Wednesday, August 30, 2017

A nice kid from Tom's River.

This "aw shucks" profile borders on journalistic negligence:

"In some ways, Todd Frazier is still that 12-year-old kid who seemed to get every big hit in leading his team from Toms River, N.J. to the Little League World Series championship. He has a Derek Jeter-like confidence, in fact, that oozes out of him even when he’s hitting .209 for the season.

...
  
Frazier indeed delivered a line single to left against Kluber to put the Yankees ahead at the time, yet he’s only hitting .188 with runners in scoring position this season, and his overall numbers have major-league scouts scratching their heads, wondering what happened to the guy who as recently as 2015 looked like he was going to be an All-Star for years to come."

...

The thinking among at least some baseball people, including the aforementioned scout, was that Frazier would be better after escaping the losing environment around the White Sox, and raise his game on the big stage in the Bronx, essentially a homecoming for him.
Yet he’s hitting only .214 since coming over in the trade six weeks ago, with five home runs (21 for the season, a double and a triple).

On the other hand, Frazier has played brilliant defensively at third base, and he has taken enough walks to have a .345 on-base percentage. He just hasn’t hit the way the Yankees hoped, and with Greg Bird back at first base, there will be days Joe Giardi will have to choose between him and Chase Headley, who has swung the bat well lately."


The writers pick players they like and warp reality rather than say a bad word.

Brilliant defense? Confidence he'll play better?

Just say he stinks.





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