Brandon Wood

[Don]

If McPherson had stayed healthy, I think he would have turned into a left-handed Mark Reynolds.

[Brent Maguire]

Wood had a very unorthodox swing and some really bad discipline. I'm still a little perplexed at how bad he was in the majors. At the very least, I thought he could be a 1-2 WAR player with some pop. His numbers were great at all levels in the minors. His complete and total flop in the majors was pretty unexpected. 

 

I feel for the guy. I remember getting his autograph and talking with him in Spring Training a few years back. Very nice and approachable person. I hope he finds success elsewhere in his life. 

[nando714]

I blame Hatcher

Lulz

[Lou]

the thing with Wood was that he wasn't as bad as his stats showed...

yes. yes he was.

[tdawg87]

I believe Paul McAnulty was the biggest bust.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I believe bartolo colon had the biggest bust.

[tomsred]

Definitely one of the nice ball players I've ever met at spring training.

 

Yep, he was first class all the way.

[Brandon]

Feel bad for the guy. I remember McPhearson, Glaus, and and Arias.....even saw guys like Anderson and Todd Greene being touted at Lake Elsinore games I used to go to, but Brandon Wood was the first prospect I actually tracked as I started posting and the way he was touted on the message boards you couldn't help but get excited and follow his progression in the minors.

 

I remember when he was the major piece in talks about Wood and Santana going to Boston for Manny when he was arguably the best player (definitely the best hitter) in baseball.

 

One of the few things I can eat crow about here is I thought the team mismanaged him and also gave up too early on him. It just didn't make sense he tore it up in the minors for a couple years then had a short stint in the bigs....although I may be a little off and he may have had a mediocre last year in the minors before coming up full time to the bigs.

[T.G.]

I remember reading about Dallas McPherson while he was at Rancho Cucamonga. Randy Johnson was doing a rehab start and McPherson homered (I think) off him in his first at bat.  The next time up - Johnson plucked him and McPherson got on base and stole second...  I instantly liked the kid and had high hopes for him.

 

I always thought McPherson looked like Merrill from the movie "signs"

 

 

 

Swing away Merrill....

Edited November 19, 2014 by True Grich

[JoJo26]

BRANDON WOOD was deemed untouchable by Stoneman...just like JEFF MATHIS.

 

Somehow, the keeping all the "young talent" mattered to him...unlike the Halos now...

Edited November 19, 2014 by JoJo26

[CaliAngel]

Never saw Brandon Wood in the minors, but I remember going to quite a few Angel games that season of his debut and after about his 2nd at-bat I wondered who the hell was this guy, why the hell is he playing on a Major League team --nonetheless OUR major league team-- and why the hell was there so much hype about him. From what I saw his swing was bad, he watched strikes and swung at balls, and his defense was bad as well. He looked intimidated out there all the time. I really think it was one of those things where he got in his own head and still to this day, can't seem to get out of it.

 

Don't get me wrong I do feel for the guy and wish him the best, but it happens all the time to guys who try to be Major Leaguers.

[disarcina]

Would like to see Brandon Wood do well in that Independent League stint and make it back to the bigs as bench depth guy for someone.

 

I don't think at this point that Brandon Wood has even qualified for an MLB pension.......under the old MLPA contract it took the equivalent of four years of MLB time to qualify for a pension (each day on a big league roster counts)......I don't think Wood is even close to that........he bounced around a bit (Pittsburgh?) but not for four years at the MLB level.

 

the thread mentioned Paul McNulty -- now there's a 4-A player who had some success --not the best player but made the most of it and probably got his 4 years in -- I remember a stretch of game where Halos had guys on the DL and McNulty was in the starting line up........not bad for a guy who could have easily spent his entire career in the minors.......

 

McPherson -- isn't he still bouncing around? He can still get some MLB time......while it's not going to be major MLB news or a move for some team.......qualifying for an MLB pension is a big thing for these guys........

[disarcina]

I checked -- Brandon Wood has played parts of FIVE seasons in MLB for the Angels (Four) and Pirates (One) so he's real close (and perhaps may have already qualified -- used to be four years, might be three with the new MLPA contract)......parts of Five seasons means up and down season between AA / AAA and MLB so parts of FIVE seasons may mean 2 plus seasons in actual MLB roster time.

[Second Base]

When you'd see Wood take a pitcher deep, it was beautiful and unique. He'd stay back, wouldn't swing overly hard and the ball would jump and leave in a hurry. Then you'd think he'd end up doing that 30 times a year at 3B and SS, but reality set in.

1. The Angels made him into their personal yo-yo. Spent more time flying between SLC and LAX than actually playing. Once he was promoted he just sat the bench, found no groove.

2. He had a bad approach and just couldn't put the needed adjustments into action. All he could be was who he already was and that's the sort of hitters that major league pitchers get out. They never adjust.

3. Mental. He stopped believing in himself, and once that's happened the fight is over.

Edited November 19, 2014 by ScottyA_MWAH

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Hit .098  with 1 HR for the Sugar Land Skeeters, in an Independent baseball league. 

 

I respect that he is still grinding it out holding on to a hope, but find it really sad. 

 

It is sad. Hard to fathom how he went from a can't miss prospect to a guy who can't hit pitchers in an independent league.

[Coachbulldog]

Definitely one of the nice ball players I've ever met at spring training.

 

Wood and Sean Rodriguez played for the Bees at the same time and both them were class acts who were hard workers. 

[mrwicked]

.098 with 1 jack?

sounds like trout during the playoffs.

sign him.

[ten ocho recon scout]

It is sad. Hard to fathom how he went from a can't miss prospect to a guy who can't hit pitchers in an independent league.

Literally went from cant miss to can only miss.

Obviously hindsight is 20/20. And obviously the topic has been brought up here a million times. But its still kind of nauseating to think we refused to flip him and guys like santana (who i love) and howie (ditto) for manny (who i hate) and cabrerra (almost ditto).

[Brandon]

I thought the Caberra deal was different only because it included Cabrerra and Uggla. I remember Howie, Mathis, Willits (no joke) and someone else...was it Wood?

 

Man, that would be in line with the worst trades ever.

[CaliAngel]

1. The Angels made him into their personal yo-yo. Spent more time flying between SLC and LAX than actually playing. Once he was promoted he just sat the bench, found no groove.

 

I will definitely agree with this. He would show up on the Angels, sit on the bench, bat once, suck. Then sit the next couple games. Finally he got his shot to start the season and play consistently, but it was too late and he fell flat on his face. The up and down the system, inconsistent playing time I wouldn't doubt messes with a persons baseball psyche.

 

There was another player on the Angels I can't remember at the moment, that I thought had potential (not what I thought of Wood) but Skip and the Organization dicked with his playing time so much, it gets to the point where if I was a player, I'd be thinking "Either effing play me consistently or trade me to some place that will!" It hasn't happened as often recently (Or maybe it has I just haven't noticed) but during those years there was a lot of shuffling players, and I would definitely think that has an impact on their performance. Hell, Skip STILL TO THIS DAY will sit a guy the day after he goes 3-4 with a walk off home run. Infuriating, really.

 

.098 with 1 jack?

sounds like trout during the playoffs.

sign him.

 

Give me all the sh*t I deserve for saying this, but honestly, I played ball in college with guys throwing nasty stuff, and hitting 90MPH+. If you gave me a baseball bat right now, I would almost guarantee (in my mind) that I could hit higher than .098 in that league. I probably wouldn't hit a home run, but holy hell all you have to do is look fastball and sit on the off-speed, have a nice easy swing and make some nice contact. Doinkers would fall in and a double would happen every now and then. It just speaks volumes that something seriously messed with Wood mentally and he hasn't been able to shake it since.

[Richard]

I thought the Caberra deal was different only because it included Cabrerra and Uggla. I remember Howie, Mathis, Willits (no joke) and someone else...was it Wood?

Man, that would be in line with the worst trades ever.

Pretty sure adenhart was involved in that deal somewhere

[stormngt]

Yikes..

 

 

Who was a bigger bust, Wood or McPherson?

Wood without a doubt!  McPherson produced for a short bit until he kept getting injured.  Wood never produced.

 

I will never forget all the posts about how Scioscia was for having Aybar on the MLB roster while Wood "rotting in AAA".  One poster even said Sosh shouldn't have been slapped!  

 

Wood to an lesser extent, McPherson, and to even a lessor extend Kotchman is why I don't get hyped about our prospects.  I couldn't get hyped about Trout when he first came up for the same reason.  Well I guess one out of four isn't bad, when the one is the best player in baseball.

[stormngt]

I thought the Caberra deal was different only because it included Cabrerra and Uggla. I remember Howie, Mathis, Willits (no joke) and someone else...was it Wood?

 

Man, that would be in line with the worst trades ever.

I think the wanted Adenhart also

[stormngt]

I thought the Caberra deal was different only because it included Cabrerra and Uggla. I remember Howie, Mathis, Willits (no joke) and someone else...was it Wood?

 

Man, that would be in line with the worst trades ever.

If I am not mistaken, the Angels also almost traded Wood, Aybar, and I believe Santana for Doc Holliday.

[Brandon]

Pretty sure adenhart was involved in that deal somewhere

 

I think you're right, although it wasn't all of them combined. It was some sort of variation between all those players.