quote:Originally posted by bbscout:
Linear, When hanging with my pals, I get into arguments about "what is an athlete"? Most of my friends think it is running speed and jumping, so they go for some football players and most of the basketball players. I go for the best baseball players, that have to hit, run, throw, field and react to 95mph fastballs.
John Olerud has everything except running speed. He is a world class hitter, fielder and thrower. He has been the best since he was a boy.His last year at Washington State was the best season in the history of D1 baseball. He hit .464 with 21 home runs, but the amazing thing was that he went 15-0 on the mound too and was named college player of the year.He went from college, straight to the Major Leagues. They did not send him to the minor leagues which happens about once every 15 years.
I just feel that John Olerud has tremendous ability and is a great athlete.
On the other hand, I had the chance to watch one of the worlds greatest athletes play 3 baseball games in the Arizona Fall League about ten years ago and if you did not know before hand that it was Michael Jordan, you would never go to the game and say, "hey, the guy in LF sure is a good athlete". He threw like a girl and the only thing he did pretty well was run, and going down the line, he was 4.3 which is just average major league speed. To put it bluntly, he was very awkward and that is about the time I started changing my thoughts on what "athletic ability" was.
I don't disagree with anything you say except your conclusion.
It definately takes a "baseball guy" to define athletic ability like you do.
What Olerud has is great skills. And his skills have outrun his athletic ability. His athletic ability, while I'm sure greater than mine, is very average, probably less than average, when comparing him to professional athletes.
BTW, I've read it, I've heard others say it, I've said it. Is it true? Is his batspeed subpar for mlb players? Or do you know?
His bat quickness has to rank with the high ones though.