Alvaro Espinoza, 1991 Stadium Club
Here is a picture of Alvaro Espinoza getting ready to make an out. This wasn’t necessarily my favorite sight to see as a young Yankee fan, but man—Stadium Club made it look good, didn’t they?
Let’s take an in-depth look at Alvaro Espinoza’s adeptness at hitting baseballs, and let us start where we always do—with the Fastball Bars System:
As you can see from the Fastball Bars System chart, Alvaro Espinoza played baseball. Also, if you were a major league pitcher at the time, and a fastball was part of your repertoire, your best bet was to throw Alvaro Espinoza a high outside fastball. According to the chart, Espinoza never hit a high outside fastball in his entire life. Another good place to throw Alvaro Espinoza a fastball was pretty much anywhere.
But what about his fastball/curveball splits versus both right and left-handed pitchers? I’m glad you asked. For that let’s walk over to Star-rating Evaluation box. Stars are an easy and convenient way to capture a player’s ability. Is so-and-so good at baseball? Let’s see … three stars? Okay, cool! I understand now. Out of how many stars? I don’t know. Doesn’t matter.
In Alvaro Espinoza’s case, he earned three stars for hitting curveballs versus left-handed pitchers. That is important information for you to know as you continue living life. But what about hitting curveballs versus right-handed pitchers? Well, as we say in the business (printer repair), one star is better than no stars. Watching Alvaro Espinoza not hit curveballs versus right-handed pitchers was the equivalent of watching a romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. Unless you were on the other team, in which case it was like watching a romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl and Al Pacino.
Now, I know what you’re saying: Charts and evaluation boxes are cool and all, but what about general comments? Well, Stadium Club has got that covered, too.
COMMENTS: Weak vs. outside and inside fastballs vs. RH.
What separated Espinoza from his peers was his average ability to hit fastballs right down the middle of the plate.
STRENGTHS: Medium-high outside curves vs. RH (.363)
The saying around baseball circa 1991 was, “You do NOT want to throw Alvaro Espinoza a medium-high outside curve if you’re right-handed.” Those rookie right-handers? Ha, ha … those guys found out the hard way.
WEAKNESSES: Low-outside curves vs. RH, outside fastballs vs. LH
Allow me to recap these general comments if I may: COMMENTS: Has weaknesses. STRENGTHS; One thing, kinda. WEAKNESSES: Everything else; see COMMENTS.
Espinoza’s Wikipedia page, which uses words to capture his career, lists several things that he was famous for being good at. For the following things, we will award him four stars:
-Knowledge
-Concentration
-Getting to balls that flashier shortstops would not be able to, as their flashiness prevents them from having knowledge or concentration (zero stars for them)
-Having a name that Yankees’ PA announcer Bob Sheppard liked to say
-Bubble gum hat antics
My own personal reflections on Alvaro Espinoza can be seen here. All in all, I think what it comes down to is this: You can have your complex charts and evaluation boxes and spreadsheets and computers and iPhones and time machines and whatever. But if you want a guy to just go out there and play some baseball? And concentrate? Well … he’s got a name. And ya’ know what? It’s pretty darn fun to say.
Lưu trữ Blog
-
▼
2011
(1402)
-
▼
tháng 3
(299)
- The nots
- Book
- Seismic Decentralization
- Mini Skirt of Singers and Musicians in 1973
- A Towers PR Festival
- Muffin is well - thanks for asking!
- Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 3...
- ...
- Bunny Ear Cupcake Toppers
- GLEE AVAILABLE TO WATCH INSTANTLY
- Vintage Streetstyle in 1920s
- Curb Your Enthusiaczm
- Mummy Manners
- Old School Muscle and Fitness Magazine Covers in 1...
- Mott St.
- Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun
- postcards mk2
- Islands at the Speed of Light
- Enrico La Rocca Tells you where to go W/c 29/3/2011.
- 94 Adelphi, Brooklyn
- Effektiviteten själv
- Now I know who Eric Bompard is.
- Conditions Report - March 30, 2011
- Anthropologie Inspired Easter Cookies
- Downtown, Barclay St.
- Color Code
- WNYC
- Long Island City, Queens
- The Ansonia, Broadway and 73rd St
- Angel Orensanz Foundation 172 Norfolk St.
- Nine
- Forensic Geology
- Peyton & Byrne Chocolate Cupcakes
- Anti-Flat
- Can you shoot whipped cream out of your breasts?
- Ice Skating Fashions, 1939
- Coiling a Rope
- The Brits are taking over Hollywood!
- Jag har sprungit!!
- Kerri Sackville on writing a bestseller
- Netflix Lowers Data Usage By 2/3 For Members In Ca...
- Week Ending March 27
- I am very very busy today.
- The CROW
- Market Kitchen!
- Carpenter bee photo shoot
- Lucky!!!!
- Sissi is the culprit
- Miniskirts in 60s and 70s [more]
- Quick Belay Techniques
- Cupcake Cookies
- This is Fenot Tekle from the Netflix Communication...
- 105th st
- It started with a cuddle and ended with a smack.
- 136 Waverly
- Antelope Island 50k
- Springhejare
- Meringue Filled Coffee Cake
- David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor
- Where do Ducks canoodle?
- Pablo Picasso portraits
- Model and actress Jeanne Carmen 1950’s
- TV interview about the blog
- High Tea with Mrs Woog
- Dream it. Live it.
- Elizabeth Taylor when she was young
- Peyton & Byrne Book Launch
- On the Wire Spotify Playlist
- House Music
- Playlist - 26th March 2011
- Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston, 1965
- Weekend Warrior - Videos to get you STOKED!!
- Kettlebell
- Bright Lights, Big Color
- The Pattern
- Ford Has A Judy Idea
- CHRISSY MURDERBOT ft. DJ SPINN "BUSSIN DOWN" Plane...
- Lite av varje
- The Bowline
- Peeking Bunny Cookies
- Easy Cake Pops
- The Cloud Tent
- Soundscape Ecology, or: An Archive Fever of the Ear
- Cuckold Brothers Video.
- You are probably just a Prick!
- Rock my world
- Wanna play?
- Goodbye Miss Taylor
- Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra
- Cupcake Cookies, An Experiment Gone Right
- The Virtues of Hanging Around
- Stanton
- Miniskirts in 60s and 70s
- Conditions Report - March 23, 2011
- Global yoga
- Where else would you buy a vacuum cleaner?
- Cut Your Own Hair?
- Misfit
- Peeps Cookies
- The Elephant's Foot
-
▼
tháng 3
(299)