Sunday Notes: Rodney Linares Looks Back at Jose Altuve In Rookie Ball

Jose Altuve is having a Cooperstown-worthy career. Since debuting with the Houston Astros in 2011, the 35-year-old second baseman has logged 2,329 hits, including 246 home runs, while putting up a 129 wRC+ and 59.2 WAR. A nine-time All-Star who has won seven Silver Sluggers and one Gold Glove, Altuve captured MVP honors in 2017.

Turn the clock back to 2008, and the 5-foot-6 Puerto Cabello, Venezuela native was 18 years old and playing stateside for the first time. His manager with the rookie-level Greeneville Astros was Rodney Linares.

I recently asked the now-Tampa Bay Rays bench coach for his memories of the then-teenaged prospect.

“One guy that doesn’t get a lot of credit for Altuve is [current St. Louis Cardinals first base coach] Stubby Clapp, who’d been my hitting coach the year before,” Linares told me. “He always talked about Altuve, because he’d had him in extended spring. He was like, ‘You’ve got to watch this kid; this kid is going to be really good.’ I used to tell Stubby, ‘You think that because you’re small and played in the big leagues, anybody who is small can play.’”

Linares recalls the Astros organization’s wanting him to play 20-year-old Albert Cartwright at second, prompting him to tell Altuve ‘Go to short, go to third, go to left field. I’m going to make sure that you get your at-bats.”

Al Pedrique — now managing in the Philadelphia Phillies system — also played a role in Altuve’s having a chance to prove himself. Pedrique had signed Altuve while a scout, and as Houston’s minor league field coordinator, he approached Linares with a question.

“He asked me what I thought,” recalled Linares, who also had Altuve in Greenville for part of the 2009 season. “I told him I think that he should play every day. [Pedrique] said, ‘From today on, he is going to play every day.’”

Not only did that happen, Atuve excelled. He earned a late-season promotion to the New York-Penn League in 2009, and in 2010 he was in Low-A Lexington with J.D. Martinez as a teammate and Linares again as his manager. The following year, he reached the big leagues.

The player who arrived in Houston shortly after his 21st birthday was both aggressive at the plate and wise beyond his years. According to his former manager, that had always been the case.

“Everybody kept talking to him about not swinging at everything, but I think that was one of the things that made him into the hitter he is,” opined Linares. “He can cover any pitch, anytime, anywhere. He’s also really smart. He would tell me, ‘I’m trying to set up this pitcher. I’m going to look bad on this breaking ball so he will throw it again.’ This was in A-ball, as a teenager. The guy would throw it again, and he’d hit a home run. The same swing you see now, he had then. Altuve took some donkey hacks. He would swing really hard.

“Did I think he was going to be as good as he’s been? No, I just thought he was going to be a good player,” added Linares. “It would be hard to predict that a guy like that, with his stature, could do the things he’s gone on to do. He’s done some unbelievable things in this game. It’s not hard to see him going in the Hall of Fame.”

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Dave Martinez went 17 for 33 against Scott Erickson.

Anthony Rizzo went 17 for 37 against Wily Peralta.

Claudell Washington went 17 for 39 against Jim Bibby.

Will Clark went 1 for 22 against Mike Harkey.

Rafael Devers is 8 for 9 against Dallas Keuchel.

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Jake Bird was featured here at FanGraphs earlier in the week, the topics being his success at Coors Field and his analytically-savvy approach to pitching. Left on the cutting room floor from my conversation with the Colorado Rockies reliever was his draft story. Bird was taken in the fifth round by his current club in 2018, and he entered pro ball as a senior sign.

“It wasn’t up to me,” explained Bird, who played collegiately at UCLA. “I thought I was in a pretty good position to get drafted fairly high after my junior year — I was expecting to go somewhere between the fourth and 10th round — but I didn’t get any calls. I was a little confused.”

A few weeks earlier, Bird had met with UCLA head coach John Savage and brought up the possibility of coming back for his senior year. Savage told him, “No, you’re going to get paid. Don’t worry about it.” Just like the young pitcher, he was taken by surprise when that didn’t happen. Bird had missed time early that season due to shoulder inflammation — a likely factor in his being bypassed in the draft — but he’d also logged a 2.75 ERA while working both as a starter and out of the Bruins’ bullpen.

Returning for his senior season not only allowed Bird to finish a degree in economics, it turned out to be a blessing.

“My grandpa was nearing the end of his life — we kind of knew that — and he lived about 20 minutes away from school,” explained Bird. “That year, I was able to move in with him, and spend a lot extra time with him, before he eventually passed away a few years later. It wasn’t the way you’d draw it up on paper, but I’m really grateful that it happened the way it did.”

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A quiz:

Willie Mays had 23 All-Star Game hits, the most of any player. Which hitter has recorded the most All-Star Game home runs?

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NEWS NOTES

Joe Coleman, who logged 142 wins while pitching for seven teams — primarily the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators — from 1965-1979, died this past Wednesday at 78. The right-hander was at his best from 1971-1973, a three-season stretch where he went 62-28 with a 3.16 ERA for the Tigers. His father, Joe Coleman Sr., and son, Casey Coleman, also pitched in the big leagues.

Lee Elia died on Wednesday at age 87. An infielder who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1966, and for the Chicago Cubs in 1968, Elia later managed the latter of those teams in 1982 and 1983, and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1987 and 1988.

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The answer to the quiz is Stan Musial, with six. Fred Lynn and Ted Williams are tied for the second-highest total; each homered four times while playing in the midsummer classic.

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The most pleasant surprise on the Cincinnati Reds this season? I asked the NL Central club’s TV play-play-by voice for his thoughts at the beginning of this month.

“Jose Trevino’s known talents are pitch framing and game calling,” John Sadak said to my question. “He’s a great defensive catcher — massive leadership — but he’s also enjoying the best offensive year of his career. His slash line numbers are all on pace for career highs, and as we’re recording this he leads the team in doubles. He’s been more on the aggressive side as a hitter, with a lot of pull contact down the line.

“Tyler Stephenson was hurt coming out of spring training, and Trevino stepped into that lead role the first few weeks,” added Sadak. “You can still feel and see that reverb. He’s been impressive. He’s one of the pleasant surprises, for sure.”

Coming into the year, Trevino had a .236/.275/.362 slash line and a 74 wRC+ playing for the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. Now in his first season with the Reds, the eight-year veteran went into yesterday slashing .282/.319/.453 with a 108 wRC+.

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When I interviewed Brady Singer in March 2021, the then-Kansas City Royals right-hander told me that he identifies as, “a sinker guy.” The description was apt. By season’s end, Singer had logged a 50.9% ground ball rate while relying on his signature offering 57.5% of the time over his first two big-league campaigns.

How does Singer identify four years later?

“I still have a sinker, but obviously I’ve changed my repertoire a little bit,” he said to that question. “I use the four-seamer more, a cutter more, the sweeper. I use my other pitches off [the sinker], but before, I was pretty much just sinker-slider.”

Singer’s ground ball rate this year is just 34.4%, by far a career low. Conversely, his 42.0% fly ball rate is easily a career high. Pitching in Cincinnati, that’s not exactly an optimal combination. Right?

“I mean, I kind of just pitch,” replied Singer, who sports a 4.32 ERA and a 4.02 FIP on the season (coming into the year those numbers were 4.28 and 3.97). “My ground ball rate is obviously lower, but I like where I’m at, especially against lefties. The cutter has helped with that a lot. That’s why we added it this year.”

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Earlier this week, the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants played their tenth consecutive game that was decided by one run, a Japanese record. The old record of nine straight one-run games dates back to 1940.

Takumu Nakano has 29 sacrifice hits, the most in NPB (no one else has more than 14). The 29-year-old Hanshin Tigers second baseman is slashing .302/.373/.347 with a 131 wRC+. His OBP ranks second in the circuit.

Shinya Matsuyama has 28 saves to go with a 1.42 ERA and a 0.80 FIP over 31-and-two-thirds innings for the Chunichi Dragons. The 25-year-old right-hander’s 36.1% strikeout rate is second best among NPB pitchers with at least 30 innings.

Hyun Min Ahn is slashing .356/.465/.648 with 16 home runs and a 203 wRC+ over 260 plate appearances for the KBO’s KT Wiz. The 21-year-old outfielder was drafted out of high school as a catcher in 2022.

Kyle Garlick is slashing 329/.426/.645 with 17 home runs in 272 plate appearances for the Mexican League’s Charros de Jalisco. The 33-year-old erstwhile MLB outfielder played for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate last season.

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A random obscure former player snapshot:

Trench Davis played in just 23 big-league games, 17 of them with the Pittsburgh Pirates 1985-1986, and another six with the Atlanta Braves in 1987. A Baltimore-born outfielder known primarily for his good wheels, Davis went just 4-for-33 at the plate, although he did stroke safeties against some notable names. Along with a knock against Scott Terry, he recorded hits off of Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, and Mario Soto.

Davis — his given name is Trench Neal — had most of his success down on the farm. In 1984, he pilfered 53 bags while playing for the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders, and two years later he batted .311 with 27 thefts for that same club. In 1988, he batted .371 and had 34 steals with the Mexican League’s Sultanes de Monterrey.

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Garrett Crochet threw the first complete game of his career yesterday, scattering three hits and fanning nine batters in a 1-0 Boston Red Sox win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Meeting with reporters after the game, the lefty mentioned between-innings dialogues having contributed to his stellar effort. I asked him if he could elaborate.

“The sequences to the hitters we’ve seen in the past,” explained Crochet, “Usually it’s looking at the top three hitters coming up to the plate the next inning. So, what sequences have we run? What have the first pitches been? What have [they] swung-and-missed at? And what has he not seen? There’s also what quadrant we’re trying to get to, based on where he’s kind of seen the higher frequency of pitches in prior at-bats.”

Who is driving that dialogue?

“Just myself and [pitching coach Andrew] Bailey,” Crochet said to my followup. “[Pitching strategist] Devin Rose is pretty huge in that as well. When [catcher Carlos Narváez] isn’t hitting, he’d down in the tunnel as well.”

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Boston’s win was their ninth in a row, and it was also their third third straight against the Rays by just one run. On Friday, they walked off their AL East courtesy of a two-run blast over the Green Monster by Ceddanne Rafaela. A night earlier, they’d come from behind with three runs in the seventh. Prior to yesterday’s game, Kevin Cash was asked if those types of defeats are more difficult to deal with than others.

“I think that’s fair,” replied the Tampa Bay manager. “When you’ve got leads going, late in ballgames, and the other team ends up getting big hits and winning the games, those are probably tougher to handle. They all count the same. We know that. In the moment they’re tough, but the next day you get ready to go. They do a good job of flushing it.”

The Rays have lost seven of their last nine and have dropped into fourth place in the East, a game and a half behind the Red Sox.

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FARM NOTES

The best record in the minors belongs to the Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A Pittsburgh Pirates), who are 59-26. Close behind are the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A New York Mets), at 57-27, and the West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A Detroit Tigers) at 57-28.

On Thursday, the Amarillo Sod Poodles rallied from an 11-3, late-inning deficit to beat the Frisco RoughRiders 13-12. The Arizona Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate scored five in the eighth, four in ninth, and one each in the 10th and 11th innings. Kristian Robinson plated the winner with a walk-off single.

Thomas White has a 2.66 ERA, a 2.25 FIP, and a 35.0% strikeout rate over 47-and-third innings between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola. Drafted 35th-overall in 2023 out of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, the 20-year-old left-hander is No. 2 on our Miami Marlins Top Prospects list. He has yet to be taken deep this season.

Gage Stanifer has thrown the most innings among minor league hurlers not to have allowed a home run. The 21-year-old right-hander has tossed 59-and-two-thirds frames between Low-A Dunedin and High-A Vancouver and has a 2.72 ERA, a 2.18 FIP, a 39.8 strikeout rate, and a 50.0% ground ball rate. A 19th-round pick in 2022 out of Westfield (IN) High School, Stanifer went unranked on our Toronto Blue Jays Top Prospects list.

Kaelen Culpepper is slashing .311/.398/.488 with 12 home runs and a 147 wRC+ over 324 plate appearances between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita. Drafted 21st-overall last year out of Kansas State University, the 22-year-old shortstop is No. 5 on our Minnesota Twins Top Prospects list.

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James Tibbs III was drafted 13th-overall last year out of Florida State University by the San Francisco Giants, and subsequently traded to the Boston Red Sox a month ago as part of the blockbuster Rafael Devers deal. The 22-year-old outfielder has been with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs since joining his new organization.

Who among the pitchers he’s faced in pro ball most stands out as a challenging at-bat?

“Trey Yesavage,” said Tibbs, naming the 21-year-old right-hander in the Toronto Blue Jays system. “Top-100 prospect, pretty solid arm, first-round pick. He was actually [seven] picks after me last year. I faced him a few times in High-A, and now a few times here — I can’t get away from him! — and he’d punched me out four times before I made a really good adjustment and hit a couple balls hard against him last week. I homered, and hit another ball 105 [mph] that was caught out by their bullpen, but yeah, he’s a frustrating at-bat. He’s got a lot of confidence. He executes his pitches well. He tunnels his pitches well. He definitely keeps you on your toes.”

Yesavage, who represented Toronto in yesterday’sAll-Star Futures Game, is No. 5 on on our Blue Jays Top Prospects list, with a 45+ FV. The 20th-overall selection in last year’s draft has a 3.19 ERA and a 41.1% strikeout rate over 67-and-two-thirds innings across three levels on the season. His last five starts have come with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

Tyler Naquin has made a late-career transition from outfielder to pitcher. Tim Stebbins has the story at MLB.com.

Who are the biggest Texas Rangers booms and busts in the amateur draft over the past decade? Shawn McFarland shared his opinion at The Dallas News.

At The International Examiner, Emily Hawks talked to Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo about race, identity, and being a role model.

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince wrote about outgoing SABR president Mark Armour’s “The Satchel Project,” which chronicles the career of Satchel Paige.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

The Detroit Tigers will go into the All-Star break with the best record in the majors. The last time they did so was in 2006, a season in which they won 95 regular season games and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Trevor Story played in his 1,000th career game on Friday. He recorded his 1000th career hit yesterday.

Steve Carlton went 15-29 with a 5.72 ERA from age 41 onward. Justin Verlander is 5-13 with a 5.12 ERA since turning 40. He is 0-7 with a 4.70 ERA this season.

Mike Golden went 7-19 with a 1.83 ERA over 113 innings for the National Association’s Keokuk Westerns in 1885. The Shirley, Massachusetts native allowed 88 runs, although only 23 went into the record books as earned.

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer was born in New York City, adopted two days later, and named James Alvin Wiesen. His father died when he was nine years old, after which his mother moved to California and married a man named Max Palmer.

The American League beat the National League 6-4 at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium to win the All-Star Game on today’s date in 1971. Six Hall of Famers — Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, and Frank Robinson — homered, with Mr. October’s blast caroming off the light tower atop the roof in right-center field.

On today’s date in 2004, the American League scored six first-inning runs off of Roger Clemens and went on to beat the National League 9-4 at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Manny Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano took The Rocket deep.

On today’s date in 1938, Joe DiMaggio’s second home run of the game — a 10th-inning walk-off with two runners aboard — gave the New York Yankees a 15-12 win over the St. Louis Browns. Jim Walkup surrendered the gopher and saw his record to fall to 0-10 on the season.

Players born on today’s date include Robbie Wine, a catcher who went 6-for-41 at the plate while appearing in 23 games for the Houston Astros across the 1986-1987 seasons. Later the head baseball coach at Penn State, the Norristown, Pennsylvania native is the son of former Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos shortstop Bobby Wine.

Also born on today’s date was Bill Caudill, a right-handed reliever who spent his first three MLB seasons with the Chicago Cubs, then recorded 27 wins and 102 saves while pitching for the Seattle Mariners, Oakland A’s, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-1985. A free-spirited flamethrower, Caudill was was a minor league teammate of Scott Boras in the St. Louis Cardinals system, and later became one of the super-agent’s first clients.