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Can’t catch a break…
Well that sucks
You can’t replace what was expectedto be the best two way player in the country. BUT:
In the lineup, we didn’t have room for each of Dana, Huber and Ferrer to be in an everyday 9. Now we do. And on the hill, while his talent was obviously undeniable, no one knew that Crawford could make the transition to a starter for sure.
The point being, good luck to the young man with his recovery, but he seems to have a major payday coming this spring whatever this does to his career long term. And UConn obviously won’t be as good, but this injury is not an excuse for not going out and winning another Big East title.
-> Crawford, the rare slugger-pitcher combination who was projected to be a high Major League Baseball draft pick next summer, injured his left elbow last Sunday and will likely need Tommy John surgery. “He’s still consulting with doctors and we’re getting second and third opinions,” UConn baseball coach Jim Penders said. “There is no real course laid out, but it’s probable that he’s going to miss the spring.” <-
-> Last Sunday, in the final scrimmage with about 30 scouts at Elliot Ballpark, Crawford felt something pop in his left forearm and came out of the game. Tests the next day showed a partial tear in the elbow. Crawford is consulting with doctors for the best course and which doctor might perform surgery. He has been in touch with several former Huskies who have had the surgery, including major leaguers Anthony Kay, a first-round pick in 2016, and Scott Oberg.
Recovery from Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months. Crawford, who hit .309 with 14 home runs and 78 RBIs in 64 games at UConn, could have the option of DHing next season as he rehabs, but Penders said that is not likely to happen with a multi-million signing bonus at stake. “I‘m sure he has that desire, but it’s my job to protect him,” Penders said. “I can’t imagine a scenario where we would entertain that.” <-
Awful news.Heartbreaking. Wish him a speedy recovery.
It’s refreshing to see a coach who is so focused on the well being and future of one individual, rather than just the immediate needs of the team. The positive that will come out of this is that other guys will have more of a chance to play and to step up. A big loss for sure, but I’m sure we’ll survive it.What a class act Coach Penders is. We are lucky to have him.
It’s refreshing to see a coach who is so focused on the well being and future of one individual, rather than just the immediate needs of the team. The positive that will come out of this is that other guys will have more of a chance to play and to step up. A big loss for sure, but I’m sure we’ll survive it.
Always appreciate your in depth analysis…you are a great source of info on the boys! Keep it up. Were you ever a scout?As mentioned before by both me and @businesslawyer, our expectations are that the everyday lineup still has plenty of talent and that the offense should still be productive without Reggie Crawford (obviously it would be better with him in the lineup). However, even before the announcement of the Crawford injury, the UConn pitching staff had question marks in terms of depth, and will certainly need its younger and less experienced pitchers to develop and show improvement from last season (that would obviously include incoming freshmen to make a positive impression on the coaching staff). The development of these young pitchers will have a big impact on how UConn baseball fairs this coming spring season.
In my previous guess on who might take over the weekend Sunday starter role in place of Crawford, people will notice that I left Jimmy Wang off the list. The last couple of seasons have simply not been kind to him in terms of any development. I had the opportunity over the summer to watch Wang pitch for Norwich of the Futures League this past summer. I believe this was the first time Jimmy Wang has played in a summer collegiate league since he has been at UConn. Whatever the case, Wang was probably one of the more experienced players in a league that has a bunch of very young and inexperienced players in it. For the most part, I was not impressed with how Wang did over the summer, as control issues continued to plague his appearances on the mound. It was just further evidence to me that Jimmy Wang has not yet taken the big step forward that he needs to do to become an effective pitcher, and given that he has been at UConn for a few years now, I'm getting doubtful this development will happen. As such, at this point I would not consider him a serious candidate to fill a weekend starting role for UConn. It would not bother me if he were to go out and prove me wrong, but it would still surprise me.
Always appreciate your in depth analysis…you are a great source of info on the boys! Keep it up. Were you ever a scout?
It is much appreciated dbmillMe a scout? Hardly. Just happens that UConn baseball has become one of my big obsessions over the last ten years or so. As such, I probably spend way too much time paying attention to any piece of news I can find out about the team.
In theory it's possible, but very tight. Gleyber Torres got Tommy John in June/Julyish and was swinging a bat after 4 months/back for spring training in February (7 months). 4 kintgs for Reggie would be March, but Penders pretty much squashed that idea already. They're not going to risk it with him being a potential top 10 pick in the spring pre injury and still more than likely a 1st rounder post injurySo any chance he can play the field, like 1B for a bit or DH come spring time?