Tag Archives: Rex Chapman

The Cuban Missile is Going to be a Gayngel

Awhile back you may remember me writing how excited I was for the 22-year-old lefty, Aroldis Chapman. I really couldn’t contain my excitement of seeing the next great bearer of last name Chapman (which is my last name), and was hoping he would be the best since Rex Chapman (the basketball player). I already had a nickname picked out for him “The Cuban Missile”. He has tons of upside, and will get his shot at the big league level just like anyone else who has hit 101 mph on the radar gun with some accuracy. I’m still curious if he really is 22, but that’s for Cuban immigration to figure out. I would still be behind him, but yesterday it was reported that the Angels agreed to terms and have locked him up for $21 million. I’ve been an advocate of not paying guys before they throw a pitch at the big league level, and do think giving Chapman and Strausberg contracts this size isn’t the smartest thing to do for unproven talent. Alas, I’m at a loss, because I can’t stand anything Angels related, so this might bring an end to me rooting for him to succeed. Donning the Halo’s uniform, I’m scared to hear what Rex Hudler (Angels Announcer) has to say about him. If you’ve never heard Rex Hudler announce, he puts Angels players on the same pedestal as NFL announcers put Brett Favre. If Aroldis does succeed, I hope they find out he’s really 33, and trade him away to a team I don’t care about so I can root for him again! Actually I hope they trade him before he ever gets to the bigs, but we all know that the Angels hold on to prospects  tighter than Gilbert and his guns.


Can the Cuban Chapman Beat Out the Great Rex Chapman?

Yes, it’s been awhile since we’ve had a Chapman in the news, and in honor of having the same last name as Cuban pitching sensation Aroldis Chapman, who will be showcasing his pitching on Tuesday for a handful of teams. It’s really the first time most will see him pitch live. He’s a 21-year-old lefty that is asking for Strasberg type money, actually more than Steven asked for, which I thought was ridiculous. Alas, he very well could end up being the next best Chapman since Rex (details here on one of the best white dunkers)! The main question for ML clubs is whether they want to spend on someone so raw and unproven. Seeing the triple digit fastball is good and all, but how coachable is he and what kind of worker is he? They also need to know if Aroldis will be able to adjust to the U.S. after getting out of a poverty stricken Cuba. I’m sure he’s going to get paid either way, which is always disappointing to see, since he hasn’t done anything yet. Hopefully, he will do something to once again make the Chapman name relevant in the sports world! Anyways, it sounds like the Angels, Red Sox, and Yankees have heavy interest in signing him, so it seems like he’ll get paid well where ever he goes.