Mormon Baseball

For some players, spring training has to be stressful. If your status reads “NRI” (non-roster invitee) or if you are at the bottom of your team’s depth chart (or you think you are), then how well you do in spring training makes all the difference.

The Indian’s Elliot Johnson, in spring training as a non-roster invitee,  must be struggling with that now. And so far he seems to be making a strong case. Johnson was 5 for 13 last week (.385) with 3 rbis, bringing his total so-far to 5 rbis in just 16 at bats. Can he keep this level of performance up for most of spring training? If he does, will it mean he makes the roster?

It is probably a good sign that Johnson has done better at the plate than any other Mormon player so far, including Bryce Harper. Harper was 3 for 10 last week, with 3 rbis and a home run, a walk and a stolen base. But that’s about the level everyone expects of Harper. No one expects that kind of performance from Elliot Johnson.

Among pitchers, the standouts are Brandon Lyon (also NRI) and Kyle Farnsworth. Lyon has given up just 1 hit in 3 innings of work while striking out two. Farnsworth gave up just 2 hits last week in 2 innings of work, but that follows a bad 2 innings the previous week in which he gave up 2 hits — including a home run.

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• Darwin Barney — second base — Chicago Cubs
  1 for 12 (.083), 0 runs, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 2 so
  YTD: .235, 1 runs, 2 rbi, 1 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 2 so in 17 at bats.
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• John Buck — backup catcher — Seattle Mariners
  1 for 6 (.167), 1 runs, 1 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 0 so
  YTD: .200, 1 runs, 1 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 0 so in 10 at bats.
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• Jacoby Ellsbury — centerfield — New York Yankees
  1 for 8 (.125), 0 runs, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .143, 3 runs, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 5 bb, 0 sb, 5 so in 14 at bats.
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• Kyle Farnsworth — relief pitcher — New York Mets
  0-0, 0.00 era, 2 hits, 0 er, 0 bb, and 1 k in 3.0 innings
  YTD: 0-0, era 2.25, 4 hits, 1 er, 1 bb and 1 k in 4.0 innings
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• Doug Fister — starting pitcher — Washington Nationals
  Did not pitch
  YTD: 0-0, era 4.50, 2 hits, 1 er, 1 bb and 2 k in 2.0 innings
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• Jeremy Guthrie — starting pitcher — Kansas City Royals
  0-0, 13.50 era, 4 hits, 3 er, 0 bb, and 1 k in 2.0 innings
  YTD: 0-0, era 13.50, 4 hits, 3 er, 0 bb and 1 k in 2.0 innings
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• Bryce Harper — starting centerfield — Washington Nationals
  3 for 10 (.300), 3 runs, 3 rbi, 1 hr, 1 bb, 1 sb, 1 so
  YTD: .273, 3 runs, 3 rbi, 1 hr, 3 bb, 1 sb, 1 so in 11 at bats.
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• Elliot Johnson — second base — Cleveland Indians
  5 for 13 (.385), 1 runs, 3 rbi, 0 hr, 0 bb, 0 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .375, 2 runs, 5 rbi, 1 hr, 0 bb, 0 sb, 5 so in 16 at bats.
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• Josh Johnson — starting pitcher — San Diego Padres
  0-0, 5.40 era, 5 hits, 3 er, 1 bb, and 5 k in 5.0 innings
  YTD: 0-0, era 5.40, 5 hits, 3 er, 1 bb and 5 k in 5.0 innings
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• Matt Lindstrom — Chicago White Sox, reliever and maybe closer
  Did not pitch
  YTD: 0-0, era n/a, 0 hits, 0 er, 0 bb and 0 k in 0.0 innings
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• Brandon Lyon — relief pitcher — Los Angeles Angels
  0-0, 0.00 era, 1 hits, 0 er, 0 bb, and 1 k in 2.0 innings
  YTD: 0-0, era 0.00, 1 hits, 0 er, 0 bb and 2 k in 3.0 innings
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• Clayton Mortensen — relief pitcher — Kansas City Royals
  Did not pitch
  YTD: 0-0, era n/a, 0 hits, 0 er, 0 bb and 0 k in 0.0 innings
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• Shane Peterson — Oakland As minor league affiliate, infield
  1 for 5 (.200), 0 runs, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 3 bb, 0 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .167, 0 runs, 1 rbi, 0 hr, 4 bb, 0 sb, 6 so in 12 at bats.
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• Adam Rosales — Texas Rangers, backup infielder
  1 for 7 (.143), 1 runs, 2 rbi, 0 hr, 0 bb, 0 sb, 3 so
  YTD: .167, 2 runs, 3 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 5 so in 12 at bats.
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• Eric Sogard — Oakland As, backup short stop
  3 for 12 (.250), 0 runs, 2 rbi, 0 hr, 0 bb, 0 sb, 2 so
  YTD: .143, 0 runs, 2 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 4 so in 21 at bats.
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