2009 Spring Training

[riverside sluggers]

Its just a coincidence. Like there are 2 Ryan Braun's and 2 Ramon Ramirez's in baseball but they arent related

 

EDIT: Here's the lineup for todays 1pm game vs the Northeastern Huskies

 

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

3. Kevin Youkilis, 1B

4. Lars Anderson, DH

5. Jed Lowrie, SS

6. Angel Chavez, 3B

7. Josh Bard, C

8. Zach Daeges, LF

9. Josh Reddick, RF

 

Kris Johnson, SP

[Quinny]

Brad penny was scrached from his next start due to sholder fatigue. I was kinda concerned when i heard this on WEEI but is this something to actually worry about? Or is this just a minor thing thats just precautionary?

 

Im not really that knowledgeable with this kind of thing.

[Quinny]

By the way, Ramirez gave up 3 earned runs in relief today to take the loss while lester pitched good again.

[BoSox21]

Brad penny was scrached from his next start due to sholder fatigue. I was kinda concerned when i heard this on WEEI but is this something to actually worry about? Or is this just a minor thing thats just precautionary?

 

Im not really that knowledgeable with this kind of thing.

 

From Boston.com

 

"I just don't think the shoulder strength is probably where it needed to be yet for the workload I had been scheduled out," Penny said.

 

That tells me the team thought his shoulder was stronger by now that what it actually is. They'll scale back his throwing program and go from there.

[BSN07]

Brad penny was scrached from his next start due to sholder fatigue. I was kinda concerned when i heard this on WEEI but is this something to actually worry about? Or is this just a minor thing thats just precautionary?

 

Im not really that knowledgeable with this kind of thing.

 

 

It's not a good thing. But if they have to bring him along slower then planned for him to be able to pitch ok.

[diony]

That's not a surprise.

[Dojji]

No, it isn't., It's stuff like this that makes me glad we didn't kick Wake to the curb first chance we got.

[a700hitter]

By the way' date=' Ramirez gave up 3 earned runs in relief today to take the loss while lester pitched good again.[/quote']I was at the game. He got torched. Everything they hit off him was very loud even the outs. Wes Littleton stinks. No command and when he finds the plate they hit it a mile.

[BSN07]

I was at the game. He got torched. Everything they hit off him was very loud even the outs. Wes Littleton stinks. No command and when he finds the plate they hit it a mile.

 

Ummm 1st week of ST and your writing players off? Haven't you learned your lesson with that yet?

[riverside sluggers]

Keith Foulke had a horrendous 2004 ST, they shouldve moved him to long relief...

[Dojji]

Yeah and Joel Pineiro's fine spring really set him up to dominate the American League East didn't it?

[BoSox21]

I remember Gabe Gross hit something like 8 home runs in ST for the Jays a few years back so I believe tempered expectations comes in this time of year

[a700hitter]

Ummm 1st week of ST and your writing players off? Haven't you learned your lesson with that yet?

What lesson? In the another thread, I have summarized my record regarding spring evaluations. I think my record is pretty good. I am writing off Littleton. The kid is not going to make the team, and I don't think he will make any positive contribution if he stays i the organization. I am not writing off Ramirez. He throws very hard, but he got pounded yesterday, and that is all I reported. Should I have reported that he did well? I don't think he was happy about his performance. It was probably just a bad day. Hopefully I'll see him pitch again before I leave.

[example1]

A700, have you seen Tazawa pitch yet? It seems like his performance has been pretty good, and after watching a few videos online and reading about him, it sounds like he has pretty great stuff.

 

He sounds a lot more polished than I--for one--thought he was. I'm pretty excited to see if he can contribute to the Sox in 2010 or 2011. He has the chance to be a tremendous, cost controlled pickup.

[a700hitter]

A700, have you seen Tazawa pitch yet? It seems like his performance has been pretty good, and after watching a few videos online and reading about him, it sounds like he has pretty great stuff.

 

He sounds a lot more polished than I--for one--thought he was. I'm pretty excited to see if he can contribute to the Sox in 2010 or 2011. He has the chance to be a tremendous, cost controlled pickup.

I saw his first outing against Major Leaguers yesterday. He was poised although he said he was nervous. His command was good, and his stuff was good. Nice velocity. He did very well, but no one wil remember that I said that. I make no predictions about how fast he will progress, but he is a prospect to follow.

[example1]

I saw his first outing against Major Leaguers yesterday. He was poised although he said he was nervous. His command was good' date=' and his stuff was good. Nice velocity. He did very well, but no one wil remember that I said that. I make no predictions about how fast he will progress, but he is a prospect to follow.[/quote']

 

I'll remember that you said it.

[a700hitter]

I'll remember that you said it.

Thanks. I'll be the first to admit when I am wrong, but it would be nice if others could remember accurately what I post and not forget when my evaluations have been correct.

[Dipre]

a700, could you clear up the confusion as to what exactly is Tazawa's average fastball velocity?

[a700hitter]

a700' date=' could you clear up the confusion as to what exactly is Tazawa's average fastball velocity?[/quote']There are no radar readings posted at City of Palms Park. I think 10 pitchers took the mound that day. He didn't throw as hard as Ramirez or MDC, but he had a good fastball compared to the other pitchers. I have read that his average velocity is 90-92, but I don't know what his velocity was the other day.

[Dipre]

There are no radar readings posted at City of Palms Park. I think 10 pitchers took the mound that day. He didn't throw as hard as Ramirez or MDC' date=' but he had a good fastball compared to the other pitchers. I have read that his average velocity is 90-92, but I don't know what his velocity was the other day.[/quote']

 

Damn.

 

I asked because the scouting reports are oddly conflicting on the subject, i've read 88-90, 90-92, and and 95-98, so i wonder how can we get some accurate information.

[jacksonianmarch]

a700' date=' could you clear up the confusion as to what exactly is Tazawa's average fastball velocity?[/quote']

 

from the sounds of it, his FB is low 90s and some of the scouts who say him throw said he could be a MLB SP right now

[kreinbihl34]

from the sounds of it' date=' his FB is low 90s and some of the scouts who say him throw said he could be a MLB SP right now[/quote']

 

From what I have read, the scouts say he could pitch decently in the majors. All will agree he could use some developing in the minors though.

 

You are correct with the fastball too.

[SCM33]

Damn.

 

I asked because the scouting reports are oddly conflicting on the subject, i've read 88-90, 90-92, and and 95-98, so i wonder how can we get some accurate information.

 

Ive never heard 95-98, not even close. In fact I hear more about him not even having an average major league fastball, so I guess that puts him more 85-88, rather than 95-98.

 

EDIT: I think I had someone else in mind, and I have now seen a few reports showing a high 80's to lower-mid 90s FB (88-93).

My bad Dipre.

[Dipre]

But what about his secondary stuff?

 

I read of a 3-pitch repertoire: FB, Curve, Slider.

 

Anyone know if those are indeed his only 3 pitches?

[Dojji]

C'mon guys, people should know where Soxprospects.com is by now.

 

Read, DipreG. It's good for you.

 

http://www.soxprospects.com/players/tazawa-junichi.htm

 

Tazawa makes use of a 90-94 mph fastball that works inward on righties. Presently it's about average, but it has some plus potential. But reports that he has hit 97 mph on the radar gun have largely been rebuffed. His secondary stuff is very advanced for his age, and he relies on it heavily. He mixes in a plus slider, a nice mid-70s curve, and an above average forkball (basically a split-fingered change-up). He has excellent command, and likes to paint corners similar to Daisuke Matsuzaka, one of his idols.

[BoSox21]

He had 15 walks and 114 Ks in 113 IP last year so at least his command seems better than Dice-K's

[Dipre]

C'mon guys, people should know where Soxprospects.com is by now.

 

Read, DipreG. It's good for you.

 

http://www.soxprospects.com/players/tazawa-junichi.htm

 

Yeah, i read scouting reports, my genius friend.

 

I was asking because if someone saw him live, he might be able to give a more up-front opinion on his repertoire.

 

Besides, soxprospects.com, seriously?

 

They might usually be right, but they're a little biased for my taste, then again, that's what you're all about.

[Dojji]

Hey, if they didn't care about prospects they wouldn't cover them. If they get the facts right I don't care about their biases.

 

And if anything they're a bit cautious about most of our guys -- sure you'll find guys in the forum who are devoted to this or that prospect beyond reason but as a whole and especially in the reports themselves they tend to be doubting Thomases more than true believers. They were sold on neither Pedroia, Lowrie nor Youkilis and there were some sharp arguments about even Lester and Ellsbury.

[ORS]

I have no disagreement that there is healthy debate within the threads at SP. That said, in my opinion, every players' write-up on their prospect page tends to lean toward the sunny side, particulary with pitchers and their stuff.

[Dojji]

You see worse biases than Soxprospects.com's every day just reading the newspaper. Just take their reports with the requisite grain of salt remembering that the site is written by people who like to follow propspects. They get their basic facts right and their projections are usually conservative, if anything (remember, SP.com talks about ceilings, not necessarily projections)