Mark Reynolds

[Deadlift]

He has 32 HR's, 73 RBI's & 19 SB's


He should have been in the HR Derby!

 

[Deadlift]

35th HR!

 

[Doc Holliday]

36th homer!!

 

[Leonardfan]

I notice that alot of the latin players start playing in the big leagues in their early 20's (20,21,22) but white players usually who play 4 years of college ball do not get called up until their mid to late 20s. Has anyone else noticed?

 

[Bear Backer]

I notice that alot of the latin players start playing in the big leagues in their early 20's (20,21,22) but white players usually who play 4 years of college ball do not get called up until their mid to late 20s. Has anyone else noticed?

Yes, it is because the same rules don't apply to to American players as the foreign born, especially the Latin American players. MLB spends millions of dollars building academies in Latin America to sign these kids as young as 16 just training them to play pro baseball. American kids have to either be an absolute can't miss prospect who get's drafted in high school and have to then work their way up through rookie ball to the majors on their own, or have to go to college and basically play at a High level at a good baseball school to have a chance at sniffing the pros. There is a ton of untapped talent all across the United States, especially in the Heartlands where they rarely ever even see a major league scout and get very little if any interest and help from MLB. Of course the vast majority of that talent is white so MLB doesn't care about them. They are more concerned with building facilities and sending scouts to the inner cities to promote blacks playing baseball and spending millions in Latin America for Hispanics to increase their chances.

 

[LabMan]

Another solid post BB,keep them coming!

 

[Deadlift]

40th HR!!

 

[Skipperron]

Like the coverage that all white players get, they spend half of the time saying good things about them and then the next half talking about their bad traits. You cannot hear them talk about Reynolds without harping on and on about how much he strikes out. A little different from how they go on and on when discussing the next black superstar. That is always a love fest and rarely mentioned is any negatives that they have.

 

[Don Wassall]

Like the coverage that all white players get, they spend half of the time saying good things about them and then the next half talking about their bad traits. You cannot hear them talk about Reynolds without harping on and on about how much he strikes out. A little different from how they go on and on when discussing the next black superstar. That is always a love fest and rarely mentioned is any negatives that they have.

Exactly right. A great example is this article on Reynolds by CBS Sportsline

:

For everything the guy does right, he does some things exceptionally wrong. With 151 strikeouts, he's on pace to shatter his 2008 mark of 204, which at the time set a single-season record.


No matter how many home runs he hits, a certain group of Fantasy participants -- myself chief among them -- can't help but hold all those strikeouts against him. And they've long resisted the urge to rank him first or second among third basemen.


Yup, I admit it. So just slap my scrawny, girl-like wrists with a ruler already.


Those 151 strikeouts put him on pace for 217 overall, and even to the most loosey-goosey, open-minded, "strikeouts are just an expression of freedom, man" analysts, that's bad. It's historically bad. But when I refer to Reynolds doing something no player has done before, I don't mean the strikeouts. I mean something so good that, for the first time without any reservations, I'm willing to admit it overshadows the strikeouts.


With his streak of 11 homers in 14 games, Reynolds is now on pace for 52 home runs and 30 stolen bases, which would make him the first 50-30 man ever.

Now here's how CBS Sportsline summarizes strikeout king Ryan Howard:

Phillies 1B Ryan Howard is enjoying his annual late-season surge. He went 3 for 3 with two homers, a double, a walk and three RBI against the Braves on Friday. He's now batting .339 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI in his last 15 games, giving him 37 homers this season. "It makes you feel good when he starts hitting," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's amazing. He'll take two swings and not look too good, then all of a sudden he stays on a pitch and smokes it out of the yard. He's a tremendous hitter."

Fantasy analysis: Once again, Howard is catching fire down the stretch, just when his Fantasy owners need him the most. If he stays this hot, 50 homers is within reach. He's a must-start in all Fantasy formats.
Edited by: Don Wassall