In response to carnie's comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

... three names:  Hermida, Tejada (Oscar), McDonald ...

Would that be DMac?

The very same.

Love that guy. Too bad he couldn't hit...

And, there Carnie, is the very pith of my OP.  The fine gentlemen listed there, including the infinitely likeable D-Mac, were the last 3 Spring Training team leaders in batting.

I will say that I think that JBJ will hit better than any of them. One skill that seems to translate pretty well across levels is the ability to get on base. And even after enduring a fairly horrific slump to end last year he still put up a .430 OBP for the year. But anyone expecting him to start off in the ML and dominate big league pitching right away is likely to be disappointed.

Think you won't have to worry about the DMac comparisions for long. Its just a matter of time that JBJ is the starting CF for RS and one of the better CF's in baseball. None of these guys had any where near the talent that JBJ has shown in the minors. He's alreday played on a championship team at South Carolina and hopefully will do same as member of RS. 

My cautionary examples

Hermida and those other rag tag names are not "cautionary examples". Bradley's skill set has little to do with those Red Sox rejects.

Big difference between saying Bradley, Jr. is the best option for opening day starting OF roster slot and claiming he's a "savior". That's your strawman to rationalize the silly notion that he should start the season in the minors.

What I DID argue though, is that dismissing doubt about his readiness purely based on his ST hitting is silly.  

Anyone who hasn't played a lot of MLB games has doubts. Your argument is an empty gun. His performance in ST is not comparable to Hermida and others who bombed out of MLB and ended up on a dumpster that Red Sox management used to driect attention away from their incompetence.

The past isn't a predictor of the future, very good Space. You have an agenda, but your argument is empty.

The issue is whether the Red Sox should pretend that a few more weeks or months of spring training for Bradley is the more prudent decision on when to allow this unproven "purely based on silly ST" first time up in the majors, given the alternative.

A bigger question is Ellsbury's "readiness". After taking half the year to make sure he was healthy for 2012, he was not ready for the big leagues;)

Space, when will get your extension offer for Ellsbury? You made a big deal about a FA contract from bidding and one done through extension to cover FA years. So, what's your extension offer for Ellsbury? And is he "ready" to perform at a superstar FA contract level? Inquiring minds want to know, Space. Bradley's future with the Red Sox is almost a certainty, but Ellsbury's future with the Red Sox appears a few months from ending.  

In response to softlaw2's comment:

What I DID argue though, is that dismissing doubt about his readiness purely based on his ST hitting is silly.  

Anyone who hasn't played a lot of MLB games has doubts. Your argument is an empty gun. His performance in ST is not comparable to Hermida and others who bombed out of MLB and ended up on a dumpster that Red Sox management used to driect attention away from their incompetence.

The past isn't a predictor of the future, very good Space. You have an agenda, but your argument is empty.

The issue is whether the Red Sox should pretend that a few more weeks or months of spring training for Bradley is the more prudent decision on when to allow this unproven "purely based on silly ST" first time up in the majors, given the alternative.

A bigger question is Ellsbury's "readiness". After taking half the year to make sure he was healthy for 2012, he was not ready for the big leagues;)

Space, when will get your extension offer for Ellsbury? You made a big deal about a FA contract from bidding and one done through extension to cover FA years. So, what's your extension offer for Ellsbury? And is he "ready" to perform at a superstar FA contract level? Inquiring minds want to know, Space. Bradley's future with the Red Sox is almost a certainty, but Ellsbury's future with the Red Sox appears a few months from ending.  

I have no agenda on JBJ.  Not sure how offering some perspective to those swept up in the hype is having an agenda.

But speaking of agendas, I will address yours:

my hypothetical extension offer to Ellsbury (though I qualify by saying it is completely absurd for anyone to conjecture or ask for without having any 2013 perfromance to base it on), I offer him ... I don't know ... lets say, 4/50.

And, I have no idea about how Ellsbury will perform.  Assuming that he will be 2011 ellsbury is as ludicrous as assuming he will bomb.  We shall just have to see.

In response to SpacemanEephus's comment:

In response to softlaw2's comment:

What I DID argue though, is that dismissing doubt about his readiness purely based on his ST hitting is silly.  

Anyone who hasn't played a lot of MLB games has doubts. Your argument is an empty gun. His performance in ST is not comparable to Hermida and others who bombed out of MLB and ended up on a dumpster that Red Sox management used to driect attention away from their incompetence.

The past isn't a predictor of the future, very good Space. You have an agenda, but your argument is empty.

The issue is whether the Red Sox should pretend that a few more weeks or months of spring training for Bradley is the more prudent decision on when to allow this unproven "purely based on silly ST" first time up in the majors, given the alternative.

A bigger question is Ellsbury's "readiness". After taking half the year to make sure he was healthy for 2012, he was not ready for the big leagues;)

Space, when will get your extension offer for Ellsbury? You made a big deal about a FA contract from bidding and one done through extension to cover FA years. So, what's your extension offer for Ellsbury? And is he "ready" to perform at a superstar FA contract level? Inquiring minds want to know, Space. Bradley's future with the Red Sox is almost a certainty, but Ellsbury's future with the Red Sox appears a few months from ending.  

I have no agenda on JBJ.  Not sure how offering some perspective to those swept up in the hype is having an agenda.

But speaking of agendas, I will address yours:

my hypothetical extension offer to Ellsbury (though I qualify by saying it is completely absurd for anyone to conjecture or ask for without having any 2013 perfromance to base it on), I offer him ... I don't know ... lets say, 4/50.

And, I have no idea about how Ellsbury will perform.  Assuming that he will be 2011 ellsbury is as ludicrous as assuming he will bomb.  We shall just have to see.

Space,  The SHIP has sailed on Jacoby........ The stars are no where in line for him to have a solid year in a R S uniform ....  He must go !!!

In response to softlaw2's comment:

Your delusional thread makes the point that you don't "love Bradley".

Folks, anyone see the comparison to Bradley and Hermida. That's not a question.

OK, so let me get this straight:  Anything short of Bradley Must Start the Season in Boston means I don't like him?

My cautionary examples of how ST hitting is not always a good indicator of major league success is delusional?

No, my friend.  My stance on JBJ is anything but delusional.  My stance is rational. Delusional is:  Hey this kid is so good RIGHT NOW that even thinking about holding on to a control year is penny-pinching idiocy because the kid is going to save the Sox season in the first 11 days.  Delusional is:  How dare you question the major league readiness of Jackie Bradley Jr.:  He is is hitting .500+ in Spring Training!

... three names:  Hermida, Tejada (Oscar), McDonald ...

... three names:  Hermida, Tejada (Oscar), McDonald ...

In response to SpacemanEephus's comment:

In response to softlaw2's comment:

Your delusional thread makes the point that you don't "love Bradley".

Folks, anyone see the comparison to Bradley and Hermida. That's not a question.

OK, so let me get this straight:  Anything short of Bradley Must Start the Season in Boston means I don't like him?

My cautionary examples of how ST hitting is not always a good indicator of major league success is delusional?

No, my friend.  My stance on JBJ is anything but delusional.  My stance is rational. Delusional is:  Hey this kid is so good RIGHT NOW that even thinking about holding on to a control year is penny-pinching idiocy because the kid is going to save the Sox season in the first 11 days.  Delusional is:  How dare you question the major league readiness of Jackie Bradley Jr.:  He is is hitting .500+ in Spring Training!

Just as a clarification...Bradley can break camp with the Sox and play till Ortiz comes back or he fails and as long as he is sent back to the minors for more than 20 consecutive days, we maintain the year of Control.....so all the lose a year of control points are moot....he should be on the team opening day

As a prospect, Jeremy Hermida three times received a higher Baseball America prospect ranking than Jackie Bradley's current No. 31 ranking:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=hermid001jer

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=bradle000jac

Darnell McDonald topped out at No. 21:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=mcdona002dar

Spaceman is already bashing Bradley! O man!!!!!! Hater!!!!!!!