FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — For several weeks after the conclusion of last season, the Red Sox kicked around ways to improve the team’s major-league advance scouting staff.
General manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona and the coaching staff were happy with the work of advance scout Dana Levangie, but thought there were ways to better utilize the information Levangie provided.
Eventually, through brainstorming, they came up with a unique arrangement. While a number of major-league teams are cutting back on their advance scouting for budgetary reasons — utilizing video more and actual scouts less — the Red Sox are actually heading in the opposite direction.
This season, the Sox plan to use two advance scouts — Levangie and former Portland Sea Dogs manager Todd Claus — who will alternate series and assignments. The arrangement is unprecedented, though for years the New York Yankees had two advance scouts scouting the same future opponent together.
Typically, for teams that still rely on advance scouts, a scout stays one series ahead of his major-league club. If, for instance, the Red Sox were about to play the Yankees, White Sox and Indians in succession, the advance scout would watch the Yankees immediately before the Sox play them, then while the Sox and Yanks meet, scout the White Sox, then, while the Red Sox and White Sox play, move on to the Indians.
At the conclusion of each series, the scout would file an in-depth report on tendencies, strategy, strengths and weaknesses and which players are currently hot or cold.
But under the Red Sox’ new setup, one scout will watch the next opponent, then join the Red Sox for that series to be on hand to provide on-site assistance.
“I just felt there were things falling through the cracks,” said Francona recently. “We’d be getting calls from the airport at the last minute. It was good information, but it always seemed rushed. The information is there. The more time we have to digest it and implement it, the better off we’ll be.”
Under the new set-up, the advance scout with the team will meet with the coaching staff on the afternoon of the first game of the series. He’ll provide background on the opposing hitters to pitching coach John Farrell, then offer his impressions of the opposing pitchers to hitting instructor Dave Magadan. Later, he’ll get together with first base coach Luis Alicea (who doubles as infield instructor) and third base coach DeMarlo Hale — who works with the Sox’ outfielders — to help with positioning.
During the series, the scout will sit in the stands behind home plate and note any adjustments that can be made.
“We’re not only going to get their reports,” said Francona, “but we’ll have the benefit of their eyes, too. I’m real excited about it.”
To be sure, the Sox don’t ignore the video component of scouting. The team has a state-of-the-art video system that archives pitcher-batter matchups and enables players to view past at-bats, catalogued by pitch selection and count. While Claus and Levangie will be responsible for information on defense, baserunning, positioning and strategy, video will continue to be the primary resource for hitters looking for help on opposing pitchers.
In addition, the fact that the Sox will have two different perspectives from two different scouts over the course of the season will keep the information fresh. At times, some say, managers, coaches and players tend to tune out the same information being delivered from the same source during a six-month season. A new voice — even if the information relayed is essentially the same — can make the scouting reports sound fresh.
By introducing Claus to the staff and players in his new capacity as scout, the Red Sox could also be preparing him to join the major league coaching staff in the not-too-distant future.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Sunday, April 8, 2007
State of 2007 Red Sox
Here's my perspective on the Sox as presently constituted. Please read it in its entirety:
With Nixon, Gonzo in the lineup this team won 86 games last year and everyone agrees that Lugo and JD is an upgrade in the offense. Everyone thinks the 2B is a problem, but I would give him a chance to blossom until May --50 more games before passing any judgment. I think he makes solid contact and has a decent plate discipline, although he should cut down on his swing with 2 strikes. That alone is + 3 in wins from last year.
The real concern for me right now is Coco as I feel he looks in between and kind of lost at the plate. I was told that he is one of the best fast ball hitters in the game by Theo and he seems to foul off most of the fastballs in the 88 to 92 mph range and chases breaking balls to strike out or pops them up. When facing righties, he has the propensity to chase breaking balls inside instead of laying off.
He would be traded for middle relief come June/July..The one guy I like in minor leagues is Brandon Moss..I saw him at Paw Sox debut vs. Charlotte knights and he is absolutely scorching the ball.. I think he would be a gr8 mid season upgrade over Coco. which was a mistake by Theo trading Marte for him since we had 3 OF prospects in the system which we could have started with in 06 and also we don't have any corner infielders with Power in the system so its imperative to go after Mark of Texas next year to play 1B for the Sox and move Youk to 3B and keep him away from the Yankees -- Remember Teixeira's idol growing up was Don Mattingly -who would be the Manager of the Yanks in 08 and he was upset with Sox scouts who disrespected his dad after drafting him from Ga Tech and did not sign with them so it would be tough to keep him away from the evil empire as they need 1B as well.
I definitely like our starting rotation. Scill has too much ego and pride to be awful and he would be OK for 12-14 wins. Beckett is going to win 15-17 wins with an ERA of under 4.00 and Dice-K is too savvy and poised along with his gr8 stuff not to win 17-18 games.. That leaves Wakefield who I think would win 10-12 games and then the 5th starter which is right now my pet peeve with Sox management:
Hansack who has the best stuff and had a great spring training is relegated to the minors while Julian whose talent is not nearly as good as Hansack is taking the ball every 5th day since we are paying him 2.5 Million and had to get some use out of him. Hansack should be the 5th starter and Julian should be the long relief in the bull pen and possible trade chip for teams that need pitching and willing to gamble on him --maybe the cards !!
Lack of Power is also a concern -only 1 HR in 5 games but David and Manny would heat up but drop off fro last years monster 54 HR season is enevitable. The weather is cold , so I would give them a pass but certainly looking at other AL East teams makes me jealous of their power.
75 HR for Papi(40) and Manny(35), 20 for JD, 30 from Lowell + Varitak, 15-for Youk 10 for coco and Lugo and 5 for 2B and Mirabelli and 20 HR from bench (Pena and Hinski) = Total of 190 HR's decent but not great. Need 220 + HR's and we would be there in 08 if we get Tiexiera.
Elijia Dukes of Devil Rays has 2 HR's and Sox as a team has just 1 ;))
Any intelligent comments and responses are more than welcome.
With Nixon, Gonzo in the lineup this team won 86 games last year and everyone agrees that Lugo and JD is an upgrade in the offense. Everyone thinks the 2B is a problem, but I would give him a chance to blossom until May --50 more games before passing any judgment. I think he makes solid contact and has a decent plate discipline, although he should cut down on his swing with 2 strikes. That alone is + 3 in wins from last year.
The real concern for me right now is Coco as I feel he looks in between and kind of lost at the plate. I was told that he is one of the best fast ball hitters in the game by Theo and he seems to foul off most of the fastballs in the 88 to 92 mph range and chases breaking balls to strike out or pops them up. When facing righties, he has the propensity to chase breaking balls inside instead of laying off.
He would be traded for middle relief come June/July..The one guy I like in minor leagues is Brandon Moss..I saw him at Paw Sox debut vs. Charlotte knights and he is absolutely scorching the ball.. I think he would be a gr8 mid season upgrade over Coco. which was a mistake by Theo trading Marte for him since we had 3 OF prospects in the system which we could have started with in 06 and also we don't have any corner infielders with Power in the system so its imperative to go after Mark of Texas next year to play 1B for the Sox and move Youk to 3B and keep him away from the Yankees -- Remember Teixeira's idol growing up was Don Mattingly -who would be the Manager of the Yanks in 08 and he was upset with Sox scouts who disrespected his dad after drafting him from Ga Tech and did not sign with them so it would be tough to keep him away from the evil empire as they need 1B as well.
I definitely like our starting rotation. Scill has too much ego and pride to be awful and he would be OK for 12-14 wins. Beckett is going to win 15-17 wins with an ERA of under 4.00 and Dice-K is too savvy and poised along with his gr8 stuff not to win 17-18 games.. That leaves Wakefield who I think would win 10-12 games and then the 5th starter which is right now my pet peeve with Sox management:
Hansack who has the best stuff and had a great spring training is relegated to the minors while Julian whose talent is not nearly as good as Hansack is taking the ball every 5th day since we are paying him 2.5 Million and had to get some use out of him. Hansack should be the 5th starter and Julian should be the long relief in the bull pen and possible trade chip for teams that need pitching and willing to gamble on him --maybe the cards !!
Lack of Power is also a concern -only 1 HR in 5 games but David and Manny would heat up but drop off fro last years monster 54 HR season is enevitable. The weather is cold , so I would give them a pass but certainly looking at other AL East teams makes me jealous of their power.
75 HR for Papi(40) and Manny(35), 20 for JD, 30 from Lowell + Varitak, 15-for Youk 10 for coco and Lugo and 5 for 2B and Mirabelli and 20 HR from bench (Pena and Hinski) = Total of 190 HR's decent but not great. Need 220 + HR's and we would be there in 08 if we get Tiexiera.
Elijia Dukes of Devil Rays has 2 HR's and Sox as a team has just 1 ;))
Any intelligent comments and responses are more than welcome.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Monday, April 2, 2007
38 Not so special !!
Worse than Ellen DeGeneres's first night hosting the Oscars. Worse than Arsenio Hall's first shot at late-night television. Worse than Patriots coach Clive Rush's first press conference, when he was nearly electrocuted.
The much-anticipated Red Sox baseball season of 2007 kicked off Monday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, and Curt Schilling and the Boston Nine were thrashed, 7-1, by the Kansas City Royals.
Perhaps anticipating the beating he and his teammates will take Tuesday on the Hub airwaves and in print, Kevin Youkilis said, "If you're going to get upset at losing one game, it's going to be a long year. If a team loses only 60 games in a season, that's a great year.
"People are going to get all worried. We want to win them all, but I don't think anybody ever went 162-0."
Where to start? Blogmaster Schilling threw like a man suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, yielding five runs on eight hits and two walks in just four innings. 38pitches? That's almost how many Schill needed to get out of the first inning, when he threw 33 and walked home a run. It was his shortest outing since July 2001 and hardly a good start to his 2007 campaign for a new contract.
Meanwhile, Bill James-mandated shortstop Julio Lugo started his Red Sox reign in Renteria-esque fashion, fanning in his first three at-bats, Japanese lefty Hideki Okajima yielded a home run on his first big league pitch, two Sox runners were cut down at second base, and spring strugglers Jason Varitek and Coco Crisp had hitless starts. Sox pitchers yielded 12 hits and two walks in eight innings.
Facing the widely mocked Gil Meche ($55 million over five years?), the Red Sox lineup was hardly the relentless run-producing machine that Theo and the Minions envisioned when they hovered over their computers during the wild-spending winter. The Red Sox struck out 10 times, and six of their eight hits were singles.
We all laughed when the Royals gave Meche the money, and he's been the baseline for Big Curt's request for an extension. After all, if Meche is worth $11 million per year, how much is Schill worth? That's the logic. Well, on this day, Meche was a far better pitcher than his counterpart (no blog updates from Schill during the game, darn it). He enjoyed the best Opening Day by a Royal starter since Bret Saberhagen in 1988.
Schilling made no excuses. Never does.
"No fastball command," he started. "I did not adjust. I can't remember that ever being the case. It's very disappointing. As a starting pitcher, you can make your team look a lot worse than it is some days."
This was one of those days.
A few years ago, our print brethren over at Herald Square bannered a "Wait 'Til Next Year" headline after an opener like this. Funny, but untrue, of course. We all know that baseball is a marathon, not a sprint -- remember? They play 162 of these things, and one game in April means nothing in the scheme of a season. This is not football, where everyone has to stick their head in an oven after a single game is lost. The 2004 Red Sox lost their opener to the lowly Orioles and that season worked out pretty well.
Still, after all the hype and hysteria that accompanied the start of this season, it was somewhat shocking to see the team with the $58 million payroll -- a team that lost 100 games in four of the last five seasons -- croaking the team with the $145.7 million payroll.
We'd do well to remember that the Sox were swept by the "lowly" Royals in this ballpark in early August 2006. That series proved to be a harbinger. It was a sign of things to come when the Yankees came to town and imploded the Boston season.
The Red Sox don't play Tuesday, which is a bad thing. It makes for another 24 hours of nonstop pummeling from Nation members on the edge. It's a good time for the Boston ballplayers to be on the road, where the hardest decision is whether to go to Gates or Bryant's for ribs.
Josh Beckett can make it all go away Wednesday. And then there's some rookie with a hard-to-spell name pitching for the Red Sox Thursday. Wonder if anybody will even bother to cover that one.
The much-anticipated Red Sox baseball season of 2007 kicked off Monday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, and Curt Schilling and the Boston Nine were thrashed, 7-1, by the Kansas City Royals.
Perhaps anticipating the beating he and his teammates will take Tuesday on the Hub airwaves and in print, Kevin Youkilis said, "If you're going to get upset at losing one game, it's going to be a long year. If a team loses only 60 games in a season, that's a great year.
"People are going to get all worried. We want to win them all, but I don't think anybody ever went 162-0."
Where to start? Blogmaster Schilling threw like a man suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, yielding five runs on eight hits and two walks in just four innings. 38pitches? That's almost how many Schill needed to get out of the first inning, when he threw 33 and walked home a run. It was his shortest outing since July 2001 and hardly a good start to his 2007 campaign for a new contract.
Meanwhile, Bill James-mandated shortstop Julio Lugo started his Red Sox reign in Renteria-esque fashion, fanning in his first three at-bats, Japanese lefty Hideki Okajima yielded a home run on his first big league pitch, two Sox runners were cut down at second base, and spring strugglers Jason Varitek and Coco Crisp had hitless starts. Sox pitchers yielded 12 hits and two walks in eight innings.
Facing the widely mocked Gil Meche ($55 million over five years?), the Red Sox lineup was hardly the relentless run-producing machine that Theo and the Minions envisioned when they hovered over their computers during the wild-spending winter. The Red Sox struck out 10 times, and six of their eight hits were singles.
We all laughed when the Royals gave Meche the money, and he's been the baseline for Big Curt's request for an extension. After all, if Meche is worth $11 million per year, how much is Schill worth? That's the logic. Well, on this day, Meche was a far better pitcher than his counterpart (no blog updates from Schill during the game, darn it). He enjoyed the best Opening Day by a Royal starter since Bret Saberhagen in 1988.
Schilling made no excuses. Never does.
"No fastball command," he started. "I did not adjust. I can't remember that ever being the case. It's very disappointing. As a starting pitcher, you can make your team look a lot worse than it is some days."
This was one of those days.
A few years ago, our print brethren over at Herald Square bannered a "Wait 'Til Next Year" headline after an opener like this. Funny, but untrue, of course. We all know that baseball is a marathon, not a sprint -- remember? They play 162 of these things, and one game in April means nothing in the scheme of a season. This is not football, where everyone has to stick their head in an oven after a single game is lost. The 2004 Red Sox lost their opener to the lowly Orioles and that season worked out pretty well.
Still, after all the hype and hysteria that accompanied the start of this season, it was somewhat shocking to see the team with the $58 million payroll -- a team that lost 100 games in four of the last five seasons -- croaking the team with the $145.7 million payroll.
We'd do well to remember that the Sox were swept by the "lowly" Royals in this ballpark in early August 2006. That series proved to be a harbinger. It was a sign of things to come when the Yankees came to town and imploded the Boston season.
The Red Sox don't play Tuesday, which is a bad thing. It makes for another 24 hours of nonstop pummeling from Nation members on the edge. It's a good time for the Boston ballplayers to be on the road, where the hardest decision is whether to go to Gates or Bryant's for ribs.
Josh Beckett can make it all go away Wednesday. And then there's some rookie with a hard-to-spell name pitching for the Red Sox Thursday. Wonder if anybody will even bother to cover that one.
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