Buster Posey..WOW!

yes a baseball player in every sense of the word... love watching his approach at the plate

Of course we will never know, but I wonder how many big league catchers would have made that short hop play last night. Buster was a shortstop for a time at Florida State and that play showed his shortstop skills. People don't like McCarver but he does know a little about catching. His comment "The catcher's mit was not designed to catch short hops" seems relevant because in my experience, catchers' typically handle the long hops but it often bounces off their mitts on the short ones. Either way, it was a great defensive play and that was supposed to be the weak part of Posey's game.

His hitting has no doubt been sensational. It will be interesting to see if NL pitchers make an adjustment to him next season because right now, everything looks easy for him. Gordon Beckham started his offensive career off like this two years ago but struggled this past season as adjustments were made. Of course, every once in a while, a young player comes along (e.g., Joe Mauer) that even when he has a "bad" season he is still hitting near .300. We'll see if Posey is one of those. Right now he certainly appears to be one.

Indeed, a nice, humble, talented young man who is easy to root for.

I hope the Giants organization has the foresight not to keep him behind the plate for long. IMHO we are watching a guy who has a legit chance for 3000 hits in his career. He doesn't remind me of him as a player necessarily but I hope we arent saying the same things about him that were said about Ted Simmons... ie if he had not had to catch the vast majority of the time he would have had a HOF career.

There were issues as to where to play Ted as the Cardinals had Keith Hernandez at first and his efforts in left showed his fielding shortcomings. Buster doesnt have these same issues.

Buster was a freshman All American at short for Florida State before Mike Martin Jr. turned him into a Golden Spikes winning catcher. I know he's a rookie, but he has Hall of Fame talent and make-up.

CD, I wonder how pitchers can make adjustments to Posey when he makes adjustments in pretty much every at-bat he takes. He hits all pitchers to all fields in all counts. He will be fun to watch.
(Good luck to Tyler in winter ball).

A Mauer offensive approach seems like a good one, CD.
Last night, the first AB is a 2 strike single to center.
2nd AB takes a ball on inner half and doubles to left.
Final 2 AB's are balls away and he takes each to right.
MLB has a good discussion of his last AB against Oswalt.
Buster is already known as a low ball hitter.
They try to start him up and he lays off. Go down and away and he goes down the RF line.
After the game Aubrey Huff was incredulous. Said he is a rookie with the skills AND approach of a guy in the league 7 or 8 hears.
He is also advanced in calling pitches and receiving/sticking pitches, blocking balls. Very soft hands and soft chest and body.
With the change up being used so much by Lincecum, Sanchez and Cain, he still keeps runners from stealing, in part because of the way he receives the ball/blocks it, and in part because he has a cannon and is very accurate with his throwing.

bothsportsdad, I wouldn't expect to see Posey move from behind the dish anytime soon. Last week, I read an article about Posey, I think it was in our local newspaper, where he talked about his love of catching. Posey said that he loves catching more than any other position he's ever played. He went on to say that when he started catching, he knew he'd finally found 'his' position.

I'm just glad he's a San Francisco Giant. The last time I was this enthused about a Giants rookie, it was #22, Will 'The Thrill' Clark.

Absolute travesty if he is not Rookie of the Year!

quote:

He is such a wonderful player and so gracious and humble in everything he does.

I love wtaching him play.He is someone special.What a great role model for the young players.

I echoe everyone's sentiments here on Buster Posey from Lee County H.S. in Ga, and groomed by the very best college instructors ever, IMHO, @ FL State. The Martins are the best in the business at bringing the most out of their players.

When I found him(Buster) after his 8th grade year playing SS and pitching as an 8th grader getting ready for his 9th grade year in a tournament in Perry, Ga., I felt something very special like I never felt before. What is so ironic, I also led the Cleveland Indian's scout, Mark Germann to another prospect just a few miles down the road in Perry, GA. In that game, Russell Branyan went 4-4 with 4 HRs, and was drafted by that MLB scouting report submitted that same night after the game by Germann. Mark followed me to the park, and the rest was history still unfolding career for Russ. Timing, timing, timing is everything in scouting. Russell gave Mark more than enough to justify a 7th round pick just a few years before I discovered a young Buster. Both have remembered me, and given me the satisfaction I need to keep me involved in the game after all these years. I am more than thankful for that. Just knowing they have acknowledged me makes it all worth while. It keeps me going. I believe in baseball because the players don't forget you, and continue to promote those "diamonds in the rough". I really have enjoyed driving my brand new F150 lately

Keon Barnum is next from King H.S. in Tampa. I have another one nobody knows about yet who is currently known as "baby shack" who dominates the basketball court everywhere he goes, and wants me to make him a baseball player. He is the spitting image of a young Ryan Howard, or maybe even, Willie McCovey. THAT remains to be seen They just keep knocking on my door. I am blessed, and thankful.

When I discovered Buster in the tournament at Perry H.S., between games in 100 degree heat, I worked with him in the bullpen, prayed with him, gave him hitting instruction, and most importantly, contacted PG Jerry Ford who took the ball and ran with this prospect from there. I called Jerry the same day I found him. Jerry did a superb job promoting BP, especially with the AFLAC nomination. In fact, without PG, FL State, and my recommendation, I don't think things would have unfolded for Buster this way, he agrees.

Praise to these people, glory to this unfolding story, and "I love baseball"-NFA "I am the happiest man on the face of this earth"-(Gehrig) ever right now getting ready to see game five of this series, and fruit from my unpaid passion of the game. This is the pinnacle, and I feel the presence of greatness all around this player, Buster Posey.

It's Bochey's year, and I am thankful to play a part in all for his hard-earned time in MLB as a player, and manager by sending him the "key piece" in S.F.. The last time I sat with Joe Bochey, I gave him a handful of Bruce Bochey baseball cards in mint condition for every team he ever played for. Joe was ataken back by that gesture, and is a great man himself who has quite the scouting resume.

Thank you HSBBW web for your time, and please don't take the above writing as arrogance because that would be the farthest thing form the truth. I am merely an humble low level independent scout who has had a little luck in finding many of the right players. I have always said, I would rather be lucky than good!

Respectfully,
Fathertime71

Yep.