Chris Marrero Says He Is Ready

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Rotoworld.com:

Nationals prospect Chris Marrero said he's fully recovered from the broken fibula that ended his season last June and he's lost some weight since last season.

Marrero put on some weight after moving from the outfield to first base. "I was heavy," Marrero says today. "I didn't get fat, I just got really really strong. I came into 2008 at, like, 235 or something with 11 percent body fat. But I lost a little bit of my agility." He says he's 225 now, and that's where he'd like to stay. Marrero, the best position prospect in the Washington system, will open 2009 at either Single-A Potomac or Double-A Harrisburg.

[blue911]

I didn't get fat, I just got really really strong.

I must be Superman.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I must be Superman.

In his defense, the guy is a meathead. He is freakin' huge. I say that in the most positive way possible.

[The Chief]

blue strikes again!

[sportsfan882]

"I want to make it to the big leagues by the end of this year [in September]," Marrero says. "It might not happen, but why not shoot for it?"

[UMDNats]

Kid seems to have the drive to make it to the majors. Gotta love it, I'm rooting for him.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Kid seems to have the drive to make it to the majors. Gotta love it, I'm rooting for him.

I love this Post article written about him back in 07':

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/21/AR2007062102185.html

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I just hope he doesn't try too hard to impress and get to the big club, causing him to press too much and whiff too often.

Take it easy, play smart, and learn.

[GMUTrkstar]

heres an encouraging article about him on NJ: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/01/trimmer_slimmer_wiser.html#comments

[Skinz72]

Quoted
"Nationals prospect Chris Marrero said he's fully recovered from the broken fibula that ended his season last June and he's lost some weight since last season.

Marrero put on some weight after moving from the outfield to first base. "I was heavy," Marrero says today. "I didn't get fat, I just got really really strong. I came into 2008 at, like, 235 or something with 11 percent body fat. But I lost a little bit of my agility."

A poster from the WP article brings up a good question... if the team places so much value on the farm system, and pay these kids a ton of money for playing (relatively speaking), why wouldn't become part of the culture for the teams to provide some sort of proper diet routine for the players?  A nightly buffet (pre or post game)... chicken/beef, salad, fruit, bread, veggies, small desert etc. 

Man, for players to call up Dominos after every game?  That adds up and doesn't help the player or the team.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Quoted
"Nationals prospect Chris Marrero said he's fully recovered from the broken fibula that ended his season last June and he's lost some weight since last season.

Marrero put on some weight after moving from the outfield to first base. "I was heavy," Marrero says today. "I didn't get fat, I just got really really strong. I came into 2008 at, like, 235 or something with 11 percent body fat. But I lost a little bit of my agility."

A poster from the WP article brings up a good question... if the team places so much value on the farm system, and pay these kids a ton of money for playing (relatively speaking), why wouldn't become part of the culture for the teams to provide some sort of proper diet routine for the players?  A nightly buffet (pre or post game)... chicken/beef, salad, fruit, bread, veggies, small desert etc. 

Man, for players to call up Dominos after every game?  That adds up and doesn't help the player or the team.

Being a Major League Baseball player or prospect doesn't mean you can just chuck personal responsibility out the window and every aspect of your lives need to be run by the team. Some things, like good eating, should be no-brainers and the team shouldn't have to hold the player's hands all the time.

Not everyone is Elijah Dukes.

[blue911]

Quoted
"Nationals prospect Chris Marrero said he's fully recovered from the broken fibula that ended his season last June and he's lost some weight since last season.

Marrero put on some weight after moving from the outfield to first base. "I was heavy," Marrero says today. "I didn't get fat, I just got really really strong. I came into 2008 at, like, 235 or something with 11 percent body fat. But I lost a little bit of my agility."

A poster from the WP article brings up a good question... if the team places so much value on the farm system, and pay these kids a ton of money for playing (relatively speaking), why wouldn't become part of the culture for the teams to provide some sort of proper diet routine for the players?  A nightly buffet (pre or post game)... chicken/beef, salad, fruit, bread, veggies, small desert etc. 

Man, for players to call up Dominos after every game?  That adds up and doesn't help the player or the team.

"It's tough to eat right in the minors," he says. "To keep your weight and eat in the minors is tough. We're eating pizza every night after games, or whatever we can grab. You know, you get out of a game at 11 o'clock and everybody is hungry. The restaurants aren't open. So either you eat what [they have in the clubhouse], or you call Domino's."

It may be that 19 & 20 year olds don't want to eat a well balanced diet.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/01/trimmer_slimmer_wiser.html#comments

[shoeshineboy]

Being a Major League Baseball player or prospect doesn't mean you can just chuck personal responsibility out the window and every aspect of your lives need to be run by the team. Some things, like good eating, should be no-brainers and the team shouldn't have to hold the player's hands all the time.

Not everyone is Elijah Dukes.

Yeah, there is usually a clubhouse spread in ST, and one would think there is one in the minors (although it is likely not as good as the ones in the majors.) The teams are independently run, so some of these things may not be controlled by the big club. Usually all the baseball related stuff is controlled by the macro organization, but the ballpark operations is run by the minor league owner. It would make sense though that the big league club try to enforce or at least provide some level of nutritional, healthy food. But as far as we know, they are.

The fact is, most of these guys are young, not far out of HS, and paid relatively little (other than the star draftees who get the one-time big bonuses.) The minors is a whole different situation than being in the show. These guys are on buses, have to take care of all of their own stuff, and don't get catered to. And without the high-paid big league guys around to treat them all to a steak dinner every night at Mortons, they have to take care of this stuff themselves on their minor-league budgets. They are young athletes who need to eat to support their workouts, so one clubhouse meal isn't going to cut it, and the team can't baby sit them 24x7.

This is analogous to kids going away to college. Even if they are getting bankrolled, they still have to manage their own choices. And without planning, they would be stuck ordering pizza. But it is hard to imagine that they can't maintain a healthier diet if they wanted to. It's a matter of priorities. Chad Cordero was on the big league club and paid millions. It didn't stop him from living on 7-11 hotdogs and Slurpees and spending his evenings doing tequila shots at McFaydens. The team can't be held responsible if players squander an opportunity to make a living playing a game.

[daggerrrrrr]

"Krispy Kremes have weighed me down TREMENDOUSLY" - Shaq

[houston-nat]

This is analogous to kids going away to college. Even if they are getting bankrolled, they still have to manage their own choices. And without planning, they would be stuck ordering pizza.

I'd just like to say how proud I am that, in three semesters as a college student, I have never yet once ordered late-night pizza. Chinese takeout, though...

[spidernat]

I'd just like to say how proud I am that, in three semesters as a college student, I have never yet once ordered late-night pizza.

How is that possible! 

[houston-nat]

How is that possible! 

Wait, now that I think about it, one of my friends ordered late-night pizza and there was a slice left, so I took it.

So once.

[Sniper 1]

I went to see the baby Nats last night in Frederick.  I went online yesterday afternoon and got seats just three rows behind the Nats dugout.  I saw Marrero warming up and asked him how he felt, if he was healthy.  He nodded, "yes".  He got the first hit last night off of major leaguer Rich Hill who was pitching on a rehab assignment.  Just a pitch or two later Marrero stole second.  I guess that answers how his leg is.  He had a couple of hits (and also GIDP but those thing happen).  He looked better in the field than he did last year.  You can tell he's worked hard.  There was one grounder that ate him up, but he recovered in time to pick the ball up and beat the runner to the bag.  Last season that would have been an error.

One guy who really caught my eye was Michael Burgess.  He hit an opposite field home run that nearly left the park (hit the back wall).  It went as far as any ball I've ever seen hit at Harry Grove Stadium.  I wonder if he'd been able to pull the ball if it would still be traveling.  Then a few minutes later with a man on second, the Keys batter hit a crisp single into right center.  Burgess, who is left handed, ranged to his right, picked the ball up on a short hop, turned, and threw a strike to the catcher.  The runner was out by ten feet.  The kid has a freakin' cannon for an arm.

The starting pitcher, Brad Myers, threw 7 2/3 of shutout ball.  He never hit 90 on the gun but changed speeds well and threw strikes.  Imagine that.

[hammondsnats]

I went to see the baby Nats last night in Frederick.  I went online yesterday afternoon and got seats just three rows behind the Nats dugout.  I saw Marrero warming up and asked him how he felt, if he was healthy.  He nodded, "yes".  He got the first hit last night off of major leaguer Rich Hill who was pitching on a rehab assignment.  Just a pitch or two later Marrero stole second.  I guess that answers how his leg is.  He had a couple of hits (and also GIDP but those thing happen).  He looked better in the field than he did last year.  You can tell he's worked hard.  There was one grounder that ate him up, but he recovered in time to pick the ball up and beat the runner to the bag.  Last season that would have been an error.

One guy who really caught my eye was Michael Burgess.  He hit an opposite field home run that nearly left the park (hit the back wall).  It went as far as any ball I've ever seen hit at Harry Grove Stadium.  I wonder if he'd been able to pull the ball if it would still be traveling.  Then a few minutes later with a man on second, the Keys batter hit a crisp single into right center.  Burgess, who is left handed, ranged to his right, picked the ball up on a short hop, turned, and threw a strike to the catcher.  The runner was out by ten feet.  The kid has a freakin' cannon for an arm.

The starting pitcher, Brad Myers, threw 7 2/3 of shutout ball.  He never hit 90 on the gun but changed speeds well and threw strikes.  Imagine that.

solid report thanks

marrero and burgess are studs and can't wait to see them in major league uni's.

[CALSGR8]

Many Minor leaguers stay with Host families during the season.  So it depends on the habits of the host families too.  Do the guys go out on their own or eat with their host family? 

Also, I know some of the minor league fan clubs used to host a dinner for the guys.  Depends what's served at the Pot luck dinner.

[Section214]

I wish this guy could come up now but obviously he is too young. Hopefully, he can be up in the bigs in the next year or two.

[HalfSmokes]

I wish this guy could come up now but obviously he is too young. Hopefully, he can be up in the bigs in the next year or two.

why does age matter, I'd take Elvis Andrus over most short stops in the league. If his bat and glove are ready, then he's ready

[hammondsnats]

i say call the guy up to AA-Harrisburg sometime next month.  Our major league team sucks, so why not put the kid on the fast track.  I'm only half-serious, but still would like to see him get promoted to AA at some point. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Brian kicked this around and agreed that around the all-star break might be a good time for a promotion to Harrisburg.  If you are looking for promotion to the big leagues, Andrus is not a good comparable, except for his age.  Andrus actually is 2 months younger, but he was in AA for a full year last year, stealing oodles of bases and hitting .295 (.350 OBP).  He had already  succeeded at a level Marrero has not reached.  Marrero still would be young for AA even if he's promoted beginning of July. 

By the way, one of the reasons I want to trade Nick Johnson and would not resign him except for a team favorable 1 (or 2) + option year contract is because I think it is reasonable to project Marrero late 2010.  If he is the up no later than 2011, when Dunn's contract runs out and Willingham's team control is over, he'd still only be 22 / 23 and would be able to move into 1st base.   If Nick is around, maybe we can deal him, but it starts to block Marrero.  Of course, the counter argument is that we could trade Nick (if healthy) when and if Marrero is ready, and he does not block Marrero if he's hurt.

[HalfSmokes]

Brian kicked this around and agreed that around the all-star break might be a good time for a promotion to Harrisburg.  If you are looking for promotion to the big leagues, Andrus is not a good comparable, except for his age.  Andrus actually is 2 months younger, but he was in AA for a full year last year, stealing oodles of bases and hitting .295 (.350 OBP).  He had already  succeeded at a level Marrero has not reached.  Marrero still would be young for AA even if he's promoted beginning of July. 

By the way, one of the reasons I want to trade Nick Johnson and would not resign him except for a team favorable 1 (or 2) + option year contract is because I think it is reasonable to project Marrero late 2010.  If he is the up no later than 2011, when Dunn's contract runs out and Willingham's team control is over, he'd still only be 22 / 23 and would be able to move into 1st base.   If Nick is around, maybe we can deal him, but it starts to block Marrero.  Of course, the counter argument is that we could trade Nick (if healthy) when and if Marrero is ready, and he does not block Marrero if he's hurt.

I;m just saying that age shouldn't be the determining factor.