Spring Training Game Thread

[Dipre]

The implication was not to worry, the Yankees haven't done well either.

 

The truth is, the Red Sox will struggle to score runs. Before the season starts, I will post my fearless predictions. All should take heed.

 

900 runs, here we come!

[Gom]

900 runs' date=' here we come![/quote']

 

I am not Jacko. My predictions will not just be limited to the Yankees.

[riverside sluggers]

I loved your prediction in 2007 that the Sox would finish in 3rd place:lol:

[riverside sluggers]

Your point is? I guess you're saying that the Yankees will give up more runs than they will score this year, right? If not..what's the point of even mentioning it?

 

It's one thing to look at individual stats in spring training, which in my opinion, is useless. In fact, the only thing that may be more useless than individual spring training stats is TEAM spring training stats.

 

My goodness...if I hadn't promised Yeszir I'd play nice...:harhar:

 

I was replying to a700 who was worrying about todays offense... when its just a ST game, and the starters are taken out in like the 5th inning. I was using the yankees offense in ST to prove a point

[a700hitter]

I was replying to a700 who was worrying about todays offense... when its just a ST game' date=' and the starters are taken out in like the 5th inning. I was using the yankees offense in ST to prove a point[/quote']It has been the starters who have been getting three ABs a game and 4 ABs in some games who have not produced. This has not been a one game occurrence, and I am not talking about wins and losses here. The Sox have actually won some of these games because our scrubs beat their scrubs in the last 3 innings. In one game the scrubs scored 8 runs in the last 3 innings. I left when the starters were taken out -- managing only 1 run. I have not been following the Yankees. Has their starting lineup been shut down as consistently as the Red Sox starting lineup?

[Gom]

I loved your prediction in 2007 that the Sox would finish in 3rd place:lol:

 

Those predictions weren't "fearless". These will be.

[Dipre]

Those predictions weren't "fearless". These will be.

 

My fearless prediction is that your fearless predictions will fail miserably.

[riverside sluggers]

It has been the starters who have been getting three ABs a game and 4 ABs in some games who have not produced. This has not been a one game occurrence' date=' and I am not talking about wins and losses here. The Sox have actually won some of these games because our scrubs beat their scrubs in the last 3 innings. In one game the scrubs scored 8 runs in the last 3 innings. I left when the starters were taken out -- managing only 1 run. I have not been following the Yankees. Has their starting lineup been shut down as consistently as the Red Sox starting lineup?[/quote']

 

The 2009 ST's top 3 offenses were (courtsey of MLB Network)

 

Royals 7.7 Runs per game

Giants 7.3 Runs per game

Mariners 6 runs per game

 

Regular season

Royals 4.2 Runs per game

Giants 4.1 Runs per game

Mariners 4.0 Runs per game

 

Like I said... wake me up when the season actually starts

 

The Yankees have been held to 3 Runs or less, in 10 games

[a700hitter]

The 2009 ST's top 3 offenses were (courtsey of MLB Network)

 

Royals 7.7 Runs per game

Giants 7.3 Runs per game

Mariners 6 runs per game

 

Regular season

Royals 4.2 Runs per game

Giants 4.1 Runs per game

Mariners 4.0 Runs per game

 

Like I said... wake me up when the season actually starts

 

The Yankees have been held to 3 Runs or less, in 10 games

Was this the offensive production of each teams starters, because that's all that matters? Spring games are essentially 6 innings long, because that is all the starters play. Runs scored after the 6th are meaningless. The stats you produced don't prove that Spring stats are meaningless, because they are not measuring the performance of the starters. You've used meaningless stats in your quest to prove that spring stats are meaningless. I am not saying that spring stats are any indicator of regular season performance. However, I watched the starters futile performance day after day. They have not produced runs at all this spring. Ortiz is struggling to make solid contact. Scutaro has looked like the utility player that he prior to last year. Beltre has hit well, but not for power. This looks like a team that will need three hits to score runs if Ortiz can't return to his former glory. Without a big year from him, there is no scary HR power guy in the lineup. Teams that rely on bunching hits to score runs fall victim to slumps worse than teams with one or two big boppers.

[jacksonianmarch]

Wake me up for the regular season. The spring is good for minor position battles (like the 25th man) and getting pitchers up to speed. That's it

[riverside sluggers]

Every starter is in todays lineup except for Drew

 

Ellsbury LF

Pedroia 2B

Martinez C

Youkilis 1B

Ortiz DH

Beltre 3B

Cameron CF

Hall RF

Scutaro SS

[Dipre]

Today's Sox lineup:

 

Scutaro

Pedroia

Drew

Youk

Ortiz

Lowell

Varitek

Cameron

Hall

 

TB leads 1-0 after 1 on a HR by Longoria.

[a700hitter]

Today's Sox lineup:

 

Scutaro

Pedroia

Drew

Youk

Ortiz

Lowell

Varitek

Cameron

Hall

 

TB leads 1-0 after 1 on a HR by Longoria.

What a surprise Longoria going deep against the Sox! Last week he hit a ball so far that he hit his name on the scoreboard at City of Palms Park. That is a mammoth shot. He hit 2 HRs in that game. They came right after the fans started chanting "Eva, Eva" when he picked up a foul ball. After a couple of chants he waved his hand at the stands in a dismissive manner. The fans got a kick out that.

[Dipre]

What a surprise Longoria going deep against the Sox! Last week he hit a ball so far that he hit his name on the scoreboard at City of Palms Park. That is a mammoth shot. He hit 2 HRs in that game. They came right after the fans started chanting "Eva' date=' Eva" when he picked up a foul ball. After a couple of chants he waved his hand at the stands in a dismissive manner. The fans got a kick out that.[/quote']

 

Beckett looked like he was working on his breaking pitches. At one point, he broke off five straight curves against Sean Rodriguez. He also threw quite a bit of changeups.

[a700hitter]

The starters are doing nothing again offensively-- 7 hits and no runs through 5 innings. They need too many hits to score runs.

[Dipre]

The starters are doing nothing again offensively-- 7 hits and no runs through 5 innings. They need too many hits to score runs.

 

Once the regular season begins, Tito will need to do a lot of managerial work to help this team score runs consistently. He has the tools to do it, but dude's too used to waiting out the 3-run HR. Not going to happen.

[a700hitter]

Once the regular season begins' date=' Tito will need to do a lot of managerial work to help this team score runs consistently. He has the tools to do it, [b']but dude's too used to waiting out the 3-run HR. Not going to happen.[/b]

Agree 100%.

[Dipre]

This does not have to be a station-to-station team.

 

Scutaro, Beltre, Cameron, Pedroia, Drew and of course Ellsbury are all guys who can run, maybe most of them don't have "Stolen Base" speed, but they can help put things in motion if Francona decides to actually add strategy to his managing.

[yankees228]

Beckett swearing in his post-game interview reminds of me this gem. I love this response.

 

[riverside sluggers]

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/preview/y2010/index.jsp?team=bos

 

Dice-K's projected line is being too hopeful IMO

 

MLB.com's fantasy preview

 

1. Ellsbury- (.297 avg) (.352 obp) (.422 slg) (.774 ops) 9 HRs, 63 RBIs, 106 Runs, 67 SBs

2. Pedroia- (.311 avg) (.378 obp) (.459 slg) (.837 ops) 16 HRs, 84 RBIs, 111 Runs, 16 SBs

3. Martinez- (.311 avg) (.323 obp) (.497 slg) (.820 ops) 24 HRs, 115 RBIs, 93 Runs

4. Youkilis- (.303 avg) (.406 obp) (.518 slg) (.924 ops) 25 HRs, 95 RBIs, 102 Runs, 5 SBs

5. Ortiz- (.259 avg) (.354 obp) (.492 slg) (.846 ops) 29 HRs, 95 RBIs, 81 Runs

6. Beltre- (.271 avg) (.324 obp) (.454 slg) (.778 ops) 19 HRs, 75 RBIs, 75 Runs, 11 SBs

7. Drew- (.277 avg) (.383 obp) (.479 slg) (.862 ops) 21 HRs, 70 RBIs, 81 Runs, 3 SBs

8. Cameron- (.244 avg) (.334 obp) (.450 slg) (.784 ops) 23 HRs, 69 RBIs, 72 Runs, 9 SBs

9. Scutaro- (.278 avg) (.371 obp) (.401 slg) (.772 ops) 11 HRs, 66 RBIs, 97 Runs, 12 SBs

 

Josh Beckett (3.49 ERA) 208 innings, 191 Hits, 46 Walks, 192 Ks

Jon Lester (3.07 ERA) 206 innings, 181 Hits, 60 Walks, 218 Ks

John Lackey (3.91 ERA) 187 innings, 183 Hits, 44 Walks, 149 Ks

Daisuke Matsuzaka (3.79 ERA) 191 innings, 170 Hits, 80 Walks, 181 Ks

Clay Buchholz (3.96 ERA) 165 innings, 152 Hits, 61 Walks, 156 Ks

Tim Wakefield (4.08 ERA) 95 innings, 99 Hits, 32 Walks, 65 Ks

[jacksonianmarch]

191 innings from DiceK? Wow.

And VMart is going to have a .012 IsoPatience?

And Scutaro is going to have a second career season?

[msubulldogs21]

Rizzo looks good early today, single and a 2 run HR.

[jacksonianmarch]

He has a real nice stroke. I am watching as well

[jacksonianmarch]

Casey Kelly looks really good. He doesnt have overpowering stuff, but everything moves and he seems to control all 4 quadrants of the zone. His changeup is really, really good

[1903]

Josh Reddick was a triple shy of the cycle against the Rays. He's only 23 and he still has some developing to do, but boy has he looked good this spring.

[1903]

Once the regular season begins' date=' Tito will need to do a lot of managerial work to help this team score runs consistently. He has the tools to do it, but dude's too used to waiting out the 3-run HR. Not going to happen.[/quote']

 

I'm not all that concerned about a lack of power. We may not have a Manny/Ortiz combo that can hit 80 combined home runs in a season, but the power is more spread out. We can probably count in Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew and Mike Cameron to all hit 20+ home runs. Last year we only got 20+ home runs from four members of our lineup.

[Dipre]

I'm not all that concerned about a lack of power. We may not have a Manny/Ortiz combo that can hit 80 combined home runs in a season' date=' but the power is more spread out. We can probably count in Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew and Mike Cameron to all hit 20+ home runs. Last year we only got 20+ home runs from four members of our lineup.[/quote']

 

The fact that the power is more spread out makes it a lot more difficult to "sit" and wait for a specific guy to play hero. You gotta make things happen.

[1903]

The fact that the power is more spread out makes it a lot more difficult to "sit" and wait for a specific guy to play hero. You gotta make things happen.

 

I see it as a positive that the Red Sox no longer have to sit and wait for their 3 or 4 hitters to get the 3-run home run. I'd rather have a lineup of 6 20+ home run hitters than a lineup of two 40 home run hitters that we live and die by. I think we should get much more consistent offensive production over the course of the year. And while I think Jason Bay did a great job for us over the year and a half that he was here, in the months when he was hitting .230 and .192 with no power, we were struggling to win games. I don't mean to make this a discussion about defense, but at least when Cameron is struggling at the plate, which I'm sure he will next year at times, he can make great plays in the outfield. When Bay was struggling at the plate, he was also hurting the team in the field at the same time.

[Dipre]

But if you also have the athleticism on the team to help create runs against superior pitching (which the Sox struggled mightlily against last year, specially on the road) you use it to your advantage.

 

Three things:

 

1) I've been the most ardent defender of the improved consistency of the 2010 Sox offense, but its max offensive potential can not be reached unless Tito makes some adjustments and sets things in motion.

 

2) No one consistently hits good pitching, but you gotta be able to create runs, something the Red Sox have not been adept at the last few years with the exception of the stretches when Ellsbury's getting on base consistently.

 

3) Aggresive but smart baserunning and setting up plays to help score single runs does not have to be a complete shift in philosophy, but an adjustment made depending on the situation.

[Dojji]

Batting Drew third would help a lot. He can drive people in, or he can pass the inning along to Youkilis who also has both options, and he's got some speed. Martinez hitting 5th behind 2 of our best OBP guys (and our biggest walk-takers) also makes a great deal of sense.