Spring Training 2014

[Hoplite]

So I learned through a friend on Facebook that they were announcing balls and strikes at the game yesterday. Turns out it's a trial thing which sounds horrific.
 

 
I agree, terrible idea. I realize that when it's live and there are fans walking in front of you, you can't always to tell if the umpire called the pitch a strike or not. But if someone doesn't know enough to look at the scoreboard for the count, then they probably don't know enough to care about the count.
 
Edit: Just had a thought and didn't want to double post. If they want fans to know the count, they should do a test trial of a rule where you're not allowed to enter the aisle to return to your seats in the middle of an at bat. I know I've been to at least one other ballpark with this rule (Detroit maybe?). And because of the cramped seats, and the obstructed viewing angles in Fenway, the issue of people standing/talking/joking in the aisle or on the way back to their seats and blocking the view of those behind them tends to be a bigger problem at Fenway than most other ballparks.

 

[bosox1025]

If you're not engaged enough to follow the count on your own there's a massive Buddy Garrity special (jumbotron) out in CF that keeps you informed.

Terrible idea that would probably annoy both the players and fans.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Lackey spoke out against it, saying stuff like "a pitcher doesn't want to be reminded he just threw a ball" and "whoever came up with this obviously never played baseball".
 
And I agree with him, hearing the progression of a 3-0 count over the PA system would probably send me into a violent rage if I was a MLB pitcher.
 
Not to mention rival announcers could subtly be douches about how they call the count against opposing pitchers.
 
From a fan perspective, I think the PA guys already talk too much. Announce the players, and be done with it. I'd rather talk to my friends in between innings than listen to a bunch of bullshit about some school from Dracut or whatever else they talk about.

 

[montoursvillefan]

Hopefully not a duplicate post, first cuts.
 
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2014/03/red_sox_make_first_round_of_cuts.html

 

[pokey_reese]

Man, depending on how the OF shakes out, I think that a Red Sox AAA team with Brentz, Cecchini, Hassan, Nava/JBJ et al., plus that pitching staff, might be able to take the Marlins or Pirates on a semi-regular basis.

 

[RIrooter09]

Man, depending on how the OF shakes out, I think that a Red Sox AAA team with Brentz, Cecchini, Hassan, Nava/JBJ et al., plus that pitching staff, might be able to take the Marlins or Pirates on a semi-regular basis.

 
Did you miss the Pirates last season?  They're probably a wild card team again this year. 

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

Pokey, you meant the Astros, right? Tell us you meant the Astros.

 

[SaveBooFerriss]

Man, depending on how the OF shakes out, I think that a Red Sox AAA team with Brentz, Cecchini, Hassan, Nava/JBJ et al., plus that pitching staff, might be able to take the Marlins or Pirates on a semi-regular basis.

 
I imagine their is a zero chance that Nava is in AAA (other than an injury rehab).  

 

[Plympton91]

I was at the game on Tuesday when they announced the count. It was as bad as you imagine it would be and maybe worse. It served only to distract and had no redeeming quality.

On the positive side, Xander went deep in the 3B side hole and made a strong throw to get a decent runner by a step.

Also saw a great catch by the fast minor league CF (Johnson?) whose name is escaping me right now. An Bryce Brentz showed me a lot more than his defensive reputation suggested as well, especially with the arm.

 

[Harry Hooper]

 
From a fan perspective, I think the PA guys already talk too much. Announce the players, and be done with it. I'd rather talk to my friends in between innings than listen to a bunch of bullshit about some school from Dracut or whatever else they talk about.

 
The Dentist specifically cited as inspiration how the PA announcer did the game in the movie "Bull Durham."
 
Um, Doc, that's a Hollywood movie where directors routinely have PA announcers or broadcasters provide way more expository material than ever happens in real life.

 

[Mike F]

P91. It's Matty Johnson who has many of the skills of Mookie albeit not as developed. No power either.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

P91. It's Matty Johnson who has many of the skills of Mookie albeit not as developed. No power either.

 
True, but he's an FOBSL, and that matters.

 

[threecy]

So I learned through a friend on Facebook that they were announcing balls and strikes at the game yesterday. Turns out it's a trial thing which sounds horrific.
 

Start off with balls and strikes, then eventually just cut out public address announcer altogether and replace him with Jerry & Don over the PA, reading promos every other pitch.
I think it's a bit over the top.  That said, a compromise might be to somehow get the ump's "strike!" amplified so all can hear.

 

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

Most umps' body language is pretty damn easy to read. I don't know about JetBlue, but at Fenway there are also those little ball-strike mini-scoreboards placed strategically around the park, not to mention the big one. This just seems like solving a non-problem in an obtrusive and annoying way.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Announcing the count after every pitch is an awful solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
 
Maybe instead of announcing it over the PA and annoying our pitchers and most of the paying customers in order to help no one, they could construct several huge scoreboards visible all around the ballpark to display the count after every single pitch. Oh wait...

 

[nvalvo]

Most umps' body language is pretty damn easy to read. I don't know about JetBlue, but at Fenway there are also those little ball-strike mini-scoreboards placed strategically around the park, not to mention the big one. This just seems like solving a non-problem in an obtrusive and annoying way.

 
Also, while it isn't visible from everywhere, the manual scoreboard on the Monster is among the most charming aspects of the park. I imagine I'm not the only one here who was totally obsessed with the illuminated ball/strike/out lights as a little kid.
 
I wouldn't advise them to downplay that. It's one of the ways (apart from the cramped seating and obstructed views) that you know you're in an old park. 

 

[Hoplite]

Whenever I lose track of the count, I just go ask Jeremy Kapstein. I assume that's why he wears those headphones.
 

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

Well, it seems that catching prospect Jonathan Denney is a bit of a douchebag. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he lied about his salary.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20140314/CRIME/140314003/Red-Sox-minor-league-catcher-arrested-Lee-County-driving-suspended-license?nclick_check=1

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

Well, it seems that catching prospect Jonathan Denney is a bit of a douchebag. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he lied about his salary.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20140314/CRIME/140314003/Red-Sox-minor-league-catcher-arrested-Lee-County-driving-suspended-license?nclick_check=1

 
So much for the notion that catchers need to be smart.

 

[67WasBest]

Well, it seems that catching prospect Jonathan Denney is a bit of a douchebag. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he lied about his salary.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20140314/CRIME/140314003/Red-Sox-minor-league-catcher-arrested-Lee-County-driving-suspended-license?nclick_check=1

Dumb series of mistakes by a 19 year old kid.  He'll get the same message many before him have received.  Let's hope he learns from this episode; because he clearly didn't from the last time in Arkansas.  Two strikes kid, how you approaching the 0-2 count?

 

[dbn]

Dumb series of mistakes by a 19 year old kid.  He'll get the same message many before him have received.  Let's hope he learns from this episode; because he clearly didn't from the last time in Arkansas.  Two strikes kid, how you approaching the 0-2 count?

 
He probably doesn't know the count (unless someone announced it to him, of course).

 

[67WasBest]

 
He probably doesn't know the count (unless someone announced it to him, of course).

:bravo:  Well played

 

[Don Buddin's GS]

Looking forward to my first-ever Sox spring training game tonight. Get to see Lester throw as well as Burke Badenhop. My wife is good friends with his MIL and we attended his wedding. I've heard the lobstah rolls at JetBlue are pretty damn good.

 

[teddywingman]

Half paying attention to today's game with the Rays. Britton got banged around and Middlebrooks left with a finger injury?

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Half paying attention to today's game with the Rays. Britton got banged around and Middlebrooks left with a finger injury?

 
Middlebrooks wasn't expected to play today primarily because of the finger injury, but somehow talked his way on to the bus to Port Charlotte.  He might have left the game because of the finger, or he might just have left the game to give the guy he bumped out of the original lineup a few innings.

 

[mabrowndog]

Extra Bases
 

 
The Red Sox optioned catcher Christian Vazquez and righthander Allen Webster to Triple A Pawtucket and reassigned shortstop Deven Marrero to minor league camp.
 
The Sox now have 43 players in major league camp. That includes injured pitchers Steven Wright and John Ely.

 

[JFS7]

what is Ortiz doing?

 "I hope this team gets to the point where they sign a couple of studs, middle-of-the-order guys at some point where things change. You never know, we'll probably have Will coming into being a stud. Thank God we have Nap. I don't count Pedey as a middle-of-the-order guy. Middle-of-the-order guy is where the power part of the lineup is based on. I'm 38 years old and they're acting like they don't want to pitch to me at this age, that's something we need to fix."

 

[mabrowndog]

1) Uhhh... How about a link?
 
2) Without context (was he asked a question?) any comment on that quote is useless.

 

[mabrowndog]

Jason Mastrodonato ‏@JMastrodonato 10m
 

Farrell said the Red Sox have a lot of work to do in these final two weeks. Their defense has been very spring-training-like.

 
To wit:
 

Maureen Mullen ‏@MaureenaMullen  9m
 

Victorino's E is #RedSox 16th in 19th ST game.
 

 

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

what is Ortiz doing?

 "I hope this team gets to the point where they sign a couple of studs, middle-of-the-order guys at some point where things change. You never know, we'll probably have Will coming into being a stud. Thank God we have Nap. I don't count Pedey as a middle-of-the-order guy. Middle-of-the-order guy is where the power part of the lineup is based on. I'm 38 years old and they're acting like they don't want to pitch to me at this age, that's something we need to fix."

 
Welcome to last week.  Already discussed ad naseum in the Ortiz thread.

 

[mabrowndog]

 

[JFS7]

 
Welcome to last week.  Already discussed ad naseum in the Ortiz thread.

sorry. i missed it

 

[luckysox]

Boy oh man do I love that swing.

 

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

Boy oh man do I love that swing.

 
Guess that thumb is healed, egh?

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Swarm of bees disrupts BOS-MFY tilt at start of bottom of 3rd inning
 
A few amusing remarks in the gamethread; "swarm of bees: 1, field crew guy with spray can: 0", references to a megatarp, etc.

 

[someoneanywhere]

Technically not a full swarm, but merely a split squad.

 

[mabrowndog]

Swarm of bees disrupts BOS-MFY tilt at start of bottom of 3rd inning
 
A few amusing remarks in the gamethread; "swarm of bees: 1, field crew guy with spray can: 0", references to a megatarp, etc.

 
Yet nobody made any Joba Chamberlain references? This place is slipping.
 

 

[InsideTheParker]

From  the ESPN article referenced above: 

 
• An invasion of midges led to a delay during Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series. The bugs may have gotten to then-Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain, who blew the save in an eventual 2-1 win for the Indians.

 

[mabrowndog]

From  the ESPN article referenced above: 

 
I was referring to allegedly amusing remarks in the Game Thread.

 

[mabrowndog]

Along with Brock Holt being optioned to the PawSox (as noted in the Herrera thread), the Sox also optioned Rubby de la Rosa there and reassigned Brandon Snyder to minor league camp.
 
PeteAbe

 

[seageral]

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post?id=5389
 
1. Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks has had a good spring training, hitting the ball from line to line -- and it'll be interesting to see if he gets even better in the days ahead, given a change he just made. He related to John Kruk that last spring, he got a call from an eye doctor but never followed up. 

This spring, he did ... and as it turned out, he told Kruk, he needed an eye prescription. He wore contacts for the first time during a game in Boston's exhibition two days ago.

 

[soxhop411]

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post?id=5389
 
1. Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks has had a good spring training, hitting the ball from line to line -- and it'll be interesting to see if he gets even better in the days ahead, given a change he just made. He related to John Kruk that last spring, he got a call from an eye doctor but never followed up. 

This spring, he did ... and as it turned out, he told Kruk, he needed an eye prescription. He wore contacts for the first time during a game in Boston's exhibition two days ago.

I wonder why it took him this long to follow up
 
Edit: How is ESPN insider the only one I can find that is reporting on this?

 

[Reggie's Racquet]

His eyesight seems to be sufficient for seeing sideline reporters.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

I wonder why it took him this long to follow up

 
Yeah, I don't know whether to be stoked at the idea of his pitch recognition taking a quantum leap, or concerned that he would be so cavalier about something so obviously relevant to his professional success. But for the short term, it's got to be a good thing, right?

 

[alwyn96]

 
Yeah, I don't know whether to be stoked at the idea of his pitch recognition taking a quantum leap, or concerned that he would be so cavalier about something so obviously relevant to his professional success. But for the short term, it's got to be a good thing, right?

 
Hard to see how having better eyesight would be bad. His pitch recognition skills are pretty lousy, so might as well try this. 

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

His eyesight seems to be sufficient for seeing sideline reporters.

 
Yes, but when you're looking at sideline reporters, a little soft focus can be a good thing.

 

[radsoxfan]

 
Yeah, I don't know whether to be stoked at the idea of his pitch recognition taking a quantum leap, or concerned that he would be so cavalier about something so obviously relevant to his professional success. But for the short term, it's got to be a good thing, right?

I had the exact same reaction. Certainly worth a shot that this helps his pitch recognition, since it couldn't get much worse. If he picks up a couple sliders a split second earlier every game, it's well worth it.

At the same time, it's not exactly reassuring that he would just blow off something so clearly relevant to his baseball career. Maybe last season's flop really scared some sense into him.

 

[Drek717]

I wonder why it took him this long to follow up
 
Edit: How is ESPN insider the only one I can find that is reporting on this?

To be fair, for all we know it amounted to some random optometrist twitter bombing him in hopes of landing a celebrity client.
 
The more important question to me is how the Red Sox aren't putting literally every single player in the organization through eye exams as part of their pre and post season physicals.
 
This 2012 article: http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/content/20120316-baseball-vision-when-20-20-eyesight-just-wont-cut-it.ece
Specifically cites a former Red Sox consultant (working for the Cubs at the date of the article) as doing everything he could to get ML players to 20/12 vision.  Is this something the Sox have stopped doing in the post-Theo era?

 

[Sprowl]

I had the exact same reaction. Certainly worth a shot that this helps his pitch recognition, since it couldn't get much worse. If he picks up a couple sliders a split second earlier every game, it's well worth it.

At the same time, it's not exactly reassuring that he would just blow off something so clearly relevant to his baseball career. Maybe last season's flop really scared some sense into him.

 
SoSH told him that he needed his eyes checked last spring, over and over again. Apparently his vision was so bad that he couldn't read the game threads. :blink:

 

[SoxJox]

Going to the Braves-Sox game at Disney-ESPN WWoS Complex tomorrow (Sat 3/22).  Anyone going to be there?
 
Edit: I'll be in Section 105, Row S, Seat 6.  I have an "all-you-can-eat" coupon, so please brush away the pile of wrappings, corndog remnants, popcorn debris, and mustard smears...you'll find me.
 
Edit #2: In fact, since I have an "all-you-can-eat", I'm treating!  :astonished: