If this guy turns Drew Sutton into the next Ben Zobrist

we're going to have to choke Ed Wade w/ Matsui's $5M paycheck this year.

about 2 years ago lnewcomer 6 comments 0 recs |

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nice read

damn wade…tho its not his fault he didnt know zobrist and suttin wer working with that guy

by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Mar 27, 2010 9:34 PM CDT reply actions

From what I can remember looking up stats for both, Zorbist seemed like a prospect that wasn’t being given his due. Sutton on the other hand seems to profile statistically to Keppenger.

by Timothy De Block on Mar 28, 2010 10:48 AM CDT reply actions

Zobrist looked like a bust after his first couple of major league seasons with the Rays. His breakout does correspond time wise with Cevellas’ instruction. The Astros didn’t feel like Zobrist could make it (defensively) at shortstop, and they didn’t think he could hit well enough to be more than a utility player at other positions. Zobrist seemed more like a good-OBP/ weak power player in the “gritty” Eckstein mold while in the Astros organization. I can’t fault the Astros for their evaluation at the time. Zobrist seemingly became a totally different kind of offensive player after the Cevellas instruction.

by clack on Mar 28, 2010 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Not sure this is a fair assessment of Zobrist’s minor league career. It’s true that he never profiled to be huge home run hitter, but he did consistently display average to above average power in the minors.

His overall career SLG was .459 in the minor leagues, and coupled with career .429 OBP that’s very high offensive production. I think it figures out to around .400 wOBA which profiles favorably alongside top first base/left field prospects at similar points in their careers.

Really I think we can chalk it up to Purpura not knowing what he was doing and grossly undervaluing on-base percentage (and minor league players in general).

Don’t get me wrong, I do think there’s a strong possibility Cevellas helped turn Zobrist from a high OBP/average power guy into a slugger, but clearly the tools were there waiting.

by OremLK on Mar 31, 2010 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Cevellas posted a number of comments...

on a TCB article about Sutton and Zobrist last year. In response to some of our questions, he said he would like for an organization like the Astros to hire him to work with hitters. But, he left the impression that major league teams don’t buy into his instructions/theory. I’m sure Wade knew that Sutton worked with this guy before his big offensive season in AA: Sutton frequently gave Cervellas credit for his AA break out season, and we talked about that at TCB before Sutton was traded. I just think major league teams are reluctant to accept new ideas on hitting instruction. And Sutton didn’t bat very well initially at Round Rock before the trade (nor for the Reds at the ML level last year). Personally, I’m intrigued by Cevellas’ results and wish the Astros would let him work with a batter or two.

by clack on Mar 28, 2010 3:19 PM CDT reply actions

I agree on Cervallas

He’s doing something right; and I pleaded last year for Astros to hire him

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Apr 1, 2010 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions

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