Darren Ford - Is he underrated
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 1:21 PM PDT
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PrintIn September of last year the Giants swapped Ray Durham for Steve Hammond and Darren Ford. The reaction to the trade was basically ho-hum and justifiably so.
Recently though Darren Ford has begun to show signs with the bat. I decided to do a bit of digging, assuming to find that this was simply a case of a player going through a hot streak. The more I look into it the less I'm certain that this is the case. If anyone would like to see links where I got the following information, just let me know.
Back Ground
"In 2003-04 as a senior at Vineland, Ford was one of the most dangerous running backs in southern New Jersey and won the 55-meter race at the New Jersey Indoor Track and Field Meet of Champions."
It's safe to say Ford was quite raw at baseball coming out of high school.
Ford played at Chipola JC for a year before signing with the Brewers in 2005. He ran a 6.2 60 yard dash for the Brewers prior to signing. 80 speed on the scouting scale.
Since his signing, Ford showed some promise with the bat initially. In 05 he posted .271 .365 .326 .691 at Helena (Pioneer league.) In 2006 he moved up to the South Atlantic league and improved to .283 .361 .387 .747. A .361 OBP and 69 steals from a 20 year old speed demon had to have the Brewers intrigued.
He began 07 back in the Sally league and shined in his 254 AB hitting .335 .398 .504 .902 with another 31 steels.
He was promoted to the Florida State league and in 273 AB posted a line of .231 .317 .308 .625 with 36 steals.
At 22 Ford was given a chance to redeem himself in the FSL, but all he was able to hit was .230 .322 .303 .626. He was traded to the Giants in September but fared no better in the more hitter friendly Cal League at .219 .346 .266. 612. He did steal another 62 bags.
Ford was now at a crossroads. Stuck at full season A ball, he was advised by the Giants to switch-hit. The failed experiment led to first half numbers of .207 .341 .293 .634.
At approximately this point the experiment was dropped. Ford's second half line has been .327 .396 . 903. He hasn't run as much with 27 steals but it's hard to believe that he isn't still capable of much more.
The Tools
Let's take a look at the tools Ford has to offer. I'm going to include a 6th tool (on base ability) as Ford's worth is IMO directly correlated to his potential as a lead off hitter.
Fielding - Everything I've read suggest that Ford is graceful in center field. His range is plus-plus. Range that would be a huge asset in our park. BA rated him the best defensive OF in our system last offseason. He also was rated the best defensive outfielder in the Brewers system prior to the 08 season so he seems elite when it comes to shagging down balls.
Throwing Arm - I found very little on his throwing arm but his draft and follow reports refer to an average arm. I know a number of people have seen him at San Jose, so perhaps someone can provide first hand observations.
Running - Here's a quote from Allen Matthew from an old BA chat. "He was described by a scout as being a 90 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, so he can run a little bit." He's usually around 80% success stealing bases, so he's clearly a big weapon when he gets on base.
Hitting - This is the big one. Are these last two months signs of a change in approach? His SO's are still a concern as he's regularly k'd in about 25% of his at-bats. Even during this two month stretch he's still K'ing 20% of the time. Not ideal for a leadoff hitter IMO.
Here's an interesting quote from Ford regarding the switch hitting experiment.
"It's seeing the ball from both eyes," Ford said. "When I hit lefty, my front eye is my right and when I hit right, my front eye is my left. It helped me out a lot. It helped me put both eyes on the ball."
Has the failed experiment turned Ford into a much more dangerous right handed hitter?
Power - As a former RB, Ford is a pretty powerful human being. During this recent streak he's hit 5 HR in 200 ABs. I've seen remarks regarding his bat speed, so I'm going to leave that aside, but I think he's capable of decent power from the leadoff spot. I think given his body type he might be capable of 8 -12 homers per year.
I actually think switch hitting would've undermined this part of his game. He's not built like Juan Pierre. Slapping the ball from the left side might have led to home to first times of 3.7, but AT&T's benefits would be lost on Ford.
If he gets the ball into the right center gap it's got a good chance to be an inside the parker.
His speed really has a chance to augment his Slugging percentage especially at AT&T.
On Base Ability - Chone Figgins seems to be the best leadoff hitter this year in terms of drawing a walk. He's walking in 13.6 % of his PAs in 2009.
Here are Darren Ford's minor league BB/PA beginning from 2005-2009: 11.9%, 10.1%, 12.4%, 11.9 %.
Even when he's not hitting well his ability to draw a walk is well above average.
So he's plus-plus in defense and speed, plus in on-base ability, average arm, below average power (average for a leadoff guy.) The hit tool is still the big question mark.
Overview
After some research I really feel like Darren Ford is a legitimate CF prospect. The hitting remains in question but it appears that he's legitimately smoking the ball. These aren't leg hits. The San Jose hitting coach has recently been quoted as saying "He's hitting the fire out of the ball" and his .508 slugging percentage since the break seems to confirm this fact.
Ford will be 24 to start the 2010 season, so he's starting to get a bit long in the tooth. He can no longer afford to repeat levels and AA offers a significant hurdle to Ford. But his game is not power, so even if he ends up playing in Dodd his success may in fact be sustainable.
If he carries over his recent success into Double A, he IMO becomes a serious prospect and our CF of the future. His package of speed, defense and on-base ability are unrivaled in the system.
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I’m a fan. He’s looks like a 4th/5th OF type to me. If he can learn to hit RHP, he might be a fringe starter in CF if his defense really is +10 run good.
It all depends how good his defense is for me
Because I think his bat’s probably around how Endy Chavez hits
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
McFAQ for all you newcomers out there.
GET THAT VORP AND WHIP SH!T OUTTA HERE!!!
All things considered, Ford becoming Endy Chavez would be great.
Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...
Yes, that would be found money.
/ crosses fingers.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
Can you every have too much money?
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
wasn’t there a report that the scorekeeper at Municipal was a bit of a homer and the fielding stats were a bit inflated?
It was a Cal League top defensive players list and there were 4-5 SJ Giants on it in cluding every regular outfielder
I think the fact that he was also rated as the Brewers top defensive outfielder is enough for me to believe that he is truly a good defensive CF. 6.2 speed would be such a weapon for a CF to have in our ballpark.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
I think all three are legitimately good defensive outfielders. Neal is supposed to have RF skills in left and Kieshnick throwing arm and fielding were listed as major plusses back when he was a draft prospect.
Kieshnick might also be slightly underrated guy. Ks are a concern though.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions
He also a straight hacker, it seems to me like he is basically Nate Schierholtz, remember Nate is supposed to have 30 hr power
Congrats to my soul mate and birth brother Zach Wheeler on being drafted into greatness. Should I just buy my Wheeler jersey now, or wait till my next birthday?
I don’t really recall many people projecting 30 home runs out of Nate. Maybe 20.
Here’s how Nate did in 2005 at SJ at age 21 (he also played at SJ for half of the 04 season as well)
ISO .179 5.8%
K % – 24 %
BB%
Slug % – .514
AB/HR – 33.5
Here are RK’s equivalent 09 stats (at age 22.)
ISO – .242
K – 25.7 %
BB – 6.6 %
Slug % – .541
AB/HR – 20.9
So while Kieschnick seem to have a similar from a standpoint of Ks and BBs, Kieschnick has more power and specifically much more home run power.
I’ve only seen a video of Kieschnick (I’m trying to find it again) and while I was astounished by how similar their stances are, Nate is a top hand finisher while Kieshnick incorporates the lower hand to a much greater extent resulting in more lift and carry.
I think Kieschnick’s upside as a power hitter is much higher than Nate’s.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 27, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
oops … guess I’m a slasher just like Nate.
ISO – .179
K % – 24%
BB% – 5.8
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 27, 2009 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions
IIRC
It looked like it greatly inflated Kieschnick and Neal’s ratings, but Ford had good numbers at home and on the road.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
How would that work? I do the Gameday for a Triple-A team, and the entire thing is pretty rudimentary and approximated when it comes to defense (see where ball lands, click on map of ballpark where you think ball landed).
Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...
I think the idea is that the scorekeeper classifies more things as line drives than other scorekeepers would, which affects defensive metrics that use LD%
GROUGTHINK ALERT
The first Chester Arthur fanboy ever.
Any defensive metric that is based on those judgments is not something I feel comfortable relying on, anyway. At least in the pitch-FX free minor leagues.
Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...
Let’s just say he can become a league average hitter. .259 is the national league average this year.
If he hits .259 in 500 ABs but still walks in 10% of his PAs, he still would post a .333 OBA. If he figure it out enough to be hit .280 then he’s capable of a .350 OBA which with his speed makes him a useful starter.
He doesn’t have to hit a ton to have a fair amount of value. For reason’s listed in my original post I believe that there is some evidence suggesting that he’s finally starting to put it together at the plate.
I don’t think Endy Chavez is a good comp. Chavez is a wiry guy and a slap hitter. His career walk % is 5.9 %. He also doesn’t K especially often.
Ford is much stronger than Chavez and at least recently has been producing significant extra base power.
Ford’s not likely to even be as good as Chavez, but if everything clicks he can be a much better player than Endy Chavez.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 1:55 PM PDT reply actions
if he walks that much, he'll never be on the Giants
no cheating the game with this team—must hack at slop
If he can just manage to hit .250
We can trade him to whatever Dusty’s coaching at the time for an actual player.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
If he can hit like Michael Bourn has this year, that’d be nice. Bourn also strikes out a lot, but he also draws walks and steals bases and plays + defense in CF.
I never noticed how good of a season Bourn has had this year. He’s hitting (.355 wOBA) and playing 7 run defense in CF. I’m not sure I ever see Darren Ford sniffing a .355 wOBA. If he’s a league average hitter, that would be great.
I’m pretty sure that twelve months ago, no one saw Michael Bourn sniffing a .355 wOBA.
I’M NOT SAYING; I’M JUST SAYING.
by Grant Brisbee on Aug 26, 2009 8:26 PM PDT up reply actions
That’s one aspect about baseball I really enjoy.
It’s not like an NFL RB or NBA point guard can make one simple adjustment and drastically improve the effectiveness of his game. In baseball it’s a much more common occurrence.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions
He's a rich man's Rajai Davis
Jonathan Sanchez. He's left-handed, like Barry Zito. His fastball breaks 80, unlike Zito.
Hobbes, that’s a great comp.
I need to look more into Bourn vs. Ford.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 2:05 PM PDT reply actions
I think he definitely has a good chance at a major league career, especially if he’s a legit CF.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
Actually
he kind of reminds me of Fred Lewis, with better defense and less power.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
SO YOU ADMIT IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE BETTER DEFENSE THAN FRED LEWIS
CHECKMATE
GROUGTHINK ALERT
The first Chester Arthur fanboy ever.
DAMN YOU GROUG
YOU GOT ME THIS TIME.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
And less power?
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Aug 26, 2009 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I was actually going to make the Fred Lewis comp. Both are former football players, generate BB and K too much.
Ford is much, much faster though.
I really enjoyed this read on Ford. Makes it sound as though the improvement might be legitimate.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/article_6a10b2d3-39cf-53fb-9a6d-16ed0ddc4e90.html
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Not buying it
23 years old.
3rd year in High A.
Massive platoon split (the bad kind).
Not optimistic, at all.
So you think it’s a 2 month hot spell. Definitely possible, but 2 months is a pretty long hot streak. Pehaps he’s turned the corner.
I’m definitely going to be paying close attention to how he finishes this year and performs at Double A.
The repeating of levels is definitely a concern and I really think he has to perform at Double A the first go around next year.
We also may have to sneak him through the rule 5 draft which with his speed and defense may be tricky.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Eh, 2 months isn’t really that long of a hot spell.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
Fair enough … you’re definitely taking the rational stance here.
We’ll have to see. Darren Ford’s tools are pretty unique in our system. If he could surprise it would be a real coup.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Jpornry
meet Aaron Rowand.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Wait, I thought he played the Gamer position?
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions
No, he plays the I’m pooping ! postion.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
Catcher?
matthewpouliot - "Still not sure which is more rare: the unassisted triple play or Francoeur taking two pitches to start the AB."
by CaliforniaJag on Aug 30, 2009 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Looks like his BABIP over the last couple of months is around .400, so yeah, it’s probably largely a hot streak.
Shouldn’t he have a BABIP close to that high, given his speed?
Two months (I’m guessing that would be, what, 175 PAs or so) is a large enough sample that it’s not luck. It might not be sustainable, if pitchers can adjust and find a new way to get him out, but that’s different from luck.
Sure, it’s different from luck, but if pitchers are going to adjust and take it away from him, it doesn’t really matter.
I don’t know what a reasonable BABIP would be for a really fast guy in A ball who hits a fair number of fly balls, but surely it’s not .400? I would guess around .350, .360.
I was eyeballing Fangraphs’ leader board sorted by speed scores and BABIP, it looked kinda random to me, but around .360 seemed to be the top end of speedy guys and BABIP.
Yes, but if it’s not luck we don’t know whether pitchers can take it away or not. If it were luck we would just expect it to go away on its own.
More food for thought …
During his feverish month of July his BABIP was .444 helping him post a line of .352 .397 .486 .882
In August his BABIP has dropped to a more sustainable .326 (below his career) average. He has still put up .301 .407 .562 .969 in 73 August ABs.
Sample size is obviously an issue, but it appears that his luck went away and he posted superior numbers.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, based on what xanthan posted about MLB BABIP numbers for fast guys, it looks like if Ford is hitting the ball well he ought to have a Cal League BABIP of at least .360, probably .375 or so. So .400 is high but not that high.
The bigger concern is that he’s repeating a level that he’s a bit old for. We’ll see how he does in Richmond or wherever. Hoping for the best. If Zombie Ray Durham turned into a Major League 4th OF, I think everybody would be pleased as punch.
Here are his July and August BABIP and ISOP.
.444 and .134
.326 and .261
Again, not fair to draw sweeping conclusion from small sample sizes, but it appears that his July success may have in part due to luck while he really does appear to be hitting the ball hard in August.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Thx Evan. Didn’t see that.
That definitely raises a flag.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Not yet.
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Aug 26, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Speaking of underrated what about Nick Noonan? His overall line looks kinda meh, but he didn’t turn 20 until late May, he has more than doubled his BB rate this year to 9.3, his BABIP is down from the previous 2 years, yet his ISO is identical to last year and the year before. He also has a pretty drastic split against LHP which is downright dreadful, but near .800 OPS vs RHP.
Not bad for a 19/20 year old in High A ball.
Assuming his 2nd half surge is legit, we could have a nice progression on our hands for young Noonan.
I dunno, I think the best thing he’s got going right now is his age. His numbers against LHP are terrible.
The answer is obvious
Make him a switch hitter for half a season so he can learn to get both eyes on the ball.
/Didn’t bother to check if Noonan already was a switch hitter.
co-dad of IshikaBOOM w/AfDC.
Ishikawa, let the boy hit against lefties.
noonan hits lefty only. so far.
cheering for Adam Witter, who will hit bigleague dingers some day.
Still yelling "Go, Antoan"
by foothillsfan on Aug 26, 2009 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions
… but he bars his arm? Sorry, trying to keep a meme alive.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Nick Noonan second half is pretty impressive.
I chose Ford b/c I really thought he was just organization fodder. The more I read about him, the more chance I think he has to surprise.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions
What I like about Noonan is that he does a little bit of everything. Given how much younger he is than the competition, that seems like a profile of a guy who could break out in a big way.
What happened to his base stealing prowess?
Wasn’t Noonan like 27/31 last year?
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions
If Noonan's patience is real, he's back in my top 7-8 probably
Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all
McFAQ for all you newcomers out there.
GET THAT VORP AND WHIP SH!T OUTTA HERE!!!
CFer who:
strikes out a lot
walks a lot
plays great defense
has speed
so he’s grady sizemore without as much power? i’ll take it!
by TimLincecumIsGod on Aug 26, 2009 3:07 PM PDT reply actions
Has anyone else had a severe feeling of envy watching guys like McCutcheon and Fowler track down balls in CF?
Great defense in CF is one of the most enjoyable aspects of baseball IMO. I miss DLew and Daryl Hamilton level defense out there.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:31 PM PDT reply actions
are you kidding?
I would kill to have Fowler
#1 threat to America: Pandas
Also, Tim Lincecum
Adopted Father: Tyler Graham
by GrahamCrakalaka on Aug 26, 2009 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions
He’s a very good player, but the comment above was referring to his defense. Which is not exactly awe inspiring.
Adopted brother of Jason Jarvis.
I was more so referring to his range. Every time I’ve watched him he covers tons of ground. I’m sure both make a ton of rookie mistakes. I haven’t really seen enough to say otherwise, but IMO both can really scoot.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions
if you're talking about his UZR
I wouldn’t trust it for Rocky outfielders.
How does Willy Tavarez go from a GG calibur defender in Houston to a terrible defender in colorado and then back to a great defender in Cincy? http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1876&position=OF
I think I’ll trust the scouting reports and my eyes on this one and he looks like a very good defender to me.
well ya
Id rather have him. But Fowler is good too. or Nyjer Morgan. Or anyone
#1 threat to America: Pandas
Also, Tim Lincecum
Adopted Father: Tyler Graham
by GrahamCrakalaka on Aug 26, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
McCutcheon is so much fun to watch in the field.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Me too, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite players, I recently decided to tune into the Pirates Phillies game in the bottom of the ninth with the Pirates down by one only because I knew he was coming up that inning. Sure enough he hit a walk-off against Brad Lidge rewarding my faith in him. I love the guy
Congrats to my soul mate and birth brother Zach Wheeler on being drafted into greatness. Should I just buy my Wheeler jersey now, or wait till my next birthday?
I like how you misspelled McCutchen’s name and everyone follows suit.
Jesse Foppert: I Still Believe. Maybe a little less now.
"I've come to the conclusion that the two most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen." ~Bob Lemon,
by AndYourBirdCanSing on Aug 26, 2009 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Escutcheon.
Utter frustration and futility.
by Johnny Disaster on Aug 26, 2009 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Fowler IMO is going to end up having more power. But I see him slowing down as he fills out.
McCutcheon has less of an offensive upside IMO (still going to be damn good) but has gold glover written all over him.
OT, Devon White was really fun to watch play center field. He had Darren Lewis’ gazelle like stride but even more over the top.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 3:49 PM PDT reply actions
plus White hit about average for a CF. Like a Randy Winn or better as I recall
cheering for Adam Witter, who will hit bigleague dingers some day.
Still yelling "Go, Antoan"
by foothillsfan on Aug 26, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, it’s a shame Devon White had to play all those years in Toronto. I think playing on that turf really wore his knees down. I suppose the whole “winning the World Series” thing might have made it worth it for him, though.
"winning the World Series
OVERRATED
#1 threat to America: Pandas
Also, Tim Lincecum
Adopted Father: Tyler Graham
by GrahamCrakalaka on Aug 26, 2009 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions
I am also pretty sure
he won one with Florida. But that’s only because I have got “Soul Crushing Grand Slams” on my mind…
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game currently in early planning stages.
Was that off of Wilson Alvarez? I remember him giving up a soul crushing home run in game 3 of that series.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 5:07 PM PDT reply actions
I am so sick of the Giants and their overblown love of switch hitters. It seems like Sabean will sign any mediocre bat as long as it a switcher and I’m sure more than a couple Giants prospects have been ruined by being pressured to switch hit.
So, good for Ford if he can manage to get through the farm system and still be able to hit.
Nate's RISP w/2 Outs OPS: 1.242
Bengie's RISP w/2 Outs OPS: 0.452
Yeah
I can’t think of any successful switch hitters who weren’t drafted as switch hitters.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
Lance Bass
matthewpouliot - "Still not sure which is more rare: the unassisted triple play or Francoeur taking two pitches to start the AB."
by CaliforniaJag on Aug 30, 2009 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Switch hitting rarely makes sense to me.
On occasion, guys are equally adept at both but for the most part a switch hitter has a strong side.
I’m not going to endorse converting Pablo, but I do wonder what he’d do as a full time RH hitter. He’s an absolute masher from that side.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 5:50 PM PDT reply actions
Which is interesting because I’m pretty sure he’s a natural lefty. I believe the story was he learned to throw right handed so he could catch.
Ya, he is ambidextrous. But he is also a freak of nature. Most guys can’t hit that well from one side of the plate and he does it from both. Its amazing
Berkman's always been mediocre from the right side.
For his career, 1.028 OPS as a lefty vs. .789 as a righty.
I’d be interested to a see a breakdown of switch hitters as a whole. I have the impression that they are just as a platoony as a regular hitters.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
That's a good point
They always seem to have one side they’re way better hitting from. However, I would wager that if Berkman hit left-handed against a LHP, he’d have an even LOWER OPS than .789.
matthewpouliot - "Still not sure which is more rare: the unassisted triple play or Francoeur taking two pitches to start the AB."
by CaliforniaJag on Aug 30, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Of course he would.
Since he’s used to seeing lefties from the right side. Whose to say what his split would look like if he’d never taken up switch hitting.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
Read The Book
Summarizing the section in a nutshell: nope, you’re wrong.
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
Should have put quotes around "The Book" to make it a bit more clear what I was referring to
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
His balance RH just seems so much better to me for some reason.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 26, 2009 6:12 PM PDT reply actions
My son!!!!!!!!
Adopted Giant Darren "Speedy" Ford. Said by Andrew Baggarly to be the fastest minor league player and the best defensive outfielder in the Giants Organization. Now playing for your San Jose Giants.
San Jose
After watching him all of last season and this season, he’s a good centerfielder with good range due to his speed. His throwing arm is below average.
He won’t be able to hit good fastballs at higher levels, always swings through really late as if he never sees the ball. Breaking pitches are what he gets a lot of hits on.
He looked lost as a switch hitter and wasn’t able to consistently recognize any pitches and just struck out almost everytime up. Regained his hitting once he came back to hitting right handed.
I don’t think he’ll ever hit for a high enough average to be anything more than a 5th outfielder.
Awaiting his arrival in SF: Jesse English
Thanks, Henwo.
Have you seen Ford hit in the last two months? Have you noticed any changes in his approach?
He’s up to .280. Considering he finished the first half at .207. His hitting in the second half rivals all but a few offensive performers in the system.
And his speed creates runs.
Take last night’s game.
1st at bat – bunt base hit, fielding error on throw and Ford takes third. Scores on Neal’s Homer.
3rd at bat – Singles up the middle, steals second, scores on Neal’s single
Two plays where his speed leads to another run. Speed doesn’t slump and if he continues to hit like he has recently he can be areal asset.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 27, 2009 9:28 AM PDT reply actions
I love how hard Ford plays the game...
…in that aspect, he has a few SF Giants beat.
That said, as much as I am happy for his performance this season and his successes, I can’t put him in the prospect pile yet. Even if he had done this all season without such a switch-hitting experiment, it wouldn’t do it. Ultimately, one would expect him to do very well at his third year at a level, and second in a specific league.
He has some good tools, his speed and his defense are legitimate. But he’ll need to do more offensively, both in terms of hitting and just getting on base, to beat the odds. He should get a chance to do that in Connecticut this year. But it will take a couple of consecutive years of good numbers at a higher level to erase the consecutive poor numbers at the High-A level.
That said, I’m rooting for him. People mock the notion of a gamer on here like it was the nerdy kid with unkempt hair and even more unkempt boogers in his sophomore year of high school, but a gamer is a hell of a lot more fun to cheer for than, say, Milton Bradley. But that’s admittingly a low bar to clear.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Now you can follow SFDugout.com on Twitter and Facebook!•
Well, I’m going to have to defer to Brute. As opposed to Brute I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I do have one question for you, Brute. You stated that it would take several years of production to rehabilitate Ford’s prospect status.
If he produces like next year in Norwich like he has in the second half of this year. I know, he won’t. But if he does, wouldn’t that make him once again a pretty legit prospect?
He’s now up to .333 .399 .522 .921. If he puts that up with 50 steels as a first time AA performer with his second half 09 ISO of .200 (+), would he really still need another level of similar production to return to prospect status?
I’m just not sure I’m into holding past performance against a guy if he seems to have turned the corner. Not saying that Ford has in fact turned the corner, but if he’s made some adjustments in his swing than the old stats may be obsolete.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 28, 2009 8:51 AM PDT reply actions
A couple, not several...
A good year at Norwich makes him a sleeper.
Two good years after this at Norwich or higher gives him legitimate prospect status.
Right now, there’s just too much chance that this is either a hot streak, or a player who has adjusted to/outgrown his level.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Now you can follow SFDugout.com on Twitter and Facebook!•
by BruteSentiment on Aug 28, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Makes sense, Brute.
Always a pleasure to get your take on the minor leaguers.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 28, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
This Post
is yet another example of why I love McCC. When I was a kid, the resources weren’t there to discuss “Max Venable—is he underrated”. Or “Greg Johnston—your thoughts?” The minors were such a mystery. Just the weekly stats for the league leaders in the PCL in the Sporting News, and a profile in the yearbook for the guys who made the 40-man.
by VidaWantsYourCar on Aug 28, 2009 9:28 AM PDT reply actions
I like him a lot better now that he’s dropped the switch hitting. I spoke to him a few weeks after the trade, and didn’t get much of an idea of what kind of player he was. He’s fast, and seems to be putting it together at the plate.
I still don’t have high hopes for him, but another solid year in CT can change that.
Supporting San Francisco Dugout since 2005 and Manny Burriss since 2006. Bringing you all your California League and New York-Penn League needs since 2009.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Aug 28, 2009 1:36 PM PDT reply actions
Darren Ford won't play in CT in 2010...
All-
FTA: …so even if he ends up playing in Dodd his success may in fact be sustainable.
Darren Ford won’t play in CT in 2010. The reason for this is that the Giants will be moving the AA club from Dodd Stadium at the end of this season, when their current agreement with Norwich expires. They are in negotioations with Richmond, VA for the 2010 season. From what I have read, it is 90% done. If this is correct, they will announce it at the conclusion of the 2009 season. The Giants have been less than happy with Dodd stadium over the past few years, and they signed a one year extention with Norwich at the end of the 2008 season. At that time, they were rumored to be looking for a new location, but unable to find one that was suitable. Now that Richmond is available for 2010, they are ready to make the move.
Also, the Giants have never been partial to the weather in Connecticut. Some of their recent moves involving prospects (i.e. Buster Posey going from San Jose (A) directly to sunny Fresno (AAA), Thomas Neal and Roger Kieshnick staying in sunny San Jose, despite both being on the old side for A ball (both are 22)) tend to support this theory.
All in all, I beieve we can look for Darren Ford, as well as Thomas Neal and Roger Kieshnick, to be playing in Richmond next spring.
Just a quick correction
The Giants have nothing to do with the move.
The owner of the Defenders, Lou DiBella, is the one doing the move and selling the team (albeit reportedly under pressure from the Eastern League) to a Richmond ownership group. This move is still not quite a sure thing, though it should be officially done after the season. There’s a possibility that DiBella may maintain an ownership interest in the team after some drama with the reported sale.
This is all done outside of the parent club’s control. The Giants signed a 2-year Player Development Contract with the Defenders organization, and just happen to be coming along with the team for the ride. It’s true, they were looking at other spots, but Charleston chose the Reds over the Giants for their PDC in the offseason.
However, your statements about the Giants being less than enthused with the environment at Dodd is certainly true.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Now you can follow SFDugout.com on Twitter and Facebook!•
by BruteSentiment on Sep 2, 2009 2:30 AM PDT up reply actions
This is very good for the whole organization IMO.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Aug 31, 2009 5:44 PM PDT reply actions
4-4 a couple days ago, and 5-5 in tonight’s game
.359/.414/.587 since ASB
by TimLaser and MattyC on Sep 1, 2009 11:40 PM PDT reply actions
3-6 last night with a double, a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Ford’s now up to .304 .390 .466 .856 for the year.
Post All Star Break – (I apologize for the format. Had trouble with spacing.)
AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS
Darren Ford .362 59 229 59 83 13 7 7 36 21 44 24 6 .422 .572 .994
Thomas Neal .323 60 226 46 73 19 2 9 42 35 48 3 0 .425 .544 .970
Roger Keishnick .291 59 230 42 67 23 3 11 58 23 58 3 0 .359 .561 .920
I found that pretty interesting.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Sep 3, 2009 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions
tonight – 2-3 Walk, triple
Darren Ford’s OPS of .864 is now .014 lower than Roger Keischnick’s for the season. Ford. Ford’s OPS was .634 at the break.
by Wonderful Terrific Monds on Sep 4, 2009 12:11 AM PDT reply actions
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