Spring hasn’t been kind to these four contenders
Article By smcneal.tsn on 22nd March, 2010
Rough springs don't always turn into tough seasons. Alex Rodriguez's steroids admission and hip injury dampened the Yankees' camp last year and they won the World Series. On the flip side, check the Mets: Their injuries started early with Johan Santana's elbow stiffness and never let up. They still haven't, in fact.
Any manager will tell you getting out of spring training with a healthy roster is more important than winning, putting up numbers or even figuring out that No. 5 starter.
"You want to be healthy so good players can be productive, that's the idea," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Monday.
His Red Sox have dealt with their share of nagging issues and a bug that spread through the clubhouse but they seem to be gaining full health just at the right time --- in the stretch drive of spring training.
Spring has not been quite so kind to four other contenders.
Rangers Things seemed to be flowing their way after the ownership change ended with Nolan Ryan where he should be, in charge of the baseball side. But then spring training began. Besides injuries, the Rangers also have had to deal with the biggest drug story of the spring: Manager Ron Washington's positive test for cocaine last season.
The Rangers have had to deal with revelations of Ron Washington's 2009 positive drug test. Give the club credit for giving him a second chance. Give Washington his due for being as up front as one can be about his transgression (well, after he changed his story a bit and admitted he had used other drugs before). He offered to resign and said, "I am not here to make excuses. There are none. I am not here to ask for sympathy. That would be asking too much."
Washington certainly faces more pressure to win if he wants to manage past this season and adding to that challenge is a spate of injuries. Slugger Josh Hamilton, who missed half of last season, banged a shoulder e...
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Any manager will tell you getting out of spring training with a healthy roster is more important than winning, putting up numbers or even figuring out that No. 5 starter.
"You want to be healthy so good players can be productive, that's the idea," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Monday.
His Red Sox have dealt with their share of nagging issues and a bug that spread through the clubhouse but they seem to be gaining full health just at the right time --- in the stretch drive of spring training.
Spring has not been quite so kind to four other contenders.
Rangers Things seemed to be flowing their way after the ownership change ended with Nolan Ryan where he should be, in charge of the baseball side. But then spring training began. Besides injuries, the Rangers also have had to deal with the biggest drug story of the spring: Manager Ron Washington's positive test for cocaine last season.
The Rangers have had to deal with revelations of Ron Washington's 2009 positive drug test. Give the club credit for giving him a second chance. Give Washington his due for being as up front as one can be about his transgression (well, after he changed his story a bit and admitted he had used other drugs before). He offered to resign and said, "I am not here to make excuses. There are none. I am not here to ask for sympathy. That would be asking too much."
Washington certainly faces more pressure to win if he wants to manage past this season and adding to that challenge is a spate of injuries. Slugger Josh Hamilton, who missed half of last season, banged a shoulder e...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
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