Red Sox/MLB 2023 Spring Training Begins- Forbes says Boston Red Sox are worth $4.5 billion

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

So the start of this by someone is to take pleasure in someone else’s bad fortune?

 

[Fenway]

 

[McGarnagle]

Someone in the Venezuelan dugout should've banged a trash can to let Altuve know one was coming for his thumb

 

[RoccoF14]

I am a good example of that actually. My shoulder sounds like Rice Krispies when it moves in any direction and it’s because I threw way too many innings and way too many curveballs from ages 13-15

If you throw with proper mechanics (legs-hips-torso-arm) and are smart with your workouts and recovery, you can safely throw a lot of pitches. It’s about building strength and endurance, just like any other endurance sport (and starting pitching IS an endurance sport). You don’t train for a marathon by running 5 miles a day, every other day.

Problem these days, is the over-emphasis on velocity, spin rate and specialization, not going deep into a game.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

If you throw with proper mechanics (legs-hips-torso-arm) and are smart with your workouts and recovery, you can safely throw a lot of pitches. It’s about building strength and endurance, just like any other endurance sport (and starting pitching IS an endurance sport). You don’t train for a marathon by running 5 miles a day, every other day.

Problem these days, is the over-emphasis on velocity, spin rate and specialization, not going deep into a game.

Which a young teenager does not have yet. Stop making them do what they can’t do physically yet.

 

[RoccoF14]

Worst part is, these younger kids are hurting their arms more than ever. I see it even when my nephew plays. And he's a pitcher. Luckily he's had great coaches around him to protect his arm. But the amount of kids on other teams or towns I see trying to throw curveballs or purposely have a funky arm delivery. These are 9 year old kids. It's not good.

If you’re under 15, you should be working on locating a 2-seam, 4-seam, and a change up. Once you can do that, work on a cutter. Get comfortable throwing those pitches on both sides of the plate and changing speeds and you’ll be fine. Most younger kids can’t throw a proper curveball for a strike anyway, or hurt themselves trying to figure it out on their own.

 

[RoccoF14]

Which a young teenager does not have yet. Stop making them do what they can’t do physically yet.

You‘re missing my point. You CAN throw a lot of pitches, IF you’ve developed the mechanics, and the endurance to do it. Most teenagers haven’t done that. Its a process that takes time and shouldn’t be rushed.

 

[McGarnagle]

I never got to pitch as a kid, and while I avoided any arm injury as a result, I do wish I got the chance. But at the time I never advocated for it and I wasn't accurate enough on normal throwing that any coach would've selected me to start pitching. My biggest issue is that my natural throwing motion is kind of sidearm (not like Dennis Eckersley sidearm, but a fairly low arm slot like when Chris Sale drops it down every so often), and every coach in rookie league and little league scolded me about how that was wrong and unhealthy for my arm (and I wasn't even pitching, just throwing the ball back in from right field where they stuffed me). But I think with some practice and refinement I would've been okay and it would've been fun. And I probably could've learned the mechanics of a proper sidearm or even submarine delivery if I'd continued on into high school. But I wasn't a very good athlete and was fat and out of shape anyway as a 12 year old, so I'm probably just projecting.

All I know is that if I have a son I'm teaching him the knuckleball as soon as his hands are big enough to grip one.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

You‘re missing my point. You CAN throw a lot of pitches, IF you’ve developed the mechanics, and the endurance to do it. Most teenagers haven’t done that. Its a process that takes time and shouldn’t be rushed.

We have the same point. I am not disagreeing with you.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Seats for tonight's US-Cuba game.

 

[RoccoF14]

I never got to pitch as a kid, and while I avoided any arm injury as a result, I do wish I got the chance. But at the time I never advocated for it and I wasn't accurate enough on normal throwing that any coach would've selected me to start pitching. My biggest issue is that my natural throwing motion is kind of sidearm (not like Dennis Eckersley sidearm, but a fairly low arm slot like when Chris Sale drops it down every so often), and every coach in rookie league and little league scolded me about how that was wrong and unhealthy for my arm (and I wasn't even pitching, just throwing the ball back in from right field where they stuffed me). But I think with some practice and refinement I would've been okay and it would've been fun. And I probably could've learned the mechanics of a proper sidearm or even submarine delivery if I'd continued on into high school. But I wasn't a very good athlete and was fat and out of shape anyway as a 12 year old, so I'm probably just projecting.

All I know is that if I have a son I'm teaching him the knuckleball as soon as his hands are big enough to grip one.

I’m a lefty and I always wanted to be a catcher ( crazy, I know). When I was a kid, I used to beg my coaches to let me catch and even offered to buy my own mitt. No dice. If you’re a kid who is a lefty and you have a live arm (like I did), you’re pitching. No questions asked.

I firmly believe that’s the REAL reason that the myth that “lefties can’t play catcher” has persisted in baseball and that there are so few lefty catchers.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Seats from last nights US-Venezuela game. The grand salami was to my left.

 

[McGarnagle]

I’m a lefty and I always wanted to be a catcher ( crazy, I know). When I was a kid, I used to beg my coaches to let me catch and even offered to buy my own mitt. No dice. If you’re a kid who is a lefty and you have a live arm (like I did), you’re pitching. No questions asked.

I firmly believe that’s the REAL reason that the myth that “lefties can’t play catcher” has persisted in baseball and that there are so few lefty catchers.

Lefties can't throw to third base and any half-decent runner would be able to steal third on them with about 90% a success rate. It's still pretty extreme IMO that there's a complete barrier to them trying to play the position though. Especially since stealing isn't as big a part of the game as it was say in the 80s or 90s.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Lefties can't throw to third base and any half-decent runner would be able to steal third on them with about 90% a success rate. It's still pretty extreme IMO that there's a complete barrier to them trying to play the position though. Especially since stealing isn't as big a part of the game as it was say in the 80s or 90s.

Ricky Henderson says hey

 

[RoccoF14]

Lefties can't throw to third base and any half-decent runner would be able to steal third on them with about 90% a success rate. It's still pretty extreme IMO that there's a complete barrier to them trying to play the position though. Especially since stealing isn't as big a part of the game as it was say in the 80s or 90s.

Yeah, that’s the “theory”, but I’ve never seen any evidence that it’s actually true though. With the new rule changes, I think you are going to see a lot more catchers throwing to first, as well.

 

[RoccoF14]

Ricky Henderson says hey

yep. He sure dominated left handed catchers…

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

yep. He sure dominated left handed catchers…

He stole a shitload is all I am saying

Nice to see Mike taking pleasure at a shot at me.

All good

 

[Mione134]

USA with a big time win over Cuba.

Now we await who advances next.

Japan vs Mexico.

I say Japan.

 

[EvilDead]

Oh hey look, more MLB all stars who agree with me and other fans that the World Baseball Classic means more than the World Series. But you know that Keith Olbermann sure knows more than the players and the fans outside of his ideological echo chamber. Now...should the WBC be moved back to prevent conflicts with spring training? Probably. What would be better is if MLB, NPB, KBO, and the other big professional baseball leagues worked out the idea of international breaks with the WBSC like they do in soccer. That said, the fact that prominent MLB players like Arozarena, Stroman, and now Trea Turner have backed up saying that the WBC means something shows that people like Olbermann are in the shrinking minority when it comes to this tournament.

 

[EvilDead]

USA with a big time win over Cuba.

Now we await who advances next.

Japan vs Mexico.

I say Japan.

I think it will be Japan, as well. They are too stacked to lose to Mexico.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

USA with a big time win over Cuba.

Now we await who advances next.

Japan vs Mexico.

I say Japan.

Trea Turner is absolutely on fiyah. I say Japan wins.

 

[Power Surge]

Pens fan with a FSG question lol.

We know you guys don't have a high opinion of them and have warned us on our board.

Was letting Xander Bogaerts go one of FSGs "smart decisions," like are they trying to play Moneyball or are they cleaning house and focusing on a rebuild?

I ask because since buying our team they haven't said one word other than they were happy to resign Sullivan. And they seem interested in keeping everyone from the old regime, even though things are stagnant.

 

[Chevalier du Clavier]

Pens fan with a FSG question lol.

We know you guys don't have a high opinion of them and have warned us on our board.

Was letting Xander Bogaerts go one of FSGs "smart decisions," like are they trying to play Moneyball or are they cleaning house and focusing on a rebuild?

I ask because since buying our team they haven't said one word other than they were happy to resign Sullivan. And they seem interested in keeping everyone from the old regime, even though things are stagnant.

The Sox didn’t handle Bogey well. They low-balled him thinking that he would re-sign. Boras tried to warn them that he wouldn’t take a second hometown discount. Once he hit free agency and San Diego lost its fiscal mind, the gamble didn’t pay off. There’s an argument to be made that the Sox should have been more proactive and offer a fair deal, which can be subjective. There was no point in matching San Diego.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that I don’t think FSG is in the NHL for the hockey. They will set a budget and let the Pens’ hockey people make the decisions. Henry grew up a baseball fan. He’s not Steinbrenner or Jerry Jones, but he’s been involved in Sox operations for better or worse. I’m sure there will be differing opinions, but that’s my 2 cents.

 

[Walkenthewalk]

Nice to see Justin Turner make a quick recovery, hope he hits the ground running!

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Pens fan with a FSG question lol.

We know you guys don't have a high opinion of them and have warned us on our board.

Was letting Xander Bogaerts go one of FSGs "smart decisions," like are they trying to play Moneyball or are they cleaning house and focusing on a rebuild?

I ask because since buying our team they haven't said one word other than they were happy to resign Sullivan. And they seem interested in keeping everyone from the old regime, even though things are stagnant.

Their offer to Bogaerts was the equivalent of offering Crosby $5m a year (not that Bogaerts is on Crosby's level, just an example of the the lowball offer)

For better or worse, with FSG the team is just a corporate asset and what matters is the line on an accounting ledger, did you make money or lose it. There isn't the drive and passion to win at all costs