Getting a simulated day started
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Mar 15, 2011 
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CC Sabathia just walked out of the dugout and down the right-field line for the start of today’s sim game. Larry Rothschild and Mike Harkey are standing behind screens behind the mound and Joe Girardi just walked into the dugout.
Still not sure who’s hitting and who’s catching.
UPDATE, 10:05 a.m.: Martin is catching Sabathia and calling balls and strikes. The hitters are from minor league camp and just seeing them in the box, I can’t tell who they are. Te first batter drove the first pitch to left-center, which was ruled a double. The only players on the field are Sabathia, Martin and the various hitters taking turns at the plate. Girardi, Harkey and Rothschild are watching from behind screens behind the mound.
UPDATE, 10:10 a.m.: Sabathia got out of a simulated bases-loaded jam with a simulated ground ball to short. He walked two and allowed the double. He struck out one.
Here’s Colon, pitching to Austin Romine.
UPDATE, 10:16 a.m.: Colon worked a 1, 2, 3 inning with a strikeout and a hard-hit fly out to center field. I’m watching from the seats directly behind home plate, and from here you can really see what the coaches are talking about with Colon’s fastball
movement. It really darts at the end.
UPDATE, 10:23 a.m.: Sabathia pitched a 1, 2, 3 second inning, ending it with a broken bat grounder to third. Hope these kids didn’t bring their good bats. Now Colon is pitching to Martin, who stayed behind the plate while Romine gets an at bat or two.
UPDATE, 10:29 a.m.: Now we’re rolling through some quick simulated innings. Colol just sent the side down in order, including a strikeout of Romine on a high fastball. Romine is now out to catch Sabathia in the top of the third.
UPDATE, 10:34 a.m.: Three up, three down for Sabathia. He had one strikeout — looking — and one hard-hit fly to right.
UPDATE, 10:40 a.m.: There’s that two-seamer from Colon, locking up the last batter of the third inning for a called third strike. Colon struck out two in the inning and allowed a flare single to left. His fastball and changeup look pretty impressive.
UPDATE, 10:50 a.m.: Sabathia had a perfect top of the fourth. Colon allowed two hits but no runs in the bottom of the fourth. Meanwhile, Brian Cashman has joined the coaches on the field. This is spring training excitement at its very best!
UPDATE, 10:56 a.m.: Oh no! Simulated Curtis Granderson ran into simulated Robinson Cano on a shallow fly ball behind second base. Granderson held on for the simulated third out of the top of the fifth. Simulated Gene Monahan ran out of dugout, but Granderson was remarkably fine and laughing with Cano on the way to the dugout. These fake games with nonexistent players can be pretend dangerous.
UPDATE, 11:02 a.m.: I kid you not, there was just a brief debate about whether a ball was foul or fair, the difference between a two-out double or the third out of the inning. It was finally ruled a double and Colon got the next guy out. Here comes the debate about simulated instant replay.
UPDATE, 11:09 a.m.: Didn’t realize until just now that simulated Ramiro Pena got the start at shortstop this morning. That must be him because Sabathia just got the third out of the sixth on a ball that was chopped over his head up the middle.
Must win today.
Blake-
During the simulated season and ensuing WS the Yankees won simulated # 28 in 4 simulated games.
MTU,
I like it.
Who’s carrying he simulcast?
MTU,
Would be pretty embarassing to loose a simulted WS
Fran-
Tell that to the losers.
play-by-play of a simulated spring training game?
I don’t think this is what Al Gore had in mind when he invented the internet.
Yes it’s true folks.
In a “virtual world” all things are possible.
I take it you’ve seen “The Matrix”.
The Sux might even win another championship- only virtually ,of course.
And in that world:
Beckett is really a nice guy.
Youkilis isn’t really bald and ugly.
And Pedroia is no longer a midget.
Brian Cashman can’t even find pitchers who can perform flawlessly in simulated games.
Past time for a change.
And get this:
Lackey does NOT have an underbite like a bulldog.
Matzuzaka CAN find the plate.
Wow !
But in the “real” world we know only the Yankees can win #28.
It sure is encouraging to hear that CC and Colon can retire simulated batters.
Hi Doreen, Kate, Fran, SAS and everyone else
Following a simulated came is amusing.
“Brian Cashman can’t even find pitchers who can perform flawlessly in simulated games.”
Lol
I wonder if I could convince my real dogs that a simulated walk is just as good as a real one ?
Nah. BIAW.
Could someone explain to me how the Red Sox are convincing Adrian Gonzalez to take a hometown discount in his extension before ever playing for them? 7 years @ 154 million is a fraction of what the guy would make on the open market. 22 million a year is a step back for top 1b. Ryan Howard got 25 million a year and he’s not the hitter & fielder that Gonzalez is.
I don’t know how they do it. Seriously. If the Yankees tried to sign this guy it’d be for 8 years and 200 million minimum.
another game I don’t get to see…somehow it must be cashman’s fault
G Love
elfin magic?
That guy’s 20 years old?” Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia asked. “He’s really good, and he seems to have an idea. Shoot, when I was 20, I was swinging with an aluminum bat [in college].”
Quote from Elf on Banuelos
It’s $154MM and unlimited chowdah and breadsticks.
G. Love,
Battered wife syndrome. They treat players like crap and they keep on coming back
Colon ‘s 2 seamer and velocity have been very good this spring…surprisingly good. My only concern with him is stamina and being able to hold up….
G. Love,
I CAN answer, but don’t think you’ll like the answer.
Because market’s don’t exist in a vacuum, nor are they static. Gonzalez can’t just point to another contract and say he wants that and that is is “market” worth.
His market is what he could get at any given moment.
So the question becomes this:
Howard IS in Philly. Teixeira is in NY. Pujols is in St. Louis and they can’t even sign him.
So which MLB team has the needs and resources to sign a $25m first baseman?
Which teams do you think would make up this “market” for him in the offseason?
It’s just bizarre to me that a guy in Gonzalez who was getting peanuts in SD and will continue to play for peanuts this season for Boston for 6 million would take a discount on the extension after this season. The extension will not rip up his 2011 contract. The Red Sox love they are only paying the guy 6 million for this season since it allowed them to blow other salaries out of the water.
I just don’t understand why he would take less to play there before even playing there. Someone really must have convinced him that the market for him would be soft or something.
I just think if the Cardinals resign Pujols, teams would be more willing to give Gonzalez 25 million a year than Prince Fielder. The Cubs, Rangers, Giants, Dodgers, Orioles, etc. all would have been in the bidding in my eyes, but I guess he really wanted Boston badly. Still don’t know why he would take less to play there for the rest of his career.
UPDATE, 10:56 a.m.: Oh no! Simulated Curtis Granderson ran into simulated Robinson Cano on a shallow fly ball behind second base. Granderson held on for the simulated third out of the top of the fifth. Simulated Gene Monahan ran out of dugout, but Granderson was remarkably fine and laughing with Cano on the way to the dugout. These fake games with nonexistent players can be pretend dangerous.
*****************************
Really wish I hadn’t taken a sip of coffee as I was reading that.
Boston has the best of both worlds. They are a large market team that players want to play for and they don’t take advantage of them and demand crazy money.
If The Yankees were able to do that the 2 payrolls would be very similar
UPDATE, 11:02 a.m.: I kid you not, there was just a brief debate about whether a ball was foul or fair, the difference between a two-out double or the third out of the inning. It was finally ruled a double and Colon got the next guy out. Here comes the debate about simulated instant replay.
___
If this doesnt make the case for replay, nothing will….
Folks,
Boston just gave 7 years and $20m per to Carl Crawford. They gave John Lackey 5 years.
Yankees fans have to get over this inferiority complex they have with Boston.
stuckey,
I think the Cubs, the Nats, the Orioles, the Giants, the Dodgers (if ownership gets stabilized), the Mets (if Ike Davis doesn’t pan out this year & ownership gets stable) and the Rangers would have made it a competitive situation for Gonzalez’s services. I also think the Diamondbacks & Blue Jays (who are not a small market team) could get into it if they had a good revenue year.
Granted, it’s a lot of money. But it’s less than he’s worth at current rates.
If, for some reason, Pujols went to the Cubs, the Cardinals would also drop a bag of money on Gonzalez’s doorstep since he would be cheaper and more in his prime than Pujols even at 25 million a year.
Good Morning MTU and Kate and Erin. Kate I love the movie the Natural.
Kate still have snow? Ours is all gone except for the piles at the Malls.
Colon is going north barring an injury.
stuckey,
Knock if off with the inferiority complex nonsense. We have more titles than they ever will. I don’t want Boston’s players.
I just don’t understand why they get players to take less like Pedroia, Youk and now Gonzalez. Especially when a guy like Crawford clearly is able to get them to spend more than his market value.
It seems almost stupid of the players there who take less to do so when the Red Sox have shown with Dice K, Lackey and Crawford they will pay top dollar.
Martin is calling balls and strikes and CC walked 2 guys in the first inning?
CC either was missing by alot or Martin is not concerned about sucking up to the Ace of the staff.
Colon ‘s 2 seamer and velocity have been very good this spring…surprisingly good. My only concern with him is stamina and being able to hold up….
__
hence long relief….. garcia and nova can start at 4 and 5.
Chad -
I just read your simulated updates. Funny, funny stuff.
But I am confused – there are no players on the field, right? No one running bases or anything, right?
(I know, it’s a brain-dead moment for me.)
Good morning Comet!
And not for nothing, exactly 2 players in the majors make north of $25. Howard and A-Rod.
Tex makes $22m and change. Miguel Cabrera makes $19m and change. No other 1st baseman is close.
To say the “market” for a player should be one of the 2 highest salaries EVER paid to a player, when some of the bigger market teams already have the position covered, is missing the forest for the trees.
If the Red Sox are going to be paying $44+ million a year to Gonzalez and Crawford for 7 years a piece, I say good luck to them.
“I just don’t understand why they get players to take less like Pedroia, Youk”
They signed ‘em before they reached free agency. Not that difficult to understand. It’s how the Yankees have Cano for short money. It’s how the Rays have Longoria (and had Crawford). It’s how the Mets have Wright.
stuckey,
Cabrera and Tex both signed those deals many years ago. Tex set the high water mark for 1b when he signed his deal.
Boston offered more for Tex guaranteed than they are for Gonzalez.
Just think about that for a second. 3 years ago Boston offered 170+ million guaranteed for Tex and now they are offering their targeted stud 1b 154?
His agent should be ashamed of himself. That’s the worst agenting job in the history of the business to get less than what the team offered another 1b 3 years ago.
And not for nothing, exactly 2 players in the majors make north of $25. Howard and A-Rod.
—-
Howard making that much money is still hilarious
stuckey99,
The only players that I can remember that tried to take advantage of the Sox were Pedro and Damon. Boston offered them fair deals and then kissed them goodbye. That is what the Yankees should have done in the Posada and Arod cases. Hopefully they have learned from their mistakes.
“Knock if off with the inferiority complex nonsense. We have more titles than they ever will. I don’t want Boston’s players.”
I’m not knocking it off. The sheer amount of energy here spent talking about the Red Sox is the surest sign in the world of insecurity.
“It seems almost stupid of the players there who take less to do so when the Red Sox have shown with Dice K, Lackey and Crawford they will pay top dollar.”
But you just answered your own question – the Red Sox don’t have some prenatural ability to do this, they overpay ALL the time as well.
Pedroia and Youkilis are individual cases. But as far as Gonzalez goes I really don’t see your argument. He would be making a very healthy, top-dollar salary for this position.
Again, you can’t point to what ONE team did for ONE player and call that the “market”.
The market is in fact clearly less.
Mell,
The Longoria situation is different. After is contract is up Tampa has 3 years of team options. That is unheard of
stuckey99,
How about Wakefield signing every year for a million recently
We talk about the Red Sox because they are our division rival and are projected to win the AL this season by everyone.
Knicks fans talk about the Heat. Laker fans talk about the Celtics. Giants fans talk about the Cowboys and Eagles. Jets fans talk about the Pats. Steeler fans talk about the Ravens. Dodger fans talk about the Giants.
It’s what fans do. It has nothing to do with an inferiority complex. There’s not a Yankee fan here who feels inferior to Boston. They’re the bad in our movie until the Jays/Orioles/Rays become the bad guy.
15 years ago the Orioles were the bad guy. If the blog was alive then all we would be talking about were the Orioles and the Cleveland Indians.
You want to sit here and proclaim Yankee fans have some inferiority complex go right ahead.
But I don’t think any Yankee fan in their right mind feels inferior to Boston. I know I don’t.
“Just think about that for a second. 3 years ago Boston offered 170+ million guaranteed for Tex and now they are offering their targeted stud 1b 154?”
This is another fundamental misunderstanding of market is. That it only goes up.
Dow was over 14k 3 years ago. It went down.
Markets are not static and they don’t follow one trajectory.
I’ll ask again, what team besides either of the NYs (one of which is not longer in that “market”) Boston, and Philly was signing a 1st baseman to $175m contract?
Name ‘em…
Trip:
Longoria’s option years were a little crazy, I agree. His agent was light on the foresight on that one for sure.
Doreen,
Just had a thought. Maybe we could play simulated GTLU. Maybe then we coud be Joe
stuckey,
I did already. You don’t think the Cubs, Nats, Giants could sign Gonzalez to that contract?
Wait’ll you see what they pay Prince Fielder after this year.
stuckey99,
according to that logic the Yankees didn’t need to sign Jeter to what they did since no other team would pony up that money. Remember all it takes is one owner.
The Nationals,Cubs,Orioles,Rangers,Giants would all be in on Agon if he was on the market next year
****should be beat Joe.
Still getting used to the new keyboard
Simulated Ramiro Pena is actually a better hitter than the real one.
“How about Wakefield signing every year for a million recently”
It was $4M, rather a million. Don’t think either side can really beef about that deal.
According to reports, the Brothers Steinbrenner forced Cashman to spend $12M a year for an 8th inning guy he didn’t want and you’re worried about what they are paying Jorge or Alex?
Fans being more concerned with how the Steinbrenner’s spend their money than they are is funny.
Very true G Love. I remember when the Orioles and the Royals were the real rivals, altho it was always fun to beat the sox.
Hi Comet
still a fair amount of snow on the ground, but more green patches every day.
Damn! I am simulating work today and can’t follow the game.
Fran
maybe if we could be Joe we could beat Joe
“We talk about the Red Sox because they are our division rival and are projected to win the AL this season by everyone.”
Red Sox to Rays talk in this forum over the last 3 years (when they Rays have in fact, been better) is somewhere in the ratio of 25 to 1.
Don’t try to sell me “division rival”. C’mon…
“You want to sit here and proclaim Yankee fans have some inferiority complex go right ahead.”
I believe I already did.
“But I don’t think any Yankee fan in their right mind feels inferior to Boston. I know I don’t.”
Of the 25 to 1 ratio I mentioned above, I’d wager 33% of it is focused on how the press treats the Red Sox organization and their prospects favorably.
You’re trying to argue with someone armed simply with the rudimentary ability to read and understand what he’s reading.
* $4M rather THAN a million….
Fran -
Might be the only way!
stuckey,
No, I’m trying to argue with a devils advocate contrarian self righteous poster.
I’ll stop now.
“according to that logic the Yankees didn’t need to sign Jeter to what they did since no other team would pony up that money. Remember all it takes is one owner.”
Of course they didn’t. No other team was giving Jeter the money he got from the Yankees. I assumed we all would agree on that.
The situation just have no analogous quality to them.
mitre going to be released?
“I did already. You don’t think the Cubs, Nats, Giants could sign Gonzalez to that contract?
Heck no. Do you have any idea what their payrolls are?
“Wait’ll you see what they pay Prince Fielder after this year.”
Indeed.
“No, I’m trying to argue with a devils advocate contrarian self righteous poster.”
Not very well I’m afraid.
Mell,
Right 4 million my bad. Still when he was contributing that was a bargain
ac1 March 15th, 2011 at 11:37 am
mitre going to be released?
_______________
His release was just simulated.
If A-Gon were to accept $154M from the Red Sox, after what they are already paying Crawford, I’d say both he and his agent need to get their heads examined.
The Rangers, Nats, Angels, O’s and others would be happy to get in on that bidding war if he becomes a free agent.
On the other hand, if A-Gon does not come back 100% from his shoulder surgery, then the Red Sox will be lowering their offer. If he has the season most are projecting, his value will be at or above Tex’s numbers.
Correct, there were no fielders. The Yankees coaches just determined whether a ball in play would have been an out or a hit.
G Love,
I don’t think it was a case of Boston getting what they want as it is Gonzalez wanting to play in Boston and no where else.
John Boggs is a veteran agent. He knows how to play the game. Gonzalez didn’t want to go that route.
He wanted to play for the Red Sox and if the offer was anywhere near market rate, which it was, he was going to take it.
I look at it this way…..
They horribly overpaid for Crawford and Lackey.
One could argue the same, counting the posting fee, for Dice-K.
They have had millions of dead money tied into failed SS’s for years.
They have had more than their fair share of bad contracts.
It just doesn’t get the ink their “discounted” deals do.
A-Gon made a statement, he will no longer dive for balls, fearing he’ll have another shoulder injury. One has to wonder how many hits and runs that will allow over the season.
Nice to see Joba didn’t take getting into shape seriously and the first injury of many has struck. Sad that he’s letting his talent go to waste.
Get in shape fat boy.
New MLB cookbook with Derek and Alex included. Wonder what the last thing was that either of them cooked?
http://shop.mlb.com/product/in.....;cp=706117
Boston also signed Beckett to a big $, 4 year extension last year and he hasn’t pitched consistently well in 3 years.
wonder if Jeet’s dish is chicken parm
The Sox aren’t lowering their offer.
Despite all the idiotic denials by the Sox and Gonzalez, the deal has been in place since the trade was made.
It’s not official because they want to wait until after Opening Day to save on the Luxury Tax calculations for this year.
They aren’t pulling a bait and switch with Gonzalez.
They are making a mockery of the system in place. However, Selig doesn’t care so, nothing will be done about it.
maybe if we could be Joe we could beat Joe
****************
Kate,
That was a typo, but maybe not
“Get in shape fat boy.”
You pull muscle not fat. Maybe he was better off not working out his obliques.
upstate kate March 15th, 2011 at 11:53 am
wonder if Jeet?s dish is chicken parm
*********************
I was going to say the same thing LOL
“On the other hand, if A-Gon does not come back 100% from his shoulder surgery, then the Red Sox will be lowering their offer. If he has the season most are projecting, his value will be at or above Tex’s numbers”
It’ll never get to that point. This deal will be locked in before Tax Day.
Chad–with the last simulated game update coming almost an hour ago, are you simulating Michael Kay discussing pizza with Paul O’Neil and ignoring the game?
Pat,
The author of the cookbook is the Marlins owner (much younger) new wife.
Wont happen but I wish Adrian and his agent would come up and say they want more to sign …..after they traded a big chunk of their farm for him he would have a lot of leverage to get a monster deal that he’s throwing away otherwise. I really don’t care though…..the Yankees are set up much better long term.
Cliff Lee is a fitness freak and strains obliques every year. It’s a common injury with pitchers.
Joba could be in over the top, remarkable shape and still strain an oblique.
It has more to do with the act of pitching than it does shape, or lack of being in shape.
Thanks, Chad.
Shortstop Derek Jeter was named the greatest New York athlete of all time, besting fellow Yankee Babe Ruth, according to a Siena College poll.
Two other Yankees, outfielders Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, and Jets quarterback Joe Namath filled out the top five in the polling of 801 New York state residents, followed by the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony, the Siena Research Institute said in a statement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....shows.html
Blake,
That trade wouldn’t have happened without a framework of a deal being in place.
It was never going to reach a point where one side was going to try and outmaneuver the other.
Ian O Connor is putting out a book on my birthday this May called “The Captain: The journey of Derek Jeter” I’m just going to assume he chose to put it out on my birthday on purpose. How thoughtful.
SJ,
I know…..what Im saying is that I wish Adrian would say screw your framework…..I want more
Fran-
My memory is cooked
The draft is this Sunday right? What time?
Great coverage, Chad. This is a riot!
tyanksfan36-
You have been mentioning your birthday for months now. In the spirit of today’s simulated game, should we throw a simulated blog party?
Is this at least a big birthday?
Jeter ahead of Babe Ruth and The Iron Horse?:
http://onemansblog.com/wp-cont.....ivable.jpg
Do they sell simulated tickets?
Chad Jennings March 15th, 2011 at 11:47 am
Correct, there were no fielders. The Yankees coaches just determined whether a ball in play would have been an out or a hit.
***************
This sounds a lot like my whiffle ball games when i was a kid………..
(Oddly enough, I was always out)
# SJ44 March 15th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Cliff Lee is a fitness freak and strains obliques every year. It’s a common injury with pitchers.
Joba could be in over the top, remarkable shape and still strain an oblique.
It has more to do with the act of pitching than it does shape, or lack of being in shape.
——————————–
This.
Erica,
Yes, we are having a real (not simulated) draft Sunday at 7:45 PM.
And my birthday is next Tuesday
I’m honestly not concerned about Gonzalez.
He’s a very good player. He’s not Albert Pujols and those projecting Pujols-like numbers for him are simply falling for the hype.
CarlCrawford is the interesting case.
He’s a very good player. He’s not an elite offensive performer. He just isn’t.
As good as he is defensively, playing half his games in LF at Fenway negates any defensive advantage.
He’s never played outdoors in rotten weather over a long period of time and in a crazed market.
All of which is well outside his comfort zones.
It’s going to be interesting to see how he adjusts to all of it.
Some guys adjust well, some don’t.
He’s going to have to perform like an elite player to justify that deal.
If he doesn’t, the Red Sox offense won’t be as good as last year.
With the question marks, and lack of depth with their starting pitching, their offense is going to have to be dominant.
If it isn’t, and they struggle, it will be interesting to see how everybody up there handles the heat that will come from the fans and their homer media.
“He’s a very good player. He’s not Albert Pujols and those projecting Pujols-like numbers for him are simply falling for the hype”
I think the more reasonable projection is Teixeira numbers.
Erica
No, its not a special birthday. Only my 24th. I’m looking forward to it because this semester will be over by then and the Yankees will be playing here in Tampa that night. When that book showed up on my Amazon homepage I was like, wow its coming out on my birthday what a great present.
Yeah we should have a simulated blog party, only if the Yankees win though.
If Gonzalez went to free agency in 2012, he would potentially be joined by Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.
The market big dogs, the NY Yankees already have their 1st base option locked up. One of the market’s other high-spending teams, the Phillies, have theirs too.
The NY Mets are likely out of spending huge FA dollars for the foreseeable future.
If anyone think ALL three of these guys were entering the market an EACH coming away with $25m a year, then they simply don’t understand what a market actually is.
They should put Crawford in RF. Throwing arms are overrated except for a very few OF.
I can think of only 2 hitters that went to the Red Sox and regressed and had bad year(s) Renteria and Lugo. Most everyone else not only plays to the backs of their baseball cards but has career years.
I don’t agree that if Crawford doesn’t play to an elite level the offense won’t be as good as last year. They have Pedroia,Ellsbury and Youkolis for full years and they added Gonzalez. Yes they lost Beltre and Martinez but those additions more then make up for it
The back half of the Crawford contract is going to look very mediocre (much like the back half of Burnett and Lackey).
However, Gonzalez will be a fine producer but they did have to give up half a ranch to acquire his services.
“The back half of the Crawford contract is going to look very mediocre (much like the back half of Burnett and Lackey).”
I agree, but the real key for the Yankees is how the back-half of Teix’s and A-Rod’s contracts look; Jeter too to an extent.
New Post- Simulated notes: One roster cut, a few injury updates
The Mets are Pond Scum,
They basically gave up 1 intriguing guy in Casey Kelly who had an over 5 ERA. The other 2 were nothing special
My projections for fantasy research purposes…
A-Gon .282/.388/.509 111R 33HR 114RBI 99BB 117K
Teix .279/.385-.516 110R 34HR 112RBI 92BB 119K
“The author of the cookbook is the Marlins owner (much younger) new wife.”
SJ
I noticed that. MLB got a pretty good group of guys to play along.
Felix