In one of his comments yesterday, Hoss mentioned that Soto is a generational talent. That seems to be the general opinion of the baseball world.
Except he isn't.
If Soto was a generational talent, the media would be breathlessly following his exploits, because they would be worth following breathlessly. But the media attention falls mainly on Ohtani, and I have to admit, as a very good power hitter and very good pitcher, he probably deserves it.
Obviously, media attention doesn't make a generational talent. Although I think it's safe to say Ohtani is a generational talent, for whatever nits we can pick about him.
To me, a generational talent is screamingly apparent by the age of 27, which is Soto's age. Here's what he's done so far.
This, to me, is a generational talent.
Mantle. A generational talent, hands down. Unarguable. Which is generally true of a generational talent.
Say hey. Yeah, pretty well proved by age 27. Here's a tougher one.
Maybe not as easy a call as Mantle, but I'd say Mike Trout was a generational talent. And then the injuries started piling up, like they did with Mattingly.
A couple of other no-brainer generational talents were Ichiro and Mariano. Ichiro was a singles hitter mostly, but I don't care. That guy could hit. And Mariano...words fail me. Just unmatched.
After this long trip around the barn, I'd like to make one simple statement: Soto is not a generational talent. He's got a flair for the dramatic sometimes, he certainly has power, but after that, what? He's good, no doubt about that, expecially if you can keep him from playing defense. But generational talent? I don't think so. Can we put that phrase to bed where he's concerned?
It just isn't so. Maybe he's a late bloomer. We'll see how the phrase fits in a few years. But I don't think it will change.
One old, expat, addle-brained man's opinion.
P.S. In a just universe, the Bears win that game, even with all the mistakes. But so it goes.
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8 comments:
I was quit when I came in here.
I’m twice as quit now.
Soto is a generational traitor.
"Soto is a generational traitor."
This X67.5
Why not X100?
Because we live in a world where all the norms no longer exist. It's all about getting mine before it all comes crashing down. By the end of next year there won't be baseball and that's the least of our problems.
We've reached the stage where everyone and everything disappoints. Why should we be surprised or feel betrayed when Soto takes every last dollar? Was he expected to show loyalty? Integrity? Care about a team that embraced him and was ready to reward him with untold riches when he could similar money AND get a free luxury box?
I have to disagree with JM about Soto. He is ABSOLUTELY a "generational talent" .
JM's mistake is that he was measuring Soto on baseball skills. Soto's true talent is more a reflection of the times.
I have to bitterly disagree with you about one thing, JM:
The Bears deserved to lose. I say this as a lifelong Packers—and Beatles—fan...Instant Karma's gonna get you, baby!
Now, as to baseball...interesting arguments, guys. I think I will reply with a post of my own, today or tomorrow. Looks like we'll have to generate our own Hot Stove League, as the team formerly known as the New York Yankees has decided that it no longer feels capable of hiring enough players to field a team in 2026.
(dear Yunkeez) . . .
Why don’t you all just
fa fa fa
fade away
Talkin’ about my uh, like, you know
generation-al
my generation-al
my generation-al
Oh, and the greatest of all time Yanks, in and around 1998? They were built the old-fashioned way: mostly through developing players (Jeter, Jorge, Pettitte, Bernie, Ledee, Shane Spencer, Mendoza, and The Great One), trades (Tino, Knoblauch, Brosius, Paulie, Cone, Irabu, Chad, Girardi, Bush, Nelson, Lloyd), and mostly low-level signings (Strawberry, Wells, Raines, Sojo, El Duque, Stanton.)
Even earlier guys that were mentioned, like Cecil Fielder, came in trades.
The team payroll for 1998 was relatively high—second in the majors, at $63-$65 mill, depending on the source—but hardly something they needed YES to cover, with their nearly 3 million attendance.
It's what happens when you hire smart, highly competent people to run your franchise, as opposed to a lickspittle like Pal.
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