2007 Spring Training Game Thread

[a700hitter]

Anyone think the Sox should work with WMP to shorten his swing? The guy is freakishly big' date=' so he doesn't need a real long swing to generate power.[/quote']

They need to do something with him. He has a lot of holes in his swing.

 

With Romero pitching so well, will the Red Sox carry more than one lefty in the pen?

[ORS]

I think Romero and Okajima will come north. Breslow and Lopez will probably start off the year in Pawtuckett.

[a700hitter]

Romero has been consistently effective this spring, plus he seems to be very confident in his command.

[ORS]

An actual closing situation. Against AAA guys. Let's see what happens.

[a700hitter]

I stepped away for awhile, but noticed #82 playing and batting RH. Box score said it was Iggy Suarez. I think I may have solved my Jacoby Ellsbury sighting.

[a700hitter]

An actual closing situation. Against AAA guys. Let's see what happens.

He closed. It was nothing overpowering.

[seabeachfred]

Youklis with his great lack of speed makes it a close play at the plate.

 

What Youk lacks in speed he more than makes up for his high OBA, his improved hitting and his work ethic. Managers and coaches love these type of players because you always know what you're going to get from them----at least 110%. Youk ought to be solid for us this year and for the next half dozen. He has those intangibles that don't show up in the box score but every good team needs a couple like him.

[seabeachfred]

I think yesterday was his first game action although he has pitched to live batters before yesterday. Let's not forget that he wasn't very polished with his command last year. We don't need him in the rotation if we have to go to the bullpen after 4 or 5 innings. I know that you are all charged up about the kid' date=' but he hit the rotation last season because we had Huey, Dewie, and Louie in the rotation.[/quote']

 

Remember 700, cancer didn't just hit the kid out of the blue. He probably had it a few months before it was detected. Believe me, I know.

[seabeachfred]

He'll finish in the .270's with 13-15 HRs.

 

Wager my friend? He will hit better than the 270's. Don't be surprised if he crashes 300 this year. This guy works hard and learns. He is a very smart player. He will make the necessary adjustments needed to keep getting better. I think you are really underselling him.

[riverside sluggers]

700, never doubt ORS' insight. Before ST even started he was telling all of us not to completely throw Romero out the dorr so quickly. Thus far he has proven himself

 

Yes Romero & Okajima are set to be the lefties in the pen. Okajima's 2 year contract (w/option for 3d year) and productive ST merits him to make the team

[seabeachfred]

Damn' date=' I got it......thanks!!!!!!![/quote']

 

VA, just looked at my tickets. I'm sitting in section 22 for those two games you'll be seeing. It ought to be a real hoot.

[seabeachfred]

Wow' date=' where did this come from. He was on cruise control with 7 K's and 1 H through 4 2/3. A couple of dinks, a hopper over the bag, and he's laboring. That last curve looked really flat.[/quote']

 

ORS, pitchers can lose it almost in a flash. Hard to understand but it seems to be that way. However, those weren't smashes off him. He'll be fine.

[a700hitter]

700, never doubt ORS' insight. Before ST even started he was telling all of us not to completely throw Romero out the dorr so quickly. Thus far he has proven himself

 

Yes Romero & Okajima are set to be the lefties in the pen. Okajima's 2 year contract (w/option for 3d year) and productive ST merits him to make the team

I realized a week or so ago that the choker I was remembering from the Twins was Rincon.

[seabeachfred]

Not really. He missed a couple of spots' date=' but a couple of the balls had eyes. Just unfortunate. I think he gets out of the inning with 1 run scored if Crisp was in CF. WMP didn't get to a ball that Crisp, or Ellsbury, would have.[/quote']

 

Pena again. The guy just has trouble playing the outfield, getting a jump on the ball, and tracking a fly ball. His ninth year and he still cannot track a fly? And CF is his best position. Notice also that humungously long swing. I will tell you this ORS, you pitch him room service fastballs down the cock and he will hit them as far as anybody. Unfortunately, in a key spot he isn't going to get that and the results will be almost pre-determined. Everyone says he is only 25, but for cripes sake this is his ninth year of pro ball. How slow of a learning curve does the guy have?

[seabeachfred]

Anyone think the Sox should work with WMP to shorten his swing? The guy is freakishly big' date=' so he doesn't need a real long swing to generate power.[/quote']

 

Read my other post to you and add the title "The Impossible Dream". I just don't think it's going to happen for this guy. Theo and everyone else seems intrigued by his light tower power but I remember Billy Ashley and a few others who had the same power. None of them every made it.

[a700hitter]

Wager my friend? He will hit better than the 270's. Don't be surprised if he crashes 300 this year. This guy works hard and learns. He is a very smart player. He will make the necessary adjustments needed to keep getting better. I think you are really underselling him.

I hate to bet against Red Sox players so I will not. I hope you are right, but I don't think Youklis has enough gap power to keep defenses honest. The OF will start playing him shallow and his average will fall to the .270's before season's end. A .270's hitter with no power and no speed is not a very marketable commodity. I still think they should have sold high on him. He has a work ethic, and that is the only thing that got him to the majors, not his talent. A ton of guys in AA and AAA have more talent.

[seabeachfred]

He closed. It was nothing overpowering.

 

Pin got a ball up on the first batter and paid for it, but he got two outs with a runner in scoring position and got a save. Nothing earthshaking since it was mostly against AAA players but it was still a save and he got out of a little jam. That has to be at least a little encouraging. I still don't know about our closer, though.

[a700hitter]

Read my other post to you and add the title "The Impossible Dream". I just don't think it's going to happen for this guy. Theo and everyone else seems intrigued by his light tower power but I remember Billy Ashley and a few others who had the same power. None of them every made it.

I am with you on this Freddie.

[a700hitter]

Pin got a ball up on the first batter and paid for it' date=' but he got two outs with a runner in scoring position and got a save. Nothing earthshaking since it was mostly against AAA players but it was still a save and he got out of a little jam. That has to be at least a little encouraging. I still don't know about our closer, though.[/quote']It was more encouraging than discouraging.

[riverside sluggers]

Beckett admitted that he got away from the offspeed stuff once as he would say it "the wheels fell off". This is def something Varitek needs to stray him away from. We saw too much last year that when he would get in trouble, he'd be throwing flat fastball after flat fastball

[MANNYHOF24]

From what I read Becketts stuff was increidible for 4 and 2/3 and then he went away from his curve after that. I say this outing for him is still a good sign, and it's good that he admits he needs to throw more offspeed pitches when he gets into trouble.

[riverside sluggers]

No doubt I was just saying he needs to stop relying on the heat if he gets in trouble.

 

EDIT: Ok Im scractching my head on this one. The writers of baseball prospectus were on Boston's Fox morning news show, one of them by the way was a woman with a really low voice I swear she's a tranny. Anyways they were asked what the projection is for Boston.... 87 wins. 87 Wins? A team that has immensely upgraded the rotation from the end of last season and improved it lineup... is just 1 win better than the 2006 team?

[VA Sox Fan]

VA' date=' just looked at my tickets. I'm sitting in section 22 for those two games you'll be seeing. It ought to be a real hoot.[/quote']

 

A real hoot Fred.....I'm in the same section.....tons of sun and Manny not too far away

[ORS]

No doubt I was just saying he needs to relying on the heat if he gets in trouble.

 

EDIT: Ok Im scractching my head on this one. The writers of baseball prospectus were on Boston's Fox morning news show, one of them by the way was a woman with a really low voice I swear she's a tranny. Anyways they were asked what the projection is for Boston.... 87 wins. 87 Wins? A team that has immensely upgraded the rotation from the end of last season and improved it lineup... is just 1 win better than the 2006 team?

BP's win projections are based off their baby, PECOTA. PECOTA has it's limits. It trends things without regard to situation, like injury. For example, a healthy Schilling, like he is this year, is going to pitch 200+ IP. PECOTA has him at 172 because of '05. Manny's PA went from 663 to 650 to 558, with the 558 occuring last year when he had a knee problem. Normally, he's a lock for 650+ PA, of course PECOTA sees the trend only and has him at 528 for this year.

[a700hitter]

87 Wins? A team that has immensely upgraded the rotation from the end of last season and improved it lineup... is just 1 win better than the 2006 team?

I think you may be overstating the case a bit. Only one new starting pitcher was acquired. The other new starter (Papelbon) came to the rotation at a huge cost to the bullpen, which is in a shambles. As for the offense, the bottom of the lineup is weak. I don't agree with the 87 win prediction, but I am not ready to believe that this team is a powerhouse.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

Dice-K on ESPN today...don't mind if I do!

[jacksonianmarch]

He looks damn good.

[redsoxrules]

dice k today

 

5.2 IP 1H 1ER 1BB 7K's ... nice!

[CrespoBlows]

Beckett admitted that he got away from the offspeed stuff once as he would say it "the wheels fell off". This is def something Varitek needs to stray him away from. We saw too much last year that when he would get in trouble' date=' he'd be throwing flat fastball after flat fastball[/quote']

 

Varitek had the opportunity to do that all summer in '06, yet he did nothing. What makes you think, he'll do anything this year? Varitek may be one of the more overrated defensive catchers in baseball.

[jacksonianmarch]

you should see the arm MLB07theshow gave him. Its pretty funny.