We'll All Want To Have Albert Almora's Babies in 2016 Thread

[Quality Start Machine]

That was a rough TOOTBLAN. Game would be tied. But a kickass double.

That sucked but I don't blame Albert. The ball looked like it was going to go to the backstop, just bad luck it hit the ump and it still took a perfect throw to get him. The real question is why the fuck did Coghlan stay at first while that was going on.

Can there be a SOTBLAN (Stood On The Base Like A Nincompoop)?

[PenFoe]

First MLB homer BUMP

[ChuckD]

Bumping this for a really heads up read on what should've been a routine flyball out.

Advancing to second forced the IBB to Rizzo, and set the table for Zobrist and Montero.

[ChuckD]

DPD: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-moment-before-the-moment/

[Tony]

DPD: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-moment-before-the-moment/

I love this. That was so huge.

[Quality Start Machine]

Nice stealing of a HR tonight. Guess that's what they mean by "run prevention".

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

The kid's been a better hitter than most of us would have expected.  His approach has been pleasant.

Conversely, however, I haven't seen anything with his glove that has warranted all of the hype.  He's good, but he's not the elite defender we were expecting--in spite of showing some flashes in last year's playoffs.  I'm struck by the fact that he doesn't seem to have the greatest first step.  Also, since he's not very fast (disappointingly so) I don't think it's such a great idea for him to play so shallow.  With better positioning and a better first step (which, again, he simply might not possess) he runs down that ball that Legares tagged off Strop and catches it without a circus attempt.  Maybe having Heyward in right has spoiled us, but it'd sure be swell if Albert had nearly as a good of a first step as Jhey does.

[Quality Start Machine]

The kid's been a better hitter than most of us would have expected.  His approach has been pleasant.

Conversely, however, I haven't seen anything with his glove that has warranted all of the hype.  He's good, but he's not the elite defender we were expecting--in spite of showing some flashes in last year's playoffs.  I'm struck by the fact that he doesn't seem to have the greatest first step.  Also, since he's not very fast (disappointingly so) I don't think it's such a great idea for him to play so shallow.  With better positioning and a better first step (which, again, he simply might not possess) he runs down that ball that Legares tagged off Strop and catches it without a circus attempt.  Maybe having Heyward in right has spoiled us, but it'd sure be swell if Albert had nearly as a good of a first step as Jhey does.

Maybe he's got a bit of JI in him.

[Eli]

The kid's been a better hitter than most of us would have expected.  His approach has been pleasant.

Conversely, however, I haven't seen anything with his glove that has warranted all of the hype.  He's good, but he's not the elite defender we were expecting--in spite of showing some flashes in last year's playoffs.  I'm struck by the fact that he doesn't seem to have the greatest first step.  Also, since he's not very fast (disappointingly so) I don't think it's such a great idea for him to play so shallow.  With better positioning and a better first step (which, again, he simply might not possess) he runs down that ball that Legares tagged off Strop and catches it without a circus attempt.  Maybe having Heyward in right has spoiled us, but it'd sure be swell if Albert had nearly as a good of a first step as Jhey does.

Defensive scouting reports on minor leaguers are spotty. Javy was branded as a poor defender, Addison was labeled as mediocre and likely to need to move to 2B. It can work the other way, too.

[Quality Start Machine]

The kid's been a better hitter than most of us would have expected.  His approach has been pleasant.

Conversely, however, I haven't seen anything with his glove that has warranted all of the hype.  He's good, but he's not the elite defender we were expecting--in spite of showing some flashes in last year's playoffs.  I'm struck by the fact that he doesn't seem to have the greatest first step.  Also, since he's not very fast (disappointingly so) I don't think it's such a great idea for him to play so shallow.  With better positioning and a better first step (which, again, he simply might not possess) he runs down that ball that Legares tagged off Strop and catches it without a circus attempt.  Maybe having Heyward in right has spoiled us, but it'd sure be swell if Albert had nearly as a good of a first step as Jhey does.

Defensive scouting reports on minor leaguers are spotty. Javy was branded as a poor defender, Addison was labeled as mediocre and likely to need to move to 2B. It can work the other way, too.

How are his route efficiency numbers?

[Quality Start Machine]

Bump for a dong off MadBum...

329/420/500 vs lefties going into today's festivities.

[R-V]

(extreme BH I was at the game with Slezak so please listen to my opinion voice)

That pinch hit is one of the moments I'm going to remember a few years from now when we look back on this run. Full count, crowd on its feet, Almora hits a rope, Zobrist's slow ass has to dodge said rope which immediately made me doubt his ability to score, and all of it topped off with Albert going nuts at first. That was incredible.

[Quality Start Machine]

(extreme BH I was at the game with Slezak so please listen to my opinion voice)

That pinch hit is one of the moments I'm going to remember a few years from now when we look back on this run. Full count, crowd on its feet, Almora hits a rope, Zobrist's slow ass has to dodge said rope which immediately made me doubt his ability to score, and all of it topped off with Albert going nuts at first. That was incredible.

That was a great moment where Joe let Dusty pick his poison - a righty against Schwarber or a lefty against Almora.

[SKO]

(extreme BH I was at the game with Slezak so please listen to my opinion voice)

That pinch hit is one of the moments I'm going to remember a few years from now when we look back on this run. Full count, crowd on its feet, Almora hits a rope, Zobrist's slow ass has to dodge said rope which immediately made me doubt his ability to score, and all of it topped off with Albert going nuts at first. That was incredible.

That was a great moment where Joe let Dusty pick his poison - a righty against Schwarber or a lefty against Almora.

I actually think he chose wrong. I understand him being afraid of the Schwarbomb but get a reliever like Madson in there to throw high heat vs Kyle and you have a better shot of striking him out, whereas Al tends to make very good contact vs lefties and they only needed a single to tie.

[Quality Start Machine]

(extreme BH I was at the game with Slezak so please listen to my opinion voice)

That pinch hit is one of the moments I'm going to remember a few years from now when we look back on this run. Full count, crowd on its feet, Almora hits a rope, Zobrist's slow ass has to dodge said rope which immediately made me doubt his ability to score, and all of it topped off with Albert going nuts at first. That was incredible.

That was a great moment where Joe let Dusty pick his poison - a righty against Schwarber or a lefty against Almora.

I actually think he chose wrong. I understand him being afraid of the Schwarbomb but get a reliever like Madson in there to throw high heat vs Kyle and you have a better shot of striking him out, whereas Al tends to make very good contact vs lefties and they only needed a single to tie.

It's almost as if Dusty has a long history of terrible in-game decisions.