2023 ST Game Thread

[The Gray Eagle]

Coldplay walked 2 in that inning, which is only 3 fewer than his season total last year in 56 innings pitched.
He still got out of the inning unscored on though. "Just getting his work in."

 

[nvalvo]

Winckowski's novelty mustache is terrible.

 

[Rovin Romine]

How does Durran look like in the field?

 

[nvalvo]

How does Durran look like in the field?

He made a nice play there.

 

[YTF]

Folks can say what they want about OB, but in the 10 minutes I've been watching it's abundantly clear that Youk needs someone who's established by his side to keep him on track.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Folks can say what they want about OB, but in the 10 minutes I've been watching it's abundantly clear that Youk needs someone who's established by his side to keep him on track.

It's not just "keeping," but I think Caron has been leading him away from commenting on the game. Youks is at his best talking about hitting.
Yikes, Hernandez not covering himself in glory today.

 

[greek_gawd_of_walks]

Winckowski's novelty mustache is terrible.

I tend to agree, but if he keeps getting swings and misses with it, roll on. He had zero ability to strike guys out last year. If this is a newfound thing, Winckowski is real asset.

 

[nvalvo]

It's not just "keeping," but I think Caron has been leading him away from commenting on the game. Youks is at his best talking about hitting.

I worry that Caron (and others at NESN) watches those ESPN broadcasts and thinks that that is what people want. I really worry that they're right.

 

[Rasputin]

I worry that Caron (and others at NESN) watches those ESPN broadcasts and thinks that that is what people want. I really worry that they're right.

Well that's fuckin' terrifying.

 

[A Bad Man]

Klubot strikes out the side in order top of the first

 

[InsideTheParker]

Today may be the first loss of ST. Marlins up 1-0, two men on, 2 outs, 5th inning.
Mills pitching----Chisholm walks, bases loaded. Is Mills supposed to be good?

 

[FlexFlexerson]

Casas with another hit. Love what we're seeing from him in spring training. Between his talent and his personality, both of which are on a delightful upward trajectory, I'm real, real excited for him to become one of my new favorite players.

 

[Jack Rabbit Slim]

Rafaela not quite as casual as JBJ but pretty close

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Casas with another hit. Love what we're seeing from him in spring training. Between his talent and his personality, both of which are on a delightful upward trajectory, I'm real, real excited for him to become one of my new favorite players.

His swing looks like the bat is made of air- is he RotY eligible?

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Wilyer Abreu just left with a leg injury.
Rafaela hit a single, but now Goodrum whiffed with the bases loaded and no one out, then Fitz pops out. Ugly squander incoming?

 

[InsideTheParker]

Wilyer Abreu just left with a leg injury.
Rafaela hit a single, but now Goodrum whiffed with the bases loaded and no one out, then Fitz pops out. Ugly squander incoming?

Walk ties the game, instead. Another bases-loaded walk. 2-1 Sox. I guess the Marlins ran out of good pitchers. David Hamilton with a 2-run double.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

As Youk said, "Crook steals a walk."
And now another walk for R. Hernandez forces in another run.

 

[staz]

MURDERS ROW

 

[LogansDad]

His swing looks like the bat is made of air- is he RotY eligible?

Yes. Very much so.

 

[Coachster]

Maybe that Renfroe trade wasn't that bad.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Hamilton doubles in 2 runs!
There's a million things he hasn't done, just you wait.

 

[brandonchristensen]

Is Sale going to pitch soon?

 

[NJ_Sox_Fan]

Is Sale going to pitch soon?

Monday against Detroit I believe.

 

[Coachster]

Maybe if Ort blows this lead, we can finally be Ort-less.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Whatever happens here, I still DISLIKE Ort for bringing the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth. Boo!

 

[JohnnyTheBone]

GOT HEEM!

WATER!

 

[staz]

Maybe if Ort blows this lead, we can finally be Ort-less.

immORTal

6-0

 

[Van Everyman]

I have only seen the scores of these games, not the action. Should I be … encouraged by these pretend games?

 

[Blizzard of 1978]

I have only seen the scores of these games, not the action. Should I be … encouraged by these pretend games?

They look better than last year. More energy with the new guys.

 

[nvalvo]

I have only seen the scores of these games, not the action. Should I be … encouraged by these pretend games?

Yes, IMO. A lot of the question mark guys have looked very solid. Those results are because our AAA pitching depth has looked very good while opposing teams can’t keep Arroyo, Casas and McGuire in the ballpark.

 

[BaseballJones]

I have only seen the scores of these games, not the action. Should I be … encouraged by these pretend games?

It's just spring training, so it's hard to be too amped for anything. BUT.... I don't know...when they have crappy spring trainings and lose a ton of games, it sure feels like they're going to be in for a crappy season, and a really good spring training where the guys are playing well gives me some hope.

 

[nvalvo]

It's just spring training, so it's hard to be too amped for anything. BUT.... I don't know...when they have crappy spring trainings and lose a ton of games, it sure feels like they're going to be in for a crappy season, and a really good spring training where the guys are playing well gives me some hope.

The major league guys are one thing, but I’m really excited to see how good guys like Lugo, Valdez, Abreu, Wong, Duran, and a bunch of the pitchers have looked. We have real useful depth in the high minors.

 

[Blizzard of 1978]

The major league guys are one thing, but I’m really excited to see how good guys like Lugo, Valdez, Abreu, Wong, Duran, and a bunch of the pitchers have looked. We have real useful depth in the high minors.

That Valdez can rake. I wonder if he makes the team? The ball explodes off his bat. Looks like a good hitter. Lugo has impressed as well.

 

[LogansDad]

To add, Rafaela is 100% as advertised, excellent in CF and raw but with a potential plus bat. I think he is going to do great things this year in AAA.

Add the snippets I have seen of Bleis and Mayer this spring, and you can continue to count me all in on the future of this club.

 

[Rovin Romine]

It's just spring training, so it's hard to be too amped for anything. BUT.... I don't know...when they have crappy spring trainings and lose a ton of games, it sure feels like they're going to be in for a crappy season, and a really good spring training where the guys are playing well gives me some hope.

ST stats aren't predictive given SSS and the possibility of feasting on AA, AAA and AAAA pitching. However, you don't want to open the season with key players looking clueless at the plate, or still trying to get a feel for a secondary pitch because Game 1 and 2 and 3 count for the final standings.

 

[joe dokes]

ST stats aren't predictive given SSS and the possibility of feasting on AA, AAA and AAAA pitching. However, you don't want to open the season with key players looking clueless at the plate, or still trying to get a feel for a secondary pitch because Game 1 and 2 and 3 count for the final standings.

That leads me to Crawford. It was late innings, so maybe not a lot of major leaguers, but on tv, his stuff looked hot. Better than sucking.

 

[catomatic]

Hamilton doubles in 2 runs!
There's a million things he hasn't done, just you wait.

Honest question because I know nothing about him but Is the speedy/fringey David Hamilton Donnie Sadler redux?

Edit; Typo

 

[Rovin Romine]

Honest question because I know nothing about him but Is the speedy/cringey David Hamilton Donnie Sadler redux?

No.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sadledo01.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hamilt004dav

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Honest question because I know nothing about him but Is the speedy/cringey David Hamilton Donnie Sadler redux?

They are similar in that they are both speedy infielders who aren't good hitters.
Sadler never really had a defensive position, while Hamilton is a sort of okay SS who could be a rangy second baseman. Hamilton is only listed at 5'10" but that's 4 inches taller than Sadler.
Hamilton has stolen 122 bases in 139 tries in the minors, while Sadler was 171 for 224 in his 12 minor league seasons.
In his 220 minor league games, Hamilton has an OPS of .750.
Sadler got attention with an .836 OPS in A ball at age 20, but followed that up with .715 in AA and .621 and .669 at AAA. He got to the majors for parts of 8 seasons and 418 games, so maybe Hamilton won't be able to match that.
A better old time Red Sox comp for Hamilton might actually be this LH second baseman who stole 208 bags in the majors but only ever had an OPS+ better than 88 in one season, where he got to an even 100. Hamilton probably won't even match that guy's career .327 OBP though, and likely won't play anywhere near as many games in the majors.
If things go well, I could see Hamilton eventually putting up similar offensive numbers to this switch-hitting 2B, (.258/.327/.341) but as a former college player, if he does make it, he almost certainly won't play as many games or years in the majors.
And if things don't go well there's a real likelihood of Hamilton never playing much in the majors at all. Maybe a season or two as pinch runner type of bench player.

On the other hand, while Sadler has the same last name as this guy...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kj9qv6rmG8

Hamilton has the same name as a musical that was fairly popular.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhinPd5RRJw

Point Hamilton.

 

[catomatic]

They are similar in that they are both speedy infielders who aren't good hitters.
Sadler never really had a defensive position, while Hamilton is a sort of okay SS who could be a rangy second baseman. Hamilton is only listed at 5'10" but that's 4 inches taller than Sadler.
Hamilton has stolen 122 bases in 139 tries in the minors, while Sadler was 171 for 224 in his 12 minor league seasons.
In his 220 minor league games, Hamilton has an OPS of .750.
Sadler got attention with an .836 OPS in A ball at age 20, but followed that up with .715 in AA and .621 and .669 at AAA. He got to the majors for parts of 8 seasons and 418 games, so maybe Hamilton won't be able to match that.
A better old time Red Sox comp for Hamilton might actually be this LH second baseman who stole 208 bags in the majors but only ever had an OPS+ better than 88 in one season, where he got to an even 100. Hamilton probably won't even match that guy's career .327 OBP though, and likely won't play anywhere near as many games in the majors.
If things go well, I could see Hamilton eventually putting up similar offensive numbers to this switch-hitting 2B, (.258/.327/.341) but as a former college player, if he does make it, he almost certainly won't play as many games or years in the majors.
And if things don't go well there's a real likelihood of Hamilton never playing much in the majors at all. Maybe a season or two as pinch runner type of bench player.

On the other hand, while Sadler has the same last name as this guy...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kj9qv6rmG8

Hamilton has the same name as a musical that was fairly popular.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhinPd5RRJw

Point Hamilton.

Full service reply right there, many thanks. And now I have an earworm/lullaby of Green Beret. Looks like DH can swipe a bag or two. I remember that plus speed was touted as one of Donnie Sadler’s attributes, but maybe that was subtle announcer bias leaking through, as it often does.

My sole basis of comparison was the fringiness of their skillsets and the MI/OF profile. Sadler generated some excitement, in his day, as I remember. Not to the level of hype, but folks were rooting for him.

B-Ref indeed shows two distinctly different people, so there’s that.

 

[YTF]

I worry that Caron (and others at NESN) watches those ESPN broadcasts and thinks that that is what people want. I really worry that they're right.

Caron is a fish out of water, over his head and I'm sure he realizes it. This isn't his gig, he knows it, everyone at NESN knows it.

 

[joe dokes]

Remember, today's a Sale Day. And much like the "going out of business" and "lost our lease" sales that dominated NYC awhile back, one never knows how long such a Sale will last.

 

[Rovin Romine]

The MLB radio feed was live when they were warming up. Flemming and Bradford. Flemming started with one intro trailed off and noted, "That sucked." Then he recorded the intro clip successfully. Silence for the moment.

Yesterday featured Castig and Bradford. Bradford was trying out his grumpy old white man chops and was complaining about all those construction cranes down on the beach, interrupting his whatever, and Castig notes after an embarrassed half-beat. . ."Well, the storm. . ." Oh yeah, that's right Rob - historically devastating hurricane affecting the people who live here. Tell us more about your podcast.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Now there's some weird basketball conversation of some kind. . .and I think they figured out they were broadcasting because it's quiet now.

 

[mauidano]

Mike Monaco sounds like he is coming through on a cheap transistor radio.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

My first game watching and I’m more stressed about the pitch clock than I expected. Sale has already had one delay call.

 

[joe dokes]

Truped by Flemming.

 

[mauidano]

Good inning for Chris. Butterflies are gone.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Good inning for Chris. Butterflies are gone.

Yours or his?

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Ugh