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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 18, 2020 22:08:31 GMT -5
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 16, 2020 22:43:24 GMT -5
Houck's slider is reminiscent of Byung-hyun Kim's frisbee.
SP profile says his FB runs 92-94 and tops out at 98. That might be a little generous off last night's emotionally charged game. There was no suggestion that he doesn't hold velocity.
It seems evident that the split is a work in progress.
He sure has the classic pitcher's frame...tall, lean with long levers. I could almost hear him grunt tho...
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 16, 2020 13:42:34 GMT -5
Playing in the snow might be fun. I always enjoy that in football with heaters on the sidelines and players unable to get their footing....umpires would be in pratfalls, making wrong calls because they can't see the base lines, uniforms dirty and sopping. Yep baseball's been too coddled.
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 15, 2020 22:24:26 GMT -5
Houck looked great! Velocity dip something that will strengthen? Agree. He was 94-95 in the first couple of innings then dipped to 91-93. My impression is that he was super adrenalin juiced for his 1st start then settled in. It would be interesting to know what his historical velo has been. One thing is clear....he has a lot of movement on his pitches and that led to funky swings for the uninitiated.....Will this carry forward or will opponents adjust? He is a bit wild....a lot of pitches way outside the zone. That could become an Achilles heel. Still, his was probably the most encouraging pitching performance of any newcomer this year.
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 13, 2020 20:59:56 GMT -5
Dodged a bullet(s)?
Workman has a 4.76 ERA and Hembree is over 8 with Philly. Hembree has given up 6 dingers in 8 innings. SSS but sometimes the best trades you make are the ones you do make.
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 13, 2020 13:41:39 GMT -5
I always think Tsutsugo sounds like the name of a sailor on the Pequod. Queequeg...
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 11, 2020 6:32:03 GMT -5
Dalbec is the first in MLB history to have a 5-game streak in his first 10 MLB games.
Three years ago Rhys Hoskins homered in 5 straight games as a rookie, and I'm sure that others have done it before him, as none of the stories about him mention it as a unique feat. But no rookie has ever homered in 6 straight, I'm pretty sure. Only 36 guys have done that in MLB history.
Dalbec is the 150th player in MLB history to homer in 5 straight games. 24% of those homered in a 6th straight game, and 19% of those (5) homered in a 7th straight game. Remarkably, 3 of those 7 added another game (Dale Long, Don Mattingly, Ken Griffey, Jr., of course) And now I'm going to do something cool: spin his high K rate into a positive! Because the actual measure of power (that I always use) is HR / Contact. Dalbec hit 5 HR while making contact 10 times. He's the 11th player in MLB history to manage a .500(+) HR/C while homering in five straight games, and he's the youngest guy ever to do so. Name Strk Start 5HRC HR Age Note Barry Bonds 5/17/2001 .700 8 31 9 in 6 gms at .529 Dar. Strawberry 7/28/1998 .625 5 36 Ted Williams 7/12/1957 .545 6 38 Frank Howard 5/12/1968 .500 8 31 10 in 6 gms at .500 Babe Ruth 6/10/1921 .500 7 26 Aaron Judge 7/29/2020 .500 6 28 Graig Nettles 8/11/1984 .500 6 39 7 in 6 games at .500 Bobby Dalbec 9/5/2020 .500 5 25 Eugenio Suarez 7/23/2018 .500 5 26 Harm. Killebrew 6/26/1964 .500 5 28 Ken Griffey Jr. 7/8/2003 .500 5 33
I'll have details tomorrow, but don't worry that Suarez is on this list. Dalbec has the 3 best-hit homers between them, and either the best 4 or 4 of the best 5.
You found your 'calling'....
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 10, 2020 16:12:10 GMT -5
Wow, this is getting to the quantum level....Interesting. It contrasts with yesteryear Yogi, who when asked about his being in a slump famously said "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hittin". It's always a great day when you hear a new Yogi quote. The Yogi panel discussion at the SABR conference when it was in NYC was terrific. I believe he was making an actual distinction, and if I had to guess, slump = he knows he's messed up mechanically, ain't hitting = just missing hittable balls at random.
Or it could be just a Yogism from a simpler time similar to his utterance when guys wanted to go to Toots Shor for dinner. Yogi's comment was "Nobody goes there anymore! It's too crowded." I don't know that Yogi or most even knew what hitting "mechanics" were back then. He might just as likely have said 'Mechanics? I don't need no mechanic. My swing just needs a little oil'. Yogi and Casey Stengel were two peas of the same bygone pod.
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 10, 2020 7:17:24 GMT -5
Wow, this is getting to the quantum level....Interesting.
It contrasts with yesteryear Yogi, who when asked about his being in a slump famously said "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hittin".
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 8, 2020 22:05:33 GMT -5
i saw one MILB game with Bobby Bombs. He was on fire and he crushed pitches. I knew from that one game he would be in The Show. Can he stay ? I hope so, because those HR's are friggin' awesome to watch. Agree. Such easy power. Walk and singles also today. Two weeks in the Majors with a history of slow starts when beginning a higher level. IMO he can have all the time he needs to adjust and re-adjust. Importantly he is a good glove at 3B to back Raphael, and with those long levers, 3B quick twitch skills and rocket arm he looks to become a GG caliber 1B. I hope the watchword for him is patience. He is showing better than expected. With reps he could get those K’s under control. Not worried about it In his post game interview. Nice kid. Very smart. Learner. Ironically looks a bit like a tall version of a young Babe Ruth. I think you mean Joe Hardy....
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 8, 2020 12:46:40 GMT -5
Chavis in LF, Arroyo at 2B to start game one per Christopher Smith at Masslive. Professor Bloom's laboratory in full effect. Eye of newt, toe of frog....Wear your safety goggles.
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 5, 2020 6:14:53 GMT -5
So Munoz is the savior? Is that what I should take away from today’s double header? Interesting that Munoz is another guy (Casas, Verdugo) that chokes up on the bat....love to see this rekindle in an age of omnipresent 'go for the downs'.
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 4, 2020 8:04:04 GMT -5
come on champs.....is it really necessary to gloat about being the worst team in baseball ? Perhaps i am taking you too literally, but FFS, and I apologize. This is the gameday thread. Shouldn't we at least be limiting the # 1 talk to other (numerable) threads. Gameday threads should be about winning, dang it all. Well, you know that he's really rooting for the Red Sox to win not only by getting a higher pick but to hasten our rise from Hades....to at least purgatory...
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 2, 2020 7:50:58 GMT -5
If the Red Sox got swept by the a nationals they'd be tied for last. Since they won 2 out of 3, they're tied with the Angels and have the same amount of wins as the Nationals with the tie breaker going to them. Losing the games they should against the good teams. Just need to lose against the bad teams. Yeah! Why can't they do anything right???!!!😁
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Post by sarasoxer on Sept 1, 2020 20:53:13 GMT -5
I don’t think anyone is bringing up LA as a direct comp so much as a #1 prospect who fell off a cliff. He never hit 20 HRs, but up to age 23, his development was moving quickly and well. Age 20, 18 Hrs in 118 games between A and AA, while batting .317. Age 22 still performing respectably at Pawtucket at -5 years age difference. And Sox call up. And then, by 23, he was yesterday’s news. Maybe there are other lessons to be learned from him. Was he rushed? Did he need more attention mentally? Was he always overrated? I don’t know. But at 20, he looked like a golden child. That's why I want to see the Davenports. Don't get me wrong here, I get a lot of these wrong (Bowden, Ceccini scream me, me, me) but I was an early fanboy of Rizzo and now Casas but was never on the Lars bandwagon. I still remember a video of Lars from Lancaster and he looked like a stiff to me, way too mechanical. I saw Lars taking BP in Ft. Myers with two other players including Josh Reddick.... He had a lazy swing and was the least impressive of all.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 31, 2020 22:10:47 GMT -5
I was kinda kidding earlier, but honestly... what do we expect from Dalbec? He’s hit a homer and K’d alot. That seems like him. If he keeps doing the former, he can do the latter. It just needs to be a decent balance. Two games in, he’s... what we were told he is. Yup....low average and lots of swing and miss.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 31, 2020 21:39:41 GMT -5
Chavis and Dalbec back to back in the lineup is good for the tank at least? Golden sombrero for Dalbec....not ready for prime time at 25?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 31, 2020 10:01:26 GMT -5
Thanks KB. I now remember the Votto reference. The 2 strike crouch is a mystery to me. Undoubtedly he has been asked that but I don't recall the benefits it confers.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 31, 2020 9:16:37 GMT -5
How is that only 380 feet? Has anyone noticed that blast was from his two strike set up where he chokes up four or five inches and is in a deep crouch. Massive Tree trunk thighs...Oooff. I love the choking up on the bat...no question that makes the bat quicker and enhances bat to ball. Ted Williams advocated that. Barry Bonds did it all the time...two fair hitters. But it's essentially gone with the Tyrannasaur sadly. Does anyone know why Casas changes his stance with 2 strikes? What improvements does he believe it offers.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 30, 2020 20:46:01 GMT -5
Give him a copy of Ted Williams' book, the Science of Hitting...and the mantra..."Get a good pitch to hit" Devers has special talent. Maximize it by not trying to hit every ball to the moon and hitting selectively. There is so much room for him to grow.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 30, 2020 17:02:02 GMT -5
Still not much on rumors anywhere. It seems the deadline could be a flameout given all the expectation... or is it run silent, run deep? Oops! So ill timed....adrenaline now rushing. Go you Chaim!!
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 30, 2020 16:56:04 GMT -5
We haven't heard from the Bloom haters today....hmmmm.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 30, 2020 11:32:46 GMT -5
What? And leave Blake Jordan out?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 30, 2020 9:05:22 GMT -5
Still not much on rumors anywhere. It seems the deadline could be a flameout given all the expectation... or is it run silent, run deep?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 28, 2020 21:59:10 GMT -5
The Athletic is also reporting that Houston has asked about Matt Barnes. I'd drive him down to Houston through the hurricane for a bag of balls. Got it. But who, on that standard, of our team is worth more than a bag now except Xander, Raffy, Vasquez? Which of those would you trade?
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