ewen21

He had a titanium rod put in his shin this off season, has had Tommy John surgery and he has been missing time lately due to a variety of injuries. He is 24 years old and he has gained quite a lot of weight over the last several years. I cannot understand why it's totally baseless to question this and that his overall physical well-being cannot be connected to performance. It makes no sense on many levels. He has to be in better condition than he is. He was drafted as a shortstop and has evolved into a guy who will become a DH exclusively in short order if he isn't careful. The comparison to Aaron Judge is like comparing apples to trout. Judge has a completely different body than Sano and has muscular definition. Sano is bottom heavy, with a big ass. Judge has plenty of muscle density and Sano obviously does not. Emmit Smith was 5' 9" and listed at 216lbs. I guarantee you he didn't need to lose a pound because he had such a muscular physique and was very limber as opposed to my 52 year old ass. I am an inch taller and a few pounds lighter, but I am a whole lot more restricted than I was last summer when I bought a condo and did a lot of remodeling. I was about 20 pounds lighter and I feel a HUGE difference from then to now. I intend on getting back into the condition I was at this time about a year and a half ago. People can let themselves go and it can have a profound effect on a number of things you can do physically. I don't care who doesn't see that or understand that it. It is reality. You can see it or choose not to. Just how much this extra weight hampers Sano isn't for me to say. Would it hurt him to lift weights, run and eat smart all winter so as to be in peak performance? Absolutely not and that is all anyone is saying. I did not once call him lazy. I have been far from lazy as I have gained the weight. My focus is in other places and that was likely the same with him. As with a lot of young men he needs guidance.

Well, you guys convinced me. Sano is just fine in his current state

Yes, but I came over to the other side this year. He put on a few too many. I'm 5' 10" 210 and people don't think I am that heavy. I feel a big difference between 210 and the low 190s where I need to be.

Not too much to ask, imo

Gain 30 pounds and then get back to us. There is a difference

The offense has become a bit of a problem

Seems as you're saying because you see no evidence there is a connection between his weight and hitting that other people shouldn't see it either. I can tell you from firsthand experience that I have been through several body transformations in my life. I have participated in 90 day transformations and there is a reason why it is called that. In 90 days you can literally change your life through a healthy diet plan and with weight training. If a middle aged guy working full time like me (and literally thousands of other ordinary folks) can do this, shouldn't a professional athlete be able to at least approach something on that level? He has months to accomplish this. He will never know until he actually tries something on that level. You could say you don't see a connection between that and his hitting all day long, but the guy has gained no less than 50 pounds in the last five years and that isn't a good thing for anyone. If he were to slim down to about 245lbs and be in better condition he'd experience increased energy levels and probably would be more motivated to make other changes in his life. You can all this notion silly, but as I said, I have experienced this phenomenon. Based off my own personal experience (and unimpeachable facts about being overweight) it is pretty easy to draw a simple conclusion about what fitness can do for a person. Asking a professional athlete to make that kind of commitment shouldn't be too much to ask. A year or two ago, I didn't mind Sano's weight. Well.....it's gotten out of hand. And finally, the underlined above is a poor characterization of people of the opinion he should lose weight. I'm making assumptions and am fixed on it? Uh, no.

Buxton is another issue altogether and what you are saying is entirely accurate. He has not developed his offensive game. Let's forget his speed and defense for just a moment here. He has proven to be rather skittish and overmatched for extended periods of time. Some concerning numbers for me are his April numbers. They are atrocious. Is this due to nerves? He did say he was pressing last year. Also, his numbers against the Yankees on the road are downright frightening: https://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/split_stats.cgi?full=1&params=oppon%7CNYY%7Cbuxtoby01%7Cbat%7CAB%7C Nerves as well? It is something palpable to me having watched every single one of his at bats there. Again.....this is probably material for another thread. I am more concerned about Buxton offensively than I am Buxton. No question about that. And for good reason

Does it need to be THE cause? It has been identified as an issue that has effected him adversely so that being the case should there not be an attempt on his part to rectify this situation?

Your concerns were worthy. At least I thought so. Let's not mistake concerns for thinking the guy is going to fail. I remain optimistic

He has piled on Sano, for sure. Yet at the same time he was earmarked early on as (possibly) a generational talent from his academy days in the DR. We don't want this guy blowing his ride and he needs to understand (or not) that it takes the off season to do these things. He can't just do whatever during the winter months. The guy obviously needs some structure.

Warming his hands by the fire at that

A ,425 lifetime average

Mr. MOJO RISIN

Whatever became of Glenn WIlliams??

Can't believe I said Jose! LOL

That's worthy of another thread, imo. YOu have to stay healthy and that is a big part of it

I respect what you are saying, but as person who has fallen in an out of shape I can tell you being out of shape and in that mindset can give you a "whatever" attitude. Clearly, that is the concern with Miguel. Around 2002, a few years after my dad passed, I was in the worst shape of my life by the end of that school year (teacher). That summer I decided I was going to get in the best shape of my life and I did at age 36 by doing hill workouts, weight training and just eating better. When school started my approach was certainly different. In just over two months I looked TOTALLY different. The benefits of getting the right mindset through proper eating and conditioning can be enormous. Personally, I have experienced that transformation.....a few times...and regrettably I am going to need to do it again real soon

Hawk hilarious like him or not. I will never forget watching the Royals taking out the White Sox for us at the end of the 2006 season. However, there was a game earlier that September where Mark Redman pitched for the Royals and he (inexplicably) shut down the White Sox for seven innings. The White Sox came up the next inning and I believe they tied the game on a Thome home run. When the Royals got up in the bottom of the 8th they staged a ridiculous rally where nothing was hit hard. A walk or two, maybe an error, a miscue, some humpback singles.....with the game slipping away, Hawk was losing his mind. It all came to a head when Paul Bako came up with the bases loaded and two outs. He fisted a ball that gyroed just over the pitcher's head and landed safely on the infield grass just before second base. It couldn't be fielded cleanly and two runs scored. I will never forget this. This took place at my friend's house (he was an early MLB TV guy)after we'd golfed earlier in the day so we were coasting down beers and feeling good, but what Hawk said after the replay stands out as one of the last pee in the pants moments I have had. They played the replay and there was a five second pause of silence, but then Hawk mumbled in disgust...... "THAT is the epitome.....of a Sporting News base hit" For whatever reason my friend ran out of the room into his kitchen because he just couldn't stand it. I spit out some beer and we laughed for a solid two or three minutes straight. Even to this day, I only need to say "Paul Bako" to my friend and it throws him. A true "you had to be there" moment

The best pitchers didn't serve him food over the winter. This article is as much about his conditioning and that shouldn't be ignored. Perhaps a committed, better conditioned Sano takes the next step in his approach. Perhaps he should incur a little more personal responsibility in this area. Is this not a good sentiment to have?

We have heard all the hype for years. The "Miggy" comparison was just not fair. He is NEVER going to be that kind of hitter. I am thinking if he hits around .280 and around 40 home runs he is more than living up to what he needs to do. Baseball is actually a year round job. You have to spend a couple of hours each day during the off season in order to be able to what you need to do during the season. I am disgusted with guys who just don't appear to be in shape or aren't strong. Miguel is strong, but he is not in the kind of condition he needs to be in order to hold up for 162 games. He has spent the last ten years of his life being fawned over because he is a special talent. Somehow, some way, he needs to gain understanding of what it takes to be what he wants to be. Then again, what does he want to be? Is he satisfied coasting through 8-10 years of baseball only to eat himself out of the league? He has money. Maybe he is content just to earn 30 million dollars and live a modest life in the DR? I don't understand it. He has months and months of free time and all the resources he needs to be in top physical condition. Heck, GOOD physical condition. The fact that he needs to be gently coaxed into it kind of bothers me. Where the heck are we going with this guy if that is what he is? I am not giving up on him yet, but the events of these last several months don't inspire confidence in me. It is kind of the same with Buxton, too. He has his own bundle of issues he needs to improve upon, but that is another conversation.

He looks like Delmon in the first picture.

2006 did not take off until June. Of course we had Johan, Frankie pitching lights out and Radke. We also had one of the better bullpens in the league. Things did not look good at this time that year. We still had Juan Castro and Jose Batista on the left side of the infield.

YOu didn't upset me. I guess I don't like to hear, "he'll be fine" It's a joke on another site I visit and the schtick did not translate here The only thing is, with the early struggles this year, we have seen it before and things really didn't turn out too well. As it is now, do you see us as playoff contenders? We may need to accept the fact that we are not in 2018. It sucks to do that in May, but .......reality is reality. I have not given up by any stretch though

Hey Rodney!