Another year at UH would help Almadova
By dreardon
The University of Hawaii baseball team had two players drafted this week. Pitcher Matt Sisto and outfielder Breland Almadova.
Sisto’s a senior, so he’s gone, to the Phillies in the 20th round. But Almadova has the choice of returning for another season or going pro.
Coach Mike Trapasso has always spoken of Almadova’s great tools and potential, and we’ve seen many flashes of his talent. But the speedy junior center fielder was inconsistent at the plate this past season, and that’s why he didn’t go higher than the 37th round, to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Another year at UH would not only be great for the Rainbows fans, but for Almadova himself. He won’t have much negotiating leverage coming out as a senior, but he doesn’t have much as the 1,143rd pick of the draft, either.
Quick Reads
June 7th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
It was nice seeing the local boys get drafted but, Almadova, like all the rest of the locals, will probably be relegated to baseball’s graveyard or disappear in the field of dreams as they will never get a chance to get up in the majors…c’mon….they just don’t have the talent…..Victorino is an exception and I can guarantee you that Kurt Suzuki won’t be in the majors long not with his tepid .200 b.a…..kila kaaihue is gone and Brandon League was a no-brainer this yr. in losing his position as the reliever for Seattle…..Jerome Williams has been lucky so far and I am really rooting for him because he has certainly paid his dues but …well, let’s hope for the best with him……let’s hope kolten can be more consistent when or if he moves up to Triple A……..
June 7th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Almadova needs to work hard and prove everyone wrong. Fetters and Kaaihue were Iolani grads who made it to the show.
June 7th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Kurt Suzuki is a very good defensive catcher. That’s why he sticks in the majors year after year. Almadova has good raw skills. I don’t know if it’s enough to make it to the majors, but other players with less raw talent have done so.
Jerome Williams lucky? He was the 39th pick in the MLB draft. That means he was projected to be a good major league performer. Sure, luck plays a part in everyone’s career and life. But any long-term baseball success Williams has is due more to his talent and work to develop his skills than luck. You are right in the sense that he was lucky to be born with great athletic ability. But it is not luck that he’s making the most of it.
June 7th, 2012 at 8:39 pm
believe that almadova should go. it won’t do him any good playing at the level he is playing. he needs better coaching and competition to get better. waiting one more year is only delaying his progress.
June 7th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Re: innocent observer…..you are so right so very right in saying that Almadova would get better coaching and competition…I was caught up listening to Bobby Curran in his radio talk sports show this morning where he said that Almadova should stick around one more year to get more seasoning but you are so right in that Almadova would get better competition and coaching……this applies to all the local boys that got drafted also……im really hoping that Kolten Wong makes it to the majors because I see him really blossoming once he is settled into his position on a major league team….
June 8th, 2012 at 7:42 am
He signed, end of debate, good luck to him
June 8th, 2012 at 8:11 am
Hossanna & Co. —
RE: Local Boys — Just Like NFL and D-1 Football — Per Capita Hawai’i is (probably) WAY Above the National Average mostly challenged by the Hotbeds (SC, Texas) and Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, etc. “Third World — This is Their Only Chance to make it Big Countries”, really able to Produce More in numbers and per capita…
i think (know) you just got a small-town mentality and rather believe it ain’t “all here” to compensate for your/our overall lack of work effort and success … it’s easier to throw stones and talk about “Luck” than to actually “Commit” to something and Work Hard at it .. DR shot you down so fast, so easy…even if they make it to The Bigs for a Week or Two, Year or Two … The Amount of Work and Talent it took to get there AND The Acknowledgement of Coaches and Managers WHO DO KNOW BETTER (that’s why they got there to even Get a Chance) is deserving of “Bigs” Acknowledgement…
i hope they all do well in their next careers, and this is especially so for guys like Almadova because Most will Never Make it even if drafted (Hawai’i or any where else)…
and the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS additional Income they would earn with the College Degree are hard to make up after “riding around in buses ‘Killing Time’” for a few years (only IF they’re “Lucky”) ….
IF Almadova could improve his Batting Average just 20 or 40 points (2 or 4%) receiving “mediocre” [Repeat National Assistant Coach of the Year, Numerous Draft Picks and Draft "Improvements" over what they were drafted before he coached them up]… he should be able to Both Get the Degree AND Bigger Signing Bonuses …
BUT He EARNED The Right to Choose ….
February 16th, 2013 at 11:38 am
I always liked Almadova’s game but never could respect the guy. I’ve heard from so many people that he’s cocky, stuck up, and an asshole. Hopefully he’ll be humbled. I really do think he has the potential to succeed..