There are box scores!
On Sunday the Phillies played the University of Tampa Spartans. Peshastin’s Cesar Hernandez was the first EFL player to appear in a 2015 spring training game. He went 0 for 2, but also walked and stole a base. This was, I guess, a positive result — 3.44 rc/g is better than nothing, right? So the Pears leapt to the early EFL 2015 lead! (1)
Yesterday the Marlins played the FIU Panthers, but didn’t unleash any EFL players. However, five EFLers appeared for the Tigers played the Florida Southern Mocs. (2) Here are their line scores:
Jose Iglesias (OD), ss: 0 for 1.
JD Martinez (HD), rf: 0 for 1.
Yoenis Cespedes (KD), lf: 0 for 1.
Nick Castellanos (PA), 3b: 0 for 1.
Rajai Davis (KD), cf: 0 for 0 (HBP).
The Wolverines rejoiced that Iglesias got through an entire AB without breaking anything. But that’s not enough to win games.
Rajai Davis was the only EFLer to make any positive contribution, but oh what a contribution it was! That 0 for 0 with a HBP is worth an infinite number of runs per game. Combining it with Cespedes’ 0 for 1 brings the run rate down to 3.44, tied with the Pears. But the Drive have two defensive positions covered to the Pears’ one, so Kaline has the clear early edge.
(1) Spring training version.
(2) I have to say Florida Southern doesn’t impress me. There is no excuse for any institution of higher education, no matter how low on the academic totem pole, to misspell its own team name like that.
Given Cesar Hernandez’s likely future with the Pears (very short), fans in Peshastin weren’t excited.