TV ALERT - MLB CHANNEL - VLAD HOF INDUCTION NOW

[ten ocho recon scout]

@disarcina

Vlad was obviously loved. Biggest name this team ever had before trout. But that last year...people on here started griping about how his numbers were dropping, and mainly his double plays. He swung too freely, didnt walk enough. (Plus his baserunning mistakes).

By that time i think some fans got spoiled. We saw Tex for a few months. Napoli was crushing. We had a youth movememt, etc.

Some got spoiled in the 2000s. I had to shake my head. Yeah, he was old, but he was such a beast for so long, I never understood some of the flack.

@Inside Pitch pitch has pointed it out several times. Along with vlad, guys like howie and GA used to catch so much flack from fans...and you realize now how good we had it with those guys here.

To put it in perspective, our first hall of famer wasnt good enough for some posters at the end, when he still posted very reasonable numbers. Salt on the wound was the bounceback he had in texas the next year.

 

[disarcina]

like all players he dropped off a bit in his later years and with Vlad it was probably more noticeable because he never was one for doing things in textbook fashion -- he never 'went by the book' and that includes his bad ball hitting/ poor pitch selection --  he made up for all that with his pure athleticism and skill. So when the bat speed slipped a bit, a lost a step a-foot and this throwing arm was no longer the rocket it once was -- it was perhaps more noticeable than with your traditional player who may be able to adjust better.

But the smile never wavered and I remember that base hit up the middle to win that playoff game in his last season with us.

And then he signed with Texas -- a ball park and a team that was just made for where his skills were at that point.  A division rival he just tortured the Halos at the plate -- all with a smile -- I don't think Vladdy is capable of summoning up ill will towards anyone -- he had that just killer first half of the season before tailing off the second half.

His time here marked the era of the greatest sustained success for the Halos -- and - you are right -- Halos fans got spoiled -- it just became assumed we'd win the AL West each year.

I'm glad he's the FIRST HALO in the HOF --  I hope they captured his high wattage smile on his plaque.

It certainly takes away the sting of seeing Nolan Ryan wearing another uniform..........Vladdy wanted to go in as a Halo. That means a lot.