2011 MLB Spring Training Thread

[Mexi]

deal

 

[Mexi]

it's early
but i've been saying since they got Lee, STOP FREAKING OUT!

yes, it's an amazing 4 pitchers in that staff. but you need more than that. after all these 1 run games these guys are going to have, they're going to get worn out faster. our guys cant hit, and our pen cant bail us out. we have to be perfect

bullpen sucks. Lidge is only throwing 87 now
Utley is getting old and is too injury plagued. i heard if he plays opening day, he'll be a shadow of what he should be for all season

Rollins is old and declining. he'll get hurt again
Polanco is old and hurt his elbow today
Ibanez is old

why pitch to howard again?

you know who their 5th hitter will be on opening day? Ben Francisco lol

Werth will be missed exponentially imo
i'd rather have Werth than Lee. Iim pretty sure they already had a great staff last year with Doc/Osw/Hamels.

Braves are winning this division. maybe the phils get the WC, but im telling you guys. dont sleep on the NL West. Rox/Dodgers/Giants are going down to the wire

 

[elcheato]

I'd bet you that Ben has a good year behind Howard, but outside of pitching they lack a lot. Werth was important but they had Dominic Brown waiting.

 

[cruzg24]

I agree the Phillies arent going to be great, but they are going to still win the division. The staff is better than the Braves and the lineup is slightly better than the Braves lineup which isnt that good either.

 

[Mexi]

Braves line-up isnt that good? seriously?

Prado
Heyward
Chipper (swinging the bat well in Spring)
Uggla
McCann
Gonzalez
Freeman (could have an immediate impact similar to last years rookie crop)
McClouth

pretty good line-up. i'll take that over the Phils line-up

and their pitching is very good. Hudson/Lowe/Jurrjens/Hanson(primed to be great this year)/Minor. very very very good
and their pen is better than the Phils and overall a solid pen

 

[cruzg24]

Chipper is going to be injured and you know it. Uggla strikes out way too much and that high BA might be an aberration, we will see soon enough. I would rather have the Phillies 3 and 4 as opposed to the Braves. Im just not sold on them, but if Heyward and Freeman take big strides this year which I expect them to then I can see them being better.

 

[Mexi]

if utley was healthy, i would take it too
but Howard has nobody hitting behind him.

Braves line-up as a whole >>>>

again. Utley has a pretty serious injury. even if he plays soon, he wont be the same
Rollins is always getting hurt
Polanco is banged up already and old
Ibanez sucks

 

[elcheato]

Grady Sizemore played CF for the first time in 9 months in Spring Training.. If he has a big year we can make noise this year, but the likely hood of that is small. Especially since we now have a singles hitting base clogger batting 5th.

 

[Elite]

Grady Sizemore played CF for the first time in 9 months in Spring Training.. If he has a big year we can make noise this year, but the likely hood of that is small. Especially since we now have a singles hitting base clogger batting 5th.

Does make noise = 4th place? Honestly, your roster as a whole is just terrible. No pitching other than Carmona and Choo and Santana are your only bright spots on the offensive side of things unless Sizemore comes back playing well.

 

[The Guid]

They aren't terrible. They aren't good either, though. Chris Perez, Jensen Lewis, and Rafael Perez all pitched well out of the bullpen last year. And they have a decent offensive team but all of the guys that just aren't performing. I think Matt LaPorta will improve this year. And if Travis Hafner didn't just disappear, they'd have a decent lineup.

Their main problem is that, like you pointed out, they have no starting pitching outside of Carmona. They have a kid like Hagadone but he's coming off surgery and, even at 100%, he's probably another 1-2 years away.

 

[cruzg24]

That Travis Hafner contract is hurting them a lot too which sucks. They are moving in the right direction at 3rd base and catcher, and with Choo. Its not a bad lineup at all. It does come down to Grady if he is healthy and can play like he used to they will be very potent.

 

[snipezo]

Wow Morrow had to get hurt smh. I was really pumped to see him pitch again.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Same, he had a very good season last year, and I was excited to see how he improved this year?

 

[elcheato]

Does make noise = 4th place? Honestly, your roster as a whole is just terrible. No pitching other than Carmona and Choo and Santana are your only bright spots on the offensive side of things unless Sizemore comes back playing well.

If Grady is healthy and produces, our top 4 hitters, would be pretty good...

Grady - Asdrubal - Choo - Santana, and then we would need break out years from youngsters like Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley. Orlando Cabrera I think will have a decent year hitting lower in the lineup. And once we bring up Lonnie Chisenhall, instead of playing Jack Hannahan or whoever we decide to, our lineup will improve as well. We have good hitters at the top, just the bottom needs to perform.

We lack good starting pitching, but Fausto is still good at the top. Obviously need youngsters to have some good seasons like Masterson, Tomlin, Carrasco and Talbot. And our bullpen is pretty good. Ranked 2nd in the AL in ERA in the 2nd half of the year behind only the Yankees.

I don't expect a good season but we have talent to do it.

 

[Mexi]

8 more days

 

[Elite]

6 days til we can close this terrible thread

 

[Mexi]

this just looks ridiculous
like a cartoon is pitching

 

[.infamous]

Cant wait for the tigers first game. Playing the Yanks hoping for a win.