Ricky Bo- Not Even a Little Concerned By Wheelers Bad Spring Outing
Spring training is a time for young players to impress and veterans to work on their game to get to an optimal level for the regular season. Zack Wheeler, a veteran, had a less-than-stellar performance on Sunday afternoon. In 1.1 innings, the righty gave up 7 hits and 7 er. That on paper looks ugly. I am not even a little concerned. Wheeler said he felt rushed, I’m sure partially due to new rules in place. He also said he will look for results as the Spring moves on.
I have been a part of many Springs, so many times a bad outing means nothing in the first two weeks. Many pitchers are working on different things, whether it is getting velocity to where it should be or an offspeed pitch that just doesn’t feel right at any given time. You may see some bad locations which lead to bad results, or fastballs are flat without finish. This is all part of getting your body in shape to last the entire season.
You never have seen a grapefruit league championship trophy, or a Cy Young award in March, so there really is no reason to judge or stress over a bad outing in the Spring. I have seen players have miserable training camps and go on to have great seasons. Back in the day, I remember an up-and-coming player had one of the best camps ever, hitting home runs at will. That player did not make the opening-day roster! As a matter of fact, was sent to the minors and NEVER saw a day in the major leagues in his career.
This being said, what you see in the Spring is TRAINING, is just that….training. These are professionals, they know what it takes to get to their highest level. So, the panic of one game in the month of March is ridiculous! Health for veterans is the most important thing, if players leave Clearwater, Florida at 100%, that’s what matters!
Bottom line…..enjoy these games…..Nothing counts until the BELL RINGS!
BTW….yesterday’s game….20 runs, 27 hits….two hours and 49 minutes!
If you liked this, you may also enjoy:
The 8 Phillies Players Participating in the World Baseball Classic
Kyle Schwarber- Team USA
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Trea Turner- Team USA
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
JT Realmuto- Team USA
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Gregory Soto- Team Dominican Republic
(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Ranger Suarez- Team Venezuela
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Jose Alvarado- Team Venzuela
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Taijuan Walker- Team Mexico
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Garrett Stubbs- Team Israel
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
