Chad Tracy hints at Crimson Sox calling up participant with 60 steals
Boston Crimson Sox
“Each time he will get on, he’s not afraid.”
Chad Tracy and the Crimson Sox nonetheless have loads of work to do in the case of clinching a playoff berth within the coming days.
After that, it’s about formulating one of the best postseason roster to beat a seemingly inevitable best-of-three collection within the Bronx.
One precedence for Boston? Including pace to the roster as soon as the calendar flips to the postseason, particularly with Eli White doubtless sidelined for the beginning of the playoffs attributable to a ligament damage in his foot.
With runs at a premium in October, groups usually are inclined to put an emphasis on including gamers within the playoffs who can swipe a base or two at a vital time — as evidenced by Dave Roberts in 2004 and Quintin Berry in 2013 with Boston.
As such, Crimson Sox interim supervisor Chad Tracy acknowledged on WEEI’s “Wealthy and Ken with Ted Johnson” that he may contemplate calling up Worcester Crimson Sox outfielder Braiden Ward for the postseason roster — in what can be his first video games within the huge leagues.
It is perhaps an unorthodox transfer in the case of throwing a profession minor-leaguer straight into the fireplace of playoff baseball, however Ward’s skillset is clear.
The 27-year-old Ward has been a monster on the basepaths down in Triple-A — stealing 60 bases in 106 video games for the Woo Sox whereas solely getting caught 9 instances.
Ward has been a sparkplug since arriving within the Crimson Sox group as a part of a November commerce with the Rockies — with the speedster setting a Grapefruit League document throughout spring coaching after stealing 19 bases in simply 27 video games.
Talking forward of Boston’s sport in opposition to the Rangers, Tracy added that Ward is the kind of participant who might serve a crucial function come October.
“It’s simply onerous to say, apart from to say he has stolen 60 bases,” Tracy instructed MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “It’s very apparent you’ve a man down there that has a very good skill to run and steal bases. We’ll see [when] we get on the finish of the season and the way all that matches.”
Despite the fact that Ward’s bat could not stand out (.243 batting common), the Crimson Sox would doubtless solely make the most of him for late-game conditions on the basepaths.
Throughout that 2004 run to a World Sequence, Roberts appeared in three video games for Boston however didn’t document a single plate look.
“Each time he will get on, he’s not afraid,” Tracy added of Ward whereas chatting with Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “That’s the factor. He will get on base, he’s seeking to go. That’s a novel trait. There’s a whole lot of guys that may run and steal bases, after which there’s different guys that each single time I get on, nearly whatever the time of the pitcher, I really feel like I can outrun the ball.”
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