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  • Adeiny Hechavarria, SS

    JUPITER, Fla. -- High energy and intensity, coupled with enthusiasm and passion, made Jose Reyes a fan favorite in his lone season with the Marlins.

    A four-time All-Star, the Dominican Republic native has global appeal. One of Reyes' admirers just so happens to be the player who is now being asked to replace him.

    Adeiny Hechavarria, Miami's new shortstop, has long appreciated Reyes' passion. Growing up in Cuba, Hechavarria watched Reyes during his days with the Mets.

    The two have never met, but their paths have certainly crossed.

    As part of the Marlins' blockbuster, 12-player trade with the Blue Jays last November, Reyes and Hechavarria swapped organizations.

    Hechavarria, who defected Cuba to Mexico in 2009, now has some some big shoes to fill in Miami.

    If you're expecting Hechavarria to be the next Reyes, you might be disappointed. All the 23-year-old -- who doesn't speak English -- is striving to become is the best player he can be. Based on pure talent, he has a chance to eventually make a name for himself.

    "There's no comparison to Reyes," Hechavarria said in Spanish. "He's a great player. I've always admired him, ever since I was in Cuba. I used to watch him and [Derek] Jeter on DVDs when I was there.

    "It's true they have tremendous talent. Here, I'm just going to go out and try to do the best I can. If I play as good as him or not, that doesn't matter to me. I'm just going to go out and give my best effort, and I pray to God to have the health and mindset to do that. In the end, I'll leave it all on the field."

    Defensively, Hechavarria may have more talent than Reyes. At the plate, he is still developing. In 41 games with the Blue Jays last year, he batted .254 with two home runs and 15 RBIs.

    Hechavarria shows signs of eventually flashing some power. During a simulated game in camp, he drove the ball into the gap in right-center for a triple off of Henderson Alvarez.

    "I like him," infield coach Perry Hill said. "He's doing everything we're asking him to do. He has a chance to be a very good player, for a long time."

    Along with quickness, Hechavarria has a strong throwing arm.

    "What he has to understand, your feet, your lower half, controls your upper half," Hill said. "I don't care how strong your arm is. If your footwork is not good, you can throw that out the window. Your arm strength doesn't mean a thing. Guys like that, who can throw, they think they can get away with a lot of things. They can't.

    "That's one of the things that we're working on. We've got to smooth out the footwork a little bit. The better the footwork is, the better your arm is going to be."

    The Marlins have had a string of productive shortstops, ranging from Alex Gonzalez, to Hanley Ramirez to Reyes.

    Hechavarria has the makings to be another star at the position.

    "I'm happy they gave me this opportunity," he said. "I'm going to take advantage of it the best I can. That's why I'm training hard. There's nothing I can do but train hard, give my best effort. In the end, what I do on the field will be the last word."

    Although he is in a different environment, Hechavarria has some familiar faces in the Marlins' clubhouse. Catcher Jeff Mathis, also part of the Toronto trade, says foremost the shortstop is a good person.

    "He's a good kid," Mathis said. "On the field, you see his hands and how smooth he is. The type of defensive player he is, and, obviously, he swings the bat too. You see how smoothly he goes about things."

    Still looking to make his own mark, Hechavarria is drawing his share of comparisons.

    Manager Mike Redmond said he reminds him of Edgar Renteria. Others in the organization say Hechavarria may wind up being a bit like Omar Vizquel.

    Early in his career, Vizquel was a standout defensively, though it took a few years for him to produce solid numbers at the plate.

    What isn't in question is Hechavarria's athleticism and smooth fielding style. His talents were seen at a young age. He played for the Cuban Junior National team in 2008, and in 2010, he signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Blue Jays. He will make $1.75 million this season.

    How quickly his bat develops will determine how successful he will be in the big leagues.

    "I'm working everyday in the cages on staying closed to hit the ball up the middle and not open myself up," Hechavarria said. "I think with that work I'm doing, I'll make better contact."
    http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/ar...s_mia&c_id=mia
    Originally posted by Madman81
    Most of the people in the world being dumb is not a requirement for you to be among their ranks.
    Need help? Questions? Concerns? Want to chat? PM me!

  • #2
    Adeiny Hechavarria’s reputation as a sure-handed shortstop started when he was a little kid in Cuba playing with a ping-pong ball.

    “Honestly, I’ve always loved to catch the ball,’’ he said through a translator Wednesday before the Marlins’ 5-1 win over Washington.

    “From when I was real little, I would play with a ping-pong ball. When I was real young, I never liked to hit. I liked to catch the ball and throw. Catch and throw. That came natural to me. Once I started training, everything came together.’’

    Hechavarria, 23, has played in just 41 games since making his major-league debut with Toronto last August. But the Marlins are counting on him to anchor their infield defense and help fans move past the controversial trade that brought him to Miami in November.

    Marlins fans watched All-Star-caliber shortstops Hanley Ramirez from 2006-11 and Jose Reyes in 2012. Their first challenge this year will be to pronounce Hechavarria’s names: His first name sounds like “uh-DAY-knee.” His last name, “ETCH-uh-vuh-REE-ya”.

    “Hanley Ramirez called us and told us what an incredible shortstop he is,’’ Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said Monday in remarks defending the trade. “When Hanley tells you, ‘He is better than I am, you’ve got a great guy with great hands,’ it’s amusing to listen to.’’

    Hechavarria may lack experience, but his potential has not escaped the eyes of major-league talent evaluators.

    He played for the Cuban Junior National team in 2008 and defected to Mexico in 2009. A year later, he signed a four-year, $10 million contract with Toronto.
    He made his major-league debut Aug. 4 and finished last season batting .254 with two homers and 15 RBI.

    Now he will enter his first full season while replacing Reyes.

    “Sure, it will be an adjustment, because he is young and he’s in a new league seeing all new pitchers, but I like him. He’s a good kid and he plays hard,’’ manager Mike Redmond said.

    Redmond, who calls his new shortstop “Hech,’’ said he reminds him of Edgar Renteria, who helped the Marlins win their first championship in 1997.
    “He’s a guy who’s got great hands, covers a lot of ground, is smooth,’’ Redmond said.

    The big concern is about Hechavarria’s bat.

    “Sometimes offense takes little bit to come around, but I think he can hit,” Redmond said. “He has had good at-bats this spring and he’s only going to get more and more comfortable.’’

    Hechavarria, who will make $1.75 million, said he doesn’t think about the fact that he will be replacing Reyes, a four-time All-Star and 10-year veteran. As a kid, Hechavarria watched DVDs of Reyes and Derek Jeter.

    “If I play as good as (Reyes) or not, that doesn’t matter to me,” Hechavarria told reporters early in camp. “I’m just going to go out and give my best effort.’’

    Hechavarria, whose family lives in Weston, said he has been spending extra time in the batting cage. But he understands that he is known for his defense.
    “I enjoy that compliment because I train hard,” he said. “I take pride in my defense.’’

    http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sp....eJAVj06M.dpuf
    Originally posted by Madman81
    Most of the people in the world being dumb is not a requirement for you to be among their ranks.
    Need help? Questions? Concerns? Want to chat? PM me!

    Comment


    • #3
      should be fun to watch in the field, thats for sure

      Comment


      • #4
        I wonder how many times this year we have to read articles/hear Tommy Hutton talk about how his name is pronounced
        Originally posted by Madman81
        Most of the people in the world being dumb is not a requirement for you to be among their ranks.
        Need help? Questions? Concerns? Want to chat? PM me!

        Comment


        • #5

          Comment


          • #6
            ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo

            Career 7-RBI games

            Adeiny Hechavarria: 1
            Miguel Cabrera: 0
            Prince Fielder 0
            Another moment brought to you by Jeffrey Loria

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by emkayseven View Post
              I wonder how many times this year we have to read articles/hear Tommy Hutton talk about how his name is pronounced
              It's Dan Uggla all over again

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Hugg View Post
                Another moment brought to you by Jeffrey Loria
                RBI's

                The stat that only means something when we want it to mean something.

                But well played, Hugg.


                I very much like this "moment brought to you by Jeffrey Loria" thing that I've created.

                YES, I'M TAKING FULL CREDIT

                :me

                Comment


                • #9
                  RBIs are a team stat.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Hugg View Post
                    RBIs are a team stat.
                    ...

                    Nevermind.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      He's been the third worst player according to the WAR metric, and Maicier Izturis and Paul Konerko at least have a track record of being better than their current performance this year.

                      Hech is the worst.

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                      • #12
                        Nope

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                        • #13
                          Of course that's largely in part because the defensive metrics suck.

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                          • #14
                            Maybe he just hasn't been as good defensively as some people make him out to be.

                            All in all, he'd have to be pretty special defensively, anyway. He's clearly one of the worst offensive players in baseball. Also, he's bad at running the bases. He is not good.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Most people accept that one season of defensive numbers is generally not enough to determine a player's true skill level. So, there's that.
                              --------------------
                              Like, Giancarlo rated as super elite for two seasons defensively, slight above average in one and then slight below average in another. There's a ton of variability from year to year.
                              Last edited by Bobbob1313; 08-24-2013, 02:16 AM. Reason: Doublepost Merged
                              poop

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