Always having a positive attitude. I hope he can come back and solve our RF fiasco.

Watch out every other team. That would be 3 all-stars in the OF

and I hope he gets healthy but I don’t see him as a great or remarkable player.

we should get a nice couch put in the bullpen from Kane’s and just make Rocco our designated “guy on the couch”. Just let him be an attraction for the fans, like the stingrays and cigar bar

2 things

1) Rocco led the team in many categories in the 2nd half of 2006. I believe he led the team in runs, HR, RBI, hits, XBH and basically every major statistical category. His OBP and Ks have been problems at times, but I think those are 2 of the most correctable problems you can have if you are doing a lot of other things well.

2) It is good to see that Baldelli still feels a close bond with this team in organization. When Friedman decided not to pick up his option, many people speculated that if he got healthy he would probably leave us after the season. I always assumed he would return here and be very compromising if we wanted to keep him. It appears that if he does get healthy he probably will resign here for a club friendly deal

hey according to cbssportline.com i was reading the game thread and under the notes spot…. rocco baldelli is now in extended spring training and went 1 for 5 as the DH, big news for rocco when do you guys think he will go on a rehab stint (other than est)?

ouch!

I think young hitters, especially guys who begin their ML career at a young age of 21/22 are bound to be too aggressive and out of control. Crawford has been here for years now, true, but I still think his swinging at everything is both correctable and less of an issue than people think. He has great hand eye and is a great hitter so he gets anxious and expands his strike zone. We aren’t talking about Jonny Gomes who expands his strikezone and cant hit the ball unless its thrown to just the right place

Jeff Francouer was ayoung, impatient hitter and Terry Pendleton is doing a great job or both teaching him patience and also cutting down on his strikeouts

Even Delmon Young has 9 walks in his last 10 games.

Baldelli isn’t even as bad off as Crawford IMO. Baldelli has it in him to be selective. I think his approach to hitting is a lot more controlled than Crawford, and he could pull a quick turnaround in OBP and strikeouts very similar to Francouer

Baldelli and Crawford have walked at about the same rate in their careers. I think Crawford’s is a tad better, but it’s close enough to be considered identical. Crawford has struck out less frequently than Baldelli, but neither is bad that way.

There are examples of players who improved their plate patience over time, but I am quite sure I read a while ago that it is uncommon. In Crawford’s case, there seems to be little improvement at all. His best year was 2006, but he regressed last year, and surprisingly is currently walking at a greater rate than ever before. But hold the plaudits; it is still lousy, and the difference is minor.