The Spring Training Thread

Why does it matter who slots where in the rotation? The only difference is that if healthy the top 2 starters make one more start than the other 3. Ryu slotting 3rd makes perfect sense, because you don't wanna go more than 2 days without a lefty if possible.

Before you start with Bills is better than Greinke, VRP, i'll refer you to their respective WHIP and K/BB.

 

This is really a stupid article as they have made it clear that the spending boom is for the short term until they can build the farm system up and contend with a team built and retained from within. It is the retain part that is important because management is showing they have the fire power to retain players they want. That statement has been heard loud and clear throughout baseball. The Dodgers are becoming a franchise you can have a long and glorious career with and not have to become a free agent to do it.

 

So let me summarize what I have learned and am taking away from this article.
Hanley Ramirez who in previously years has not been the most focused and happy baseball player is entering the 2013 season pumped and motivated to play baseball. He is smiling and happy and proud to be part of the new Dodgers. Hmmm and I should be concerned about that? Sports writers need to learn to masturbate in private and not use their keyboards to jerk off to in public.

 

TY I like that.

 

Normally I would say that all of this BS nitpicking attempt to be negative is making Dodger fans angry and wanting to go out and kick some ass. However since we now have Mark McGwire it is making us want to go out and BASH some ass. Who do we get to fuck with at the start of the season?

 

Let me get this straight. hey won't let Hanley play defense because MIGUEL FUCKING TEJADA? Fuck Alu.

 

I think this team is going to be interesting. Every Dodger is excited about all of the talent and wants to win. None are bitching about playing time. Hell, our EIGHT starting pitchers are looking forward to the culling in ST. The following seem to want to prove they had bad stints elsewhere: Ramirez, Crawford, and Beckett. Ryu gave up playing for his country to stay and get to know guys. Greinke went to camp two weeks early. Couple that shit with the media constantly bashing the Dodgers, trying to find weaknesses, and attempting to pit one against another and I think this team plays with a chip on its shoulder. McGuire will also want to prove he can do shit outside of STL.

 

9 days, or something like it...

 

Watched Hanley on ESPN 2 last night in the Caribbean League WS. Gonna be hard for him to adjust to McGwire's plate discipline strategy this year as he swung at the first pitch in 4 of 5 ABs. Had a chance to win the game in the 11th; bases loaded 1 out and he hit a slow roller to third and they got the out at home. He did have a double but I'm pretty sure he went 1-5.

 

MLB.com posted their fantasy projections for 2013. Below are the notable Dodgers projections:

R-HR-RBI-AVG-OBP-SB
C AJ Ellis 52-11-55-.277-.379-0
1B Gonzalez 84-28-104-.296-.359-1
2B M. Ellis 67-7-47-.256-.319-7
SS Ramirez 92-22-89-.279-.344-20
3B Cruz 47-8-44-.268-.295-2 (388 ABs)
RF Ethier 86-20-99-.284-.343-2
CF Kemp 100-32-100-.318-.387-26
LF Crawford 90-13-66-.281-.321-33 (570 ABs)

3B Hairston 20-3-16-.254-.320-3 (177 ABs)
2B Schumacher 35-2-24-.277-.335-2 (307 ABs)

W-L-ERA-K-BB-WHIP
SP Kershaw 18-5-2.60-226-62-1.01 (232 IP)
SP Greinke 17-5-3.32-217-58-1.20 (225 IP)
SP Ryu 11-9-3.92-150-71-1.42 (170 IP)
SP Beckett 12-8-3.60-154-52-1.23 (175 IP)
SP Bills 10-8-3.54-127-50-1.32 (150 IP)

W-L-ERA-K-BB-SV
League 4-4-3.63-49-29-25 (67 IP)
Jansen 3-2-2.51-95-25-13 (68 IP)

Below is the link if you would like to start league-wide research for your team:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/preview/y2013/

 

We pull those numbers and we are looking at 90 plus wins easily.

 

when i started reading the article it said something like julio lugo providing a suitable backup and for just a split second i thought it meant we picked him up.

 

Here's what I noticeably disagree with

-A-Gon's declined walk rate being continued playing in our order
-Matt Kemp hitting 32 home runs considering his surgery, don't think he'll crack 25
-Cruz having an OBP below .300. I don't think he's good but I saw him make enough LD contact that he should be .310+

 

That would be very sad and very bad for the team.

 

That surgery takes a year to regain your power stroke, every single player over the past few years that's had it has proved it. He can still be an elite player if he utilizes more gap to gap power, but the home run power will almost definitely take a year.

 

I think he does if he remains relatively healthy during the year (minimum 500 AB). Playing with a bum shoulder and a lingering hamstring injury certainly sapped his power last year. AGon had the same surgery after the '10 season where he hit 31 HR and then had 27 HR the following year

However, with projections i tend to prefer ZiPS...Which has Kemp at

.291/.362/.531, 30 HR, 101 RBI

 

that would require paying attention