Kuzul

On Monday, it was a trip to Kansas City’s spring training facility to see the Royals and San Francisco. Outside of the Chicago Cubs, the Giants are the biggest draw in the Cactus League and easily had more than half the fans of the 6,243 in attendance.

To the delight of much of the crowd, San Francisco won 2-1, as both teams used a mix of regulars and subs for about six innings, before the younger guys with numbers of 60 or higher took over.

Last season, the Giants were last in the National League in scoring and 29th in baseball, with a large part of their problem being they swung (and often missed) at more pitches that were out of the strike zone than any other team in the major league. The return of Buster Posey will help, although you don’t go from being the lowest scoring team in your league to becoming the 1970s Big Red Machine because of one player.

Part of the change in culture was noted when San Francisco got a runner on first base. If that player had reasonable speed, they would be looking to steal second, and if a hit ball was a questionable gapper, the runner would try to advance the extra base.

Kansas City’s farm system is reportedly well stocked and the parent club was sixth in runs scored in the junior circuit in 2011. Can the Royals maintain a solid scoring team and improve its pitching to continue its march to become a .500 club? That answer will come later and it will be their pitching that will make that determination.

Giants Notes: Tim Lincecum threw four good innings, striking out four and permitting one walk and one hit. Lincecum utilized his curveball for the first time this spring and had good results, if not total command just yet. “This is a lot better than my last outing (five runs on seven hits and a walk with no strikeouts),” Lincecum said. “The fact I doubled my innings helps and my arm and my body still feel good and I still kept my mechanics. I’m trying to take that as a positive and run with it.” While there are still three weeks left in spring training, Lincecum’s velocity is of possible concern. If the radar gun numbers on the scoreboard are to be believed, Lincecum topped out at 90-91 MPH—just like last season—and not at the 93-95 range of his Cy Young seasons. This should be looked at further once the season starts.

San Francisco has a great deal of catching depth behind the healing Buster Posey, with the likes of switch-hitting 22-year-old Hector Sanchez, who will probably start the year in the minors along with vets Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart.

The Giants are very excited about center fielder Gregor Blanco, who reached based four times on Monday and raised his batting average to a scalding .545. Blanco earned MVP honors in the Venezuelan Winter League and has not missed a beat in wearing a San Francisco uniform for the first time.

Freddy Sanchez is expected to take the field sometime this week, having been a DH to this point in coming back from a torn labrum last June. Among the people playing second base is Joaquin Arias, who made three sensational plays. The 27-year-old doesn’t appear to be a threat with a bat in his hand, but give him some leather and he’ll get the job done.

Brett Pill had two hits and played first base yesterday, and it is perplexing that it seems the Giants’ front office really wants this 27-year-old to play over Brandon Belt, who is four years younger and has considerably more power.

San Francisco’s projected win total is 87 and if that is to be reached, they need Posey and Sanchez back to their old selves and others to be a force. If manager Bruce Bochy stays committed to being aggressive on the base paths and the starting pitching holds up, there is no reason the Giants cannot return to the postseason and win 90 games in 2012.

Royals Notes: Having never seen Luke Hochevar live before, the immediate reaction is he throws harder than I would have guessed, consistently ringing up 95 mph on the radar gun. Last season, his career took off in a new direction by adjusting his arm angle to make his slider appear like his sinker, causing hesitation by batters. In the second half of last year Hochevar had a 3.52 ERA and averaged 7.7 punch-outs per nine innings. On Monday, while throwing hard, his pitches lacked movement in surrendering two runs on four hits over three innings and was taken deep by Conor Gillaspie. This is an important year for the 6’6″ right-hander who turns 29 in September and needs to show that he’s more than just another arm on what might be an ordinary club.

For the first time in memory, Kansas City has enough quality pitchers in camp and they will actually have to send somebody down because they were not just quite good enough to make the big club, instead of choosing the lesser of evils. Manager Ned Yost has talked about the competition being extremely “stiff”, using that word four times in the same sentence recently. While it is debatable about the exact quality of this contingent, it is a big upgrade over prior years.

Another huge positive for the Royals would be the return to form of closer Joakim Soria, who suffered declining strikeout numbers and less command a season ago. If Soria does not return to previous form, the match of him and new setup man Jonathan Broxton could cause a sharp increase in the need for Maalox in the Kansas City area. Yost would be foolish not to maximize the talents of last year’s setup star Greg Holland, who struck out three of the four San Fran hitters he faced Monday.

Any lineup that includes Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer is a terrific place to start. If Alex Gordon can have the same kind of breakout season he did last year and be a touch more selective at the dish, Kansas City’s offense will be capable of scoring runs in bunches. However, to surpass the oddsmakers total of 80 projected wins and finish second in the AL Central, the pitching has to improve overall and more Royals at the top and the bottom of the order have to be on base with greater regularity. 

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After missing out on Prince Fielder in free agency, the Seattle Mariners must inquire with other teams about a player who can propel them to the playoffs immediately.

It’s not going to be easy.

Fielder is a premiere player. His talents are duplicated by few.

Most superstars of Fielder’s caliber are already on teams looking at a playoff run. Those teams are unlikely to part with any player who will provide a boost into the postseason.

Instead, the Mariners will have to hope for the best. They’ll need a diamond in the rough.

They’re off to a good start by acquiring Jesus Montero. He’ll certainly contribute very soon. Ichiro Suzuki remains a top talent and Dustin Ackley has a bright future.

But they need more pieces in place if they want to compete now.

Here’s a couple of players the Mariners should look at to help fill the void.

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Major League Baseball and food are practically synonymous. After all, what’s a trip to the ballpark without a hot dog and a cold drink?

But as the years have gone by, the food options at each stadium throughout the league has grown. The standby’s like hot dogs, nachos, Cracker Jack’s, peanuts and soda are still around but they are now joined by more high-end options.

With that in mind, it only makes sense to take a look at each MLB park’s food choices and how they stack up against each other

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In his second start of spring training 2012, Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees showed some control issues against the Atlanta Braves but still made some progress.

However, his issues were ones we didn’t see in his first start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pineda didn’t make it out of the third inning, and in 2.3 innings pitched, the Yanks’ newest acquisition allowed one run on four hits and handed out three free passes to Atlanta.

Control was the major problem in Pineda’s second start. After not allowing a single walk in his first outing, the young right-hander didn’t bring the same command to the mound in this one.

However, it was encouraging to see that Pineda’s velocity was up.

According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, manager Joe Girardi mentioned Pineda reached as high as 94 MPH on the gun on Saturday, as opposed to the 92 he topped out at in his first start.

“My V-lo is coming right now,” Pineda said.

It’ll be interesting to see how consistent Pineda remains with his velocity. In the same report, Marchand also mentions work done by researcher Mark Simon, which shows Pineda’s velocity change in 2011.

Last year, in his first seven starts, Pineda’s velocity was at 95.8, according to researcher Mark Simon. In his final five starts, it was 93.1. In his final start, it was 90.6.

Any minor concerns over velocity can be put to rest if there were any.

Pineda’s lower velocity has been something he has experimented with since last season, and it could continue in 2012. Doing so will help his control and keep him stronger later in games.

We’ll have to see if it hurts his effectiveness overall. Pineda’s dip in average velocity also coincided with some of his worst pitching of the season during the second half of 2011.

As I see it, that’s one and one for Pineda this spring.

One solid start showing promise and a flash of dominance, while another start showed that work needs to be done. Expect this to be the process this spring as is the case with most young pitchers.

Just ask Jair Jurrjens.

The young Braves’ right-hander was dreadful and over-shadowed Pineda’s problems, walking six over 2.1 innings pitched and allowing three runs on five hits.

So even if you are a concerned Yankees fan over Pineda’s latest start, it clearly could’ve been much worse. But with the progress he’s shown in both starts, I have no doubt Pineda will be ready for 2012.

“I will be ready when the season starts,” Pineda said.

There you have it! 

On a side note, Marchand also reported that the Yankees will not have a limit on Pineda this season as was previously seen in the past with the “Joba rules.”

“You are hoping you would get 200,” Girardi said. “I would sign up for 200.”

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Watching spring training baseball is not the most intense experience when it comes to viewing live sporting events.

The fans in the stands look relaxed, the weather is warm and sunny, the players seem laid back. 

It’s enough to make one forget about what exactly is taking place. 

There are, after all, only so many spots available on the opening day roster of any baseball team and as the month of March ticks down toward the start of April, players are going to become aware of their presence on or off of that roster. 

For some players making the team is a given. Dustin Pedroia doesn’t go home at night in Fort Meyers thinking, “I sure do hope I make the club this year.” That wasn’t always the case though. Five years ago Dustin Pedroia was in that unenviable position. 

Entering the 2007 season Pedroia had started only 24 games in the majors, and while he was the favorite to become the Red Sox second baseman, he was not assured of any type of long-term stay, unless of course he performed well enough to earn it. 

Five years later after a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, two Gold Gloves and one World Series ring, spring training is nothing more than a preseason for Pedroia. 

It’s not that way for everyone in Fort Meyers though. Especially not this year in the aftermath of the 2011 debacle, as there are numerous stories developing in the seemingly tranquil atmosphere of spring training. 

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Any success the Baltimore Orioles have this year depends heavily on the performance of several young players trying to prove that they belong in the MLB.

If all of these players improve and have solid seasons, the Orioles will win.

If all of these players regress and have bad seasons, the Orioles will lose.

In all likelihood some of these young players will meet expectations and others will fall short.

Here is a look at five of these players and whether they will step up to the challenge or fall flat on their face. 

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Pittsburgh Pirates offseason addition A.J. Burnett re-joined the team Saturday for spring training in Bradenton, Florida just a little over a week after surgery, according to the Associated Press. 

He made 50 throws in the bullpen and rode an exercise bike after getting the official okay to resume workouts.

“The first few (throws) were a little hairy, I’m not going to lie,” Burnett told AP. “But it went fine. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’m glad to be back down here with the guys.”

The former New York Yankee went under the knife eight days ago to repair a fractured orbital bone around his right eye that the starting pitcher sustained during a now-infamous bunting drill on February 29.

Although it’s a positive sign, Burnett is still expected to miss two to three months. If he had opted not to have surgery, doctors told him he would be at risk of developing double-vision down the road.

“For what I do, my eyesight is pretty important, so why take a chance of it not healing the right way?,” said Burnett. “They could’ve let it heal, but there’s a chance it wouldn’t heal smooth, the eye wouldn’t move right and there’d be double vision.”

As for that fateful February day, Burnett said he won’t dwell on it.

There’s not much I could’ve done, other than pull the bat back. You can’t look back at it. I had my day of tears, lying in the hotel room wondering why it happened. I’m over that now. I want to move in a positive direction and get back on the field.

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Throughout the long history of baseball, the words “spring training” have elicited feelings of optimism and hope.  For Mets fans, spring training is the highlight of our season.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh and shortsighted, but ever since we came this close to reaching the World Series in 2006, being a Mets fan has been a painful existence.

Alas, it’s March and I’m trying to force a smile while dreaming about the inevitable, impending Cinderella story for the ages.  That’s probably a bit overly optimistic, but even a doomsday pessimist needs to dream every now and then.

Either way, I’ve found that stone-cold realism is the best approach in maintaining an even keel as a Mets fan. 

One thing I truly want to get excited about in 2012 is the return of our ace, Johan Santana.  I remember quite vividly the trade that brought the two-time Cy Young Award winner to New York.

It was Feb. 2, 2008; I was a junior at Wake Forest and heard the news on my way to club baseball practice.  At the same time, the New York Giants were preparing for the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, and I was about to experience the greatest week of my sports-fan life.

Four years later, the Giants have two Super Bowl wins over the Pats, and the Mets have not played in a single postseason game.  Santana has started 88 games in his Mets career but has not thrown a pitch in the bigs since a five-inning start in a Sept. 2, 2010 win over the Atlanta Braves.

It’s been awhile.  Santana will be 33 on March 13, and he has a surgically repaired shoulder to boot.  

What can us Mets fans reasonably expect from our ace in 2012?  Let’s take a look.

Santana’s first full season as a starting pitcher was in 2004, and that campaign resulted in his first AL Cy Young Award.  Over his four-year career as a starter in Minnesota, Santana proved to be a workhorse, averaging 228 innings per season.

In 2008, his first year with the Mets, Santana threw a career-high 234.1 innings, most in the NL.  The next season, Santana posted a career-low in innings with 166.2, a 29 percent decrease from the previous season.

In 2010, Santana bounced back with 199 innings, but was well below his then-career average of 218.6.  More than two complete games short, actually.  

In his prime—and let’s be clear, No. 57 is no longer in his prime—Santana was a strikeout machine.  His plus-fastball and unhittable changeup were enough to beat any team.  His slider made him good enough to dominate them.

Three out of his four years as a starter in the Twin Cities resulted in league-leading strikeout numbers.  His high-water mark came in 2004, when he fanned 265 batters.  He never recorded less than 235 Ks in any year as a starter in the American League.  

Since joining the DH-deprived National League, Santana has yet to top his ’08 total of 206.  He followed it up with 146 in 2009.  That’s a 29 percent decrease year-over-year.  It’s also the exact same percentage decrease in his innings over the same period.  This is expected.  After all, less innings would mean less strikeouts, but he still maintained the same 7.9 K/9 rate.

What’s discouraging is his 2010 strikeout total of 144 despite pitching 32.1 more innings.  It was his lowest season total since 2002, when he was a 23-year-old reliever and spot starter.

In terms of his value, Santana averaged 6.4 WAR as a starter in Minnesota.  In his debut season with the Mets, Santana was exactly a 6.4 WAR, right on target.  In the two years following, Santana’s WAR fell to 3.6 and 4.4.

Statistically speaking, Santana’s last real “Johan” season was 2008.  He finished third in Cy Young voting, led all of Major League Baseball in ERA and led the NL in innings, batters faced and starts.

Let’s be realistic for a moment.  The 2012 version of Santana will not be the same pitcher we saw in 2008, and it’s not fair to expect him to be.  It’s more reasonable to expect the pitcher we saw in 2009 and 2010, pre-shoulder surgery: not a dominant pitcher, but solid.

He is four years older since his last signature season. His numbers had fallen off the table in 2009 and held relatively steady in 2010.  Best-case scenario, Santana returns to his 2010 form.  That would still make him three WAR better than last season’s “ace” Mike Pelfrey, who recorded a WAR of 1.4.

But Pelfrey does not command “Santana money.”  Pelfrey will make about $5.7 million this season after avoiding arbitration.  Santana will make $24 million.  For a projected three added victories, the Mets will dole out an added $18.3 million to this season’s ace.  That’s an average of $6.1 million per victory.  Hardly a figure the Mets can afford.

In February 2008, I could not have been happier as a Mets fan.  Only two seasons removed from an appearance in the NLCS, and we had just added perhaps the most dominant pitcher in the game.  His six-year, $137.5 million contract seemed reasonable.  After all, Santana was 28 and on his way to Cooperstown.

So here’s the dose of realism I’ve been promising: Johan Santana is no longer an “ace.”  Yes, he will lead the Mets rotation, but do not look for a signature Santana season.  

Hung up on the eternal optimism of spring training?  Fine, let’s hope Santana recognizes that he is in his decline years and changes his approach.  Get away from overpowering the opposition and commit to outsmarting them (see: Glavine, Tom).  

And this is the beauty of spring training.  Remember folks, the term of the season is “realistic optimism.”

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Face it, you don’t want to think about it too much. You already are sweating Ryan Howard not being able to start the season, and now being out indefinitely is looking more ominous. There is a little bit of comfort knowing that Jim Thome, John Mayberry, Laynce Nix and Ty Wiggington can all help out at first admirably until Howard returns. 

What you are trying to blow off are negative thoughts about Chase Utley.

No one really cared that Utley didn’t play in the first couple of spring training games. “Better keep him healthy for the regular season” is the consensus thought.

Now we are a full week into games and not only has Utley not played yet, there is no timetable for him to get on the field. You know, this happened in 2011 as well, and Utley ended up starting the season on the disabled list and then missing 50-plus games. Uh oh.

If Utley misses any amount of significant time, who plays second base? Late in the spring last year, the Phillies brought in Luis Castillo for a three-game tryout. That didn’t work out. Super utility man Wilson Valdez was the opening day two-bagger and filled in adequately until Utley returned.

Valdez was shipped to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason, leaving Michael Martinez as the only remaining utility man. 

The Phils selected Martinez in the Rule-5 draft last season, but he didn’t do a lot to set the world on fire. He hit .196 with three home runs and 24 runs batted in in 234 plate appearances. He carried a microscopic .540 OPS. It’s doubtful the Phillies brass want to hand him significant amounts of playing time if Utley can’t go.

Wiggington can hit Major League pitching. There is not much doubt about that. However, defensively, second base is probably his fourth best position after first, third and left field.

I’m sure manager Charlie Manuel has thought about former gold-glove second baseman Placido Polanco at second, but keep in mind that Polly isn’t a poster child of health either, and second is a much more physically demanding position than third base.

All of this brings us to rookie Freddy Galvis. The 22-year-old native of Venezuela split time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2011. Between those two levels, Galvis his .278 with eight home runs, 43 runs batted in, 78 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. 

Galvis is considered a “plus” fielder but has primarily played shortstop. Expect to see Manuel pencil in Galvis quite a bit at second this spring with Utley out to see if he can A) handle the position defensively and B) do enough at the plate to survive.

Physically, Galvis is a lot like Valdez or Martinez. He’s 5’10”, 170 pounds, so he’s definitely not an intimidating presence. He’s been playing professionally since he was 17 years old, so there is still some upside. While his bat speed is slightly above average, hitting is where he stills needs to develop.  He is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in all of minor league baseball, which should make a transition to second base seamless if he works on the double play pivot.

So to sum it all up, here is to hoping we don’t have to worry about Galvis’ bat in 2012 and the season opens up with the familiar No. 26 trotting out to second base. If Utley can’t go, though, Galvis has an excellent shot to be in the everyday lineup if he shows he can handle big league pitching this spring.

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A week into March, spring training is well under way. Many veteran players lament having to go through the grind, but for others, this time of year provides hope in many forms.  

Be it a career revival after a down season, a former standout looking to bounce back from a key injury or an unproven player fighting for a roster spot or starting position, spring training provides plenty of reasons for baseball fans to start paying attention early. 

Most teams have at least a handful of players who fall into one or more of the aforementioned categories, leading to some intriguing position battles as we work toward opening day. Here I’ll break down eight of the most interesting competitions heading into the 2012 MLB season.

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