pick up Chavez's option.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
You're right.
Seems he’s a victim of the old cliche scouts love to fall back on: “Well he’ll get bigger as he gets older and he’ll have to be moved to the corners/1B”.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
From Seiler:
“He’s a little more raw as a fielder, and the majority of scouts think he’ll shift over to a corner outfield spot as a pro, as his range is more average than true center field range, and his arm is solid-average.”
From the MLB draft report series:
“He has decent range, but will likely move from center field to a corner outfield position in the future.”
From Project Prospect:
“Given his body type – atypical for a center fielder – and his lack of elite speed, most people forecast Choice moving to a corner outfield spot in the pros….Overall, I feel that Choice would be slightly below-average defensively in center but likely an asset at a corner spot.”
From PNR Scouting:
"Though he holds down center field for Texas-Arlington, Choice is a corner outfielder as a pro. He moves fairly well for someone his size and should have no trouble covering the requisite ground from gap to pole. His arm is above-average and could be enough to play in right. Choice is a solid athlete, but his actions aren’t always the cleanest and his routes and reads are just “okay”."
How good was the coaching at the University of whatever (Arlington?)?
If he’s raw as a fielder perhaps the A’s staff can polish him.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
This seems optimistic.
They had a player as fast as Eric Patterson and couldn’t even teach him to play left field well.
I read this as "your erection to watching him play" and, well, I kinda liked that better
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 17, 2010 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
haha
QOTM
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Your eyewitness reports make me very excited!
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
all we know are from the scouting reports from the draft and his exciting numbers thus far in the 9 games he has played
But, like stranahanahan, I am very excited about your reports. I am very excited about Choice and the great tools he supposedly has.
C'mon Beane! Close off the bottom deck and reopen the top!
you could check out
this . If he can hit for average he will be a very very good player.
What we’re asking is for people to stop pretending that ipse dixit counts as a "source." When you make a claim about baseball, you should be willing to put some reasonable amount of effort into explaining why it’s correct if someone asks you to. That’s basic respect for the other poster. - PT
by designatedforassignment on Aug 17, 2010 12:36 PM PDT reply actions
His swing worries me a lot.
He’s going to walk, he’s going to hit the ball hard, he should play pretty good defense. But his swing has so many moving parts and is so violent, I’m just worried that he’ll be too easily fooled by breaking pitches. His 14 Ks in nine games in Vancouver hasn’t eased my mind at all, but it’s just nine games.
It's fixable
But, yeah, needs some adjustments.
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions
You see it a lot more with prep guys
Especially that double tap with the front foot, a la Bryce Harper.
And I’m guessing he didn’t exactly have the best coaching in Arlington. We’ll see if he’ll be able to move up through the system while working on it or if he’ll have to take some extra time in KC or Stockton.
I do like the way he squares up to the ball though…
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 18, 2010 12:29 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm assuming that first tap is just him closing up his stance
Nearly every hitter who starts with his foot in the bucket does that. Of course, if he ends up with his left foot aligned properly, you could ask why he doesn’t just start with it there…
He does have a great weight-shift, though. He gets his right foot perpendicular to the ground, and it slides forward because he’s got all his energy going forwards, towards the ball. I really like that.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
He does have fantastic bat speed, which is the reason you can think that hes going to be able to fix the rest
What we’re asking is for people to stop pretending that ipse dixit counts as a "source." When you make a claim about baseball, you should be willing to put some reasonable amount of effort into explaining why it’s correct if someone asks you to. That’s basic respect for the other poster. - PT
by designatedforassignment on Aug 18, 2010 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, bad hitting mechanics can be fixed. You can only improve a guy's bat speed so much.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 18, 2010 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I think if he just started with his left foot at or near his plant spot
then his whole swing would be quieter and maybe more consistent. That step-in starting from a foot-in-the-bucket can lead to a lot of problems: being off balance, striding too much or too little, timing issues. Canseco hit like that when he came up, but abandoned the wide open stance after his rookie season, and it really helped him stay consistent.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
How much of that bat speed his him twisting his body more than the average player and then uncoiling it
and how much of it is natural bat speed? I think a lot of has to do with the fact that it is a maximum effort swing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Choice was a bad pick at #10. I have druthers, but by no means do I dislike him. The swing just worries me.
DFA's draft druthers?
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 18, 2010 8:28 PM PDT up reply actions
That's the 3B from Arkansas, right?
Didn’t the Cardinals draft him?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Yes, but some reports coming in to draft day
had Cox going to the A’s. Then on the morning of draft day, he came out and said he wanted Pedro Alvarez money, which was $6M, and that scared the A’s away from him. In the end Cox signed for $3.2M and Choice signed for $2M, but they went overslot to sign Cabrera, Lewis and Shipman. Though who knows if Cox was ever the plan. Draft rumors aren’t very reliable.
I remember there being concerns about his swing
Basically, that he didn’t show enough power (he’d hit HRs earlier in his career, then stopped IIRC). Bill Mueller clone sounds right, to me. But we sort of have that already with Cardenas, don’t you think?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
If Cardenas becomes Bill Mueller, I'll be pretty happy.
But I don’t really think he is. Mueller walks more and hit for more power than Cardenas has ever shown––not that Cardenas is punchless, but he hasn’t shown it in the minors. Cox is a much more advanced bat. I read comparisons to Dustin Ackley as far as the bat goes, with good defense at 3B or possibly 2B.
You don't think Cardenas can hit 6 or 7 HRs a year?
Mueller showed no power whatsoever in the minors — 14 HRs in 1,950 career minor-league PAs. Cardenas already has 24 in 2,185, which is, what, about 80% higher than Mueller’s rate, despite the fact that he’s been younger at every level than Mueller was. Their career minor league SLG’s are nearly identical (.410 for Mueller, .411 for Cardenas). And in the majors, Mueller hit the occasional HR until he got to Fenway, and had seasons of 19, 12, and 10.
So, if Cardenas has shown much more HR power, as a younger player, in the minors, I’m not really sure why he couldn’t at least match the minimal HR power Mueller demonstrated in the majors.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Good point. What I was trying to say got muddled in what I actually said.
Cardenas set the Florida state homerun record when he was a senior, so the power is there––or at least was there––he just hasn’t shown a lot of in the minors. More than Mueller, yes. I should have said, I’d be happy if Cardenas becomes “Good Mueller,” or “Fenway Mueller.” He should be better than “Okay Mueller.”
you cant have two picks :-)
What we’re asking is for people to stop pretending that ipse dixit counts as a "source." When you make a claim about baseball, you should be willing to put some reasonable amount of effort into explaining why it’s correct if someone asks you to. That’s basic respect for the other poster. - PT
by designatedforassignment on Aug 19, 2010 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions
I like the ankle turn though.
Most power hitters turn their ankle like that on the follow through. Don’t know why, mind, but there’s obviously a reason.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Reminds me of Prince Fielder for some reason
-Yeah, I just posted that, but my opinion is apparently "wrong" a significant portion of the time though, so take it as you will.
I worry about the walks disappearing against pitching that isn't obviously pitching around him
What we’re asking is for people to stop pretending that ipse dixit counts as a "source." When you make a claim about baseball, you should be willing to put some reasonable amount of effort into explaining why it’s correct if someone asks you to. That’s basic respect for the other poster. - PT
by designatedforassignment on Aug 17, 2010 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Why are we assuming he's being pitched around now?
He’s got AJ-KJ and Tony Thompson with him at Vancouver, the latter having come from a stronger college program.
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I meant the UT Arlington BBs
What we’re asking is for people to stop pretending that ipse dixit counts as a "source." When you make a claim about baseball, you should be willing to put some reasonable amount of effort into explaining why it’s correct if someone asks you to. That’s basic respect for the other poster. - PT
by designatedforassignment on Aug 17, 2010 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, yeah
Of course.
It’ll sure be interesting to see if he can keep it up though once he gets up a couple levels.
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Is that your opinion or the results of a blind taste test?
I usually talk out of my ass, but it's been said I have a nice ass.
by OptimistPrime on Aug 17, 2010 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions
How would he know?
The only thing A-Rod has tasted in the last three years is himself.
"We don't want our people to be preoccupied with seminude, crazy men jumping up and down who are chasing an inflated object," said Sheik Mohamed Osman Arus, head of operations for the Hizbul Islam insurgent group.
hendu
if hendu could be the starting center fielder for some pretty good a’s teams, then whose to say that there’s no way choice will play cf in the major leagues. ah, if only cory brown would establish himself already…
First of all, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
Yes, I’m booing you, a M’s fan.
2nd, he seems to be a quite scary 2-way player.
Not that he pitches also, but he’s capable of putting big time fear into opposing pitchers, IF he can smooth out his mechanics & reduce the K’s. OR he can put fear into A’s fans, that he’ll be a big time bust. See, scary 2 way player.
He's awesome.
Though sadly not crazy awesome……and he’s a bad interview.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I think he's just shy and very soft-spoken (from what I've seen/read of him)
…sorta like Chris Carter.
by bakerbeachboy on Aug 17, 2010 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm just kidding around.
Though that live interview just after he was drafted was terribad.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Agreed, haha
Harold Reynolds was kind of being a tool to Choice in that interview IMO.
by bakerbeachboy on Aug 17, 2010 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, Reynolds was being a little bitch
C’mon, the kid was way excited and was there with his family, don’t tease him!
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Do you have links to some other interviews with Choice?
I’d love to see/hear em.
by bakerbeachboy on Aug 18, 2010 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm sure he was.
At the end of the day though, as long as he can hit the ball I don’t care if he’s the worst interview ever.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
If he's a bad interview then Cahill is the WORST!
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions
At least we have Braden
He’s got to be one of the best interviews in MLB.
by bakerbeachboy on Aug 17, 2010 5:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I would love to put Braden in the booth for an entire game
Imagine him with Kuiper. He’d call him out on every play!
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 17, 2010 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions
............
What can you tell me about Michael Choice?
He’s awesome and I love that we have him.
Next question?
:)
Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
He could be a Mike Cameron type player.
Or he could not be.
Very accurate
"Never overlook an orchid while searching for a rose" - Buck Showalter
by Philip Christy on Aug 18, 2010 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Mike Cameron is going to go down as one of the all-time best defensive center fielders.
I can see him reaching Cameron and maybe passing him from an offensive standpoint, but defensively, they are completely different. If the A’s keep him in CF, I would bet defensively he’s much more Vernon Wells than he is Mike Cameron.
Or he could be better
His ceiling has got to be more than Mike Cameron, or he’s not a 1st rounder.
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 18, 2010 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Gary Brown and Delino DeShields say hi.
Teh Giantz and Astroz R lolz!
by Mr. Clean Sweep on Aug 18, 2010 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions
uh, what?
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Aug 19, 2010 12:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Mike Cameron is something very close to a Hall of Fame talent.
"We don't want our people to be preoccupied with seminude, crazy men jumping up and down who are chasing an inflated object," said Sheik Mohamed Osman Arus, head of operations for the Hizbul Islam insurgent group.
He won't get a sniff though.
He’s only made one ASG and has only received MVP votes in two seasons. He’s one of those guys who was just consistently really good (but rarely great) with the bat for a long time. Plus, he struck out a lot without being a 40 HR guy, so the writers will penalize him.
He’s probably not a HOFer even when factoring in his defense, but he deserves more consideration than he’ll get (I think he’s a one and one guy).
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 19, 2010 5:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Mike Cameron is like the wealthy man's Dwayne Murphy
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
I don't think you realize what a good career Cameron, who was drafted in the 18th round only because he could've gone to college, has had.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 19, 2010 5:46 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, f*ck me!
I did not do my research there!
AN: Where you will be an A's fan or Dallas Braden will show you the repercussions of your actions.
by stranahanahan on Aug 19, 2010 9:53 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I like the Mike Cameron comparison.
The only difference I can think of was that Mike was an extremely patient hitter. He took so many pitches. Choice (in the two games I watched) was almost always swinging at the first pitch (and lining it hard to all fields, or missing comically).
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
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