Posted by Chaz Scoggins
You didn’t really think the Red Sox were going to go unbeaten during the Grapefruit League season, did you? Like it really matters anyway.
I’m sure a lot of you were surprised to see phenom Clay Buchholz get beat up by the Twins. But it was his first official outing of the spring. Personally, I’d be more concerned about Craig Hansen, because he had trouble throwing strikes, walking three batters and hitting another.
File this away for future reference: Power pitchers are always slower to come around in the spring than finesse pitchers. It wasn’t unusual to see Nolan Ryan still getting lit up in April, while junkballers like Geoff Zahn were going 4-0 with microscopic ERAs, and nothing has changed. When the Astros trained in Cocoa, not far from Cape Canaverel, whenever a rocket took off in the middle of a game, the Astros players would all joke: “Uh-oh, there goes another Ryan fastball.”
Ace pitchers like Luis Tiant also pitched poorly in the spring. The only pitchers who worry about getting knocked around in the spring are minor-leaguers trying to make an indelible impression on the major-league staff. But very few judgments are made on any spring training statistics.
Trust me. If Jim Rice had ever depended solely on his spring training performances to win a job with the Red Sox, he never would have gotten out of Triple-A. The thing is, when you’re ready, you’re ready. And the guys evaluating the major-league talent know it, even if the prospects themselves sometimes don’t believe it.
Comments (8)
It's gonna be great to have all the Sun writers chiming in here!
Wasn't there something that Theo helped Hansen figure out in the off-season that's supposed help Hansen become a more effective pitcher? If so, any truth to it?
Posted by T2 | March 3, 2008 10:47 AM
Posted on March 3, 2008 10:47
I thought Hansen had surgery to correct sleep apnea. Maybe he can get some sleep in AAA this year...
Posted by dboisver | March 3, 2008 1:41 PM
Posted on March 3, 2008 13:41
Hey Chaz Welcome, good to have some more Lowell Sun guys here. I'm getting tired of ted and lynn. No offense but couldn't we get someone cool like... i dunno.... Lowellita??
Posted by June Bug | March 3, 2008 2:31 PM
Posted on March 3, 2008 14:31
LOL! That's what it was, sleep apnea!
Posted by T2 | March 4, 2008 4:12 PM
Posted on March 4, 2008 16:12
Chaz...any truth to the rumor the sleep apnea was caused by a stiff neck, the injury he suffered from whirling around to watch all those rockets hit off him?
What a waste of a first round draft pick and money for an organization that's usually dead on in its scouting. I bet Hansen's caused Theo a few sleepless nights!
Posted by Teddy P. | March 4, 2008 4:46 PM
Posted on March 4, 2008 16:46
Folks,
As a Sleep Apnea Sufferer I can tell you that it ain't no joke. I'm lucky to get 4 hours of sleep per night, and never in a row. I wake up 40-50 times and often stop breathing all together.
I'm not sure how this would affect a 25 year old one inning pitcher but don't just dismiss it, it's real.
Posted by Legend Killer | March 5, 2008 12:42 AM
Posted on March 5, 2008 00:42
Let me tell you....I've slept in the same hotel room with this guy. His apnea and snoring are worse on his roomates than on him!
If you could perform your job with sleep problems, we can't expect much sympathy for Mr. Hansen. You never missed the money shot!
Posted by Teddy P. | March 5, 2008 7:19 AM
Posted on March 5, 2008 07:19
oh poor Legend Killer... with your little sleep apnea. You poor thing. I feel sorry for you, not because of your "apnea" but because you are pathetic. Coming on this blog for sympathy. Don't you have a wife or a grandmother to cry to? I don't believe in sleep apnea or any other apnea for that matter.
Posted by JB | March 5, 2008 5:00 PM
Posted on March 5, 2008 17:00