Sojo is familiar with many young Mariners as he manages the Lara team that the M's send players to in winter ball. Jose Lopez elects to play winter ball every year on his own and showed up at camp this year noticeably heavier. Lopez told me that he got bigger so he would have more power.
Being bigger, wanting to hit for power made me thing that he was looking more like a first baseman than a middle infielder.
If you're a middle infielder, and there are already a lot of people questioning your mobility, it probably isn't the best idea to go out and gain weight. I get what Lopez is trying to do, and his heart's in the right place, but I'm just not a fan of the execution. We can be pretty certain that the added bulk will take a toll on Lopez's already modest range. How can we be sure that it'll make up for that loss by improving his productivity at the plate? It's not like power has been the thing holding Lopez back. More muscle isn't going to make him any better at identifying different pitches.
We'll see. I'm going to try to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he doesn't come off looking so hot in Baker's shuttle run video, and the last time one of our middle infielders bulked up, his offense stayed the same while his defense went to shit. So I think you can understand my concern. We already have one problem up the middle. We don't really need another.
0 recs | 58 comments
What if he was told to gain some weight?
Isn’t it possible the new FO like Cedeno more than they like Lopez?
coasty141 - February 19, 2009
Lopez just had a breakthrough season at the plate
I doubt a defense-friendly front office would send him home with instructions to get even bigger.
Jeff Sullivan - February 19, 2009
With what Drayer saying and what Wakamatsu said....
Maybe Lopez is going to get some reps a first.
coasty141 - February 19, 2009
Que?
BrianL - February 19, 2009
lo siento
“a first” should be at first base
coasty141 - February 19, 2009
Showing off that latin tongue of yours?
Faux - February 19, 2009
For what its worth
Baker says that Lopez told him he isn’t any heavier – he just redistributed weight from his stomach to his chest. My guess is that Drayer misinterpreted stronger as bigger.
davidcameron - February 19, 2009
Obviously she's trying to push her agenda on us all
Graham MacAree - February 19, 2009
This is why women shouldn't be allowed to report baseball.
JI - February 19, 2009
Well then that I'm okay with
Was that personal communication, or did he mention it an article somewhere?
Jeff Sullivan - February 19, 2009
Still makes me nervous.
Whether it’s muscle or fat, more weight to carry around is still going to slow you down. And barrel chests don’t rotate all that easily…
seattlecougar - February 19, 2009
Should clarify...
I’d prefer he just lose weight.
seattlecougar - February 19, 2009
Ehhhh
That’s just not true. Look at an Olympic sprinter and an Olympic long distance runner…the sprinter has far more muscle mass yet can run much faster. Baseball is a game of quick starts and stops, not long drawn out jogs.
TheTank123 - February 19, 2009
Not sure I'd compare the two
There’s more flexibility required for a baseball player, who does more than just run but needs to bend, dive, stretch out, spin on a dime, etc. I’m not saying muscle is bad for you, and I suppose I’m overreacting a little bit since he doesn’t exactly look like an American Gladiator, but it still seems to me like it will impede him in the field.
Like Edgar says below, maybe it’s just counterintuitive. /shrug.
seattlecougar - February 19, 2009
Maybe gymnast then?
Most male gymnasts are pretty ripped. They also have to combine strength with speed, agility, and endurance. Let’s hope that Lopez went that route, rather than the power lifter route for his strength.
Kunkoh - February 19, 2009
OK
I agree that increased muscle mass can lead to being inflexible, but answer me this: Do any football players out there (save for OL and some D Tackles) look like they have any problems with bending, diving, stretching, or making quick cuts? Those guys are slabs upon slabs of muscle.
TheTank123 - February 19, 2009
Point well made.
seattlecougar - February 20, 2009
Sprinters have pretty ripped upper bodies
A strong core makes you a faster person even if its a little counterintuitive.
Edgar for Pres - February 19, 2009
Damn it! late....
Edgar for Pres - February 19, 2009
Yeah, but he's not looking all that much like a sprinter.
Thingray - February 19, 2009
I know this is incredibly inaccurate
but according to B-R.com Jose Lopez weighs 170 and Rickey Henderson weighed 195. Some food for thought.
TheTank123 - February 19, 2009
The M's site has Lopez at 205, for what it's worth.
Teej - February 19, 2009
Yeah,
I figured I should preface that statement with the possibility of incredible inaccuracy because I don’t really believe Lopez is 170…But regardless, the 10 pound difference in weight (if we assume Lopez is 205 and Henderson is 195) isn’t making the difference. It is completely and totally the body composition.
TheTank123 - February 19, 2009
Especially running the 300 shuttle
msb - February 19, 2009
He wasn't sprinting.
If he was limited by his air capacity then its not really sprinting anymore.
He only needs one or two quick steps and although I’m sure running correlates to quickness somehow it really isn’t that strong. A big NFL lineman might be able to outrun a marathon runner for the first 10 yards. Quickness is really difficult to judge without watching him play.
Edgar for Pres - February 19, 2009
Might?
Those big boys can move…just not as fast as the other freak shows on the field. And you are absolutely right about lung capacity. I don’t even understand why they would run a 300 shuttle. No one runs 300 yards in a game at once ever.
TheTank123 - February 20, 2009
10 consecutive 3-2, 2 out foul balls?
The baserunners usually get pretty tired after a number of 3-2 fouls.
Vatinius - February 20, 2009
Yeah, what do pro sports teams' training staffs know about fitness anyway?
Sorry for the snark, but there’s definitely a reason for everything they do. The shuttle run involves a lot of short bursts of speed, like you’d use when stealing a base or beating a throw from the outfield. Plus it’s great for building up your base fitness level.
pdb - February 20, 2009
Eh
I see it as more of a “Beat this time when you get to Spring Training so we know you didn’t sit on your ass all summer”. I don’t think anyone on the Mariners training staff could give two you-know-whats about a players 300 time outside of gauging laziness. And the 300 yard shuttle, especially the way they ran it, is absolutely not about short bursts of speed.
TheTank123 - February 20, 2009
He said it in a few of his live chats.
Garces - February 19, 2009
I wouldn't worry too much
Until he shows up fat. You can gain serious amounts of weight while also becoming faster and quicker…it all depends on if he is finally taking the conditioning aspect of MLB as serious as the fielding/hitting. Flexibility is also of huge importance.
TheTank123 - February 19, 2009
If Jose Lopez was responsible
Wouldn’t that mean taking care of himself and NOT making dumb unilateral decisions that are going to make him a worse player?
seattlecougar - February 19, 2009
Irony?
appleshampoo - February 19, 2009
I've never seen a player wearing number 69 before.
Who is that?
Double06 - February 19, 2009
Felix.
Teej - February 19, 2009
Or am I going crazy?
Teej - February 19, 2009
Yes, I am.
Teej - February 19, 2009
Ryan Howard wears #69.
Benne - February 19, 2009
Huh?
Teej - February 19, 2009
He's a temp.
kentroyals5 - February 19, 2009
According to the official Mariners roster
It’s Greg Halman. http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/team/roster_active.jsp?c_id=sea
seattlecougar - February 19, 2009
Oops, meant to nest that.
seattlecougar - February 19, 2009
Oh OK, that makes sense.
Man, that’s a big boy. He looks like more than 190 in that video.
Teej - February 19, 2009
No doubt.
That kid looks beastly.
apsve - February 19, 2009
Of the two closish to the majors OF Michaels
Saunders is the good one right, not Wilson?
Mariner John - February 19, 2009
Yes
Corco - February 19, 2009
Funny speaking of 1st baseman.
Mike Carp got into a car accident the headline was:
“Mariners’ Carp OK after car accident”
I thought it said
“Mariners’ car ok after accident”
I was like are we that poor that we have to report on a car crash that might cost us money?
Slurvey - February 19, 2009
I thought they were talking about the team fish
OlSalty - February 19, 2009
NOOOO NOT THE CARP I LOVE THAT FISH
where can we send cards and letters?
pdb - February 19, 2009
If it's a koi, it could be a serious outlay to get a new one.
HARRYP09 - February 19, 2009
Probably too many Coronas.
Aaron Campeau - February 19, 2009
He's Venezuelan not Mexican you idiot.
JI - February 19, 2009
I can never tell whether you're being intentionally dense or not.
Aaron Campeau - February 19, 2009
I'm a poor man's Robert, what can I say?
JI - February 19, 2009
Didn't really know where to throw this but
I found this stuff on park factors pretty interesting. I can’t wait until the day where we actually get good individual park factors. I wonder if Jose Lopez would be a lot or just a little better out of Safeco.
Edgar for Pres - February 20, 2009
Jose Lopez had an OPS 150 points higher at home then on the road, while hitting 13 of his 17 homeruns at home.
While being a right handed pull hitter in Safeco. This barely makes sense to me.
joof - February 20, 2009
If you can avoid anything from RCF to LCF you are probably fine.
I’m guessing straight down the LF line is not gonna change much between parks.
Edgar for Pres - February 21, 2009
Prevailing winds/environmentals at Safeco are more important than actual field dimensions
except as noted, in the case of Safeco’s LCF.
seattlebruin - February 21, 2009
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