Red Sox Sign Pablo Sandoval

[mvp 78]

I'm pretty sure the Sox knew about his weight prior to signing him. If they aren't concerned, I'm not.

 

Fred, was Hanley this happy-go-lucky in LA?

[User Name]

Sometimes when a heavy player loses a lot of weight he does look better but he may have lost a lot of strength. Not all of those 40 pounds are pure blubber. There is some muscle and lean body tissue there. I don't like Panda being so heavy but it seems to work for him, and didn't he lose a bunch of weight a couple of years ago and go off to a real slow start for the Giants before he put some of the weight back on?

 

That was just last year.

[Spudboy]

Sometimes when a heavy player loses a lot of weight he does look better but he may have lost a lot of strength. Not all of those 40 pounds are pure blubber. There is some muscle and lean body tissue there. I don't like Panda being so heavy but it seems to work for him, and didn't he lose a bunch of weight a couple of years ago and go off to a real slow start for the Giants before he put some of the weight back on?

 

This is rationalization Fred. And saying that he plays better fat than lean is hardly a scientific analysis.

 

I say this not to you alone. I say it my friend Username? too.

 

I remember George Scott ( the absolute best defensive first baseman evah!!! ) losing weight one season. He continued to rip and play the best D at 1st.

 

Plus he had new found speed on the base paths.

 

In general, it is not safe to make assumptions that fly in the face of science.

 

And while I'm blabbing, Ortiz continues to play well without the excess baggage. Maybe he has supplanted the fat with muscle mass? Maybe he is just able to run and hit better with less weight?

 

 

Jacko is correct. Panda is a time bomb.

Edited February 21, 2015 by Spudboy

[cp176]

This is rationalization Fred. And saying that he plays better fat than lean is hardly a scientific analysis.

 

I say this not to you alone. I say it my friend Username? too.

 

I remember George Scott ( the absolute best defensive first baseman evah!!! ) losing weight one season. He continued to rip and play the best D at 1st.

 

Plus he had new found speed on the base paths.

 

In general, it is not safe to make assumptions that fly in the face of science.

 

And while I'm blabbing, Ortiz continues to play well without the excess baggage. Maybe he has supplanted the fat with muscle mass? Maybe he is just able to run and hit better with less weight?

 

 

Jacko is correct. Panda is a time bomb.

 

 

Now Spud, i am with you almost all of the time and I agree with you that George Scott was a brilliant first baseman but even after he lost a little weight, I never confused him with anybody who had a lick of speed as he lumbered down the line. I'll give you that he was certainly an upgrade over Dick Stuart but he was no Vada Pinson (remember him) getting out of that batter's box. Those teams the boomer played on were sure fun for me to watch!

[Kimmi]

This is rationalization Fred. And saying that he plays better fat than lean is hardly a scientific analysis.

 

I say this not to you alone. I say it my friend Username? too.

 

I remember George Scott ( the absolute best defensive first baseman evah!!! ) losing weight one season. He continued to rip and play the best D at 1st.

 

Plus he had new found speed on the base paths.

 

In general, it is not safe to make assumptions that fly in the face of science.

 

And while I'm blabbing, Ortiz continues to play well without the excess baggage. Maybe he has supplanted the fat with muscle mass? Maybe he is just able to run and hit better with less weight?

 

Jacko is correct. Panda is a time bomb.

 

 

The Sox didn't sign Panda to play Gold Glove defense. They know what they are getting in him defensively. It's not like he completely stinks defensively. If the loss of 30-40 pounds is going to result in a loss of power, then any gain that he sees defensively would probably not offset the offensive loss.

 

I agree with Jacko as well - Pablo is not likely to age well. Although I'm excited to have him on the team, I was not crazy about his signing either. I would have preferred Headley. That said, my point was that it's not like it's any surprise that he's fat. That's what he is, everybody knew this going in, so why all the media attention on how big he is, like it's new news or something?

[Ogden]

Gnashing of teeth and hand wringing about a guy most Sox fans only know little tidbits about from afar. It must be spring training.

[User Name]

This is rationalization Fred. And saying that he plays better fat than lean is hardly a scientific analysis.

 

I say this not to you alone. I say it my friend Username? too.

 

I remember George Scott ( the absolute best defensive first baseman evah!!! ) losing weight one season. He continued to rip and play the best D at 1st.

 

Plus he had new found speed on the base paths.

 

In general, it is not safe to make assumptions that fly in the face of science.

 

And while I'm blabbing, Ortiz continues to play well without the excess baggage. Maybe he has supplanted the fat with muscle mass? Maybe he is just able to run and hit better with less weight?

 

 

Jacko is correct. Panda is a time bomb.

 

Who here has said he's not?

 

And there's no rationalizing numbers. They made him lose weight, and he was having the most miserable stretch of his career until he started putting it back. There's also no denying the laws of physics: More mass= more force. Defensively, of course being fat hampers him, and that's an argument everyone agrees with, but otherwise, he is what he is.

[seabeachfred]

I'm pretty sure the Sox knew about his weight prior to signing him. If they aren't concerned, I'm not.

 

Fred, was Hanley this happy-go-lucky in LA?

 

Here is where I will reluctantly give the Dodgers credit for something. They were able to bottle up and hide Hanley's problems for the most part. When he was first traded to the Dodgers all was sweetness and light, and in 2013 he had a helluva season after being injured early that year, but the problems started surfacing about that time mvp. Last season it pretty much erupted, not loudly mind you, but the papers and media caught it and it was a slam dunk from all of them that Ramirez was not going to be resigned because they did not want him back, the Dodgers that is. Now this is what I predict. If healthy (and we certainly need him that way for us to prosper) he will be a solid contributor for the Red Sox this season, and it will continue into most of the '16 campaign. It is then that a few warts will come out and by the last two years of his contract he will show why he hasn't been happy anywhere he's been and will pretty much become a problem the Sox will have to handle some way. So let's just think of his first two seasons. I think we'll be just fine with them the first half of that contract. Just my opinion from past history.

[seabeachfred]

That was just last year.

 

Got my seasons mixed up User. Thanks. I think it foolhardy if the 'Red Sox start putting the guy on the scale. Let him play and I think we'll get the first three years of his contract a player well worth what we paid him. When he reaches 31 and 32 that weight he carries could slow him down unless he becomes the DH when Ortiz retires.

[Bellhorn04]

Got my seasons mixed up User. Thanks. I think it foolhardy if the 'Red Sox start putting the guy on the scale. Let him play and I think we'll get the first three years of his contract a player well worth what we paid him. When he reaches 31 and 32 that weight he carries could slow him down unless he becomes the DH when Ortiz retires.

 

Well said Fred.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm pretty sure the Sox knew about his weight prior to signing him. If they aren't concerned, I'm not.

 

If they didn't know about that, it would truly be a reason for concern.

Edited February 21, 2015 by Bellhorn04

[jacksonianmarch]

More mass equals more force, that's true. But if abdominal mass had anything to do with the force generated in a swing, then I haven't seen it. If anything, the abdominal mass impedes torque, which would decrease the force generated

[sk7326]

The Sox didn't sign Panda to play Gold Glove defense. They know what they are getting in him defensively. It's not like he completely stinks defensively. If the loss of 30-40 pounds is going to result in a loss of power, then any gain that he sees defensively would probably not offset the offensive loss.

 

I agree with Jacko as well - Pablo is not likely to age well. Although I'm excited to have him on the team, I was not crazy about his signing either. I would have preferred Headley. That said, my point was that it's not like it's any surprise that he's fat. That's what he is, everybody knew this going in, so why all the media attention on how big he is, like it's new news or something?

 

Nothing more boring than reporting on spring training so you have to write something.

 

Pablo is a danger not to age well indeed. But the counter is that the Red Sox are paying for his 29-33 seasons - so they might not have to worry too much about that.

[Kimmi]

More mass equals more force, that's true. But if abdominal mass had anything to do with the force generated in a swing, then I haven't seen it. If anything, the abdominal mass impedes torque, which would decrease the force generated

 

 

When you lose weight, you don't just lose mass in your abdomen. You lose it in your arms and legs also.

 

It's interesting that CC stated that he was too skinny last year. He came to camp 10 pounds heavier this year.

[User Name]

More mass equals more force, that's true. But if abdominal mass had anything to do with the force generated in a swing, then I haven't seen it. If anything, the abdominal mass impedes torque, which would decrease the force generated

 

How exactly does more abdominal mass impede torque? You are contradicting the existence of every fat guy with mammoth power (Mo Vaughn and the Fielders immediately come to mind) that has played in MLB.

[Ogden]

Unless the Sox got Panda to steal bases with his blazing speed, I don't care if he goes heavy on pizza as long as management doesn't care. Like Farrell said, he's an ex catcher with a typical catcher's body type.

[Kimmi]

Unless the Sox got Panda to steal bases with his blazing speed, I don't care if he goes heavy on pizza as long as management doesn't care. Like Farrell said, he's an ex catcher with a typical catcher's body type.

 

 

Word from spring training is that he looked pretty darn good playing defense today.

[XOSK]

I don't think his size is going to be much of an issue, even with SF his weight fluctuated pretty dramatically –*we were shown how hard he worked to get a lot of it off when they were filming The Franchise... He's still got time to get into shape if he doesn't do too well in FL.

[jacksonianmarch]

How exactly does more abdominal mass impede torque? You are contradicting the existence of every fat guy with mammoth power (Mo Vaughn and the Fielders immediately come to mind) that has played in MLB.

 

And if they lost the fat and strengthened their core via added muscle mass, this wouldn't help? So if Babe Ruth worked out and didn't eat 6 hot dogs every day and actually got into Gabe Kapler shape, he wouldn't hit homers? It doesn't make any sense. We aren't talking about men moving men in the trenches here. We are talking about generating torque with the core and using that to swing a bat at high speeds. Abdominal fat hurts that as it doesn't add anything to mechanics (as it has no insertion or origin, it just sits there) and impedes the arms ranging through the hitting zone, as most men with fat guts also have chest fat which impedes range of motion. Yes, the big fat guys could hit, but they could hit not because they were fat, but because they were strong. Lose the fat and they're just as strong yet have less drag

[User Name]

And if they lost the fat and strengthened their core via added muscle mass, this wouldn't help? So if Babe Ruth worked out and didn't eat 6 hot dogs every day and actually got into Gabe Kapler shape, he wouldn't hit homers? It doesn't make any sense. We aren't talking about men moving men in the trenches here. We are talking about generating torque with the core and using that to swing a bat at high speeds. Abdominal fat hurts that as it doesn't add anything to mechanics (as it has no insertion or origin, it just sits there) and impedes the arms ranging through the hitting zone, as most men with fat guts also have chest fat which impedes range of motion. Yes, the big fat guys could hit, but they could hit not because they were fat, but because they were strong. Lose the fat and they're just as strong yet have less drag

 

More mass= more strength, so we're back at square one. You just spouted a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo when that's the simple answer. That's why they have weight categories in powerlifting.

[Spudboy]

We need a staff kinesiologist on Talksox.

[jacksonianmarch]

UN? I don't think you actually are following typical rules of kinesiology and stick to business, physics is more in my realm. The formula for force is Force=Mass X acceleration. That is assuming the object is moving uniformly. It doesn't apply to a swing since technically, the hitter is stationary. So the mass of the body doesn't actually matter. The only mass being moved is the mass of the bat. Hence, the body is generating the acceleration. The bat is the mass. So the weight of the person swinging is irrelevant.

[User Name]

UN? I don't think you actually are following typical rules of kinesiology and stick to business, physics is more in my realm. The formula for force is Force=Mass X acceleration. That is assuming the object is moving uniformly. It doesn't apply to a swing since technically, the hitter is stationary. So the mass of the body doesn't actually matter. The only mass being moved is the mass of the bat. Hence, the body is generating the acceleration. The bat is the mass. So the weight of the person swinging is irrelevant.

 

I don't think physics is in your realm either. Stick to getting malpractice lawsuits. I'd like to see you explain your theory to a hitting coach. They'd smack you over the head with a physics book.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think I've probably had a few more hitting lessons than you as well my friend. That being said, the entire point of your stance and swing is to generate acceleration. The mass of the bat is the constant here. He isn't hitting the ball with his gut

[User Name]

I think I've probably had a few more hitting lessons than you as well my friend. That being said, the entire point of your stance and swing is to generate acceleration. The mass of the bat is the constant here. He isn't hitting the ball with his gut

 

You "think" but don't know. Assuming makes an ass of u and me. Also, by your logic David Eckstein should have been able to make contact with the same amount of force as Matt Stairs. Think about it for just a second.

[jacksonianmarch]

Assuming David Eckstein swung the same size bat and had the same acceleration, which he didn't. You are then assuming the Butterbean should hit the ball farther than Pedroia.

[User Name]

Assuming David Eckstein swung the same size bat and had the same acceleration, which he didn't. You are then assuming the Butterbean should hit the ball farther than Pedroia.

 

Assuming equality in technique, yes. You're also making the incorrect assumption that all of Panda's weight gain is fat.

[jacksonianmarch]

I am sure Panda put on some muscle and when he lost weight, he probably lost some muscle too. The thing is, the right nutritionist and the right work out plan could allow him to gain muscle and lose fat. My guess is Panda isn't on board. Otherwise, they wouldn't have harped on him so hard in SF

[Spudboy]

In any case the Sox are stuck with the porker.

 

I'm not buying into the idea that he plays 3rd for one or two years then replaces Ortiz at DH. That job logically should belong to the twat from L.A. since he is one of the best hitters in baseball.

 

No, I see the Nutty Third Baseman triping over himself and going on the DL before his contract is over.

 

But hey. Who the hell cares? The Sox can always buy another third baseman.

 

It seems that 3rd is the new SS. At least for the Sox.

 

By the way. Sandoval looked pretty good in sprints today.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Spudboy

[Ogden]

In any case the Sox are stuck with the porker.

 

I'm not buying into the idea that he plays 3rd for one or two years then replaces Ortiz at DH. That job logically should belong to the twat from L.A. since he is one of the best hitters in baseball.

 

No, I see the Nutty Third Baseman striping over himself and going on the DL before his contract is over.

 

But hey. Who the hell cares? The Sox can always buy another third baseman.

 

It seems that 3rd is the new SS. At least for the Sox.

 

By the way. Sandoval looked pretty good in sprints today.

 

 

How does one stripe over oneself? I'm so confused.

 

 

 

http://www.bizarrebytes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/confused.jpg