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Post by jimed14 on Sept 7, 2015 14:37:06 GMT -5
I think this is a very aggressive statement and one that I don't think is true. Regardless if it is true or not, to the Sox org it likely doesn't matter. Vazquez must hit if he wants to start here, otherwise he'll go the way of Iglesias, Rizzo, and, presently, JBJ - who must prove his offense is legit or he's at best a LF waiting to be replaced by a better bat. Defensive value means less at Fenway so I get it and somewhat agree. But if you don't just try to recall the last defensive specialist the Sox employed as a starter. Not as a fill-in but as an actual starter - and assumed starter for years to come. I go back 40 years and can't think of a single one. Maybe Aparicio at the tail-end of his career? Varitek for the last 4 years of his career and Vazquez last year.
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TX
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Post by TX on Sept 7, 2015 16:53:45 GMT -5
Not Vasquez because Aj and Ross had that role, but Varitek has me thinking.
As hard as it is to believe he kept getting signed because of his bat, he wasn't exactly a defensive stalwart either. I think he falls into another category. Not offense, not defense.... but leadership, loyalty and no better option. He did have pop against lefties till the end though.
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Post by jimed14 on Sept 7, 2015 16:59:54 GMT -5
Not Vasquez because Aj and Ross had that role, but Varitek has me thinking. As hard as it is to believe he kept getting signed because of his bat, he wasn't exactly a defensive stalwart either. I think he falls into another category. Not offense, not defense.... but leadership, loyalty and no better option. He did have pop against lefties till the end though. He was great at handling pitchers. He was about average defensively at the end.
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TX
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Post by TX on Sept 7, 2015 17:03:57 GMT -5
Not statistically but, yeah, that was the rumor. I still don't believe he fits my main point though.
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Post by jimed14 on Sept 7, 2015 17:06:26 GMT -5
Pretty much the entire reason they signed AJP was because they could get him for one season and were waiting for Vazquez, who was never projected to hit for much at least to start. So I think he was always the plan, but the AJP disaster started it a bit early.
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TX
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Post by TX on Sept 7, 2015 17:12:55 GMT -5
Him or Swihart. I agree with that.
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Post by James Dunne on Sept 7, 2015 23:24:25 GMT -5
Tony Pena, especially in 1993 when his bat totally died. Darren Lewis for sure. Luis Rivera was there for his defense. Iglesias too, though he was starting because of injury and then ended up hitting better than expected so I'm not sure he counts. Sort of the opposite with Coco Crisp, who they thought would hit. He didn't really, but he played defense so well that it probably didn't matter.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 7, 2015 23:48:39 GMT -5
Not Vasquez because Aj and Ross had that role, but Varitek has me thinking. As hard as it is to believe he kept getting signed because of his bat, he wasn't exactly a defensive stalwart either. I think he falls into another category. Not offense, not defense.... but leadership, loyalty and no better option. He did have pop against lefties till the end though. He was great at handling pitchers. He was about average defensively at the end. I always thought the Sox believed that 'Tek was a great pitch-caller. I regret not having (or remembering well!) the actual discussion ... but I do recall Jed Hoyer, when we were discussing guys they might have pursued had 'Tek not re-signed, immediately dismissing someone I thought would have been a good candidate -- aha, Gregg Zaun -- because he called a terrible game.
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