Slow Hand Kook (iness)

[DOUGHBOYS]

When a team 'slow plays' a player, they are usually doing it for a reason.
Mostly, it is to limit their time on the field during Spring Training, minimizing activity and saving this activity for the real season.
This has quietly bit players (and of course, their fantasy owners) in the ass.
Last year, the Nationals had such faith in Ryan Zimmerman 'ramping it up' for the real season, that they only gave Zimmerman one Spring Training at bat.
Naturally, this was absurd.
I thought so little of it, that I determined Zimmerman to be undraftable.
At best, Zimmerman would be rusty. At worst, hiding injury.

It did not work as a strategy for the Nationals or Zimmerman.
Zimmerman, full of vim and vigor would get 98 at bats through April...and hit under .200
Then got hurt and had a typical Zimmerman-injury year.

This year, MLB Clubs so played pitchers.....

The Red Sox slow played Chris Sale.
Sale got killed by the Mariners.

The Cubs slow played Pedro Strop.
Strop has given up runs in each small appearance.

David Robertson was not used much in Spring Training.
Treated like a Ming Vase.
Now throwing like someone from the dynasty.

The Dodgers slow played Walker Buehler.
Like Sale, Buehler was lit up.

Today, the Red Sox pitch David Price.
My expectations are low.

Slow playing players has become counter intuitive.
At least for the short range.
Long range, maybe it does produce more innings for pitchers.
But if those innings start off badly any way, why not have those innings in Spring Training?
It may be something to keep track of for next year.
It may not make player 'undraftable', but like their teams, we may have to 'slow play' these players ourselves and bench them the first couple of weeks of the season.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Just following up...

'Slow playing' these players could be signs of injury.
Robertson is now IL'lin.
Sale is throwing as hard as Jimmy Key.
And Buehler is taking more time off than Ferris.
He has not thrown over five innings or 85 pitches.
A new rule of mine for next year is to avoid players who are being slow-played.

Team-wise, it has hurt the Red Sox big time.
No team slow-played players more.
They acted as if playing an extra month of the season last year could break their players.
It has served to break their April.
The Orioles have an excuse for bad play. By in large, they suck.
The Red Sox only have themselves to blame in playing in April, like it were March.