Spring Training is finally here!

[riverside sluggers]

Today is the official day for Red Sox pitchers & catchers to report. Tomorrow will be the physicals. Next Thursday will be the official day for positional players to report. Then on the 28th will be a spring training opener, a double header against college teams

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox

 

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[BoSox21]

Dice-K looks like he's in a lot better shape than he was coming into ST last year

[26 to 6]

It's a beautiful day across the league.

[BSN07]

Dice K looks ripped, Buchholz looks good, Beckett is Beckett.........

 

 

Spring is in the air( dont know the rest of the words to the song) la la la la la la la....

[Cocos Disciples]

http://yanksfansoxfan.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/14/untitled.jpg

 

What a lardo.

[BSN07]

Ya read the report behind that photo. It basically said don't worry, hes not pulling a Schilling circa ST 2007. It also said hes in better shape then what he came to ST last yr.

[riverside sluggers]

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[mAAAbs]

This offseason felt short relative to one's in the past. Glad that it is here though. Can't wait till opening day, and it should be exciting to see some of the question marks unfold.

[Cocos Disciples]

This offseason felt short relative to one's in the past. Glad that it is here though. Can't wait till opening day' date=' and it should be exciting to see some of the question marks unfold.[/quote']

 

Time flies when you're WS champs.

[Thumper]

Ah, another season of America's pastime is soon to begin!

 

The Sox look great! Matsuzaka looks much better conditioned, Buchholz is looking great, Beckett's extra baggage ain't nothing.

 

Can't wait for Spring Training to get into full gear!

[Cocos Disciples]

Bottom photo of the most recent photo post...is that Craig Hansen?

[MANNYHOF24]

Did I hear right that Manny is already at camp?

[Thumper]

Did I hear right that Manny is already at camp?

 

There's no possible way...

[riverside sluggers]

Bottom photo of the most recent photo post...is that Craig Hansen?

 

Yep thats Hansen, looks like he has packed on some pounds. Next to him is prospect Edgar Martinez

 

Manny is said to be reporting on Feb 21st. Youkilis is the only known starting position player to be at camp

[BSN07]

Yep thats Hansen, looks like he has packed on some pounds. Next to him is prospect Edgar Martinez

 

Manny is said to be reporting on Feb 21st. Youkilis is the only known starting position player to be at camp

 

I read the article on the Boston Globe page about Hansen and the surgery he had this off season. It an interesting read, http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/02/13/a_sleeper_in_sox_bullpen/ There it is for anyone who hasn't read it.

 

With less physical stress from lack of sleep, it was probably easier for him to gain a little weight over the off season.

[BoSox21]

Ya read the report behind that photo. It basically said don't worry' date=' hes not pulling a Schilling circa ST 2007. It also said hes in better shape then what he came to ST last yr.[/quote']

 

I don't think he's ever really looked like he's been in tremendous shape anyway, his face always seems pretty chubby

[YAZMAN]

I read the article on the Boston Globe page about Hansen and the surgery he had this off season. It an interesting read, http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/02/13/a_sleeper_in_sox_bullpen/ There it is for anyone who hasn't read it.

 

With less physical stress from lack of sleep, it was probably easier for him to gain a little weight over the off season.

 

Wow! I just had that exact same surgery done in January for the same reasons. It was hellish for over two weeks, but even a day after the surgery I would have gone through the entire operation again. Imagine the day after the surgery sleeping for 4 hours with your sinuses packed with guaze, an incision from where one tonsill was, across the roof of your mouth all the way to where your other tonsil was, and yet still getting the best night's sleep you could ever remember going back to when you were a kid!

 

I was in the same range of breathing stoppage per hour, with duration of up to 20 seconds. The sleep study showed I was oxygen deprived and hardly getting any REM sleep. I wish I knew more about it when I was his age and took care of it then. I looked into it when I scheduled a physical and told my doctor I was nodding off almost every day like a freaking narcoleptic.

[BSN07]

If there is that much of a noticable difference, then I have to say that this + other stuff really must have been hindering Hansen. It will be very interesting to see how he pitches now. Can you imagine if he finally started pitching to his potential? Hansen,Oki,MDC, and Papelbon in your BP cost controlled and signed for the forseeable future. That be nice.

[castigs850]

in that last set of photo's, who is next to kevin youkilis??

[Thumper]

in that last set of photo's' date=' who is next to kevin youkilis??[/quote']

 

I wanna say Craig Breslow, but I'm probably wrong. Or Jon Switzer.

[riverside sluggers]

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[TheKilo]

The guy next to Youkilis is Javier Lopez.

[Thumper]

Schilling doesn't look so bad.

[TheKilo]

Schilling doesn't look so bad.

 

It's too bad you can't see the inside of his shoulder.

[Thumper]

It's too bad you can't see the inside of his shoulder.

 

Well yes I know that.

 

But hey atleast he's not as fat as he use to be. Could help him recover faster.

[BoSox21]

I wouldnt count on Schilling for much in 2008

[TheKilo]

Well yes I know that.

 

But hey atleast he's not as fat as he use to be. Could help him recover faster.

 

Him being skinnier will not fix the mess of ligaments in his shoulder.

[Thumper]

Him being skinnier will not fix the mess of ligaments in his shoulder.

 

I never said that.

 

But medically people in more fit conditions heal faster. I'm not saying he'll be good to go anytime soon, or if it's a definate that he'll even be ready at all, I'm just saying with him being in better physical condition weight wise, his recovery time won't take as long.

[Gom]

Well yes I know that.

 

But hey atleast he's not as fat as he use to be. Could help him recover faster.

That's because with a bum shoulder he can't shovel food into his mouth as fast.

[jacksonianmarch]

I never said that.

 

But medically people in more fit conditions heal faster. I'm not saying he'll be good to go anytime soon, or if it's a definate that he'll even be ready at all, I'm just saying with him being in better physical condition weight wise, his recovery time won't take as long.

 

If what Dr. Morgan said is true, there is no chance of him "healing" without surgery. The sox missed the boat on this one. If Schilling knew about this earlier, he should have addressed the issue in November and he'd definitely be back by the AS break (but in what capacity, nobody knows). As of right now, Schilling will not be back in a capacity to help the sox. And if he finally relents and gets the surgery, his time is pretty much up as it is. This isnt an easy fix for any player. But for a pitcher, this is very, very difficult. And for a 41 yr old pitcher, likely means end of career.

 

Consider this. The biceps muscle has two heads, one that attaches medially and one that attaches inside the shoulder capsule. The medial one is the issue with Schilling by the reports. The biceps muscle is the strongest muscle of the elbow flexor group. And since the elbow is typically held at flexion until release (when it goes into rapid extension), it will be very difficult to maintain a release point and generate the power that a motion typically does. So, lets say Schill is able to tolerate the pain, but has a weaker biceps. It would involve less repeatability and less velocity. So, less power, less control on a guy who has already lost significant power. ie, he'd be useless.