As the offseason finally is over, we can debate one of the issues where both sides truly have a case: Does spring training matter?
For a player like David Wright, the answer is a resounding no. Wright comes to camp in great shape, comes early, and clearly loves the game. He’s a star, and has nothing to prove. A player like Wright might spend days simply using his ST at bats to work on hitting sac flies, or hitting the other way, or even something as specific as hitting behind the runner in the hole between the 1st and 2nd basemen.
A pitcher like Mike Pelfrey is another example. No, he surely is not as accomplished as Wright, but he also stays healthy and comes prepared. His rotation spot is secure, and as he did in 2010, Pelf might use ST to simply work on the splitter, or to experiment with it in certain spots.
But with few other exceptions, the next 6 weeks in Florida actually will mean a great deal.
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One needs look no further than 2B or the rotation for easy proof of this.
Daniel Murphy is probably the favorite of the fans, the team’s brass, and even his teammates to win the 2B job. But he will indeed have to win it—or Castillo and Emaus will have to lose it.
If Murphy shows adequate or better fielding, the job will be his. But if he is clumsy and error-prone, the offense of Emaus and the physical condition of Castillo will start to be closely examined. Emaus is no slick fielder, but should he show the offense he did in AA and AAA last year while Murph struggles in the field, it could be a battle. If Castillo—who the team is committed to paying millions this year—is healthy, thin, and legging out infield hits while showing some range, it could be a very serious battle.
Looking from another perspective, Emaus has never played an MLB game and turns 25 in March. Castillo could be seeing his last chance to be an everyday player, or maybe even a major leaguer.
So for these three players, spring training means a lot.
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The team has made it clear that Pelfrey, Dickey, and Niese are the first three starters. But other than that, we will see a battle royale among youngsters, injury-prone veterans, and Oliver Perez.
For a pitcher like Gee or Mejia, being cut clearly does not mean the end. But for Oliver Perez, should he continue to fail as he has everywhere he has tried to pitch in North America the last two years, he might be seeing his last proximity to MLB fields for a while.
Every start in the spring will be huge for many starters. It is not unrealistic to consider Gee, Capuano, and Young to be the favorites for the two spots. However, should Bonser or Misch clearly outperform two of the previously mentioned starters, things could be very different. Finally, should Mejia or Ollie seriously impress, they too could be considered.
Try telling any of these guys that spring training doesn’t matter. Think they’d agree?
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Finally, clear-eyed fans who follow the team closely surely should remember the last two springs.
In 2009, spring training was a festival of injuries—large and small, to veterans and youngsters. What did this mean? Well, it was a clear precursor to an injury-riddled season for the ages, which followed the 9—12 start.
How about 2010? There was much debate here about the pitching stats; but spring performances certainly did—in almost every case—presage what we were to see in the regular season. Just about every pitcher who threw more than a handful of innings and was either fighting for a spot or having injury issues performed in Florida much how they did during the season. The team was sloppy and inconsistent in Florida, and roared out of the gate with a 4—8 start, which was followed by sloppy, injury-riddled, uninspired play just about the entire year.
While the team’s record in Florida is indeed meaningless (the best record in the Cactus League in 2010? The Giants. The worst? The Rangers) the performance of certain players is hugely important—to the players themselves and the team.
After what the Mets have done on the field recently—and the time spent on the disabled list the past two years—it would be questionable at best to deny the importance of seeing the team fit, hustling, and staying healthy over the next six weeks.
Jerry Manuel in retrospect was less of a manager than some of us thought; this is clear. He definitely did not command respect or motivate his players at all. And many of them took clear advantage of this; it can be argued pretty successfully that this was the true downfall of the team, which began to manifest itself during the injury-plagued spring of 2009, from which the team has yet to recover.
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Poor spring performances from Wright, Pelfrey, Dickey, Pagan, KRod, and some others will mean nothing. These are established veteran pros who come to camp in shape and use the time to hone their games.
But poor springs from the rotation and 2B candidates would be very discouraging. As would unhealthy springs for any of Reyes, Bay, or Beltran.
And the entire team must reflect the no-nonsense approach of Collins which we are all hoping materializes. The listless play of the last two years surely must be shown to be a thing of the past as soon as spring games start. The record means little; the tone of play could mean everything–as it clearly did the last two springs.
The feeling here is that depending on how one looks at it, spring training can be irrelevant or hugely important.
But for a team full of kids and injury-plagued veterans, recovering from a terrible, injury-scarred two-year disaster, some spring training results will be very important indeed.
21 comments
njstuckintx
2/14/2011-8:48pm at 8:48 pm (UTC -4)
Good read, kong.
kingman 26
2/14/2011-9:29pm at 9:29 pm (UTC -4)
Thank you sir; I really do try very, very hard to attempt to provide you with just that.
Mr North Jersey
2/14/2011-9:23pm at 9:23 pm (UTC -4)
Man you def was having some serious mood swings. I just hope you will have a much more enjoyable one this Spring especially if you see Pelfrey again struggle during camp.
In general Spring Training means different things for different people always has been.
For some it’s about getting ready for long season for others its about impressing enough to make the team then there are those trying to hang on for one last season and for some others it’s about working your way back from injuries.
Spring Training, you gotta love it.
kingman 26
2/14/2011-9:32pm at 9:32 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Mr N–Nice to see you.
Yeah, for me, I think 2010 comes right after 1993 at the top of my list of most disappointing Met seasons.
But while Pelf did have bad spring stats, he was indeed working on his splitter.
I did check the stats before posting
and I am afraid that–both good and bad–just about every Met pitcher who threw more than 6 or 8 innings last spring had a season which very much reflected what they did in FLA.
I know–even if we finish 4th with 75 wins–that 2011 will be far, far better with a different manager and with Thole, Ike, Murph, Reyes, Pagan, Niese, and Dickey on the opening day roster with prominent roles.
The future starts now!!
fongy2
2/14/2011-10:13pm at 10:13 pm (UTC -4)
Not really my friend. The future will start after the allstar break
once we figure out what will become of our best player (Reyes)
and best pitcher (Johan).
As far as performances of unknowns and question marks, I always
go back to ST 1990 and Darren Reed, to this day I’ve never seen
nor heard of a Met having a better camp. At 24 y/o he looked like
a steal (for Raffy Santana) and our future RFer (Knowing Straw
would leave at yrs end), he did nothing with us, Montreal or The Twins and was out of the end 3 yrs later.
I’m really not looking foward to this season…..AND it’s the 1st time
I’ve felt this since I became aware of The Mets in 1973.
I think it’s gonna be a long one.
stickguy
2/14/2011-10:23pm at 10:23 pm (UTC -4)
then you get an opening day wonder like Tuffy Rhodes.
one truth about baseball is that almost always, over time, talent rises to the top. And Spring training lies!
Mr North Jersey
2/14/2011-10:38pm at 10:38 pm (UTC -4)
“I did check the stats before posting
and I am afraid that–both good and bad–just about every Met pitcher who threw more than 6 or 8 innings last spring had a season which very much reflected what they did in FLA.”
I’d have to agree except for these 3 starters and also Dickey only pitched 5 inning in S.T. so i did not add him but he had 9.00/ERA in 5 innings of work.
Spring Training 2010
M Pelfrey 6.15/ERA 26.1/IP
J Niese 6.52/ERA 19.1/IP
J Santana 6.75/ERA 14.2/IP
Regular season 2010
M Pelfrey 3.66/ERA
J Niese 4.20/ERA
J Santana 2.98/ERA
Spring Training 2010
http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?teamPosCode=NYN&statType=2&timeFrame=1&Submit=Submit&c_id=mlb&subScope=teamCode&sitSplit=&venueID=&baseballScope=mlb&=&timeSubFrame=23&&sortByStat=IP
Regular Season 2010
http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?teamPosCode=NYN&statType=2&timeFrame=1&Submit=Submit&c_id=mlb&subScope=teamCode&sitSplit=&venueID=&baseballScope=mlb&timeSubFrame=2010&&sortByStat=IP
Prismo
2/14/2011-9:50pm at 9:50 pm (UTC -4)
If I recall correctly, serious battles were waged last offseason about this very topic, myself included in those battles. I’m going to gracefully avoid such unimportant arguments and continue to look forward to the games that count.
Mr North Jersey
2/14/2011-10:19pm at 10:19 pm (UTC -4)
That’s the 1st step in the Mets 5 step program.
Good for you Prismo. Good for you.
stickguy
2/14/2011-10:25pm at 10:25 pm (UTC -4)
my memory is pretty much shot, so the only real point of debate was about Pelf. There certainly was a nice rousing debate about how bad Pelf was going to suck when the regular season started!
hazmet
2/14/2011-10:47pm at 10:47 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, and I remember talking myself blue in the face as to how he was working on his splitter and the wind shoots balls out of the park in FLA so nothing he did in ST mattered so long as he got his work in. Ahh spring training, I can sense the Dirty Dugout getting spruced up as we blog.
stickguy
2/14/2011-10:18pm at 10:18 pm (UTC -4)
well crafted post.
a quibble though (and you knew I had to have one for you big guy!).
after the somewhat bumbling start (4-8), from mid april thru June 30th they ripped off a 40-26 stretch. So for 2.5 months they were cruising along at a 98 win pace. that was a pretty good stretch of play that must have been a bit better than insipid and uninspiring!
Man, this team cratered in the 2nd half. Could Beltran coming back so rusty have caused that much trouble? Castillo? I guess there was an ill-timed rookie adjustment slump by Davis before bay smacked his head around the same time.
Guess it doesn’t take much to take a team off the rails.
TRS86
2/15/2011-7:43am at 7:43 am (UTC -4)
I agree. I think like it or not the team gave up on it’s manager and GM and felt like they were left hanging again. Look we mostly agreed no reason to add to 2009, nothing would help. Then we mostly agreed the 2010 Mets were playing over their head and nothing would help. However, as players they don’t see it that way. They see themselves busting their asses and thinking one piece might push them over. That one piece never came and they tanked.
hazmet
2/14/2011-10:54pm at 10:54 pm (UTC -4)
What I’m waiting to see this spring is Dillon Gee getting Nick Evans’d as no matter what he does will not matter. Unless there is an injury he will be in MILB. I really feel he showed enough to be in on the 5th spot competition. Hopefully, they don’t trade him for a dozen bats and a bag of balls I like his makeup, not afraid to throw strikes. And I trashed him last spring as never having a shot in the majors. Hopefully he does well and continues to build his value.
stickguy
2/14/2011-11:25pm at 11:25 pm (UTC -4)
key difference though is he will be the 6th man, and odds are high that the mets #6 SP will get plenty of starts! And Gee will know it.
evans must have felt like he got sent into exile.
darknova306
2/15/2011-12:05am at 12:05 am (UTC -4)
Great read, kong.
I expect the following from the team this year:
1. Play like they give a damn (not giving up once falling behind, getting rid of the losing mentality, etc.)
2. Finish above .500
3. Finish higher than 4th place
4. Don’t embarrass me as a fan.
I’m hoping that they meet two of those, realistically.
stickguy
2/15/2011-12:12am at 12:12 am (UTC -4)
pretty low standards you are setting here!
darknova306
2/15/2011-12:13am at 12:13 am (UTC -4)
Same standards I had last year and look what that got me…
oleosmirf
2/15/2011-12:22am at 12:22 am (UTC -4)
ST statistics means nothing for pitchers. you don’t pitch deep enough into games to make up for any runs given up in the starts. I personally only focus on the fringe players and the competition for the last few spots.
Sure its nice to see the most important players come out and crush the ball but I don’t think it really matters especially when they are more focused on getting to the golf course or getting home then the game itself.
stickguy
2/15/2011-12:28am at 12:28 am (UTC -4)
for the pitchers, I just hope to see them going an easy 5 or so in the last couple starts,with decent looking stuff and normal velocity. Actually what Pelf did. I know his last game was very good, and I think the one before not bad.
oleosmirf
2/15/2011-12:49am at 12:49 am (UTC -4)
agreed. the last start is really the only one that matters and even then, unless the guy gets shelled, its not of much importance.