Burnett’s debut literally a step in the right direction
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Podcast on Mar 02, 2011 
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Sample sizes are always small in spring training, and it’s impossible to draw any real conclusions from A.J. Burnett’s 21-pitch debut this afternoon. But as a first step toward building confidence and putting mechanical changes to work, it was a positive.
“You have to have confidence in yourself and believe no matter what,” Burnett said. “Taking it pitch by pitch and not questioning every little thing you do out there goes with confidence. Get the ball back and throw it to Cervelli. Don’t worry about, did I swing (in my delivery) that time? Larry will let me know that. Just go out there and make a pitch, pitch after pitch.”
A few things to take from today’s two scoreless innings:
• Burnett threw 21 pitches, 15 for strikes. He never threw back-to-back balls.
“I feel like I’m able to correct it after (missing a spot) once,” Burnett said. “As opposed to, I did it and, oh god, what was it? Was it my arm? Was it my leg?… I know how I feel, muscle memory from what I’ve been working on, I’m going to correct it the next pitch. Just get the ball back, look at the sign and go.”
• Burnett took his quieter mechanics to the mound, and Joe Girardi said Burnett’s stride was off line only once this afternoon.
“It’s not a swing, it’s a little turn,” Burnett said. “There’s going to be a turn (in the delivery), but as long as I lift to that turn and not karate kick up to it — if you want to call it (that) — it will be a lot better, more of a balance point and being able to stay on a line toward home plate as opposed to pulling off toward the dugout.”
• I don’t know how stressed a veteran pitcher gets in an early spring training game, but Burnett did put two runners on with no outs and induce back-to-back ground balls to get out of trouble.
“I’m actually comfortable right now out of the stretch more than the windup, because out of the stretch I’m not turning as much,” Burnett said. “It’s a quick leg kick and straight toward home plate. I’m a little more comfortable in the stretch right now, but it’s the first time out there on the mound and I have a lot of work to do, still.”
Here’s Burnett.
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L . o . l .
It’s too early to tell anything, but it’s better than getting smacked around. AJ is very important to this team and a good ST will at least put him in the proper frame of mind going into the start of the season.
AJ has to prove he has the concentration span to repeat what he has learned from Rothschild.
One bad inning is usually what does him in.
News from R*d S*x camp :
” The Obese One is 5 for 8 this spring with a homer ( and a steal ) . ”
The Obese One will be the 2011 Co – A . L . M . V . P . ( along with *dr**n G*nz*l*z ) ?
Is it just me, or does that interview really make anyone else nervous? AJ seems like he needs some anxiety meds or something…
5 for 8 counting Boston College and the other school they played?
Camp Fantasyland.
Betsy,
I don’t know if I would do it either….its just really tough to say. The question is….is one Cy young candidate in the hand worth 3 good prospects in the bush….its just hypothetical and I really don’t know. My hope is that the Yankees don’t need pitching badly enough to make a deal like that….we will see.
A J admitted he needed a confidence boost. So, we all ( pretty much ) were correct last year that it was his head that was the main problem. What I liked the best today was that his pitches weren’t all over the place and he wasn’t flying off to the side after delivering. Control is the key for him IMO
Is it just me, or does that interview really make anyone else nervous? AJ seems like he needs some anxiety meds or something…
=======================
AJ, for a happy go lucky, pie throwing guy, is one uptight dude. He criticized himself on that strike 3 curveball. Maybe he’s just too much the perfectionist.
Bad back Beckett with a concussion doing his best Canseco imitation.
You can’t blame Hughes’ groin/hamstring pull in 2007 on being “rushed”. He could have done the same thing in the minors and then fractured a rib the next spring. One has zero to do with the other.
I believe the AJ Burnett vernacular has just been redefined.
Throw out “Good AJ and Bad AJ”, say hello to “Straight AJ and Swing AJ”.
Jack Curry and Jiim Duquette are now following NotHankStein–how funny is that? But where is Chad’s name on the follower list?
How did Hughes break his rib back in’08?
I wish we could have signed Hall instead of Jones. More versatile player and probably a better hitter at this stage of their careers.
At least Cash tried.
Hughes suffered no arm injuries. You don’t pop a hammy from being rushed.
Hall has a glove with a hole in it. Jones glove is gold.
Great attitude. And a healthy one as he realizes there’s a lot of work left to do. Let the naysayers say nay.
# RhapsodyInBlue March 2nd, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Hall has a glove with a hole in it. Jones glove is gold.
————————————————————————————
Not now it isn’t ! Thunder thighs has slowed quite a bit.
Betsy – we definitely disagree about Phil Hughes.
I wasn’t being “snarky”. You’ve seen me here long enough to know that’s not my style. The problem with communicating by internet is that tone of voice is lost. I was just pointing out that ballplayers, like folks in a lot of walks of life, decide when they’re ready to progress.
Bob Feller was a major leaguer before he graduated from high school. Nineteen year olds go to war. Being a ballplayer is a piece of cake in comparison.
As long as Burnett continues to work with Larry Rothschild and doesn’t stray back to bad habits he’ll work his way through March and be a contributor.
How he looks for his last 2 starts in March will be telling.
Joe from Long Island March 2nd, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Betsy – I couldn’t disagree with you more.
I don’t see Phil Hughes’ career as being injury riddled. I don’t see 18-8, with an All Star berth , as being frustrating. You must have incredibly high standards.
Heck, just off the top of my head, Sandy Koufax, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, was so bad when he first started with the Dodgers in Bklyn that they couldn’t find anyone to catch him, for they all feared getting hurt. The Dodgers showed some patience and insight, and he’s now in the HOF as one one of the greatest pitchers of the 20th century.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Joe, the rules really screwed Koufax and especially the Dodgers back in those days. Because they were bonus babies, the Dodgers had to keep Koufax on the MLB roster for 2 years when receiving a bonus over at $4,000 and above. 12 games in his 1st year and 16 games in his 2nd year. That same rule cost the Dodgers Roberto Clemente the same year. It set Koufax back years of development.
I don’t think either of those injuries can be blamed on the Yankees rushing Hughes.
Someone long ago argued that if Phil was in the minors, he wouldn’t have rared back for that pitch and wouldn’t have popped his hammy.
I know.
Bob Feller was a major leaguer before he graduated from high school. Nineteen year olds go to war. Being a ballplayer is a piece of cake in comparison.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Then you have 30 year olds like Milton Bradley, who never matures.
GB, you’ll have to tell me where I said that I blamed his injuries on being rushed.
“Geez, I know I’m not the most popular kid in class, but what does a guy have to do to get “Hey, welcome back” around here???”
I’m sorry, but you are….?
Betsy,
When you are ready, you are ready.
Felix was in the majors at 20. So was CC and Kershaw. Hughes was 21.
Banuelos is goimg to be 20 in a couple of weeks.
Had he not gotten sick last year, he would be at 160-170 limit this year. Perfectly suited for a #5 starter.
Some kids just have the ability to be ready early.
As Rothchild said today, the kid has “it”. When you see it, you know.
I saw him pitch two years ago and felt that if he filled out, he would be in the majors by this year.
I was off due to his appendix getting taken out.
He’s that good.
In fact, there are some teams in baseball who would slot him in right now as a #5 starter.
The Yankees are a different animal obviously.
That said, this kid isn’t long for the minors if he stays healthy. He’s too good.
I think where you throw a pitch has very little to do with injuries.
I’m sorry, but you are nostalgic for Nick in SF’s trademark half-a-sentence posts.
:I know this is way out there, but there is a chance the Yankees will not need any help at all.”
Doreen, I don’t see that as out there at all. I think it’s actually quite likely. I would think that the faint of heart might disagree with that perspective, but oh well.
Sha la la la la la, live for today
Sha la la la la la, live for today
And don’t worry about tomorrow
Live
Joe, I don’t even have a clue what we’re disagreeing about. Phil lost 2 years of development due to injuries – I didn’t say he was injury prone, I said a statement of fact. I was responding to Wave, who said that it took Phil 4 years to turn into a solid starter. Not true – he missed 2 years and was in the pen for half a year. I’m sorry, but I have no idea what I said that was so controversial. I said his career has been frustrating because he lost those years – through no fault of his own. I said nothing about his year last year (which I wouldn’t since we’ve been through that enough). If he hadn’t lost those years, who knows how good he’d be by now?
betsy, there’s this: and you have brought it up…more than once, but, it wasn’t necessarily you that I said it.
“Betsy March 2nd, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Wave and I generally agree about Phil, but Phil’s history in the majors is littered with injuries and time devoted to rehab. It’s been a story of frustration, frankly. I still think he was rushed to the big leagues, but that’s another story for a different day.”
“I’m sorry, but you are nostalgic for Nick in SF’s trademark half-a-sentence posts.”
Is this the LoHud “Bright Lights, Big City” blog???
4 NYY
I don’t know about you but I watched Hall play last season, he can hit but his defense is terrible and why he wasn’t considered.
SJ, that’s fair – and I wouldn’t want Banuelos to stay in the minors beyond where he’s ready – you could sour a kid (however, Phil’s a different story because without the devastating injuries to the staff, he probably wouldn’t have been up at all – maybe a September call up)
would manny be better off in aa or aaa? wouldn’t seeing better hitters in aaa be better preparation for the bigs?
or does newman want him to get a few more innings in aa before they promote him?
GB, I didn’t make myself clear, then, but I absolutely don’t blame his injuries on being called up. For his first 2 years in the majors, Phil was either hurt or rehabbing – that’s just a fact and that’s the point I was trying to make. He does not have 4 years of ML experience.
Trisha
“I” don’t think it’s out there either, but I know it will be viewed as such. I don’t lust after Felix or anyone else.
If he’s available and the Yankees have a need, that’s one thing. But I would just as soon see the Yankees not be in the position of “having to have” him. And even more, not even wanting him.
m – amazing.
GB – like they say, age is just another number.
‘Is this the LoHud “Bright Lights, Big City” blog???”
I don’t miss that many, but this reference went over my head.
NEWS FROM SUX CAMP
*dr**n G*nz*l*z overheard in the Sux dugout. “C**ld w* s*ck m*r*? Th*s *s wh*t I c*m* h*r* f*r? T* pl*y w*th l*s*rs th*t pl*y l*k* sh*t? Wh*t * f*ck*ng j*k*!!!”
I guess that’s because they got their a**e* kicked 6-1.
GOOD JOB PERENNIAL L*S*RS!!!
Betsy specifically said him being rushed is a separate issue
AA is the new AAA.
Yep, a totally separate issue. I know some think that Phil was trying extra hard to impress and so he overstrided on that curve, but I think that’s really reaching. It happens, unfortunately – and fortunately he didn’t adjust his mechanics to the point (after he returned) that he injured his arm. I never thought he was injury prone – it’s not like he’s got AJ’s history – and he stayed sound as a dollar last year.
# RhapsodyInBlue March 2nd, 2011 at 6:23 pm
4 NYY
I don’t know about you but I watched Hall play last season, he can hit but his defense is terrible and why he wasn’t considered.
—————————————————————————
Oh, but he was. On today’s broadcast Cash met up with him at some point and said he tried to sign him and Hall said “sorry.” Better OFer’ than IF. Still, would rather have him than Jones.
“I don’t miss that many, but this reference went over my head.”
If I have to explain it then it probably wasn’t very funny, but you quoted back my post without using proper punctuation to seperate what I wrote and your fragmented response, so it came out as:
“I’m sorry, but you are nostalgic for Nick in SF’s trademark half-a-sentence posts.”
Which was, to me, reminiscent of Jay McInerney’s noted second-person narrative novel.
Doreen, you and I both know that it isn’t out there. In fact, it’s lovely to be watching things unfold. I read your post earlier that said that maybe fate was operating at ST, and though you may not have meant the same thing, it brought me back to my paraphrase of the saying “The best trade may very well be the one you didn’t make.” Your best free agent signing may very well be the one who didn’t sign.
Because the Yankees were not able to make that big signing, the one who had a dismal record against the teams in the AL East save the Yankees, they now are replete with options because it caused them to sweep with a much larger net than they otherwise would have. It allowed them to go out and get the best bullpen pitcher/closer on the market (IMO). It also set in motion a situation where they are taking a closer look at the kids from down below. If the “big fish” was in camp, I guarantee you that there wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of vigilance because, of course, everyone around the league would be calling the Yankee season a slam dunk. It also might have removed opportunities from pitchers who will now continue to get a chance.
I’m psyched. I love watching this kind of stuff play out.
4NYY
Link please?
Trisha -
As is human nature, people want things or hope for things to go a certain way. And we have no hand in it at all! And there’s nothing wrong with wanting and hoping for things to unfold a particular way that we think is best.
But somethings, if you watch, things happen that cause other things to happen.
Sometimes that ends up with you getting what you hoped and wished for, sometimes not.
Most things (not everything) happen for a reason; but in any event when things like Cervelli getting hit on the foot happen, it could be a window opening for a chain of events that might not otherwise have happened.
Maybe not.
But I love the possibilities and the opportunities for the kids to embrace those possibilities.
Rhapsody in Blue -
They spoke of that during today’s game – Singleton and Kay.
AA is the tougher league.
If Banuelos throws well in AA, and stays healthy, he’s ready for the bigs with a minimal (if any) time in AAA.
His change up and fastball command is what separates him from the other guys right now.
He knows how to execute a plan out there.
His breaking ball needs to be tighter and he needs more innings.
Other than that, he’s as good a starting prospect as there is in the game right now.
Okay, another spring training theoretical.
Someone hands you a contract. Says we’re going to work in two of the killer B’s into the rotation this year so they’re full-on rotations members next year, but in exchange the Yankees will miss the postseason, do you sign it?
The whole point is the theoretical. You have to choose one. No hedging on different terms of your own making.
The Tigers radio guys were raving about Manny. They loved is curve. His poise. His easy delivery. Command.
He’s a beast.
I’m with Trisha. I’m psyched! 2011 and 2012 will be a blast.
Larry Rothschild might have got a chuckle from the Cubs news today and Carlos Zambrano might have also.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/.....ball/cubs/
If Rothschild can’t fix AJ, no one can.
No, Stuckey, because I don’t want to see 2 youngsters breaking in at the same time. No matter how talented they are, they’re going to struggle at times – Phil did, all young pitchers do. I’m not even referring to 2008 because Phil was hurt and missed most of the year anyway.
And by fix, I mean get him to be league average (more or less).
Doreen what people should want is for the best players in camp to get the starting jobs. After all, I would think that any fan’s bottom line is for the Yankees to win.
Some people get hung up on their favorite players and then start to let it take on a life of its own when those players do not get their chance when fans-in-questions think they should. Personally I think it’s ridiculous. Those people miss some of the best moments in baseball worrying about what’s going to happen next year or with a certain player, or pouting because what they wanted to happen did not happen. Cripes.
When you remember, as you said, that none of us have any hand in this, then you think uptight people would chill and just allow it to unfold and enjoy the moments as they happen. But noooooooooooo!
“Someone hands you a contract. Says we’re going to work in two of the killer B’s into the rotation this year so they’re full-on rotations members next year, but in exchange the Yankees will miss the postseason, do you sign it?”
With pleasure.
Only AJ can fix AJ; Rothschild can only lend something of a helping hand (I think this is true of all players/coaches).
As far as AJ is concerned in many ways, ST isn’t going to tell us much.
Once the regular season begins, how AJ handles adversity and bad innings will tell us if his mechanical adjustment will take hold.
Under stress, your mechanics still have to be tight. That’s going to be the test for AJ.
Personally, I think he will be more like the AJ of 2009 than the AJ of 2010.
Mainly because, it’s pretty hard to fathom him being any worse than he was last year.
Can he get closer to the 2008 AJ?
That’s going to depend on how well he handles making these changes.
We won’t know that for awhile.
And Doreen, there are people on this very forum who are willing to let things unfold and not put their on overlay of what should happen on everything. I know GB is one of them. I don’t own the sole position that way. I guess there’s human nature and there’s human nature.
“How did Hughes break his rib back in’08?”
By laughing too hard at his competition.
thanks sj.
maybe garcia only has to give the yankees 100 to 130 innings and manban can take the rest.
i think the guy that’s getting lost in the shuffle a little bit is nova. he looked poised and ready to compete from pitch one. you don’t always need the best stuff, but you do have to compete. hopefully nova can do that from day one as a starter.
Stuckey,
I’d sign up for that tomorrow because that would mean the Yankees would have 4 front of the rotation talents (CC, Hughes, Betances, and Banuelos) in the rotation, with 3 of them 25 or less.
Can’t ask for better than that.
I think Rothschild holds a lot of keys to fixing AJ. All AJ has to do is be open to it – which it certainly appears he is.
Some people can walk the walk without any guidance at all. Others need some kind of help and support along with the way. Nothing wrong with either kind. I thank our lucky stars though that Larry Rothschild is the kind who can be all things to all pitchers in terms of his availability, expertise, and support.
St. Larry.
“No, Stuckey, because I don’t want to see 2 youngsters breaking in at the same time. No matter how talented they are, they’re going to struggle at times – Phil did, all young pitchers do.”
Betsy, that’s kind of the point of the question
. You let them struggle at the same time, get over the hump, and move forward.
If all three are as good as we think, Yanks will perpetually be breaking one in over the next 18-24 months, replete with the post-season pressure.
So the question effectively is, do you let them struggle, jumpstart the process and give the Yanks a mulligan on the year it takes?
http://www.baseballprospectus......leid=12994
A good article by Craig Calcaterra about meta-fandom.
Thanks Doreen
My opinion is based on watching as many of the Sox games last season as I could. I have a wide screen with pip always the Yankees as the primary game but i watched a lot of Boston because I root for their opponent.
I had never seen Hall perform in the field prior to last season but my opinion totally based on watching him in 2010 is that he is just terrible in the field, there is just no way Yankee fans would stand for his defense, his errors both throwing and catching, I don’t care what his offensive numbers.
Jones might be past his prime but he doesn’t drop balls from his glove.
kd,
I agree. Nova is good and I believe he will win at least 12 games with the big club this year.
Let’s put it another way……
If he was in Boston right now, he’s far and away their #1 pitching prospect.
Betsy what is the hangup with age? Its about innings pitched on the way up and talent. If a pitcher meets that criteria and is 20 or 21 and is deemed ready to pitch in the show why not? Age is a relative thing. Some 20 year old’s have the maturity of a much older pitcher and vice versa.
Fans not allowed to have favorite players? If you have a rooting interest in a competition you’re up tight? Its better to be a passive fan than an active one?
Manny being interviewed by kim jones on yes..
My perspicacious side tells me that the changes with AJ are going to hold. He might need to go back to the well often for that to happen, but it will nevertheless happen.
My more cautious side tells me that the changes with AJ are going to hold.
**********
I think Ivan Nova is going to be excellent for the Yankees. I won’t be surprised to see him as a mainstay in the rotation for the entire season.
Hi Benny! Great to see you back.
If you’ve been back it just means I haven’t seen you yet.
Only one newbie in the rotation at a time.
Trisha-
Indian food tonite ?
MTU – you read my mind.
Question – do you find vindaloo extremely hot (spicy)? I remember it as being tolerably spicy, but my dinner partner for tonight said he remembered it as being pretty hot. I like a bit of a kick but I don’t like my throat burned as something goes down.
“http://www.baseballprospectus……leid=12994
A good article by Craig Calcaterra about meta-fandom.”
Dead on.
As I argued last year, baseball writers and analyst predicting good things for your team’s roster and farm system, and saying good things about them before and after the games has largely become the pay-off for the Internet baseball fan.
To a generation of fans, the satisfaction of the win or the good transaction has become secondary to the pundits acknowledging it as such.
The same Trisha who slammed Posada and voiced her own opinion on starting Cervelli over a future Hall of Famer now decrying people putting their own ‘overlay’ on events instead of letting things just happen?
“To a generation of fans, the satisfaction of the win or the good transaction has become secondary to the pundits acknowledging it as such.”
YOWZA!
That is a mouthful and so true for some fans. Wow. I personally could care less what the pundits (or stat heads) have to say. I like the old-fashioned way of making assessments – watching the games.
Trisha-
Just have them spice it to your level of volcanic tolerance.
stuckey – could you care a whit about what any pundit or stat head has to say? I bet not.
Stuckey, even though I dislike Gleeman I liked his quote:
Watching sports is mostly boring. Talking and speculating about sports is riveting…The truth is, offseasons are 8,000 times as engrossing as seasons. Transaction listings trump box scores. Status updates kill service points. Ken Griffey Jr’’s return to Seattle? Riveting! Ken Griffey Jr., overweight and 40, regularly popping up to shortstop in his return to Seattle? Not so great.
–
Except for the part where watching sports is ‘mostly boring’. It can be ‘sometimes boring’, though I find I am easily bored by any baseball game. It is true though, its always more fun to talk about whats happening or what happened or whats going to happen.
MTU. Good idee.
Yes, it is Indian for tonight. We’ll be eating in (at the restaurant) though. Something is definitely lost in the translation with takeout unless it’s minutes from home.
Craig Calcaterra is a smart guy and a lawyer.
Trisha!!!
I’ve been sick a as dog!! Ive been in bed since Saturday. My HS baskteball team that I coach just lost in the first round of the playoffs on monday. We finished 16-7.
I was coaching with a 101 fever. I dont even know how i made it through the game. LOL
Glad to see AJ throwing the the ball free and easy today, however it’s still too early to anoint Rothcschild as the savior just yet. I find it hard to believe that AJ will stink it up this year.
that’s a pretty bold statement, nova would be boston’s number one pitching prospect right now.
theo must be pretty worried these days. they yankees have three that are better than nova, the killer b’s, and two that are close or might be better, warren and noesi.
cervelli would clearly start for them and their offensive upgrades are a push considering what they lost.
let’s just sit back, watch the yankees win games, and watch espn eat crow.
just imagine if montero was a red sox. they’d have his hall of fame plaque made out already
Although I’m not sure how you got what you did out of the article, unless you’re saying some fans ‘meta-fandom’ is ‘satisfaction through authority’.
I am NOT easily bored by any baseball game. Meant to say.
MTU March 2nd, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Trisha-
Indian food tonite ?
———————————————————————————————————————-
maize and buffalo steaks?
“That is a mouthful and so true for some fans. Wow. I personally could care less what the pundits (or stat heads) have to say. I like the old-fashioned way of making assessments – watching the games.”
You and I always had this in common. I don’t care what Gammons or any of the ESPN analysts leanings are. But I fear there is a semi-unhealthy need for approval by the very same pundits fans so often decry.
Like “well, he’s just a Red Sox homer, if he has something good to say about the Yankees, then it MUST be true.”
I’d invite/challenge anyone to give up the punditry for a few weeks, just as an experiment.
I suspect some people who be surprised how quickly you stop caring about it.
Nova would be Boston’s #1 pitching prospect and Cervelli would be their starting catcher.
GB-
Buffalo heart and liver.
Hot and fresh. Bullets removed.
The R*d S*x are still the
2011 World Champions .
Benny, I’m so sorry about your team and your sickness. But boy, making it to the first round of the playoffs isn’t chopped liver. Congratulations on such a great record. I hope the kids can feel that, though I’m sure that the more immediate reaction isn’t total equilibrium. Certainly sounds like you were probably at least a little run down by the end of your season and going into the playoffs. Totally understandable I would think too.
You need to stay put until you get that fever down or you will not get rid of it.
You know how I roll. I’ve already annointed Rothschild as the savior, ha ha.
It’s just really good to see you back with us. Please chill (so to speak) until you are totally healthy again!
Jerkface, the premise of the piece, as I understood it, is that there are various other pay-offs other than watching the games that drive sports fandom. I was adding one to the list.
E . R . is still the a**hole known as Ruby.
Does our Yankees farm have any prospects projected to be as good — or even half as good — as their C . B . ?
“maize and buffalo steaks?”
*********
“The R*d S*x are still the
2011 World Champions ”
Thus spaketh NostraDUMBus
Blake,
What ever happen to Boston’s “super” farm system..i.e Lars anderson, Michael Bowden, and others?
I vividly remember francesa raving about Boston’s farm system in 08.
# RhapsodyInBlue March 2nd, 2011 at 6:37 pm
4NYY
Link please?
——————————————————————————-
No link, it was said on today’s YES broadcast by one of the 2 guys. ( Kay or Singleton ) I’m sure someone else heard it and can verify.
Benny,
The great Casey Kelly has been traded……
GB-
I have a piece of advice for you or anyone else I like.
Don’t ever try to bring a Bison down with a bow and arrow.
I suggest a Barret 50 cal.
I know a guy who tried and nearly paid with his life.
Three well place arrows and the sucker just kept coming.
It must have taken extreme courage on the part of the Indians to do it.
He used steel-bladed arrows. The Indians. Flint and spears.
Wowza.
“and Cervelli would be their starting catcher.”
blake
They steal one from another team because helping the RS and hurting the Yankees is how some teams operate.
“What ever happen to Boston’s “super” farm system”
Gone with the wind
My typing has been awful lately:
They’d
Jerkface, the premise of the piece, as I understood it, is that there are various other pay-offs other than watching the games that drive sports fandom. I was adding one to the list.
–
Ok, yes. I just don’t want people to think the article itself is about caring about pundits.
Stuckey, then……….yes, I think I would do that.
Boston’s farm system disappeared into a black hole of hype.
In fairness to the RS, they have recently developed one great starter and one possibly very good starter.
MTU – the same place their hyped team is going to disappear this year. It’s nice to have the hype heat elsewhere for a change.
trisha,
I’m about 70-80% The worst thing about our lost monday is that we lost to a team with a player by the name of vince lombardi. I kid you not..lol
In addition, we were up 59-51 with 2 minutes to play and we coughed up the ball 4 straight possessions..
Not all pitchers live up to their hype, so I don’t want to assume that Manny and Betances are locks………..but, that rotation is drool-worthy.
Native Americans
Rich, absolutely – they deserve a ton of credit for that. Lester is just a ridiculously good pitcher – and imagine, he wasn’t supposed to be more than a #3 type. You just never know, do you?
I fairness, Boston’s farm system was good a few years ago. They’ve brought Lester, Bucholz, Bard, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Papelbon, Youkallis etc…all up through their system. They just don’t have any of those type players anywhere near the big leagues now….
The Sox have a lot of talent in the lower minors, so I think it’s way too early to write them off in that regard.
MTU March 2nd, 2011 at 7:15 pm
GB-
I have a piece of advice for you or anyone else I like.
Don’t ever try to bring a Bison down with a bow and arrow.
I suggest a Barret 50 cal.
I know a guy who tried and nearly paid with his life.
Three well place arrows and the sucker just kept coming.
It must have taken extreme courage on the part of the Indians to do it.
He used steel-bladed arrows. The Indians. Flint and spears.
Wowza.
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Would love to give it a try. I do hunt deer in upper Michigan with a bow and error. I’d like to try a bear or elk, though. 175 pound bucks are tough to track and down, though. great eating though, with fried potatoes and wild brown rice and ground venison gravy over home made biscuits….nothing better for breakfast.
Benny, that hurts.
But what a team like that needs to believe is that they’re the same kids that will definitely get ‘em next year! They obviously proved a ton by going 16-7 and making it to the playoffs. Heck I’m proud of them and I don’t even know them!
MTU March 2nd, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Boston’s farm system disappeared into a black hole of hype.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Courtesy of Gammons from his days with ESPN and now with the MLB Network.
They have a million picks in the upcoming draft.
All will be superstars who arrive in the Majors within a year.
Theogenius the 1st. Emperor of the north has decreed it.
Jerkface, fair clarification.
Yeah, that was all me.
btw – i admit to a form to metafandom too. Sure, in addition to the roster building analysis we’re likely all hooked on, I find the reactions of fans endlesly fascinating.
How a group of people can all see the same things, be privy to the same stats, analyze (or not) the same history and have the same things to compare and come up with utterly different conclusion is endlessly fascinating to me.
Yeah, I’m a bit of a instigator, but I genuinely find what other people conclude and how they arrived there genuinely fascinating.
Every team has talent in the lower minors…..what they do with it determines whether they become prospects or not.
bow and error
ooops…
bow and ***arrow***
Betsy, I don’t think Brian (Sux) fan is too keen on their minor league system at all, and he definitely is a homer if there is one.
I guess we shouldn’t believe all the hype that’s out there.
GB-
Never doubting your courage but I would suggest you stay away from the Grizzlies and the Male Bisons.
Unless you decide to bring a portable howitzer with you.
You’ll live longer. Elk steaks are delicious.
I think Iglesias is considered the Red Sox best prospect right now and some reports aren’t sure if he can hit in the big leagues……so their best prospect could be Ramiero Pena.
GB-
Against the above mentioned critters it might just be bow and BIG error.
Nobody knows if the Red Sox have a lot of talent in the lower minors.
When you read that stuff on the Internet, it’s code for a team having few, if any, solid prospects in AA and/or AAA.
The lower minors are not the true indicator of talent in a farm system.
It’s more the appetizer than the main course.
Most of the players being hyped in their “loaded” lower end of their system are guys who have either barely played, or not played at all as professionals.
That makes it impossible to know just how loaded they are in the lower minors.
One other poimt about the Red Sox.
Since 2006, they have spent more money in signing bonuses than all but two teams in MLB.
Yet, have little to show for it in the upper levels of their minor leagues.
Meaning, their farm system has been ridiculously overhyped the past 5 years.
I think Iglesias is considered the Red Sox best prospect right now and some reports aren’t sure if he can hit in the big leagues……so their best prospect could be Ramiero Pena.
–
More like Nunez than Pena. Pena literally has no bat, Iglesias (like Nunez) has offensive potential. Whats interesting is that like most of Boston’s top 10 are players they have recently acquired. 2010 and 2009 draftees/signees
Blake, how is that possible that every team has talent at the lower levels? Some farm systems are just barren…….Is your point that kids that far away are really too young to seriously be considered as prospects? You could say that about the talent in our system as well – we need to develop some position prospects.
Blake-
Iglesias can field and sing. He can’t hit.
Where’s ray (red sox fan) nowadays? He was a pretty cool guy.
Maybe I’m spitting the “Sox have tons of talent in the lower levels” because it’s all I keep hearing, lol. The key is not to read ESPN and not to take anything Law, Callis, etc.. say seriously.
Blake,
What’s the innings number prerequisite , or ( magic number) before a pitcher graduates to the majors?
King felix pitched 300+ innings in the minors, as hughes.
I believes Betances is around 200-250 I think…have to double check. JUst curious.
M, he’s in Alaska………..I think he’s still there. You’re right – he’s a good guy.
MTU March 2nd, 2011 at 7:27 pm
GB-
Never doubting your courage but I would suggest you stay away from the Grizzlies and the Male Bisons.
Unless you decide to bring a portable howitzer with you.
You’ll live longer. Elk steaks are delicious.
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I never go bow hunting without a rifle or usually with my brother for that reason. Too many wolverines and badgers in the area. They are as dangerous as a bear. They will in fact chew their leg or foot off if caught in a trap.
m-
Eaten by a grizzly in Alaska who was out hunting Humans.
Brian said the same thing about Iglesias. I guess his claim to fame, or at least it appears to be, is his defense. He’s really high on Jed Lowrie and thinks he should be starting in front of Iglesias but doesn’t know if it’s going to happen.
Betsy,
Yes, every player that is drafted is.talented…..its just such a long road to the big leagurs.for.most guys.
GB-
Actually that is a fairly common but sad means of escape for many critters.
Traps are like scatterguns. Too crude and cruel.
Meaning, their farm system has been ridiculously overhyped the past 5 years.
–
Except for enabling them to trade for Jason Bay, Victor Martinez, and Adrian Gonzalez. Buchholz, Lester, Youkilis, and pedroia were all before 2006, so I guess their hyped farm system has allowed them to make some trades and produce Daniel Bard.
I think the Yankees 2006 onwards are going to prove to have much better farm system in terms of the guys in the majors.
Blake, ok gotcha………that makes sense
What’s the innings number prerequisite , or ( magic number) before a pitcher graduates to the majors?
–
No pitcher is the same, and some that are brought up ‘ready’ may have been ready much earlier, but we’ll never know for sure. It looks better if your player comes up and succeeds immediately, but theres no telling if the result is from accrued minor league experience or not.
A lot of the best pitchers in the league spent little time in the minors.
Yankees are going to have some hard decisions to make as to who to trade and who to hold onto, but they do tend to make the right decisions.
MTU March 2nd, 2011 at 7:28 pm
GB-
Against the above mentioned critters it might just be bow and BIG error.
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That was either a Freudian Slip or as the professionals call it, “a boo-boo.”
Lol. Should have worn his pinstriped boxers. The cap with the B made him an easy target.
Yes, every player that is drafted is.talented
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Some are more talented than others. There are lots of ‘toolsy outfielders’ and what not, but the Sox do have legitimately good ‘prospects’. You can’t say every team has a Gary Sanchez laying around.
GB-
I believe the Twins would call it that.
Freud may or may not have worn a slip. It would have depended on his mood that day. He cross-dressed only ocassionally. When he was bored.
Benny,
I think that’s different for each organization. Personally I think it should be determined on an individual basis based on individual pitchers. Everyone is different and some guys need more innings than others…..the Yankees take seems to be that they’d like their guys to get at least enough innings in the minors so that they can be a 5th starter (180 or so innings the next season)….in other words throw 140-150 innings in a season before being called up……I think that’s fine. SJ or others may could answer that better than I.
Ray’s home in Maine, working. He pops in every so often. He and Dennis are good people
GB-
Ray and Randy are busy collecting lawn ornaments for the upcoming season.
“Meaning, their farm system has been ridiculously overhyped the past 5 years.”
Think Brian might be feeling the same way. From what he says, there isn’t much down there ready to play in the big dance.
****************
Betsy, I can’t bring myself to read any of those guys. I know some people speak about Law with such reverence that I almost think I should be genuflecting whenever he’s mentioned. However, anyone writing for ESPN who formerly wrote for Baseball Prospectus bears watching, and I don’t mean with reverence.
Jerkface,
Of course…..but what I mean is that every team does draft talented guys every year.
AL East has some pretty good GMs… I like the way AA in toronto is operating.
# Cashmoney March 2nd, 2011 at 7:41 pm
AL East has some pretty good GMs… I like the way AA in toronto is operating.
He kinda lost me with that Bautista contract.
“AL East has some pretty good GMs… I like the way AA in toronto is operating.”
I also like what Baltimore has become under Buck Showalter. Hell people thought the AL East was the tough division previously. I think we’re going to watching some pretty stiff competition.
AA must be the luckiest GM in the world being able to have moved the Vernon Wells albatross.
Of course he follows that stroke of luck up by overpaying Bautista.
Duh.
Of course…..but what I mean is that every team does draft talented guys every year.
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But not the type of guys that are considered good prospects. And some organizations are/were huge failures at drafting players capable of being major leaguers. And their farm system rankings reflected that.
Blake, one pitcher to watch this year is in Texas…CJ Wilson. Jumped 130 innings over 2009 and hadn’t had 100+ innings since 2003.
The Marinez and Bay trades were more a byproduct of Cleveland amd Pittsburgh looking to reduce payroll than it is an example of the Red Sox deep farm system.
One could argue Gonzalez was also a money dump. However, the Padres got back Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo are two legitimate prospects.
It would be like saying the Yankees deep farm system enabled them to get Bobby
Since the Yankees re-invested in their farm system, they have produced more higher end prospects than the Red Sox. Particularly, if Montero, Sanchez, Banuelos, Bettances, and Brackman live up to the hype.
I guess he made a judgment call Carl. we see how it will works out. Power hitting of is becoming a hot commodity again in the post roid era, or power in general i suppose. obviously there is risk involved giving a guy who had one very good year with that kinda of money, but it’s not obscene.
Minors Innings pitched..
Letser (483 inninggs)
KING Felix ( 306)
HUghes ( 330)
Verlander ( 118 innings) ??? Only 118 innings in the minors?
Meant to say Bobby Abreu. Sorry for the typo.
“Since the Yankees re-invested in their farm system, they have produced more higher end prospects than the Red Sox. Particularly, if Montero, Sanchez, Banuelos, Bettances, and Brackman live up to the hype.”
Not a question.
MTU March 2nd, 2011 at 7:40 pm
GB-
Ray and Randy are busy collecting lawn ornaments for the upcoming season.
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Not sure about Ray, but Randy IS a lawn ornament.
Jerkface,
That’s true…..but specifically in the early rounds teams don’t draft guys because they need a SS in A ball…if they don’t evaluate talent well and the bust then its on them but they have opportunities to draft talent.
GB,
huge innings jump….we’ll see his that pans out. He’s currently their opening day starter so …..
Since the Yankees re-invested in their farm system, they have produced more higher end prospects than the Red Sox. Particularly, if Montero, Sanchez, Banuelos, Bettances, and Brackman live up to the hype.
–
I agree, but I don’t think you can hand wave away all those trades. There was competition for those players from other teams. Though I think Boston was lucky they had that shill Jed Hoyer in the Padres FO.
Cash-
I think it’s obscene to pay a guy that kind of coin based on one great season.
New thread ==>
That’s true…..but specifically in the early rounds teams don’t draft guys because they need a SS in A ball…if they don’t evaluate talent well and the bust then its on them but they have opportunities to draft talent.
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What? Yea teams don’t draft for need, and you’re right they have the opportunity to draft talent, but many clubs fail at doing that. Its why I don’t think its necessarily fair to say ‘Every team in the league has good low level minor league players’. There are still varying degrees of ‘goodness’. The Red Sox have like a middle of the pack farm system right now, simply due to having nothing in the high levels other than Lars Anderson and Bowden (is he still around?). But their low level prospects are all rated much higher than other teams low level prospects. Just like Gary Sanchez is a top 100 prospect in the low levels, or Bryce Harper…
Jerkface,
I didn’t say every team had good players in the lower levels….I.said every team had talent in the lower levels.
Well that doesn’t really refute any Red Sox lower level hype though