There is a lot of vitriol for a kid who has never really had an issue except his weight and a late to morning meeting. At least he isn't juicing, partying, getting arrested, etc...

Everything is speculative but some guys are just targets and some guys are just Teflon.

Both Mo Vaughn and Prince Fielder had a ton of attention paid to their weight throughout their careers, and Mo didn't get to Dom size until later in his career. Plus they were both power hitters.

I'm really not sure how cocaine relates to this discussion at all. We're talking about how a player's weight has consistently been an issue throughout his career and may be holding back his performance and development. I don't care if Dom is fat. I don't care if Dom smokes tons of legal weed when he goes home to Cali for the winter. I don't care if he decides to go all in and blow his bonus on coke. I do care if he ends up being a waste of a first round pick.

It's not as if his weight is being discussed in a vacuum here. The issue is that many perceive it to be holding him back, and it's hardly a stretch to think that his athletic performance isn't optimized by carrying an extra 30 pounds in the gut.

Corrected.

I think there's a greater focus on keeping your weight under control when you find yourself on National Television 162 games a year.

This seems a tad over sensitive. The guy was a high 1st round pick, and so with that (and big $ bonus) come expectations. The guy ballooned up last year and so should that be exempt from discussion? His weight is most likely going to continue to be an issue for him so until he proves he can succeed regardless of his weight and conditioning, it's obviously going to be a valid topic of discussion.

Keith Law is maybe the original Smith "Stan" and remains a fan and HE mentions his weight and jersey buttons about to pop off last year so I find it to be peculiar people are acting like this is an unfair/NYFS critique.

I think it's 3 so far? 2 last season, 1 in ST

At some point saying all the right things becomes as much a liability as an asset.

Who knows the details of last season, but its clear he had issues showing up on time last year, has had issues staying in shape, etc.

There's a reason why Sandy went so harsh on him at the end of last season. There's a reason why Mickey Callaway made such a public example out of him on Day 1 this year.

These aren't NYFS created controversies. You have a GM who is notoriously tight lipped make multiple comments - either direct or in general about the "callups" - to the press. You have a new manager whose public mantra to date was about how much he was going to love his players making an obvious public example of him. You had literally an entire coaching staff in Vegas get reassigned/lose jobs because of how the call-ups reflected on them.

There's an issue here. Its not career killing of course, but its not nothing.

Not at all over sensitive. Just saying there are a lot of guys who deal with developmental problems along the way, and some get passes for them, some do not.

Don't worry - if he hits 30 HRs, you'll happily deny those issues ever existed.

You’re obsession with supposed proper “clubhouse etiquette”- and the policing of it- while admitting acceptance of domestic abuse/adulterous acts- really crimps any sort of greater “I only root for GOOD GUYS” greater morality point you’re trying to make here.

I’d walk away from these topics lest every thread devolve into this, I think.

And in this case- yes, I’ll ignore Doms overeating and tardiness at 22 if and when he hits 30 homers because it’s likely he got over whatever immaturity dogged him if he gets to that level of productivity. The concern is he either eats his way out of the league or becomes a Guy they can’t commit to.