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Why Didn't Scales Make The Show Earlier?

Here are some possible reasons that Bobby Scales didn't make the Padres, some 5 years ago...

(First posted in a fan shot thread, but perhaps it would launch more discussion here)

After a good 2003 at AA Mobile, .281/361/.405…..Bobby Scales slumped, in 2005 — starting in Mobile and then in AAA Portland. (.242/.336/.335, combined, with the averages dragged down by the lower AAA stats. He didn’t seem to make the transition to a higher level of play very  well.)

At the same time, the parent club improved mightly after moving to Petco Park in 2004.

In 2005, The Padres were high on other youthful talent that was passing Scales by — Sean Burroughs, who became the starter at 3B and Khalil Greene, at SS. Mark Loretta was in the midst of two very good years at 2B. With a veteran bench — Kevin Sweeney, Geoff Blum, (before being dispatched to the White Sox)  along with Damien Jackson,  and Manny Alexander — there was no room for another first-year player who wouldn’t play, but would languish on the bench

The Padres won the division that year, and the next year — 2006. Meanwhile, Loretta departed. You’d think that this was Scales’  next chance, but the Padres went with rookie Josh Barfield at 2B. Geoff Blum (returning) and Mark Bellhorn highlighted the IF bench. (Along with Todd Walker and Russell Branyan, who both came along later in the season....again,  Kevin Towers bypassed Scales for veterans. That’s a hint right there that the parent club isn’t really considering you…)

It appears Scales’ best shot to make the Padres was 2004 – but, he was caught in that “numbers” game. Then, his poor 2004 between AA and AAA screwed him for 2005. He rebounded at AAA Portland  in 2005 — .272/.344./.347, but my guess is that the organization was pretty much moving past him, so by 2006 -- he didn't have a future in San Diego.

 

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Its not easy to unseed the immortal Neifi Perez

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on May 16, 2009 2:22 PM CDT reply actions  

What are you talking about?

Bobby Scales was in the Padres system from his signing in 1999 to 2005, when he left the organization in 2006 to sign with Scranton/Wilkes Barre, a Phillies AAA affilliate. Scales joined the I-Cubs in 2008.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 16, 2009 2:31 PM CDT reply actions  

Scales...

… had to be better than Damien Jackson and Manny Alexander.

What’s unbelievable is this: the Padres had 12 bazillion people play for them in spring training games in 2004, but gave Scales only three spring training AB.

In 2005: one spring AB. In 2006 with the Phillies: 0-for-11.

So teams never even gave him a spring training chance to make a club as a backup.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 16, 2009 4:15 PM CDT reply actions  

All it takes is a few bad reports

from the scouts, and you are screwed..

Right now…the Padres scouts may be abuzz over two guys……………in AAA….
For example — I’m watching Portland Beavers games on FSN NW. In today’s paper, it says Will Venable (CF) and Kyle Banks (1b who will try LF) are eventually coming up….Venable seems serviceable, but Banks…a huge guy, Frank Thomas-ish who the Padres will play out of position in LF…..prediction…this may really hurt Banks, who right now — either strikes out or hits 500 foot HR’s…….he’s not at all ready for MLB, he has a huge hole in his swing…and to play him out of position — disaster.

Banks needs a full season at AAA in LF. This will backfire on the Friars, if they attempt this.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 16, 2009 7:23 PM CDT up reply actions  

Venable is almost 27.

He may be their new version of Scales, though he’s actually played a bit in the majors.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 16, 2009 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions  

Blanks

Well with Adrian Gonzalez at 1B, Blanks certainly is getting time at 1B and with Gonzalez’s contract and hometown status, the Padres certainly aren’t going to trade him.

If someone wants to come in and blow them away with an offer for Blanks, I’d imagine they would take it but in the meantime, might as well see if he can play LF because he’ll never make it to the Padres as a 1B starter. 1B isn’t an option for him. It’s going to have to be LF.

by IllinoisCubs on May 19, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions  

scales

why?? not good enough maybe. i know there is a feel good aspect to this story. but there usually is a reason you spend 10 yrs in the minors.i hope it works out for him.

by NOMAR on May 16, 2009 5:21 PM CDT reply actions  

Hopefully...

the post illustrated some of the reasons why, which exceeded the idea “not good enough.”

There’s more to the odyessy of a career minor leaguer than that……as I hope I pointed out….

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 16, 2009 7:12 PM CDT up reply actions   1 recs

yes

Who really knows why he didn’t make it before? Maybe he’s just the ultimate late bloomer. He did seem to hit the wall his first years in AAA and that can never help anyone’s chances.

Lets just squeeze all the usefulness we can get out of him. He’s brought some energy to the team but who knows how long he can keep it going.

by jeff_pico on May 16, 2009 6:34 PM CDT reply actions  

Nice post-thanks!

It’s tough to make it to the big leagues, sometimes timing and circumstance can over shadow the player’s potential contribution.

by DudeVf11 on May 16, 2009 7:13 PM CDT reply actions  

IT'S THE RIGHT PLACE....

At the right time ….But alot of it could be the scouting..But glad he’s here now…Go SCALES..

by cubs north on May 16, 2009 7:59 PM CDT reply actions  

Like a fine wine

Sometimes like a fine wine, you must keep it in a dark cold location for many years before it reachs it full potential. Let’s hope since we pop the cork that it doesn’t turn into vingear.

How long till a Documentary is done on him you think?

The sun will shine in '69

by gaclaudy on May 16, 2009 11:18 PM CDT reply actions  

If he continue to succeed this year.......

I bet the off season.

"That's what you live for. You live for the opportunity and when that day comes, you better be ready," Soto said. "I tried to make sure that whenever they gave me a chance, I was ready and I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity."

by Madison Cub Fan on May 17, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions  

Sorry everyone but...

Scales will not keep this up. Everyone knows he won’t hit .400 the rest of the way, but I predict he’ll have a hard time staying above the Mendoza line. 1 BB:5Ks in 19 PAs is not a good sign. Eventually the league will catch up to him, too, and he’ll start to slip. Here’s hoping he proves me wrong, though.

by Poloplaya14 on May 17, 2009 12:10 AM CDT reply actions  

yes

Yes its unlikely that he will be a major contributor all season but might as well ride him while he is hot.

by jeff_pico on May 17, 2009 12:20 AM CDT up reply actions  

19 plate appearances

are not enough for any sample. He drew 9 walks in 65 plate appearances for Iowa and 59 in 457 PA last year, so your “not a good sign” that he’s some kind of free swinger is nonsense. That’s drunk lamppost statistics.

Bobby Scales will not hit .380 this season. That’s true. He probably wouldn’t hit .300 if they gave him a lot of at bats. But every indication from his minor league career and his short stint in the majors is that Bobby Scales is a major league quality bench player.

by Josh Timmers on May 17, 2009 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions  

There are many players similar to Bobby Scales

that have made their way through MLB. In, and out. We’ll hope the ‘out’ is sooner than later, for him — but it seems inevitable he’ll have to go back down.

However, he may have displayed he’s a tradable commodity.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 17, 2009 1:45 AM CDT reply actions  

It's funny that I didn't make the connection...

earlier that I had been watching Scales play in Portland. I actually remember him, though I don’t recall being blown away by him.

Anyway, I don’t have anything intelligent to add here. I’m just shocked that I never made the connection that the Scales I was watching in Oregon is THE Bobby Scales…

:)

by CubsWin!Oregon on May 17, 2009 6:46 AM CDT reply actions  

Thanks for the post

I have wondered this, and haven’t seen any articles on it.

"That's what you live for. You live for the opportunity and when that day comes, you better be ready," Soto said. "I tried to make sure that whenever they gave me a chance, I was ready and I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity."

by Madison Cub Fan on May 17, 2009 9:11 AM CDT reply actions  

A bigger question

though is why they didn’t call him up in 2003 when the Padres were losing 98 games and had Lou Merloni, David Hansen and Keith Lockhart as backup infielders. Now sure, I guess you could say you didn’t want to rush a player from a strong AA season to the majors, but then why overreact to a poor 2004? (Probably because they didn’t think he was a prospect.) They could have at least called him up in September of ’03.

I understand your reasoning and what the Padres might have been thinking, but in 2005 the Padres are giving over 300 at bats to 31 year old Damian Jackson who was dreadful. In 2004, they gave over a hundred plate appearances to Ramon Vasquez, who couldn’t get his OBP over .300. If he was good in 2003 and 2005, couldn’t he have outperformed those guys?

Overall, I think it was a failure of the imagination of the Padres organization. I’m sure their scouts and farm director looked at his size and his skills set and said “No prospect: organizational player only.” They focused on what he wasn’t instead of what he was. Whenever Scales did well, they dismissed it as a fluke and whenever he struggled, they used it as proof of their own preconceived ideas. By the time he left the Padres, he was simply too old for anyone to consider him a prospect anymore.

That’s my theory at least.

by Josh Timmers on May 17, 2009 9:03 PM CDT reply actions  

What's still puzzling...

… is, given the kind of guys they had on their bench in 2004 and 2005, why they wouldn’t have given Scales at least a few spring training AB to see if he could actually fill that bench role, instead of people like Jackson and Vazquez.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 18, 2009 4:11 AM CDT up reply actions  

Don't Forget

They had the immortal, Jake Gautreau & Bernie Castro ahead of Bobby in the minors too. I just looked through my old Baseball America prospect handbooks (01-04) and Scales never made a single top 30 list. Hell, he didn’t even rate being included on the depth charts at any position.

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

by WayneCampbell08 on May 18, 2009 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions  

Good stuff

Sometimes guys get the label of “organizational player” and no matter what they do, they can’t shake the label.

by Josh Timmers on May 18, 2009 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions  

Good points, Josh.

I’m not sure if Grady Fuson was their farm system director at that time, as he is now. You can see ALL the failed position players, (over the past four years) one after another which made their way to MLB and quickly failed or were busts (Matt Bush) from the beginning . ( Not that the Cubs have done that much better at developing position players, of course.)

The jury’s out on Headley (who’s playing the OF, out of position) and /Hundley. The Padres may be ready to rush Kyle Banks along, who is not at all ready. After seeing him a few times — three games (yes, a small sample) it’s somewhat obvious he needs more time. In fact, the Portland Radio/TV pbp guy essentially, made the same comment to the Union-Tribune, suggesting Will Venable, and not Banks — should make the leap from AAA. This makes more sense, as the Padres could put Venable in LF, and Headley goes to 3B, pushing the mendoza-line Kevin Kouzmanoff out. (I think I am talking much too much about a team I do not care about.)

Not that the Cubs have done that much better at developing position players, of course.

I think Damien Jackson won out due to the fact that you already had youth at 3B and SS.
Then, along comes Josh Barfield to take over second base. (Possibly, due to those pre-conceived ideas SD had regarding the future of Bobby Scales.)

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 17, 2009 9:38 PM CDT reply actions  

Bobby Scales is having a lightning in a bottle moment, period

I love it how the sabermagicians and resident experts want to crap on professional baseball front offices and scouting staffs for “missing” so badly on Bobby Scales. I guess this is similar form of “injustice” metered upon Matt Murton.

I for the life of me will never understand those Cub fans who pee their pants on minor league journeyman. Remember Mark Bellhorn? When he came up at age 27 and temporarily set the world ablaze? To listen to certain Cub fans we magically had a hybrid of Ron Santo and Mike Schmidt fall down from heaven.

I’m happy for Scales. But for the love of God get a grip people. You are NOT smarter than the front offices and scouting staffs in San Diego, Philadelphia and Chicago despite your keen eye for aging journeyman talent.

by BLou on May 19, 2009 9:20 AM CDT reply actions  

what with worrying about

a downward spiral Lee (last seven days: .333/.412/.600/1.012)
a flailing Fukudome (last seven days: .400/.478/.500/.978)
and a portly Soto, whom I notice you have oddly not accused of juicing (last seven days: .375/.450/.625/1.075)

I don’t see why you have time to rag on Bobby Scales (last seven days: .273/.429/.727/1.156)

You don’t know the future. Period.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 19, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions  

You're like a parrot with diarreha

Why do you feel the need to post rebuttal to literally every single one of my posts? Do you see me responding to your posts, whether it be your blow by blow account of little Max’s attempts to hit above the Mendoza line or the latest report on your wife’s doctor visits or your insistence that Felix Pie is a superstar in the making or that Derrek Lee is still a plus hitter, etc…

by BLou on May 19, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions  

You're like a record

with a scratch in it. The needle hops and replays the same thing, over and over and over again.

You continue to post falsehoods and incorrectness, I’ll continue to rebut them. I’ll leave the complaints about your racism and sexism to others.

Have you stopped beating your wife yet? I have just as much proof of that as you do that Soto is juicing, doncha know.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 19, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions  

You're an odd duck

I’ll just keep ignoring you. Credibility is zero in your case. But at least you keep some of the other dipshits on this board semi-engaged so others of us can actually talk baseball and the intracacies of the game.

by BLou on May 19, 2009 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions  

ROFL!

I’m an odd duck????

Wow. Just wow.

Have fun, broken record.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 19, 2009 11:10 AM CDT up reply actions  

Mark Bellhorn?!?!?!

Proof you have no idea what you’re talking about.

After the Cubs gave up on Bellhorn in 2003 because Dusty couldn’t figure out how to use him, the Boston Red Sox made Mark Bellhorn their starting second baseman in 2004. You may remember they won the World Series that year for the first time in 86 seasons. He hit .300 with an OBP of .563 and a home run in the WS. He hit two home runs in the critical ALCS against the Yankees.

So why don’t you just stop and take a breath and check your facts for once before opening your mouth? No one is saying Bobby Scales should be our starting second baseman—or at least should be saying that. All I am saying, at least, is that he could be a quality bench player.

by Josh Timmers on May 19, 2009 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions  

And I refute the claim that Scales can be a quality bench player in the majors !!!

You’re one of the ringleaders who pees his pants every single time an aging minor league journeyman “non-prospect” tastes a little big league success. And then out of the other side of your mouth you critique the front office and manager for not giving said “non-prospect” an opportunity to play everyday. It’s the same garbage every year with some of you….Jason Dubois, Matt Murton, Josh Kroeger, Sam Fuld, Micah Hoffpauir, Jake Fox, Bobby Scales.

There is not a single major league team that “missed” on Bobby Friggin Scales. To quote Dennis Green, he is who we thought he was. And that is an old prospect who is having a Crash Davis like major league moment. But did Scales magically transmogrify into a quality bench player for the duration? NO!! In the same way that Casey McGahee was a spring training wonder up in Milwaukee after the Cubs waved bye-bye.

Get over yourself and the thinking that you are smarter and superior to major league front offices and scouting departments.

by BLou on May 19, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions  

the ironic thing

is that McGeeHee is apparently slated to start some games for the Brewers while Weeks recovers.

At this point, I don’t see how anyone can suggest that Micah Hoffpauir isn’t valuable to the Cubs as a bat off the bench. He had to prove himself, but I think he’s done it.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 19, 2009 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions  

Drew, its BLou

you know facts mean nothing with him. he just types what he thinks are facts and runs with it

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on May 19, 2009 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions  

Micah Hoffpauir has definitely answered the bell

So far he has responded to the challenge and been a nice complementary ballplayer. Is it sustainable? We’ll find out. But yes, I think it is time to change opinion on the conceivable value of Hoffpauir.

But the argument here is that Bobby Scales is a diamond that has magically washed up on the shore of the Cubs. And that could not be further from the truth. He is what he is, an oldish minor league journeyman who has seized upon a major league opportunity granted. Good for him and good for the Cubs. So far. He’ll be back in the minors soon enough in deference to an established and legitimate major league role player in Ryan Freel. We’ll say thank you and he will move on. That’s life in professional baseball when your name is Bobby Scales, Casey McGehee, Matt Murton….

by BLou on May 19, 2009 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions  

the argument

is that Bobby Scales has value, and whether or not his value is higher than, for example, Aaron Miles’ value.

SOME of these guys have to be able to make it to the pros. The original OP was analyzing why Bobby Scales hadn’t done so previous to now, when — you must admit — he’s suddenly playing extremely well.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 19, 2009 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions  

I'm still rather new here, but I'm curious...

are you a hermit or something? Do actually go out into the world and interact with other people face-to-face?

If you do, I can’t imagine that you speak to them the way you do to people here… I really can’t…

I’ll grant that you often have valid opinions to express, but can’t you try to express those opinions without being so blatantly insulting? I’m sure you’ll blow me off or insult me, but you should really go back and read some of your own posts. I’m sure you can do better than this.

by CubFanInCanberra (9387milesfromWrigley) on May 20, 2009 7:01 AM CDT up reply actions  

A very accurate observation

shared by many.

if this was still new to me, i wouldn't understand

by N Oakley on May 21, 2009 9:29 AM CDT up reply actions  

Forget it, he's rolling...

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 20, 2009 2:27 PM CDT up reply actions  

The league is already figuring out Bobby Scales

The sound you hear is the Bobby Scales hype machine crashing back down to earth en route to its next tour stop in Des Moines.

by BLou on May 20, 2009 9:24 PM CDT reply actions  

If if that happens, so what?

The purpose of this post was to speculate why this guy was passed over many times. The essay never said he’s the next Ryne Sandberg. Lighten up — but I know that’s nearly impossible for you. (Unless, an insult is attached to the comment.)

Sounds like you are happy about the guy possibly failing. All he has done is what he’s been asked to do — nothing more, nothing less.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on May 21, 2009 10:46 AM CDT reply actions  

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