Alvarez. Do We Want a Ballplayer or a Body Builder?

I could care less what he looks like. A guy with the nickname of El Toro. He better not be 6’2” and 180 pounds. To me and people a lot smarter than me, he looks like a ball player. A great ballplayer. There are always the doubters who point out that he struck out 13.9% or 19% in college. Whatever. And then on Feb 13, Alvarez said he wasn’t in “shape, shape, but baseball shape.”

The world stopped in Pittsburgh. The talking heads were spinning…..and then the message boards lit up. Alvarez…he better get his ass in…oh the panic.

Baseball shape. We are talking about baseball shape. Ok, after the first week in Bradenton who has missed practice already? Not El Toro. Nah, he even got to camp early and stays late. Can’t miss mashing a few more balls. Alvarez launched his share out of the yard this week.

So much for the panic. He looked solid all around for a youngster in his first camp. The Messiah has landed. Pittsburgh breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Just let him play man. John Kruk? Tony Gwynn? They can play and didn’t look all that suave. (Those guys look like some of the softball buddies I hang out with. Yeh, Jamie Workman you come to practice each spring in softball shape right?) But those players could hit couldn’t they? The list of not so athletic players is long, who was your favorite?

Here is my bottom line, I dont want someone on my team that is so into staying in shape that he doesn’t produce. I want a player that is comfortable. And when I look at Alvarez. He is a big, solid, healthy looking man. I don’t have a problem with a player looking healthy.

I mean come on, all our players can’t look like Jack and Nate, right? Don’t change a thing, keep doing what you’re doing kid, it works. Save me your athletic trainer skills everyone.

The kid can play. Just ask the owner of that Nissan who was calling Gulf Coast Auto Glass last week.