Spring stats could be eye-opener for some
Article By smcneal.tsn on 17th March, 2010
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Spring training stats can be as deceiving as Tim Lincecum's changeup and can throw you off like an Adam Wainwright curveball. But they still keep coming at you like Carl Crawford going from first to third.
Related Links SN team previews TSB: Will Strasburg start year in minors? Sporting News preseason Power Poll Sporting News baseball yearbook It isn't just the limited sample size, either. As the numbers add up, you still can't be sure what they are worth. Even scouts can be fooled by what they see in spring. The other day, a scout told me that he once followed Brad Penny for an entire spring. For an entire month, Penny's fastball maxed out right at 85 mph. But as soon as the games started to count, Penny was "91-93 and hitting his spots just like he always is."
Tigers ace Justin Verlander gave up homers to Ryan Howard and prospect Domonic Brown (who cleared the yard with his) in a 3 1/3-inning outing Tuesday and afterward said, "I was really pleased today. My changeup and breaking ball were a lot better and my fastball had more life."
He wasn't just making excuses, either. Verlander explained Howard's homer: "I've been having trouble getting fastballs in to lefties. I knew this was my last inning and I wanted to take the opportunity to work on getting in to lefties. So I threw a lot of fastballs in to him, and he made the adjustment. He realized what I was doing. He got his foot down and barreled one."
Of course, you know where this is heading: spring training numbers, good and bad. Despite their potential for deception, spring stats are still as good a barometer as any to evaluate performances in the spring. And any position player battling for a job would rather see crooked numbers inste...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
Related Links SN team previews TSB: Will Strasburg start year in minors? Sporting News preseason Power Poll Sporting News baseball yearbook It isn't just the limited sample size, either. As the numbers add up, you still can't be sure what they are worth. Even scouts can be fooled by what they see in spring. The other day, a scout told me that he once followed Brad Penny for an entire spring. For an entire month, Penny's fastball maxed out right at 85 mph. But as soon as the games started to count, Penny was "91-93 and hitting his spots just like he always is."
Tigers ace Justin Verlander gave up homers to Ryan Howard and prospect Domonic Brown (who cleared the yard with his) in a 3 1/3-inning outing Tuesday and afterward said, "I was really pleased today. My changeup and breaking ball were a lot better and my fastball had more life."
He wasn't just making excuses, either. Verlander explained Howard's homer: "I've been having trouble getting fastballs in to lefties. I knew this was my last inning and I wanted to take the opportunity to work on getting in to lefties. So I threw a lot of fastballs in to him, and he made the adjustment. He realized what I was doing. He got his foot down and barreled one."
Of course, you know where this is heading: spring training numbers, good and bad. Despite their potential for deception, spring stats are still as good a barometer as any to evaluate performances in the spring. And any position player battling for a job would rather see crooked numbers inste...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
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