Sam Fuld Keeps Perspective

A take from Tampa on the former Cub.

about 1 year ago Al Yellon 12 comments 0 recs |

Comments

sam makes the team.im sure the rays can use him. i used to be about 30 minutes away from rays camp but unfortunately they now are about 3 hrs away. i would have liked to have gone down and say hello. im sure he will have a better shot with maddon than he did with pinella.

by NOMAR on Mar 9, 2011 5:58 AM CST reply actions

I really wish Lou and others had gotten this part

“He’s a guy with a very interesting profile,” said Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman. “He’s a plus defender in all three (outfield) spots with superior contact skills and a really good ability to discern balls and strikes. Those skills, coupled with his ability to hit line drives with such high frequency, makes him a very interesting player.”

Sadly the Cubs never seemed to value that skill set. Fuld has been back playing after being out for a week plus.. He was hitting at Koye Hill level before he went out with the injury. He has two hits in his last 4 ABs to get his average to creep up to .167. I was a little surprised to hear the writer say Fuld was competing for the final bench spot with two infielders because that would mean either they were going with 4 outfielders or they want to give a spot to rookie Desmond Jennings who is actually hitting worse than Fuld. I assumed he was battling for the 5th OF spot.

Thanks for the article Al. Didn’t show up on my google alarts yet.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Mar 9, 2011 8:11 AM CST reply actions

The suggestion

that Fuld might have a front office career is an interesting one. He actually might be a dream candidate for an entry level front office job. He has the statistical and business education that front officers are looking for these days, but he combines that with actual playing experience.

I can see Fuld being a GM one day.

by Josh Timmers on Mar 9, 2011 12:32 PM CST up reply actions

one day maybe but for now he wants to play

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Mar 9, 2011 2:25 PM CST up reply actions

Clearly

But that day is going to come eventually.

by Josh Timmers on Mar 9, 2011 4:20 PM CST up reply actions

OT question regarding the link.

The address is .ece which is a new one on me. What is it?

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Mar 9, 2011 8:15 AM CST reply actions

Roster spot

If he gets on the Opening Day roster, I am putting in an order for his Rays jersey shirt that day.

by Dunston12 on Mar 9, 2011 10:23 AM CST via mobile reply actions

That sounds like a wonderful idea

So he couldn’t offer much to the Cubs offensively, when you see a kid on a temporary stay in the bigs try as hard as he does, you just sit back and say damn, that’s a quality player. I bet the OF walls are still vibrating from him hitting the bricks

~Ronald Reagan has held the two most demeaning jobs in the country; President of the United States and radio broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs~ George F. Will

by unretrofied93 on Mar 9, 2011 11:12 AM CST up reply actions

While I like the kid

and admire his tenacity, Doggie Stalker cannot separate her crush on the player with Fuld’s projection which continues to be a career AAAA baseball player.

He cannot hit!

But, he is a Plus defensive OF-er. There are quite a few players like that. The Cubs have another one that they just got in the trade with Tampa.

Even in ST this season he is batting like .116 or something.

Maybe he will get it together enough to hit .250 with an OBP of .340+

But guys like this need to be on teams that have a surplus of talent and a no-hit, all glove guy fits as the 25th man. The Cubs already have KHill, Perez, and Pena.

That’s enough auto-outs for most.

by The E-Man on Mar 9, 2011 2:58 PM CST reply actions

so when he hit .299 in the only season he got signifcant playing time that was fluke?

He has little or no power but he can hit for contact. I don’t think he had a place on the Cubs this year but my much derided campaign to let him start the season on the team over the still injured Nady was hardly insane. FYI Fuld who was out for a week is hitting around. 140 now ( he went 0-2 today)
the guy who he is according to the article battling for the last spot is batting the same as Koye Hill.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Mar 9, 2011 3:21 PM CST up reply actions

I'll never forget the look on D-Lee's face...

when Fuld crashed face first into the RF power alley wall at Wrigley, only to double off the baserunner at 1st. One of the best plays I’ve ever seen.

by montecarlo on Mar 10, 2011 3:22 AM CST reply actions

My favorite Fuld highlight

It is not his best catch but Scully’s call makes it extra special . Not to mention Marmol would have actually given up another rare home run.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=6225963

Here is another random Fuld catch that did not invovle crashing into a wall but kept a run from scoring and things like this don’t show up in the box score.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=6644735

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Mar 10, 2011 8:29 AM CST up reply actions