Tagged: Boof Bonser

June 18, 2010

A Harmonious Chorus of Boos and Cheers

It was a pretty significant day in the baseball world today. Felix Doubront made his first career start for the Red Sox. Stephen Strasburg made his third major league start (overkill, I know). Mike Stanton, who is living in Strasburg’s shadow (in a way) hit a grand slam. Oh, and Manny Ramirez stepped up to the plate at Fenway Park.

That used to sound so normal: Manny Ramirez stepping up to the plate at Fenway Park. I probably took it for granted at the time. For eight years, the sun rose in the east, the light turned on when I flipped a switch, and Manny Ramirez would step up to the plate in a Red Sox uniform. The sun rose once a day; Manny Ramirez would come to the plate three to four times a night! It really was part of my everyday life.

Manny’s eccentricities gave the Red Sox a charismatic edge over other teams. When people would criticize him, I, and so may others, would justify his actions by saying, “Oh, that’s just Manny being Manny.” That didn’t really cause much controversy until the end. Some people would say that he didn’t play hard enough. Some said that his head was in the clouds during the games. This may have some validity to it, a lot in fact. But I don’t think that anyone can deny that Manny is a fantastic baseball player. It seemed like it just came naturally to him. Perhaps that is why he seemed preoccupied sometimes. He was so good that he didn’t even need to concentrate. I suppose that as fans, we are used to seeing the players focused on every pitch, every play, every little detail of the game, that Manny’s aloofness (for lack of a better word) may come off as arrogant. I know that not everyone likes Kevin Youkilis, but he is a great example of one of those guys who is so focused on the game, and plays very intensely all the time. I certainly appreciate that as a fan, because it is simple enough for me to notice that his success is a result of his intense work ethic. Manny, on the other hand, is someone whom you just have to accept as one of those naturally talented players.

As I said before, Manny’s character didn’t cause much controversy until the end of his tenure in a Red Sox uniform. (Yes, there was that day in 2005 where I flipped out because I thought he had been traded to the Indians). I think that his career in a Red Sox uniform generally had positive connotations. Manny was the face of the Red Sox for a good part of this decade. Uncle Ben puts it best in Spiderman when he says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” When I think about Alex Rodriguez, whose significance to the baseball world is of the same level as Ramirez’s, I really do not see him in a positive light. I can understand that he plays the game intensely, but that gives him no reason to knock balls out of people’s gloves, say “MINE” to confuse infielders, or to take steroids for that matter. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have Joe Mauer, who, to me, represents everything a baseball player should be.

Ramirez did well for a while with the kind of media attention he received. However, the end in Boston was probably among the worst breakups in Red Sox history. I don’t really know when or why Manny snapped. I don’t know why he stopped liking Boston, or why he stopped liking the fans. Some people are good about it, and they merely ask the organization to be traded. Manny just stopped playing during that last week. The air in Fenway became tenser, and his poor attitude was a cancer in the clubhouse. So he was traded. It really shocked me at the time. I thought that he would never leave, and that he would finish his career in a Red Sox uniform. The sun still rose (despite my doubts), the light still turned on when I flipped the switch, but Manny didn’t step to the plate at Fenway Park in a Red Sox uniform the next day.

We all have fond memories of watching Manny Ramirez: the walk off home runs, the snack breaks in the Monster, etc. My first game ever at Fenway Park, he waved to me. My friend and I had great seats to begin with, but we snuck down around the seventh inning to the second row because some people had left. Ortiz and Ramirez walked out together, and my friend and I started waving, and calling their names, and Manny enthusiastically waved and smiled. It made my night.

That same series against the Blue Jays (this was July of 2007), fortune was in our favor and we scored Monster seats. I remember being so excited that I could hardly contain myself, and the security guard at the monster asked if I was alright. We were in the third row up on the monster. When Manny would jog out to center field each inning, I jumped and would wave to him. And each inning, he would wave with his glove at me. I’ll never forget it.

There was this one comment that he made last year that really saddened me. He said something along the lines of, “I’d rather play here where I’m happy than spend eight years when I’m miserable.” Manny can say what he wants, but I know that he enjoyed some of his time in Boston. I know that he appreciated the fans. In seventh grade, when we were assigned in art class to make a mold of a head of someone we admired, I chose Manny Ramirez.

Even though the end was not pretty, when he walked up to the plate last night, I cheered for him. I know that he may have used performance enhancing drugs, and I know that he was suspended last season for them. This is the steroids era. I can’t help the fact that I grew up during this era, and that my affection for some players may be illegitimate. As a fan, I had a very deep affection for Manny Ramirez, and it would be very hard for anything to change that.

***

I was very happy to see that Felix Doubront was called up to the show. He had been performing at a very high level this year. I’m a bit unsure of exactly how he fits into the Red Sox’s plans, but I’m sure that we will see as time goes on. He had a very good spring training, and started the year in Portland where he posted a fabulous record and ERA, so he earned a promotion to Pawtucket.

I was very pleased to see that his transition was seamless. I always like to allow for a bit of an adjustment period when a guy gets promoted to any level, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Felix adjust so well. He had been dominating in Pawtucket, so when Dice-K was (somewhat) rashly put on the DL with a forearm strain, he was the most logical man to pick (even though he didn’t have much experience with International League hitting). That being said, I thought he did pretty well his first start. His first two innings were absolutely solid, and his fastball was working great for him. Since King Felix already exists, I think we need to assign a nickname to the Red Sox’s Felix. I’m feeling Prince or
Emperor. What do you guys think?

While I am certainly happy with Doubront’s success, I hope you guys haven’t forgotten about Michael Bowden yet! Yes, he has struggled at times this year, and hasn’t been completely consistent, but his last few starts have been great–especially his most recent! No runs through 7.2 innings!

I really wish that Dustin Richardson would get more of a chance to pitch. Terry Francona uses Daniel Bard way too often. Believe me, I love his 100 mph fastball and his slider, but the guy needs some rest! Richardson is perfectly capable! I’m so glad that the Red Sox kept him on the roster and designated Boof Bonser (let’s hope that experiment is over) for assignment. I know Richardson will make a positive impact with the club. Yes, I know that he gave up a home run tonight. He left the pitch up, and it happens to everyone. Stephen Strasburg has given up two home runs! Richardson’s presence in the bullpen is valuable because he is a lefty, and I feel like he could be used in long relief too. If the Red Sox had as much faith in him as I do, he would definitely have more than three, short appearances this year.

Speaking of Stephen Strasburg, the hype that he is receiving is a little bit ridiculous. Why is MLB Network insisting on broadcasting every single one of his starts? They had a countdown to his third start yesterday. His THIRD start! I can just imagine it now: “And tonight, we bring you Stephen Strasburg’s 17th Major League start!” If I were an outsider, I would think that Strasburg could walk on water, or maybe that his tears cure cancer–the messiah! That’s how much hype he is getting. People need to settle down and just let the man pitch. I have no doubt that his career will be illustrious, but I do not need everyone of his starts to appear on national television. Ozzie Guillen something along the lines of “I think he is the best pitcher in the National League.” OK he’s good. But has Guillen not seen Ubaldo Jimenez? If people are looking for an excuse to give the Washington Nationals attention, they didn’t need Strasburg. Ryan Zimmerman has been performing at a MVP worthy level for years.

Staying in the National League East, Mike Stanton hit his first career grand slam today, and it was such a shot! This guy has some serious power, and I am so excited to watch him play. Strasburg pitches once every five days, we see this guy at the plate four times a night! I really don’t want to say that he is living in Strasburg’s shadow, but in a way he kind of is. Both of their debuts just happened to coincide I suppose.

One more thing about the Marlins. In their new ballpark, they are planning on putting fish tanks behind home plate (with bullet proof glass). Apparently, PETA wrote Marlins owner Jeffery Loria a letter asking him to reconsider because they thought that it would be a stressful environment. Really? I’m going to withhold further comments on PETA, but I think that this is just a bit absurd. They’re asking him to put them back in the ocean where they belong. Are they writing to Sea World? Now THAT is a pretty stressful environment. They obviously don’t watch their baseball because nobody goes to Marlins games; therefore, I don’t really think the fishes would be too stressed out (not that anyone cares). Only reason I don’t go to more Marlins games is because it’s pretty much in the middle of no where, and just so inconvenient to go to (and the weather is terrible).

I actually went the other night with some friends to the game against the Rangers. CJ Wilson and Josh Johnson pitched, and it was a pretty great pitching matchup. Both of them did fairly well. It was Stanton’s home debut too, so that was special to see. He received a real nice standing ovation from the few fans in the stands. There was even a group of guys who had spelled out S-T-A-N-T-O-N on their chests.

Tomorrow, I am basically leaving for the summer. Well, about a month and a little over a week. First, I go to California to a summer program that I have been going to every year since the summer before 8th grade. I’ve literally grown up over there. I also happen to have tickets to two Red Sox vs Giants games in San Francisco.

Then, I’m flying to Boston. Dan Hoard and Steve Hyder have agreed to let me shadow them for a day (they are the broadcasters for the Pawtucket Red Sox), and I have asked a few beat writers from the Providence Journal if they would let me do the same thing. Then, I’m going up to Portland to shadow people in the media relations department for the Portland Sea Dogs.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to blog for about three weeks. I will blog about the Red Sox games in California as soon as possible. For those of you wondering, yes, I am bringing my Dustin Pedroia salsa because I am blindly optimistic. I’m also hoping that I’ll get a chance to speak with Dustin Richardson. I’ll have full computer access when I’m in New England, so I’ll definitely keep you updated with my adventures over there. Until next time, you can follow me on Twitter, because I’ll still be updating!

March 14, 2010

Spring Training Odyssey: Pirates vs Red Sox 3/13/10

You guys will be proud of me (or maybe disappointed): I did not trespass onto “private” property, nor did I climb fences nor did I open doors that said “authorized personnel only”. That’s not to say the day wasn’t filled with adventures, stories, and a farmer’s tan. My agenda was much more similar to what you’re used to: autograph hunting. For those of you who are new to this blog, I am not one of those autograph sellers; I am merely a collector. For me, there is a story behind every autograph, and a story behind the baseball that the autograph is on.

The gates open two-and-a-half hours before the game, and it takes two-and-a-half hours to get to the park. If you do the math right, we had to leave at 8 a.m. to arrive when the gates opened. We parked about a block away from the park outside of a church; the money was benefitting the Salvation Army. We were the first car in the parking lot.

My normal spot (or should I say, last year’s spot), which was at the corner of this lower level area right next to the dugout was already completely full of fans. I guess I should not have been too shocked considering it was a sold-out game on a Saturday. Hope was not lost though, so I parked myself right behind the dugout. The weather was beautiful, much better than Friday’s, which caused rainouts all across Florida and attacked my car. The sun was shining, and I had of course overestimated my skin’s immunity to sunburns.

One of my favorite parts about getting autographs is the fans you meet. I had the pleasure of meeting Kip, Julie, and their son Zack. They were down from Massachusetts to see a couple of Red Sox games. We were side-by-side identifying players’ numbers and calling their names.

The first autograph of the day was from Mike Cameron. He signed for a lot of people before his turn in the cages. His signature is a work of art. He is surely one of the nicest guys on the team, and he has a big characteristic smile that is indicative of his personality.

Then, Marco Scutaro came jogging in, and he signed for about three people. He was in a rush, so it was really nice that he signed.

Then I noticed Tug Hulett all the way at the end of the dugout. So I employed my vocal abilities and called to him. He came right over and signed for everyone who wanted a signature. Then he really went beyond his call of duty and literally signed for every single fan down the line in that lower level area. When he came back, he continued to sign for people along the dugout and he even threw bubble gum to a couple of fans. I had never seen anything like it! I told him that I awarded him with the good guy award.

I spotted Darnell McDonald in the dugout, so I called to him, and he signed for a few people. I also spotted Gil Velazquez in the dugout, so he signed for a few people too.

Then my sunglasses buddy, Lars Anderson, came back into the dugout after stretches, and after signing for some fans down the line. I knew that he was going to come over because as he was signing down the line, I called his name and he waved. I think it was then that he recognized me because I didn’t even have to say anything at the dugout and he remembered me. Of course we talked about my sunglasses! I told him we could trade, or that he could just have the glasses. As he was walking back into the dugout after he had finished signing, I offered one more time, and he came back up smiling and said that it was OK.

The game was about to start, but I wasn’t ready to go back to my seat just yet. One of my friends, Colleen, was at the game, so I finally got the chance to meet her! We became friends on Facebook through this site, actually. Colleen is a fantastic Red Sox fan who made the long trek across the state with her family to see the game. It was so great to meet her, and I hope we can talk for longer next time. Baseball really does bring people together.

Clay Buchholz was the starting pitcher, and he looked as confident as I had ever seen him. There was a big difference in his presence on the mound from last year to this year. He truly proved himself during the second half of the season last year, and I think that he belongs in the rotation. His first start of the Spring was a little bit shaky, but like I have said, that is completely normal and to be expected. That was all out of his system, and he had a good, dominant demeanor on the mound, and he simply exuded confidence. He focused on his fastball and changeup, but he also worked on his slider and curveball. He hit his spots for the most part, but you could still notice that he would get a bit discouraged if he walked someone.

Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Boof Bonser, Brian Shouse, and Michael Bowden also got their work in. Papelbon and Delcarmen looked solid, Boof’s only hiccup was the leadoff home run that he gave up, and Brian Shouse had a nice inning of work.

To me, Michael Bowden is at the stage that Clay Buchholz was at last Spring. I don’t think that he fully trusts himself yet, so he is not completely confident. It’s not like he had a bad outing (he only gave up one run), but you could tell that he was struggling a bit. He was missing low, he was more often behind in the count, and he was getting frustrated with men on. He has an interesting delivery that seems to work for him, but he really doesn’t use his legs. I feel like pitchers get a lot of power from those leg kicks, and his kick is more like a step. Then again, he has never had a big leg kick, and when you’re a pitcher, you do what works for you. When I talked to him, he told me that he never tried to emulate any other pitcher, and I hope that he never does.

Big Papi continues to be fooled by changeups and breaking balls. He was also getting behind in the count, and he was not hitting much out of the infield. Drew also had some problems with the breaking ball. Good guy award winner Tug Hulett produced a two run single to give the Red Sox the lead.

The defense was absolutely spectacular. Victor Martinez had a great pickoff throw to first, and he also demonstrated great defense on a bunt. Adrian Beltre displayed fantastic range with a backhanded play. Ryan Kalish also impressed defensively out in left field, and he did some great base running too. The most outstanding play was the play that ended the game: one of baseball’s most rarest feats, a triple play. Gorkys Hernandez popped up to Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias. Iglesias not only caught the ball, but also caught former Red Sox Jonathan Van Evry (who had moved too far off second base) by throwing to second baseman Tug Hulett. The guy at first base was also off the bag so Hulett fired to first, but over threw the base! Luckily, catcher Dusty Brown backed up the play so he was able to complete the triple play by throwing back to Hulett at second. What a way to end the game!

Baseball was not done for the day though. Because Friday’s game had been rained out, an intrasquad game had been scheduled so that the pitchers did not fall too far behind schedule. I had a feeling that the Red Sox would win the second game, so I just had to stay.

The almost babies (that is how my psychology teacher described a “fetus”, I kid you not) were stretching on the field, and the pitchers were warming up. I was able to get Nate Spears’ autograph, and I mentioned I had seen him last weekend and in Portland.

Then I walked over to where the pitchers were warming up. Daniel Bard, Robert Manuel, and Casey Kelly were warming up. “Hey, Casey, did you ever tell Kris Johnson how to spell analysis?” I asked. He smiled, laughed, and said, “Yeah, I did!” I then proceeded to thank him for arranging to pitch on Saturdays.

Kris Johnson and Kyle Weiland emerged from the bullpen area to warm up. “Hey Kris, have we learned how to spell analysis yet?” I asked. He smiled a bit and said, “Nope”. Kyle asked how I was doing before they started to warm up. After they finished, Kris tossed me the ball.

The “B” game was a totally different atmosphere. Fans were invited to stay, but only about 200 did. There was not assigned seating, so my father and I sat right behind the dugout. It was really quiet, so you could really hear the echo of the ball being caught, or the crack of the bat against the ball. The scoreboard was off, the concessions were closed–there wasn’t even an umpire. The scene was serene and sacred: I was attending a special sermon at my church, the church of baseball.

Hideki Okajima, Fernando Cabrera and Daniel Bard looked solid in their outings. Bard has a nice Papelbon-esque stare. Ramon Ramirez pitched well, but he gave up a home run to Nate Spears.

Let me talk about Nate Spears for a second. He may not be one of the non-roster invitees this Spring, but I believe that he will be next year. He was fantastic on defense, and he certainly demonstrated power behind the plate. Keep your eye on him during the year.

Casey Kelly pitched, and he looked real good. He was working quickly and effectively, and he was consistently getting ahead in the count. He also displayed a fantastic breaking ball.

One of my favorite moments of that B game was when catching prospect Luis Exposito hit a home run off of Kelly. Like I have said, Exposito has a very powerful bat, and he also has a gun for an arm. I think he has the potential to throw out a lot of runners.

Robert Manuel pitched and he got ahead of the count, had good pacing and good placement. He pitched excellently.

My buddy Kris came in, and his only problem was that he left a couple of pitches up. Other than that, he looked really good.

Then Kyle Weiland came in, and I really liked what I saw from him. I like the way he keeps his glove tucked in for his delivery. He knows how to use the corners, he hit his spots, and he exhibited a good fastball. His only problem was that he looked a little uncomfortable pitching from the stretch.

After the B game, I was able to get three autographs. Jeremy Hazelbaker, who played in the game last Saturday signed.

Ryan Khoury was kind enough to sign, and he even posed for a picture with me. I told him that I had seen him in Portland, and that I was excited to see him this year as well.

I was also able to get Luis Exposito’s signature, and he posed for a picture as well. We talked about Twitter. We were the last car to leave.

Before I end, I need to address some very serious news that the Red Sox released Saturday night. The Red Sox’s top position-player prospect, Ryan Westmoreland, was diagnosed with cavernous malformation in his brain, and will be having brain surgery on Tuesday. This is especially hard for me to hear because I have become somewhat close with him. It is an unprecedented event like this one that makes you realize that there are things beyond baseball. We realize that regardless of whom we root for, we are baseball fans, and we come together to support Ryan. This was out of his control, and all we can do is keep him in our thoughts and prayers. There is not a lot of news out there, so I do not know how soon he will be back on the diamond, but that should not be in any of our minds right now, especially not his. He needs to focus on getting healthy again before he thinks about playing baseball. He has my full support (as he always will), and I truly admire him for his courage. I will always be a fan of his no matter what, and I wish him the best of luck. I actually heard about this via Twitter on my way back from the game. Five minutes after finding out about this, I saw a shooting star. I think you all know what I wished for, and I think I made it on behalf of Major League Baseball fans everywhere.

February 17, 2010

Spring Training Minor League Prospects Preview

With the start of Spring Training quite literally right around the corner, the general media seems to be focusing on the obvious questions that the Red Sox are facing going into Spring Training. Of course there are a lot of “ifs” going into this season, but that’s not just for the Red Sox, that’s for all of Major League Baseball. So instead of trying to answer the same questions that everyone else is focusing on, I’ve got something a little bit different up my sleeves.

At first, I thought that Spring Training was all about the Major Leaguers getting back into shape and preparing for the season. While it is certainly exciting to watch the Major Leaguers get warmed up for the regular season, we are forgetting a very important aspect of the team: the non-roster invitees. They are perhaps the most important part of Spring Training. The Major Leaguers already know their role with the team, but the Minor Leaguers are trying to find one.

As many of you know, I have chosen “projects” for the past couple of years during Spring Training. These are the minor leaguers/prospects that I think will make it up to the big leagues sometime during the year… be it early on to substitute for an injury, or as a September call-up. Either way, it is so gratifying to see them finally make it to the Majors (and even more so to succeed), and it breaks your heart when they have a tough night. I encourage you all to choose projects. I’ll start with the prospects that I am familiar with that will be present during Spring Training.

Among the pitchers I am familiar with (that were September call-ups or on the 40-man roster) are Michael Bowden, Fernando Cabrera, Felix Doubront, Dustin Richardson, and Junichi Tazawa.Bowden made his Major League debut against the Chicago White Sox in August 2008. He also made a start against the Yankees on April 26, 2009; the night Jacoby Ellsbury stole home. He struggled a bit when he was called up during the later part of the year, but I do not think that we can blame him for this. Bowden has been treated as a starter for his whole career in the minors, but he was put in the bullpen during his short tenure at the end of the season. He was brought in at stressful situations to “stop the bleeding”, and he struggled. Think about how starters are treated in the postseason: if they are available in the bullpen, they are ONLY brought in at the beginning of innings, when it’s clean. So please don’t judge Michael Bowden too harshly. He’s a great guy whom I have a lot of confidence in. Nevertheless, I think that he should be prepared to handle bullpen situations because he could end up following a path similar to Justin Masterson’s.

Fernando Cabrera and Dustin Richardson’s names might also be vaguely familiar to you. They were also September call-ups, and both saw some Major League action, albeit short. I was very impressed with the both of them, and I have been excited to watch the two of them in Spring Training since the end of last season. I noted last year during Spring Training that Richardson had great mechanics, throws hard, and has good command. He gave up a walk-off home run against the Orioles at a Spring Training game I was at, but this is a guy that we seriously need to keep our eyes on. Although Boof Bonser seems to be the favorite to get the bullpen spot, don’t be surprised if Richardson surprises everybody.

I don’t have many notes on Felix Doubront, but I do remember being impressed with him last year during the Spring. He is one of the top ranked pitching prospects in the organization. I will certainly be keeping my eyes on him during the Spring. I noted last spring that Tazawa had great form and a fast delivery; he was already pitching at a Major League level. He also has a nice breaking ball.

I am familiar with both Dusty Brown and Mark Wagner; the former was a September call-up. During my time in Pawtucket last summer, I noted that Brown reminds me of Varitek in the way that he has a great sense of his surroundings. I think Brown has a lot of potential; especially if he can become more consistent at the plate. I don’t have much on Wagner, but I know that Bowden is very comfortable throwing to him since he’s just like a target behind the plate, and he has a great arm.

As for the rest of the fielders that are on the 40-man roster (but not the 25-man roster) that I am familiar with are Aaron Bates, Jose Iglesias, and Josh Reddick. Aaron Bates got a bit of Major League action last season, but not enough that we can judge him by. Remember that we have to give all of the call-ups a bit of time to adjust. When I was in Pawtucket, Bates had just been promoted from Double-AA. He had a Triple-AAA swing with at Double-AA eye, which was OK because it was literally his first day. Bates is big, has a nice swing, and makes good contact on the ball. Trust me, keep your eye on him during the Spring.

Jose Iglesias is a name that many of us are familiar with, but it is his abilities that we are not yet acquainted with. His defensive abilities have been raved about–he has even been compared to a young Nomar Garciaparra. I am very excited to watch him during Spring Training. Josh Reddick is a guy that I have liked since I saw his first at-bat last year during Spring Training. I don’t think he was one of the original Spring Training invitees, but I noticed something special about him in his very first at-bat. He is a fantastic hitter. The main thing he was lacking was confidence, and I think that has definitely built up. He is also really good at bunting, and a great defensive outfielder.

On to the non-roster invitees! I’ll start with the pitchers again. Technically, Fernando Cabrera is on this list, but I included him with the September call-ups because he was there. I remember watching Kris Johnson and Adam Mills pitch last season, and virtually everyone is familiar with Casey Kelly. Adam Mills looked pretty good last Spring, but he’s definitely someone I need to see more of this year. I didn’t see much of Kris Johnson last spring, but I did like what I saw, and I hope to see more of him. Kelly is arguably the top ranked pitching prospect in the organization, but he needs to focus on fighting for a spot in Double-AA Portland. He is nowhere near ready for the Majors yet because he is still so young. We will see a lot of raw talent out there, and I can’t wait.

I am vaguely familiar with Luis Exposito. I haven’t seen him play yet, but I have heard great things about him. He is a young catcher, and he is supposed to be very good. In a few years, he could be the backstop, and V-Mart could move to first.

I am familiar with infielders Lars Anderson and Gil Velazquez. Anderson did not have the year he was “supposed” to have in the minors, but I hope it’s just a minor set back. He may be perceived as a “power” hitter, but he is more of a doubles kind of guy. He’ll hit for a high average, which is better than those guys who hit for a subpar average,
with lots of home runs, but lots of strikeouts. Anderson had a nice Spring, and he’ll be a great guy to have in the future… he could serve as a fine designated hitter or a great first baseman. Velazquez is a fantastic infielder, and a utility one at that. I can tell he is very hard working, so keep an eye on him during Spring Training.

Finally, the two outfielders with whom I’m familiar are Zach Daeges and Ryan Kalish. Daeges is a utility outfielder, which is a great attribute to have. He has an interesting batting stance, but I like it. I’ve never seen Ryan Kalish play, but I’ve heard fantastic things about him. Some of you may be wondering where Ryan Westmoreland is. After all, he is the 27th ranked prospect in MLB and arguably the top prospect in the organization. Despite this, he is still only 19. He does not need all the speculation that will come with being in Spring Training yet. He’ll be there next season though.

I cannot wait to watch all of these guys play during the Spring. Pitchers and catchers reported to their respective camps today, which is a sure sign that Spring Training games are right around the corner! For the Red Sox fans who read this blog, I hope that you will keep an eye out for these guys. For those of you who are fans of other teams, like I said before, I hope you pick your own projects!