Joe Simpson’s Saturday Night Rant

[Super]

what did joe say exactly?

[striker42]

what did joe say exactly?

They were talking about Soto being 19 and Joe said something to the effect of "If he is 19" and talked about how he looked like a full grown man.

[striker42]

The thing with Soto is that it's not just one thing that makes you think he's older. It's everything.

If it was just that he was bulky you might be able to write it off as him just being an extreme outlier in body type.

If it was just that his face looks like a 30 year old you might write it off as him just having an old face.

If it was just that he had an advanced eye you could write it off as him just having that special ability.

It's not one thing. It's everything. He's not got the slim build of a 19 year old but an old face. He's not got a young face and youthful approach with a bulky body. He's not a youthful looking, slight framed kid with a great eye.

He's got the build of someone in their late 20's, the face of someone in their late 20's or early 30's, and the eye of a hitter with 10 years more experience than he's got. All together I find that completely unbelievable.

If his listed age was 23 I could maybe buy it. He'd still seem older but it would at least be plausible that he could just be someone who looks old. I just can't buy that he's 19. There's nothing about him that looks 19. Compare him to Acuna and you'll see how huge the difference is.

[Super]

They were talking about Soto being 19 and Joe said something to the effect of "If he is 19" and talked about how he looked like a full grown man.

yeah, see, that's not really a big deal (absent still the verbatim quote).

[striker42]

yeah, see, that's not really a big deal (absent still the verbatim quote).

"He is ... if he's 19, he has certainly got his man growth," Simpson said on Fox Sports South. "He is big and strong."

[thewupk]

Lots of players have waited and then years later are suddenly discovered to be years older than they say. If you're not discovered until late or are a late bloomer then you can make a lot more saying you're 16 instead of 23. If you're 23 you probably don't get signed at all.

Someone with the talents of Soto would get signed regardless of age. You may have a point with fringe players but Soto isn't that. Seems like he just has a body that matured really fast.

[thewupk]

And didn’t Furcal shave a few years off his age as well?

Back before 911 yeah it was somewhat common. These days not nearly as much.

[Super]

"He is ... if he's 19, he has certainly got his man growth," Simpson said on Fox Sports South. "He is big and strong."

yeah, dang, it's not like he accused him or anything. it sounds more in good fun than anything, but perhaps i'm still missing something.

[thewupk]

yeah, dang, it's not like he accused him or anything. it sounds more in good fun than anything, but perhaps i'm still missing something.

just Joe being Joe

[Super]

just Joe being Joe

don't get me wrong, he's an idiot, but if that's all he said i find that like extremely harmless

[Tapate50]

don't get me wrong, he's an idiot, but if that's all he said i find that like extremely harmless

And ultimately it doesn't matter once he's signed.

[Tapate50]

The thing with Soto is that it's not just one thing that makes you think he's older. It's everything.

If it was just that he was bulky you might be able to write it off as him just being an extreme outlier in body type.

If it was just that his face looks like a 30 year old you might write it off as him just having an old face.

If it was just that he had an advanced eye you could write it off as him just having that special ability.

It's not one thing. It's everything. He's not got the slim build of a 19 year old but an old face. He's not got a young face and youthful approach with a bulky body. He's not a youthful looking, slight framed kid with a great eye.

He's got the build of someone in their late 20's, the face of someone in their late 20's or early 30's, and the eye of a hitter with 10 years more experience than he's got. All together I find that completely unbelievable.

If his listed age was 23 I could maybe buy it. He'd still seem older but it would at least be plausible that he could just be someone who looks old. I just can't buy that he's 19. There's nothing about him that looks 19. Compare him to Acuna and you'll see how huge the difference is.

and he doesn't move loosely like a 19 year old either. He moves like Albert Pujols in STL did in 2010

[thewupk]

don't get me wrong, he's an idiot, but if that's all he said i find that like extremely harmless

it is. it's dumb but it doesn't really matter.

[bravesfanforlife88]

Hopefully joe has a few more of these and they get rid of him and chip

[thewupk]

and he doesn't move loosely like a 19 year old either. He moves like Albert Pujols in STL did in 2010

we can hope. a relatively quick flame out instead of a HOF career would be nice.

[CyYoung31]

And didn’t Furcal shave a few years off his age as well?

Wilson Betemit.

[thewupk]

Wilson Betemit.

That was in the opposite direction I believe. We tried to sign him before he was 16.

[CyYoung31]

That was in the opposite direction I believe. We tried to sign him before he was 16.

Braves have always been skirting the rules with international prospects.

[thewupk]

Braves have always been skirting the rules with international prospects.

Always one man at the top....

[striker42]

Someone with the talents of Soto would get signed regardless of age. You may have a point with fringe players but Soto isn't that. Seems like he just has a body that matured really fast.

Maybe. It's hard for a 20+ year old player to get signed out of Latin America (Cuba excepted). If you're the Latin American Roy Hobbs, you still aren't going to get paid much.

Soto got a $1.5 million signing bonus. If he was a 23 year old late bloomer, what does he get? Maybe $50K.

The incentives for lying about your age can still be huge. It still happens. Guys have just gotten a lot better at concealing it.