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2008 For years, we've written about how Snelling can really hit, but is always hurt. Indeed, Snelling missed most of 2007 with a deep knee bruise. The problem is that he's no longer hitting. When the A's waived him after the season, the Rays picked him up, then sold him to the Phillies less than month later. Having been the property of six teams in a twelve-month span, he's officially become a journeyman. 2007 Life doesn`t have to be like a hamster wheel; you can make forward progress if you try. For example, if you have a promising young player such as Snelling, a fellow who can hit but breaks something every time he takes the field, you could: (A) install him as your DH, confident that he`ll hit enough to be productive at the position and will stay relatively healthy having been restricted from all that exercise that outfielders are forced to get, or (B) you can trade for Jose Vidro, an old, more expensive DH who is almost certain not to out-hit Snelling and is not guaranteed to be healthy either. Vidro is the hamster wheel. From Snelling`s perspective, the move to Washington is a positive because he should have a clear shot at playing time, but a negative because, in the National League, he`ll have to run and jump and hop and skip and contend with some of the worst traffic problems in the nation--the perfect recipe for more trips to the 60-Day DL. 2006 Some superstitious Mariners fans took to calling him by his middle name, Doyle, to avoid cursing him into another injury, but it didn`t work. It was another knee injury this time, the seventh surgery of the Aussie`s career, and the fifth on his left knee. You have to wonder when those injuries will curtail Snelling`s speed, cutting into not only his base running but also his ability to leg out hits and to catch the ball in Safeco`s spacious left field. A .370 average at Tacoma after missing an entire year showed that the guy could still play until this latest setback. If he can ever overcome the injury bug, he could be a big plus. 2005 Because he's friendly, funny, has an accent, and was into Yoda, Snelling was a novelty prospect, now forgotten. But his battles with injuries have honed his dedication, and Snelling's still got potential even now as he works his way back…wait, no, he just injured himself again. It's been so long since he's played regularly that predictions are meaningless. 2003 When Chris Snelling was called up, I ordered a Snelling Mariners jersey. I had to have it custom-made, and by the time it turned up on my doorstop, Snelling had blown out his ACL trying to hold up rounding third after being waved in from second, waved in, waved in...STOP! The next two words third base coach Dave Meyers should have heard after Snelling went down were "you’re fired." Snelling runs all-out, head down, and between Meyers’s hesitation and Snelling’s failure to keep his eye out if the signal changed, it cost him a year. Snelling is already injury prone, which may be a result of his rabid, Dykstra-esque style of play.
There’s some dispute about what Snelling will become. Will his 5'10 body develop improved power, or are his raw lines in the minors what we should expect: a .290/.350/.450 hitter with doubles power. He’s a preternatural prospect, who has so far utterly defied those who say he is too small, or too slow, or not projectable enough. If Snelling’s body doesn’t come apart at the seams, the least valuable thing he’ll become is a good outfielder. What he could become is something exciting and priceless. 2002 The Force is strong with this one. A legitimate five-talent prospect, Snelling hits for average and power, has decent plate discipline, surfs, and is a hawk in the thrift stores. One of the youngest players in the California League, Snelling was also the circuit's second-best hitter. Slow to start, he came on strong to win the league batting title. Snelling played on a broken foot for the last couple weeks of the season, another of the minor injuries he’s suffered. He's constantly compared to Lenny Dykstra for his hard-nosed play, though Dykstra never hit for the kind of power Snelling already displays. The only reason Snelling isn’t widely regarded as one of the best prospects in baseball is that he stands 5’9”, and there’s a ridiculous “you must be this high to ride the hype machine” requirement. 2001 If there is a war to be fought between scouts and statheads, Chris Snelling will be a major battleground. He’s no more physically imposing than Joey Ramone but has been one of the best players in both his professional leagues while also being one of the youngest. Though only 5’10”, he generates surprising power and, in spite of average-to-below speed, has the instincts to handle center field. Expect Snelling to keep baffling the hardcore tools goofs, though his power may be down a bit this year as he recovers from a broken bone and strained tendon in his hand. 2000 Seattle is one of the few clubs with a strong presence in Australia. In Snelling and Everett ace Craig Anderson, scout Jim Colborn picked a couple of plums off the Sydney Storm roster. The youngest player in the Northwest League, Snelling showed good plate discipline and credits Yoda and the Force for his surprising power. Seriously. Also a fine defensive center fielder, he should only get better as his thin frame fills out.
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