Spring Training is a time for boy-ish enthusiasm and (sometimes unrealistic) optimism for the upcoming season. The joy of warm spring air and cloudless skies opens the season on the most spectacular of notes. Players report healthy with their aches and pains from a year ago mostly gone. Their legs feel fresh and they play when they feel like it -mostly every few days. What could possibly go wrong?
The team struggles. Players underperform and guys fighting for a roster spot increase tension. The Cubs have 16 errors through their first 4 games. The rebuilt Rays have lost five of six and the rebuilding D’backs have lost seven of their first nine. As these players are naturally competitive, the final results weigh on them. They carry some motivation for veteran players to get their work in. Nobody likes to lose. However, thats not what the vets say. They’ll will tell you that they are just working on stuff. Just getting back into the flow of the long season.
But, the fans grow frustrated. Surely these results mean something. CC Sabathia couldn’t get through his three scheduled innings: 53 pitches, 28 strikes, 8 baserunners, 5ER, 8 outs! Daisuke Matsuzaka barely got through his three scheduled innings today (gave up 5 ER, 7 hits, and walked two)! Joba Chamberlain faced six batters, retiring two before Girardi pulled him! These results have to mean something. After all, Nate McLouth struggled last spring: McLouth went 6-for-51 (.118) with 16 strikeouts as a preview for a forgetful 2010 campaign (.190, .298 OBP, .620 OPS). Players struggle, or pitchers can’t find the zone, and fans see it as indicative to the team’s season outlook.
Fans couldn’t be more wrong on this one. Players rarely try their hardest in Spring Training games and pitchers (especially) should not be judged for how they perform. Pitchers often use this time to get comfortable with a new pitch or work on throwing inside more. Mike Minor, who is competing for the Braves fifth starter spot, struggled in his second outing of the spring. When asked about it afterward, Minor pointed out that he threw all fastballs except for two changeups and that likely caused his poor results.
The Rangers 2010 spring training was rough. They finished 10-19 and LAST in the Cactus League. They went to the World Series. The Indians had a great 2010 Spring Training going 19-9. They went 69-93 in the regular season (25 GB) with the sixth worst record in the Majors. Team results mean nothing. Split squad road games are played with a lineup of mostly non-Major Leaguers yet they factor into the record.
As much as fans and media want to emphasize Spring Training, players simply use it as a time to get better in a relaxed environment and work on new things. Its human nature to let the final score indicate the teams performance but the last few innings of most games are played by talented, yet unproven (and unready) young players. Players, managers, and front offices don’t care about the results so neither should the fans. So when your team (or favorite player) struggles in Spring Training this year don’t think its indicative of the
season to follow….
Unless they are like Nate McLouth last year….
-Sean Morash
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