Spring swings mean nothing
Michael Silverman
PHOENIX - Two words come to mind as the book closes on the Red Sox' 2005 spring training.
They are ``Cesar" and ``Crespo."
Remember last year in spring training when the utility infielder set Fort Myers on fire with his scorching .354 batting average, team-high 11 walks and 14 RBI (tied for third-best)?
To be kind, Crespo's Grapefruit League breakthrough meant squat. In 29 regular-season games, he hit .165, did not draw a walk in 79 plate appearances and had two RBI.
The point here is that individual, and even team, performance in spring training has little to no correlation, or relevance, to the reality of what is a regular season. The Red Sox went 13-15-1 in 29 games this spring and a quick look through the final stats show little to no correlation or relevance to what should be expected from the 2005 Red Sox.
Sure, time will tell if this will hold true over the course of the season, but as Crespo could tell you if he were still a valued piece in the puzzle - it does not matter.
Should anyone be concerned that second baseman Mark Bellhorn struck out twice as many times as he drew a walk (14-7)? No. Bellhorn is a regular and simply true to form. He struck out twice as many times as he drew a walk (177-88) last season. Last spring? Sixteen strikeouts, nine walks.
David Ortiz led the club with 14 RBI this spring, the same number he had last spring. Last season, he led the club with 139 RBI.
Manny Ramirez had five RBI this spring, just one more than Michael Lockwood (who?) and Hanley Ramirez. Manny Ramirez had 16 RBI last spring. In between, he produced 130 RBI. What does this mean? That's just Manny being Manny.
David McCarty, he of the scorching .410 average, team-high 18 RBI and tied for team-high seven home runs last spring? This spring, with 21 fewer at-bats, he hit .200 and had five RBI. He is still on the team.
Pitching-wise, do you want to worry about Tim Wakefield's 7.27 ERA this spring? How about Alan Embree's 7.11 ERA? Last spring, Wakefield was at 3.22, Embree at 3.86. Or, do you want to focus on Mike Timlin's 0.96 ERA this spring? Well, what about Timlin's 9.00 ERA last spring?
Keith Foulke had a decent spring with his 4.82 ERA, a wee bit lower than 15.00 last spring.
Use Grapefruit League numbers and results at your own peril.
They're all you've got right now, but as Crespo would tell you if he were still here, that ain't worth too much.