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ROUNDING INTO FORM
Gomes, who had attended 10 other big league training
camps, remembers the 2013 Red Sox camp as one of the best
run. “Everything was organized, there was no standing around.
As a player, you never want to feel you are wasting time and
every minute was planned out that spring.”
Once the exhibition games start, Spring Training tends
to fall into a rhythm. There are games almost every day with
about half the games at home and half on the road. Since the
Twins and the Rays are close by, the Red Sox have fewer long
bus trips than many teams. The games don’t count, but the
clubs learn a lot watching players under game conditions. No
pitcher was watched more closely than Jon Lester, who was
counted on to anchor the staff.
Lester pitched his first game of the training session on
February 24 against the St. Louis Cardinals and the results were
encouraging. After two scoreless, hitless innings Lester said,
“I felt great. I was able to locate my fastball and that’s a good
start.”
Clay Buchholz was penciled in as the number two pitcher
in the rotation. But after injuring a hamstring early in camp, his
first start against the Twins on March 2 was closely monitored.
Buchholz only pitched 1 1/3 innings but he looked sharp and
said he was pleased. “It was good to be out there and I felt good.
This was just what I needed to get on track.”
By mid-March, the regulars were beginning to play in most
games and play more innings. Injuries were the biggest challenge
for the Red Sox with just two weeks before the opener.
Napoli had been diagnosed with a degenerative hip so he
was eased into action very deliberately. That patience seemed
to be paying off. After five games, he was hitting .417, with
three home runs and he was fielding flawlessly.
Drew was a bigger concern. He had suffered a concussion
when he was hit in the helmet by a pitch thrown from
the Twins’ Caleb Thielbar. Drew and the medical staff were
optimistic for his recovery, but he still had to pass MLB’s concussion
protocol.
David Ortiz was the greatest worry. Papi had injured his
Achilles tendon in July, 2012, and he was shut down for the
season in August. The plan was to get him into a few games
near the end of training camp. But now both of his heels were
inflamed and his recovery was stalled.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
Spring Training gives clubs a great opportunity to provide
their highest-rated prospects a taste of big league life and to
perform under near-Major League game conditions. In 2013,
that chance was given to the club’s two best prospects: outfielder
Jackie Bradley, Jr. and shortstop Xander Bogaerts. The
Red Sox had named Bradley as their 2012 minor league Defensive
Player of the Year and Bogaerts as their 2012 minor league
Offensive Player of the Year.
The 22-year-old Bradley was selected by the Red Sox as
the 40th player chosen in the 2011 draft, following three outstanding
seasons at the University of South Carolina. During
his brief career with the Red Sox, he had progressed all the way
to Double-A Portland in the team’s minor league system.
At age 20, Bogaerts was the youngest player in the Red Sox
A
C
Ryan Dempster and David RossPhoto by Brita
Meng Outzen.
Dustin PedroiaPhoto
by Michael Ivins.
Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, Jr. would prove to be
Photos by Michael Ivins.
John Farrell with ace Jon LesterPhoto by Michael Ivins.
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