Red Sox 2006: Spring Training....A New Oddessy

[Plumpamania]

I don't have NESN but to those of whom who do, you can post about a players performance or if you notice a pitcher working on a new pitch, those types of things all in here. Keep up conversation of positions up for grabs.

[stocker323]

Well we kind of have that going in the official Spring Training game thread, as usually people do more than talk about the games. But if you feel that this thread is necessary as well that's cool too.

[riverside sluggers]

I don't have NESN but to those of whom who do, you can post about a players performance or if you notice a pitcher working on a new pitch, those types of things all in here. Keep up conversation of positions up for grabs.

 

1st inning

 

Sox batters made Pirates' Vogelsong work thru the 1st inning, 28 pitches total. 2-0 lead

 

Alex Gonzalez is 0 for 10.

Mark Loretta continues to contact well with a single, 5 for 9

J.T. Snow is 6 for 12 with 4 RBIs in spring training, had knocked in Loretta with a RBI Double

Dustan Mohr laced a single to up his stats to .455

Bard had a drawn a walk which led to Graffanino's RBI ground out

 

Schilling has a 1-2-3 inning with couple of Ks (11 pitches). It was capped off by Mohr's diving catch in right field

---------------

2nd inning, Sox lead 4-0

 

Machado leads off the inning with a triple, he is tearing it up so far with a .467 avg in 7 spring training games with 4 RBIs

Alex Gonzalez picks up his first hit of spring training, an RBI double to score Machado

J.T. Snow now picks it up at 7 for 13 with 5 RBIs, an RBI single scores Gonzalez

 

Schilling has another clean inning just having to throw 8 pitches, 19 altogether. Snow had committed an error but didnt have any impact with the inning ending double play.

[mtbykr]

Well one of the big keys in my opinion is finding a catcher that wake feels comforable with. Flairehty (sp?) would rather retire than try to catch wake's knuckler all year:lol: However Bard looked real good yesterday (no pass balls) and in an interview Wake said that he felt comfortable with Bard back there-----which really makes me feel better as I think the big key is not catching wake, but having wake feel comfortable enough to go out and do his business.

 

A-Gone is looking terrible at the plate! He looks good in the field, but that is to be expected. Could someone please explain to me how Cora is such a step down from A-Gone, becuase to me he looks like a cheaper version of him with a slightly better bat! (and that would allow us to keep graff as the utility guy)

 

Shill looks and feels good, Foulke is feeling stronger than he has in 4 years (cross your fingers and pray), I haven't seen the fatman pitch yet.

 

Coco looks good at the plate, but still a little out of sorts in center! Trot looks strong and healthy, manny is manny, loretta and lowell look decent---will have to wait and see them more before a judgement. Youk looks good at adapting to a new position and having snow there to mentor him helps i am sure!

 

 

Ohh and Stern looks great in the WBC. I would love to keep him around until Kapler is healty as the 4th outfielder. His Defense in the WBC has been steller, and his bat has been good to.

 

 

that's my $.02!

---------------------------

 

I have directv with the sports package ($12 a month) and it includes NESN (i lock out YES:D ) it's worth it with the MLB extra innings package if you are able to get it!

[mtbykr]

Just for clarity! I said before that Youk looks good. he does; his numbers don't show it but he looks good. I think he is something like 2 for 13 so far (2 run homer today). Even though the numbers don't show it, everything he has hit has been a laser--he has just hit them right at people!

[seabeachfred]

You know MTB, I am getting good and fed up with Red Sox fans who still are convinced that Youk isn't the answer to first base. Not so much here, though, there has been some of that, but on other Red Sox boards the feeling is that we have to get someone other than Youk. Ok, I will put myself out on a limb. Give Kevin 500 plate appearances and he will hit in the 290's, slug between 18-24 homers and drive in 80 some odd runs. He will be solid for us. Relax if that is your worry. I'm worried more about our pitching being all it's cracked up to be and am waiting for some good spring performaces soon.

[a700hitter]

He has looked good in his ABs even though he hasn't gotten results.

[mtbykr]

You know MTB, I am getting good and fed up with Red Sox fans who still are convinced that Youk isn't the answer to first base. Not so much here, though, there has been some of that, but on other Red Sox boards the feeling is that we have to get someone other than Youk. Ok, I will put myself out on a limb. Give Kevin 500 plate appearances and he will hit in the 290's, slug between 18-24 homers and drive in 80 some odd runs. He will be solid for us. Relax if that is your worry. I'm worried more about our pitching being all it's cracked up to be and am waiting for some good spring performaces soon.

 

 

If for some reason i came accross differently, then i appologize. What i was trying to say was that Youks numbers don't look good (if you only read the box score); but he has been hitting the crap out of the ball--just right at people for outs! I think we will be fine with youk at 1st. (we def don't want snow taking all the AB's) I would have prefered to keep Millar (but that's another thread alltogether)!

 

I think Youk will put up some good numbers when he get's some consistant AB's. The real question here is how well will he make the defensive transition to 1st!

[The Monster is my Mom]

You'd rather have Millar? Why? That guy was horrible last year (probably because they started testing for 'roids last year, so he had to stop them).

[seabeachfred]

mtb, no need to apologize. I know where you were coming from and it wasn't you that I was talking about. A couple of weeks back I saw a whole host of posts on Youkalis' lack of talent to get the job done, and one or two were on this board. For the life of me I cannot understand why so many people undersell this player. He has heart, works hard, is a real Dirt Dog and when give a chance to play over a period of time does a good job. He is not flashy which is fine with me. I have too many of those kind burn out when clutch situations develop. Give a hard nosed blue collar player every time.

[seabeachfred]

700 Man, he hit a dinger yesterday so maybe the hits will start falling in..

[mtbykr]

You'd rather have Millar? Why? That guy was horrible last year (probably because they started testing for 'roids last year, so he had to stop them).

 

 

I would rather have millar becuase i think be brought more to the team than is in the box score. Everytime i turn on NESN and hear about the sox, i hear how quiet it is there now and that everyone misses millar. (yesterday remy said the he was a profesional noisemaker) I think millar brought a lot of clubhouse qualities that we as fans didn't notice as much--it is widely known how a lot of the players credit millar with the attitude during the 04 alcs when they were down 3-0: millar was the guy who kept their spirits up and kept them focussed with his antics. I also believe that he would have come back and had a better year this year (that is speculation of course).

 

anyway those are my thoughts, i really liked the guy and i think that he took a lot of the heat off of manny and co (the people that didn't like talking to the media)--things like that will be missed this year!

[The Monster is my Mom]

I agree with some of that. I just think that he was a defensive liability and proved last year that he couldn't hit. (9 hr, .272 BA).

[Boston Boxer]

I would rather have millar becuase i think be brought more to the team than is in the box score. Everytime i turn on NESN and hear about the sox, i hear how quiet it is there now and that everyone misses millar. (yesterday remy said the he was a profesional noisemaker) I think millar brought a lot of clubhouse qualities that we as fans didn't notice as much--it is widely known how a lot of the players credit millar with the attitude during the 04 alcs when they were down 3-0: millar was the guy who kept their spirits up and kept them focussed with his antics. I also believe that he would have come back and had a better year this year (that is speculation of course).

 

anyway those are my thoughts, i really liked the guy and i think that he took a lot of the heat off of manny and co (the people that didn't like talking to the media)--things like that will be missed this year!

 

I find it hard to believe that a clubhouse that has Papi and Shill in it will be quiet.

[mtbykr]

mtb, no need to apologize. I know where you were coming from and it wasn't you that I was talking about. A couple of weeks back I saw a whole host of posts on Youkalis' lack of talent to get the job done, and one or two were on this board. For the life of me I cannot understand why so many people undersell this player. He has heart, works hard, is a real Dirt Dog and when give a chance to play over a period of time does a good job. He is not flashy which is fine with me. I have too many of those kind burn out when clutch situations develop. Give a hard nosed blue collar player every time.

 

 

Exactly. I also was impressed with the fact that he put up some good numbers while he was in the middle of a Boston/pawsox bustrip. it seemed like every few days he was being shipped somewhere--and during all of that he still did very well. I think once you give him a chance to be comfortable in a day to day role, he will shine. At least the upside is there in my opinion, and he deserves the chance to be an everyday player!

[mtbykr]

I find it hard to believe that a clubhouse that has Papi and Shill in it will be quiet.

 

 

I hear what you are saying, and Papi isn't even there right now! I did notice though that orsillo and remy have mentioned several times that the whole "mood" of the clubhouse of the sox changed when Millar was in town with the o's. Everyone seemed to be having fun again---whereas now their are good guys in there, but it's more of a quiet, professional clubhouse. I guess i just really liked the last few years teams attitude, and don't want the sox to turn into a yanker like clubhouse!

[MC Hammer]

I hear what you are saying, and Papi isn't even there right now! I did notice though that orsillo and remy have mentioned several times that the whole "mood" of the clubhouse of the sox changed when Millar was in town with the o's. Everyone seemed to be having fun again---whereas now their are good guys in there, but it's more of a quiet, professional clubhouse. I guess i just really liked the last few years teams attitude, and don't want the sox to turn into a yanker like clubhouse!

I'd rather have a quiet professional clubhouse without Millar, than a wild and crazy one with him. Millar sucked, and no matter what the clubhouse is like ... the team is better without him.

[mtbykr]

I'd rather have a quiet professional clubhouse without Millar, than a wild and crazy one with him. Millar sucked, and no matter what the clubhouse is like ... the team is better without him.

 

Well that wild and crazy clubhouse with him won it all in 04! I want the clubhouse that leads us to another ring! My point was that Millar brings a lot of intangibles that don't show up in the box score---and the players are always quick to point that out. I guess a good comparison would be rizzo from the 80 USA hockey team---clearly not the best player, but has those qualitities that helps the other guys play at their best!

[The Monster is my Mom]

I think intangibles are overrated. People look for that person on teams that win (like the 04 Sox), but plenty of non-championship winning teams have those players on them as well, but no one makes a big deal about it. I'm glad Millar is on the O's, so he can suck for them this year.

[MC Hammer]

Well that wild and crazy clubhouse with him won it all in 04! I want the clubhouse that leads us to another ring! My point was that Millar brings a lot of intangibles that don't show up in the box score---and the players are always quick to point that out. I guess a good comparison would be rizzo from the 80 USA hockey team---clearly not the best player, but has those qualitities that helps the other guys play at their best!

Is their any evidence that the "wild and crazy clubhouse" did anything to win us the WS? I dont think so. But is their evidence that our superior play won us the WS? Yes there is. How come those intangibles that Millar brings didn't help us last year?

[mtbykr]

Is their any evidence that the "wild and crazy clubhouse" did anything to win us the WS? I dont think so. But is their evidence that our superior play won us the WS? Yes there is. How come those intangibles that Millar brings didn't help us last year?

 

Yes their is evidance. Back in 04 when they were down 3-0 Millar was the guy walking around talking to the camera's and players saying things like: "don't let us win tonight, we win tonight and then it's pedro and shill--and anything can happen in game 7" I remember hearing at least 3 players in interviews (after the alcs) say that after game 3 alot of players were down and looked defeated. However Millar wouldn't let anyone get down on themselves and kept saying-win tonight and the rest will take care of itself. Those players credited his attitude as a huge part of the reason they were able to come back and beat the yankers. and of course he walked which put dave roberts in position to steal, score and make history!

[mtbykr]

Here is a link from the herald talking about this very thing!

 

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=130202&format=&page=1

[riverside sluggers]

Yahoo! Sports: Vermilyea returned to Toronto

 

March 14, 2006

 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- The Red Sox returned pitcher Jamie Vermilyea to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday after choosing him three months ago in the winter meeting draft. The rules of the draft required Boston to keep him on the roster the entire season or offer him back to Toronto. In one exhibition appearance, the right-hander allowed no runs in two innings but was competing for a job in a deep bullpen.

 

"The ball, just when he throws it down, guys just swing and miss or they hit grounders," manager Terry Francona said. "He's in a little bit of a tough spot with us. We have a very full, veteran staff but we certainly like what we see." In 16 games last year at Triple-A Syracuse, including four starts, Vermilyea was 3-0 with a 5.60 ERA.