Soxbadger Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 After looking at Beckham and Smoak's Junior year stats, its hard to really pass on Beckham. http://secsports.com/new/sports/bbc/08stats/lgplyrs.htm Bekham has a higher average, higher slugging, identical obp and plays a more premium defensive position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Oh yeah, it was nice hearing Chris Singleton talk about Ramirez having the inside track to being our SS next season. He's probably the only guy at ESPN who knows who the hell Ramirez is and/or ever seen him play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:46 PM) From what I have read, he is a serviceable SS, but nothing special. Well, a team could stick him at SS like the Rangers do with Michael Young, but they are both 2B and not SS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:46 PM) After looking at Beckham and Smoak's Junior year stats, its hard to really pass on Beckham. http://secsports.com/new/sports/bbc/08stats/lgplyrs.htm Bekham has a higher average, higher slugging, identical obp and plays a more premium defensive position. You gotta take college stats with a grain of salt. Beckham might have had close to identical stats, but there is no doubt that Smoak is the better hitter of the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxbadger Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 (edited) Well Beckham also showed the most power in the Cape Cod league of any middle infielder since Longoria according to one publication I read. Ive never seen either of them play, but they both play in the same conference and put up very close stats. One of them plays middle infield, the other plays 1b. Id rather have the middle infielder unless the 1b just blows him out of the water in terms of hitting ability. Here is that article about the cape cod league: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6429 The talk of the league in the first two weeks was Yarmouth-Dennis shortstop Gordon Beckham, who in his first two seasons at Georgia has hit 25 home runs. Beckham has not slowed down with wood, and while he ultimately might move to third base, his nine extra-base hits in 61 at-bats are the best power display for a middle infielder in the league since Evan Longoria. Joining Beckham at the top of the power totem pole has been Miami's Dennis Raben, an athletic outfielder teamed up with Brandon Crawford for Orleans. Raben clubs right-handed pitchers from the left side, showing power potential that rivals that of anyone else in the league. Raben strikes out a lot, but the good news is that he hasn't had a drop-off with wood bats, hitting .288/.381/.635 compared to .280/.378/.514 in his sophomore season with the Hurricanes. Edited June 5, 2008 by Soxbadger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan1 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:48 PM) You gotta take college stats with a grain of salt. Beckham might have had close to identical stats, but there is no doubt that Smoak is the better hitter of the two. Based on your own opinion and only your own. You've been hugging Smoak's junk for months now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:50 PM) Based on your own opinion and only your own. You've been hugging Smoak's junk for months now. And so have many other people. I have seen both, I have compared both, and Smoak is the much better natural hitter and the ball jumps off his bat much more. Beckham has more of a mechanical type of swing and the ball doesn't jump off his bat like Smoak's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:29 PM) With Smoak still on the board, I disapprove. I like Beckham, but he isn't that game-changing prospect we need, like Smoak is. Beckham is that scrappy type of player who will undoubtedly be a 2B in the future. While that's not bad, I expect better at 8. If Smoak was gone, fine, but Smoak should have been the pick. In the future, I see Beckham as a good fielding 2B who will pretty much be a Michael Young type hitter except with more pop and less average. Gordon Beckham actually had better offensive numbers in almost every category than Smoak did in 2008. Check it... Beckham: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, .781 SLG, .505 OBP Smoak: .383 BA, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 63 R, .757 SLG, .505 OBP And Beckham is a far better overall athlete, able to play multiple positions, probably. So tell me again how it is that Smoak is so much more game-changing than Beckham? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostfan Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 03:52 PM) And so have many other people. I have seen both, I have compared both, and Smoak is the much better natural hitter and the ball jumps off his bat much more. Beckham has more of a mechanical type of swing and the ball doesn't jump off his bat like Smoak's. You know who has a mechanical type of swing? Ken Griffey Jr... so how's that bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I've never seen a topic that BearSox was happy about. No surprise he's unhappy here. Move on to the next topic you hate man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:54 PM) Gordon Beckham actually had better offensive numbers in almost every category than Smoak did in 2008. Check it... Beckham: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, .781 SLG, .505 OBP Smoak: .383 BA, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 63 R, .757 SLG, .505 OBP And Beckham is a far better overall athlete, able to play multiple positions, probably. So tell me again how it is that Smoak is so much more game-changing than Beckham? Because BearSox says so! He needs not fact nor statistic to back his claim. Just hatred of life itself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:01 PM) Because BearSox says so! He needs not fact nor statistic to back his claim. Just hatred of life itself! I dont know if I would go that far. He is just very convinced that when he sees it and believes is, it must be true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 01:54 PM) Gordon Beckham actually had better offensive numbers in almost every category than Smoak did in 2008. Check it... Beckham: .397 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, .781 SLG, .505 OBP Smoak: .383 BA, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 63 R, .757 SLG, .505 OBP And Beckham is a far better overall athlete, able to play multiple positions, probably. So tell me again how it is that Smoak is so much more game-changing than Beckham? Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Beckham is the better athlete and the more hard-nosed player. From the video I have seen and the games I have watched, Smoak is the much better natural and pure hitter. The ball flies off of his bat. His power easily translates to the pro game. Plus, he has 40+ homerun power from both sides of the plate. However, Beckham's power most likely won't translate to the bigs. He might have a couple 20+ homer season, but I see him sticking in the 15-20 range. His swing has more flaws in it, and I absolutely hate his high leg kick when he swings. This is not to say Beckham is a bad hitter, as he is good. All I am saying is that Smoak is the better hitter overall, and is that impact bat we have lacked in our farm system for so long. Beckham is the better athlete and provides more speed and such. Beckham wasn't a bad pick, but I would have prefered Smoak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 03:02 PM) Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Beckham is the better athlete and the more hard-nosed player. From the video I have seen and the games I have watched, Smoak is the much better natural and pure hitter. The ball flies off of his bat. His power easily translates to the pro game. Plus, he has 40+ homerun power from both sides of the plate. However, Beckham's power most likely won't translate to the bigs. He might have a couple 20+ homer season, but I see him sticking in the 15-20 range. His swing has more flaws in it, and I absolutely hate his high leg kick when he swings. This is not to say Beckham is a bad hitter, as he is good. All I am saying is that Smoak is the better hitter overall, and is that impact bat we have lacked in our farm system for so long. Beckham is the better athlete and provides more speed and such. Beckham wasn't a bad pick, but I would have prefered Smoak. Ok, that's an acceptable and well built response. However, Smoak fell to 11 for a reason... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 01:58 PM) You know who has a mechanical type of swing? Ken Griffey Jr... so how's that bad? Did I ever say it is bad? No. The majority of hitters in baseball have manufactored swings. Even Smoak's swing has been manufactored some. However, some have more mechanical swings than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalapse Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 See Gordon Beckham LIVE!! Tomorrow 11 AM CT ESPN: NCST vs UGA in a Super-Regional Playoff game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 03:06 PM) See Gordon Beckham LIVE!! Tomorrow 11 AM CT ESPN: NCST vs UGA in a Super-Regional Playoff game! That will be DVR'd for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 11:46 AM) From what I have read, he is a serviceable SS, but nothing special. He has the arm and I think he has the ability to stick at SS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OilCan Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Huzzah indeed! A premium prospect at a premium position. You can always get 1bs later in the draft. This was a glaring hole...scratch that, all positions in our minors are glaring holes needed to be filled. Smoak will get his but Beckham will be perfect in a Sox uni. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWSGuy406 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 (edited) QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 08:29 PM) Beckham is that scrappy type of player who will undoubtedly be a 2B in the future. Undoubtedly, huh? So you know something that guys like Keith Law (among others) don't? By the way... this isn't to say that I think he'll stay at SS. My point is that you don't know, and painting it as you did -- "undoubtedly" -- is pretty absurd/comical. There are questions whether he'll stay at SS, but I haven't read anywhere that it's a foregone conclusion that he won't be there. Edited June 5, 2008 by CWSGuy406 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daa84 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 ive seen them both play between 5-10 times each....i preferred smoak, because i thought he would be more projectable...big, nice major league body with great pop and a natural hitting stroke....bat was like an extension of his hands....beckham i thought was one of those guys who got the most out of his ability at the college level, so i was a bit more skeptical how that would project to the pro ball...plus hes pretty small (especially since when i saw him most he was a freshman) but he could also really hit .....couldnt really go wrong with either, but i thought smoak has 40 HR power and beckham may ultimately be a 2b, so i thought smoak was the better option.... that said my buddy who works for the vandy baseball team told me he thinks beckham will be better than smoak so who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kane0730 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 03:06 PM) See Gordon Beckham LIVE!! Tomorrow 11 AM CT ESPN: NCST vs UGA in a Super-Regional Playoff game! Good catch! Georgia is also on Sat. & Sun (If nec.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSoxfan1986 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I would have liked Crow more, but I still like the pick. Smoak is a great prospect, but he's a first baseman while Beckham is a middle infielder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCQ Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:02 PM) Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Beckham is the better athlete and the more hard-nosed player. From the video I have seen and the games I have watched, Smoak is the much better natural and pure hitter. The ball flies off of his bat. His power easily translates to the pro game. Plus, he has 40+ homerun power from both sides of the plate. However, Beckham's power most likely won't translate to the bigs. He might have a couple 20+ homer season, but I see him sticking in the 15-20 range. His swing has more flaws in it, and I absolutely hate his high leg kick when he swings. This is not to say Beckham is a bad hitter, as he is good. All I am saying is that Smoak is the better hitter overall, and is that impact bat we have lacked in our farm system for so long. Beckham is the better athlete and provides more speed and such. Beckham wasn't a bad pick, but I would have prefered Smoak. I would like to know your baseball experience, if you dont mind i dont know how you can make these predictions. How can you saw beckham's power wont translate to the bigs and smoaks will. Ya know there was a guy in our system with a natural swing. His name was joe borchard and he good sir is a bum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scenario Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 02:02 PM) Like I said, college stats should be taken with a grain of salt. I think Bill James would disagree with you on that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.