BD Spring Training Report: Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots | Baseball Digest

BD Spring Training Report: Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots | Baseball Digest

The Chicago Cubs have a growing reputation as a mixed martial arts squad rather than a baseball team. There was the Carlos Zambrano-Michael Barrett tiff in June, 2007. Last season it was Zambrano and 1st baseman Derrek Lee going toe to toe. And 2011 is no different..except it wasn’t Zambrano this time around.

On Tuesday pitcher Carlos Silva allowed five runs in the 1st inning thanks in large part to three Cubbie errors. Silva got into the face of 3rd baseman Aramis Ramirez, who had committed one of the gaffes. No punches were thrown, no hair pulled, but the two had to be separated after shoving one another. Silva was eventually escorted back to the clubhouse and order was restored.

Mike Quade (in his first full year as manager) didn’t mind the fight, but did hold a team meeting on Thursday to clear the air and straighten things out. Quade is under enough pressure as a rookie skipper without his players getting out of hand. Veterans Marlon Byrd and Carlos Pena helped out by calling a players only meeting to stress unity. Somewhere Steve Bartman is shaking his head.

Across town the White Sox Jake Peavy is doing battle with his surgically repaired shoulder. Peavy makes his first start today since having the latissimus dorsi muscle in his right posterior shoulder reattached in a July procedure. His surgeon told the Chicago Trib’s David Haugh that Peavy is making good progress. “His motivation has been exactly in the right spot in that he understands this surgery and his recovery is not for him just to play this year, 2011, but beyond so he can meet expectations of him since he came here,” Romeo said on the phone from Vail, Colo. “Things are progressing well.” You should still be wary in your fantasy drafts.

Rumors are persisting that Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg or some of the team’s partial owners have an interest in the NY Mets. According to the Tampa Tribune Sternberg has denied any interesting in owning part or all of the Mets, but the NY Times reported that minority owner Randy Frankel has a definite interest.

Youngster Jason Castro was set to be the Houston Astros starting catcher this season, but a torn ACL will probably cause him to miss the entire season.

The Boston Herald is reporting that outfielder J.D. Drew is likely to retire after this season. The 35-yr old has been bothered by a series of injuries the last few years and has a lingering hamstring issue from last season. “I don’t really know what I’m going to do, I’m leaning both ways. I guess, I don’t really know,” Drew said. “It depends on how the year goes. I don’t know what I’ll do. There’s benefits to both sides, but I have to think it out, pray about it, talk with my family, see how my body holds up over the year, and go from there.”

The Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones played 3rd base Thursday for the first time since injuring his knee last August. Afterwards he felt, well, pretty Chipper about it. “I just want to play,” Jones said. “Once you get on the field instinct takes over. That’s what you need to worry about. I wasn’t expecting to be playing by now and I don’t know what to expect.”

BD Spring Training Report: I Wonder | Baseball Digest

BD Spring Training Report: I Wonder | Baseball Digest

It’s a relaxing Friday night. We’re sitting around enjoying the last of the above normal warm weather in the Northeast as winter’s cold air prepares to return tomorrow. I think it’s definitely time for us to play a game of ”I wonder”. Please feel free to play along at home.

I wonder if the Wilpon Family-Bernie Madoff mess will be a distraction for the Mets during the season. It’s already become a distraction on NYC talk radio where WFAN’sMike Francesa has been discussing the Ponzi scheme the entire week. The Wilpons and others are also being investigated as to whether or not they were aware of any wrong doing. For his part Madoff told reporters that the Wilpons were not aware of the scheme.

I wonder if Albert Pujols will wear a Chicago Cubs uniform next year. Can you imagine? Think of your favorite player in any sport. Now think of the biggest rivals of that team. Now think of that player in one of those other team’s uniform. Roger Clemens wearing Yankees pinstripes. Brett Favre in Vikings purple.Leo Durocher managing the NY Giants. Those all did happen.

I wonder who the first player will be, that was hedging about returning in 2011, to retire before the regular season starts. I wonder no more on that one. Jim Edmonds of the Cardinals decided to call it quits today after a 17 year career. Edmonds underwent surgery recently to relieve pain in an achilles tendon and decided not to risk permanent damage. He retires with 393 career home runs, 1,199 RBI, and 8 Gold Gloves. Happy retirement to one of the most exciting centerfielders to watch.

I wonder who will be the first player, who retired after last season, to return this season. My money is on the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte. Though he is strong in his convictions and said there’s no way he’s pitching this year, he also said never say never. Perhaps a July return. Even Jorge Posada has a hunch he’ll back this year.

I wonder if Felix Hernandez will still be a Seattle Mariner when the trade deadline passes. I’m thinking not, no matter how much the Seattle front office says otherwise.

I wonder if Justin Morneau will have a healthy, concussion free season. This is a very worrisome situation for one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. This is a great career that could easily get derailed even if another concussion does not occur. Morneau has been cleared to take part in spring training drills, but has not yet been cleared to play in games. Morneau’s concussion occurred last July!

I wonder if Manny Ramirez will a) play in more than 120 games b) hit 30 or more home runs c) come up with a lame injury. I’m not sure about a or b, but c is pretty much a definite.

I wonder if Bryce Harper will tear apart minor league pitching and if he’ll get a September call up. Yes and yes- Harper should terrorize lower minor league pitching (He’ll play at two levels at the very least) and will be brought up in September to put some fannies in the seats.

I wonder if Don Mattingly will make a good Major League manager. Being a great/very good ball player doesn’t guarantee success (Ted Williams was one of the many that found that out). Relationships change when you go from player to coach and coach to manager. I think he’ll be successful as long as heremembers what constitutes a trip to the mound.

I wonder if Bud Selig will get his wish in 2012 or shortly thereafter to expand the MLB playoffs. My answer is a resounding yes, because this has nothing to do with baseball. It’s all about greed.

I wonder what I’ll write about next week. Stay tuned.

Mets Fire Willie, Disgrace Themselves

Imagine our surprise this morning when we woke up and found out that Willie Randolph was fired by the Mets. The last thnig we saw last night was the Mets clinging to an 8-6 lead in the 8th inning. They held on for a 9-6 win, but Willie along with pitching coach Rick Peterson and 1st base coach Tom Nieto were axed after the game. At 3:14 A.M. EST. After the newspapers had gone to bed on the East coast the Wilpons and Omar Minaya pulled the plug. In considerably gutless fashion.

They had Willie fly to the West coast, manage one game, and then as if that game mattered, they fired him. The right thing would have been to fire him on Sunday. But the Mets front office clearly didn't want to face the press. Maybe they'll say they didn't want to fire him on Father's Day. What a load of crap. We'll find out more this afternoon when Minaya holds a press conference at 5:00 EST.

In the mean time, bench coach Jerry Manuel will take over. He compiled a 500-471 record in 6 seasons in Chicago as White Sox manager. It included a division title in 2000 and 4 second place finishes in the AL Central. Chris Russo will go on ad nauseum this afternoon on how Manuel was run out of town in Chicago. But he'll be right when he rips the Mets for doing wrong.

Mets Fire Willie, Disgrace Themselves

Imagine our surprise this morning when we woke up and found out that Willie Randolph was fired by the Mets. The last thnig we saw last night was the Mets clinging to an 8-6 lead in the 8th inning. They held on for a 9-6 win, but Willie along with pitching coach Rick Peterson and 1st base coach Tom Nieto were axed after the game. At 3:14 A.M. EST. After the newspapers had gone to bed on the East coast the Wilpons and Omar Minaya pulled the plug. In considerably gutless fashion.

They had Willie fly to the West coast, manage one game, and then as if that game mattered, they fired him. The right thing would have been to fire him on Sunday. But the Mets front office clearly didn't want to face the press. Maybe they'll say they didn't want to fire him on Father's Day. What a load of crap. We'll find out more this afternoon when Minaya holds a press conference at 5:00 EST.

In the mean time, bench coach Jerry Manuel will take over. He compiled a 500-471 record in 6 seasons in Chicago as White Sox manager. It included a division title in 2000 and 4 second place finishes in the AL Central. Chris Russo will go on ad nauseum this afternoon on how Manuel was run out of town in Chicago. But he'll be right when he rips the Mets for doing wrong.