Comments on: Jimmy Rollins: Michael Young is a “professional hitter”

By: IdahoMariner

IdahoMariner — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:08:34 +0000

is probably

By: IdahoMariner

IdahoMariner — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:06:43 +0000

wow, lions, seeing it like that makes me pause. yeah, tiger would totally be “wtf?” he would probably also throw his putter at whoever called him that.

i read pos’s article last year, enjoyed it, but always thought it is just an odd phrase, and yes, only is used this way — the way rollins did or as argued by st louis –in baseball….like a compliment, i guess, but because it is so imprecise it lends itself to so many interpretations. if you want to say someone is a great hitter, you call them a great hitter. if you want to say they approach their at bats or their training or their prep very professionally (meaning they take it very seriously, do all they can by watching video of pitchers and working out and staying flexible and having a swing coach, etc. etc. etc.) then maybe you might say he’s a professional hitter rather than he approaches the act of hitting very professionally or in a professional manner. but, strictly speaking, it does simply mean that he gets paid to hit. so craig, et al. aren’t wrong, and really neither is st. louis (although why you are so fired up. i can’t imagine)… but if you really think about it, if rollins thought he was still a great hitter, he would have said that. “professional hitter” is either the refuge of someone being diplomatic or just means something else…i mean, it’s just a weird phrase, and if you can’t see that past the haze of trying to defend a once-good-now-not-sure hitter, i would just suggest walking away from anything michael young related. because craig is just playing with words, man, words that are exceptionally prone to being played with, because they are an imprecise or unclear way to say what you want them to mean ….
i mean, i am on record as thinking ichiro rocks – both because he is a great, prolific hitter and because i respect the way he approaches his profession, through preparation and training and conditioning and practice. but calling him a professional hitter would feel like i was demeaning him somehow, giving him a backhanded compliment. and that is true even though i know many people use it as a compliment. because even in the joe posnanski article, he is acknowledging that it generally means guys who approach their craft seriously and give you consistent results in a good, not great, range. so, it’s a compliment-ish, a compliment of sorts, but it is still a very weird phrase. best just not to use it. michael young isnpribably wondering what exactly rollins meant by that.

By: louhudson23

louhudson23 — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:17:54 +0000

I have never known the term “professional” to be anything less than complimentary.Just as “unprofessional” is derogatory.

By: simon94022

simon94022 — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:22:24 +0000

Ryan Theriot is also a professional hitter who’s “been to two World Series”. But unlike Michael Young, Theriot won.

By: chill1184

chill1184 — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:57:07 +0000

“Very unprofessional sports journalism. Can you look up unprofessional?”

Yes you can, its called ESPN

By: budro99

budro99 — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:40:52 +0000

As a huge baseball fan, I wish hardballtalk would be taken off the NBC sports talk app. Such incredible bias against certain players. Very unprofessional sports journalism. Can you look up unprofessional? Maybe I should just use the word poor since you don’t talk to people in the real world.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:18:12 +0000

If Tiger Woods referred to Hunter Mahan as a “professional golfer”, there is no way Mahan would interpret that as a positive….he’d think “WTF is that supposed to mean?” and probably take it as a slight and evidence that he couldn’t come up with anything meaningful and positive to say.

By: Walk

Walk — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:52:10 +0000

Craig in the past has said that “professional hitter” is one of the baseball phrases he strongly dislikes. I do not agree, being labeled a professional by another is a high compliment in my opinion. When i see dan uggla or jeff francouer bat i know they are getting paid but i do not think of them as professional hitters, or even fielder in uggla’s case, even though they are pro ball players. I do tend to avoid the phrase though on craig’s post, i sorta feel he is hosting the post which is why i avoid it but i really do like the term.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:37:48 +0000

Gator: “it takes some hubris to claim someone else is going to “have” to agree to disagree with you.”

Hahaha! On point Mr. Literal Translation. Wait! That was also a figure of speech.
Please know I do NOT think (nor am I assuming) you are actually “on a point.”

So would it have been better if I stated “we will just disagree?” Or…”I disagree?”
Cause’ my version is far less argumentative.
One last point…I might be a lot of things but arrogant isn’t one of them.

By: officialgame

officialgame — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:30:25 +0000

Saying someone is a professional hitter is the highest form of compliment from one player to another. Anyone who thinks otherwise is uninformed.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:23:37 +0000

Saint Looey, it takes some hubris to claim someone else is going to “have” to agree to disagree with you. It would serve you right if Nate turned around and agreed with you.

By: The Dangerous Mabry

The Dangerous Mabry — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:23:31 +0000

Indeed. The real news story here isn’t the “professional hitter” bit, but rather than Rollins is apparently trying to avoid being baited into making “controversial” statements this spring. And I say good for him.

By: cur68

cur68 — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:20:28 +0000

Check the quote in the context of what else he was saying. He totally meant it as a compliment. It IS the sort of compliment you pay in place of actual substance, like “his OPS was >.8″ or “he hit 30 dingers” or somesuch. But it WAS a compliment even if, as substantive baseball based logic, its meaningless.

By: davidpom50

davidpom50 — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:20:02 +0000

Nate: “Professional hitter” is a widely used term in baseball that has nothing to do with whether or not a guy gets paid to play baseball. It is commonly used to describe guys who are not super stars, but are very much above average hitters. As others here have mentioned, there is a slight negative connotation related to defensive abilities – the guy is getting paid because he can hit really well, not because of any other baseball abilities. Joe Posnanski had a great take on the term during last fall’s playoffs: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/39419140.

You’re choosing to nitpick at it, dig at it, try to turn it into something it isn’t. I’m guessing that’s because you don’t think much of Mike Young’s baseball abilities (I don’t disagree with you there – I would definitely not describe him as a professional hitter) and want to assume other people, including Jimmy Rollins, feel the same.

By: DelawarePhilliesFan

DelawarePhilliesFan — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:19:44 +0000

“What was I trying to show?”

Ya got me

Craig hates the Phillies = 32,200,000 results

Craig hates the Braves = 23,000,000 results

Craig hates the Nationals = 12,300,000 results

Now I don’t know what to think……

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:19:29 +0000

I was told “professional” hitters tend to look fastball then adjust.
Otherwise, they can’t catch up.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:18:06 +0000

“So you really think I’ve let my opinion of Young’s talents affect what I think the definition of the word “professional” is?”

In a word…YES. But it isn’t suprising. It’s human nature really. Something everyone struggles with. If I don’t like something, someone, etc… It is very easy to dismiss anything positive that is said about them. It’s easy to down play it so to speak.
A professional golfer = bad golfer?
A professional bowler = bad bowler?
A professional hitter = bad hitter?
A consumate professional = meh..just okay. Average even?

By: The Dangerous Mabry

The Dangerous Mabry — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:13:02 +0000

Ah, the science of Google.

“terrible hitter” + “michael young” = 696 results

“terrible hitter” + “albert pujols” = 3,170 results

“great hitter” + “michael young” = 19,100 results

“great hitter” + “albert pujols” = 89,100 results

Wait. What was I trying to show?

By: DelawarePhilliesFan

DelawarePhilliesFan — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:10:08 +0000

How unprofessional of you……

seriously, no one takes umbrage Mr. Clean more than me, but that is just uncalled for.

By: chadjones27

chadjones27 — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:03:23 +0000

How could what Rollins said be anything less than complimentary? In my opinion, the use of the term “professional hitter” must mean he’s not just up there swatting at any pitch that’s close and doesn’t let the big games get in his head (hence, “he’s been to two world series”). I don’t know enough about M. Young’s approach at the plate to know whether or not he gets a lot of deep counts. From what I remember, Jayson Werth could be considered a “professional hitter.” It’s a mindless cliche’ that’s used as a compliment.

By: nategearhart

nategearhart — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:48:47 +0000

davidpom50: I know he meant it as the best compliment he could come up with. Again, I think Rollins used it because he couldn’t think of any better way to describe him.
stlouis: So you really think I’ve let my opinion of Young’s talents affect what I think the definition of the word “professional” is? I apply the correct definition, which appears lost on you, across the board.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:41:49 +0000

“I don’t know how you can possibly interpret “professional hitter” as complimentary”

Said someone else with a deep seated, unhealthy hatred of Michael Young.
Grain. Of. Salt.

By: davidpom50

davidpom50 — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:41:43 +0000

Nate. Come on, dude. You know he meant it as a compliment, you’re just being obstinant. Either that, or you haven’t been following baseball for very long. I challenge you to find one other published use of the phrase “professional hitter” where it was obviously intended as anything other than complimentary. You won’t find it.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:40:33 +0000

“How do you know what I think of Michael Young? How do you know I don’t like him?”

Because I have seen you rail on him several times.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:38:29 +0000

I don’t know how you can possibly interpret “professional hitter” as complimentary….it is what people say when the can’t think of something truly complimentary to say (like he “plays the game the right way” and that he’s “a winner”, each of which are meaningless cliches). It is like a friend trying to set you up and using “she has a great personality” as the selling point (or “he has a great sense of humor”)….those are meaningless attempts at flattery.

By: craigisaloser

craigisaloser — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:36:34 +0000

You’re a dickless ass munch Craig

By: whmiv21

whmiv21 — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:35:28 +0000

Matt Stairs is disappointed that Michael Young stole his title…

By: nategearhart

nategearhart — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:31:20 +0000

How do you know what I think of Michael Young? How do you know I don’t like him? As for assessing the adjectives used to describe him, I prefer to use the definition of the adjective.

By: greymares

greymares — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:29:37 +0000

uh; you know the pitchers repertoire of pitches and you know the count and you GUESS accordingly that’s a professional hitter.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:27:47 +0000

But you don’t hold Michael Young in a positive light. Therefore, you would be far less likely to look at anything positively with regards to the adjective’s people use to describe him.
In other words…you don’t like him. So it is easy for you to stretch like you are on the whole “professional” thing.