Cactus League Game 6 – Reds at Mariners
marc w · March 4, 2011 at 10:49 am · Filed Under Mariners
Back in Peoria, meaning more pitch fx! Woo! Which means we get to check on Doug Fister’s velo, which Felix and Pineda play a road game in pitch fx-less Phoenix.
Anyway, the line-up thanks to Greg Johns:
1: Ichiro!
2: Figgins
3: Bradley
4: Cust
5: Smoak
6: Gross
7: Josh Wilson
8: Ackley
9: Moore
P: Doug Fister
That’s Gabe Gross in CF and Jack Cust in LF, which would be concerning if this game meant something. As it is, this may be a way of reinforcing the importance of GBs to the pitching staff.
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19 Responses to “Cactus League Game 6 – Reds at Mariners”
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The only problem I have with this is that managers do seem to care about spring training, and certain tendencies shown there often mirror what we end up seeing during the regular season.
I don’t get why anyone would consider putting either Bradley or Cust in the field – Cust needs to have his glove taken away, and while I don’t think Bradley necessarily embarrasses himself, he isn’t exactly known for his robustness. We’ve got a glut of left field candidates, most of which can passably play defense and likely won’t need a day off afterward.
I understand what you are saying, but it is early in ST. All signs point to Bradley not being guaranteed a spot, so seeing if he can do something in field and maybe spell guys in left occasionally in addition to backing up Cust at DH makes sense. If the team is hesitant to keep him on the roster, I understand why they want to see everything he could potentially bring to the table before cutting him loose. With Cust, I agree that him in the field in a game that counts qualifies as a major disaster. But, in case of emergency, it doesn’t hurt to let him run out there are remember the basics, plus get him some reps for any playing time he might get in NL parks (he may pinch hit and have to play an inning or two). At least this early in spring. I retract this statement if Cust sees the field prior to inter-league (and even then, I wouldn’t be sorry to take the offensive hit).
Cust is DHing according to LL and Gameday. So my comment on him is irrelevant.
You’re right, of course. I guess I’ve been leaning a bit too much on the “glass half empty” side when it comes to interpreting a guy like Wedge who sometimes comes across as seriously old-school. I really need to give him a chance – he’s had success with a forward-thinking front office before.
Cust needs to be taking reps at 1B not LF. Smoak has a chronic hamstring issue, and will need a few days off, and Adam Kennedy is not an acceptable replacement. It makes me remember Miguel Cairo at 1B–which is frightening.
Any encouraging news on Ackley’s defense?
It’s a little unnerving to me to see a lineup of mostly regulars being embarrassed by a lineup of mostly B-squad guys.
My memory of Cairo at 1B isn’t horror at his defense (although it was pretty bad) but at how we were playing one of the absolute worst hitters I have ever seen at a position that even guys as unathletic as Adam Dunn have hidden at. Seriously, if you are going to play a guy who shouldn’t be in the field at 1B, play someone who can swing the bat at least.
I’ve also heard nothing about a “chronic” hamstring issue for Smoak. Source?
Marinerzzzzz
Aaron Laffey makes his M’s debut in the 6th.
This just isn’t Laffey’s day. Gameday’s saying he’s thrown a ton of sliders, but they don’t look like sliders… not quite the same as his normal change-up either. Either he’s working on his change or his velocity really isn’t there. It’s early, and it may be nothing, but his fastest pitch (and one pitch fx labeled a FB) was under 84mph. And it resulted in a hit batsman.
Well, 3 ground-outs get him out of the inning.
We obviously need to see a lot more, but that was… odd. A bit more sink and a lot less velo, and this a day or two after saying he’d be in the low 90s if he concentrated purely on relief.
Maybe “chronic” is the wrong word… He pulled his hammy while with Texas, and the issues were “lingering” after he was acquired. If this is a non-issue for the 2011 season that would be very nice.
And in a match-up that would’ve been exciting in 2005, Dontrelle Willis just struck out Milton Bradley.
Seems like Ackley and Smoak are both trying to do too much. Hacking and out after two pitches just about every time up.
Might be small sample size, groundzero55. Ackley’s walked a fair bit this spring (which, in and of itself, is a slightly larger small sample size).
Yuck. M’s lose 3-1. M’s relievers kind of a mixed bag, Lueke got good results but his velo seemed a touch low. Laffey gave up a double and a HBP but got 3 grounders.
Meanwhile, the hitters couldn’t touch Dontrelle Willis or Jerry Gil.
Drayer made a positive / enthusiastic comment after the game.
He may have been “hacking” at the plate today, but Westside guy is right: he already has several walks (including 2 in one game earlier in the week). In fact, he leads the team with 4 (Kennedy and Gross each have 2, nobody else has more than 1). He arrived in pro ball with a reputation as a patient hitter, and that hasn’t disappeared in the minors. I realize it’s easy to complain about the hacktastic Mariners, because that’s what the team has been recently, but Ackley is the one guy who doesn’t fit that mold.
Good to hear he is making visible progress at D.