In manager Black’s book, spring training stats just don’t matter
Players who appear to be struggling may really be preparing
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.» Bud Black doesn’t put much stock in Cactus League stats. In fact, the Rockies’ manager might consider copywriting the phrase “It’s just spring training.” Or “IJuST,” for short.
Toss Black a question about the struggles of veteran first basemen/outfielder Ian Desmond, for example, and he’ll fire back with “IJuST.” Never mind that Desmond is hitting .135 (5-for-37) with 18 strikeouts this spring.
“Guys are preparing for the real season, and that’s what everybody has to bear in mind,” Black said. “Numbers for a great number of players on the 40-man roster and in big-league camp don’t mean much, really. It’s about, for most players, getting their reps, getting their body ready to play in April. Veteran players know what they have to do to get ready to play.”
Asked if spring training should be considered a live “test tube,” Black said: “Absolutely.”
The Rockies are betting “IJuST” is in play with reliever Bryan Shaw, who signed a three-year, $27 million contract to come to Colorado. After giving up two home runs to the San Francisco on Sunday, including one to Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, Shaw’s spring ERA sits at 11.57, and he has served up four homers in just 4M innings. Shaw is not concerned. “My spring training ERA for my career is probably way over 7something,” said Shaw, whose ERA with Cleveland last spring was an unsightly 17.61. “So I don’t care about my spring stats, because I know I’m working on stuff.
“Everybody knows I throw a cutter, but I’ll work with commanding it to different spots, or maybe even try a changeup this time of year. I got behind Bumgarner 2-0 the other day and threw him a cutter to a place I normally wouldn’t. He hit it out. No big deal. I know when the real season
starts, my stuff will be there.”
In Black’s book, “IJuST” also holds true for young players who put up impressive spring stats. Rookie first baseman/third baseman Ryan McMahon is a prime example. He has had a solid camp, batting .333 (10-for-57) with seven doubles and one home run, and Black has repeatedly praised McMahon’s play at first base. But that doesn’t mean McMahon, or power-hitting outfielder David Dahl, are locks to make the 25-man roster coming out of camp.
“You have to look at the big picture and the track record,” Black said. “You don’t want a young player going 2-for-30 to start the season. Then what are you going to do? And you have to trust that a veteran (like Desmond) is going to hit his usual .270.”
The overall performance of Rockies pitchers this spring has been lackluster, as their 5.84 ERA suggests. But Black dismisses the stats. He notes that pitchers enter Cactus League games with a plan to work on a specific pitch in specific situations.
“We have conversations with our pitchers that might be mandates about what we want to see in games,” Black said. “That can affect performance. That’s why, a lot of times, especially on the pitching side, you guys (in the media) might not know on a specific day what a pitcher was trying to work on. We might not do it during a regular-season game, but we’ll do it in the spring because the player needs the practice.”
German Marquez, 23, rivals Jon Gray as the Rockies’ most talented starting pitcher, and during his first two Cactus League starts, the right-hander looked the part, allowing one run on four hits over five innings. His 95 mph fastball was on point, and his 81 mph curve befuddled hitters. He struck out six while walking only one. But he rarely threw a changeup or a slider.
Marquez’s third start was ugly: eight runs allowed on nine hits (including a homer) in just 2M innings vs. the Dodgers’ “A” lineup.
“I was working on my slider and changeup that day, and I didn’t locate it very well,” Marquez said. “I learned some things.”
That was the whole point. “There were some some pitch locations and pitch sequencing that we wanted him to work on, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t execute it,” Black said. “Now, hopefully, he’ll take that into bullpen sessions and be aware of what he needs to work on. That’s what spring training is all about.”
Beginning on March 29, in the season opener against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, IJuST will give way to the real deal.