9-News: 39.015 – Spring Struggles Draw Thum Concerns

GM: Rob McMonigal

Moderator: Trebro

User avatar
RonCo
GB: JL Frontier Division Director
Posts: 19813
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:48 pm
Has thanked: 1982 times
Been thanked: 2901 times

9-News: 39.015 – Spring Struggles Draw Thum Concerns

Post by RonCo » Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:42 pm

Image
YS9 fans have been anticipating the coming of Dong-po Thum since the day his legend came over from China and he arrived in the team’s international complex. The hype got heated in the later part of last season, as incumbent shortstop Splatter Padilla let grounder after grounder slide through his position and while Thum was hitting .313 as a 20 year old AAA dude.

News from the team this off-season—a trade of Bob Frazier and discussion of having Padilla take his spot at second base—made the meter spike even harder. Bloggers posted a viral video of drunken fans singing “Thum-where Over the Rainbow.” Others posted in the game “Here we go, Dong-po, here we go,” which was basically a drinking game crossed with an illegal round of winter jarts. Don’t try this at home. Broadcast packages for Yellow Springs spring training games set a new record.

To say his debut was drawing interest is perhaps the understatement of the decade.

This is why a .200 batting average has some folks in Ohio walking around with a cloud over their heads these days. Yes, it’s only 13 plate appearances. And, yes, the walks make his OBP .385, which would play. Yes, one of those hits was a homer (off Boise’s Dave Walsh, a Gillstrom candidate last season), and yes, he’s 3-0 in stolen base opportunities. But fans are fans, and .200 is a number that sticks in the craw. Making matters worse was an error made in the field.

“I think I’ll be fine,” Thum, who spent most of his off-season working on his language skills and studying game video, said in English earlier this week. “I feel very good, and the team mates are really helping me.”

His manager, Bill Inkster, was equally pleased. “Dong-po is spending his time getting ready for the crush of what we think is going to be a long career. I see him working with Lucas (McNeill) every day, and I think Lucas is trying to get him ready. If anyone knows how to handle the pressure of expectation, it’s him.”

Fans will likely get more time to see him in the coming weeks, and the Nine begin their annual transition from letting the kids play in the first few weeks into getting the veterans onto the field in the later periods. “We expect him on the field probably two days out of every three from here out. Maybe a little more,” Inkster said.

Fans are expecting something more.
GM: Bikini Krill
Nothing Matters But the Pacific Pennant
Roster

User avatar
recte44
GB: Commissioner
Posts: 43001
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:14 pm
Location: Oconomowoc, WI
Has thanked: 141 times
Been thanked: 1608 times
Contact:

Re: 9-News: 39.015 – Spring Struggles Draw Thum Concerns

Post by recte44 » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:49 pm

#smallsamplesize

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Yellow Springs Nine”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests