A daily look at the big story of the day in sports as seen through the eyes of writers and bloggers all across the internet.
We touched on Jack Cust earlier today but since he's been blowing up all over the interweb it's time to take a deeper look on the phenomenon that was a long time in coming. Cust was a first round pick by Arizona in 1997, their first ever first-rounder in fact, a year before they'd even play their first game. He gained a reputation in the minors as a prodigious power bat with a patient eye but a penchant for the strikeout and a brutal glove. He made his big league debut in 2001 with Arizona but couldn't stick with them, the Rockies, Orioles or Padres in several cameos. He had just 144 at-bats in the Show before this season but picked up a continent of sabermetrically-inclined followers who saw a player in his 943 OPS and high walk rates. That group never stopped making noise about Cust but even the most devoted Custians had to think his chances of making a big league splash were nothing but a pipe dream. It was to the point where they only guy who still believed in Jack Cust was Jack Cust, Senior.
He got another chance when Mike Piazza got hurt, opening a hole at DH for the A's, and it's no surprise that Billy Beane made a deal with the Padres to bring Cust to town. An early adopter of the statistical methods prized by many seamheads and handcuffed by limited funds, Beane knew Cust was worth a shot and wouldn't cost him much of anything. The risk paid off. Cust has pounded six homers in seven games, driven in 14 runs and walked six times for good measure. Piazza will be out for almost two months so Cust will keep getting his chances to produce.
In some ways Cust's splashy first week is more exciting than the successful starts for bonus babies Philip Hughes and Tim Linecum. Everyone expected those guys to be great, there would be nothing but agita if they flopped on the big stage, but with Cust there's nothing but upside. If he keeps hitting he becomes a folk tale of almost Roy Hobbsian splendor who turns the legend into reality but if he should flame out at least he has the memory of one glorious week in the majors and a walk-off home run in the Sunday sun. It makes for a more unusual, slightly sweeter story of baseball redemption than the can't miss kid who doesn't miss. Somewhere Roberto Petagine is smiling about that, I'd bet.
My initial thought after watching Cust for the first seven games of his A's career is that he could be the A's answer to David Ortiz. Now, don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. I'm not saying that Cust is Ortiz after seven games in green and gold. Ortiz was a player who flourished only once he got into the right situation and plenty of regular playing time. Ortiz is also a player who didn't really know how to play defense, thus limiting his opportunities to teams in the AL. Cust's swing also reminds me of Ortiz and how he can catch up to the inside fastball...So while we don't know Jack just yet, I certainly am loving the process of getting to know him, aren't you? (Athletics Nation)
When I was 15, I had a huge crush on a girl named Mandy. Mandy was a senior and had some problems -- she drank a lot and wrecked her car too often and no one's parents trusted her -- but those were the things that made a clueless, horny teenager like me love her...I finally got my chance at Mandy when I was a senior. She had been hanging around town for a couple of years, going to community college, and not really doing much with her life. We dated for three weeks. Though I had grown up enough to realize that my earlier illusions of marrying Mandy were wildly misguided -- the parents were right not to trust her -- it was a fun three weeks that made me feel like all those hours spent pathetically longing for her were not wasted...Though I hope he continues to mash all year, my suspicion is that Cust will come back to earth hard once pitchers realize he's not some kid you can simply overpower with straight heat. Like Mandy, he has some serious flaws in his game, and I imagine once he faces some nastier stuff his considerable vulnerabilities, like Mandy's unsuitability for marriage, will present themselves. But, also like Mandy, it sure will be a fun ride while it lasts. (Shysterball)
Post game, Cust showed some modesty, "I'm just trying to take advantage of the opportunity and make a contribution somehow." His bat: not so modest. (Babes Love Baseball)
I know Billy Beane is a genius and all, but this Jack Cust situation is out of control. Jack Cust hit another home run today, and this one won the game. Since Cust joined the A's he's played in 7 games. In those 7 games he's hit 6 home runs. That's Archi Cianfrocco territory. So how did Billy Beane know that trading for Cust for a player to be named later was going to be such a good idea? Well surely his prior history would indicate such potential.... except for the fact that it does not. (The Smittblog)
We think he’s this summer’s version of Kevin Maas. (The Big Lead)
Photo by Sara Wolfram/Getty Images
Comments