Bonds in a game, Lopez in the field, Jones in center
In a Baker notebook yesterday which contains a tidbit about Jones spending time in the off-season working with first-base coach Mike Goff on outfield work, the most interesting statement is Hargrove’s:
“Adam made a couple of good plays going back on the ball,” Hargrove said. “When we called him up in July or August, he couldn’t go back on the ball. His game had not developed to that point. And we worked real hard when he was here. Mike Goff did a good job, as you can see by the way he played today.”
I make no secret that I’m a Jones fan, and I disagreed entirely with Hargrove’s disdain for Jones’ defense – I felt Jones was good, though rough and still making mistakes as he learned, and Hargrove’s opinion was much less cheery.
The hope here is that Hargrove looks at Jones’ good play, along with a reason (Goff’s help) to evaluate Jones with an open mind. If the M’s need someone to fill in, at least the decision between, say, Reed and Jones would be made on the merits.
David Andriesen on Michael Garciaparra.
Bonds was the big story out of spring training. Baker on Bonds v fans. Bonds v Felix, Lopez takes the field.
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Broussard is batting .368 so far this spring? I know, I know, small sample size, ST pitching, anybody can have a fluke fast start, but dang. That’s either going to make it hard to trade him, or easy to get something a little better than a bag of balls…
I think I found the blog that Steve Kelly was talking about in his column. Looking at some of the comments left by readers on Baker’s blog can be a little funny.
Keeping both Reed and Broussard to go along with the backup C and WFB is looking like a pretty good option, now that Broussard is getting time at the corner OF spots.
Broussard’s a good bat to have as a replacement RF/LF/1B/DH, though he’s probably going to be a little rough defensively in the OF. I’d much rather see him there than Morse.
Reed is still young and worth keeping around to see how he develops. Ideally, he’ll get time backing up all three OF spots and will get some use as a pinch runner.
WFB has SS/2B/3B backup covered, and should be the #1 pinch running option.
Rivera or whoever is the backup C, and not much more than that.
Kreuger is sitting in on the morning show today, and he & Sandmeyer managed to go almost 15 minutes before the name ‘Lou’ was mentioned. Kreuger also thinks Vidro should be the infield back-up off the bench. I didn’t hear why he thought Bloomquist wasn’t right– I am afeared it might have been because he was too valuable. I hope not.
oh, and Yahoo has a deeply shallow video look at whether Ichiro! will leave Seattle
Larue talked to Reed the other day, and started a series on defense at each position; it’s 1st base today.
Drayer also talks about Barry in the house
If Vidro can withstand playing an infield position once every two weeks to spell a Sexson, Lopez, or Beltre, that would be fine. Of course, he has to hit. I could see Vidro giving one of those three righty infielders a day off against a tough RH pitcher, having Broussard DH. Of course, that would require that Hargrove shift, juggle and the lineup and consider how to effectively use all of his players.
Oops. “shift and juggle the lineup”
First time poster here. I was listening to Kreuger and Sandmeyer this morning too, and I thought they brought up a good point about the M’s bench or lack of in better words. Especially bench help for the infield. It’s been a big concern of mine as we approach the new season and I don’t see anyone at the minor league level ready to step in. Bloomquist isn’t the answer, but I guess that’s going to be Hargroves guy. Do you guys seen any potential help beyond Willie? Hopefully Jeremy will keep Willie out of the outfield.
so why was Kreuger putting Vidro in the infield rather than Bloomquist?
To add to my previous answer … I don’t think Vidro is the answer either.
I meant previous post not answer.
If Vidro doesn’t outhit W.Bloomquist, we’re in real trouble.
I’m definitely not hoping this will happen or anything, but if Raul Ibanez got hurt and Reed or Jones had to step in to play left, wouldn’t that be, like, the greatest fielding OF ever? Hitting issues or no, Jeremy Reed in particular is a very, very good CF – talking Andruw Jones good here – and that would make him an otherworldly LF. Ichiro is, of course, a fine CF in his own right and Jose Guillen only misses out on having the best arm in the AL West because of Vlad.
And, of course, Reed was a beast in the minors. I think this offseason and the upcoming season will demonstrate the problem with the “3 year plan”. It’s very clear that Bavasi didn’t have any kind of long-term plan and now he’s slotted in so many mediocre veterans to play spots that his prospects ought to be playing that this isn’t even really a rebuilding team anymore.
Oh well… if King Felix can throw it this year, anything can still happen, I guess.
#8: Welcome to USSM.
If I was you, my biggest concern wouldn’t be the infield bench. It’d be the starting pitching.
Hitting issues or no, Jeremy Reed in particular is a very, very good CF – talking Andruw Jones good here
This is news to me.
John Vukovich has died
15, John Dewan’s Fielding Bible. Reed obviously didn’t play last year so this year’s Bill James book won’t be very useful, but the Bible came out for the 2006 season anyway. The fielding numbers they come up with are by and large pretty much what you expect, other than Jeter being horrible (which, fielding-stat-wise, is not a new phenomenon).
frenchonion, I guess I should have worded it differently, such as, one of my many concerns about this team is pitching, reserve help and etc … Agree, starting pitching is my first and biggest concern, but after that getting these guys some rest is a close second. We can’t expect Kenji to play everyday, but how can you not with Rivera in his shadow. Then there’s Betancourt, Beltre and Lopez with no backup except for Willie and Vidro. Ugh! So what do we do when we have a pitching staff that survives on the ground ball and a tired infield? It’s like we have all the wrong reserves. With Reed and Brousard we’re set in the outfield and 1st base but everywhere else could really drag and hit a wall come August.
So Hargrove thought that Adam was just not a good fielder last season but Willie is? I’ve seen Willie make too many iffy catches out there to question Grover’s statement as well as judgement on fielding ability.
Baker is getting time off, so Greg Bishop takes over blogging duties and over at KOMO, Drayer notes Bishop’s arrival, and wanders off in a number of directions, including a Rainiers’ brawl that I assume is the one Gippy started…
I’ve been reading all the blogs for awhile now and finally got the courage to actually post today. Most of the blogs contain readers that are either buying into the M’s propaganda or they’ve allowed their heart to let them become fanatic. There’s a guy on Baker’s blog that actually thinks the M’s have completed their rebuild process and they’re ready to compete. Geez, somebody give him a gun. Anyway, I’ve learned a ton from you guys here and Lookout and decided to finally contribute.
I’m not going to make fun of Hargrove for calling Clement and Rob Johnson two of the top catching prospects in baseball. He’s supposed to be a booster, and I have no idea how many people make his top prospect list.
We cut Jaime Cerda??? Nooooooo
say, did you know that Dave Valle had recently been experiencing some hair loss?
The thing about the bench is: it doesn’t matter all that much vs. so many other things at the best of times, and it doesn’t matter at all if you have a coach who can’t use it — and that’s what the M’s have in Hargrove. So spending effort thinking about the bench is a bit like imagining how you’ll spend the money you didn’t win in the lottery last week: fun but ultimately fruitless.
True, but if there were less failure points on the bench it would minimize the impact of poor substitution. Heck Adam Jones would be a better infield solution then Willie. Although I don’t know how good of a SS he was, but its gotta be better then the other.
Wasteful thinking while Grover commands the ship. One can only hope.
I believe that title was bestowed upon the M’s when Ichiro, Mike Cameron, and Charles Gipson were in the game together.
Or was that LF = Winn, CF = Cameron, RF =Ichiro!
showing great good sense, Tim Lincecum opted for doing Sinatra in this years ‘Giants Idol’ rookie charity show
I’d question how certain we are that Reed is an elite defensive CF (small sample size). Also #13, re RF arms, you forgot Alex Rios. From what I’ve heard, Guillen is not a spectacular fielder.
Rios isn’t in the AL West. But he does have a cannon.
The Jays last season did a great job at limiting baserunners because Vernon Wells, who was lauded at the all-star game from having a great arm, was easily the weakest arm of Rios, Wells, and Reed Johnson.
#32 I skipped over the ‘west’ part. Thanks.
Jeremy Reed was 0 for 23 with one walk against lefties last year. I really hope he doesn’t become a regular due to injuries, because he’s even more of a blackhole against southpaws than he is usually.
Yes, because 23 at-bats is an excellent judge of how good a player is.