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Post by Chris Hatfield on Feb 18, 2014 17:08:26 GMT -5
OK, w/r/t Middlebrooks, here's Brooksbaseball's "Hitter-at-a-glance" on him: www.brooksbaseball.net/h_landing.php?player=519025So my non-expert read on this is that the "he's bad at chasing high fastballs" versus "he's bad at recognizing breaking pitches" debate isn't necessary - it was both. He couldn't help himself on fastballs and couldn't catch up to them, while he was also poor at recognizing breaking pitches and laying off them, also missing those. Just a guess, but I'd wonder if his issues with breaking pitches made him, perhaps, a bit more likely to expand the zone on fastballs, against which he'd had success in the past.
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Post by jmei on Feb 18, 2014 17:16:49 GMT -5
I believe the standard definition of the terms is as follows: pitch recognition: can he identify the spin, velocity, and location of pitches coming out of a pitcher's hand? plate discipline: can he only swing at strikes and/or pitches he can handle? See, e.g., here or here. At any rate, this is more a semantic debate than a substantive one.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Feb 18, 2014 17:33:11 GMT -5
I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. My explanation is: pitch recognition is the ability to recognize the spin of the ball, if it's a fast ball, curveball etc. Plate disciple is having a sense of the strike zone, wether is gonna be a ball/strike. That's how I look at it. That's the simple of it, the question though is how do you know what the batter's problem is and what's the effect.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Feb 19, 2014 4:38:34 GMT -5
Depending on how much stock you put into catcher stats and depending on how much regression we can expect from two catchers that are older than baseball in dog years, maybe Vazquez might end up fast tracked.: statcorner.com/CatcherReport.phpAlso, don't miss the explanation link at the top, some interesting viewpoints. ADD: Chris Stewart is a shocker.
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Post by jdb on Feb 19, 2014 16:08:07 GMT -5
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Post by jmei on Feb 19, 2014 16:39:22 GMT -5
That seems like a pretty solid order. I'd like to see different lineups depending on whether they're facing lefties or righties (something like Nava Pedroia Ortiz Napoli Bogaerts Victorino Pierzynski Middlebrooks Bradley versus righties, Victorino Pedroia Ortiz Napoli Bogaerts Gomes Middlebrooks Ross Bradley versus lefties), but that one seems more than adequate.
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Post by sarasoxer on Feb 19, 2014 20:08:02 GMT -5
Just some observations from having hit JetBlue today. The positional players were taking physicals and did not get to the field as of 12:00. The pitchers and catchers worked on the usual (must be tiresome after all these years) drills. But Coach Butterfield several times stopped action to address Miller on his reaction/positioning on fielding bunts and throwing to third. Buch is in mid-season grub form with very long hair and a 'beard'. Pierzynski is a man-mountain. Swihart looks like his caddy physically...smallish and slight. At first glance no one would believe that Swihart was a catcher. Workman is a specimen (tall and filled out) and, as big/burly as Lester is, Ranaudo, Owens and Miller (of course) make him look like "Jeff". Peavy is smaller than I imagined being maybe 6' or a bit taller. Mujica and Rubby De La Rosa share physiques...more squatish than proto-typical altho RDLR looks a bit slimmer than last year's portly version. Cordero looks ten years younger with a lean frame....Wow! What a re-make! He obviously has made a very concerted effort to report in the best condition possible....recognition of father time's clock ticking? Miller's motion was so long and languid....the ball exploded with minimal effort.
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Post by godot on Feb 19, 2014 20:44:36 GMT -5
Nice stuff Sarasoxer. I heard different things about Swihart. Some say he is slim but about 6 feet; others have him slender on the shorter side. What does he look like to you, other than the comparison to the mountain man. Does not sound like De La Rosa lost that much weight.
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Post by jchang on Feb 19, 2014 20:55:59 GMT -5
On the Dennis & Callahan broad, Farrell says that Bogaerts looks like he's grown an inch.
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Post by p23w on Feb 19, 2014 21:31:19 GMT -5
My explanation is: pitch recognition is the ability to recognize the spin of the ball, if it's a fast ball, curveball etc. Plate disciple is having a sense of the strike zone, wether is gonna be a ball/strike. That's how I look at it. That's the simple of it, the question though is how do you know what the batter's problem is and what's the effect. I would hope that any discussion of midddlebrooks' ab's has both some numbers and some learned observations and doe not dissolve into a battle of "semantics". I have my own personal thoughts observations and hypothesize on Middlebrooks' offense complete with expectations. I welcome the pitch count numbers as a yardstick, but IMO Middlebrooks' performance is also representative of 3 vastly different approaches that I have witnessed during his major league tenure to date. Only one of these approaches showed real promise. The other two do not project well. I am sorry to say. But the optimist fan in me is hoping to see Middlebrooks display his "good approach" this Spring. I am not enamored with Middlebrooks, but I am concerned in part because he is one of two upper level prospects that I consider has plus-plus power potential (the other being Brenz). I would like to see a homegrown power prospect develop, due in large part to what I consider to be an unsavory market for free agent power hitters and the realistic expectation that Ortiz is on a downward slope with respect to his power output. Given the above, I am very interested in any and all analysis of Middlebrooks' offense this Spring.
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Post by thelavarnwayguy on Feb 19, 2014 22:27:01 GMT -5
Depending on how much stock you put into catcher stats and depending on how much regression we can expect from two catchers that are older than baseball in dog years, maybe Vazquez might end up fast tracked.: statcorner.com/CatcherReport.phpAlso, don't miss the explanation link at the top, some interesting viewpoints. ADD: Chris Stewart is a shocker. Nice find! Looks like Ross is our guy defensively. Which was to be expected. Doesn't look like Pierzynsky is popular with the umps.
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Post by sarasoxer on Feb 19, 2014 22:57:02 GMT -5
Nice stuff Sarasoxer. I heard different things about Swihart. Some say he is slim but about 6 feet; others have him slender on the shorter side. What does he look like to you, other than the comparison to the mountain man. Does not sound like De La Rosa lost that much weight. To answer your question re RDLR, I would say that he is 10-15 lbs lighter than last year. He does look more the athlete to this point. On Swihart, he looks like a boy....rather than a grown man. He is, to me and at some distance, the opposite of the proto-type catcher. If I did not know better, I would have pegged him as a good-sized SS.
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Post by taftreign on Feb 20, 2014 0:20:25 GMT -5
Has there been any reports on Owens offseason conditional? He could benefit by adding more strength particularly leg strength. I believe he has another mph or two in that body. Any inside info?
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Post by wskeleton76 on Feb 20, 2014 0:50:12 GMT -5
Has there been any reports on Owens offseason conditional? He could benefit by adding more strength particularly leg strength. I believe he has another mph or two in that body. Any inside info? When Henry Owens participated rookie development program he said he was 210~215. Of late Alex Speier said Owens added 6 more after the program. So he should be around 220.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Feb 20, 2014 6:55:53 GMT -5
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steveofbradenton
Veteran
Watching Spring Training, the FCL, and the Florida State League
Posts: 1,826
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Post by steveofbradenton on Feb 20, 2014 7:24:01 GMT -5
Fantastic!! That is great Chris. Always can count on you.
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Post by wskeleton76 on Feb 20, 2014 8:01:12 GMT -5
Nice stuff Sarasoxer. I heard different things about Swihart. Some say he is slim but about 6 feet; others have him slender on the shorter side. What does he look like to you, other than the comparison to the mountain man. Does not sound like De La Rosa lost that much weight. To answer your question re RDLR, I would say that he is 10-15 lbs lighter than last year. He does look more the athlete to this point. On Swihart, he looks like a boy....rather than a grown man. He is, to me and at some distance, the opposite of the proto-type catcher. If I did not know better, I would have pegged him as a good-sized SS. Your eye is very good. According to Alex Speier, "De La Rosa said that he’s currently at 215 pounds, down from 225-226 last year. More significantly, he said that his body fat came down from 20 to 13 percent."
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Feb 21, 2014 19:16:21 GMT -5
Scott Lauber ?@scottlauber 15m
Switch-hitting RT @ryanlawrence21 is Victorino still switch hitting? Or going full-time to righthanded?
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Post by grandsalami on Feb 22, 2014 21:36:54 GMT -5
To the yankees Bailey goes!
imdierkes ?@timdierkes 7m Yankees close to signing Andrew Bailey.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Feb 22, 2014 22:24:52 GMT -5
To the yankees Bailey goes! imdierkes ?@timdierkes 7m Yankees close to signing Andrew Bailey. Minor league deal. He will be sidelined until at least mid season with shoulder surgery. Andrew Bailey with health issues, whodathunkit.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Feb 23, 2014 10:36:16 GMT -5
Speier reporting that Coyle's getting work at third base in ST, probably in the hopes that'll help alleviate the MIF logjam that's going to happen there.
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Post by soxfanatic on Feb 23, 2014 10:40:40 GMT -5
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Post by bjb406 on Feb 23, 2014 11:14:37 GMT -5
I thought the most intriguing tidbit from that article was that Bogaerts was measured at 6'1". The biggest knock against him the whole way was that 6'3" was supposedly too tall for a shortstop, but he is actually 6'1"? Also, does Speier mean Cecchini put on muscle or put on fat? or both?
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Post by rjp313jr on Feb 23, 2014 11:14:43 GMT -5
Do we really think Coyle starts the year in Portland? Regardless, I still think it makes sense to work him at third. I wonder if they are starting to look at him as an organizational player.
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Post by rjp313jr on Feb 23, 2014 11:17:01 GMT -5
I thought the most intriguing tidbit from that article was that Bogaerts was measured at 6'1". The biggest knock against him the whole way was that 6'3" was supposedly too tall for a shortstop, but he is actually 6'1"? Also, does Speier mean Cecchini put on muscle or put on fat? or both? Considering GCs work ethic, I think it's safe to say it's not fat. Bogey is tall, he's not 6'1.
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