Matt Duffy is in camp with the Kansas Metropolis Royals on a minor-league contract, and as is frequent for veteran gamers in his state of affairs, he has a number of opt-out clauses. Whether or not he finally ends up exercising any of them stays to be seen. The 32-year-old infielder is on the bubble with days left earlier than the beginning of the common season, and even when he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, there’s a probability that he would settle for a Triple-A task with a call-up in thoughts. All Duffy is aware of for sure is that he desires to maintain taking part in.
“I’ve form of made the choice that they will have the rip the jersey off of me,” mentioned Duffy, who has battled accidents all through his seven big-league seasons. “If I have been to name it a profession sooner or later within the subsequent 5 years, I’d discover myself saying, ‘Man, I want I’d have performed another 12 months.’ Life post-baseball goes to be a lot longer than something the grind can throw at me. On the finish of the day, I actually take pleasure in what this sport does for me when it comes to pushing me to be taught one thing new.”
Duffy is 12-for-36 on the spring, and he can present more-than-adequate protection at a number of positions. Assuming he can keep wholesome, he might help a big-league group — be it the Royals or another person — for the foreseeable future. Even so, he is aware of that the clock is ticking. Whereas many gamers who’re requested about their post-baseball plans deflect the query, Duffy is forthcoming on the topic.
“I’ve thought of that lots,” admitted Duffy. “The Main League entrance workplace path could be very fascinating to me. I discover information and analytics fascinating as they relate to the sport. I additionally take pleasure in working with teammates and youthful guys, attempting to assist them enhance themselves. So it form of simply is dependent upon which itch I get. I’ve additionally thought of entering into a very completely different path and studying a brand new skillset in a unique area, but when I step away from the sport, will I miss all the conversations, all the camaraderie? There’s lots to think about.”
The potential for at some point becoming a member of a entrance workplace is one thing Duffy is taking critically. He’s already begun to take exploratory steps in that path, speaking to execs when the chance current itself.
“They’ve a really fascinating perspective on the sport,” mentioned Duffy, who delved deep into the psychological facet of the sport in a 2016 FanGraphs interview. “Within the clubhouse, we all know the texture. We all know the competitors and the in-game changes. They’ve a birds-eye view. Loads of them are trying by means of a data-oriented lens, which as gamers we don’t actually see.
“I believe that’s the place loads of groups have a disconnect,” continued Duffy. “The information guys may be shy and not sure of themselves across the clubhouse, the place loads of alpha-type personalities are strolling round bare, very positive of themselves round different alpha dudes. Having somebody there to be a liaison between these teams is a job that might doubtlessly be very fascinating to me.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Doc Edwards went 3 for 3 in opposition to Arnold Earley.
Homer Ezzell went 5 for six in opposition to Dixie Leverett.
Ernie Lombardi went 11 for 26 in opposition to Elmer Riddle.
Elmer Valo went 11 for 19 in opposition to Dick Starr.
Rudy York went 9 for 14 in opposition to Emerson Dickman.
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Brett Properly has made an excellent impression in Giants camp. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays over the offseason in change for Tristan Peters, the 23-year-old prospect has been exhibiting his versatility by taking part in second, brief, and third, in addition to getting appears in heart area. His offensive sport is what stood out final 12 months down on the farm. Swinging from the left facet, the previous Fifteenth-round choose put up a 117 wRC+ with 15 residence runs and 31 steals at Double-A, incomes himself a late-season Triple-A cameo. I lately requested San Francisco supervisor Gabe Kapler if Properly’s hit instrument will translate to MLB.
“That’s a query that’s nearly inconceivable to reply till guys begin to play within the large leagues,” Kapler replied. “You possibly can say the identical factor about Blake Sabol. Each of these guys have been good offensive performers on the minor league degree, they usually’ve each proven effectively in camp. Sabol has had a extremely good offensive camp. You simply don’t put an entire lot of inventory in spring coaching efficiency.”
Sabol, a Rule-5 choose from Pittsburgh through Cincinnati, is 14-for-41 with three residence runs in Cactus League motion. A bat-first catcher, he additionally performs left area. Properly is 7-for-39 with three residence runs on the spring. Each have a shot at making San Francisco’s Opening Day roster, with Sabol seemingly having the higher odds given his Rule-5 standing.
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Alex Lange established himself as one in every of Detroit’s greatest relievers final 12 months. Over 71 appearances, the 27-year-old right-hander allowed simply 47 hits whereas fanning 82 batters in 63-and-a-third innings. I lately requested veteran backstop Tucker Barnhart about Lange’s energy arsenal.
“For my part, Alex Lange had the very best general stuff on that group,” mentioned Barnhart, who caught for Detroit final season and is now with the Chicago Cubs. “His stuff is manner, manner up there. The issues he can do with the baseball are unimaginable. He simply began throwing it final 12 months, and his sinker was shifting at 18-19-20 horizontal. He’s a particular dude. I cherished catching him, for positive.”
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A quiz:
Tom Seaver holds the report for many Opening-Day begins (16) however he doesn’t maintain the report for many consecutive Opening-Day begins. Who does?
The reply may be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Eric Nadel, who has been broadcasting Texas Rangers video games since 1979, gained’t be within the radio sales space for the beginning of the season. Nadel launched an announcement this week saying that he’s receiving therapy for anxiousness, insomnia and melancholy.
Ryan Lavarnway and Jed Lowrie introduced their respective retirements this week. Every started his skilled profession within the Pink Sox system. Lavarnway, who was drafted out of Yale College, was Boston’s Sixth-round choose in 2008. Lowrie, who performed his faculty ball at Stanford College, was the group’s first-round choice three years earlier.
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The reply to the quiz is Jack Morris, who made 14 consecutive Opening Day begins from 1980-1993. Seaver (1968-1979) and Robin Roberts (1950-1961) are tied for second with 12 straight.
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Tigers followers who have been following the group within the Nineteen Nineties will keep in mind Justin Thompson. Extra to the purpose, they’ll keep in mind what may need been. A Houston-area highschool phenom whom Detroit drafted thirty second general in 1991, Thompson went on to make an American League All-Star group at age 24, this in a season the place he went 15-11 with a 3.02 ERA over 223-and-a-third innings. The excellence was short-lived. The southpaw started coping with arm points, and the following two seasons yielded a mixed report of 20-26 with a 4.47 ERA. From that time ahead, he pitched in simply two extra big-league video games.
I requested one in every of Thompson’s former Detroit teammates about him on my latest go to to Arizona Diamondbacks camp.
“He had a extremely promising profession,” mentioned Damion Easley, who’s now an assistant hitting coach with the D-Backs. “A lefty. Dominant. Good fastball. Good slider. Attacked hitters. For no matter purpose, he simply couldn’t keep wholesome. It’s a disgrace. He had an upward trajectory, and I believe he would have been a multi-year All-Star.”
Thompson’s lone All-Star season was 1997, and a 12 months later, Easley made one in every of his personal. Blessed with a protracted profession — he performed 17 seasons as an infielder — Easley banged out 27 residence runs, and drove in 100 runs, for Detroit in 1998.
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Miles Mikolas is wealthier after signing a two-year contract extension price $40M with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week. A handful of years in the past, the 34-year-old right-hander was the recipient of a far completely different form of wealth. Taking part in with the Yomiuri Giants from 2015-2017, Mikolas gained a wealth of cultural expertise that he treasures to at the present time.
“Lengthy story brief, it was tons of enjoyable,” Mikolas mentioned of his time in Japan. “You get there and issues are slightly completely different, however they’re very well mannered they usually clarify issues. They need to clarify why they do issues, and from a cultural standpoint, not simply baseball. It’s an important nation. Tokyo is a good metropolis. Should you’re open to the expertise, it may be a extremely enjoyable and enriching place to be. And the baseball is nice. From a expertise standpoint, we’ve seen the fellows who’ve come over, and there are loads of different Main-League-quality gamers in Japan. Hopefully we’ll get to see extra of them coming over right here.”
Mikolas went 31-13 with a 2.18 ERA in his three NPB seasons. His Yomiuri teammates included Garrett Jones, Scott Mathieson, Casey McGehee, and Hirokazu Sawamura.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Crew Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto has gone 33-10 with a 1.54 ERA over 386-and-two-thirds innings over the past two NPB seasons. The 24-year-old Orix Buffaloes right-hander has allowed 261 hits whereas fanning 411 batters.
The NPB season begins on Thursday with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters hosing the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, with a full slate of video games following on Friday. The Orix Buffaloes are the defending champions, having defeated the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in final 12 months’s Japan Collection.
The KBO season is about to kick off on Tuesday April 1 with all ten groups in motion. SSG Landers logged the league’s greatest report final 12 months, then captured the Korea Collection title, beating the Kiwoom Heroes in six video games.
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Danny Jansen was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 out of an Appleton, Wisconsin highschool. The now-27-year-old catcher was taken within the sixteenth spherical, which isn’t what he anticipated. There have been no expectations. When, and to which group, was a whole thriller.
“I obtained harm my senior 12 months,” recalled Jansen, who’s at the moment heading into his sixth big-league season with Canada’s group. “I broke slightly bizarre bone in my hand, on a foul tip, so I didn’t play many video games. One in every of them was a sleety sport — there was ice and rain — and the realm scout for the Blue Jays was there, coping with it. His identify is Wes Penick. However I didn’t suppose even the Blue Jays have been an possibility. I didn’t suppose the draft was an possibility, both. I adopted it, however I didn’t know if I’d be going to varsity, junior faculty, or what was going to occur. So, it form of took me unexpectedly.”
Jansen grew up rooting for the Cubs — he inherited his fandom from his household — however he’s very happy to be taking part in north of the border. “Whenever you get drafted by the Blue Jays, you understand that you just’re not simply taking part in for one group,” defined Jansen. “You’re taking part in for the one group in a rustic. That’s significant.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
The Pink Sox have dropped trademark functions for the phrase “Boston” (The Mariners and Astros have filed functions for “Seattle” and “Houston,” respectively.) Michael McCann has the story at Sportico.
Mark Appel wrote in regards to the grief and goodbyes that got here with getting launched by the Phillies.
The St. Louis Publish-Dispatch’s Lynn Worthy checked out the very best and worst case eventualities at every place for the Cardinals 2023 roster.
Our buddies at MLB Pipeline ranked all 30 farm programs.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Sam Rice completed his profession with 2,987 hits, the very best whole for a participant who fell in need of 3,000. A speedy outfielder who batted .322 whereas taking part in from 1915-1934, the Morocco, Indiana native hit 15 residence runs at Washington’s spacious Griffith Stadium, and all have been of the inside-the-park selection (per his B-Ref bio web page). Rice spent all however one in every of his 20 seasons with the Senators.
Paul Goldschmidt slashed .411/.515/.813 in 137 plate appearances versus left-handed pitchers final 12 months. He’s .329/.434/.613 in 1,626 plate appearances versus lefties over his profession.
Vince Coleman performed the ultimate six video games of his 13-year profession with the Detroit Tigers in 1997. As soon as a prolific base-stealer with the St. Louis Cardinals — he swiped 549 baggage over his first six seasons — Coleman had one hit in 14 at-bats as a Tiger.
The 1934 World Collection featured a player-manager on all sides. The St. Louis Cardinals have been skippered by 36-year-old Frankie Frisch, who performed 140 video games as an infielder and batted .305. The Detroit Tigers have been skippered by 31-year-old Mickey Cochrane, who caught 124 video games, batted .320, was voted AL MVP.. St. Louis gained the Collection in seven video games, with Frisch’s third-inning, three-run double breaking a scoreless tie and spurring the Cardinals to an 11-0 win.
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Gary Carter to a free-agent contract on immediately’s date in 1991. The Corridor of Fame catcher batted .246 with six residence runs in his lone season with LA.
The Chicago White Sox launched Mike Squires on immediately’s date in 1986, ending the Kalamazoo, Michigan native’s big-league profession after 10 seasons on the South Aspect. A slick-fielding first baseman, Squires appeared in two video games behind the plate, making him one of many few left-handed-throwing catchers in MLB historical past.
Gamers born on immediately’s date embrace Shawn Hare, a Central Michigan College product who performed for the Detroit Tigers in 1991-1992, and for the New York Mets and Texas Rangers within the ensuing two seasons. He didn’t play a lot. All informed, the left-handed-hitting outfielder appeared in 64 video games and logged 10 hits. The final of the knocks, which got here in his ultimate MLB at-bat, was a ninth-inning two-run single off of David Cone.
Additionally born on immediately’s date was Marcus Hatley, whose profession comprised two aid appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. Born in Honolulu, Hatley pitched an inning and a 3rd and wasn’t charged with an earned run.
