Forum > What happened to Mayberry Jr.?
Mayberry was a lot like Mark Reynolds if I remember correctly. He could hit the ball a mile, but he struck out WAY too much. I could be confusing him with someone else though...
Adam in Longview
I can't anwer any of those questions but I would prefer golson. He's a texan, former first rounder, and I'm pretty sure I read once that he was a legit 5 tool talent but lacked the "6th" tool. I don't know who wrote it but it was basically something to the extent of, "I have never seen a first rounder with so little idea of how to play the game." But that's not to say that a coaching staff couldn't teach him enough to be a passable 5th ofer who may catch lightning in a bottle a few times. I don't dislike gentry but as far as I can tell he's just a speed/glove guy, which is desirable for a 5th ofer, but I think golson could be that w/ the upside of getting some big hits (maybe?). Plus I just really root for texans.
johnnyranger
I don't know who wrote it but it was basically something to the extent of, "I have never seen a first rounder with so little idea of how to play the game."
That was Keith Law, in his BBTiA interview here in early '09.
Mayberry is a classic example of a draft prospect with one truly great tool (power) and nothing else exceptional -- and even then, at the time he was selected, the power tool only rarely translated into in-game power output. He was also a victim of something KG has referenced previously as the "Stanford Swing" -- I don't know how their baseball program has changed in the last six years, but at least at that time it was a situation where they were trying to force-fit a single swing onto many of their young hitters. Hence, the allusions to the rampant "flaws" in his swing, and Baseball America noting that all of the flaws were correctable, but that it might take 1,500 minor league plate appearances before it happened.
In any event, he's at 2,853 minor league PA and isn't even a AAAA-type player -- he's arguably not even AAA quality, given his meager numbers at power-producing COF spots.
Joey Matschulat
It tells you alot about the makeup of the Phillies outfield. They are counting heavily on Mayberry for 2011.
Jim A.
Seems really strange that he wouldn't have a good feel for the game.
He went to Stanford, so he's not some total dumbass and his Dad played and coached in the Bigs for 25 years.
Pull T
JMJr was a spare at Frisco before he was elevated to OKC about the same time Teagarden went to AAA. His performance was #4 in an OF that included Craig Gentry.
The PHL - TEX trades of Golson and JMJr was just a swap of players who had failed to progress past the AAA level and provided the new environment might light a spark.
None of the 3 have much of a shot of making the ML roster ... but if there were a position left on the TEX roster for 40F and all three were available ... I'd pick Gentry in a minute.
Windingmywatch
He was a first round pick of the Rangers out of Stanford traded for Greg Golson. Why?
Then Golson was traded to the yankees for Mitch Hilligoss and cash. Who is that and who would have been a better 5th OF Golson Mayberry or Craig Gentry?