Through October 1, 2000
YR
2000 |
G
126
|
AB
409
|
R
41
|
H
105
|
2B
15
|
3B
4
|
HR
0
|
RBI
29
|
BB
36
|
SO
77
|
SB
6
|
CS
2
|
OBP
.322
|
SLG
.313
|
AVG
.257
|
Profile
& Scouting Report
Height:
5-11
Weight:
180 lbs.
Throws:
Right
Bats:
Left
Positions:
Second Base
Born:
April 22, 1966, Leechburg , Pennsylvania
Drafted:
Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh round of the 1987 free-agent draft; did not sign ... Selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth found of the 1988 free-agent draft.
Pre-Majors Highlights:
Attended Indiana University
Scouting Report
1999 Season
Mickey Morandini was one of the victims of Chicago's dismal season. He was having a fairly representative year for the first four months, batting around .260 and playing solid defense. In August, when the Cubs were well out of contention, they began to look to the 2000 season. They offered potential free agent Morandini a contract extension, and when he rejected it, he was benched in favor of rookie Chad Meyers. Morandini got few at-bats over the last two months and did little with what he got.
Hitting
Morandini has a quick bat and handles fastballs well, especially ones on the inner half of the plate. He has made his living spraying groundballs and liners through the infield, but hit the ball in the air far more often last year. That worked to his distinct disadvantage, because he doesn't have the power to reach the fences regularly. He always has had problems with lefties, and rarely started against them last year.
Baserunning & Defense
On defense, Morandini lacks pizzazz but makes all the plays. He has good range, an accurate arm and a quick double-play pivot. He committed only five errors last year and had the second-best fielding percentage among National League second basemen. He didn't run often or effectively last year, but might improve with a team that falls behind early less often.
2000 Outlook
Morandini became a free agent and won't return to the Cubs. He'll miss hitting in Wrigley Field, which boosted his average each of the last two seasons. His best years may be behind him, but he remains capable of contributing in the right situation. He hinted that he might be interested in returning to the Phillies, who certainly came out ahead when they traded him for Doug Glanville.
Scouting Report Source: STATS, Inc. Copyright 2000 STATS, Inc.
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Profile
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