We plan to take our time, we plan to be very deliberate.Is it officially official as of yet?
We plan to take our time, we plan to be very deliberate.Is it officially official as of yet?
Too soonNot sure, but I'm pouring one of these, just in case
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But every time I see this thread bumped I get flashbacks to
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I first started collecting baseball cards when I was 7, in 1968.
Dude, I hope there were no Yastrzemskis, or Rices or Lynns among your best cards. He never made good and traded back (reversed the trade)?I first started collecting baseball cards when I was 7, in 1968.
My brother is 2 years older than me, so in 1968 he was old enough to love torturing me. He somehow persuaded me to trade all my best cards for a Bob Bailey, "Slugger Bob Bailey". Bailey, he explained to me, had to be amazing because he was traded for Maury Wills. Somehow, that took root in my seven-year-old brain.
Immediately after making the trade, he laughed at me and told me how much he ripped me off. And I cried for days.
So thanks for reminding me about that.
Bailey is currently in Japan ???Has this been officially announced yet? If not, any ideas on the delay?
November 23rd is Japan's Labor Thanksgiving Day. Just say'n.Bailey is currently in Japan ???
Yes, but not a turkey day.November 23rd is Japan's Labor Thanksgiving Day. Just say'n.
Yamamoto was in California a few days ago, playing golf with Lars Nootbaar (who he knows from the Japanese WBC team, I don't think STL is one of his top suitors), so not sure Bailey in Japan does much good in that direction at this point.Bailey is currently in Japan ???
Michael McCormick is in his fourth season with the Ave Maria University baseball program, and his third as head coach. He served as the program's interim head coach in 2021 before earning the full-time job the following summer. Prior to becoming the head coach, he served as the pitching coach during the shortened covid season.
https://avemariagyrenes.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/michael-mccormick/656Prior to his arrival at Ave Maria, McCormick was a pitching trainer at the Driveline facility in the state of Washington. While at Driveline, he worked with high school, collegiate, and professional pitchers. During his time there, McCormick was able to learn under the likes of Matt Daniels, Sam Briend, Rob Hill, Eric Jagers, Casey Jacobson, Dan Moskos, and more.
The #RedSox today announced that they have hired Andrew Bailey as the Major League club’s pitching coach.
Wow! Didn't see that coming! Can't believe we got him.
It was a joke.., I guess I should have included an lolYamamoto was in California a few days ago, playing golf with Lars Nootbaar (who he knows from the Japanese WBC team, I don't think STL is one of his top suitors), so not sure Bailey in Japan does much good in that direction at this point.
We didn’t know that?So this is Breslow’s hire, not Cora’s.
This made me realize that I honestly don’t know whether the pitching coach is traditionally hired by the manager rather than the front office. Is that the usual method, or does the GM typically make these hires?So this is Breslow’s hire, not Cora’s.
I've always assumed that the Manager picks and manages his assistants. It's likely that I've always been wrong about this.This made me realize that I honestly don’t know whether the pitching coach is traditionally hired by the manager rather than the front office. Is that the usual method, or does the GM typically make these hires?
You may be right. I was just assuming this was Breslow’s call based on their relationship and the fact that he’s been hired at least in part to overhaul their pitching operationI've always assumed that the Manager picks and manages his assistants. It's likely that I've always been wrong about this.
I think it depends, usually the manager will have soms level of input on his staff. IIRC, Bobby Valentine was not and then didn’t speak to his pitching coach for a few months during the season.I've always assumed that the Manager picks and manages his assistants. It's likely that I've always been wrong about this.
That’s kind of ironic because one of the few things Valentine did very well in 2012 was manage the bullpen.I think it depends, usually the manager will have soms level of input on his staff. IIRC, Bobby Valentine was not and then didn’t speak to his pitching coach for a few months during the season.
No it’s really an interesting question. Lot of well informed fans here and it doesn’t seem like there’s any kind of consensus about it.I've always assumed that the Manager picks and manages his assistants. It's likely that I've always been wrong about this.
“I was definitely interested in Boston prior to Craig being hired and the interview process,” Bailey said. “That’s the reason I reached out super early to (executive vice president Brian O’Halloran) and a couple of my contacts over there and told them where I was professionally and personally. I live just about two hours away from Boston. So the ability to get back home really whenever I want, I can. And that means the world to my kids and my wife and myself and throughout this process.”
“As coaches, we’re consultants for the player,” Bailey said. “We’re not hiding the ball, hiding any information. We give them the facts. We want them to know how the industry values them. We want to maximize their earning potential, because if we are able to maximize performance and earning potential, we in turn are creating value for the organization and winning ballgames.”
“Each and every player needs to be coached just a little differently,” he said. “And that’s why I feel strongly that, for me, I don’t need to be that guy all the time that is managing or coaching or delivering the information. Each staff member, from the bullpen catchers to our analysts to our pitching assistants to the manager, we all have unique relationships with every player. We all interact with players differently. We definitely want to support them as best as possible.”
https://theathletic.com/5082130/2023/11/22/andrew-bailey-red-sox-pitching-coach/“There’s a lot of special arms on this team,” Bailey said. “And I think we hold ourselves accountable. We hold ourselves to high standards, and we’ll be right where we need to be.”
From what I understand, back in the day pitching coaches were normally a manager’s lieutenant, drinking buddy or both. But like you said, at some point in the last 20 years front offices realized that a gin-soaked dude telling a pitcher to put “a little pepper” on the ball might not be the best way to protect their most valuable investments.I think that makes a lot of sense. I recall a line in Moneyball about how organizations were waking up to the idea that it was foolish to delegate decision-making about things with an outsize effect on wins and losses to the manager, a position that I believe was described as “middle management.” Assuming I’m not mis-remembering, it makes sense that the approach has filtered down to the coaching staff as well.
Did they think about how the number of pitchers who saw time in the majors increased from 635 to 909 over that same timeframe? Granted, that 274 increase is pretty close to the 311 pitcher increase in how many pitchers saw the IL - but are we supposed to infer that teams have not intentionally shuttled more pitchers in and out of their bullpen, and the increase is solely due to pitcher injuries? Is it also possible that teams have just used the IL more in order to facilitate the AAA shuttle? After all, Eppler was suspended for this, and the chatter has been that he was made an example of for a widespread issue.As teams increased their emphasis on velocity and stuff, injury-list placements for pitchers rose from 241 in 2010 to 552 in 2021 before decreasing slightly each of the past two seasons, according to a Major League Baseball spokesperson. The days pitchers spent on the IL more than doubled over a slightly longer span.
A hyperfocus on performance often begins at the youth level. Many pitchers experience problems before ever reaching the majors. The number of pitchers drafted in the top 10 rounds with a history of elbow reconstruction rose from six between 2011 and 2013 to 24 between 2021 and 2023, the league spokesperson said.
https://theathletic.com/5325032/2024/03/08/elbow-injuries-mlb-pitchers/
Maybe they should confine the data to documented surgeries and medical procedures.Did they think about how the number of pitchers who saw time in the majors increased from 635 to 909 over that same timeframe? Granted, that 274 increase is pretty close to the 311 pitcher increase in how many pitchers saw the IL - but are we supposed to infer that teams have not intentionally shuttled more pitchers in and out of their bullpen, and the increase is solely due to pitcher injuries? Is it also possible that teams have just used the IL more in order to facilitate the AAA shuttle? After all, Eppler was suspended for this, and the chatter has been that he was made an example of for a widespread issue.
https://stathead.com/tiny/sgN3D
I'm not sure what they thought about, but is it also possible that the reason for seeing so many new pitchers in MLB, 635 to 909 based on your post, is because of needing to replace pitchers due to injury? There may be roster manipulation going on, but I don't think that is the whole story.Did they think about how the number of pitchers who saw time in the majors increased from 635 to 909 over that same timeframe? Granted, that 274 increase is pretty close to the 311 pitcher increase in how many pitchers saw the IL - but are we supposed to infer that teams have not intentionally shuttled more pitchers in and out of their bullpen, and the increase is solely due to pitcher injuries? Is it also possible that teams have just used the IL more in order to facilitate the AAA shuttle? After all, Eppler was suspended for this, and the chatter has been that he was made an example of for a widespread issue.
https://stathead.com/tiny/sgN3D
It also seems like there is a confound in that draft statistic if teams are more willing now to spend that draft capital on a player they simply wouldn't have drafted in previous years due to the injury. The number drafted in the top 10 can increase even if the number in the pool is basically the same.Did they think about how the number of pitchers who saw time in the majors increased from 635 to 909 over that same timeframe? Granted, that 274 increase is pretty close to the 311 pitcher increase in how many pitchers saw the IL - but are we supposed to infer that teams have not intentionally shuttled more pitchers in and out of their bullpen, and the increase is solely due to pitcher injuries? Is it also possible that teams have just used the IL more in order to facilitate the AAA shuttle? After all, Eppler was suspended for this, and the chatter has been that he was made an example of for a widespread issue.
I think someone should do a specific analysis on the Rays. Some say they have an abnormally high rate of pitcher injuries, but I haven't seen actual data on it.I'm not sure what they thought about, but is it also possible that the reason for seeing so many new pitchers in MLB, 635 to 909 based on your post, is because of needing to replace pitchers due to injury? There may be roster manipulation going on, but I don't think that is the whole story.
I’ll be very surprised if Bailey isn’t the next manager of the Red Sox.Getting Andrew Bailey is a win-win for the Sox. Knowing that the MFY valued Bailey as good enough to be offered a job as their bench coach is a double win in securing his contract. The Sox pitching is not much in big quality MLB depth, so any incremental advantage that Andrew can instruct our pitching staff, will be a good win as well.
Cross posting from another thread.Is it possible Bailey could turn some of our marginal starters into better starters? Maybe the front office is making the assumption that Bailey will unlock the potential of the guys we already have, thus the inaction on acquiring new starters. Maybe this is just wishful thinking but it will be interesting to see how Bailey affects our pitchers.
They won't. Teams have little incentive to keep young pitchers healthy if they can keep churning through new ones. The average pitcher never even makes it to arbitration before his career ends these days. If throwing harder and spinning it more make them more effective, they'll let the kids blow their arms out on league-minimum contracts and move onto the next one.Thinking about the Bello contract and injury risk for pitchers of all ages. There seems to be a general agreement that pitchers maximizing their velocity and spin rates has led to more injuries and there is a good article in the Athletic today with some numbers:
As teams increased their emphasis on velocity and stuff, injury-list placements for pitchers rose from 241 in 2010 to 552 in 2021 before decreasing slightly each of the past two seasons, according to a Major League Baseball spokesperson. The days pitchers spent on the IL more than doubled over a slightly longer span.
A hyperfocus on performance often begins at the youth level. Many pitchers experience problems before ever reaching the majors. The number of pitchers drafted in the top 10 rounds with a history of elbow reconstruction rose from six between 2011 and 2013 to 24 between 2021 and 2023, the league spokesperson said.
https://theathletic.com/5325032/2024/03/08/elbow-injuries-mlb-pitchers/
It will be interesting to see how Bailey and Breslow deal with this tension between maximizing effort/performance and longevity.
Re: the bolded - have they ever? The highest average age for a pitcher in the majors was during WWII, approaching 30. Outside of that, 2005 was the highest average age (29.2), followed by 52/53, 33, 2004, and 2023!, whose average age of a pitcher was 11th highest in history at 28.9.They won't. Teams have little incentive to keep young pitchers healthy if they can keep churning through new ones. The average pitcher never even makes it to arbitration before his career ends these days. If throwing harder and spinning it more make them more effective, they'll let the kids blow their arms out on league-minimum contracts and move onto the next one.
Pitch limits, innings limits, and larger rosters were put in place to keep pitchers healthy, but they've had the exact opposite result. Teams have taken advantage of those measures to have their pitchers throw as hard as they can, knowing someone is always behind them as soon as their performance starts to dip. The league has to completely reverse course and limit the number of pitchers on the MLB roster. It will force starters and relievers to throw more and pace themselves when they do. I can't think of any other solution. It's not like teams are going to unilaterally back out of the velocity and spin rate arms war.
From that Athletic article, anecdotally: "the average major-league career is now under three years for all players and just under 2.7 for pitchers."Teams have little incentive to keep young pitchers healthy if they can keep churning through new ones. The average pitcher never even makes it to arbitration before his career ends these days.
Does it have a reference for if that's higher or lower than in the past?My specific thought was about Bello, since there will be even more incentive to keep him healthy/productive through the duration of this new contract.
From that Athletic article, anecdotally: "the average major-league career is now under three years for all players and just under 2.7 for pitchers."