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Sunday, May 14, 2017

I have seen the next Derek Jeter and his name is Tyler Wade

Yesterday, from a cold and clammy seat in Your Name Here Stadium, I watched the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders administer a brutal, 12-2 whuppin' to the chaffed butts of the hometown Syracuse Chieves. 

I had come to apply IT IS HIGH scientific analysis protocols to the 22-year-old Clint Frazier, a jacked-up redhead outfielder, who went 1-for-4 with an opposite field double. Frazier hit a pair of towering popups, reminiscent of Jesse Barfield in his final Yankee incarnation. He also runs much faster than you'd expect. After a terrible start, due to his hair being cut, Frazier's average has been steadily climbing, now to .244.

I also came to check out Dustin Fowler, a 22-year-old LH outfielder who has been on a recent tear. He went 2-for-6 with his 5th HR, lifting his average to .293. Today's NY Post slathers him with ink, so I'll go pass. (But he looked good.)

There were others: Brigadoon Refsnyder continues to hit - 3-for-4, now batting .293. The guy is a line-drive machine. I cannot believe he wouldn't provide more offense and defense at 1B than Chris Carter. But the Yankees made that decision moot when they wrote the check last winter. And speaking of first base, Ji-Man (He-Man) Choi, a 26-year-old Korean refugee by way of the Angels, blasted the ball all over the lot. He hit a towering CF home run, went 3-4 and boosted his average to .353 (in 85 at bats.) Last year, the guy hit .170 with the Angels (in 112 at bats), after absolutely crushing the Pacific Coast League (.346.) If he keeps hitting, Choi deserves to be on our radar. He could be a late-bloomer.

But one kid shone above the others: 22-year-old, lefty-hitting 2B Tyler Wade, whom you may remember just missed making the Yankee opening day roster at SS, after a solid spring training. Wade went 4-for-6 with a HR, a double and two singles. Twice, he snagged grounders deep behind second base - saving a run from scoring and converting one into a force out. He wears 23, a sacred number, and finished the day hitting .321.  

I don't know how Wade fits into Yankee plans. Above him sit Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro. Below him is Gleyber Torres and the usual scrum of Single A can't-missers. That probably makes him trade bait, but let me state for posterity: If we trade him, we damn well better get somebody good in return. This guy is going to be a solid MLB infielder.

Sadly, I cannot report much more, because Minor League Baseball refuses to allow bloggers the access needed to perform their work competently and scientifically. The little, tin-headed clods would rather play footsie with the kind of data that, as you know, is fundamental to IT IS HIGH scouting reports. Of course, I'm talking about stool samples. And yes, the fuddy-duddies refused my simple request. You'd think I was asking for the Hope Diamond wrapped in the Shroud of Turin after it was coated with the menstrual fluid of Betty Crocker. Without the standard stool sample chemical analysis, there's no way to fully project Wade's future. What is this, a police state? As far as I'm concerned, the terrorists have won. 

9 comments:

DutchFan said...

1-0 Feyenoord after 5 minutes of play.
It is High makes Rotterdam great again

DutchFan said...

2-0. YES!

Anonymous said...

Pretty good for a bleak Sunday morning, duque! Without that stool sample, aided by Fonz's trend-lines calculus, how will we know - - until Cash-Puss trades him?? We'd find out THEN, because his new team would undoubtedly put him on the field.

You better BELIEVE 23 is a "sacred number" - - if only it hadn't been for those back injuries....23's jersey would be in the Victorious Superstars Hall of Selig - - fer' sure.

Best of luck, Dutch Fan!! I'm thinkin' there's no way Feyenoord can win - - they might as well forfeit, and leave the field - - hope that helps! LB (No J)

DutchFan said...

Half time 2-0 lead.
One must wonder if it is enough. Probably not. Maybe walking away now would be best. Leaves us with the feeling that we were close at least.

45 minutes to dread ahead

DutchFan said...

3-0. Just 5 minutes to go

CHAMPIONS!!!!!

On Jeter Day - nocoincidence of course.

See you in town.........

Alphonso said...

I was in the camp of those who said we had to bring this kid north, instead of that " veteran" nobody whom we have subsequently trashed ( Kozma? or some pre-historic name ).

Wade is the goods. Young, fast, athletic and he can hit. I would rather we trade .....er...nobody and see what develops.

There is already " talk" of us packaging up a deal to land some starting pitcher ( the Kid we drafted, even though we were advised that he was going to UCLA ), and I dread hearing the names we might offer.

I dread Tyler wade to be included. Think of it; he is performing better now than Glyber ( AAA) and is only 22. Glyber probably lied about his age, and is at least 22.

And I am worried about the Samsonesque dude ( Frazier ) who, with dreadlocks and a full beard will be the re-incarnate of Jay Buhner.

Mark my fucking words.

"Let's play two, today."

Okay, Ernie.

Alphonso said...

What I meant ( above ) is that Wade is already playing well at AAA, whereas Glyber is somewhere below that level.

Parson Tom said...

Happy news, Dutchfan! Tell those sons of bitches the Rotterdam is the Boss!

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