Brendan McKay clobbers 4 dingers at EKU today to tie a 40 year old school record.
Again...OMG
Again...OMG
OT- OMG
- Thread starter earsky
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And to think only this past weekend they were saying that he was leaning more towards being a pitcher in the big league.
I think what Burke was saying - which I agree with - was that he has a better shot at the bigs as a pitcher. No doubt, he can hit a ton but, he'll have to choose and pitching is his ticket.
His stick does make him significantly more attractive to a NL club though.
Can't disagree here,although he needs that changeup to complement the other 2 pitches.His struggles are control oriented it seems and when you've only got 2 pitches,you tend to lean on the one that you can get over the plate.
But again,holy schnickies,4 home runs?!
Not sure I understand the "more attractive to an NL club" thinking. With the designated hitter in the AL you would think those clubs would be salivating over the possibilities he offers those guys. But maybe you can explain why you think the NL attractiveness.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
Because pitchers hit in the national league - instead of an 8 1/2 hitter lineup, you've got 9 legit hitters. It's why guys like Bumgarner will always be worth more to an NL club.
Ok. Makes sense. Now I get it. But I also think the AL guys can see him as a DH on his "off" days. Just a thought.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
Not to mention that Bumgarner can also hit the long ball. He's not an automatic out by any means.
On the other hand if he wanted to both pitch and be an everyday player for his bat the AL DH allows him to do so without having to find a position to play. Also saves on wear and tear on the body having to play a position in the field on days you're not pitching. There is a pitcher in Japan now who also hits as DH on other days. Leads league in both hitting and pitching. He was featured in SI last week. He is only looking at AL clubs because of DH.
I think it comes down to whether he can be an everyday 260 or better hitter with power in the majors. If he can the AL is his best option. Baumgatner is a pretty good hitter but he's not good enough to take a DH slot on an AL team.
I guess time will tell but, it would be unheard of to have a guy in your rotation and DH on his off days. DHs are a dime a dozen - too much money invested in arms to run the risk of getting him hurt.
I saw that Japanese player on a 60 minutes segment - he's a beast. Will be interesting to see if he is able to leverage his position to a club allowing him to try both. I don't see BM being in that same sort of position.
I watched a lotta MLB many years ago, but I don't know anything other than what I've heard others say on this subject...
Dan McDonnell remarked about a month ago that he thinks McKay will go into pro ball as a hitter. He referenced Cal Ripken, Jr. who faced a similar situation. His father had Junior try to hit first because, as Coach Mac said, "you can always go back to pitching" if hitting doesn't work as well as expected. Is that because your hitting skills atrophy more quickly when not put to use? Someone who knows baseball better can comment.
This was just what Coach thought, not what was for sure happening. But Mac sounded pretty confident in that POV.
On a related subject...
The young blue-chipper from Ballard, Jordan Adell, is reportedly still interested in U of L even though he's projected to be drafted in the first round from high school. Not only is he a big league hitter, but he has a mid-90s fastball. If the guy wants to play both ways for a few more years, he may have no choice but college. And where better than to follow in McKay's footsteps here?...
Dan McDonnell remarked about a month ago that he thinks McKay will go into pro ball as a hitter. He referenced Cal Ripken, Jr. who faced a similar situation. His father had Junior try to hit first because, as Coach Mac said, "you can always go back to pitching" if hitting doesn't work as well as expected. Is that because your hitting skills atrophy more quickly when not put to use? Someone who knows baseball better can comment.
This was just what Coach thought, not what was for sure happening. But Mac sounded pretty confident in that POV.
On a related subject...
The young blue-chipper from Ballard, Jordan Adell, is reportedly still interested in U of L even though he's projected to be drafted in the first round from high school. Not only is he a big league hitter, but he has a mid-90s fastball. If the guy wants to play both ways for a few more years, he may have no choice but college. And where better than to follow in McKay's footsteps here?...
The ability to hit doesn't go away - typically pitchers become less sharp without regular work but even then, as long as you don't totally abandon it, a high level at either skill can be regained.
Adell has 95 but absolutely hates to pitch. If he makes it to UofL - don't look for him on the mound - he's being recruited exclusively as an OF.
The thing about McKay is that if he goes as a hitter, he'll more than likely have to play a position like Kyle Swarber. Naturally you would think McKay would play 1st base but I really haven't heard a lot of accolades about his defense. Of course it could just be overshadowed by his pitching and hitting. At least if he were to play for a NL team, he would still have the opportunity to swing a bat and possibly PH if needed.
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