Sizing Up The Rookies...

September 09, 2008 | Comments (0) | by ,


"So you're telling me the highlight of my career will be a movie where a dude gets it on with a pie?"


Let's talk about rookies. Yes, I know the season isn't quite over yet, but I just spent 2 hours on a quest for an 8 x 10 inch picture for my father, and managed to spill Diet Coke all over myself in the process. I'm tired, and this is what I want to write about, dammit...

Anyway, some rookies - like young Henry Rowengartner (pictured above) - go on to achieve World Series glory. While others - like Henry's real-life counterpart, Thomas Ian Nicholas - fade into the oblivion of straight-to-DVD movies and random albums.

So I pose a question to you: Which 2008 rookies do you think are ready for their own summer blockbusters, and which ones are destined to a life of one-episode guest appearances on "Medium?"

I'll get the ball rolling: One rookie I was really disappointed with was Oakland's Daric Barton. When he was called up towards the end of last season, he batted close to .350 with a .429 OBP. This year, he's batting a piddly .220 with a .340-ish SLG - terrible for a first baseman. However, he's hit 6 home runs since his "pool incident." So good job, Daric. Way to turn it around 2 months before the season ends. Ass.

However, one rookie that exceeded my expectations was Oakland's Brad Ziegler. He fractured his skull twice, converted to sidearm delivery, and when he finally made it to the show, he kicked ass - breaking the modern big league record for for consecutive scoreless innings at the start of a career. He went 39 innings before surrendering a run, and his ERA is currently 0.54. The guy has been awesome.

So which rookies do you think have been great, and which ones have been disappointing?
And more importantly, do you think Thomas Ian Nicholas will ever win an Oscar?

0 comments: