Comments on: Spring Training Stats Are Meaningless, But…

By: % (In the UK)

% (In the UK) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:04:15 +0000

“Maier did the same thing last year…but did very little once the season began”

Fair point,however he was coming back from injury for a lot of it,look how long it took for Aviles to feel the effects of being injury free!

My point is mainly the comparison between him & Gordon,what did the Nebraska man do last year with the bat to make him a “shoe-in” for LF when there are not one but two as good if not better options in Maier & Blanco?

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:30:39 +0000

Maier has zero power and limited speed. His above arm and good route running is the only thing keeping him in the bigs. He has no options, so he will make the opening day roster. I wish baseball changed a few of their rules about arbitration and options, but they won’t. Blanco and Maier will be the opening day 4th & 5th outfielders, that’s all they are. Cain needs to be up SOON!! Same with Moustakas and Hosmer.

By: kcrb

kcrb — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:00:26 +0000

maier did the same thing last year…but did very little once the season began
if we were to use spring numbers for everything..then melky is a stud…

By: % (In the UK)

% (In the UK) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:16:14 +0000

Again,Mitch Maier is doing everything he can to earn his spot,(he’s now 10-16 whilst Gordon is 1-13) & gets almost zero credit for it whilst it seems the Nebraska man will have as many doors opened for him as possible!

By: Abh

Abh — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:40:23 +0000

A roster full of top prospects on opening day would be exciting to watch, but delaying gratification is often a good thing when dealing prospects or any other sort of investment decision.

By: Mr. Dave

Mr. Dave — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:46:38 +0000

I’d actually like to see Kendall retire and join the Royals as a coach. I think he’d make a solid minor league instructor, teaching the young guys how to play catcher. Before he got hurt, he was actually a legit major league player. In fact, I think that is why he is still on the roster – Moore and Yost like how he is basically a coach on the playing field.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:22:01 +0000

KC could unload Kendall right now to either the Astros or the Padres for a player to be named later. I’d love to see him go. Yost said he saw him take 10 swings in the cage and that’s all he needed to see to know he’s ready. Really? I saw him take 2000 swings last year and it looked like he was swinging a tennis racket hoping to lob one into right field best case scenerio. He’s gotta. It’s pretty hard to teach someone else how to play the game the right way when you yourself can no longer play.

By: Mark LaFlamme

Mark LaFlamme — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:18:15 +0000

Kendall’s declaration that he plans to be ready for opening day just sends a shiver up my spine. I agree with Kyle – Kendall is a weak link, a black hole in the number 2 position and a hindrance to better options for that position. Otherwise, I still say it’s looking to be a fun year, if nothing else. Lots of question marks.

By: Bill in Vancouver, WA

Bill in Vancouver, WA — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:13:36 +0000

Prior to Greinke’s Cy Young year, I was at a spring training game he pitched against the M’s and for 4 batters sat there depressed as the Mariners laced rope after rope into every gap in the OF. It was only then I realized he had started out throwing exclusively the change-up…that’s it….just his changeup.

He continued to do this for two innings, gave up like 6 runs, but I’ll never forget he left the mound actually looking pleased that he had spotted the locations he wanted pretty consistently.

Watching Aaron Crow’s first outing this year (on MLB gamecast) it was the same thing. His first inning was exclusively fastballs….he got dinged a bit. He got through his 2nd innning untouched when he mixed in his slider and change.

The problem is, when spring training rolls around Im so excited for baseball its hard not to geek out on the stats and try to find some meaning behind them, Im just not sure there is any.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:08:15 +0000

You have to remember that Hosmer has not had one at bat in AAA or one inning playing LF. He needs to go to AAA for at least half the season, and I would be completely up for him trying LF. But he also has the skills to be a gold glove 1B. Maier hasn’t done one thing in the regular season that would give him RF. I could see a Franceour/Gordon tandem in RF, but that wouldn’t happen either.

What is really going to suck, is when Kendall plays 95% of the games. He is the one that needs to be gone.