Red Sox owner John Henry returned fire in his club's ongoing dispute with the Marlins, tweeting, "They should apologize for their regular season lineup." For the uninitiated, at a matchup earlier this week between the two teams, the Red Sox angered the Marlins by running out a lineup of minor leaguers instead of their typical starting nine. The Marlins had hiked ticket prices with the expectation that fans would be watching the Sox's World Series-winning squad. You can check out a writeup of the spat by USA Today's Nick Schwartz here. On to more East links:
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson maintains that it's unlikely Matt Harvey will pitch in the Majors in 2014 (via ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin). The issue surfaced again earlier today when Harvey tweeted "2014 Harvey day will happen" from his personal account. The tweet was later deleted. "I can't control what he tweets or says by other means," Alderson commented. "But if that's how he feels, that's his perspective and we'll see where it goes."
- Adding Ervin Santana would lift the Blue Jays' playoff chances into the realm of "conceivable," writes FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi, noting that many of the club's major pieces remain in place after a lost 2013 season. "It's not the same players: We're missing Josh Johnson, who was supposed to be a big key to our rotation," outfielder Jose Bautista told Morosi. "That's why it's so important that we add (Santana)."
- Tyler Kepner caught up with Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey, profiling him for The New York Times. Dickey personally responds to letters he receives from struggling fans, Kepner writes. "They’re just wanting someone to listen, that’s really it," the ace says. Dickey discussed his experiences as a sexual abuse victim in his 2012 memoir.
I’m with the Red Sox on this one. Fans shouldn’t come to a spring training game with the expectation that starters are going to play. They knew it wasn’t a regular season game.
I respectfully disagree. Fans come to a spring training game to see some of the starters get some at bats and some competition for remaining roster spots.. Not necessarily a whole game… but at least a few innings.
They don’t want to see A level 18 year olds fight it out to see who makes it to AA.
It was a road game with a three hour bus ride. If they were expecting to see regulars, then they have no understanding of how Spring Training works.
I wasn’t aware of the 3 hour bus ride. It’s a little more understanding.
But in most circumstances within reasonable distance between cities, I will stand by my statement.
What are they doing hiking up the prices for a spring training game? Even if they did play, it would only be for a few innings.
What are they doing? Milking Miami fans dry by overcharging for another team’s product. In other words, quintessential Jeff Loria
Good question. And why are people paying at all to watch them practice?
Rockies did the same thing against Kershaw and the Dodgers last week. Only mlb roster players in the game were bench players.
I’m not a Red Sox fan, but for the Marlins to complain about anyone not running out their A team to face them shows a certain lack of self-awareness.
But isn’t that an interesting look into the Marlins ownership psyche? They’d rather market the work of more structured organizations instead of build their own.
The whole justification for revenue sharing, luxury tax, loss of draft picks and slot money is to try to level the playing field enough to allow everyone to compete. And, MLB has never shied away from the taxpayer dollar (with Mr. Loria being a particularly avid taker.) Then compete. You owe it to your competitors, who shouldn’t have to see lower attendance when you come to town, you owe it to your fans, and you owe it the public who gave you free money.
It’s irony at its finest with this situation.
The Marlins should send their fan an apology.
for the several fire sales, current lineup, or stadium fiasco? Be specific.
For that exploding pride parade in CF if nothing else.
i want to argue with you for joining the marlin hating bandwagon, but your response was right on. That thing is horrible.
I actually have an affinity for the Marlins, but that doesn’t put their management beyond a little ribbing.
“Fan”….singular…got it!
Come on jays, don’t sign Santana. Al east will smoke him. Especially in Rogers centre ! GO JAYS GO!
Good idea lets use Happ or Redmond instead, they should be just fine…
Happ and Redmond won’t do either but we have other options
Like who? Hutch or stroman? Stroman isn;lt ready and Hutch should be bulding armstrenght in the minors after his TJ.
I honestly don’t see how this was any any way a good response by Henry or the Red Sox. I mean if you want to throw punches at Loria and the front office by all means go ahead he is scum. But I feel like that comment is critical of the players more than ownership. You basically told a young developing team with a lot of talent along with some veterans that honestly are pretty nice guys with decent backgrounds, and one of your former players from your championship squad, that they are trash and not worthy of facing your every day starters. He could’ve just kept his mouth shut and it would of blown over as if it were any other training game where they wanted to see they’re prospects play.
They clearly weren’t worthy of facing Boston’s every day starters. The game was a scoreless tie in which the Red Sox C team outhit the Marlins’ best 7-2. The Marlins are just mad because they tried to cash in on Boston coming to their complex, and the Red Sox did what every team does in spring road games, which is send the scrubs.
I didn’t say they were wrong in doing so my problem is with what Henry said. And I’m pretty sure every team cashes in like that so let’s not reach for reasons to hate on the Marlins.
I honestly don’t see how this was any any way a good response by Henry or the Red Sox. I mean if you want to throw punches at Loria and the front office by all means go ahead he is deserving of all criticism. But I feel like that comment is critical of the players more than ownership. You basically told a young developing team with a lot of talent along with some veterans that honestly are pretty nice guys with decent backgrounds, and one of your former players from your championship squad, that they are terrible and not worthy of facing your every day starters. He could’ve just kept his mouth closed and it would of gone over as if it were any other training game where they wanted to see they’re prospects play.
Kind of how I read that. Quote doesn’t really dispell the entire Boston-NY is the self proclaimed center of the universe stereotype. That South Florida market would be rough even IF ownership managed it correctly.
Henry owned the team until 2002 and wasn’t able to get a new stadium so I’m sure he knows how tough it is.
Really? Santana wouldnt do anything for the jays. RIght now they would be picked for last.
Why would you say that? Jays have just as good or better players compared to any other team in the AL East.
Encarnacion, Rasmus, Reyes, Bautista, Lawrie, and Lind would look good on any team you stuck them on.
Same goes for Santos, Loup, Delabar, Jannsen, Buerhle and Morrow.
Disagree. The Jays have some decent pieces, but they really don’t have as good or better players compared to the other teams in the division. Even FG puts them as the worst projected WAR in the division.
Reyes, Bautista, and EE are very good hitters, but once you get past them, as I said last year, that lineup is very weak. A rotation of Buerhle, Dickey, Morrow is their top 3 and that really is pretty scary for them. That rotation can carry them if the hitting is on, but they don’t have enough of that either.
According to fangraphs, the Jays are expected to score the second most runs in the MLB next year. Rangers are first, Jays are tied in second with the Red Sox.
I think the Jays offense is a lot better than you would like to believe it is.
Not enough to overcome the rotation. I doubt they are near the top of the mlb in runs at the end of the year.
That’s your opinion, based on… nothing other than your feelings. It might only be a tiny difference but the Jays are projected for 82 wins while O’s are projected for 79 wins, so no, FG does not have them projected for last in WAR
Everyone else in the division has a somewhat settled rotation. They NEED Ervin. Morrow,Buehrle, Dickey is their top of rotation, and Morrow has huge injury and ineffectiveness problems.
You said: “that lineup is very weak”.
It is not. Past stats and projections say otherwise.
Obviously we do not disagree on the pitching rotation, it is very mediocre (possibly bad). Not really sure what the two have to do with each other, other than the defensive aspect (which we have not yet spoken to).
Please consult fangraphs projections, as not everyone says the Jays would be picked for last.
Henry is upset the Marlins pocket his revenue sharing dollars. Marlins spend only 15% of their own revenue on players, and their highest 2 paid players make 12.5 million altogether. Payroll has actually dropped this year so they may approach 10%. MLB average is 47%.
One of the best, if not the best, comment in this thread.
Well, Ervin Santana made mention of how he wanted to go to a team with a lot of Offense. I think his choices between The Orioles and Blue Jays satisfies that desire. I personally would go to Baltimore if all things including money are equal. You have a more established catcher in Matt Wieters, A younger and more athletic outfield in Baltimore, A more established manager in Buck Showalter, and a team who has experienced a recent playoff birth, but I think that the fact that Jose Bautista and Ervin Santana suddenly switched agencies and are now both represented by Jay Alou seems like a coincidence that gives The Blue Jays a leg up in obtaining Ervin Santana’s services.
I would also like to add that I like J.J. Hardy’s Defense more than Jose Reyes’ defense.
It seems as though the whole issue here is that teams are continually disregarding the rules of sending “4 regular”
starting lineup type players to ST road games and they aren’t being
held accountable. It appears that they all do it and the rule is never
upheld by MLB. Obviously some players aren’t available due to injuries
or because they are being held back due to precautions with their
present physical limitations,but it’s apparent that there is very little
consideration being given to the “home teams” fans or home teams gate
receipts by the opposing visiting teams. Let’s face it, not every team has the overly devoted, borderline “maniacal”
fans that fill Jet Blue Park for the Boston Red Sox! IMO more should be
done by MLB to insure that these considerations are followed. It
doesn’t seem like it should be too difficult for teams to work it out
with their potential regular everyday starters where they all would be
scheduled to take these trips on a rotating basis, regardless of their
respective amounts of service time in MLB!
good comeback john henry