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Post by p23w on Jul 2, 2018 21:26:00 GMT -5
Porcello earned that win. Whew.
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Post by p23w on Jul 2, 2018 13:29:25 GMT -5
To use a Scherzer to Price comparison is pure folly, The only similarities are their contracts. To suggest that Price go to the bullpen for the playoffs is lunacy. The only way that works is if you are behind and wish to prevent a blowout... this could work against Houston. The hope that Wright can shore up the rotation is legitimate albeit risky. The Sox best chance lies in winning the division and hoping that Paxton takes out Severino. Beyond that the overall health of the playoff rosters will most likely determine the outcome. This team needs some 2013 mojo. A healthy Pedroia could just provide that difference. I wasn't comparing Scherzer to Price. I said the Sox should have signed Scherzer instead of Price a year sooner, especially when they needed the starting pitching at the time. Price's entire postseason career success has come in the bullpen. He's been a disaster when starting games in big moments. Even when he was really good in 2013 (season wise), he was getting bombed. It could also give the bullpen a added arm in the postseason. Price would be way more effective in shorter stints with increased velocity. Prices' post season bullpen "success" has come in games where the Sox were several runs behind... I.E. little or no pressure. This could work against a team with a suspect bullpen. particularly since the addition of JDM. I doubt there will be a suspect bullpen come time for the playoffs. How Price is used for the playoffs will be Cora's decision. If healthy my guess would be that Cora starts Price in the 3 or 4 slot. I just don't like Price in any match up with NY, HSTN, Clev, or Seattle. Heck of a testimonial for the highest paid player on the roster. He is ours, and you win or loose as a team. Here's to hoping the offense is en Fuego come October.
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Post by p23w on Jul 2, 2018 13:07:01 GMT -5
I couldn't have been the only one who was not at all excited when DD signed Price to this ridiculous contract, could I? This guy, even during his best years with the Rays, came up tiny against the Yankees. Big red flag for me there. You weren't. It was a significant overpay.
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Post by p23w on Jul 2, 2018 5:54:52 GMT -5
It's fine, really. Yankees lead the season series 5-4 but 7 of the remaining 10 are at Fenway. It's fine. Season wise, you're absolutely right. Postseason outlook wise is where you're starting to question things. I know I would be questioning whether Price should start a playoff game or be a bullpen arm in the playoffs (if I was the Sox). In the third year of a 217 million dollar arm, you shouldn't be questioning those things quite yet, but it's where we are at this point in time with Price. The Sox should have spent the money on Scherzer a year prior instead of Price. At least Scherzer has been worth closer to his contract. To use a Scherzer to Price comparison is pure folly, The only similarities are their contracts. To suggest that Price go to the bullpen for the playoffs is lunacy. The only way that works is if you are behind and wish to prevent a blowout... this could work against Houston. The hope that Wright can shore up the rotation is legitimate albeit risky. The Sox best chance lies in winning the division and hoping that Paxton takes out Severino. Beyond that the overall health of the playoff rosters will most likely determine the outcome. This team needs some 2013 mojo. A healthy Pedroia could just provide that difference.
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Post by p23w on Jul 1, 2018 20:04:19 GMT -5
Not good.
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Post by p23w on Jul 1, 2018 19:47:43 GMT -5
Price has numbness in his hand.....
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Post by p23w on Jun 29, 2018 20:53:10 GMT -5
A thorough beat down. How disappointing.
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Post by p23w on Jun 29, 2018 15:59:53 GMT -5
Beat the fat man. Erod show us your A game tonite... please.
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Post by p23w on Jun 29, 2018 15:54:21 GMT -5
Side note, IQ is a pretty bad measure of "intelligence", a concept that is very difficult to define, much less quantify in any meaningful way. A catchers baseball intelligence is measured in preparation and game calling. Base running is about judgement in the moment and athleticism.
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Post by p23w on Jun 28, 2018 18:41:20 GMT -5
Meh, I’d add the caveat that Cooper was not a better prospect at the time. Yeah, he was in AAA, but Bagwell was destroying AA in Beehive. I was furious at the time that it was Bagwell and not Cooper who got moved. I always thought Cooper was overrated and I was pretty certain Bagwell was underrated after hitting well in Winter Haven and then being terrific in the ultimate pitcher’s league at the time. Calling Scott Cooper an All-Star isn’t inaccurate, but he was absolutely, unequivocally NOT ever an All-Star caliber player. His inclusion was simply an (embarrassing, given how mediocre he was) application of the “at least one per team” rule. You weren't the only one. I remember hearing stories about the farm director (was it Ed Kenney - I'm trying to remember the story George Grande told me) being so pissed off about the trade that he wanted to quit. He knew that Bagwell could rake. The numbers in Beehive showed as much. The Sox would occasionally skip players past AA because hitting at Beehive was deflating. The air was so heavy the ball wouldn't travel and hitters really struggled. And worse the Astros really wanted a pitcher named Dave Owens or would have taken Scott Taylor, but the Lou Gorman didn't want to part with either. He figured Bagwell was a bad fielder, and surplus, buried behind Boggs, Cooper, and Naehring on the depth chart. He really didn't know what he had in Bagwell. Hitting .334 in New Britain with the amount of doubles he hit was flat out absurd. Nobody hit like that there. Meanwhile when the deal went down one of the Astros scouts was talking to Dan Gooley (Bagwell's baseball coach at University of Hartford) who mentioned Bagwell's soccer skills and amazing footwork, and the idea to move him to 1b was born (as the Astros had a young Ken Caminiti themselves at 3b.) Andersen actually did pitch well down the stretch in 1990. They had lost Jeff Reardon to back surgery and didn't think he'd be back. They only had Jeff Gray who was unheralded but actually pitched reasonably well and was even better in 1991 but suffered a stroke and never pitched again (wonder how many people remember Jeff Gray!), they had Dennis Lamp who was having a bad year after having had a great year, and Rob Murphy went from excellent in 1989 to disaster in 1990, and they had just picked up Joe Hesketh off the scrap heap, so the bullpen was a total mess, and the Sox were in a battle for 1st with Toronto that would eventually go down to the last day of the season. They had dealt Lee Smith in May for Tom Brunansky so at one point the Sox had two excellent closers in Reardon and Smith on the roster for about a month. That's before it became fashionable to do so. Andersen's most important outing wound up being in Game 1 of the ALCS against Oakland as Clemens left after 6 with a 1-0 lead. If memory serves by time the inning started by Larry Andersen was done, the A's had scored 9 runs and they were on their way to a 1 sided sweep of the Sox. And then surprisingly Andersen was declared a free agent, then Bagwell jumped from AA to the majors and blossomed (sort of like Hanley would do 15 years later), and the worst deal in Red Sox history was history. Groan. I saw Bags 1991, and was very excited. That wound has taken years to heal. Please, no more talk of this.
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Post by p23w on Jun 27, 2018 21:02:57 GMT -5
Wake up time boyz.
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Post by p23w on Jun 26, 2018 14:31:29 GMT -5
A dissection of the Longoria deal: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/giants-trade-for-evan-longorias-mid-30s/FWIW, I think the Sox need to look at trading some of their “peripheral” core (good players who still have value), such as Porcello, while attempting to retool this winter and extend their window before a blow-up becomes necessary. The only things keeping Tampa Bay from the cellar in the ALE, is the injury to Donaldson, the incompetence of Showalter and the surprise emergence of Snell. They are not and will not be a threat in this division for years to come.
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Post by p23w on Jun 21, 2018 11:10:02 GMT -5
Good to know the Twins only roll over for NY. God, I hate the Twins. So very, very much. Goes back to the Viola days I guess. Well at least the Twins were kind enough to gift wrap David Ortiz.This move was made at the behest of Pedro Martinez (part of his Dominican promotion agenda). Viola actually pitched pretty well in 1992 and 1993. Not as dominant as his Twins and Mets days, but he was really good - until he blew out his elbow in 1994 and never pitched again.
[/b] Viola was desperation, following the Sox institutional stupidity for passing on Tudor, Ojeda and Hurst. Too little too late. I keep wondering if Lester will fall into that grouping and Price and Sale will Fall into the Viola category. Can't hate the Twinkies, don't care much for the Twin Cities.
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Post by p23w on Jun 8, 2018 20:36:16 GMT -5
Wow. This is one me....
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Post by p23w on Jun 8, 2018 9:34:01 GMT -5
I'm liking all there match ups.....hope I don't jinx them.
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Post by p23w on Jun 6, 2018 12:52:22 GMT -5
I find it amazing that fans take seriously (let alone listen) to "pundits" during the off season. For me it's tantamount to buying into hyperbole and fake news. It is driven by social media and those with personal agendas and fed by angst. I suppose it is a sign of the times but for me it calls into question the objectivity of the fan base. Are they fans of the medium or of the game. It is human nature to delve into supposition, but the loss of objectivity when that supposition is fed by social media is the grist mill of todays opinion making, and not just baseball pundits. Last night MLB spent 15 minutes on two Stanton AB's against Fiers. Pure hyperbole. I chastise myself for watching this but it proceeded the wrap up of the Wright gem against the Tigers. Even a seasoned media cynic can be swept up in gibberish. We have Martinez. He was signed to provide power. He has delivered on that promise. God willing and the creek don't rise he will be injury free and play 150 games. That being the case I will be happy and have the full expectation that he will opt out. Hopefully not but if he does the brain trust should head off that possibility with a renegotiation of his contract. That may be the best explanation for DFA'ing Hanley. I will ad the caveat that my speculation on this matter is well beyond my knowledge base and well into the gray zone of personal intuitive speculation. Or in plain English, my own opinion.
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Post by p23w on Jun 2, 2018 20:51:17 GMT -5
Belisimo!
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Post by p23w on Jun 2, 2018 17:54:39 GMT -5
Lol the nationality of the RHP doesn't matter as much p33w. Just because you're right handed and Dominican, that doesn't mean that you're great at baseball. It does if your name is Pedro Martinez. Nationality is big with him. The fact that Severino is a Yankee does not.
Clemens changed Shillings career after giving him advice during the off season in Houston (circa 1991/2). Even Pedro Martinez had brothers who were right handed pitchers that never made it to the big leagues. Pedro's older brother was a decent major leaguer.
What matters is the talent and the ability to pitch in big situations. This team hasn't shown that they can do it yet against the very best of the competition (especially in the playoffs). Porcello and Pomeranz have shown to crumble in the playoffs, Price has shown to be inconsistent. Sale is always worn down by the time the playoffs begin. Eduardo has never made it through a whole year fully healthy. Not to mention that all of a sudden that this team can only put a competitive game with Houston only half the time, while being blown out in the other half they are playing them. Talent is good. Health, for most pitchers is paramount during the post season. Pitch count means a lot to guys like Sale and Price (as it was for Pedro). Guys like Ryan, Verlander, Clemens, Shilling seem less fazed by high pitch counts. This team can play with Houston. Missing Betts hurts a bunch. Pomeranz was not that bad. Sale had a brainfart in the first inning and was sabotaged by his defense in the fourth. It happens. The addition of JD scares Hinch (as is should). A healthy Red Sox team can play Houston heads up. Last year means squat.
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Post by p23w on Jun 2, 2018 9:22:33 GMT -5
Hope the Sox don't get swept. The pitching matchups certainly don't favor them. None of the 4 pitching matches necessarily favored them. Cole is having a better year than Sale. That's how good Houston's starting pitching is. Not trying to rekindle the Hanley stuff but this is why I wanted him on the roster. Now the Sox have Betts injured and they're mixing and matching ways to get either Holt, who is needed for Pedroia, Swihart and Nunez at-bats. I'd much rather that Hanley had gotten those ABs, but given that he's gone my preference would be for the Sox to call up Adam Lind - and if he hasn't played in awhile then yeah my plan would have its fly in the ointment - but I like his .800 OPS bat against righties in the lineup even if it forces JDM to his happy place, the outfield. This is why I don't think Lind is redundant and why I think he's a good acquisition given that Hanley is gone. Expecting JDM, Betts, JBJ, Moreland, and Benintendi to all stay healthy doesn't make sense and it's important to have roster/lineup depth and you can plug Lind into the lineup against a righty and not downgrade the lineup which has appeared pretty thin lately. The Sox lineup is top-heavy, but with the uncertainty with Pedroia and the struggles of Devers whose OPS is now below .700, the lack of offense from catching and the question mark of what you will continue to get from JBJ - I hope the results from his timing change are real - it's important to have a guy good enough to play every day that can be on the bench. Glad that Lind is around. I hope they use him if something like an injury pops up or a day of rest is needed. It's certainly better than adding Sam Travis to the roster, who hasn't even hit at AAA, but is probably getting the call, which also speaks to their lack of depth in the minor leagues. I'm also at the point I'd rather see Wright get the starts and see if he can turn back into what he was prior to the injury - the 2016 Wright. And eventually I'd like to see Beeks up, either to get spot starts, but ultimately - if Wright succeeds in the rotation - to be part of the Sox bullpen, in high leverage spots. I think Kelly, Barnes, and Kimbrel need help before they wear out and if Beeks is an asset in late relief it will help take the pressure off of them. I'd also like to see Poyner up and Brian Johnson gone. Eventually if/when the Sox get another high leverage rental reliever in a deal, I would hope the Sox include Hembree in such a deal, opening up that roster spot. And Velazquez can keep doing what he's doing, but be the primary long man. Even though he's not technically hurt, I'd also like Pomeranz on the DL, so he can work on things at Pawtucket. The guy never really had a spring training and his velocity is down and he's not sharp with his other pitches. It is all about pitching match ups. Cole puts the Astros rotation a click above the Red Sox. Ever since Pedro sat down and gave advice to Severino he has shut down the Astros convincingly. To bad we don't have a RHP Dominican on our staff. This is a really good Red Sox team, but playing other good teams like the Astros and Yankees exposes the flaws. Things like Devers defense, Johnson coming in from the bullpen, Xanders range. It all adds up in a tight contest. We will make the playoffs, but unless some things change we will not advance to the WS, perhaps not even the ALCS. Still it will be a good season for the Sabermetric fans. My hope runs with a completely healthy (and rested rotation) come October 1st. I wouldn't mind an injury or two on the Yankees or Astros (like Miggys core issues in 2013) but I think some beneficence from the baseball Gods are in order for this team to bring home the bacon.
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Post by p23w on Jun 1, 2018 20:20:02 GMT -5
We don't match up well against teams that feast on LHP. Would love to have a power RHP in this rotation.
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Post by p23w on May 31, 2018 17:21:33 GMT -5
Stro's have their B team line up for this game. Would really like to see 6 IP from Pomeranz with no more than 3 runs.
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Post by p23w on May 25, 2018 10:25:45 GMT -5
Never saw the Hanley move coming. Did think he should have been dropped in the order and platooned more. Wow.
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Post by p23w on May 24, 2018 15:19:52 GMT -5
The Astros totally raked Red Sox pitching last October. David Price is the only guy who put a stop to them and he overpowered them. He didn't get lucky. He was dominant out of the pen in Sept and Oct. But until he has a strong (and winning) start in the post-season he'll keep his reputation of being a soft pitcher who can't win the big games. Won't argue that point. I think Price can shut down any team - as long as he's completely healthy. If not, it can get ugly in a hurry. But I totally understand if you don't believe in Price until he dominates a team in the post-season. I'm there myself. I think he can do it, but I'll believe it when I see it. The same can be said of Sale. Is he considered soft ? Sales has 2 post season appearances in his career. Price has a dozen. Sale was obviously running on fumes last year. He was 2nd or 3rd in the NP thrown last year, and far beyond his career nigh for NP. In now way do I or would I consider Chris Sale "soft". I do think you could apply this term to David Price. When Price dominates the Astros or the Yankees during the regular season (2018) then I will be "impressed" and even encouraged with regards to his success in the post season. Until that happens I remain exceedingly skeptical when it comes to David Price.
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Post by p23w on May 24, 2018 11:20:17 GMT -5
FWIW, Price last October was the last guy the eventual champion Astros wanted to see. They knew they couldn't hit him last October. Exactly. I know a lot of people just don't like Price because he makes a lot of money. And because of that many fans want to believe Price is soft. The fact is when he is fully healthy he is a fantastic pitcher. He is often not fully healthy and that is a big problem. I sincerely doubt Houston believed that David Price was the last pitcher they wanted to see last October. Price was pitching out of the bullpen last October. Price has a less than stellar post season track record. The Astros are 10-7 against LHP this year. (The Yankees are 12-4 against lefties). Price's previous track record against Houston was "padded" against some pretty poor Houston teams. It's 2018. Houston is the reigning world champion. I'll be "impressed" when Price pitches 7 innings of 3 hit one run ball against the reigning world champs (or the NYY). Shutting down a sub .500 team is nice, but not impressive.
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Post by p23w on May 24, 2018 8:25:39 GMT -5
Another masterful performance by Price but what I enjoyed most was seeing the Yankee bullpen get blown up. I am hopeful years of leaning on their pen has finally caught up with them. I'll be impressed with Price when he does what he did last night to NY and HSTN. Having "masterful" performances against non payoff teams is expected for a guy making a million dollars per start. And rest assured the Yankees will use their prospect depth to secure one or more arms (my guess is Corbin) to their roster. Lot of expectation for both teams this season. All that is needed is a true brouhaha between these two teams to bring back the Fisk/Munson, Varitek/ARod memories. What more can we ask for or anticipate? Apologies for the doppleganger. I'm already juiced and it's not even Memorial Day.
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