FORT MYERS, Fla.Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine is pleased with how the first two weeks of spring training have gone for his team.
The pitchers and the catchers have done a real good job of working together in all their bullpen sessions, he said. They talked about what they want to do and they seem to be working together well. Fundamentals of pitching, fielding, a few other things they have to do seem to be building okay. And the position players now are starting to get a rhythm of things where theyre fielding and hitting the way theyre going to be expected to as this spring progresses. And our health has been exceptional I feel.
Having all the players in camp before the official reporting date has helped. It also means the usual soreness of spring training has been sped up for some players.
Overall, knock on wood, when youre as injury-free as weve been, and then when I have guys come in and tell me that the reps that theyve gotten are the reps that they needed and that the feel things coming together, the way I see things coming together I think were fine, Valentine said. I think for two weeks, we had a little head start. I suspect that pitchers arms should be a little tired right about now. This is next week this week because were a little ahead of schedule. So I would suspect some guys will be today, tomorrow, the next day, either arms are heavy. Is that what we usually say? Heavy, dull, dead, those things. This is what thats about , five days away, three days.