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Russ Oliver
Relief Pitcher | Retired or Inactive Players
Pitching He can get groundballs when he needs them in a jam. Oliver has to keep the ball down, especially against lefties, or he gets hit hard and often. Oliver also has a decent changeup. The Retired or Inactive Players hope he can work on his control a little bit. Every once and a while one slips away from him and either ends up at the backstop or in the right field bleachers. Dating back to his days in the minors, Oliver has been more effective against righthanders than lefthanders. He absolutely loves playing before the hometown crowd.
Defense & Hitting His windup, though, makes him an easy target to run on. Oliver never has been a good fielder. Oliver is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Oliver has some pop in his swing. Interesting sidenote, The Retired or Inactive Players have been known to use Oliver as a pinch-runner on occasion.
2025 Outlook Oliver isn't cutting the mustard in the low minors. It's time for Russ to investigate other career options, like coaching highschool ball. But if you ask me, I'll pass on Oliver.
-- Ska Nyman, A-Ball Scout
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