Spring training games start today, Tuesday, and the Indians and Reds open the Cactus League.
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Category Archives: Spring Training
The Sandoval Spring
There seems to be some confusion about Pablo Sandoval‘s conditioning:
Sandoval does appear to be thinner than he was at the end of last season, roughly the same as he was at the start of spring training a year ago.
Sandoval is a big guy, and he’ll always be a big guy. It’s quite possible he was hurt last season, and he’s healthy now. The fact that he’s in better shape than when he left in October indicates that he did something this off season. We’ll see if it works.
Spring Training Starts
Pitchers and catchers start reporting today, as five teams open spring training. The Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Giants, Indians, and Phillies get their 2016 season underway. Welcome back to baseball!
Happy Presidents Day
Presidents Day comes early this year, and in a way kicks off the start of the baseball season. Pitchers and catchers start reporting on Wednesday (Feb. 17) and the last arrive on the 21st (I guess the Rays, Twins, and Blue Jays don’t need as much time to get ready.) It’s been a slow month for baseball news, but things will be picking up quickly this week.
Wild No Hitter
Even in spring training, this has to be a pretty low probability outcome:
Cody Martin and eight Braves pitchers combined for a wild 10-inning no-hitter for Atlanta in a 2-2 tie with a Houston Astros split-squad on Sunday.
Martin struck out three in two innings. He was followed by Jim Johnson, Josh Outman, Brandon Cunniff, Ian Thomas, Mauricio Cabrera, Lucas Sims, Justin Jackson and Jairo Heredia. The Braves combined to walk nine and Cabrera hit a batter.
“I’ve never seen anything like that — only in spring training” said Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez. “A 10-inning no hitter and a 2-2 tie. Some balls were hit pretty well, but the wind was blowing in.”
Off hand, I would say this was not a good day for the Braves pitchers. Nine walks in ten innings is awful, and it seems they might have allowed a ton of runs if the wind was blowing out. This is one of those good outcomes with a bad process.
A Dose of Spring
Dan Rosenheck discovers that spiking ZIPs projections with spring training numbers improves the ZIPs projections!
The answer was an unequivocal yes. In every peripheral category, forecasts that included a finely calibrated dose of spring-training numbers outperformed ZiPS by itself. The impact was particularly strong for first-year players (“rookies”), for whom spring training is their first taste of proper big-league competition. After adding the peripherals back together to get an all-in-one value measure, incorporating spring training improved the correlation between preseason projections and final results from .578 to .593 for hitters (using OPS) and from .354 to .387 for pitchers (using ERA).
Via Rob Neyer, show says this about Dan:
Dan sorta flies under the radar in these parts, because he doesn’t publish often, and when he does publish it’s just under his initials (because of editorial policy where he works). But he’s crazy smart and enthusiastic and opinionated, which makes for a delightful combination. For me, the worst thing about missing the MIT-Sloan Analytics Conference last week was not getting to see Dan.
I know Dan as well and I agree. I don’t agree, however, that this is as huge a break through as Dan claims in the article. Let’s revisit this line:
The impact was particularly strong for first-year players (“rookies”), for whom spring training is their first taste of proper big-league competition.
In other words, player for whom the projections are very close to league average. If spring numbers move these projections off average in the right direction, low and behold the correlation improves. What I’d like to see from Dan how much the numbers improve for players with at least 600 PA in the majors. I suspect it’s much smaller, and for them spring training doesn’t matter as much.
Kinda Sorta Actual Baseball
There are exhibition games scheduled for today!
Do people still use the term “exhibition” to refer to non-championship games? I know the NFL gets upset if you call their pre-season games exhibitions. Baseball used the term when I was young, but I don’t hear it any more. I guess it’s bad for marketing.
Report Card
The Sporting News supplies the spring training report dates for all 30 MLB teams.
Spring Training: Detroit Tigers at Washington Nationals (3/22)
Final Score: 4-3 Tigers
Melbourne, Florida has been the home of the Expos/Nationals since 2002, the same year that Prince Fielder left Melbourne after being drafted by the Brewers. Fielder, in the city where he spent his teenage years, almost managed to drive Stephen Strasburg from the game with a well-placed line drive that glanced off the pitcher’s glove hand. The sight of Strasburg grimacing in pain drew stunned gasps from the crowd, and his quick recovery evoked audible sighs of relief. The fans sitting around me, who were veteran season-ticket holders of the ballpark, took the possible injury in stride. Over the course of the game, their discussions ranged from the quality of recent trades to whether the Nationals would abandon Space Coast Stadium for a more appealing venue. My neighbor, Kyle, described her claim to fame as being the first person to ever scan a Nationals ticket and pointed out a former minor-leaguer who had once played with Joe DiMaggio. The friendliness and baseball intellect of the crowd proved to be the element that brought relatively mundane Space Coast Stadium to higher level. In fact, for spring training stadiums, the excitement of the crowd makes a significant difference in the perceived quality of the experience. A stadium can have a great seating plan, concessions concourse, and field, but still present baseball as an afterthought.
The Nationals game was the last of the 11 games I watched in Florida. Statistically, I saw 10 stadiums (sorry to the Orioles, Pirates, Rays, and Blue Jays) and 14 teams (really, really sorry to the Rays). Counting the journey from Massachusetts, the trip covered over 4,000 miles, including more than 1,500 miles in Florida alone. Despite the driving, there’s almost nothing better than getting to watch and write about baseball. Thanks to everyone who read these entries, and thanks especially to David Pinto for letting me post on his blog. As baseball fans say during their traditional holidays, next year in Florida!
Spring Training: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets
Final Score: 3-2 Cardinals
The Mets are often forced to play second fiddle to the glitzier Yankees, and this carries through to their spring training stadiums. Where Steinbrenner Field has a respectable, businesslike structure containing luxury boxes and a pressroom, Tradition Field has a towering monolith of unfinished concrete. Where the Yankees’ stadium has an excellent mixture of local fare and traditional New York food, the signature dish of the Mets’ stadium is a “Taco in a Helmet.” The “taco” was made up of tortilla chips, with ground beef, salsa, cheese, and wimpy lettuce tossed on top. Where the Yankees’ park is named after one of the strongest and most polarizing men in baseball’s history, Tradition Field is named after a tacky housing development. This even extends to the fans at the games, as Yankees fans, enthusiastic and devoted to their cause, pack into Steinbrenner Field. Despite the fact that the stadium gave out free Mets hats for the game against the Cardinals, Tradition Field looked more like the recent election of the Pope than an assembly of die-hard Mets fans.
Among the players on the field, some were less than devout. The Mets starting lineup contained two players suspended for fifty games after positive PED drug tests. Marlon Byrd, who was released from the Red Sox last season before his failed test, signed a minor league deal with the Mets this February. Byrd went 1 for 4 from the leadoff spot against the Cardinals, but has managed a .349 OBP this spring and has been virtually guaranteed the Mets right field spot. Omar Quintanilla, the other suspended PED user, went 0 for 3 with a walk, bringing his spring training OBP to .333. He is in a good position to make the team as a backup middle infielder, especially with injuries limiting infielders Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner. Neither of these performances were enough to overcome the Cardinals, who ended up taking the game by one run. St. Louis was helped by a performance from their closer, Jason Motte, who pitched a scoreless 9th. Motte has struggled this spring, walking five batters with only two strikeouts and allowing 5 earned runs, but today looked to be in mid-season form.
3/22: I’m traveling to watch the Nationals at home against the Tigers, my last stop in Florida. From there, I’ll continue onward and upward back to the snowy north, so I won’t be able to write for the next few days.
Spring Training: Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins
Final Score: 7-5 Nationals
The most excessive hot dog that I’ve encountered in the Grapefruit League has its home at Roger Dean Stadium (but originated in the Cardinals’ Busch Stadium). It starts with a long stretch of bacon wrapped around a foot-long hot dog, which is then placed in a bun and topped with pulled pork and coleslaw. This monstrosity of a hot dog/sandwich hybrid, dubbed the “St. Louis Dog,” is too awkwardly piled to eat without a fork. At $8.50, it loses all the convenience and cheapness of a standard hot dog, but doesn’t have the ability to reach the high threshold of ballpark delicacy. Its counterparts around the league, especially the “Flint City Style Coney Island Hot Dog” of Detroit’s Joker Marchant Stadium, far outclass it. The $6 Flint dog is expensive for only being the standard six inches, but is served with meaty chili and delicious onions. Another competitor in the bacon hot dog marketplace is the “Miracle Dog” of the Twins’ Hammond Stadium. The Miracle Dog is served with peppers, onions, bacon bits, and nacho cheese, but has all these toppings on the side in plastic containers. Being forced to consider just how much bacon is on the hot dog gives the eater a distinctly unpleasant sensation.
All that cholesterol did not benefit the home team today. The Nationals bolted ahead early and held on for the win, with insurance from catcher Kurt Suzuki’s solo shot in the eighth. Suzuki went 2-4 against the Marlins and upped his OBP for the spring to a more-than-respectable .387. The Nationals traded for Suzuki in August last year after starter Wilson Ramos tore his ACL on April 12th, and Suzuki quickly became the go-to catcher, garnering 164 plate appearances. The Nationals, though, are a team rolling in catchers, including a healthy Ramos, who made his return to baseball in early March. If Ramos will be the starter and Suzuki his backup, that still leaves Sandy Leon, Jhonatan Solano, and Carlos Maldonado (another catcher, Chris Snyder, was recently released). All of these catchers are relatively young, with Suzuki the oldest at 29 and Leon the youngest at 24. Leon, Solano, and Maldonado also all had major league appearances last year in the void left by Ramos’ injury, but look to spend at least the first part of this season shuttling between AAA and the majors. If it were reasonable to make a baseball to hot dog analogy, the Nationals, at catcher, would have all the benefits of the St. Louis Dog without the many downsides.
2/21: I will be looking for bacon-topped hot dogs in Tradition Field, where the Mets will be playing at home against the Cardinals.
Update from David Pinto: It is the official position of this blog that you can never put too much bacon on anything. 🙂 Also, I’ll ask the Nationals fans, which catcher do you trade, and for what type of player?
Spring Training: Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
Final Score: 8-7 Orioles
Full disclosure: I’m a Red Sox fan.
Finished only a year ago, JetBlue Park is a miniaturized version of a newer, slicker Fenway. In left, the Green Monster is horizontally divided into two parts, creating two different levels of seating. Though the field still sports the infamous “triangle” in center field and Pesky’s Pole in right, comfortable plastic seats have replaced the rickety wooden bleachers. The concourse of JetBlue is modern and spacious, but lacking in the distinctive green and brick colors of Fenway. From the exterior, the differences are even more evident. The outside of the stadium is a brilliant white, and artfully disorganized plates cover the edges of the stands. Without the crowded streets of Boston, there’s also more room for pretty landscaping and the occasional statue. The charm of the stadium, however, lies not only in the idea of an improved Fenway, but also in Boston’s dedicated fans, who showed up in droves to watch the divisional match-up against the O’s.
The most interesting numbers of the day belonged to Daniel Bard. Bard, pitching an inning in relief for Boston, let up 3 earned runs, with 1 BB, 1 HBP, and 1 balk that resulted in a run. Last season, he compiled an ERA above 6.00 in 91 innings between AAA Pawtucket and the majors, but had not allowed a run in this year’s spring training until today. On a different note, Jackie Bradley Jr. went 1 for 2 with a single against the Orioles, extending his already excellent spring training. Bradley is tied for the highest OBP among all players this spring, and may possibly get a spot on the Opening Day roster (especially with the injury to David Ortiz), despite the fact that he had fewer than 300 plate appearances in AA last year.
For the Orioles, Brian Roberts, age 35, went 1 for 3 batting from the leadoff spot. Roberts has been accumulating injuries over the last three seasons (concussion, hip labrum tear, etc.), meaning that his plate appearances declined from 717 in 2009 to almost a tenth of that in 2012. Roberts has certainly not gotten younger or faster over that time, but has managed to keep up a .874 OPS this spring. At the same time as they expressed confidence in Roberts, the Orioles also picked up defense-oriented Alexi Casilla off waivers and traded for Yamaico Navarro. Casilla and Navarro, along with Ryan Flaherty, have all had modestly good spring training seasons, with Flaherty offensively edging out the other two (and Roberts himself, in some stats). If Roberts has another injury-filled or lackluster season, the Orioles have plenty of insurance waiting in the wings.
3/20: I unfortunately have to head back to the east coast, where I’ll be going to the Nats-Marlins game at Roger Dean Stadium.
Spring Training: Miami Marlins at Minnesota Twins
Final Score: 6-2 Marlins (5 innings)
From the outside, Hammond Stadium could be a swanky hotel. Windows line the front of the structure, and an elaborate fountain froths at the entrance. On the inside, concessions booths stocked with delectable food lie a floor below relatively nondescript seating. Midwestern accents were more the rule than the exception for the game against Miami, while almost no Marlins apparel was evident among the ubiquitous Twins logos. The home crowd stood firm through an offensive onslaught by Miami, but broke at the first sign of rain. The tarp came on, was removed, and finally put over the field for good, justifying the departure of the fans, but leaving the Twins with a loss.
For the Twins, the most disappointing element of the game was their starter, Kevin Correia. Correia let up 5 earned runs in 4 innings, with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. Historically a pitch-to-contact starter, he was an All-Star as a Pirate in 2011 with a first half ERA of 4.07 and held a 4.21 ERA in 2012. On the basis of those stats, the Twins (who had the second worst starting pitching in baseball last year) signed Correia to a two-year, $10 million deal in the off-season. This spring, however, Correia has suffered from a .327 BABIP and has a miserable 0.83 walk to strikeout ratio in his five starts so far. These numbers, from a very small sample, are similar to or worse than Correia’s stats in the second half of 2011, where he posted a 7.23 ERA before going on the DL. Carreira will probably be in the Twins’ starting rotation, but needs good defense from his fielders and a much-improved SO/BB to be worth his cost.
3/19: I’m going to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, to see the Red Sox play at home against the Orioles.
Spring Training: Toronto Blue Jays at Houston Astros
Final Score: 11-2 Astros
Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, is the most intimate and retro of the Grapefruit League fields. With only 5,300 seats and no berm, every seat crowds around home plate. The bullpens lie directly on the field, while the relief pitchers sit right up against the first row of fans. The air during the game against the Blue Jays was filled with live organ music and cheers from fans. Without advertisements or a large television screen to distract from the baseball, the sold-out stadium resounded with excitement at each play. Moreover, the Astros, sporting the distinctive blue and orange colors last seen in the ‘90s, also brought back their mascot from the Astrodome and shipped it to Florida. Orbit, an alien of friendly persuasion, added comic relief, and as the game ran away from the Blue Jays, a festive (perhaps partially due to St. Patrick’s Day) atmosphere ensued.
Of the 11 runs scored by Houston, six came off of four home runs by three different players. The Astros hit only 146 home runs all of last season, but quietly lead the Grapefruit League with 32 homers over 22 games played. Houston also tops the Grapefruit League in SLG and OBP, even though the team finished 29th and 28th in those respective categories last season. In an impressive display of power, Chris Carter, Brandon Laird, and Jason Castro all homered against the Blue Jays, giving them four home runs each. For Castro and Laird, this sudden surge in home runs is suspect, as Castro had only six home runs last year in more than 290 major league plate appearances and Laird hit 15 over 550 plate appearances in AAA. Carter, in contrast, hit 16 home runs in 260 plate appearances with the A’s last year and has the potential for a high home run count this season.
Southpaw Erik Bedard pitched three scoreless innings for the Astros, racking up 5 strikeouts and no walks. Bedard was the Pirate’s 2012 opening day starter and had an excellent beginning to the season. After a back injury sidelined him, though, Bedard’s numbers collapsed, leaving him with an ERA of just under 6.40 for the period of June through August. Bedard was cut in late August by the Pirates, and picked up by the Astros with a minor league deal. He underperformed last season (with an ERA almost a run higher than his FIP), but has overcome a gluteal sprain to pitch six scoreless innings this spring. If he maintains respectable numbers, Bedard may easily find his way into the Astros’ rotation.
3/18: After driving down to Fort Myers, I’m planning to see the Marlins play against the Twins in the Twins home field, Hammond Stadium.
Spring Training: New York Yankees (split squad) at Atlanta Braves
Final Score: 4-0 Braves
Champions Field is located just within the boundaries of Disney World, at the gigantic ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. The only indications that the field is home to the Braves are Atlanta symbols plastered onto the home dugout, attached to the center field wall, and outlined behind home plate. It would take only ten minutes and a small bucket of paint to remove any trace of team allegiance and leave the stadium completely dominated by Disney lettering. For the game against the Yankees, the stadium had an equal number of Yankees and Braves jerseys on display, along with a large selection of signed Yankees memorabilia up for auction. Disney was also busy promoting its latest acquisition with a “Star Wars Day,” and the Yankees starting lineup announcement was graced with the Imperial March. Even though the stadium was advertising Disney more than supporting the Braves, the fans were unquestionably united in solidarity behind the home team. The boisterous crowd, mostly imported from Atlanta, made the baseball a pleasure to watch.
The success of the Braves, after having the fourth best record last season, will depend on the quality of the new starting rotation. Kris Medlen, after an extremely productive (1.57 ERA over 138 innings, with 120 strikeouts) season shifting from reliever to starter, might step into more of a starting role this season, but the team lost young starters Tommy Hanson and Randall Delgado, as well as reliever Chad Durbin and prospect Zeke Spruill. For a fifth starter, the Braves could turn to J.R. Graham, a 22-year-old right handed pitcher drafted by the Braves in 2011. Over the last year, Graham accumulated 45 innings in 9 starts with the Mississippi Braves (AA), posting a WHIP of 1.15 with 42 strikeouts and 17 walks. He pitched two scoreless innings with one strikeout against the Yankees, bringing his spring training total to nine innings with no runs allowed. With Graham, Sean Gilmartin (the Braves first round pick in 2011 with seven starts last year in AAA), and Julio Teheran (who struggled last year in AAA, but has had an outstanding spring training so far) all looking to have major league appearances this year, Braves starting pitching has lots of upside in the upcoming season.
2/17: For St. Patrick’s Day, I’m going to watch the Blue Jays at the Astros in Kissimmee, Florida.
Spring Training: Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers
Final Score: 4-2 Tigers over the Blue Jays
The modern field and beautiful berm of Joker Marchant Stadium belie the extensive history of the Tigers in Lakeland, Florida. The team has been in Lakeland since 1934, and has practiced at the Tiger Town complex since the ‘40s. Joker Marchant Stadium, the Lakeland home field of the Tigers since 1966, is named after Marcus Marchant, the first director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Lakeland. Unsurprisingly, then, the game against the Blue Jays brought out a huge number of Detroit fans, vastly outnumbering the few Toronto supporters who journeyed to Tiger Town. The Tigers, playing for an excited home crowd, brought out the big names, with Austin Jackson leading off, followed by the impressive quartet of Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Victor Martinez. Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero walked two of the first three batters and let up three runs over the first three innings, after which the game sped quickly to its conclusion.
Despite the pitching of Romero, the Blue Jays are a team poised to compete for the AL East. Following a 73-89 season marred by injury, the Blue Jays made drastic changes and improvements, increasing their payroll by around $50 million. The largest offensive pickups include Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, and Emilio Bonifacio. Both Reyes and Cabrera have been tearing up spring training (Reyes is currently playing for the Dominican Republic in the WBC), while Bonifacio went 1 for 3 against Detroit’s Rick Porcello and has been consistently hitting well. The Blue Jays also picked up R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle to shore up their weak starting rotation (Dickey is with the U.S. team and pitched in the loss to the Dominican Republic on March 14th). Johnson has pitched impeccably, including an impressive three-inning performance in a 17-5 blowout of the Yankees on March 14th, but both Dickey and Buehrle have struggled. Additionally, Toronto has had problems finding consistency in its starters, with Ricky Romero as a perfect example. Romero, the Opening Day starter for the Blue Jays, struggled in a stretch of 102 innings with 64 walks and 66 strikeouts, leading to a 7.10 ERA. For the Blue Jays to match up against the AL East competition, their newly infused starting rotation must prove worth its payroll.
The Yankees, winners of the AL East in 2012, face the opposite problem. They are limited by their commitment to bringing the 2014 payroll under the $189 million luxury-tax line. For the first time since 1998, the Yankees won’t have the largest payroll in baseball this year. They also sported the oldest average age for both pitchers and hitters in 2012, a status which the Yankees will likely maintain, as they have added new players like Matt Diaz (35), Kevin Youkilis (34), and Juan Rivera (34). With injuries to Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texeira, and the ever-absent Michael Pineda, the Yankees are also missing key (and some less key) players for the beginning of the season. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that the Yankees managed to overcome age and injury last year to finish first in the division with the 3rd best record in baseball. The Yankees have the potential to pull off another division title while shrinking their budget, but the competition will certainly be fierce.
3/16: I’m going to Disney World, as the Atlanta Braves play at home in Champion Stadium against the split squad Yankees.
Spring Training: Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies
Final Score: 2-1 Phillies
After a last minute change of plans, I traveled to Bright House Field, home of the Phillies, in Clearwater, Florida. Bright House Field has a homey, yet vibrant atmosphere. Although it holds only 8,500 seats, more than 9,500 fans managed to squeeze in to watch the nailbiter against the Pirates. The park itself is well structured for Florida baseball (and large crowds), with a berm that rings the whole outfield and a tiki hut positioned in deep left. The stadium is also distinctly Philadelphian; the signature concession is a Philly Cheese Steak, and a large Wawa sign adorns the right field wall. The statue in front of the main entrance to the stadium, named “The Ace” by its sculptor, Kevin Brady, depicts a nameless Phillies pitcher in his follow-through, with a metal curve tracing the path of his hand. Like the statue, Bright House Field strikes the correct balance between the culture of Philadelphia and the celebration of baseball.
Last August and September, the Pirates struck the correct balance of terrible pitching, weak hitting, and abysmal fielding to send the team to its 20th consecutive losing season. The Pirates went from 16 games over .500 on August 6th to 4 games under .500 by the end of the season, mirroring the 2011 season, where the Pirates fell from 5 games over .500 on July 28th to 18 games under .500 on September 28th. One of the largest contributors to the sudden drop was the collapse of Pittsburgh’s relief pitching. In 2011, the bullpen posted a horrendous 6.11 ERA in August, kick-starting the Pirates’ precipitous drop. The bullpen of 2012, which had maintained a 2.99 ERA, had a 4.82 ERA for the months of September and October. Following the season, the Pirates dealt away two of the main causes of the sudden increase in ERA, trading Chris Resop to the A’s and Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox.
Against the Phillies, the Pirates brought forth two relievers vying for major league spots. Andy Oliver, who entered in the sixth, spent last year with the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA, Detroit). He struggled with his control, but managed to escape with only one walk and one earned run (bringing his total to 6 walks and 5 earned runs over 3.1 innings this spring). In contrast, Ryan Reid pitched a scoreless inning. Recently signed to a minor league deal after a consistent season in Durham (AAA, Tampa Bay), Ryan’s spring line stands at 5 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 2 hits, and 4 strikeouts. With just spring training numbers, it’s difficult to tell if a bullpen can remain consistent through the regular season. For the Pirates, however, who are carrying new relievers like Mark Melancon (who managed a 6.23 ERA in 13 innings last August), history may repeat itself once again. If so, the Pirates will have a different batch of scapegoats to blame.
3/15: I make the drive east to Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, where the Detroit Tigers are playing at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Spring Training: Philadelphia Phillies at New York Yankees
Final Score: 6-2 Yankees
If one took parts of Yankee Stadium, jumbled them together, and then placed a life-sized statue of George Steinbrenner at the entrance, the result would probably be something similar to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. The field’s dimensions are exactly the same as old Yankee Stadium, and the plaques of famous Yankees out front are similar to those in Monument Park. When Mariano Rivera came out from the bullpen to face the Phillies in the 5th inning, he was greeted with his customary “Enter Sandman” (and a standing ovation), and the eventual Yankee victory brought about a continuous loop of Frank Sinatra (“Start spreading the news…”), just as it would up north. The nostalgic talk among many of the older fans centered on the pinstripe heroes of yore, but this was mixed with veneration for the modern players on the field. Steinbrenner Field, much like its larger brother in the Bronx, is a temple to baseball and a shrine to the Yankee image, albeit with a wide range of expensive concessions and souvenirs.
In this metaphorical shrine, the Yankees, needing an outfielder after the injury to Curtis Granderson in February, tried multiple options against the Phillies. Melky Mesa, playing centerfield, went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts, continuing a troubling trend. Over his period with the Scranton RailRiders (AAA) last year, he managed to strikeout an astonishing 43 times in 133 plate appearances (and this spring, 10 times in 37 plate appearances). Ben Francisco, signed to a minor-league contract by the Yankees on March 11, went 1 for 3 with a two-run double, despite the fact that the Yankee announcer and scoreboard unfortunately introduced him as Matt Daley (a right-handed pitcher wearing the same number). Zoilo Almonte, who played last year in Trenton (AA), got the thankless task of pinch-running for Ichiro and being the first out in a 4-6-3 double play. He was moved to Scranton following the end of the game.
For the Phillies, beyond the 5 errors and poor pitching of Cliff Lee (2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 R, 1 E), the performance of Humberto Quintero at catcher was disheartening. With Carlos Ruiz serving a 25 game suspension during the regular season for Adderall use, the Phillies need a replacement. Erik Kratz, the most obvious candidate, has played poorly throughout spring training and is unlikely to inspire confidence that he can maintain his decent numbers from last season. Sebastian Valle, though speeding through the Phillies system, struggled tremendously in his AAA appearances last year. Quintero, given a minor league deal by the Phillies, has also played poorly, and this game was no exception. He went 0 for 3 with a walk, and tossed two balls into center field on steal attempts.
3/14: I travel west to Dunedin to see the New York Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays in Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.
Spring Training: Houston at Miami
Roger Dean Stadium and the adjoining fields form a large, well-kept complex hidden between strip malls and Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Florida. It’s the home of spring training for both the Cardinals and the Marlins, and has two sets of six practice fields and separate facilities for each team. Within the stadium, the music shifts oddly between the organ playing of Gladys Goodding (the famous organist of the Brooklyn Dodgers) and modern pop music. The seats are, in general, normal, straight-backed seats with cup-holders, but are bounded by the berm in right and metal bleachers (reminiscent of a little league field) in left. Unfortunately, the cost of each seat is the same for every spring training game, whether the high demand Cardinals or low demand Marlins are playing. At the Houston-Miami game, the attendance was nominally 2,481, but, by the ninth inning, there were barely a few hundred people left in the stands.
The game itself didn’t encourage many fans to stay, especially with many players off at the World Baseball Classic (some were playing at Marlins Park two hours south in Miami). Christian Yelich, a promising prospect, led off for the Marlins. All of last season, Yelich played at Roger Dean Stadium for its year-round residents, the Jupiter Hammerheads. At 20, he led the Florida State League (Class A+) in slugging. Against the Astros, though, Yelich had a quiet day, going 1 for 3 with a single against starting pitcher Bud Norris and reliever Wesley Wright. The most interesting story about the Marlins derived from their pitching. Ricky Nolasco, who last week was announced to be the Marlins starting pitcher on opening day, let up four home runs over three innings of work and a total of eight hits, two walks, and seven earned runs, with four strikeouts. Two of these hits were by Rick Ankiel, now with the Astros as a non-roster invitee. Ankiel has already broken into the major leagues twice, once as a pitcher and once as an outfielder, and, in the tiny sample size of 25 plate appearances, has made an excellent case for another shot in the majors.
Tomorrow: After a long drive across the width of Florida, I’m going to the massive George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to watch the Phillies play the Yankees.
Grapefruit League
I’d like to welcome Daniel Rubin to Baseball Musings. Daniel is the son of two of my college friends from the Harvard University Band and Mather House. I look forward to his reports.
Hi, my name is Daniel Rubin. I’m a senior in high school in frigid Massachusetts, but I’ve fortunately escaped the winter chill. After driving down along the East Coast (along with many of the 1.2 million fans who attend Grapefruit League games), I’m now in sunny Florida, where Major League Baseball thrives for an extra two months.
Over the next two weeks, I’ll be writing about spring training for Baseball Musings. Although I’m no David Pinto, my goal is to give some idea of the experience to the baseball fan trapped far from the Sunshine State. I hope you enjoy!
Spring Losers
It looks like cities that host spring training sites bleed money, most of it going into the pockets of the ball clubs:
The Republic’s analysis of financial records of the nine cities that host spring training revealed that:
Mesa has lost an average of $1.47 million annually over the past five years hosting the Chicago Cubs at Hohokam Stadium and Fitch Park.
Phoenix lost an average of $1.7 million over five years hosting the Oakland Athletics at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and an additional $1.8 million annually at Maryvale Baseball Park, spring home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Peoria lost an average of $1.63 million annually over the past five years hosting the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners.
In four years of operation at Camelback Ranch, Glendale has lost an average of $18,882 annually. The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are responsible for most day-to-day operations there. In 2012, the city’s revenue agreement with Phoenix kicked in, and Glendale made $57,804.
The answer seems to be to make the teams pay for the park upkeep. Otherwise, taxpayers are just throwing money at these teams.
The Clear Drill
Nationals Sleep with the Fishes
A bird dropped a fish on the Nationals practice today. Denard Span wasn’t too happy, as you can see in the video.
“I’ve never seen that on a baseball field,” Span said. “I’ve seen it on T.V., you know, bird carrying their dinner. I’ll tell you what, that bird definitely didn’t have good hands. He dropped his dinner.”
As far as Span is concerned, seeing it once was enough.
“I’m from Florida, but I’ve been fishing maybe twice in my life, he said. “I’m scared of fish, scared of birds. The only thing I’m not scared of is probably, like, an ant or something like that. I don’t know what it is. I don’t like to get my hands dirty, other than clay and dirt.”
He should talk to Glenallen Hill.
Game of the Day
The Yankees and Red Sox celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park Friday afternoon, the start scheduled for 3:15. These two teams met 100 years ago today, the Yankees known as the Highlanders at the time. Here’s an article about the first game, including the box score from the Boston Globe.
Fenway Park at the start of the 2012 season. Photo: © Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE
The day was ideal. The bright sun brought out the bright colors of the flags and bunting that decorated the big grandstand, and gave the new uniforms of the players a natty look. Before the game started, the crowd broke into the outfield and remained behind the ropes, forcing the teams to make ground rules, all hits going for two bases.
This ruling was a big disadvantage to the home team, for the Highland laddies never hit for more than a single, while three of Boston’s hits went into the crowd, whereas with a clear field they would have gone for three-base drives and possibly home runs, and would have landed the home team a winner before the ninth inning.
The game went into extra innings, with one of the all time great centerfielders, Tris Speaker recording the game winning hit. The seasons pretty much went that way for the two teams, Boston winning 105 games and taking the pennant by 14 games, while New York won just 50, finishing last. Given the close score and the appearance of Hal Chase in the New York lineup, I wonder if New York threw the game. The Highlanders that year projected to a .358 winning percentage based on their runs scored and allowed, but only posted a .328 winning percentage. Hal collected two hits and two RBI in the game, but he was a subtle cheater.
It’s impressive that a stadium lasts this long. It was not until 1903 that the use of reinforced concrete was applied to building stadiums, and that first structure still stands up stream from Fenway. Most, however, wear out physically or practically and give way to more modern structures. I was born in 1960, and most of the stadiums built in my lifetime were replaced in the last 20 years.
Red Sox ownership worked over the years to prevent the ballpark from deterioration. When I started attending games regularly in 1984, the bleachers were separated from the rest of the stadium. The concessions choices where hot dogs and pizza. There was a dankness below the stands, which made coming into the light and seeing the green grass of the park all the more enjoyable.
The Red Sox added a premium seating area and a new press box in the late 1980s. Eventually, they replaced the bones of the building with new steel supports. Under new ownership in the last decade, they expanded seating with the Green Monster seats and the Beer Garden on the roof in rightfield. The entire park is now open to everyone. There is a picnic area that occupies the space of an old industrial laundry, with a wide selection of food. Bars and clubs surround the area, and they now close Yawkey Way before the game and turn it into a party zone. All in all, the park offers a much better experience for the fans.
On the other hand, there are still obstructed view seats due to support posts. Even the old Yankee Stadium managed to banish those when they remodeled in the 1970s. Seats often point away from the action, and many were built for the smaller stature of the population in 1912. The average height of men born in 1890 was 66.6 inches. In 1970, it was 69.8. The players also suffer, as Fenway does not provide the amenities of the newer ballparks.
Today’s game pits Ivan Nova against Clay Buchholz. Nova is the star of the Yankees rotation so far, walking two and striking out 15 in 13 innings pitched. He also allowed three home runs, which is a big reason for his 4.15 ERA. Clay’s walks and strikeouts are close to parity, five BB and seven K in eleven innings. His history at Fenway is very good, however. These are two of the highest scoring teams in the American League, so don’t be surprised to see a slugfest. I don’t think Mark Teixeira will do a Hal Chase and throw the game. 🙂
Enjoy!
The Amazing Moyer
Jamie Moyer may have made the Rockies rotation Thursday night:
Jamie Moyer pitched four perfect innings and made a case to join the Rockies’ rotation by helping Colorado to a 7-0 win over a split squad of San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.
The 49-year-old lefty was out of the majors last season while recovering from a torn elbow ligament. He struck out four and only Angel Pagan made solid contact, lining out to center field to start the game.
I’m impressed that he struck out four. In nine innings this spring, he walked none and struck out seven. He’s pitching like Cliff Lee. Moyer is not a strikeout pitcher. After Tommy John surgery, his arm might feel like it’s 20 years old again.
Pong Dodgers
James Loney worked his fingers, and Don Mattingly installed a ping-pong table in the Dodgers spring training facility:
“I can’t take credit for it,” Mattingly said. “It was James [Loney], in one of his wild moments. He texts me out of the blue and asks, ‘Can we get a Ping-Pong table for Spring Training?’ I thought it was a great idea.
“Over time, it gets boring. Ping-Pong is a good game. It’s competitive, good for hand-eye coordination and it’s reasonably safe. You don’t get a lot of turned ankles in Ping-Pong. It’s just something fun for the guys to have.”
Loney had a table in his Los Angeles home last year, and he found himself playing during a visit to the RBI Urban Youth Academy in Compton. He said it was in November when he texted the manager.
“I just figured it would help keep things loose for the guys,” Loney said. “I know the guys like to play. Why not? And it’s been great. Guys really enjoy it. And if somebody needs to take a break during the day, it’s there.”
What a great idea. It seems Clayton Kershaw is the top player this spring. If the Dodgers improve at the plate this season, they can give table tennis a nod.
Liriano Tough
Francisco Liriano threw five no-hit innings for the Twins today.
Twins lefthander Francisco Liriano held the Pittsburgh Pirates hitless for five innings, notching six strikeouts today at Hammond Stadium.
Liriano was coming off a rough outing in his previous start, as he gave up four runs over three innings last Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
It seems we’re seeing a number of five inning no-hitters this spring.
Peavy Near Perfect
Jake Peavy pitched well on Saturday:
On the mound for the third time in Cactus League play, Peavy hurled five innings of hitless ball against the Mariners. He struck out five while issuing just one walk, and threw 55 of his 70 pitches for strikes.
“It was a good day, got a lot of good work in,” Peavy told reporters after the 5-0 exhibition victory over Seattle. “It’s refreshing to go out there and have good stuff and good command. After that last start, people were talking about, ‘I thought you said you felt good.’ I do feel good. We’re working on stuff. If I make a bad pitch, I turn around in spring training, I’m throwing the same pitch until I get it.”
That last bit is why spring training numbers can be deceiving. Often, players are working on a particular aspect of their game. Sometimes, they’re not trying to win, they’re trying to improve. The work paid off for Jake yesterday.
Impressive at Any Time of the Year
Vance Worley struck out eight of the 12 Pirates batters he faced in four innings of work today. There are no days off against the Phillies rotation.
Spring Stretches
The LoHud Yankees blog posts a nice picture of Phil Hughes, Boone Logan, and CC Sabathia trying out for the synchronized Yoga team. 🙂
(I wonder if there is a synchronized Yogi team?)