Spring Training thread

[MiddleCoastBias]

Just idle thought here, but I wonder how Eaton is fitting in with this team and carving out his role as a vet. Seems like when he was young, he was doing that Madrigal is doing and probably knows how to approach him. 

From interviews, he sounds like he knows he was brought in to fire guys up and be the gritty vet, show the ropes, etc. But he also knows this isn't "his" team and he doesn't need to be "the voice".

No real point here, just the Madrigal discussion has me wondering how everyone is coming together and finding their roles early.

[chitownsportsfan]

8 minutes ago, MiddleCoastBias said:

Just idle thought here, but I wonder how Eaton is fitting in with this team and carving out his role as a vet. Seems like when he was young, he was doing that Madrigal is doing and probably knows how to approach him. 

From interviews, he sounds like he knows he was brought in to fire guys up and be the gritty vet, show the ropes, etc. But he also knows this isn't "his" team and he doesn't need to be "the voice".

No real point here, just the Madrigal discussion has me wondering how everyone is coming together and finding their roles early.

Totally.  I was going to post the same thing.  Nick is Eaton 2.0.  Young talented player, small stature, chip on shoulder and tends to rub vets the wrong way.  That said, Eaton has matured, won a championship, seen his career flash before his eyes with bad injuries requiring a lot of rehab and mental toughness.  I hope Eaton takes Nick under his wing.

[Rowand44]

41 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Right, which is why they made the shirt.  Having been in a similar position on low level college teams I can tell you 100% it rubbed the older guys the wrong way, which is why they are giving him gruff.  Better to pass the shirt around and try and make light of the situation with some humor than isolate him in the clubhouse.

LOL.  I guarantee if they didn't like him they wouldn't have made those shirts.  Dude's are having fun with it, you're 100 percent taking this the wrong way.

[Perfect Vision]

45 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Nick 100% rubs vets the wrong way.  Let's hope he takes this well.

They're obviously busting his balls, but I highly doubt Madrigal having a ton of confidence in himself rubs vets the wrong way.  He's not showing anyone up with that comment and they all have a ton of confidence (hell, Eloy just said he thinks he's going to win MVP soon).

Madrigal rubs you the wrong way, that's all.

[Rowand44]

Just now, Perfect Vision said:

They're obviously busting his balls, but I highly doubt Madrigal having a ton of confidence in himself rubs vets the wrong way.  He's not showing anyone up with that comment and they all have a ton of confidence (hell, Eloy just said he thinks he's going to win MVP soon).

Madrigal rubs you the wrong way, that's all.

Exactly.

[chitownsportsfan]

6 minutes ago, Rowand44 said:

LOL.  I guarantee if they didn't like him they wouldn't have made those shirts.  Dude's are having fun with it, you're 100 percent taking this the wrong way.

I guarantee they wouldn't have made the shirts if it didn't bother them.  I guarantee it.  When I was playing DIII my first year in Florida I thought I was hot shit as I had some Juco offers but ended up going to my academic school.  I was a frosh starter on a really bad team but thought I was hot shit so the guys pranked me with a "pro scout" that called the hotel line at 7AM and "wanted to meet me in the lobby to arrange a workout".

I went down to the lobby and it was all the seniors with shit eating grins on their faces.

These things bring teams together when handled correctly.  Like my razzing, Nick will learn to let his play speak and the team will be closer.  It's a credit to Jose and the other leaders like TA that they handled it this way with light teasing and made it a bonding moment instead of a dividing one.

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by chitownsportsfan

[ron883]

Is this their idea of hazing now a days? Very soft, very weak. Gone are the days of the elephant walk. 

[Quin]

1 minute ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I guarantee they wouldn't have made the shirts if it didn't bother them.  I guarantee it.  When I was playing DIII my first year in Florida I thought I was hot shit as I had some Juco offers but ended up going to my academic school.  I was a frosh starter on a really bad team but thought I was hot shit so the guys pranked me with a "pro scout" that called the hotel line at 7AM and "wanted to meet me in the lobby to arrange a workout".

I went down to the lobby and it was all the seniors with shit eating grins on their faces.

These things bring teams together when handled correctly.  Like my razzing, Nick will learn to let his play speak and the team will be closer.  It's a credit to Jose and the other leaders like TA that they handled it this way with light teasing and made it a bonding moment instead of a dividing one.

But I guarantee it made waves among the vets when he said that, guarantee it.

Sounds less like it rubbed them the wrong way and they were just joking around to mess with you.

[HOFHurt35]

48 minutes ago, TomPickle said:

 

 

Lost here is what to me appears to be one of the worst rounds of BP I have ever seen from a ML player.  

That's one ugly ass swing. 

 

[hi8is]

I want one of those shirts ?

[chitownsportsfan]

Just now, Quin said:

Sounds less like it rubbed them the wrong way and they were just joking around to mess with you.

I'll stop posting because honestly I just don't think enough people here played team sports enough or at a high enough level to get it.  There is totally an element of "STFU and be humble" for young cocky players at any level above high school.  Including my summer league travel teams and even my shitty DIII squads.

[Rowand44]

4 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I guarantee they wouldn't have made the shirts if it didn't bother them.  I guarantee it.  When I was playing DIII my first year in Florida I thought I was hot shit as I had some Juco offers but ended up going to my academic school.  I was a frosh starter on a really bad team but thought I was hot shit so the guys pranked me with a "pro scout" that called the hotel line at 7AM and "wanted to meet me in the lobby to arrange a workout".

I went down to the lobby and it was all the seniors with shit eating grins on their faces.

These things bring teams together when handled correctly.  Like my razzing, Nick will learn to let his play speak and the team will be closer.  It's a credit to Jose and the other leaders like TA that they handled it this way with light teasing and made it a bonding moment instead of a dividing one.

 

I...ok.  I'll stick with LOL on your whole opinion of this and move on.

[flavum]

Madrigal turns 24 today.

Konerko is 45. Damn.

Edited March 5, 2021 by flavum

[MiddleCoastBias]

5 minutes ago, ron883 said:

Is this their idea of hazing now a days? Very soft, very weak. Gone are the days of the elephant walk. 

Uhh... good.

[hi8is]

9 minutes ago, HOFHurt35 said:

 

Lost here is what to me appears to be one of the worst rounds of BP I have ever seen from a ML player.  

That's one ugly ass swing. 

 

Why?

[Perfect Vision]

11 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I guarantee they wouldn't have made the shirts if it didn't bother them.  I guarantee it.  When I was playing DIII my first year in Florida I thought I was hot shit as I had some Juco offers but ended up going to my academic school.  I was a frosh starter on a really bad team but thought I was hot shit so the guys pranked me with a "pro scout" that called the hotel line at 7AM and "wanted to meet me in the lobby to arrange a workout".

I went down to the lobby and it was all the seniors with shit eating grins on their faces.

These things bring teams together when handled correctly.  Like my razzing, Nick will learn to let his play speak and the team will be closer.  It's a credit to Jose and the other leaders like TA that they handled it this way with light teasing and made it a bonding moment instead of a dividing one.

 

There's a world of difference between a player saying he thinks he's going to have a great career and saying he thinks he's the best player on the team (or "just throw me the damn ball" as T.O. used to say).  It sounds like what you were probably saying or implying to your teammates back in the day was a lot closer to the latter than the former.

[hi8is]

The shirts say, “He’s putting the 1 back in 3,000.” ?

[Tnetennba]

 

[turnin' two]

39 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I'll stop posting because honestly I just don't think enough people here played team sports enough or at a high enough level to get it.  There is totally an element of "STFU and be humble" for young cocky players at any level above high school.  Including my summer league travel teams and even my shitty DIII squads.

Dude.  It sounds like you were the A hole and your team didn't like you.  That doesn't necessarily equate to Madrigal.  To me it seems like the team giving him some good natured shit after he said something stupid.  You know, like friends do.

[Tnetennba]

 

[Chicago White Sox]

3 hours ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Totally.  I was going to post the same thing.  Nick is Eaton 2.0.  Young talented player, small stature, chip on shoulder and tends to rub vets the wrong way.  That said, Eaton has matured, won a championship, seen his career flash before his eyes with bad injuries requiring a lot of rehab and mental toughness.  I hope Eaton takes Nick under his wing.

You are taking this Mr 3000 thing way too far

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

7 hours ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I'll stop posting because honestly I just don't think enough people here played team sports enough or at a high enough level to get it.  There is totally an element of "STFU and be humble" for young cocky players at any level above high school.  Including my summer league travel teams and even my shitty DIII squads.

this is such a weird take. If they didn't like Madrigal, they wouldn't give him the time of day; they certainly wouldn't have shirts made in fun to poke fun at his confidence.

I'm shocked you're saying that you think high tier athletes are turned off by confidence; go sit in any high level Division 1 Clubhouse and every single player thinks they're the shit. It gets worse the higher the level you go; that's the attitude you need to succeed.

You implied the guys hate him and that's why they're doing that. That's nonsense. If they didn't like him they wouldn't give him the time of day, and they certainly wouldn't go out of their way to have fun with him at his expense. I think it says they like Nick if anything. I wouldn't spend time poking fun at a teammate I hated; only the ones I liked.

[Jerksticks]

6 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

this is such a weird take. If they didn't like Madrigal, they wouldn't give him the time of day; they certainly wouldn't have shirts made in fun to poke fun at his confidence.

I'm shocked you're saying that you think high tier athletes are turned off by confidence; go sit in any high level Division 1 Clubhouse and every single player thinks they're the shit. It gets worse the higher the level you go; that's the attitude you need to succeed.

You implied the guys hate him and that's why they're doing that. That's nonsense. If they didn't like him they wouldn't give him the time of day, and they certainly wouldn't go out of their way to have fun with him at his expense. I think it says they like Nick if anything. I wouldn't spend time poking fun at a teammate I hated; only the ones I liked.

Isn’t all this just Guy 101?

[BigHurt3515]

I am confused why anyone who be upset with what he said. The kid has confidence in his skills and made lofty goals, who the hell cares?

[Heads22]

8 hours ago, Rowand44 said:

LOL.  I guarantee if they didn't like him they wouldn't have made those shirts.  Dude's are having fun with it, you're 100 percent taking this the wrong way.