danr
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Post by danr on May 22, 2018 0:18:16 GMT -5
After seeing Beeks last night I think he is better than Pomeranz right now. Maybe Pomeranz should be moved, temporarily to the bullpen, and Beeks given a chance in his place.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 21, 2018 22:00:44 GMT -5
After the first inning when Beeks gave up 2 Hrs, one of them a 2-run job, he was quite impressive, pitching against a nearly all major league lineup. The other run was a result of his error, throwing wild when trying to pick off a runner on first. He didn't walk anyone. He struck out six. He had a good mix of pitches, with a FB 92-94, a cutter, a big curve and an impressive sweeping slider. He looked like a major league starter. Velazquez and Maddox also were very effective. Sturgeon also was impressive with two doubles. Sam Travis played LF for only the third time and had a number of catches, including an impressive one against the short fence, robbing the hitter of a HR.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 12, 2018 1:51:29 GMT -5
Smith definitely looked much better tonight than he did earlier in the season. And. He. Throws. Strikes.
I don't think it is a good argument that the Sox can't afford to lose Hembree. I don't think they can afford to keep him.
I am reminded of an Earl Weaver story. One year the Oriole manager was having terrible problems with his bullpen, one pitcher in particular who was blowing up almost every time he pitched, and Weaver was using him a lot. A reporter asked him why he was using that pitcher so much. Weaver said, "I'm going to keep running him out there until they get me someone better."
If I were Cora, I would sit Hanley tomorrow, maybe even on Sunday as well. Maybe he would get the message.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 10, 2018 22:46:44 GMT -5
This is a better team with tonight's lineup.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 10, 2018 22:28:36 GMT -5
Tonight, J.D was Big Poppy. That's why the Sox signed him.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 10, 2018 22:19:01 GMT -5
It didn't make sense for Cora not to have Velazquez come in after Rodriguez.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 10, 2018 21:31:59 GMT -5
What has happened to Velazquez? Hembree needs to be traded.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 10, 2018 0:09:47 GMT -5
The pitch calling for Kimbrel was not good. After Gardner fouled off a 97 MPH pitch and had two strikes, I said out loud, throw a curve, Instead he threw another fastball and lost the game. With so many pitchers now throwing 97 and 98 MPH fastballs, the hitters are adjusting, Pitchers, or catchers, have to be smarter.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 9, 2018 17:53:45 GMT -5
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Post by danr on May 9, 2018 15:00:34 GMT -5
Price has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. www.mlb.com/news/david-price-has-carpal-tunnel-syndrome/c-275980886I had a bad case of this in my right arm and hand a few years ago. I went to a neurologist at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) who wanted to perform surgery on my wrist to open up the passage for the nerve. My primary care physician warned me that this procedure often has problems. When I mentioned this to the neurologist, he said, "well, I won't talk about it anymore" and then he walked out of the room and I never saw him again. But there was an experimental program going on using acupuncture to treat CTS. I got into the program and had a series of acupuncture procedures. Within a short time the CTS was gone, and it never has returned.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 9, 2018 1:11:58 GMT -5
I have always been a big fan of JBJ but I no longer can justify him being the starting CF. The Sox already have a black hole in hitting at catcher. As we saw tonight and other times, there also is a black hole in hitting in CF. The Yankees have a more balanced lineup. The Sox need to have that. To achieve that I think they have to sit JBJ, or send him to Pawtucket, and play JDM in LF and Benny in CF. Hanley can be the DH and Moreland can be the 1B. That improves the infield defense with only a marginal decrease in OF defense - maybe a little more than marginal but the difference may be made up in hitting.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 8, 2018 14:44:16 GMT -5
I am a big believer in drafting the best player available. However, that can be problematical when choosing between a pitcher and a hitter. I think it is quite difficult to compare the two in an effort to pick the better one.
Right now, looking at the weak hitting throughout the Sox system, I would pick the best hitter unless there was a potential superstar pitcher available - highly unlikely.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 8, 2018 14:36:19 GMT -5
Betts wants to hit leadoff and Cora wants him to. I doubt he will hit in any other position for the time being. I doubt Pedroia will hit leadoff. Depending on how he does, he could be second, or seventh.
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danr
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Post by danr on May 8, 2018 13:13:20 GMT -5
When I was pitching before most of you were born, I had no talent, but I studied pitching and developed a very good curve that I threw a lot. I don't recall it causing any problem with my arm. I hurt my elbow throwing screwballs, and still have chips in that elbow. That put an end to my pitching. The screwball requires twisting the wrist counter-clockwise, which is not a natural motion for most of us. The curve requires a clockwise twist of the wrist, which is a natural motion. A good curve usually will spin and break on a 45 degree angle, give or take a few degrees.
Cutters and sliders use finger pressure rather than twisting the wrist and usually are thrown harder than curves. With a slider finger pressure is put on the right side (or the left for a lefty) of the ball, causing it to spin clockwise for a right-hander and counter clockwise for a lefty. With a cutter, pressure is put on the left side by a right-hander or the right side by a lefty. Neither pitch is particularly hard on the arm but both require strong fingers. Sliders tend to break on a lower angle than a curve and poorly thrown ones frequently end up in the outfield stands. Cutters usually just break sideways, or slightly down, and late. Until the last fraction of a second, it looks like a fastball to the batter. It is a very hard pitch to master, but good ones are very hard to hit.
I don't believe Price is avoiding the curve to protect his arm. He probably is avoiding it because it isn't working.
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danr
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Post by danr on Apr 29, 2018 17:42:47 GMT -5
So far Wright has pitched so poorly that I can't imagine the Sox putting him on the major league roster. If they have to do that to keep him, I think they should let him go.
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danr
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Post by danr on Apr 28, 2018 22:35:56 GMT -5
Chatham's back and got two of Greenville's 4 hits. Greenville is 4-19. That team needs help. It is not good for player development to have a team do that poorly.
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danr
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Post by danr on Apr 18, 2018 18:36:36 GMT -5
The system is really hurting for power.
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Post by danr on Apr 9, 2018 15:54:29 GMT -5
The top of the page menu has projected 2018 rosters, but when clicked on, it produces the projected 2019 rosters. It would be nice to have the current 2018 rosters in that menu.
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danr
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Post by danr on Apr 8, 2018 12:36:15 GMT -5
Not only does he have great stuff, he has remarkable command.. Vazquez doesn't have to move his glove on many of the pitches
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danr
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Post by danr on Apr 8, 2018 11:59:58 GMT -5
I love the Legal Seafood ad on NESN. I wish we had one in Portland, OR, but there are plenty of good seafood restaurants here. Tragically, no baseball team.
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danr
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Post by danr on Apr 5, 2018 15:15:37 GMT -5
Carson Smith has to be better than he is today.
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danr
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Post by danr on Mar 9, 2018 19:35:00 GMT -5
The gray background and the very small black print make it quite difficult to read the content of the new scouting reports. I suggest a white background and slightly larger type.
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danr
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Post by danr on Feb 8, 2018 1:40:57 GMT -5
US TODAY reports that JDM might sign a short term deal with the Diamondbacks like Cespedes did with the Mets to try to get a much bigger deal the next year. How much bigger than $25 million a year can he expect to get? This simply is ridiculous. Greed sometimes overcomes reason and this might be one of those occasions. Ortiz never got that much and he is going to be in the HOF and is a very rich man. I am beginning to question whether JDM is worth anywhere near what he has been offered. It is not that I don't believe players should try to get as much as they can. I am totally on their side except when they are being stupid. He is being stupid.
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danr
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Post by danr on Jan 17, 2018 15:44:49 GMT -5
Similarly, Fangraphs' 2018 projections are out. They project the Red Sox with 91 wins, which is tied for 5th in MLB, behind the Astros and Indians in the AL and tied with the Yankees in the AL East. Their full position-by-position projection of the roster is here. Not surprisingly, the weakest projected positions (and the ripest area for upgrade) are DH (1.1 wins) and 1B (1.5 wins). Back of the rotation is another potential weak spot, as is middle relief. The ZiPS projections also are out: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2018-zips-projections-boston-red-sox/I think Fangraphs has the BAs of Betts, Bogaerts and Beni a little low. I think we are going to see improvement in all three, especially Bogaerts. The overall BA projection is probably about right. I think the SP ERA is a bit high because I think Porcello is going to have a good season. It's maddening that ZiPS does not have the BAs. Their projection of HRs looks good.
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danr
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Post by danr on Jan 1, 2018 23:05:40 GMT -5
I've been a lifelong Sox fan but I also am a Baltimore fan, just not nearly as fanatical. I went to college and law school in Baltimore and married a Baltimore girl. When I was with United Press International in Baltimore I covered the Oriole World Series in 1966, 69 and 71. A feature I did on the Orioles in 1969 was reprinted in the World Series Program. I was at the game when Ripken broke the consecutive game record. Now that I am in Oregon, I am losing touch with the Orioles, but not with the Sox - and I am not going to become a Mariners fan! I hope Portland gets an expansion team. This is a fast-growing, dynamic and very progressive city.
The Orioles screwed up by not trading Machado sooner. With only one year before FA, no team with any sense is going to make a strong offer because he almost certainly will test free agency. I would not trade Bogaerts for him. I wouldn't trade anybody for him. He won't be around in another year. It would be a total waste of resources.
Also, I think there is a fair chance that Bogaerts will be better than Machado in a couple of years.
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