Gray Matter Baseball ... and Life

Breaking down Snider's swing

2012-03-08T09:03:00.002-05:00

A tantalizing Travis Snider homered against the Pirates on Wednesday and threw out another base runner, his third assist of the spring. A day earlier, however, he struck out three times against the Phillies and left my sun-tanning Blue Jays friends (hey, there, nice to finally meet you) shaking their heads in Dunedin, Fla. After the game, I talked with Snider about his evolving swing and the ongoing quest to find his timing -- and the battle with Eric Thames. It's early, I know, and spring training is all about regaining your rhythm at the plate. There's another hitting coach in the picture, too. Snider is focusing on quieting his hands, seeing the ball deeper into the strike zone and "not pulling off" breaking pitches. We chatted for 10 minutes on the topic. Before turning on my voice recorder, I asked him why his swing has a tendency to be late to contact.

"You said it, the timing. In the past, I've had a lot move movement," he said. "I've started simplifying things with my hands and my 'gather' or 'load.' There are different ways to describe it, but it's all about making sure I'm on time to recognize the pitch, make the proper adjustment if necessary and hit the baseball." ... We talked about today's swing compared, to say, 2009:

"I started off mechanically great (in 2009) and fell off and got into some bad habits. Ever since then, it's been a matter of trying to figure out what's going to work for the long term instead of trying to find a Band-Aid to fix it," he said. "The biggest difference, I'd say, is where I start my hands and simplifying the movement and not having so much room to travel with my hands and getting into slot ... I'm working on waiting back on off-speed (pitches) without completely pulling off the baseball." ... Here's a look at one swing sequence against the Phillies:

Kevin Littlefield/Staff

Blue Jays and Phillies in Dunedin

2012-03-06T08:12:00.005-05:00

Here at spring training with the Blue Jays, all eyes are on Sergio Santos, whose fastball and slider are enough to close out games, and now he's refining a changeup. I just love that photo! Today we're at the Jays-Phillies game in Dunedin, watching Ricky Romero throw two scoreless and catching up with Brett Lawrie in pregame. Jose Bautista's setup, load and timing of swing is a thing of beauty. What is Robinzon Diaz doing right now?

Kevin Littlefield/Staff photographer

Noah Syndergaard throwing "downhill bullets"

2012-03-05T23:18:00.001-05:00

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Spent the day at Blue Jays minor-league camp, catching with old friends and getting a chance to watch Noah Syndergaard throw some lightning bolts. The big Texan is every bit of 6-foot-5 and stands tall, maximizing downward trajectory. While standing behind catcher Santiago Nessy, I got a sense of what it might feel like trying to hit Syndergaard. The term "throwing downhill" comes to mind as his fastball vapor-trails from a 3/4 arm slot (maybe a bit higher) and into the glove. If this kid starts commanding his changeup, it's over. Noah, still only 19 years old, says the changeup is currently his second-best pitch. Interview here ... Sal Fasano: "He's the best pure thrower we have, hitting 97, 98. Mechanics are getting better and better. He has a chance to be something special," Sal Fasano said. "The key is having a workable delivery that he can repeat over and over again." My guess is the Blue Jays will assign Syndergaard to Single-A Dunedin, and if he dominates, they'll give him a taste of Double-A in July. Who is heading north to New Hampshire? It's still too early to say, but catcher A.J. Jimenez is currently penciled in as the Fisher Cats catcher. Middle infielder Ryan Goins is likely headed to New Hampshire, along with power-hitting outfielder Brad Glenn ... Alan Farina threw his first bullpen (20 pitches) since Tommy John surgery and was encouraged. Farina begins the year on the 60-day DL and hopes to be throwing at 100 percent by July.

Random Brad Emaus update

2012-03-04T21:55:00.002-05:00

Forgive me if Brad Emaus seemed a bit out of place on a practice field at Red Sox spring training, in the afternoon, grinding it out while big leaguers were done for the day -- already fishing or golfing. After all, Emaus was the opening day shortstop for the Mets last season. Didn't quite work out, though. Today he's looking for a minor-league infield job with the Sox ... "Brad's a good offensive player," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. "For whatever reason, he's was running out of opportunity. We got him into camp, and we'll get a chance to know him better this spring. We're hopeful he can help us, more likely, at the minor-league level to start. He's a guy that's always hit. We'll see if that translates to Boston."

Red Sox minor leaguer Brad Emaus takes infield in Fort Myers, Fla. Kevin Littlefield/Staff photographer

More on Emaus and ex-Blue Jays Jesse Carlson in my baseball column for the New Hampshire Union Leader. Cherington on Carlson: "He had one really good year in Toronto (in 2008). He's mostly a matchup-lefty. Low arm angle and good slider. He gives lefties fits when he's going well."

Blue Jays and Pirates Notes

2012-03-04T18:49:00.005-05:00

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Bling in Bradenton! That was the pregame theme as members of the 2011 Fisher Cats got their first look at the Eastern League championship ring before today's game against the Pirates. Fisher Cats team photographer Kevin Littlefield, who was given a ring for all his hard work through the years, showed it off following batting practice ... "It was awesome. I can't even describe it with words, when you see the symbol of all the hard work," said Travis d'Arnaud, who played against his older brother, Pirates infielder Chase.

Travis Snider drove in three runs, and catcher Jeff Mathis made a "web gem" (John Farrell's words) in the fifth inning, pouncing on a well-placed bunt by Alex Presley ... Anthony Gose put on a display of speed and athleticism, scoring from second base on a squib grounder to the right side during Toronto's 8-5 win. Hard to fathom, I know. Gose said he just kept going on the Snider chopper, and, luckily for him, Pirates were caught sleeping ... I asked Gose after the game, "Were trying to show off your speed or what?" He replied, "Gotta do something!"

Huskies hanging with the Red Sox today

2012-03-03T12:13:00.006-05:00

Sophomore center fielder Connor Lyons of Bedford, N.H., is playing center field and batting ninth today against the Red Sox ... Younger brother Sean Lyons replaced his brother in the sixth inning at JetBlue Park ...“It’s really unbelievable just seeing these guys and being in front of them. You don’t know what to think at first. You’re and you’re excited at the same time,” Connor said. “I can’t believe how far and hard these guys hit the ball with such little effort. It looks like they are just barely swinging and they’re hitting the ball 400 feet."

Lineup card as penned by Northeastern head coach Neil McPhee, in his 27th season, today at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla. The Red Sox won, 25-0.

Sam Fuld and "insanely gifted athletes"

2012-03-02T12:48:00.001-05:00

The Legend continues. It was great to catch up with New Hampshire native Sam Fuld in Port Charlotte, Fla., yesterday. The man dropped great insight on the game and money quotes, as usual: "I learned a lot (last year), but, above all, I learned this game is really, really hard. I always knew that, of course, but to play at the highest level over the course of 162 games takes a ton of mental strength. Each, you're pitted against insanely gifted athletes -- and that takes a toll on you after a while." My two favorite shots from the afternoon:

Kevin Littlefield/Staff photographer

Jason Varitek, a great captain, retires

2012-02-29T22:10:00.001-05:00

Jason Varitek will officially retire Thursday in Fort Myers -- and the Green Monster is already prepped. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine on the former captain: "From afar, he was everything you want in a guy who wore the 'C.' He was a man's man. He was a big hitter when needed He was the leader of the pitching staff. He was able to beat up Alex (Rodriguez). All that stuff is good stuff. He was exactly what he was supposed to be."

Kevin Littlefield/Staff photographer

Just another New Hampshire angle ...

2012-02-29T15:03:00.005-05:00

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- This is big for The 603: Minnesota Twins pitcher Terry Doyle finished his Wednesday workout at the team's spring-training complex and received some great news from pitching coach Rick Anderson: “You’re starting against the Red Sox.”

Doyle, a Salem (N.H.) native, will be the first visiting big leaguer to take the mound at JetBlue Park. Boston’s official opener of the Grapefruit League will be televised Sunday on NESN at 1:30 p.m.

The big righty went 7-5 (3.24 ERA) and threw a pair of complete games for Double-A Birmingham last season. Doyle, 26, made a big impression on the Twins during the Arizona Fall League. They scooped him up during baseball's winter meetings in the Rule 5 Draft ... In other news, Lars Anderson is still a fascinating guy to talk with:

Breakfast in bed

2012-02-29T08:17:00.001-05:00

Good morning!

Bobby Valentine: "Jeter was out of position."

2012-02-28T18:13:00.000-05:00

The Red Sox were working on relay throws and cut-off situations today, leading to a question about the famous Derek Jeter play from the 2001 American League Division Series.

Watch out for Jesse's curve

2012-02-28T10:47:00.000-05:00

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Former Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson is once again throwing pain-free after spending all of last season recovering from rotator cuff surgery. He signed a split contract with the Red Sox and has a good shot at winning a bullpen job.

“I know what I can do when I’m healthy. I think here with the Red Sox I’ll actually be used how I should be used,” Carlson said. "There (with Toronto), it didn’t matter if we were winning, losing. If we were up 10 or down 10, it was kind of like, ‘Let’s put Carlson in.’ That’s fine. I’m not going to complain. I’m there to pitch. I did everything I could to help the team. I just think, being that we have so many good guys in the (Boston) bullpen, I think each guy will have specific roles. I think my role will be to get left-handers out.”

The slender Carlson is loaded with tattoos on his upper body, including a "good vs. evil theme" on his arms. In 2009, he was involved with a bench-clearing brawl at Yankee Stadium that started after Jorge Posada gave him a forearm shiver while crossing home plate.

Spring Training Day 3: Familiar faces

2012-02-28T02:49:00.002-05:00

On every road trip, I always seem to find someone from New Hampshire, and try to mention them in a story, but yesterday took the cake. Just some of the folks from The 603: fans David T. Segal and son Benjamin of Bow, Nicole Pappas of Nashua, Nick Mourgenous and family from Dover, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington of Meriden, Red Sox minor-league coach Ralph Truel of Wolfeboro, Red Sox psychology coach Bob Tewksbury of Concord, WTPL Radio crew of Concord, and I'll even include ex-Fisher Cats Jesse Carlson and Brad Emaus.

Back in Blue Video Podcast VIII

2012-02-27T21:53:00.003-05:00

These guys totally cracked me up this week, wearing eyeblack stickers and having fun with some random stuff I sent them. Been meaning to give them a shoutout here in the Gray Matter Swag District. Love the passion of these guys and how they swagged up at 10:45.

Spring Training first stop: Fort Myers

2012-02-27T16:37:00.003-05:00

The coolest thing about JetBlue Park is how it looks and feels like the 100-year-old Fenway version in Boston -- and today it was 87 degrees. Hello from Fort Myers, Fla., where the Red Sox unveiled a $78 million player development complex and ballpark, funded with tourist taxes. I'm loving the $5 tickets for a lawn spot beyond right field, and an interesting Green Monster with seats in the middle of it.

The new Pesky Pole at JetBlue Park is already Fenway-esque.

Everyone here is happy, except for Josh Beckett, who apparently hasn't turned the page on last year's Beer and Chicken Controvery, a symbol of the epic September collapse. Beckett told WEEI today that someone in the clubhouse was a snitch and made up those reports of Beckett and others playing video games and crushing KFC during the late innings at Fenway Park.

"Somebody made that stuff up, just like somebody made up that we were doing stuff," Beckett said in the interview. "This is stupid. I don't understand what the big deal is. Somebody was trying to save their own ass, and it probably cost a lot of people their asses. The snitching [expletive], that's [expletive]. It's not good."

I caught up with ex-Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson, who'll be pitching in Thursday's "B game" against the Twins. The lefty threw live batting practice today and looked terrific. He said his shoulder is back at 100 percent, and he's looking make a big impact in Boston's bullpen.

Bobby Valentine is beginning to grow on me. Seventy percent of voters in a poll (right panel) believe Bobby V is a "blowhard" and won't work in Boston. He keeps asking everyone questions and is trying to learn something new about the Red Sox every moment of the day.

Fisher Cats aren't going anywhere

2012-02-26T00:24:00.001-05:00

I believe the Fisher Cats and Blue Jays will re-up for another two years on their player development contract, keeping Toronto's Double-A team in New Hampshire through at least 2014.

That doesn't jive with the game plan in Ottawa, where city leaders are attempting to land an Eastern League franchise, preferably the Jays' affiliate, as early as 2013. One problem: there is no EL team owner willing to move to Ottawa. League president Joe McEachern has no franchise application on his desk, no lease agreement, and absolutely no reason to believe the Blue Jays are moving their Double-A team to Ottawa.

The Fisher Cats will remain in New Hampshire whether they are aligned with the Blue Jays, Twins, Rays or another team. Many fans around here are hoping the Fisher Cats eventually become an affiliate of the Red Sox, who are signed to play in Portland, Maine, through 2014. Ottawa is a long way from landing a team but the city is sure creating a buzz, as reported in my baseball column in today's New Hampshire Sunday News.

“The people of Ottawa are trying to position themselves for consideration to have an Eastern League franchise,” McEachern said. “There’s still an awful lot of work to be done for them to host a team, not the least of which is finding an owner of (an affiliated) team to move there.”

The Fisher Cats and Blue Jays have agreed to a player development contract through 2012. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say they'll extend the PDC for another two years with an announcement this spring or summer. Fisher Cats team president Rick Brenner directed any questions about affiliations to the league office.

“The Blue Jays have a great relationship with New Hampshire. The only way the Blue Jays would ever leave New Hampshire – and nobody, absolutely nobody has talked with Toronto about this happening – would be if another team agreed to come (to New Hampshire). It would have to be a win-win situation for everyone," McEachern said.

Charlie Wilson, Toronto's director of minor league operations, has told me the Blue Jays want to stay in Manchester as long as possible, saying the club's relationship with NH is "amazing."

Hey, kids, who wants a Zim Bear?

2012-02-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

Bobbleheads are a fine giveaway, a nice little gift, if you're one of those people with a basement full of dusty ceramic heads, praying for a retweet by @LunchBoxHero45. In other words, get a life. Bobbleheads have gotten annoying. They break within days. Their cardboard boxes litter baseball stadiums on giveaway day. Kids fight over them. They're all made in China by kids, and I wouldn't want to test the paint. Bobbleheads made a solid run for, oh, 50 years, and there was simply no way to advance the promotional idea -- until this! Say hello to Zim, a creepy Don Zimmer-fied bear to be given away by the Tampa Bay Rays on June 29 against the Detroit Tigers. Mercy.

Random find on the popular Internet

2012-02-23T04:59:00.000-05:00

We love Stubby Clapp and always will. When he played for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2004, he'd back-flip over the rubber-crumbed artificial turf while taking the field in the first inning. And now some video excellence to start your day:

More audio excellence from Matt Bonner

2012-02-23T04:45:00.002-05:00

We decided NBA veteran Matt Bonner, who lives outside of San Antonio, needs a ranch. Doesn't he? Come on, Red Rocket, buy a ranch. Tim Duncan must have a ranch.

"Nobody has a ranch. That’s something to have if you’re from Texas, like Josh Beckett. He has a ranch," Bonner said on our radio show this week. "Who wants to take care of a ranch?"

You hire people for that.

"Yeah, but then you have to watch them. It all seems like a big headache to me. No, thanks. I’m from New Hampshire, where we grow up shoveling and raking. That’s enough. I don’t need to be shoveling livestock manure."

Fundamentals of hitting

2012-02-19T20:18:00.001-05:00

As a head coach of the AAU Granite State Gamers 13U baseball team, we talk a lot about being on time and ready to hit. This means having a proper load and developing a rhythm as the pitcher delivers. I like to see hitters stride and get down their front foot while remaining loaded or coiled. As you plant the front foot, practice keeping your front side "closed off" and firm at point of contact. We call this front leg resistance, something I have worked on camps with coach Kenny Joyce of the S.F. Giants. He always says, "Be on time. Be on plane. Be in rhythm." Check it out:

Here is one of our players showing a firm front side and generating a powerful swing by getting that foot down:

The Red Rocket Chronicles

2012-02-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

Chris Ryan, my co-host for "The NBA Life with Matt Bonner" extracted this audio gem from the Red Rocket on our last show. Bonner was in Philadelphia for Twilight Zone moment. Chris: What's a good story from the road lately?

Bonner: We came in to Philly, and I dropped my bags off and went to do an interview with a band called “The War on Drugs.” I came back, got in the cab, told the driver we were staying at the Four Seasons. That’s where we’ve always stayed since I’ve been with the Spurs for the past five years.

I got on the elevator and went to hit Floor 9 – I did remember what floor I was on – but there were only eight floors. I’m thinking, "That’s odd. There must be another elevator that goes to the higher floors.” I took a stroll around the lobby, and now I’m thinking, “What the heck?” I pulled out my hotel key: Ritz Carlton. I was at the wrong hotel. That’s my story. I know it sounds bad. Tough life. We’re at the Ritz Carlton, not the Four Seasons, but it’s still a funny story.

What's happening is Linconceivable

2012-02-17T00:33:00.000-05:00

The first time Jeremy Lin played against the University of New Hampshire, he scored five points in 26 minutes as Harvard beat the Wildcats, 83-81, in overtime. He was never spectacular in games against Dartmouth and UNH, and it wasn't a surprise he wasn't drafted. Today Lin has reached a Supernova of stardom with the Knicks, sparking a previously awful team to seven straight wins.

Dartmouth coach Paul Cormier, who previously scouted for Golden State and recommended the Warriors draft Lin in the second round of 2010, said everyone can learn from "Linsanity." My full story is in today's New Hampshire Union Leader.

“He was basically told he wasn’t good enough to play in the NBA when he wasn’t drafted. Now the Knicks haven’t lost with him on the court and there’s a lot of believers, but the reason he is in this position today is because the one person who didn’t give up on him was himself," said Cormier, who gave his Dartmouth team a motivational talk leading up to Friday's game against Yale. “Some people may have given up on us or given up on you as an individual, and you might think coaches or some teammates have given up on you, but the one thing you cannot do, and Jeremy Lin is the perfect example, is you cannot give up on yourself.”

Jeremy Lin inspires us all.

Analytics and anacondas

2012-02-16T13:47:00.001-05:00

I like glancing at Blogger analytics and learning about my audience. Since Gray Matter was launched in October, we've had 46,278 visitors from Canada and 39,334 from the United States. Only 146 readers have checked in from Japan, which is strange considering I'm big in Japan, literally. How do people get here? Besides Twitter and Facebook? Well, drunkjaysfans.com has sent 5,584 readers and bluebirdbanter.com 463. Thank you ... And some of the random Web searches and keywords people have used to find the site:

"Tim Thomas moustache" (119 searches. Seriously)

"Drew Hutchison scouting report" (78).

"Yu Darvish decision" (76. Too soon?)

"Mark Sobolewski melanoma" (25)

"Vince Wilfork wife" (10 searches. No, really)

"Ricky Romero Rima Fakih breakup" (9)

"Jake Marisnick prospect" (8)

"Anacondas hunt alligator" (1)

"Redcoats from the Revolutionary War" (1)

"Kevin Gray swag" (1)

Proving Ricky Romero is a great sport

2012-02-14T15:29:00.001-05:00

Here's a special sports front that was made for Ricky Romero after the Celtics defeated the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. Though never published, it was part of an inside joke as teammates and the media began ganging up Ricky and love for the Lakers. He actually did wear that Celtics No. 11 shirt (Glen "Big Baby" Davis) during batting practice one day, the result of losing a bet.

And here is the postgame video of Ricky answering questions while his Lakers are getting crushed in Game 7. Watch the end of the video to see how the Fisher Cats decorated his locker. Brian Jeroloman was a big part of this:

Lineup card from a 2009 game in which Romero took on the Binghamton Mets:

Headlines you'll see from Spring Training

2012-02-12T02:52:00.000-05:00

Storylines to watch for at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin:

Media buzz: new closer Sergio Santos. This time he's at big-league camp in Dunedin.

All eyes on: Kyle Drabek. Could be the X Factor to Toronto's rotation.

Rising star: Travis d'Arnaud is creating a nice catching problem for the Jays.

Breaking out: OF Colby Rasmus and 3B Brett Lawrie.

Friendly competition: Eric Thames and Travis Snider in left field.

Protection needed: Jose Bautista's 2011 season was even more impressive when considering his lack of protection. Adam Lind needs a bounce-back season in the five-hole.

Intriguing prospect: Moises Sierra. Earned a spot on the 40-man after a championship Double-A season. Sweet tools.

The view from J.P. Arencibia's crib at Clearwater Beach this spring.
Photo by the mayor of the K2 Swag District.