Alex Cintron

[mark1]

Is playing for Caguas of the Puerto Rican winter league. They are in the playoffs and Cintron is hitting .500 so far, in a limited number of at bats. I saw him on a spanish station and he looks like he has bulked up even more from last year. As he continues to fill out his 6'2 frame, this kid will generate more and more power. If Brenly bats Finley leadoff, and Alomar in the two hole, that will put Cintron in a rbi position where he will need to generate power. Maybe in the 5 hole sandwiched between Sexson and Hillenbrand, or in the 6th hole between Hillenbrand and Bautista. If Alomar leads off, Cintron will probably hit in the two hole with Finley hitting between Sexson and Hillenbrand. Wherever Brenly puts him, this kid is going to be a star in my opinion.

I like the individual story lines of a season as much as as I do following the entire team. It will be interesting to see if Danny Bautista can bounce back and hit like he did before he got hurt in 2002. It will be fun seeing what Alomar has left in his 36 year old body. It will be interesting to see what Babybacks make the opening day roster, especially the pitchers. Can Gonzo's elbow hold up? Can Randy's knee? Will Mike Koplove make a successful return from surgery? etc, etc.....

I'm really looking forward to following the Minor League teams this summer also. We have guys in Tucson and El Paso that will help the big club real soon. I wish spring training started today!

 

[Djaughe]

Originally posted by mark1
They are in the playoffs and Cintron is hitting .500 so far, in a limited number of at bats.

How many at bats? 1 fer 2?

 

[mark1]

I think he is 3 for 6 in the playoffs.

 

[BC867]

Re: Re: Alex Cintron

Originally posted by Djaughe
How many at bats? 1 fer 2?

How about .317 (to lead all regulars) in 448 at-bats last season . . . and an average in the .390's before being called up from Tucson?

Alex Cintron is going to lead the league in batting before too long. Let's enjoy it.

What I like about him, as I've said before, is his plate discipline. When he was moved from 2nd to 5th in the batting order last year, he didn't try to be something he was not and swing for the fences every at-bat.

A sharp contrast to Junior Spivey who was moved from 2nd to 3rd after his All Star appearance in 2002, and went downhill after that.

 

[AZZenny]

Mark, any numbers on how he did in their regular season? I never saw him mentioned on my daily baseball american summary and wasn't even sure he was playing.

HOW bulked up? I recall the team publically said they didn't want him getting so big that it reduced his speed or agility (a la Spivey).

I can't wait either. Someone said pitchers and catchers report Feb 22, which seems late, but that's when the year REALLY begins. (Where this January 1 stuff came from I don't know!)
ST seems even more interesting than usual, given all the competitive and individual subplots. Hope we get to have a brief taste test of guys like Rosario, Conor Jackson, etc., but that may be next year.

 

[mark1]

Zenny,

he only had 13 at bats during the regular season getting one hit. it seems like the Dbacks philosophy has changed concerning how many games their players play during the winter.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/Stats/stats_PRL_cag.shtml

He looked bigger to me in the upper body. They showed him driving a single up the middle. When Alex played winter ball last year, it really gave him alot of confidence coming into the year. He is just starting to fill out and I believe will only get stronger and his power numbers will go up. I don't think it's inconceivable that Alex will hit 20+ homers this year. Alex was listed at 199 lbs last year. I think his body could handle another 10-12 lbs without losing any agility.

 

[mark1]

Here is ESPN's new scouting report on Alex

2003 Season
Alex Cintron was one of the Diamondbacks' final cuts in spring training, losing out to Carlos Baerga in the competition for a backup infield spot. But in early May, with Tony Womack struggling and Craig Counsell out with a thumb injury, Cintron was recalled from Triple-A Tucson, where he was batting .393. When Womack suffered a knee injury in late June, Cintron took over as the everyday shortstop and never looked back. He finished the season playing like a legitimate star, batting .341 in August and September while committing only one error in his final 31 games.


Hitting
Stronger than when he first came up, Cintron no longer has the bat knocked out of his hands by a good fastball. He has power from both sides of the plate and is an especially potent hitter early in the count. While a fine hitter from either side of the plate, he's much more dangerous from the right side. He seldom draws a walk, but he also doesn't strike out very often. With his pop and ability to handle the bat, he was especially effective as a No. 2 hitter last year.


Baserunning & Defense
Cintron has average range but an above-average arm at shortstop. He is athletic for his size and, with his height, can go up to spear grounders. Cintron has good instincts and good hands. He has the speed to leg out triples and doubles but has to develop his stolen-base skills.


2004 Outlook
Cintron proved last year that, at the very least, he can be an everyday shortstop who contributes offensively. And if he keeps playing like he did late in the year, his upside could be a good deal higher than that. He will be one of the cornerstones as the Diamondbacks continue to make the transition to a younger, homegrown team

 

[mark1]

Puerto Rico League Championship

Ponce 8, Caguas 1 (Ponce WINS best-of-9 series 5-2)

Cintron hit .417 in the playoffs, batting mainly in the cleanup spot. He also played alot of third base.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/Stats/box_PRL.shtml

 

[Djaughe]

news link


Here's a link to the local newspaper prior to the championship series - no stats or anything. It mentions cintron and other ballplayers. I just found the angle of the story kinda interesting - especially about the brain hemorhage...

 

[mark1]

Alexis Rios is not with the Dbacks. He is the property of Toronto and their number one prospect.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/03top10s/bluejays.html

 

[Djaughe]

Originally posted by mark1
Alexis Rios is not with the Dbacks. He is the property of Toronto and their number one prospect.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/03top10s/bluejays.html

Hey its the Puerto Rico Herald! Thats a nice catch though - I was like wow we're loaded with prospects!