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2018 Spring Training Discussion
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Post by Addam603 on Jan 19, 2018 13:09:59 GMT -5
Anybody know of any ways to get these games outside of the market?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2018 9:48:45 GMT -5
13 days until pitchers and catchers report on February 14th. And 20 days until we can watch the Red Sox on television.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Feb 12, 2018 11:11:10 GMT -5
21 days until we remember what a cruel tease spring training baseball is.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 12, 2018 12:48:19 GMT -5
David Price and Sale are going to be held back a lot this spring to save their arms.
Needless to say, I don't think we'll be seeing Sale hit 97 this spring training and that's perfectly okay.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 12, 2018 12:50:06 GMT -5
21 days until we remember what a cruel tease spring training baseball is. Still great to see baseball back. I'd rather watch a tease at this point. Heck, I'd tune into little kids playing baseball after this terrible offseason.
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Post by rangoon82 on Feb 12, 2018 13:37:36 GMT -5
Anybody know of any ways to get these games outside of the market? Not all are aired on TV I believe. MLBTV usually broadcasts a few when NESN airs them. They also usually always have the radio broadcast too.
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giltg
Veteran
When the eagle is silent , the parrots begin to jabber.
Posts: 274
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Post by giltg on Feb 12, 2018 16:13:42 GMT -5
Spring training starts tomorrow!!! Start dancing !!!
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giltg
Veteran
When the eagle is silent , the parrots begin to jabber.
Posts: 274
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Post by giltg on Feb 13, 2018 0:34:47 GMT -5
Finally it's Spring Training.It's time to play some ball.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 13, 2018 16:25:38 GMT -5
www.weei.com/blogs/rob-bradford/red-sox-report-alex-cora-gives-blueprint-how-red-sox-will-approach-yankees"- Cora sounded like a manager who wasn't against matching up catchers with certain pitchers, as was the case a year ago with Sandy Leon catching almost all of Chris Sale's starts. "I want to have the best lineup possible on a daily basis and that’s going to be part of it," he noted. "I think everybody feels comfortable with the way they handled the pitching staff, the way they catch, the way they present pitches and that’s very important for what we’re trying to accomplish." If this is the case, then this would upset me. I think Vazquez should be starting closer to 75 percent of the games and Leon the rest. No more of this personal catcher crap.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Feb 13, 2018 17:03:32 GMT -5
www.weei.com/blogs/rob-bradford/red-sox-report-alex-cora-gives-blueprint-how-red-sox-will-approach-yankees"- Cora sounded like a manager who wasn't against matching up catchers with certain pitchers, as was the case a year ago with Sandy Leon catching almost all of Chris Sale's starts. "I want to have the best lineup possible on a daily basis and that’s going to be part of it," he noted. "I think everybody feels comfortable with the way they handled the pitching staff, the way they catch, the way they present pitches and that’s very important for what we’re trying to accomplish." If this is the case, then this would upset me. I think Vazquez should be starting closer to 75 percent of the games and Leon the rest. No more of this personal catcher crap. Leon being Sale's personal catcher would get him just 20% of the starts. If Vazquez starts most of the rest, then that'd be right about what you want...
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 13, 2018 17:32:54 GMT -5
www.weei.com/blogs/rob-bradford/red-sox-report-alex-cora-gives-blueprint-how-red-sox-will-approach-yankees"- Cora sounded like a manager who wasn't against matching up catchers with certain pitchers, as was the case a year ago with Sandy Leon catching almost all of Chris Sale's starts. "I want to have the best lineup possible on a daily basis and that’s going to be part of it," he noted. "I think everybody feels comfortable with the way they handled the pitching staff, the way they catch, the way they present pitches and that’s very important for what we’re trying to accomplish." If this is the case, then this would upset me. I think Vazquez should be starting closer to 75 percent of the games and Leon the rest. No more of this personal catcher crap. Leon being Sale's personal catcher would get him just 20% of the starts. If Vazquez starts most of the rest, then that'd be right about what you want... Okay, if Sale needs to have Leon, then fine. Everyone else should have Vazquez, with Leon spot starting here and there.
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Post by Addam603 on Feb 13, 2018 17:51:07 GMT -5
Leon being Sale's personal catcher would get him just 20% of the starts. If Vazquez starts most of the rest, then that'd be right about what you want... Okay, if Sale needs to have Leon, then fine. Everyone else should have Vazquez, with Leon spot starting here and there. So where does Swihart fall into that scenario for you? Utility player?
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Feb 13, 2018 18:00:00 GMT -5
FWIW, Vazquez's career high in games caught during the MLB season (in other words, not counting the AFL or winter ball) is 106, in 2014 (and by the way, I completely forgot he caught 54 MLB games that long ago). His next five seasons (his other healthy seasons since 2011) are 97, 97, 96, 95, and 94. With a 75% of games workload (121 games), that's adding 15 more games to his career high and 24 to his average. Something to consider, as that's not an insignificant jump. That said, it's worth noting he skipped winter ball this offseason, perhaps with the goal of being able to handle an increased workload.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 13, 2018 19:21:16 GMT -5
Okay, if Sale needs to have Leon, then fine. Everyone else should have Vazquez, with Leon spot starting here and there. So where does Swihart fall into that scenario for you? Utility player? There's talk about Swihart being the second baseman. Yeah I think utility player is the right word for Swihart if he isn't traded out of camp.
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Post by Addam603 on Feb 13, 2018 19:51:13 GMT -5
I think putting Swihart at second base is extremely...ambitious. He hasn’t played the infield consistently since high school. Even then, he played third base. Is he capable of playing 2B? I mean, I’ll never count a guy out like that, but I think Marco, Marrero, Holt, and even Quiroz have a better shot at the startin job. He’d have to play ridiculously well in spring training to justify putting him there in my opinion. I just don’t see it happening.
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Post by larrycook on Feb 13, 2018 23:16:32 GMT -5
FWIW, Vazquez's career high in games caught during the MLB season (in other words, not counting the AFL or winter ball) is 106, in 2014 (and by the way, I completely forgot he caught 54 MLB games that long ago). His next five seasons (his other healthy seasons since 2011) are 97, 97, 96, 95, and 94. With a 75% of games workload (121 games), that's adding 15 more games to his career high and 24 to his average. Something to consider, as that's not an insignificant jump. That said, it's worth noting he skipped winter ball this offseason, perhaps with the goal of being able to handle an increased workload. Would not playing just 100 games or so a year, limit the wear and tear on Vazquez body and actually extend his career?
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 13, 2018 23:34:16 GMT -5
FWIW, Vazquez's career high in games caught during the MLB season (in other words, not counting the AFL or winter ball) is 106, in 2014 (and by the way, I completely forgot he caught 54 MLB games that long ago). His next five seasons (his other healthy seasons since 2011) are 97, 97, 96, 95, and 94. With a 75% of games workload (121 games), that's adding 15 more games to his career high and 24 to his average. Something to consider, as that's not an insignificant jump. That said, it's worth noting he skipped winter ball this offseason, perhaps with the goal of being able to handle an increased workload. Would not playing just 100 games or so a year, limit the wear and tear on Vazquez body and actually extend his career? At some point he has to take the workload and lead from the position. Yadier Molina is still going after playing full seasons for the past 10-12 years.
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Post by jerrygarciaparra on Feb 14, 2018 10:09:14 GMT -5
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Post by James Dunne on Feb 14, 2018 10:22:03 GMT -5
Would not playing just 100 games or so a year, limit the wear and tear on Vazquez body and actually extend his career? At some point he has to take the workload and lead from the position. Yadier Molina is still going after playing full seasons for the past 10-12 years. The counterpoint to that is that Christian Vazquez is obviously no Yadier Molina. Balancing getting the most out of player in the very near term (e.g. TODAY) with how to win games throughout the season is probably the hardest thing a manager has to do. At what point do the returns start diminishing on Vazquez because you've pushed him so hard and that the near term benefit of playing in in May hurt them in September? That's kind of what we went through with Chris Sale (and to a lesser extent Rick Porcello, and arguably Dustin Pedroia). What's difficult, though, is that underplaying a guy hurts a team too. If Vazquez is as healthy in September after 120 starts as he would've been after 100... well, that's 20 games in which the team has given itself a disadvantage with no benefit. If Chris Sale should ideally max out at 800 batters faced, and he only faces 750 and they miss the playoffs by two games... And these are super-simplified examples, of course.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Feb 14, 2018 12:47:46 GMT -5
Yeah, I just want Vazquez getting the majority of the starts. 120-125 starts is good enough, which isn't what Vazquez hasn't done to this point in his career yet. No need to run anyone into the ground (I was wrong about Sale last year about overextending him last year).
I also hope that Vazquez improves defensively this year as he gets more reps at the position.
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Post by greatscottcooper on Feb 14, 2018 14:28:13 GMT -5
I remember when Swihart was drafted and a young prospect there was a lot of talk about him being a fit for 2nd. I still have high hopes for the kid, and with his talent, one has to think he's on the brink of a break out if he catches a break and can stay healthy. Given how both Leon and Vasquez have emerged coupled with the Pedroia injury, his age, and Bogaerts looming FA one would have to think a move to the middle infield makes sense for Swihart.
The only thing is, and it's a BIG thing, is that he has been catching for so long and has had almost no developmental time there. It would be an interesting situation if Swihart was taking reps at 2nd in spring training and he ends up smashing the baseball but looks very shaky in the field. Even if one had confidence that he could grow into the position throughout the season Pedroia is expected back.
On the flip side, if Swihart hits and shows the potential to play in the field it bodes very well for his future one way or another.
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Post by carmenfanzone on Feb 14, 2018 15:59:01 GMT -5
So today was the report day for pitchers and catchers and I went to the park to see what was going on. A couple of new things. First, you have to go through a metal detector to get to the back fields where the players were working out. Don't know if they will keep doing that once the major leaguers start practicing in the stadium or not, but I guess its a sign of the times and probably a good idea. Also, the concession stand in the middle of the minor league fields was open today and doing a brisk business. I have never seen that stand open before. One of the workers said it would stay open until the major leaguers started practicing inside the stadium. At one time or another, there were players on all 6 minor league fields.
There were a few alumni present. I saw Tiant and Gedman for sure. I am pretty sure I saw Dwight Evans talking to our new manager and I heard someone saying they had just missed getting Pedro's autograph so I think he was there as well.
Among the injury concerns for the pitchers, I saw Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg both doing all the drills. I was particularly happy to see Thornburg looking good. Rodriguez was there and seemed to be walking well, but I did not see him running or in any drills. Porcello, Price, Sale, and Pomeranz were in one group together. The only pitcher I did not see that I was looking for was Wright. It could have been that he was in the one area I could not see well (there is an area between 2 of the minor league fields that has pitching mounds but is shielded from view by a green fence and he might have been there - that is where the big four starters spent most of their time). Still, I would feel better if I had seen Wright looking like he is ready to go. All of the main relief pitchers were present - Kimbrel, Kelly, Barnes, Hembree, Workman, Scott, Smith and Thornburg to name a few. There were a few major league position players taking BP on field 1, but they did not have their jerseys on and I am not good at picking them out without there names on their backs. Holt was definitely one of them.
So if you are somewhere cold and snowy, know that spring is on the way.
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Post by jerrygarciaparra on Feb 14, 2018 16:36:22 GMT -5
So today was the report day for pitchers and catchers and I went to the park to see what was going on. A couple of new things. First, you have to go through a metal detector to get to the back fields where the players were working out. Don't know if they will keep doing that once the major leaguers start practicing in the stadium or not, but I guess its a sign of the times and probably a good idea. Also, the concession stand in the middle of the minor league fields was open today and doing a brisk business. I have never seen that stand open before. One of the workers said it would stay open until the major leaguers started practicing inside the stadium. At one time or another, there were players on all 6 minor league fields. There were a few alumni present. I saw Tiant and Gedman for sure. I am pretty sure I saw Dwight Evans talking to our new manager and I heard someone saying they had just missed getting Pedro's autograph so I think he was there as well. Among the injury concerns for the pitchers, I saw Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg both doing all the drills. I was particularly happy to see Thornburg looking good. Rodriguez was there and seemed to be walking well, but I did not see him running or in any drills. Porcello, Price, Sale, and Pomeranz were in one group together. The only pitcher I did not see that I was looking for was Wright. It could have been that he was in the one area I could not see well (there is an area between 2 of the minor league fields that has pitching mounds but is shielded from view by a green fence and he might have been there - that is where the big four starters spent most of their time). Still, I would feel better if I had seen Wright looking like he is ready to go. All of the main relief pitchers were present - Kimbrel, Kelly, Barnes, Hembree, Workman, Scott, Smith and Thornburg to name a few. There were a few major league position players taking BP on field 1, but they did not have their jerseys on and I am not good at picking them out without there names on their backs. Holt was definitely one of them. So if you are somewhere cold and snowy, know that spring is on the way. I don't know if it is my excitement or the great way you descibed it, but I felt like I was right there with you. Thanks for the excellent report!!
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Feb 14, 2018 16:49:21 GMT -5
Great intel, thanks! I've never seen the concession stand out back open either. Makes sense they'd only open it for while the MLB'ers are out back - they'd definitely lose money opening it during minor league camp (but I think I'm speaking on behalf of everyone that it'd be SUPER convenient if it were open.
Wright addressed the media today, so he was out there. Abraham said on Twitter that both Rodriguez and Wright were held out of drills and running today. Dombrowski said he doesn't know if either will be ready for opening day.
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Post by carmenfanzone on Feb 14, 2018 19:20:33 GMT -5
Great intel, thanks! I've never seen the concession stand out back open either. Makes sense they'd only open it for while the MLB'ers are out back - they'd definitely lose money opening it during minor league camp (but I think I'm speaking on behalf of everyone that it'd be SUPER convenient if it were open. Wright addressed the media today, so he was out there. Abraham said on Twitter that both Rodriguez and Wright were held out of drills and running today. Dombrowski said he doesn't know if either will be ready for opening day. In past years I know you like to get a copy of the minor league game schedule. I asked one of the Jet Blue Park people for one a few days ago and was told they are not out yet and will not be out until near the end of the month. I will check again and will share it with you if I get it.
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