SoxProspects News
|
|
|
|
Legal
Forum Ground Rules
The views expressed by the members of this Forum do not necessarily reflect the views of SoxProspects, LLC.
© 2003-2024 SoxProspects, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Home | Search | My Profile | Messages | Members | Help |
Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register.
Recent Posts
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 9, 2015 14:15:01 GMT -5
I guess Espinoza and Acosta were the high end pitchers for 2014/15, other than Kopech last year. usually the Sox take at least 1 each year, but now it's looking like it won't happen, unless there is some senior they can grab for dirt cheap.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 8, 2015 23:57:59 GMT -5
Not to be a spoiler or anything with the list above.. Nix may be looking for at least the 1.5m he was supposed to have gotten last year from Houston and didn't get.
Edit:
I'd be all for the Sox drafitin him however, or Matuella to nab a high end power pitcher.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 8, 2015 14:20:14 GMT -5
Yeah, Gammons always has been a homer with his local predictions, yet especially around draft time still like to read up on his predictions and his picks were there those 2 years and in 2010 when better people were arguably still available even at #20.
Someone (Epstein) must have been feeding him really good info for awhile, though like you said his hit/miss percentage has gone way down since, even after the upper rounds.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 8, 2015 12:30:34 GMT -5
Gammons saying Benintendi is going 5th that'd assure us one of fulmer Tate or Bregman Gammons has a habit of being bang on with who Boston takes in advance, whether it's day of the draft, or in advance. I remember him predicting Vitek and Barnes.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 7, 2015 23:13:44 GMT -5
As I said its not that I think it's not possible for him to accelerate the time table. But he has thrown 7 innings in the DSL to me is way too early to be talking about that. King Felix was much further along from a phisical stand point. This kid is 160 right now and has a lot of growth to do yet. He needs to build arm strength to handle a full season workload. Those guys you mention were really advance phisically and were "maxout" at that point so it makes sense that they could handle moving so fast as teenagers. The comparison is not just how hard you throw. Maybe he is phenom and moves incredibly fast like Felix or Doc. But opening next year in Lowell would be incredibly fast to me. Think if he's touching 99mph he's already too advanced for the DSL physically, or gamewise and would need to be facing GCL hitters, now culturally? That's another question. I'd like to see him facing more advanced hitters now, if he's able to, or the Sox think he's able to in the state's culturally. People need to remember guys like Dever's took that big jump and it was thought to be a huge leap right after his 17th BD and he wasn't a pitcher.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 5, 2015 23:30:49 GMT -5
I just don't think you can assume that. The pitchers didn't look like they were throwing at max effort back then the way they do now. There's no possible way they could have thrown that way for 300+ innings. I don't even know how they could estimate what Walter Johnson or Dizzy Dean were throwing. It's not like nutrition and strength training were better back then. If I had to guess, every one of the great pitchers from long ago would not be able to throw more innings than anyone else today and every one of the great pitchers today would be throwing 18 inning shutouts and then start 2 days later if they could go back in time. Maybe they were throwing waterlogged balls and all the hitters were using 40 something ounce bats which weren't built for them. I don't know. But when I look at some of those 300 inning stats, I just can't help but thinking 'batting practice effort'. Not in my lifetime. I was covering baseball in the late 60s and early 70s as part of my work at UPI and those pitchers I saw and wrote about (one of my features on the Orioles in 1969, "The Happiest Ballclub," done with the great photographer Dirck Halstead, was reprinted in that year's World Series Program) were "throwing that way" all the time. And they were doing it every four games instead of five now. The Orioles had four 20-game winners in 1971, something never done before or since. Keep in mind that the casualty rate among pitchers was enormous. If a shoulder or elbow went that was the end. And many pitchers had very short careers. These fellows who managed ten to 15 years, or more, of regular pitching were amazing exceptions. Also, there is documentation of the pitching speed of Johnson and Dean and others. I just can't recall where I read it - it was a while ago. There was some science then. It didn't all start recently. There were people keeping track of things. There are a great number of eyewitness accounts. And there were films of baseball from the early 20s on, maybe even earlier. And speeds can be computed from film. I don't disagree that the overall quality of pitching was comparable to today's. All I am saying is that the really good pitchers would be really good today, maybe even better. You are talking to an empty room full of ears closed that flat out don't believe you, or are hesitant at best because they didn't see it with their own eyes Dan. They never saw people like Bobby Veale throw 95-100mph+ 150 pitches per game and well over 200 innings each year, every 4 days. Nolan Ryan even in his early days the same. J R Richard.. The list goes on.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 4, 2015 23:31:44 GMT -5
Hope not also and remember too that he was huge in his SF days. beckett also had a habit of reporting with a gut sometimes, so lets hope that he just has some other physical issue that is affecting his defensive play ATM.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 4, 2015 21:49:05 GMT -5
For sure. What have been thinking of since ST with Sandoval and his fat belly is how at least it took George Scott until his 30's to get that fat and out of shape, then he would make some kind of effort to lose it during ST and how Sandoval just doesn't give a flip. Maybe if that blob of gut isn't in the way he gets down for that throw from Swihart today?
4 more years to go for someone who hacks at everything and makes -0- effort to take care of a huge weight problem. Just remember The Boomer's problem preceded his last 2 years of poor offensive seasons and his once prestine glove work turning into lead at 1b.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 4, 2015 0:13:43 GMT -5
He is obviously struggling in Greenville. He has struck out 57 of 150 at bats. I think we should consider moving him down to Lowell where he will be playing against guys his own age. The average age in the NYPL is actually only like half a year younger than the SAL for hitters and a third of a year for pitchers, so it's not a big difference. The only reason to demote him to Lowell would be split up the third basemen. The potential negative effects of demoting the kid far outweigh the positives, imo. As we all often say, a prospect struggling isn't necessarily a bad thing. Something at least to get him, Devers, Moncada and Longhi consistent AB's. It's impossible as it is for those guys, then Dubon and Guerra added in the lineup all at once. I'm at the point that for the middle IF situation would like to see Dubon sent to Salem and let Rijo platoon with him, or Salem sort that situation out since the organization thinks Dubon is a future utility type and it would free up one of the clogs, same with Tellez, who is older than league average and taking away AB's.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 2, 2015 14:51:34 GMT -5
Is that BA# 407 Tom Nagy of any relation to old time Sox hurler Mike Nagy by chance?
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 1, 2015 19:06:27 GMT -5
Yessir! Let's hope the GCL club is good once again and they get to play AT LEAST one game in Tampa, like in both 2013 and 2014 for PO games. Better than just watch L-Tiger A Ball and GCL Tigers games live for me.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 1, 2015 18:49:25 GMT -5
That makes 7HR for Guerra since the GCL Championship series when he hit 2. Not bad for such a small guy.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 31, 2015 13:02:54 GMT -5
As of June 1? Have the Greenie Sox to enjoy watching this year.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 29, 2015 16:03:46 GMT -5
That snuck up on me. I'm pretty excited to add Espinoza and Acosta to my list of guys to follow. Wow yeah that's awesome. I can't wait for Lowell to start too. Hell of an outfield there. Whitson and Cosart for another couple of hard tosser's to enjoy watching with a chance to possibly help the big club in the future.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 28, 2015 15:27:17 GMT -5
“@daleearnold: John Farrell tells @daleholleyweei that David Ortiz is out of the lineup for at least the next couple of days to work on things in the cage.” Seeking those low hanging grapes which Ortiz mentioned would "come in bunches" after his last HR? Not going to start with the doom and gloom with Ortiz, I do want to say something however. His bat does look slow this year. Don't know if his head has gotten confused with the slow start and needs to clear it out with several days off, which may be what is happening today, or if he really is slowing down. Pitches (fb) not hard ones seem to be giving him fits, in his wheelhouse. I hope it's his "clearing of the mind", or an adjustment he can pull off, which he did 5y back and prolong his career.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 27, 2015 8:29:21 GMT -5
My take on Tucker and every other player in the draft is that I've never seen them play in person and I don't know anything, so I'll leave it to the experts. Not being a wiseass, but I just am never going to have access to remotely the same data that the various scouting departments and even some of the more heavily involved baseball media guys like McDaniel and Law do, so I'm not going to bother trying to form some terribly uninformed opinion. That's downright contrarian on this board when it comes to scouting/rating the draft. How dare you! It's also the truth tho. Most of us don't have that luxury of being able to watch games live & in person, so are forced to watch them via video now tho and form opinions of them that way however instead and it isn't the same, as you know. Release points change, breaks are different. I have to get readjusted (example) when GCL season starts from attending live Tiger games here and watching all these Sox games.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 26, 2015 7:13:23 GMT -5
Think Jon Denney and he wasn't hurt. Denny had major character issues, Aiken doesn't. I don't understand the comparison. Were his attitude, or lack of personal control knowledge well known prior to the draft? That was my point, or is that why he fell from a high BA ranking (think was low 20's) all the way to the 3rd round? Asking because I really don't know Chavopepe. Didn't follow that draft much and don't remember hearing anything about his attitude being a factor, until he turned into the problem Boston now has.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 25, 2015 19:52:39 GMT -5
There is no way in hell Aiken falls that far. All it takes is one team to take the chance on him, even if the medicals are riskier than the usual TJS. Think Jon Denney and he wasn't hurt.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 25, 2015 4:37:13 GMT -5
Taking the most famous Robert Newton line from the film "Treasure Island": "Oh for 10 toes", when John Silver had the peg leg. Wishing, or wanting Aiken to be post TJ with his newfounded medical issues, just like John Silver was less of a person with 5 toes than others with 10.
There are reasons we can be pretty sure that Aiken's name has not come up in the top 10 selections on any of the supposed guru sites.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 25, 2015 0:18:44 GMT -5
I saw Light as another Carter Capps think is the thing Chris. Develop him as a reliever straight out of college and focus on coming into games with one pitch, other than a upper 90's FB. It worked out ok for Bard until the mechanics and velocity fell apart and hoped it would for Light.
Capps, hopefully will still be able to help the Marlins. He's been dealing with that dreaded "elbow sprain" off an on since being traded to the Fish.
Regardless. Throwing 97+ doesn't make a pitcher unhittable of course, but toss in an average secondary pitch, like Bard's slider was and it makes that person a potent weapon in the pen. That's the kind of guy would like to see Light become, rather than some guy who turns into the next 40 man roster casualty.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 24, 2015 15:40:22 GMT -5
Didn't Farrell say last year, like right after they resigned him that he was going to make an effort to not pitch him in back to back games if it wasn't save situations? Something along those lines? Like others above said. Just because he warmed up doesn't mean he has to pitch, he can throw simulated AB's in front of a coach out there, this is what finished his season last August.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 24, 2015 14:09:04 GMT -5
A good starer is at least twice as valuable as a good reliever so there is almost no debate about the strategy. 5th starters end up getting signed for about as much as the best relief pitchers as free agents. When the BP has a serious flaw and have to go to the open market, give up an Eduardo Rodriquez type for an Andrew Miller that rule applies? Same when the Sox pen had flaws and they had to give up David Murphy for Gagne? Forcing some SP, who struggle for a couple of years with.. Say secondary pitches, maybe some mechanical issues to remain as starters can be more than just a debatable subject. It could be costing the Sox viable, long term relievers from pitchers who either end up with other organizations, or end up hurt, released etc..
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 24, 2015 11:57:25 GMT -5
It's the taking so long to make up their mind and then running into 40 man roster issues with the people what are late to be finally moved into relief. No denying they have had some success with power relievers, yet none have been recent, other than Workman and possibly Taz.
Light and Mercedes become 40 man eligible this winter. Not saying either get protected, they have only had 2 months duty as relievers, though it would have been nice seeing both with a full season pitching 1-2IP stretches max.
No doubt, to me the Sox do decent developing starters, just shorten that period up between forcing someone to do well who won't in that role (Callahan) and instead get that arm into a relief role where they get time to look at them just in case another organization sees something Boston hasn't been. Build a KC, Seattle BP instead of what has been here the last few seasons and not trying to hit anyone.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 23, 2015 17:05:37 GMT -5
Of course having Light throwing 2 pitches he was never going to ever use for 2 years, then finally bringing back his forkball when the FO decides it's time to stick him into the 'pen 3 years too late could also be handy excuses if the Sox wind up losing him via the rule 5 draft should they choose to not protect him this winter.
Sometimes wonder what they are thinking. They get these thoughts in there head that people are starters and won't allow themselves to have it changed, regardless of how circumstances are with a player. Light is just the latest example. Other organizations have been quicker than has Boston on this aspect, hopefully since they finally realized the shortage of power arms at the MLB level as compared to other teams, combined with the loss of Garcia will change this from now on.
I know am not the only one who thinks like this, though some took offense every year I mentioned this about Pat Light since he was drafted.
|
|
|
Post by johnsilver52 on May 23, 2015 11:35:31 GMT -5
Was wondering before they sent Moncada there what they were going to do and it's been rough not seeing Dubon at 2b on a daily basis, then what do they do? Should he have been sent straight to Salem instead and interfered with Rijo's playing time, then DH'd when wasn't playing 2b? That Salem team doesn't have the number of top kids as does Greeneville.
|
|
|