Today’s busy enough that I’m not going to get the chance to edit some of the stuff I’ve found on Lou Collier - so I’ve gone ahead and posted two articles in their entirety.
Just a quick note about the “labels” that are popping up on the posts - most are self-explanatory (e.g. RHP is short form for Right Handed Pitcher) and I’ve added them to make sorting through the near 300 posts a little easier. For instance if you want to find posts about OF, you just need to find the label and click on it.
My apologies for the “sermon” yesterday - in hindsight, I slammed the door on Mr. Deitch pretty hard, perhaps not entirely warranted. My problem is that I’ve got a very thin skin when it comes to the Lynx and what I perceive to be biased reporting - a big old chip on my shoulder. Having said that, I’m still careful to try not to read too much into things and see things that aren’t there. So far, no one has emailed or commented about any disagreement. (The label ABM? It stands for “Angry Blogger Man” - hopefully there won’t be too many more).
Getting back to Lou Collier - Scout.com leads off:
Lou Collier has never really gotten a chance to be an everyday player for any length of time. His is a story of perseverance. Collier’s story is also one of a player running out of time to get his real shot at being a major league player. At age 31, Collier’s prime may have passed, but he still believes there’s a place for him on a major league roster.
Lou Collier was never a blue-chip prospect. He has had to scratch and claw for all he has achieved through his baseball career. Drafted by the Pirates in the 31st round of the 1992 draft out of tiny Triton College, Collier had a lot to learn. He learned quickly, though. The Pirates moved Collier through the minors at a quick pace and thought more and more of him as he showed what he could do in the minor league ranks. After hitting .330 at AAA Calgary in 1997, Pittsburgh brought their prospect to the majors for a look.
The early days of Collier’s major league career didn’t go well. Collier had just 37 at bats in his first shot with Pittsburgh and hit just .135 in ’97. Since then, the story has been much the same; Start the year in the minors, put up huge numbers and wait either for an injury or the September roster expansions and then come back to the majors. That history, along with the fact that Collier is a career .239 hitter in the majors has branded the 31 year old as a “quad-A” type player. A guy who has enough talent to make him look like an all-star at AAA, but a weak link as a major league player.
In his first season with the Phillies organization, Collier followed the script. Hitting .238 in spring training, the Phillies sent Collier to AAA Scranton, the sixth different AAA city of his career. From day one, Collier became a major part of the Red Barons’ offense and finished the season hitting .326 in the International League. Again, the script continued when Pat Burrell went on the DL and the Phillies purchased Collier’s contract.
“You know that injuries are going to happen and I don’t wish them on anybody, but my job is to be ready to help if someone goes down,” said Collier. When he arrived in Philadelphia, Jason Michaels had been inserted as Burrell’s replacement and Collier was riding the bench. Collier saw a few at bats here and there and Burrell surprisingly returned from his wrist injury that initially was thought to have ended his season. Now, Collier was pushed further down the bench and to make things worse, injured his foot, causing him to miss some opportunities.
While he’s with the Phillies on a one-year deal, Collier wouldn’t rule out coming back next season. “I’ve enjoyed myself this season. I had a good year, so that helps make it fun and the Phillies have been pretty good to me. I would consider coming back,” admits Collier. Still, as he does almost every winter, Collier will likely go in search of a better opportunity with a true shot at making a major league roster. “I think I could help a club. Actually, I still believe that I could be a decent everyday player. I’m not saying I would be an all-star or anything, but I think I would be okay.”
The Phillies would likely want to have Collier back, but there wouldn’t be any guarantees about playing in the majors. In fact, it’s more likely that they’ll officially release him to take him off the 40 man roster at the end of the season, clearing a spot for another player that they may need to protect in the Rule Five Draft. Still, the option of coming back on another one-year, minor league contract with an invitation to spring training might be extended to Collier.
“Lou is one of those guys that a AAA manager – or any manager for that matter – loves to have around,” said Scranton manager Marc Bombard. “He plays hard and you never have to worry about him. He’s good in the clubhouse and young players can learn a lot from him.”
Unfortunately for Collier, he really does have the reputation as being one of those AAAA players. Organizations like to have him around because he can help them at the AAA level, but he is really only a major leaguer out of necessity, not out of the belief that he will add too much to your ball club. He’s also one of those guys that would be interesting to see get a shot at legitimate playing time. He can play anywhere in the outfield and can also play at first base and third base. While flexibility is on his side, age and reputation aren’t. For that reason, Collier will likely continue to follow the script that has been written for him, just waiting for a shot at a bigger part with a major league club.
From his days in Pawtucket:
Pawtucket, R.I. — Lou Collier has played a lot of baseball in a lot of cities. He’s made his share of friends and admirers in just about every one of them.
One member of the unofficial “Lou Collier Fan Club” took it upon himself to give the 30-year old Pawtucket Red Sox outfielder a little pep talk from the nearly empty Lynx Stadium stands, during a recent game in Ottawa, which was Collier’s address last year.
“Hey Lou! Just hit the *&%#**# ball, already,” bellowed one pair of leather lungs.
At that precise moment, Collier did exactly as he was told, turning on a Mike Drumright fastball and sending it clean out of the park and onto Coventry Road, just missing a group of passing cars.
“I couldn’t help but hear him,” said Collier. ” It was all in fun. All part of the game.”
Collier takes one deep
Collier knows a lot about the game. He plays it hard. He plays it well.
Well enough to spend the last 11 years playing professional baseball, but unfortunately, not well enough to earn more than a few cups of coffee in the majors with Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Montreal.
Nonetheless, the Chicago native is fresh off his best April start ever.
He is hitting for average, which is typical for him, and with big time power, which is not.
“I just try to do my job, man. I get the opportunity and try to hit the ball where ‘they ain’t’. I’m being blessed for that to be happening to me.”
There’s a lot of “ain’t” whenever Collier leaves the batter’s box.
Collier wound up the opening month of the season hitting a torrid .389, third in the International League.
Even more impressive was his April run production. His 24 RBI was tops in the IL, and his five homers put him with the league leaders.
Never a big home run threat, Collier is just one homer shy of last year’s total with the Lynx.
PawSox manager Buddy Bailey, who routinely pencils Collier’s name in the fifth spot, admits he’s a bit surprised by Collier’s explosiveness at the plate.
“I wouldn’t have thought he’d have had five (homers) right now,” he said.” It’s a beautiful thing, and hopefully it keeps happening. He’s in one of those slots, now. He’s been on the ball good. He’s adding a lot of RBIs for us. He’s getting pitches in zones he can handle and he hasn’t been missing.”
Collier is on pace to put up career high bests in home runs (14 in 2001 with Indianapolis) and RBI (52 last year with Ottawa).
While he stands just 5-10 and weighs 191 lbs, one glance at him out of uniform in the Pawtucket clubhouse reveals a chiseled physique that would put a Greek statue to shame.
The guy is cut.
“He may not be the biggest guy in the league,” said Pawtucket’s Freddy Sanchez, “but I’ll tell you, he’s one of the strongest. The guy is absolutely rock solid. He crushes the ball.”
For his part, Collier says there’s no secret to his success, just a little patience and a lot of diligence.
“I’m just hitting the ball hard, and it’s going out of the park,” he said.
“I’m not doing anything different. I’m just getting pitches to hit, and I’m hitting them hard.”
While Collier won’t admit to making any changes, there have been a few teensy alterations, at least according to Pawtucket hitting coach U.L. Washington.
“We’ve been working on him hitting the high pitch,” said Washington, “which is what they like to throw him. He’s starting to make adjustments on that. The main thing is that he goes the other way, and when he sees a pitch to hit, he does something with it.”
One would think that the revitalized Collier would like to shed a few years, maybe hoodwink a few major league scouts into thinking that he’s a young prospect instead of a late bloomer.
Washington, for one, thinks that Collier could help a few big league teams. He should know, having spent 11 years in “the Show” himself.
“He’s the kind of guy that a club up there could really use,” Washington said. “(Lou’s) helped us out here a lot, and we’d hate to see him go.”
For his part, Collier is focused only on the task at hand, which is to help drive Pawtucket into the playoffs.
“I think there are going to be a lot of positive things happen for this team, this year,” he said. “I feel real good about the group of guys that we have. When everybody is clicking, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
