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Saturday, May 31, 2008

NY Times: A Player Destined for the Majors Chose First to Play for Himself (RR)

[Vanderbilt coach Tim] Corbin knew the Alvarezes valued education, but he also realized how important a million dollars would be to the family. “There was a little part of me that felt guilty about pulling a student-athlete away from a sizable amount of money,” he said.

With the help of a tax specialist, Corbin presented the Alvarezes with a spiral-bound booklet breaking down just how much of the Red Sox bonus would remain after taxes, the purchase of a new car and a nicer apartment for his family, and paying for living expenses in the minor leagues. The brochure also included a list of projected “accomplishments” for Alvarez on a yearly basis if he chose Vanderbilt. By his junior year, Corbin predicted Alvarez would be the first pick in the baseball draft.

Pedro Alvarez Sr. carries the brochure in the leather bag he takes to work every day. “It’s like a trophy,” the younger Alvarez said, rolling his eyes.

The decision was not easy, the son said. “It was a lot of money — even after taxes,” Alvarez said. “I have family in the Dominican Republic that’s in need. They look to us for help. They kind of saw it as my only shot when clearly that wasn’t the case.”
...
Ultimately, it was the promise of a Vanderbilt education — not Corbin’s brochure — that Alvarez says swayed him. “A big factor was experiencing college as an 18-, 19-, 20-year-old,” he said. The Red Sox offered to pay for college in the off-season or upon retirement, he said, “but I don’t want to be here when I’m 50, taking classes with 20-year-olds.”

PIT Post-Gazette: Pirates leaning to Alvarez

NTNgod Posted: May 31, 2008 at 11:44 PM | 3 comment(s)
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1. NTNgod Posted: June 01, 2008 at 12:52 AM (#2801890)

PIT Post-Gazette: Pirates leaning to Alvarez

The Pirates are in no position to say definitively which player they will select at No. 2 overall in Major League Baseball's draft Thursday, but there are strong indications, internally and externally, that they favor Vanderbilt University third baseman Pedro Alvarez.

That might surprise some.
...
For another, some scouts have soured on Alvarez because his junior year was disrupted by a broken hamate bone in his right hand and, after an encouraging return in early April, he went 3 for 21 with seven strikeouts in the recent Southeastern Conference tournament.

Still, Alvarez is the Pirates' target, according to multiple sources, and they already have placed feelers with Boras to set the stage for drafting him.

"If he falls to them, he's their guy," one source said.

Alvarez's hand is no concern, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said last week, partly because they checked his medical records, partly because doctors have told Huntington the hamate is a "useless" body part. A break in that bone, for baseball players, often results in a loss of power for 12-18 months, but full recoveries are common.

2. Justin Zeth Posted: June 01, 2008 at 02:47 AM (#2801921)

A break in that bone, for baseball players, often results in a loss of power for 12-18 months, but full recoveries are common.

For a very young player for whom power is expected to be a big part of his game, this causes me significant concern; a young player lacking the power he's used to is apt to struggle with adjusting for it, and absent good, solid coaching and maintenance, he can ruin his approach in the process. The Pirates do not have good, solid coaching and maintenance.

3. Tike Redman's Shattered Dreams (shayborg) Posted: June 01, 2008 at 05:53 AM (#2801929)

For a very young player for whom power is expected to be a big part of his game, this causes me significant concern; a young player lacking the power he's used to is apt to struggle with adjusting for it, and absent good, solid coaching and maintenance, he can ruin his approach in the process. The Pirates do not have good, solid coaching and maintenance.

Yes, and that may well explain all the strikeouts this year. That said, given how the scouts seem to love him unconditionally, I think he'll probably bounce back, but with such a strong draft class and with the #2 pick I'd rather we didn't go with someone who underperformed terribly in his last year.

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Saturday, May 31, 2008

NY Times: A Player Destined for the Majors Chose First to Play for Himself (RR)

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