BIG NEWS! PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TO SPRING TRAINING TODAY! BASEBALL IS BACK!... I just had no time to write this week. But yay for baseball finally returning.
By now, you probably know Yoenis Cespedes, the newest Oakland A.
You know the power. You know the arm. You know the mystique.
But do you know the video? In case you haven't, here's another look at Yoenis Cespedes: The Showcase.
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus breaks it down, if you don't have 20 minutes on hand (but trust me, It's worth it).
Part II: Let's Watch Yoenis Play Baseball!
At the 2:19 mark, following a wipe from an aerial photo of the earth highlighting Cespedes's hometown of Granma, Cuba, we finally see the player, in an ultra-slow-mo shot of a home run hit in the World Baseball Classic against Japan. Then it's a mammoth opposite field bomb against Australia, with multiple replays, followed by shaky shots of blasts from games in his homeland, including one we need a Tater Trot Tracker on, as he admires the blast for what feels like a week. It's impressive stuff to be sure, but that's just what catches your eye. It's what catches your ear that is amazing. Playing in the background of every violent smash and during each tape measure home run is Christopher Cross's 1980 Grammy Record of the Year, "Sailing." We see Cespedes's record-setting home run swing not once, not twice, but three times, and slowed down in time with Cross's memorizing piano solo. The bizarre juxtaposition of trying to excite potential teams with a player's incredible bat speed and leverage with the musical equivalent of sleepy time tea is the first of what will be a series of bizarre editorial choices made by Mercedes's production team.
The video just reminded me of some other great A's-related video gems.
The A's locker room after Scott Hatteberg hit the game-winning home run for No. 20.
Commercials from the past:
Chad Bradford and the bullpen phone
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Not just athletes... Athletics
Things get a little crazy in right field/Matsuiland when Grant Balfour pitches
Others:
Home video footage of the 1929 World Series between the Philly A's and the Chicago Cubs
Dallas Braden on Letterman after the perfect game
And... of course...
What are some of your favorite A's-related videos?
1 recs | 47 comments
Oakland A's Batting Stances: Past and... Past.
This guy is awesome. The accuracy is there.
A's Fan by Design - February 18, 2012
I love Byrnsy in the walk off video.
capper3 - February 18, 2012
Cris Cross will make Byrns Jump Jump
drink409 - February 18, 2012
I'm probably the only fan who found Cespedes' video utterly unimpressive
Wow, the guy can workout! And hit at least 1-2 HRs that can be shown, slowed down, from various angles, as if it were 50 different ones! I’m excited about the player but I thought the video was pretty amateurish.
Nico - February 18, 2012
The video has a guaranteed afterlife as a kitsch classic
Ray of Lite - February 18, 2012
Yes.
Nico - February 18, 2012
am I falling in the sarchasm here?
I thought pretty much everyone found the video tasteless and not at all valuable for assessing his talent. If anything it makes you wonder about the character of a person who practices catching balls behind his back, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt I suppose.
DDroney - February 18, 2012
Go to any field in HS, College, whatever,
You seen guys practicing tricks in the game Flip. You see people catching the ball behind their back. Is it useful in a major league game? No, but if you are going to wonder about Cespedes’ character because of it, question most players out on the field. What the video shows is his explosive strength. The impressive part of the video is the end, when they list his stats. The guy hit 33 home runs in 90 games with 99 RBIs and a .333 batting average. Not sure what his OBP, SLG, OPS or WAR were in the Cuban League. Yes, the Cuban League is not the pros, probably not even AAA, but more than 1 home run every 3 games is impressive. More than 1 RBI per game is pretty impressive. Who knows what he will be, but no matter what, he will be the most exciting player to watch on the A’s.
Johnny Carcinogen - February 18, 2012
My impression was that a bunch of people were saying "You have to see this awesome video"
and I was expecting it to be funny, impressive, or both. To me it’s neither.
Nico - February 18, 2012
it's pretty funny, man
DDroney - February 18, 2012
and actually, in terms of fitness it's pretty damn impressive!
DDroney - February 18, 2012
My impression of the general reaction to that video was
“Uh, who the f thought this was a good idea?” It’s not ha-ha funny. The humor comes from the absurdity.
laserbeams - February 18, 2012
Well that makes more sense, then.
I was expecting something “Brandon McCarthy clever”.
Nico - February 18, 2012
The only thing we should be debating about that video
is whether it’s a great video or the greatest video evAr.
(okay perhaps not very valuable in the whole “trying to actually evaluate a player” sense of things … you know if you are into that)
wallywagon11 - February 18, 2012
oh by the way
just great, cleary Ghostride the Volvo is the best
wallywagon11 - February 18, 2012
agreed!
JamesS - February 18, 2012
Oh, it wasn't more of the
“Wow, this guy is a physical marvel!” factor, it was more of the Kenny Powers-like tactic of making this kind of video.
YonYonson - February 18, 2012
Of course the video is unimpressive!!!
It’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. If you seriously think that you are the only fan who found Cespedes’ video unimpressive then you don’t know the members of AN at all… What kind of blogfather are you!?!?! Pretty soon you’re going to be posting about lost dogs or something like that!!!
the_rozeboom - February 18, 2012
You're fun.
Nico - February 18, 2012
The video
I wonder the intent of the video a little bit. Cespedes was already known to the international scouting community but what the videos did accomplish was to make him a brand name to us, the fans. The video fed the hype machine and now we are excited about Cespedes. I think without the video that does not happen.
As far as the content. It is soooooo campy that it is good in a blazing saddles type of way.
I am a little curious about the videos in a tertiary sense in that I workout. I can do some of the stuff that he did in the videos but none of it as well. I am just curious about how I stack up to baseball players who are major leaguers, or will be soon. Even when I ran track in college I wished I was a baseball player……
Athletics fan and runner - February 19, 2012
sometimes I wonder how I "stack up" against Bartolo Colon
Is he twice my size? Three times?
DDroney - February 19, 2012
One Thing
The one thing I liked about the video was that Cespedes seems to be able to hit the ball out without entirely squaring it up. I remember Canseco and McGwire doing that, but it takes tremendous strength to get under the ball and still loft it out.
I don’t think the Coliseum’s dimensions are going to be a problem for him. His free hacking ways are going to amount to a lot of pop ups in our foul territory though, so I don’t expect him to hit better than .250.
DavidS - February 18, 2012
lol
Slusser on Twitter said that Cespedas asked for #51. Braden said the bidding will start in the six figures.
I don’t see Braden giving up 51, nor do I think he should.
Dub_TC - February 18, 2012
$209,000 sounds good to me.
the_rozeboom - February 18, 2012
Braden should change to 209
JamesS - February 19, 2012
Awesome!
If that’s not allowed, then at least 20.9
Nico - February 19, 2012
Loved that clip, Yon.
And this one too.
67MARQUEZ - February 18, 2012
Finally, pitchers and catchers reporting!
It’s starting to feel like spring time. So, who’s in the best shape of their career? Apparently Max Stassi’s shoulder is completely healthy and he’s dropped 15 pounds due to a better diet.
OkayJay81 - February 18, 2012
who’s in the best shape of their career?
EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!111
Nico - February 18, 2012
except for me :(
DDroney - February 19, 2012
No, but you're in the best shape of my career
Nico - February 19, 2012
Add Brett Anderson to the list!
Wasn’t he in the best shape of his career a couple of seasons ago? Anyways, according to this SFGate article he’s lost 25 pounds since the surgery and is feeling much more athletic. He’s set high hopes for himself and his new svelte figure:
OkayJay81 - February 19, 2012
If I stopped drinking so much and combed my hair occasionally,
perhaps I could say the same thing.
Nico - February 19, 2012
I Know
I always fall on the way to first base too.
Sean Fortuna - February 19, 2012
That ghost ride the Volvo bit is hilarious...
And this is coming from someone who thinks the lounge at Free Kraut is full of a bunch of idiots.
the_rozeboom - February 18, 2012
Idiots? Maybe just stupid.
the_rozeboom - February 18, 2012
I don't know what a Free Kraut is, but it sounds delicious
DDroney - February 19, 2012
of all the things to watch this Spring, one of the things I'll be most curious about is Doolittle pitching
DDroney - February 19, 2012
Yeah
I heard about this. Has he really made the transition from first baseman to pitcher?
Sean Fortuna - February 19, 2012
Most reports have been pretty positive
Apparently he was throwing his fastball in the mid 90’s occasionally getting as high as 97. He’s also got the makings of a pretty good slider and a useful change-up. The fact that he was a two way player who pitched for 3 years in college is probably making the transition a little easier. He already knew how to throw a breaking ball and a change-up so he just has to knock of the rust.
After all the injuries he’s still a long shot but he has some interesting potential.
OkayJay81 - February 19, 2012
Wow
Always interesting to hear about such a positional transition, but:
a) How good a hitter (and prospect) was he?
b) Is this anything like Sergio Santos going from short to the mound?
Sean Fortuna - February 19, 2012
I'd say he had a shot to be a good but not great hitter
He moved pretty fast through system and his numbers fluctuated so it’s hard to get a good idea of what he would have eventually become. He showed a good ability to draw a walk and looked like he was settling into slightly above average power. K rate was a little high but not in the dangerous levels, seemed like a guy who could’ve got on base at a .350-.360 clip with 20 HR power and good defense at first base. Might have been even more valuable if he could’ve made that transition to RF where his strong arm would have played up, but injuries stopped him before he could settle into the outfield.
As far as comparisons to Santos, I have to admit I don’t know too much about him. He was drafted out of highschool and played exclusively as a SS for his first 7 years as a pro, I don’t know if he was ever considered as a pitching prospect before high school. Also, Santos made the conversion because his bat stalled out at AAA and after a few years it was clear he wasn’t going to make it as a position player, Doolittle made the conversion because of injuries.
OkayJay81 - February 19, 2012
When Doolittle was "pretty much ready for the big leagues" (2009?)
I heard he had “GG potential” as a 1Bman. It’s sad how he blew out his knee right as he was about to launch a potentially successful big league career.
Nico - February 19, 2012
Balfour
I am rooting for Balfour to be the closer for the fact that the free rage sessions will occur more often, or at least with more meaning.
Athletics fan and runner - February 19, 2012
"Ghostride the Volvo":
It’s things like that that makes us so much better then the Giants. Classic.
Man, seeing that Bill king video reminds me of just how idiotic it was to see the Ford C. Frick Award go to Tim McCarver.
Sean Fortuna - February 19, 2012
Those Balfour rage dancers are WEIRD.
Oh. wait.
MissOakland - February 19, 2012
Can't wait to see Yoenis!
athleticsperson01 - February 22, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Athletics Nation to post a comment.