Taylor Featherston

[ScottT]

Im rooting for him more than your average Halo.

Being a rule 5 pick is tough. He's seen increased playing time recently because of injuries

I'm guessing he is the first player to be hit by a ground ball to end a game and gotten his ball stuck in his glove after making a great play late in a game... in the same season...his rookie season. Let's not mention the other strange incident.

I was at both games. The day after the first, I chatted with a lady whose son is a friend of Taylor's. She said he was upbeat...he felt there was nothing he could have done. And he was elated to be in the big leagues

I hope he gets through this year and then some. Easy to forget the guy hit with some pop in the minors.

[tomsred]

I like his attitude and the effort.  Unfortunately he's in a position right now he shouldn't be in.  He's a rookie trying to learn and progress right in the middle of a pennant race, and strange things seem to find him.  He's got a great arm, and decent speed, but I have no idea what his ceiling as far as hitting is.  It will be interesting to see what the Angels do at second base this off season after the GM is hired.

[gurn67]

Anybody else for Zobrist being the #1 offensive target in the off-season? He fills two gaping holes in 2B and leadoff. I know he's 34, but he could be this generation's answer to Tony Phillips, hopefully without the whole coke binge in the middle of pennant race thing.

[Second Base]

No one in MLB makes that play as far as I concerned. There's a handful that may have gotten to the ball, Featherston made one of the best plays of the year just getting to it. But the ball got stuck in his glove. No control over that. He uses an A2000 series mitt, which is generally believed to be the highest quality infield mitt.

[jsnpritchett]

No one in MLB makes that play as far as I concerned. There's a handful that may have gotten to the ball, Featherston made one of the best plays of the year just getting to it. But the ball got stuck in his glove. No control over that. He uses an A2000 series mitt, which is generally believed to be the highest quality infield mitt.

 

My sources tell me it's an A2001...

[fan_since79]

Anybody else for Zobrist being the #1 offensive target in the off-season? He fills two gaping holes in 2B and leadoff. I know he's 34, but he could be this generation's answer to Tony Phillips, hopefully without the whole coke binge in the middle of pennant race thing.

 

Ding, ding, ding!!

 

You've got Arte's attention. He loves the old timers.

[jsnpritchett]

Ding, ding, ding!!

 

You've got Arte's attention. He loves the old timers.

8 years, $120M.  Get it done, Arte.

[Blarg]

No one in MLB makes that play as far as I concerned. There's a handful that may have gotten to the ball, Featherston made one of the best plays of the year just getting to it. But the ball got stuck in his glove. No control over that. He uses an A2000 series mitt, which is generally believed to be the highest quality infield mitt.

 

There are thousands of plays at second base every year and few if ever result in a glove failure. After the play Featerston adjusted his glove, tightening the leather straps that allow flexibility. I'm going to say he was negligent in making sure his equipment was ready and as such he was responsible for that play that could have ended the game.

 

As for no one making that play, quit with the horseshit, Altuve makes that play, Cano makes that play, most quality second baseman make that play even in the minors, it was not that difficult.

[zenmaster]

8 years, $120M.  Get it done, Arte.

 

I was thinking 10 years $135 ish....

[Blarg]

I'm thinking you idoits can't stay on topic in any thread.

[UndertheHalo]

I think its pretty rough to hold Featherston responsible for the loss.  He made a great play on a scorched ball and just got real unlucky with the ball getting trapped in the glove.  Im not sure what else could have been done to alter that outcome.  Seems like if his glove was in such disrepair that it was potentially a problem he would just got an whole new glove.  Im sure it wasn't a situation where one looks at the glove and knows "hey the ball is gonna get stuck in the web of this glove!!" The whole thing just sucked.  The loss is entirely on Street, they hit ball hard off him on basically every pitch he threw.

Edited September 14, 2015 by UndertheHalo

[Blarg]

Yes, Street giving up 5 earned runs on balls scorched all over the field was the cause of the loss. Featherston was not part of a solution, has not been the entire season and was a rule 5 disaster.

[Angel Oracle]

At least he's showing something, anything at the plate lately.

[Jay]

Brutal loss yesterday.  I don't blame it on Featherston.

[Blarg]

At least he's showing something, anything at the plate lately.

 

A .067 batting average the last 5 games.

[AngelArcher]

Great plays usually end with an out recorded, so I'd say he made half a good play. He also could've thrown his whole glove to Aybar for a close play at second. I don't think the runner was even half way there when he got to his feet.

[Angel Oracle]

Well, he was until this weekend, although it was only for 4 games (6-12).

He belongs at SLC in 2016, and I sure hope he develops some sort of bat.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[Jay]

I hope the whole team develops some sort of bat.

[70runner]

A .067 batting average the last 5 games.

 

Pujols: .150 last 5

Trout: .150 last 6

 

the whole team sucks at the plate, singling out Featherston is weak

[fan_since79]

I hope the whole team develops some sort of bat some brains.

 

Fixed.

[Chuck]

We tend to forget the personal, real-life side of things on this board. I know I do at times, even though I've engaged with several players, prospects and the FO over the years.

 

That said, I will root extra hard for Taylor going forward.

 

Thank you for posting your story, Scott. 

[Guest]

The guy jumped from AA to the Majors. I think he's been doing fine considering.

[Blarg]

He should have been in the minors instead of cluttering up a roster spot before he was ready.

[BaseballMom]

He should have been in the minors instead of cluttering up a roster spot before he was ready.

 

And that is his fault?

[disarcina]

when the Dodgers played the Angels, Vin Scully mentioned that Featherston was a very good college player ---

 

as a Rule 5 guy from Colorado, we had to keep him on the 25 man roster all season long to keep him and so the Halos did.

 

In doing so, I think the Halos weakened the 2015 roster and didn't do Featherston's career much help as he sat the pine most of the season instead of playing every day at AAA

 

He would have been up on a major league roster in September with whatever team he would have been with -- Rule 5 or not ---

 

I would have kept Grant Green on the 25 man roster coming out of ST (and sent Featherston back to Colorado) and said so at the time. By the half way point of the season with Featherston hardly playing at, getting few ABs, not much defensive replacement time and some PR but not much -- it was too late to do anything but keep him as a Rule 5 guy at that point. 

 

It's fairly certain that Featherson isn't going to be the starting 2B or SS next season -- that's why you devote a season long roster spot to a Rule 5 guy.