Xavier Nady will be tested for Crohn's disease on Monday, the PG reports. Nady's cousin has Crohn's disease, raising the odds that Nady might. Crohn's disease, also known as inflammatory bowel disease, is an autoimmune disease that results in chronic intestinal inflammation. Nady should still be able to play, but this would be real bad news. We wish X and his gut the best and hope for a quick return to health.
Kovacevic reports a funny:
Because Sanchez made contact with one of the six pitches he saw from Kuwata, he was peppered with 10 minutes of questioning by the Japanese media. "How were you able to get your bat on the ball?" one reporter asked in English.
I would have played it cool. "I do not know." Then maybe I would do some Kurt Warner-style Jesus hogging.
It does not matter what Castillo looks like in camp. He was awful at second last year. And Sanchez won a batting crown. The team should settle the best players into the toughest positions they can handle. The remaining players can compete for the other spots.
Dejan Kovacevic soaks up the Florida sunshine.
It appears the Pirates might be moving Freddy Sanchez to second base. If he can play that position well, he should. There's little chance of him growing out of it. While I worry a bit that he's more likely to be injured playing second, that can't be a reason to use overgrown or inadequate people at second. Castillo may be slimmer this spring, but I'd guess he's likely to outgrow second again. If not this year, maybe next.
Mike Henry of the Brandenton Herald on "fussles", tough love, and The Promise of Snell.
Dejan Kovacevic has some news from spring training. Chacon has arthritis and will pitch through pain. Herrera has performed well, with poise. Bautista can play shortstop. He also reported early, with Chris Duffy. In another article, Eldred is compared to Ryan Shealy. I'm still a little bitter about that one so I will say, watch what Ryan Shealy does this year before expecting the Pirates to get much for Eldred at the deadline. Doumit will make the team, but no one is sure what his role will be. I still expect he'll get good PA starting behind Paulino, LaRoche, and Nady. Time will tell.
Tomoo Ota for the Daily Yomiuri. If Kuwata has as much guile and poise as reported, I am thinking he might be useful in a Doug Jones-like bullpen role.
This MLB.com report has me expecting Kuwata! to make the team.
He sounds like a man among boys.
Two spring training notebooks from Dejan Kovacevic today. One deals with Lincoln and Walker. On Lincoln's elbow :
"All that is known is that there is a strained muscle in the forearm which might or might not be a sign of underlying ligament damage."A more specific diagnosis than "irritation in the elbow" as initially described, one that could either be devastating or no big deal.
The other reports that Jody Gerut:
"...took the field once with a trainer but left soon thereafter."Being accompanied by a trainer while simply taking the field can't be a good sign. I'm assuming Gerut jogged out (with trainer watching/spotting him), rather than Gerut being carried or wheeled out by trainer. Regardless, get well, Jody - we could use your LH bat.
The best news from today seems to be this, from this same notebook:
"Herrera was throwing a combination curve-slider that had observers buzzing."
Bad news out of the first real day of spring training. Brad Lincoln has been shut down with an irritated elbow, the AP reports. The only other pitcher revealed to be injured on Day 1 of ST is recently acquired minor-league starter Michael Tejera, out because of shoulder pain.
The other big news is Neil Walker is officially trading in his tools of ignorance for a 3B glove.
"He'll no longer be catching," Littlefield said. "We made the decision based on his athleticism and the fact that, as we look at our organization, Neil has a lot of potential with the bat, and we think this is a quicker way for him to get to Pittsburgh."Walker's value goes down a lot not catching. Is this move more about Paulino viewed as a fixture or Neil's mitt?
Pitchers and catchers report today. Dejan is in Bradenton, where Masumi Kuwata is the main attraction for the Bucs. Kuwata enters as #9 on the starter depth chart. He could "throw strikes as a third-grader while blindfolded" and once "a gust of wind blew his 5-foot-9 frame off the mound for a balk". Although unable to find a video link of either of these events, this 9 minute Japanese video shows highlights of Kuwata's last outing with the Giants.
New Pirates roundtable up, featuring one outsider per other NL Central team all predicting the Bucs will finish in last place.
So far as I can tell, this is a haloscan issue. We have email - honestwagner at yahoo dot com - if you care to send letters. Thanks.
... comments on again. This on-and-off commenting might persist a few days while Haloscan works out whatever is going wrong for them.
