MLB Spring Training Thread

[MichaelWinicki]

They looked like it today in Ft. Myers against the Twins

Yeah, I see Miguel Gonzalez had a brutal start to the game.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Yeah, I see Miguel Gonzalez had a brutal start to the game.

Picked up right where he left off last year - hates pitching with a lead apparently.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Yankees better watch out with their 3 wins in ST, the Birds are nipping at their heels even with only 1 win so far

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

A great thread going on here. Thanks for the shares. Me, I'm an old Brave fan...treading water. But excited about a possible future that overtakes the likes of Houston. (fingers crossed)

The Braves are in rebuild mode. Just dont get Jason Garrett to do the building, it might take years . . . . .

 

[Tabascocat]

The Braves are in rebuild mode. Just dont get Jason Garrett to do the building, it might take years . . . . .

It has been years already

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

It has been years already

Jason has relatives in Atlanta?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Yankees better watch out with their 3 wins in ST, the Birds are nipping at their heels even with only 1 win so far

I'm sure Red has a different view of the Yankees... to me they're a borderline WC team.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

I'm sure Red has a different view of the Yankees... to me they're a borderline WC team.

Championship contender for Red

The AL East is a toss up. We'll see how things go the first couple months and MAYBE get a better idea.

I dont know how much stock to put in ST records. Its some indication, but not always. Maybe its like Yogi said, "you only get so many wins and we dont want to waste them in spring training."

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Championship contender for Red

The AL East is a toss up. We'll see how things go the first couple months and MAYBE get a better idea.

I dont know how much stock to put in ST records. Its some indication, but not always. Maybe its like Yogi said, "you only get so many wins and we dont want to waste them in spring training."

I agree ST records and such leave a lot to be desired.

More interested in the individual players and the position battles.

Right now for Houston, John Singleton was the apparent starter (replacing Chris Carter) at 1st base, but so far this spring he's:

0.87 with 11 K's in 23 AB's. Yeah, that's .087

The contenders are:

AJ Reed who was the MILB player of the year who's hitting .300 and 7 K's in 20 AB's.

Tyler White who has an "odd" baseball body 5"11/225lbs, but all the guy has done is hit, hit, hit, but he hasn't played in AAA. He's hitting .385 with 10 hits in 26 AB's and 6 K's.

Neither Reed nor White are on the Astro's 40-man roster, which is somewhat problematic.

Plus they have a decent amount of money invested in Singleton.

One of the big problems last season for Houston was a lack of high OBP guys, White and to a lesser extent Reed can fill that void. Just not sure they're going to get the chance to start the season as the starter at 1st base.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

One of the big problems last season for Houston was a lack of high OBP guys, White and to a lesser extent Reed can fill that void. Just not sure they're going to get the chance to start the season as the starter at 1st base.

I guess the team will have to determine if those guys could do it in the big leagues, or decide if its worth giving them the opportunity. It seems there's always a guy lighting it up in ST but it doesnt carry over to the 162 game schedule.

Maybe the AL West will be as fun to follow as the East?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I guess the team will have to determine if those guys could do it in the big leagues, or decide if its worth giving them the opportunity. It seems there's always a guy lighting it up in ST but it doesnt carry over to the 162 game schedule.

Maybe the AL West will be as fun to follow as the East?

Right now it looks like a 2 team race between Texas and Houston.

Outside of 2 guys, the Angels lineup is a wreck and their rotation has problems.

Seattle could be improved this year... Save with Oakland, but none of the 3 teams is on par with Texas or Houston.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Right now it looks like a 2 team race between Texas and Houston.

Outside of 2 guys, the Angels lineup is a wreck and their rotation has problems.

Seattle could be improved this year... Save with Oakland, but none of the 3 teams is on par with Texas or Houston.

Yea, now that you mention it the Angels are kind of a train wreck. Quite a turnaround from a couple of years ago. Mike Scioscia is kinda like the Marvin Lewis of MLB.

The Texas Houston rivalry should be good enough to keep that division interesting.

 

[Tabascocat]

Jason has relatives in Atlanta?

I hope so for the Mets sake

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

For WPB...

Orioles are going to hit a ton of home runs.

The defense though looks to be maybe the worst in the league... and the starting rotation looks bad.

If they win half their games, they'll be lucky.

BTW... Orioles are last in the league in both ERA and team defensive efficiency.

Buck will never see the end of the season. Mid-season firing.

I'm sure Red has a different view of the Yankees... to me they're a borderline WC team.

Yankees will win the east. The resurgence is upon us.

Toronto will not pick up where they left off.
Boston bad moves.
Tampa will hang for a while.
Baltimore.... Well....

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Buck will never see the end of the season. Mid-season firing.

Yankees will win the east. The resurgence is upon us.

Toronto will not pick up where they left off.
Boston bad moves.
Tampa will hang for a while.
Baltimore.... Well....

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Dexter Fowler could have been that guy . . . . . . .

If the SP works out it will be fine.

Fowler would have been a good signing.

The Orioles line up is a microcosm of the offensive imbalance in MLB.

You've got a league full of RBI's guys and a dearth of guys that can get on base.

There's more emphasis on bat-speed and a lack of emphasis on bat-quickness, meaning guys and swing their bats quickly through the zone, but they lack the quickness in getting the bat in the right spot to hit the ball– a spot on the ball that gives the batter some control on where the ball is going to go (direction).

That's why we see so many shifts... guys are incapable of directing the ball to the opposite side of the diamond.

I'd love to see more emphasis on bat quickness and an end to guys getting 40 HR's and not cracking 100 RBI's because there's no one on base.

I remember when Tommy Herr, the 2nd baseman had 8 HR's one season and 110 RBI's. That's an amazing total, only reached because that offense had guys on base often.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Fowler would have been a good signing.

The Orioles line up is a microcosm of the offensive imbalance in MLB.

You've got a league full of RBI's guys and a dearth of guys that can get on base.

There's more emphasis on bat-speed and a lack of emphasis on bat-quickness, meaning guys and swing their bats quickly through the zone, but they lack the quickness in getting the bat in the right spot to hit the ball– a spot on the ball that gives the batter some control on where the ball is going to go (direction).

That's why we see so many shifts... guys are incapable of directing the ball to the opposite side of the diamond.

I'd love to see more emphasis on bat quickness and an end to guys getting 40 HR's and not cracking 100 RBI's because there's no one on base.

I remember when Tommy Herr, the 2nd baseman had 8 HR's one season and 110 RBI's. That's an amazing total, only reached because that offense had guys on base often.

I liked those Cardinals teams. Especially before Jack Clark went to NY.

Speaking of bat quickness, or bat control, you'd NEVER see a shift if Rod Carew were batting. I remember as a kid seeing him play at Memorial Stadium when the Twins were in town. Watching him lay down a bunt was a thing of beauty. Or putting the ball in play where he wanted to. He really stood out.

Ive thot Chris Davis should just go the other way and take a single or a double every at bat, but like you say, I dont think he could do it enuff to get teams out of the shift. And he's not the only one. Most guys hitting the other way now do it just becuz they could get the bat on an outside pitch and didnt happen to pull it.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I liked those Cardinals teams. Especially before Jack Clark went to NY.

Speaking of bat quickness, or bat control, you'd NEVER see a shift if Rod Carew were batting. I remember as a kid seeing him play at Memorial Stadium when the Twins were in town. Watching him lay down a bunt was a thing of beauty. Or putting the ball in play where he wanted to. He really stood out.

Ive thot Chris Davis should just go the other way and take a single or a double every at bat, but like you say, I dont think he could do it enuff to get teams out of the shift. And he's not the only one. Most guys hitting the other way now do it just becuz they could get the bat on an outside pitch and didnt happen to pull it.

A lot of those guys from that era... There was a whole "army" of guys that were great with the bat when it came to just making contact. Even light-hitting guys like Rich Dauer or Mark Belanger had good bat control.

You're right most of the guys at the MLB level who are striking out 25% of the time (or more) have little or no bat control. They're just swinging as hard as they can and hoping the ball is headed where the bat-head is going.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I liked those Cardinals teams. Especially before Jack Clark went to NY.

Those Card's teams had one 2016-type slugger in Clark and then everyone else was a get-on-base and steal guy or they were decent average guy who could hit 15 homers. You simply didn't have an RBI-guy at every position in the batting order.

There were a lot of interesting offenses like that in the 70's & 80's... The Reds, the Pirates, the Cards, the Astros, the Phils, the Royals.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Those Card's teams had one 2016-type slugger in Clark and then everyone else was a get-on-base and steal guy or they were decent average guy who could hit 15 homers. You simply didn't have an RBI-guy at every position in the batting order.

There were a lot of interesting offenses like that in the 70's & 80's... The Reds, the Pirates, the Cards, the Astros, the Phils, the Royals.

Yep, Jack Clark had ONE bat speed. His bat was fast and hard thru the zone for sure. Then guys like Vince Coleman to get on base and willie mcgee who had a lil pop. I got some Cardinals autographs after an exhibition game at RFK right before the season started. I got Ozzie Smith, Jack Clark, Todd Worrell and a few others. I always remember how willie mcgee signed his name, all lower case letters. He didnt capitalize any letters. I remember Whitey Herzog was a jerk.