Dustin Ackley Fun Facts

[PolarVortex]

I suppose some of you more baseball savvy mofos knew that Ackley was playing for the Angels at Salt Lake City. But I didn't know. I thought he had moved on to his next career.

When I was looking at Salt Lake City's roster and saw his name, it caught me surprise. I was both happy for him and saddened as well. There was never any doubt that Ackley had the talent to not only be an MLBer, but also a starting MLBer capable of racking up 2.0-3.5 WAR in any given season. But he was always a mental midget. He never seemed to really believe in himself. And the Mariners never letting him get comfortable in any one defensive position didn't help either. (Not everyone can be Pete Carroll.) So, I applaud him for continuing to pursue his MLB dream but at the same time, at the age 30, maybe it is time to consider a different type of career in baseball.

Oh and, on a side, note, Dustin is yet another example of failed draft picks by Happy Jack. Among Ackley's teammates in his first year in the minors were Phillippe Aumont, Josh Fields (partial failure) and Carlos Truinfel.

 

[Ojb81]

Kewl

 

[PolarVortex]

Kewl

That speedo is pretty hawt.

 

[Ojb81]

That speedo is pretty hawt.

a'thankyeuuuu!!

 

[SeattleCoug]

I suppose some of you more baseball savvy mofos knew that Ackley was playing for the Angels at Salt Lake City. But I didn't know. I thought he had moved on to his next career.

When I was looking at Salt Lake City's roster and saw his name, it caught me surprise. I was both happy for him and saddened as well. There was never any doubt that Ackley had the talent to not only be an MLBer, but also a starting MLBer capable of racking up 2.0-3.5 WAR in any given season. But he was always a mental midget. He never seemed to really believe in himself. And the Mariners never letting him get comfortable in any one defensive position didn't help either. (Not everyone can be Pete Carroll.) So, I applaud him for continuing to pursue his MLB dream but at the same time, at the age 30, maybe it is time to consider a different type of career in baseball.

Oh and, on a side, note, Dustin is yet another example of failed draft picks by Happy Jack. Among Ackley's teammates in his first year in the minors were Phillippe Aumont, Josh Fields (partial failure) and Carlos Truinfel.

Hope the best for him. Its a shame for his sake that he got drafted by the Mariners. Maybe with him it wouldn't have mattered. But that 2012 season where they just left him up here to die is probably what killed him. I don't think most organizations do that. They did the same thing with Zunino in 2015.

 

[wazzu31]

It’s truly hard to put any blame on Ackley, he was who he was. A solid college hitter that failed to adapt to wooden bats. Every single baseball person in the world would have drafted him, hindsight is 20/20 with knowing Trout would become what he has become. I don’t think he is in the Zunino category in terms of being rushed, just more of a guy who can spray it with aluminum but not a wooden bat. Not sure whatever changed in his approach but a non power hitting lefty can’t rely solely on pulling the ball. Him being drafted without a position didn’t help but he did turn himself into an above average 2B just never could get confidence in hitting the opposite way after his first call up.

He is the model for younger players, you have to be Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn if your only attribute is batting average.