TGJ Not On Opening Day Roster; Latest -- Feature Article (Gwynn Thriving)

[Mass Haas]

Gwynn clears waivers, is headed to Nashville.

[joepepsi]

I was sure he would. He has no value now that he's out of options. As long as there are Chris Duffy's and Scott Podsedniks available as NRI every winter, teams don't have a reason to to put out of options-ping hitters on their 25 man roster.

[Invader3K]

Hope this will re-affirms why he should never be mentioned in a trade rumor again.

[phxMILWfan]

I'm really surprised that San Diego didn't even claim him. As much as I like TGJ, he really has next to no value.

[Tbadder]

I just want to stop the talking about the guy. Hopefully this does it.

[BrewCrewForever]

I was so happy when I heard this news. Gwynn making the team over Duffy would have been a crime. Gwynn is lucky to even be considered a AAAA player.

[mothershipconnection]

Well, there goes the "San Diego would love to have him" idea. They may have had interest a few years ago when he was something of a prospect, but why would they want him now?. Seriously, would you, as a Brewer fan be happy if Yount's kid Austin came here, stunk up the joint, and was dead weight on the roster?

[Never Outhustled]

Melvin could have dealt Gwynn to Texas and SD a few years ago. However, Melvin always had an unfounded infatuation with the kid. I always had a feeling based on comments after the draft that year the melvin pushed Gwynn's selection on Jack Z. Gwynn doesn't fit the mold of a Jack Z pick at all. Why would anybody use the 2nd pick of the 2nd round on a college OF with no power?

[JoeDirt]

With the state of the game these days (Yanks don't make playoffs and sign CC, Tex, etc., etc.) I think it's great that nobody claimed Gwynn. He may be down on his luck a lot right now due to the injury and the johnny come latelys (Nixon and Duffy) but I wouldn't discount him entirely. Especially with the way that money isn't exactly growing on trees these days it's nice to be able to have one of your own guys who at one point and time was looked at as a major leaguer. He's now just 1 call away and I love it! Good for TG2, hopefully he goes out and hits .330 and makes the AAA all-star game and shuts up all the haters!

[trwi7]

Good for TG2, hopefully he goes out and hits .330 and makes the AAA all-star game and shuts up all the haters!

Hitting .330 would be an amazing accomplishment since he's never done it and it would be higher than his OBP in AAA last year.

[endaround]

You do realize Nixon was released some time ago right? If you mean Nelson, Nelson is actually younger than Gwynn and was a top prospect before his injury. And since Gwynn would need to be added to the 40 man and can't be sent back down without waivers he's more than a phone call away.

[PeaveyFury]

Melvin could have dealt Gwynn to Texas and SD a few years ago.

 

Well, the deal to Texas was for Akinori Otsuka, so even having Gwynn toiling in AAA is better at this point than had that trade gone through.

 

And if SD really wanted him, I'd think they'd have pushed harder to get him in the Linebrink deal when he was still a kind-of prospect.

[yfinn6]

Especially with the way that money isn't exactly growing on trees these days it's nice to be able to have one of your own guys who at one point and time was looked at as a major leaguer. He's now just 1 call away and I love it! Good for TG2, hopefully he goes out and hits .330 and makes the AAA all-star game and shuts up all the haters!

I wouldn't call anyone who questions TGJr's ability a "hater". Jr just hasn't been that great, yet people want to think he is because of his name. He's an average AAA player who might make a 5th OF spot someday, or maybe even a starting spot for a rebuilding club. He isn't Weeks/Hart fast, he's an average fielder with an average arm, he doesn't even have gap power. Gwynn doesn't do one thing that stands out among the rest, expecting him as anything more than a mediocre player is expecting way too much.

 

I'm not saying I hope the guy fails, I just don't see what you see when it comes to Gwynn. You can't call him a "gamer" or that he has "intangibles" because you can't prove those in any way. By the time players reach the minor leagues and progress up towards MLB I'd like to think they're all "gamers" and all have "intangibles".

[JoeDirt]

Clutch factor... Trevor Hoffman...I'm a fan and that's how I'll let it end. We'll just have to wait and see.

[brwrsfan]

Clutch factor... Trevor Hoffman...I'm a fan and that's how I'll let it end. We'll just have to wait and see.

You're basing your opinion based off of that ONE at bat/hit. Other than that, I don't recall Gwynn ever really doing anything clutch for the Brewers (granted, in limited chances). He had a sac fly late on the Opener last year, I guess that was clutch, but I just don't understand this.

 

And in thinking about the infamous Hoffmann/Gwynn game, it really wasn't that clutch. The Brewers were already eliminated, it was the last weekend of the season and for the Brewers, there wasn't much on the line. Yes, it won the game, and that has to have some "clutchness" to it, but the pressure just wasn't the same in that game as it would have been had he done the same thing in a game late last September.

[jazzytrav]

at one point and time was looked at as a major leaguer.

 

I don't remember that time.

 

And hitting .330 with a bunch of slap singles and a .340 OBP still wouldn't impress me enough to want him on the MLB team. I think if he puts it together defensively he'll probably be hitting leadoff for Dusty Baker in no time. But for now, he's at best a September callup.

[trwi7]

Yes, it won the game

 

I don't think it did. It tied the game, Rottino won it in extras.

 

So Braun's clutchness >>>> Rottino's clutchness >>>> Gwynn's clutchness.

[Ralph Wiggum]

It seems to me that there are some fans that want him to fail because of his name. I don't get it. I always thought that TGJ had a Scott Podsednik-like ceiling, and he very well still might. He's never going to be a superstar, but he does have some inherent value. He's a plus defender and has good speed. Heck, Juan Pierre has been getting by on that skill set for a decade, despite absolutely no other redeeming qualities.

 

The truth is, he's about even with Chris Duffy (they have nearly identical minor league stats), and had Gwynn had the spring Duffy had, he'd be on the roster right now. Neither are going to ever be world beaters, but they both are useful.

 

If Cameron were traded and Duffy went down, I would rather see Gwynn manning CF than a complete retread like Tyner or a raw rookie like Cain. His name could by Floyd Johnson for all I care...if he can play good defense, run a little bit and not clog up the base paths, he should fit into this line-up.

 

Personally, I've seen much, MUCH more Tony Gwynn Jr. hate than I have TGJ love around here. He's like the bizarro Russell Branyan, and just as polarizing for some reason.

[Fatter than Joey]

Heck, Juan Pierre has been getting by on that skill set for a decade, despite absolutely no other redeeming qualities.

 

I hate Juan Pierre, I really do. However, Pierre at his best was head and shoulders better than TGJ.

 

Frankly, there are a lot of pitchers that are better offensive players than TGJ.

[JoeHova]

I don't think anybody hates Gwynn because of his name. What people don't like is the perception that Gwynn got drafted in the 2nd round because of his name. He also appears to get talked about as a prospect or piece of the future a lot more than a comparable player with a generic name would. He has never hit and isn't as fast or as good on defense as his devotees claim. He's a totally generic minor league outfielder, except he has anything but a generic name.

[JoeDirt]

Good for TG2, hopefully he goes out and hits .330 and makes the AAA all-star game and shuts up all the haters!

trwi7 wrote:

 

Hitting .330 would be an amazing accomplishment since he's never done it and it would be higher than his OBP in AAA last year.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

After game on June 11th Gwynns stats with San Diego are....

 

.345-0-2... 2 sb-4 att... .441 OBP....889 OPS

 

Not nearly as bad as you would be lead to believe on this website BY SOME. Quite good if I don't say so myself. He also hit .308 this year in AAA, leading me to believe he's turned the corner in his progression and last year was just a setback.

[trwi7]

After game on June 11th Gwynns stats with San Diego are....

 

.345-0-2... 2 sb-4 att... .441 OBP....889 OPS

Let's see if he can keep that .435 BABIP. My guess is that won't happen.

[theavrock]

ARGH! You beat me to it. A .435 BABIP is completely unsustainable.

[JoeDirt]

Yeah, it's true... he probably won't keep it up... but I just wanted to comment while the iron was hot.

[JJHardy7]

Yeah, it's true... he probably won't keep it up... but I just wanted to comment while the iron was hot.

 

Will you comment though when the iron is cold?