Ok, he's gone, where do we go from here?

pitboss · April 3, 2012 5:56AM

Are we ready for some baseball?

I know I am.

perkdog · April 3, 2012 7:53AM

Im ready, lets do this!

MCMLVTopps · April 3, 2012 8:54AM

I'll join the band and remain positive.

PowderedH2O · April 3, 2012 8:48PM

Nobody seems to be picking the Red Sox this year to make the playoffs. Why is this? While September was not a good month last year, the Sox still have one of the best offenses in baseball. If they can get any pitching at all, they should be dangerous. And, John Lackey isn't pitching for the Sox this year. That ought to be worth at least five extra wins this season.

MCMLVTopps · April 3, 2012 9:52PM

With Bailey now gone till at least after the All-Star game, the closer thing looking iffy.

Then I do a quick glance at Saturday games for Directv...YUP, most Red Sox games will not be aired, although there a lots of games shown, the Red Sox will once again be pretty skimpy on Saturday's. Surely there is a reason for those decisions, but I will never understand why. I doubt those Saturday games will be the "game of the week" each Saturday.

Any thoughts on Valentine so far?

Barndog · April 3, 2012 10:24PM

I am sort of happy that Bailey is injured...only because I loathe the position of "closer" and this will force Valentine to manage the game, instead of managing a useless statistic. Imagine this: Game is on the line in the seventh with Sox up one, one out, bases loaded, and the pitcher needs to go. Who does Valentine bring in? How about his best/hottest reliever? Yeah, odd to think that way, isn't it? But that would be the way to go IMO.

PowderedH2O · April 4, 2012 12:10AM

Heck - talk Wakefield into un-retiring and then make him the Hoyt Wilhelm of the 2012 season.

WeekendHacker · April 4, 2012 3:49AM

Did Bobby V really just announce Aveves as the Sox closer? It's gonna be a really long season...........

pitboss · April 4, 2012 4:01AM

I think he will make a good closer.

jdip9 · April 4, 2012 10:26PM

not sure why Bobby V didn't just slide Melancon into that role...he closed for Houston for a while last year....Aceves is one of the few (the only?) long men the Sox have that can keep a 5-5 game in the 5th inning winnable. He's too valuable as a setup guy to be put in the closer role.

Barndog - you are referring to closer-by-committee. On paper, it makes all the sense in the world. In real life, bullpen guys seem to do better in a set role. The Sox tried closer-by-committee one year, and it was a disaster.

RipublicaninMass · April 5, 2012 1:37AM

this is the thread I have been waiting for

now

LET'S SCORE SOME FREAKING RUNS

Barndog · April 5, 2012 1:59AM

I don't expect the team as currently built will win the WS this year, but I am looking forward to watching as many of the 162 as possible (including taking in a game in May at Fenway with the family)

perkdog · April 5, 2012 5:36AM

Tough loss today but going up against Verlander and a strong Detroit team its not a shocker.

Barndog · April 5, 2012 6:01AM

they need to look worse to match last year's team. Lester was money today.

TheVon · April 5, 2012 6:42AM

Lester did great today but the double plays really helped him keep his pitch count down. He is still throwing too many balls for my liking, but anytime you can keep your team in the game vs. Verlander you know you've done your job.

pitboss · April 5, 2012 8:02AM

If they play like that all year they will win some games.

WeekendHacker · April 5, 2012 11:55AM

I kinda thought he was getting squeezed in his last inning and should have got out of it with a punch-out on Avila. Turned out he doubled in the 2nd run and that was the difference. The offense looked a little flat - but I blame that on Verlander - he was in mid-season form.

2ndCharter · April 5, 2012 10:00PM

If they play like that all year they will win some games.

That's true - even the 1962 Mets won 40 games.

MCMLVTopps · April 5, 2012 11:35PM

Lester looked impressive, although he always seems to be mad at the world.

Team overall not such a hot performance IMO. Not easy to beat Verlander...leaving 5 LOBs is not gonna cut it. Valverde seems to be a jerk with the spit right, then left and the animated the trot to the mound...clueless punk. Was nice to see the rally, but the important bats were cold. Given the entire situation, if key hits can't be made, it's gonna be a very, very long season.

I don't think we'll have a decent idea on how the season is gonna go till maybe mid May. Hope I'm very wrong, but I just don't see a winner here.

RoarIn84 · April 6, 2012 6:23AM

<< <i>Lester looked impressive, although he always seems to be mad at the world.

Team overall not such a hot performance IMO. Not easy to beat Verlander...leaving 5 LOBs is not gonna cut it. Valverde seems to be a jerk with the spit right, then left and the animated the trot to the mound...clueless punk. Was nice to see the rally, but the important bats were cold. Given the entire situation, if key hits can't be made, it's gonna be a very, very long season.

I don't think we'll have a decent idea on how the season is gonna go till maybe mid May. Hope I'm very wrong, but I just don't see a winner here. >>

Funny... Angry Tiger fans are lighting up the radios and message boards about how doomed we are with our incompetent closer and our infield liabilities. Everyone seems to be going apey after game one out of 162. Kinda silly.

RipublicaninMass · April 7, 2012 6:26AM

Beckett dont look so hot today

pitboss · April 7, 2012 6:55AM

I'm glad it's not on tv today. Beckett sucks.

perkdog · April 7, 2012 8:08AM

What a drubbing

Barndog · April 7, 2012 8:13AM

I lasted about four innings today. Not a good sign this early in the season

perkdog · April 8, 2012 2:03AM

Lets see if we can get our first win today

perkdog · April 8, 2012 7:06AM

2 things.

#1- Im friken HEATED I wasted all that time watching this game.
#2- I got Miggy Cabrera on my fantasy BB team so F it, Im happy.

TheVon · April 8, 2012 7:11AM

<< <i>2 things.

#1- Im friken HEATED I wasted all that time watching this game.
#2- I got Miggy Cabrera on my fantasy BB team so F it, Im happy. >>

Ditto, except I have Alex Avila and that homer at the end moved me into the lead this week.

The only good thing about what we've seen so far is that we were all right to be worried about the team's pitching but the offense is at least trying to do its part.

Barndog · April 8, 2012 7:22AM

At least I can watch golf now. Keeping pace with the 2011 team...yay sox

MCMLVTopps · April 8, 2012 7:27AM

Although the game was aired yesterday, I was too busy running a ditch witch to run power to my new workshop...good thing I didn't watch that game.

Seems we have a bit of learning curve with Valentine, re the lineup. Odd that he doesn't let players know until the day of the game. I suspect that will either change or cause serious friction.

So, I caught the Beckett "interview" with the new Heidi...Beckett only harped on "you can't throw the ball down the middle". Gee Josh, ya friggin think??? So, why did you continue to throw the damn ball down the middle and get hammered for 5 dingers? Is that performance what the Red Sox pay him well OVER $500K PER START? Math wrong?...don't think so...he gets $17m per season...divide 162 games by 5 and you get 32, divide his salary by 32. He looked calm as a clam, didn't seem to bother him in the least.

I still think, despite today's win, that the jury is still out...we'll see.

pitboss · April 8, 2012 8:23AM

Thank God we had guests over today for dinner.

I saw the first inning but was spared the rest of the game.

That's 2 days in a row I did not see that s**t.

MCMLVTopps · April 8, 2012 9:37AM

Just to follow up...

Up 10-7 in the 9th...choke!!
we committed 2 errors
Oh, BTW, THIRTEEN LOBs.

It is Official...GONNA BE A VERY, VERY LONG SEASON...This is not a WS possible team, they suck and I said it.

bxb · April 8, 2012 10:16AM

Horrible loss.

With no real closer, we'll be out of the race by July.

We've already lost 2 games in the standings due to no closer, and the season is only 3 games old.

This Ferrari only has 3 wheels.

MCMLVTopps · April 8, 2012 11:02AM

How many batters has Aceves gotten out so far ??? NADA

He's the closer???

What the hell, bring back the chicken and beer. Maybe some lap dances too.

RipublicaninMass · April 8, 2012 11:57AM

<< <i>How many batters has Aceves gotten out so far ??? NADA

. >>

terrible

RK Player Team W L ERA▲ G GS SV SVO IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG WHIP

11 Aceves, A BOS 0 0 *.** 2 0 0 1 0.0 4 3 3 1 0 0 1.000

perkdog · April 9, 2012 3:54AM

Next Game lets get a W

TheVon · April 9, 2012 3:59AM

The best thing about the start so far is that we have the same number of wins as the Yankees do.

Anyone know why they bumped back the start time to 7:30 for tonight's game?

MCMLVTopps · April 9, 2012 6:16AM

The smartest move at this point is to make Bard the closer and get him out of the rotation. I have no clue what to do with Aceves and Mc.

Valentine better come up with some good ideas instead of just playing musical chairs with the rotation. I suspect the wrath of the Fenway Faithful will come down on his head if this crap continues, and that right soon!!!

The most important thing (IMO) about the Yankees being 0-3 also, is that the Red Sox have missed opportunity to pick up some distance and breathing room.

Dubront is iffy tonight, I predict it'll be 0-4 when the game is finished. The roar coming out of Kenmore Square is building and it will quickly cross the Mass Pike and drop down hard if they dump it in Canada !!!

perkdog · April 9, 2012 11:45AM

First Win of 2012!

pitboss · April 9, 2012 11:56AM

Doubront looked good tonight and I sure like him better than Beckett.

Aceves looked like a closer tonight.

Lets hope it keeps up!

Good game boys!

TheVon · April 9, 2012 1:24PM

Pedroia and Ortiz were smoking it too. Sure, they are just 1-3 but one thing I like about this team so far is that there's no giving up on offense.

MCMLVTopps · April 9, 2012 9:01PM

Pedroia saves the day...again. Things weren't lookin' too good coming into the 9th inning...I'd say they got lucky on this one and dodged a HUGE bullet. 0-4 would have been seriously painful.

Dubront did look good, how about Atchison? Seems like the announcers (etal) agree with me that Bard should be the closer...we'll see how all this turns out.

pitboss · April 9, 2012 10:17PM

Well, tonight is Bards big chance to prove himself.

We shall see.

He may get a couple of more chances if Aceves keeps pitching like he did last night.

Barndog · April 9, 2012 11:29PM

after the September debacle, still the only guy all out running to first every time is Pedroia. Just need to clone the guy.

MCMLVTopps · April 10, 2012 9:38PM

Memo to Bobby Valentine...

When your opponent has the bases loaded with no outs and it's beginning to get late into the game...with the score 3-1 against you, AND you are badly in need of a win...you remove the pitcher and go with another.

Only a DOOFUS would not make this move. This is why you have other pitchers in the bullpen...USE THEM!!!. aka Management 101.

As for the rest of the team...better get the bats going. Once again TEN LOBs...not gonna cut it with that crap.

I remain unimpressed with this team...and I'm sad to say it, but it is what it is.

pitboss · April 10, 2012 10:19PM

Sad to say but I have to agree with you at this point.

They need to get their act together in a hurry if they want to go anywhere this year.

It's not a wait till next year moment but is fast approaching it at this pace.

Glad I live too far away to own season tickets.

Its easy to just turn the tv to another channel.

TheVon · April 11, 2012 12:56AM

While I'd definitely prefer it if they had started 4-1 instead of 1-4, I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. I'd like to see what happens with one more turn through the rotation. Even assuming things get turned around this next time through though, I'm worried about the month of April. Just about every team the Red Sox face is in the discussion of likely playoff teams: Tigers, Blue Jays, Rays, Rangers, and Yankees in that order before easier matchups vs. the Twins, White Sox, and A's. If the Sox can finish April with a record right around .500 I think they will be in good shape.

MCMLVTopps · April 11, 2012 4:10AM

Chad...

I'm worried about the month of April. Just about every team the Red Sox face is in the discussion of likely playoff teams: Tigers, Blue Jays, Rays, Rangers, and Yankees in that order before easier matchups vs. the Twins, White Sox, and A's. If the Sox can finish April with a record right around .500 I think they will be in good shape.

That is precisely why I made a comment in an earlier post about not knowing how the season would go till perhaps mid-May. At this point things are looking pretty gloomy IMO. The bats aren't exactly on fire with the loads of LOBs (my favorite stat), and the pitching is shaky at best. They better start putting together some wins soon, or they may be out of it well before the AS break.

Regards,
Al

perkdog · April 11, 2012 4:59AM

There is an old saying, it goes "There is a cure for pennant fever and thats called August and September" There could also be a saying that would go " There is a cure for April Blues called August and September"

Bottom line we are not even through the first week yet, no reason to panic. Im not being optomistic nor am I excited, Im not emotionally attached either. If they get it together they do if they dont then they can live with the embaressment.

TheVon · April 11, 2012 6:20AM

I didn't see Lester pitch today but I listened to WEEI on the internet and after a rocky start it seemed like he did a good job. The one concerning part of his game is that he appears to be developing a little bit of the Steve Sax/Chuck Knoblauch syndrome when it comes to throwing over to 1B. It's clear that his issues have gone to his head and I'm worried that teams are going to keep exploiting it like Rajai Davis did today.

Youkilis appears to be struggling big time too. I can understand Valentine wanting to split up A-Gon and Ortiz with a right-handed hitter but I couldn't help but wonder how that 9th inning might have been different if Big Papi had runners on 2nd and 3rd with just 1 out instead of 2.

MCMLVTopps · April 11, 2012 7:29AM

1-5 ?

I've run out of comments, it's just futile to keep harping on the negative...it's not my style to do so.

Therefore...I will enact a self-imposed, NO POST till the Red Sox win at least 3 in a row. I suspect this will not happen soon, so, till then...be well my friends. I'll lurk, but that's it.

perkdog · April 11, 2012 7:40AM

<< <i>1-5 ?

I've run out of comments, it's just futile to keep harping on the negative...it's not my style to do so.

Therefore...I will enact a self-imposed, NO POST till the Red Sox win at least 3 in a row. I suspect this will not happen soon, so, till then...be well my friends. I'll lurk, but that's it. >>

Al, why not make it just 2 in a row?

Ok, he's gone, where do we go from here?

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