OC Register: Angels Notes: Pondering a shorter spring training

[AngelsWin.com]

TEMPE, Ariz. — Ask a player if spring training is too long, and his perspective could depend on the day. “When you are feeling hot, you want the games to start,” Andrelton Simmons said. “When you’re not feeling that hot, it’s like...

View the full article

[Angel Oracle]

Gotta like Sosh embracing spin rates and exit velocities.   Give credit, where credit is due.

 

[Ohtaniland]

This team is definitely not ready to start the season. 

[Stradling]

Why?  Is it that they are scoring a lot of runs, or because they are stealing a bunch of bases, or the pitching doing relatively well and they are healthy? 

[Ohtaniland]

2 hours ago, Stradling said:

Why?  Is it that they are scoring a lot of runs, or because they are stealing a bunch of bases, or the pitching doing relatively well and they are healthy? 

I don't believe that our starting pitchers have worked deep enough into counts or innings to jump right in to the season. The last days of spring work will be necessary for guys like Richards, Skaggs and Shoemaker to step it up.

In 2016 Heaney and Tropeano each had more spring training innings pitched than Richards, Skaggs and Shoemaker currently have this spring.

And we certainly aren't hitting as well as we did last spring.

Angels team batting 2016 Spring Training .310 / 29hrs / .188rbi's / .844ops

Angels team batting 2017 Spring Training .262 / 18hrs / 125rbi's / .739ops

Angels team pitching 2016 Spring Training 3.98 era 

Angels team pitching 2017 Spring Training 4.68 era 

 

[tdawg87]

I actually agree with Claude. Starters don't usually come right out throwing 100 pitches. It takes a couple starts for them to get stretched out. If you shorten spring, it will take them a month before they're throwing 100 pitches, and April is already basically extended ST for this team.

[Dugout]

The lengthy spring training is also to help evaluate players on the bubble.

[gurn67]

I think spring training needs to stay the length it is because of the pitchers. Hitters come into camp in shape and don't need to get into shape like they used to. However, there's no way to get the pitchers ready any faster, and they need to face live hitting. Making them rush is going to increase the chance of injury and there's enough arm injuries as it is.

[arch stanton]

Like Shoemaker said, if ST were shorter he'd just alter his off season a little bit to compensate. But all things considered, as long as people are willing to pay $60 for a ticket and networks are willing to broadcast the games, nothing is going to change

[Ohtaniland]

Lol @ this arrangement 

Scioscia said there’s “a possibility” that Albert Pujols will play some first base in the season opening series in Oakland, even though he hasn’t played it in a game this spring. The Coliseum has no batting cage accessible to the visiting team during games, so Pujols doesn't like to DH there.

[Angel Oracle]

Yet another reason to trash decrepit o.com Stadium

[greginpsca]

Think it could be shorter for position players, but pitchers[ mostly starters] could use a week or 2 more. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

On 3/25/2017 at 6:28 PM, CALZONE said:

 

In 2016 Heaney and Tropeano each had more spring training innings pitched than Richards, Skaggs and Shoemaker currently have this spring.

 

Have to be careful comparing spring innings totals because innings in minor league games aren't tracked. Angels starters have thrown a lot of those. 

[Ohtaniland]

6 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Have to be careful comparing spring innings totals because innings in minor league games aren't tracked. Angels starters have thrown a lot of those. 

How much information is made available about these minor league games? Balls, strikes, K's, hits, hrs, wp's, innings pitched or velocity? 

[yk9001]

On 3/25/2017 at 9:45 PM, arch stanton said:

Like Shoemaker said, if ST were shorter he'd just alter his off season a little bit to compensate. But all things considered, as long as people are willing to pay $60 for a ticket and networks are willing to broadcast the games, nothing is going to change

this

[eligrba]

It does seem to be a bit too long when you consider the number of meaningless games being played in March and April.

[California Cajun]

I don't like the WBC conflict with Spring Training.  If I were to change anything, it would be that.  Play the WBC some other time or not at all.

[Jeff Fletcher]

10 hours ago, CALZONE said:

How much information is made available about these minor league games? Balls, strikes, K's, hits, hrs, wp's, innings pitched or velocity? 

They keep all that stuff but its internal. There's no independent scorekeeping going on like in a real game. One team may call something a hit and another team may call it an error. They also "roll" innings before 3 outs sometimes, to keep pitch counts low. 

Usually we ask ask the PR people for a pitcher's line and they give us the basic box score line plus pitches. They never give us velocity. If we want that we need to go watch the game ourselves. 

The whole point of a minor league game is just to get work. And the results can be very misleading because sometimes the defense is terrible. The fields are hard. The umpires are bad. 

Usually i just want to know how many innings and pitches and did the guy come through it alive. 

[Ohtaniland]

16 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

They keep all that stuff but its internal. There's no independent scorekeeping going on like in a real game. One team may call something a hit and another team may call it an error. They also "roll" innings before 3 outs sometimes, to keep pitch counts low. 

Usually we ask ask the PR people for a pitcher's line and they give us the basic box score line plus pitches. They never give us velocity. If we want that we need to go watch the game ourselves. 

The whole point of a minor league game is just to get work. And the results can be very misleading because sometimes the defense is terrible. The fields are hard. The umpires are bad. 

Usually i just want to know how many innings and pitches and did the guy come through it alive. 

Thanks Jeff, good to know.