So how do we explain that one great half-season he had in pinstripes? The original story was Cashman’s quants discovered him through intense statistical analysis but the truth is not exactly new. Nobody had the “book” on him yet. When opposing pitchers learned Tauchman couldn’t hit a good fastball, he was cooked. Who can’t hit a fastball?
I'm not sure it really takes more than a week or two to get a book on a MLB hitter, but Mike Ford was great that year too, strange year.
We should get Jess to compile a list on one-year or half-season wonders in MLB history. Similar to one-hit singers. The first one I remember is Hurricane Hazel, who came up to Milwaukee halfway through the 1957 season and hit .400 for two months. I gotta check this out in BR. It’s all memory now. But he was back in the minors by early 1958.
I think the draft position part is just wrong, you have to be $40M over to have your pick moved back.
I wonder how many of those guys were on the Yankee roster when Ellsbury last suited up for them.
I enjoyed the part where the college catcher tried to describe catching Robertson's 12-to-6 curveball. The ball would just "disappear." A buddy of mine who played second base at Providence College went on to cover the Philadelphia Phillies and one day he got the bright idea to write a story about trying to catch Billy Wagner's slider. They dressed my friend up in catcher's gear during spring training. Billy warmed up and Jim got his glove on a few fastballs but totally whiffed on the slider. To much laughter.
I just saw this 10 mins ago too.
