The Greatness of Buster Olney

While Jemele turns out her high profile once a week page 2 column, in another part of mouse.com Buster Olney quietly turns out a daily blog that is perhaps the best and most informative column on the site.

If you want to know and learn about MLB it is a must read. Here is a good example why:

Got this e-mail about Greg Maddux from a pro pitcher who asked that his name be withheld: I just wanted to respond to a reader comment you published on December 8th. Bob from Chicago doubts how much Greg Maddux helps younger players and pitchers but I have first-hand experience with Maddux as a young pitcher when I was with the Braves organization. I attended spring training with the Braves major league team in 2000, and Maddux was incredibly helpful to me. He took time each day to work with me on throwing a changeup. I literally spent every day for a month being tutored by one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game and I think Maddux did it because he enjoyed helping a young guy out and enjoyed teaching. Beyond that, he always took moments throughout the day to provide "teaching points" on whatever we were doing, whether it was while we were taking PFP or while we were in the batting cage. He didn't just share his thoughts with me, but with all of the young pitchers in camp. I think I learned more about baseball in that month I spent with him than in my entire career up to that point. So, I just wanted to say, keep up the "cliche" of Maddux benefitting younger players/pitchers on the staff. Perhaps my experience was unique, but I doubt it. San Diego will reap the benefits of this signing, not just with Maddux's performance but also the guidance that he will share with their developing staff.

 

Absolutely not. Has unteachable tendencies.

My guess is it's someone who is no longer active...someone who may have attended only one big league camp. I don't see Jason Marquis (or any current big leaguer) sending an email to Olney.

 

SP *Tom Glavine
SP Greg Maddux
SP Kevin Millwood
SP John Burkett
SP Andy Ashby
CL *John Rocker
RP *Mike Remlinger
RP Kerry Ligtenberg
RP *Terry Mulholland
RP Scott Kamieniecki

*Bruce Chen
Jason Marquis
Rudy Seanez
Greg McMichael
Stan Belinda
Don Wengert
Kevin McGlinchy
Luis Rivera
Dave Stevens
Ismael Villegas
Gabe Molina
Chris Seelbach

 

Damn, I was just about to post the same thing, Doc. Nice work.

I say Greg McMichael...if it was someone who even made the regular season roster.

 

Nah, not McMichael...he was like 11teen years old by that point.

And I guarantee it's not Rocker. Big limb I'm going out on there!

 

perhaps Terry Mulholland

 

Thanks, guys. I'm a moron.

For some reason--couldn't tell you why--I thought we were talking about 1991. Again, don't know why.

 

ISTR McGlinchy experimenting with a changeup around that time.

 

Ligtenberg.