Spring training

[SoxHop]

I have seen him get the chance to pick only 2 throws out of the dirt, and he is 0 for 2.

 

I think we all know it's going to be ugly at first with Hanley, maybe even fugly. But H-Ram can hit the heck out of the ball.

 

I don't like it much, but I think we are going to need much patience watching Hanley playing first, and have to keep hope that his bat makes up for it.

 

You having a good time??? What else do you do while not watching games?

[a700hitter]

Lol

I think we all know it's going to be ugly at first with Hanley, maybe even fugly. But H-Ram can hit the heck out of the ball.

 

I don't like it much, but I think we are going to need much patience watching Hanley playing first, and have to keep hope that his bat makes up for it.

 

You having a good time??? What else do you do while not watching games?

I think the best lineup, both defensively and offensively would have Shaw at first and Hanley at third. I don't see the upside of holding Shaw back for Pablo who was never very good IMO and he is declining in every aspect of the game. Getting him was a really bad move, and letting him block more deserving players compounds the mistake. They should cut their losses with him, and move Hanley to his natural side of the infield.

[jung]

But with Hanley it is never about what he can do but what he will do and what he wants to do.

 

I have often found the comparisons between Manny and Hanley humorous. Manny worked his ass off at playing OF. He was not good...but he worked very hard at it. Then when it came to his hitting, Manny was the consummate professional hitter. He worked extremely hard at his hitting. While he was often goofy like Hanley, there was nothing about the game itself that Manny did not take seriously, especially his hitting. For example, you never would have seen Manny just decide to try to hit a HR every single AB of an entire season and if in fact he had a bad shoulder or shoulders and knew it had robbed him of some power, he would have taken that into account as well.

 

Hanley works at nothing. Hanley does whatever Hanley wants to do and sometimes it looks like work. But it is always what Hanley wants to do. Hanley appears to be a gym rat who enjoys his time in the weight room. So while that looks like work it is simply what Hanley wants to, likes to do.

 

IMO Hanley likes the camaraderie of the clubhouse and he likes the accolades of the fans. But he needs neither. He just likes them. Hanley does not want to play in the field...not anywhere...not LF, not 1st base, not 3rd base, not Short. He just does not want to play in the field. In fact I don't think he really likes anything about the actual game of baseball any longer. He just wants to get paid like a MLB player. He can barely muster enough interest to play in games. But he really does nothing outside of playing in games and hasn't now for a long time. The last time he was a force at the plate was 2008 and then for 86 games, half a season in 2013. So I really have no faith in Hanley as a DH either. I think at best he will go on runs or streaks and they will last as long as he does not get bored with them or does not hear a boo from somewhere or for as long as he feels like he is being successful without putting much in the way of work into it. Overlay onto that his shoulder issues, now both of them and honestly there is not much ballplayer left here either at the plate or in the field IMO. Either of his shoulders could stop a streak now as well.

 

Since there are no plans to continue to play Hanley at 1st past this season, if Shaw is playing good ball I would immediately change one game a week for Shaw to two. I would monitor Hanley closely and when his head is in the clouds sit him even more and play Shaw more. But I would not sit Hanley entirely. If he shows signs of going on a run, give him more playing time again. But it makes absolutely no sense to force this 1st base issue when we have a guy sitting there that wants to play the position, will clearly field rings around Hanley and may well hit as well as Hanley hits. Again there are no plans for Hanely at 1st beyond this year. So what the heck are we doing?

 

This team becomes too much an eclectic mix with Hanley and Pablo playing which is in part why the team plays better when they sit. Ortiz being on his victory lap does not help this. I expect Ortiz to heat up as we get deeper into the season. But I don't expect him to risk that Achilles of his in his last year. That then also makes the shift more effective when used on Ortiz as there are now so many places from which a fielder can get the ball to 1st base, before Ortiz gets to 1st base.

 

I think once again and probably even more so than last year, we will find few reasons to have Hanley and Pablo on the field at the same time. I am encouraged by JBJ but don't see anything worth much discussion in Castillo. While I want Shaw to get more time than Farrell seems to be planning. I am less thrilled with Farrell having already announced that Young would platoon with JBJ. We literally threw JBJ out there to fail day after day after day, wasting about 650 ML AB's on a swing that was never going to work in the process. Now that he has a swing that completely changes his prospects as a hitter, NOW we are going to platoon him!!!!!

 

This is a tough division. It was not a pushover last season and it will not be a pushover this season. This whole wide open AL East thing is BS. We will surely pitch better this year. but an eclectic offensive mix and swiss cheese defense at the corners is not something that we will be able to just sweep under the carpet IMO. So anytime they can give me less of Hanley and less of Pablo and to a lesser degree, less of Castillo as well, the happier I am likely to be.

[a700hitter]

I am less thrilled with Farrell having already announced that Young would platoon with JBJ. We literally threw JBJ out there to fail day after day after day, wasting about 650 ML AB's on a swing that was never going to work in the process. Now that he has a swing that completely changes his prospects as a hitter, NOW we are going to platoon him!!!!!

 

.

Good point.

[Thunder]

Such a great post, Jung. Very good points. We need everyone on board and dedicated to what the team as a whole is trying to do.

[Dojji]

More to the poin t, we need the team to know from top to bottom exactly what they are trying to do. There's plenty of evidence that this isn't the case right now.

[cp176]

But with Hanley it is never about what he can do but what he will do and what he wants to do.

 

I have often found the comparisons between Manny and Hanley humorous. Manny worked his ass off at playing OF. He was not good...but he worked very hard at it. Then when it came to his hitting, Manny was the consummate professional hitter. He worked extremely hard at his hitting. While he was often goofy like Hanley, there was nothing about the game itself that Manny did not take seriously, especially his hitting. For example, you never would have seen Manny just decide to try to hit a HR every single AB of an entire season and if in fact he had a bad shoulder or shoulders and knew it had robbed him of some power, he would have taken that into account as well.

 

Hanley works at nothing. Hanley does whatever Hanley wants to do and sometimes it looks like work. But it is always what Hanley wants to do. Hanley appears to be a gym rat who enjoys his time in the weight room. So while that looks like work it is simply what Hanley wants to, likes to do.

 

IMO Hanley likes the camaraderie of the clubhouse and he likes the accolades of the fans. But he needs neither. He just likes them. Hanley does not want to play in the field...not anywhere...not LF, not 1st base, not 3rd base, not Short. He just does not want to play in the field. In fact I don't think he really likes anything about the actual game of baseball any longer. He just wants to get paid like a MLB player. He can barely muster enough interest to play in games. But he really does nothing outside of playing in games and hasn't now for a long time. The last time he was a force at the plate was 2008 and then for 86 games, half a season in 2013. So I really have no faith in Hanley as a DH either. I think at best he will go on runs or streaks and they will last as long as he does not get bored with them or does not hear a boo from somewhere or for as long as he feels like he is being successful without putting much in the way of work into it. Overlay onto that his shoulder issues, now both of them and honestly there is not much ballplayer left here either at the plate or in the field IMO. Either of his shoulders could stop a streak now as well.

 

Since there are no plans to continue to play Hanley at 1st past this season, if Shaw is playing good ball I would immediately change one game a week for Shaw to two. I would monitor Hanley closely and when his head is in the clouds sit him even more and play Shaw more. But I would not sit Hanley entirely. If he shows signs of going on a run, give him more playing time again. But it makes absolutely no sense to force this 1st base issue when we have a guy sitting there that wants to play the position, will clearly field rings around Hanley and may well hit as well as Hanley hits. Again there are no plans for Hanely at 1st beyond this year. So what the heck are we doing?

 

This team becomes too much an eclectic mix with Hanley and Pablo playing which is in part why the team plays better when they sit. Ortiz being on his victory lap does not help this. I expect Ortiz to heat up as we get deeper into the season. But I don't expect him to risk that Achilles of his in his last year. That then also makes the shift more effective when used on Ortiz as there are now so many places from which a fielder can get the ball to 1st base, before Ortiz gets to 1st base.

 

I think once again and probably even more so than last year, we will find few reasons to have Hanley and Pablo on the field at the same time. I am encouraged by JBJ but don't see anything worth much discussion in Castillo. While I want Shaw to get more time than Farrell seems to be planning. I am less thrilled with Farrell having already announced that Young would platoon with JBJ. We literally threw JBJ out there to fail day after day after day, wasting about 650 ML AB's on a swing that was never going to work in the process. Now that he has a swing that completely changes his prospects as a hitter, NOW we are going to platoon him!!!!!

 

This is a tough division. It was not a pushover last season and it will not be a pushover this season. This whole wide open AL East thing is BS. We will surely pitch better this year. but an eclectic offensive mix and swiss cheese defense at the corners is not something that we will be able to just sweep under the carpet IMO. So anytime they can give me less of Hanley and less of Pablo and to a lesser degree, less of Castillo as well, the happier I am likely to be.

 

You do make some good points. You are opinionated for sure but that is what a forum might be about. You know that you are going to get beaten up over not being able to substantiate some of what you say here with hard provable fact. Ok with it here because I tend to agree with much of what you have said. Many of us just aren't quite ready to totally give up on 3 or 4 players that were signed to long term contracts without seeing whether they produce or not. I would say that if tomorrow was opening day, and the lineup had Shaw (Swihart) at first, Moncada at third and Swihart (Shaw) in left field with Vazquez behind the plate, I would want to buy more than 4 games worth o tickets. Win lose or whatever that would be a much more exciting lineup than the one they are going to put out there. Also, I wish that Farrell would be quiet and just let things play out.

[User Name]

You do make some good points. You are opinionated for sure but that is what a forum might be about. You know that you are going to get beaten up over not being able to substantiate some of what you say here with hard provable fact. Ok with it here because I tend to agree with much of what you have said. Many of us just aren't quite ready to totally give up on 3 or 4 players that were signed to long term contracts without seeing whether they produce or not. I would say that if tomorrow was opening day, and the lineup had Shaw (Swihart) at first, Moncada at third and Swihart (Shaw) in left field with Vazquez behind the plate, I would want to buy more than 4 games worth o tickets. Win lose or whatever that would be a much more exciting lineup than the one they are going to put out there. Also, I wish that Farrell would be quiet and just let things play out.

 

I agree with most of what you say, but forums aren't about spouting unsubstantiated crap. You can make valid points without making stuff up.

[User Name]

Such a great post, Jung. Very good points. We need everyone on board and dedicated to what the team as a whole is trying to do.

 

Half of it is made-up babble. Don't be so naive. Hanley doesn't wanna play? We're not psychologists here. How the f*** would we know? Jesus Christ people.

 

Hanley was so uninterested in learning first base that he begged the Sox to let him play 1B in winter ball. He just doesn't want to play or improve! What a slacker!

Edited March 10, 2016 by User Name?

[User Name]

Sometimes this forum makes me want to take a shot of arsenic. Seriously, people.

[a700hitter]

People have opinions. Sometimes players look like they are half-assing it. There's nothing wrong with saying that even though it can't be substantiated. It has been going on forever. If a player doesn't run out a ground ball, he will get booed. People don't wait to find out if he has a leg cramp.

[User Name]

But is it or isn't fact that he wanted to play winter ball to work on his 1B skills? Has the "lazy slacker" not agreed to two consecutive position changes? Did he not play through a shoulder injury last year? Is the coaching staff not raving about his dedication and work at 1B? I mean, when the writing's on the wall, you don't need to make stuff up.

 

Even Pablo's (who's even more polarizing) work ethic can't be called into question (his eating habits can) but some people here insist on doing so! Having an opinion doesn't preclude you from being called out when the opinion is both wrong and contains a number of demonstrably false elements.

 

YOTN correctly called me out yesterday when I said Koji never says anything douchey, and he's right. I don't know what he's saying, I just get fed what the interpreter says.

[SoxHop]

Half of it is made-up babble. Don't be so naive. Hanley doesn't wanna play? We're not psychologists here. How the f*** would we know? Jesus Christ people.

 

Yea, I have to agree with this. That was some pretty harsh slander we just can't verify, especially the part on Hanley's motivation. Yes, we probably know Hanley isn't going to get a gold star on work ethic on the things he doesn't want to do, but I don't think we can come to the kind of conclusions Jung wrote by what the info we are provided.

 

I particularly like the part about monitoring Hanley's mental stability game to game.

 

But the point made about Farrell announcing Young subbing for JBJ is right on IMO. It shouldn't have been said.

[SoxHop]

LolI think the best lineup, both defensively and offensively would have Shaw at first and Hanley at third. I don't see the upside of holding Shaw back for Pablo who was never very good IMO and he is declining in every aspect of the game. Getting him was a really bad move, and letting him block more deserving players compounds the mistake. They should cut their losses with him, and move Hanley to his natural side of the infield.

 

I'd say that is pretty bold. You might be right, but I guess I still have this hope that Sandoval will return to at least average.

 

I also think Hanley wouldn't be any better at third than Pablo is.

 

And Shaw, as much as I like him didn't we see him play over his head last year. He's an ok first baseman, probably average at best is what I would call it.

[User Name]

Yea, I have to agree with this. That was some pretty harsh slander we just can't verify, especially the part on Hanley's motivation. Yes, we probably know Hanley isn't going to get a gold star on work ethic on the things he doesn't want to do, but I don't think we can come to the kind of conclusions Jung wrote by what the info we are provided.

 

I particularly like the part about monitoring Hanley's mental stability game to game.

 

But the point made about Farrell announcing Young subbing for JBJ is right on IMO. It shouldn't have been said.

 

Platooning JBJ is stupid, I agree. It will stunt his development.

[mvp 78]

Sometimes this forum makes me want to take a shot of arsenic. Seriously, people.

 

What I do is just run overly long posts through a Word grammar check and watch my computer melt.

[cp176]

I agree with most of what you say, but forums aren't about spouting unsubstantiated crap. You can make valid points without making stuff up.

 

I know. Don't go the arsenic route - effects could be too long lasting. What we get out of the Red Sox for the most part is what the media wants to give us. I'm not a real big fan of main stream media in general. Too many people wind up with opinions based on a bunch of ********. Me included for sure.

[Kimmi]

So Panda and Porcello were bad ideas then?

 

Panda was a bad idea. I do not consider Porcello's contract to be a large contract. So no, Porcello was not a bad idea.

 

David Price, from a contract standpoint, is a bad idea.

[Kimmi]

But with Hanley it is never about what he can do but what he will do and what he wants to do.

 

I have often found the comparisons between Manny and Hanley humorous. Manny worked his ass off at playing OF. He was not good...but he worked very hard at it. Then when it came to his hitting, Manny was the consummate professional hitter. He worked extremely hard at his hitting. While he was often goofy like Hanley, there was nothing about the game itself that Manny did not take seriously, especially his hitting. For example, you never would have seen Manny just decide to try to hit a HR every single AB of an entire season and if in fact he had a bad shoulder or shoulders and knew it had robbed him of some power, he would have taken that into account as well.

 

Hanley works at nothing. Hanley does whatever Hanley wants to do and sometimes it looks like work. But it is always what Hanley wants to do. Hanley appears to be a gym rat who enjoys his time in the weight room. So while that looks like work it is simply what Hanley wants to, likes to do.

 

IMO Hanley likes the camaraderie of the clubhouse and he likes the accolades of the fans. But he needs neither. He just likes them. Hanley does not want to play in the field...not anywhere...not LF, not 1st base, not 3rd base, not Short. He just does not want to play in the field. In fact I don't think he really likes anything about the actual game of baseball any longer. He just wants to get paid like a MLB player. He can barely muster enough interest to play in games. But he really does nothing outside of playing in games and hasn't now for a long time. The last time he was a force at the plate was 2008 and then for 86 games, half a season in 2013. So I really have no faith in Hanley as a DH either. I think at best he will go on runs or streaks and they will last as long as he does not get bored with them or does not hear a boo from somewhere or for as long as he feels like he is being successful without putting much in the way of work into it. Overlay onto that his shoulder issues, now both of them and honestly there is not much ballplayer left here either at the plate or in the field IMO. Either of his shoulders could stop a streak now as well.

 

Since there are no plans to continue to play Hanley at 1st past this season, if Shaw is playing good ball I would immediately change one game a week for Shaw to two. I would monitor Hanley closely and when his head is in the clouds sit him even more and play Shaw more. But I would not sit Hanley entirely. If he shows signs of going on a run, give him more playing time again. But it makes absolutely no sense to force this 1st base issue when we have a guy sitting there that wants to play the position, will clearly field rings around Hanley and may well hit as well as Hanley hits. Again there are no plans for Hanely at 1st beyond this year. So what the heck are we doing?

 

This team becomes too much an eclectic mix with Hanley and Pablo playing which is in part why the team plays better when they sit. Ortiz being on his victory lap does not help this. I expect Ortiz to heat up as we get deeper into the season. But I don't expect him to risk that Achilles of his in his last year. That then also makes the shift more effective when used on Ortiz as there are now so many places from which a fielder can get the ball to 1st base, before Ortiz gets to 1st base.

 

I think once again and probably even more so than last year, we will find few reasons to have Hanley and Pablo on the field at the same time. I am encouraged by JBJ but don't see anything worth much discussion in Castillo. While I want Shaw to get more time than Farrell seems to be planning. I am less thrilled with Farrell having already announced that Young would platoon with JBJ. We literally threw JBJ out there to fail day after day after day, wasting about 650 ML AB's on a swing that was never going to work in the process. Now that he has a swing that completely changes his prospects as a hitter, NOW we are going to platoon him!!!!!

 

This is a tough division. It was not a pushover last season and it will not be a pushover this season. This whole wide open AL East thing is BS. We will surely pitch better this year. but an eclectic offensive mix and swiss cheese defense at the corners is not something that we will be able to just sweep under the carpet IMO. So anytime they can give me less of Hanley and less of Pablo and to a lesser degree, less of Castillo as well, the happier I am likely to be.

 

This is the type of character assassination that I've posted about. Disliking Hanley is your prerogative. Criticizing his terrible play is fair game. The character assassination based on nothing more than your opinion is unfair and unwarranted.

 

Your post is ridiculous. Just stop.

[Kimmi]

Did Farrell actually say that Young would be platooning with JBJ? If I recall correctly, he said that Young would get every at bat against left handed pitching, which is not the same thing as saying that he will be platooning him with JBJ.

[User Name]

This is the type of character assassination that I've posted about. Disliking Hanley is your prerogative. Criticizing his terrible play is fair game. The character assassination based on nothing more than your opinion is unfair and unwarranted.

 

Your post is ridiculous. Just stop.

 

Preach sister Kimmi!

[a700hitter]

Did Farrell actually say that Young would be platooning with JBJ? If I recall correctly, he said that Young would get every at bat against left handed pitching, which is not the same thing as saying that he will be platooning him with JBJ.

He's not going to get any of Betts ABs, Castillo is right-handed so he will not be playing for Castillo against lefties. That leaves Bradley.

[a700hitter]

I have seen him get the chance to pick only 2 throws out of the dirt, and he is 0 for 2.

Today, he made a nice play on a line drive, but.....and this but really concerns me, he let a foul pop up fall behind first base. It was an easy play, and he barely made a move for it. By the time he reacted, it was too late, and he just stopped. Pop-ups are going to be a problem. On one of the first NESN broadcasts, the announcers said that Pedroia said that the strategy was for him to take whatever pop-ups that he could get to and not let Hanley handle popups. When I heard the story, I thought that it was a bit concerning.

 

There was a second play that was a foul pop-up between home and first toward the dugout and about 1/3 down the line. Swihart made the catch, but Hanley did not even attempt to run down that ball. It was not a difficult catch for Swihart, but very often, maybe more often than not, the first baseman takes that ball. He did not make an attempt. He jogged in to head toward the dugout.

 

 

I am concerned about him fielding pop-ups and picking throws out of the dirt. I don't think he will have trouble with ground balls. Our catchers will have a very big area to cover for pop-ups, because Pablo can't cover anything more than 2/3 to 3/4 down the line and Hanley has no idea where these balls are going to land. Our catchers will need to be catching pop-ups in fair territory possibly out as far as the mound.

[User Name]

But he can spell Ortiz at DH against certain lefties, and there's always the possibility that Castillo flat out sucks and we end up with a sort of Holt/Young platoon.

[a700hitter]

But he can spell Ortiz at DH against certain lefties, and there's always the possibility that Castillo flat out sucks and we end up with a sort of Holt/Young platoon.

True, but if Young is going to get every AB against lefties, I can't see that happening at the start of the season without him taking most of those ABs from Bradley.

[User Name]

Maybe they'll do a rotation type thing. It would make more sense. Young can spell both Bradley and Ortiz, with Castillo getting the occasional breather too.

[User Name]

Today, he made a nice play on a line drive, but.....and this but really concerns me, he let a foul pop up fall behind first base. It was an easy play, and he barely made a move for it. By the time he reacted, it was too late, and he just stopped. Pop-ups are going to be a problem. On one of the first NESN broadcasts, the announcers said that Pedroia said that the strategy was for him to take whatever pop-ups that he could get to and not let Hanley handle popups. When I heard the story, I thought that it was a bit concerning.

 

There was a second play that was a foul pop-up between home and first toward the dugout and about 1/3 down the line. Swihart made the catch, but Hanley did not even attempt to run down that ball. It was not a difficult catch for Swihart, but very often, maybe more often than not, the first baseman takes that ball. He did not make an attempt. He jogged in to head toward the dugout.

 

 

I am concerned about him fielding pop-ups and picking throws out of the dirt. I don't think he will have trouble with ground balls. Our catchers will have a very big area to cover for pop-ups, because Pablo can't cover anything more than 2/3 to 3/4 down the line and Hanley has no idea where these balls are going to land. Our catchers will need to be catching pop-ups in fair territory possibly out as far as the mound.

 

Luckily, we have two of the most athletic catchers in the game, and Hanigan is pretty good at running down pop-ups and fly balls. His lack of speed could be a problem though.

[Bellhorn04]

It was kind of a dumb idea to say Young would get every AB against lefties. JBJ should have the opportunity to show he can hit lefties and be an everyday CF.

 

I can't really believe Farrell would take that many AB's from JBJ unless he gets off to a bad start against lefties.

 

We will see...maybe what Farrell really meant to say was that all Young's AB's will be against lefties (LOL)

[User Name]

That's also a possibility and makes a ton of sense.

[a700hitter]

It was kind of a dumb idea to say Young would get every AB against lefties. JBJ should have the opportunity to show he can hit lefties and be an everyday CF.

 

I can't really believe Farrell would take that many AB's from JBJ unless he gets off to a bad start against lefties.

 

We will see...maybe what Farrell really meant to say was that all Young's AB's will be against lefties (LOL)

Hopefully, Farrell doesn't stubbornly stick to what he said originally.