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Post by threeifbaerga on May 4, 2013 21:58:15 GMT -5
Wait. . . so the Sox weren't going to win 70% of their games?
The bats are slumping and Texas is very good. I'm not going to say they "need" to go out and get anything, or that Saltalamacchia is awful and needs to be drawn and quartered (seriously though, is that same exact post going to pop up every other game? He's not the best, we get it).
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Post by threeifbaerga on May 4, 2013 21:53:20 GMT -5
You forgot the most important thing: The Sox cared much less about getting players or prospects than getting rid of a half billion dollars in salary obligations that would hamstring them for the foreseeable future. Getting LA to pick up those salaries in effect gave the Sox a "do over" on the poor contract obligations they had taken on. Any players received in return were just gravy. The fact that Rubby and Webster have high upsides is simply a remarkable bonus. You don't know that though. That's speculation. Crawford looked bad, but a .785 OPS when he was healthy enough to play last year. The contract was scary and I wasn't sad to see him go,but he was a year removed from being a 7 win player. Adrian hadn't put up the gaudy power numbers we expected, but again, was a year removed from being a 7 win player with a Gold Glove. They weren't dumping scrubs. Except for Beckett, who is cooked. But at the time he was. . . wait for it. . . a year removed from being a 6 win player. Fact is the Red Sox cashed in those chips at their lowest value, but those chips had value. This wasn't Gilbert Arenas they were trading.
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Post by threeifbaerga on May 4, 2013 19:35:49 GMT -5
It's okay. There has been a real shortage of Hanks in the game since Blalock left.
EDIT: Forgot about Hank Conger.
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Post by threeifbaerga on May 4, 2013 18:38:38 GMT -5
Love the pop, but Coyle is sure striking out a lot. 16 in his last 10.
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Post by threeifbaerga on May 3, 2013 11:55:18 GMT -5
I have MLB TV so it's hard to complain, but the Sox have rarely been televised this season I believe. I understand they're coming off their worst season in 40+ years, but there's no reason Sunday night baseball should feature Dodgers vs Giants as opposed to a matchup between the two winningest teams, especially when it's Lester vs Darvish... Us Red Sox fans have been a little spoiled in the past 10 years or so, I was surprised and honestly excited to see Braves-Nats get prime time national coverage on ESPN on back to back nights recently. And to be fair, the Giants are reigning WS champs and the Dodgers are reigning Hot Stove champs.
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Post by threeifbaerga on May 1, 2013 20:25:47 GMT -5
This being the first time I've ever seen Alex Wilson's face outside of his profile picture, I was wondering why Andy Dwyer was pitching for the Sox.
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Post by threeifbaerga on May 1, 2013 19:16:40 GMT -5
Cecchini brought his BA over .400 with that double.
And I'd say Coyle has re-emerged, what with the 1.100+ OPS.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 30, 2013 20:05:49 GMT -5
Cecchini's night even more impressive considering the level of pitcher John Lamb is.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 30, 2013 19:41:33 GMT -5
Saw a tweet the other day (can't remember from who, sorry) stating that among catchers Salty was 8th in having balls called strikes.
I suppose that doesn't cover having strikes called balls, but still.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 30, 2013 19:08:35 GMT -5
I\m not blaming Lester's struggles on him, but this umpire has been horrid on both sides.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 30, 2013 18:48:30 GMT -5
It's got to be tough to convince Middlebrooks to take more pitches when that pitch Morrow led him off with is called a strike.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 30, 2013 18:47:13 GMT -5
"Xander Bogaerts out on a sacrifice bunt."
For real?
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 30, 2013 18:31:31 GMT -5
Lester is going to have to find the zone if they want to do that.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 25, 2013 7:33:23 GMT -5
Would you trade Campana for a long reliever with an ERA over 8 in his last 25 appearances? Let alone one with the reputation Aceves has?
I don't think they get anything for him, I think a release is in his future.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 24, 2013 21:13:44 GMT -5
Do we really want Aceves in Pawtucket around Webster/Rubby/etc? I'm sure they'll find him as big a jerk as everyone else seems to.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 23, 2013 19:19:33 GMT -5
That's fine, but can you give me something to get excited about? A 2-2 night with a walk a triple and no strikeouts is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for last night. Take out his night tonight and he's got a bunch of Ks, a few walks, a bunch of singles and few extra base hits. Glad to see him hit with authority. Also, Heiker Meneses? Having himself a heck of a month.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 21:32:09 GMT -5
Being confined to first base isn't really a nit. It means he's got to hit a TON to make it, and while his bat is clearly showing some signs of progress, I need to see a lot more production and hear some positive things about his work ethic before I get anywhere near that bandwagon. That's the long way of saying what I said, yet you found a way to find a problem with how I said it. This is exactly what I was talking about earlier.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 21:12:51 GMT -5
You make it sound like that's something that was done to him. Which nit do you prefer?
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 20:42:14 GMT -5
Almanzar knocking the tar out of the ball in this short sample spring. At 22 he's not even old for AA. I love when guys re-establish - or at least threaten to re-establish, given the sample size - their prospect status. He has been the most exciting guy to follow for me thus far. Power, contact, patience, pedigree. If only he hadn't been shifted to first base I'd consider him an elite prospect.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 20:01:22 GMT -5
So... what exactly is the point of your observation, then? That he has not hit well. What are you looking for in a gameday thread? Not to make a broad, sweeping judgement about this board/community (which I absolutely adore, I've been a member/lurker for ~6 years under various pseudonyms) but honestly you guys are BRUTAL to new members. All I said was that Xander has been striking out a lot and not really hitting all that well and this is what I've gotten. Really, provide me ONE fact that says he's hitting well outside of a hollow, BA inflated OPS. ONE. I have not once made a judgement on him going forward (I think he'll have all the success in the world, he's got the ability to hit for average and power, patience, etc) yet that is something that has been thrown in my face a handful of times now. I said he's striking out a lot and not hitting all that well. DO NOT READ ANYTHING MORE INTO IT THAN THAT.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 19:39:44 GMT -5
Oh my god I feel like I must be speaking a different language.
Honestly I don't think you even read what I wrote.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 19:35:17 GMT -5
You aren't getting it. No sense arguing with you about it. The average age in Double A is 25. Boegarts is 20. The fact that you were just expecting there to be no adjustment period is silly. No, you're not getting it. I'm not judging him as a player, as a hitter, as a prospect, as a human being, as a man, as a son, as an Aruban, as a shortstop, as anything. I'm just saying he hasn't played well. If you really want to argue that he's hitting well I'd love to see an argument beyond a batting average heavy OPS.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 19:27:27 GMT -5
You're making excuses for his hitting. Which I'm not arguing with. You may well be 100% correct, I'm not saying you're not. I'm just saying the results haven't been there.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 19:07:51 GMT -5
And you were given numbers to get excited about, but chose to ignore them.[/quote] I just don't think that a handful of singles are all that exciting. I'm not ignoring them, I just think that with the expectations that were associated with this kid a whole mess of strikeouts and some singles aren't exciting. If you're excited about that cool, I'm just not. He's got the potential to be so much more. I'm not speaking as to his future production or saying he's a bust (c'mon, it's been 16 games), but if I gave you his line thus far a month ago none of us would say "Here's the guy I knew he was!" The guy is striking out in 32% of his at bats coming into today, 30% in the 7 game sample Chris quoted, with a .111 ISOp. These are not awesome numbers, that's all I'm saying. I really don't understand the backlash here. The Red Sox are 12-6 and Farrel can't catch a break because Bailey only threw ten pitches last night but I'm out of line for not ignoring Xander's struggles? I don't understand you guys anymore.
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Post by threeifbaerga on Apr 22, 2013 18:36:12 GMT -5
Yeah but freaking out about a sample size of 70 plate appearances, especially the first 70 plate appearances of the season is silly. Then add into the fact that the kid is only 20 and should be expected to struggle in AA, then it is a rather pointless observation. C'mon, I didn't freak out. I just said that it'd be nice to see something to be excited about then pointed out that he's striking out a lot.
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