chasfh Posted February 17 Posted February 17 Seeing that the full squad reports this morning, the offseason is now officially over for everybody and spring training begins in earnest! Let's start the thread with an injury update from this morning. 1 Quote
chasfh Posted February 17 Author Posted February 17 1 hour ago, casimir said: Hmmmm..... Both Tiger Territory and Locked on Tigers podcasts speculating that Sweeney may not be as much of an Opening Day guarantee as many of us (myself included) might believe. What are they saying about him? Injury issues? or performance drop-off? Quote
chasfh Posted February 17 Author Posted February 17 10 minutes ago, 1776 said: We’re headed to Lakeland Friday for a five game stretch beginning Saturday. We have never been down this early in the spring. It hit me after ordering tickets that it won’t even be daylight savings time yet! I was hoping to see Clark and McGonigle this year but they didn’t get an invite. Has anyone on the board here attended any of the workouts/games on the backfields in spring training? Is there seating? Anything? I called the Lakeland office and the person I spoke to said the minor league guys are out on the back fields from 10-12. Thanks for any info anybody has on this. Can’t help but remember hueytaxi when talking spring training. Man, you'll see some real deep cut kids playing. Do they have three-digit uniform numbers yet? Quote
romad1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 1 minute ago, chasfh said: Man, you'll see some real deep cut kids playing. Do they have three-digit uniform numbers yet? The back fields are a weird experience. Last time I was there was when Wilkin Hernandez saved my son's life by jumping over the wall and bringing back a HR ball that I was foolishly trying to catch with my son on my shoulders. The ramifications of the ball hitting the kid instead of my hands which I was using to hold him were lost on gormless me. Back then, you could back then just go back there and watch drills and scrimmages they had going on. You'll see a lot of infield scenario practices. The pitchers have to be HERE when the ball goes to RF and there is a runner on second. The runner being drilled on how far to lead off on the fly ball, etc. They are experienced at Baseball but they do the drills to make it all second nature. Its of great interest if you are a youth sports coach or otherwise a nut about the game, but your non-baseball addict wife or kids might be bored out of their minds. 2 Quote
romad1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 7 minutes ago, chasfh said: What are they saying about him? Injury issues? or performance drop-off? Baez being in best shape of his life or to take a year off his service clock are two other reasons. Quote
1776 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 24 minutes ago, chasfh said: Man, you'll see some real deep cut kids playing. Do they have three-digit uniform numbers yet? Yeah, I generally have gone down in mid March or later. I know that this will be a different scenario. I’m hoping to see Clark and McGonigle in Richmond in May with Erie. Quote
chasfh Posted February 17 Author Posted February 17 24 minutes ago, romad1 said: Baez being in best shape of his life or to take a year off his service clock are two other reasons. I feel as though Sweeney will be given a fair chance to win the starting job outright, or at least be the strong side of a platoon situation. As for the service clock thing, I don't believe there's a long-term concern about that since we have Bryce Rainer and/or Kevin McGonigle in our long-term plans for shortstop, unless Sweeney blossoms into an All-Star shortstop, which I suppose is a possibility given his first-round selection cred. Quote
chasfh Posted February 17 Author Posted February 17 4 minutes ago, 1776 said: Yeah, I generally have gone down in mid March or later. I know that this will be a different scenario. I’m hoping to see Clark and McGonigle in Richmond in May with Erie. I will be in FLA March 8 and 9. Tigers at Blue Jays in Dunedin on Saturday (first time in a while I'll be paying attention to the national anthems), then Pirates in Lakeland on Sunday. Hoping to see everyone at the top of the prospects list for at least a couple reps. 1 Quote
1776 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 25 minutes ago, romad1 said: Its of great interest if you are a youth sports coach or otherwise a nut about the game, but your non-baseball addict wife or kids might be bored out of their minds. I coached youth baseball for five years or so when my son was of age. I have four grandsons nine years and under that play baseball. Of course, my son is coaching youth baseball now. I enjoy this kind of stuff. My wife is a team player that is a legit baseball fan! Thank you for sharing your experiences. 👍 2 Quote
1776 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 1 minute ago, chasfh said: I will be in FLA March 8 and 9. Tigers at Blue Jays in Dunedin on Saturday (first time in a while I'll be paying attention to the national anthems), then Pirates in Lakeland on Sunday. Hoping to see everyone at the top of the prospects list for at least a couple reps. We’ll see the Jays in Lakeland. The anthems hadn’t crossed my mind but yeah, might be interesting. Quote
romad1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 24 minutes ago, 1776 said: I coached youth baseball for five years or so when my son was of age. I have four grandsons nine years and under that play baseball. Of course, my son is coaching youth baseball now. I enjoy this kind of stuff. My wife is a team player that is a legit baseball fan! Thank you for sharing your experiences. 👍 You are indeed fortunate in having a wife who undoubtedly has dragged you to things she thinks you should both do together and feels some payback is reasonable. Quote
Tigeraholic1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 54 minutes ago, 1776 said: Yeah, I generally have gone down in mid March or later. I know that this will be a different scenario. I’m hoping to see Clark and McGonigle in Richmond in May with Erie. There is a seating area back there. I was down last year and it is really layed back. Players just walking through. 1 Quote
Edman85 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 1 hour ago, romad1 said: Cody on the correct app. Cody, McCosky, and Beck all are. Just need the Evans to make the move. Quote
romad1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 16 minutes ago, Edman85 said: Cody, McCosky, and Beck all are. Just need the Evans to make the move. Yeah, hopefully its not Gannett demanding they stay off the butterfly Quote
IdahoBert Posted February 17 Posted February 17 The back fields are kind of cool, at least they were when I lived in Tucson in the ‘70s and ‘80s and the Indians trained there. I’d walk on the warning track of the back fields and balls would roll up there and I remember throwing them back to Bob Feller and he threw one back to me - underhanded so he wouldn’t hurt me - and let me keep it and we chatted briefly. It was honestly kind of magical seeing the young players having picnics under palm trees with their parents. Of course, most of them washed out, but at least they had these moments of walking on cloud nine in paradise. There was something genuinely idyllic and dreamlike about it. 2 Quote
Arlington Posted February 17 Posted February 17 19 minutes ago, IdahoBert said: It was honestly kind of magical seeing the young players having picnics under palm trees with their parents. Of course, most of them washed out, but at least they had these moments of walking on cloud nine in paradise. There was something genuinely idyllic and dreamlike about it. Ernie was the best at capturing that magic of a kid just called up. He did an interview with Fred Holdsworth in the mid-70s that stuck with me. It was Fred's first day and he was bubbling over with excitement. He was thrilled to be interviewed by Ernie and Ernie was as warm and encouraging as could be. 2 Quote
romad1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 39 minutes ago, IdahoBert said: The back fields are kind of cool, at least they were when I lived in Tucson in the ‘70s and ‘80s and the Indians trained there. I’d walk on the warning track of the back fields and balls would roll up there and I remember throwing them back to Bob Feller and he threw one back to me - underhanded so he wouldn’t hurt me - and let me keep it and we chatted briefly. It was honestly kind of magical seeing the young players having picnics under palm trees with their parents. Of course, most of them washed out, but at least they had these moments of walking on cloud nine in paradise. There was something genuinely idyllic and dreamlike about it. I like the implication that parents of minor leaguers are providing juice boxes, fruit slices and lunchables to their adult children. 1 Quote
IdahoBert Posted February 17 Posted February 17 45 minutes ago, romad1 said: I like the implication that parents of minor leaguers are providing juice boxes, fruit slices and lunchables to their adult children. It’s not all quite so innocent. The “Baseball Annie’s“ I saw who hung around outside Hi Corbett Field hoping to meet the players were pretty incredible. They weren’t sleazy or trampy, at least the few I saw. They were smart athletic women who were clearly intellectually superior to the profane tobacco chewing men they sought to ally with, who in marriage with a husband gone half the time could hold the ship and the family together with no problem. 1 Quote
theroundsquare Posted February 17 Posted February 17 1 hour ago, romad1 said: I like the implication that parents of minor leaguers are providing juice boxes, fruit slices and lunchables to their adult children. But only if they won. Losers don't get juice boxes 1 1 Quote
romad1 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 1 hour ago, IdahoBert said: It’s not all quite so innocent. The “Baseball Annie’s“ I saw who hung around outside Hi Corbett Field hoping to meet the players were pretty incredible. They weren’t sleazy or trampy, at least the few I saw. They were smart athletic women who were clearly intellectually superior to the profane tobacco chewing men they sought to ally with, who in marriage with a husband gone half the time could hold the ship and the family together with no problem. Robust Arizona frontier women of a durability unknown to city ladies who only know how to order in restaurants and to complain. These "Annies" know and are in tune with nature and as such their own needs. I'm sorry...you didn't say that...I'm just having fun embellishing. Quote
CMRivdogs Posted February 17 Posted February 17 4 hours ago, 1776 said: I’m hoping to see Clark and McGonigle in Richmond in May with Erie. I just penciled that week on my calendar. They're only an hour away. I do need to see more live games. I hate traveling to Norfolk, I hate the traffic and with construction starting on a new casino nearby parking will be at a premium. It also seems my doctors appointments at Duke and baseball don't align in Durham 1 Quote
Sports_Freak Posted February 17 Posted February 17 3 hours ago, IdahoBert said: The back fields are kind of cool, at least they were when I lived in Tucson in the ‘70s and ‘80s and the Indians trained there. I’d walk on the warning track of the back fields and balls would roll up there and I remember throwing them back to Bob Feller and he threw one back to me - underhanded so he wouldn’t hurt me - and let me keep it and we chatted briefly. It was honestly kind of magical seeing the young players having picnics under palm trees with their parents. Of course, most of them washed out, but at least they had these moments of walking on cloud nine in paradise. There was something genuinely idyllic and dreamlike about it. And several years before that, you gave Ty Cobb some pointers? 🤣😂 1 Quote
gehringer_2 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 (edited) 6 hours ago, chasfh said: , unless Sweeney blossoms into an All-Star shortstop, which I suppose is a possibility given his first-round selection cred. 0.7 WAR in 120 PA is probably not a production rate we should put any money on him sustaining, but he's been a nice player so far. It's a little odd that for his short stint BR rates him 0.4 oWAR on only a 91 OPS+. Maybe fewer good hitting SS now than there were a few years ago? Rdrs likes him, though the sample size is still too small to take seriously. He doesn't look like he's doing all that much out there with the glove, but if you have a good 1st step it can deceive the eye test compared to a guy who makes an acrobatic finish on the same play because he started later a tick later..... Edited February 17 by gehringer_2 Quote
monkeytargets39 Posted February 17 Posted February 17 6 hours ago, romad1 said: Baez being in best shape of his life or to take a year off his service clock are two other reasons. Probably just to avoid DFAing McKinstry Quote
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