Not to nitpic here Barn...if you were referencing me...I assure you, I am more than well aware of what RISP means. Nowhere have I ever eluded to RISPs as anything less than a runner on 3rd, a runner on 2nd, or runners on both bases that the team was unable to score.
LOBs OTOH can be much higher if they have a runner on 1st, as in bases loaded, or a runner on 1st and 3rd, or 1st and 2nd...the LOB stat kicks in with a higher number when the runner on 1st is included.
On a brighter note, some humor from Gordon Edes...
BOSTON -- At the current market rate of about $11 a dozen, the Boston Red Sox signed Pablo Sandoval to a five-year deal worth 103,636,355 doughnuts at Dunkin's.
At 14 games out with 60 to play, the season is more than over.
are donuts $11 a dozen now? Thankfully been away for a long time.
My RISP comment was aimed at saying they are worse than you are making them out to be. MUCH worse!
But hey, they won tonight! Xander with three hits. They're just a pitching staff and four or five good hitters away from being able to succeed. Yup, that close.
I'm not a stat hound, but did look a bit more deeply into Red Sox team performance from time to time...statistically. Their numbers are really, REALLY bad. The most amazing thing is the talent they have that is simply not showing up at game time. Porcello, HanRam, Walrus, Napoli, and others. The fact that they've left a ton of people stranded at 2nd and beyond without getting that key hit to drive in one or more runs has pretty much been the tale of the tape this season.
I read a lot of Gordon Edes (as you know), and he has nailed this thing from day one. He gives a daily snapshot of what the team's performance was in the previous day's game. Pretty good synopsis to get the pulse of the team.
I think Farrell has been a disaster this year, not enough discipline, especially with the Walrus. The Walrus used to get weighed every day in SF as they monitored his tonnage...oh no, not us, not the Boston Red Sox...you head right on out to the North End and suck up as much pasta as you can tote. How on earth can you have such a huge monetary commitment on a player's future performance and not be involved with his health? Weird to me.
Farrell BTW, claims Wright's performance last night was "huge for us"...really John? You're 13 back and sinking...the guy pitched exceptionally well, but "huge" ?? It means nothing in terms of reaching your goal...you know John, that little thing like the playoffs and WS ?? GL to him.
Not likely the road ahead gets an easier for the Sox...Rays and Yankees on the horizon, followed by Detroit and Miami. September is gonna be a crusher...take a look at that schedule!!
Was disappointed to see Nava get DFA'd. I still recall his GS on the first pitch he saw in the majors.
Wow, one trade...Victorino, of which the Red Sox got very little. At least he went to a contender.
Clearly management has decided this year is gone, they've already got Fort Knox tied up in HanRam and the Walrus...which, IMO, will go down in Red Sox history as the two WORST acquistions since the team was known as the Boston Bean Eaters, and that was 1894. Of course, these two are not in the lineup because they have injjjjjjuuuuuuurrrrriiiieeeeees.
The following is an excerpt from last night's Media meeting with the one, the only Ben Cherington. I'd post the whole thing, but, it's rife with bloviating.
“One of the things I want to do now that we’re past the deadline is -- and John [Farrell] and I already have talked about this -- is get together with John and his staff and talk about how we can best use the next two months,’’ Cherington said. “Until we do that, I don’t know what that’s going to be. What I do know is we’ve got to use the next two months in the most productive way possible.’’
For now, Cherington said, he is still committed to Sandoval as the team’s third baseman.
“This is a guy who wants to be good, wants to be a good third baseman,’’ Cherington said. “We need him to be a good third baseman going forward, and he has been a good third baseman. His job and our job is do everything possible to put himself in that position where he’s able to do that.
“If there are things he needs to do or that we need to challenge [him], those are things we’ll talk about with him behind closed doors. We know he wants to be good, and he has been good. He can be again. Certainly, he is capable of doing that.’’
Cherington said that the focus will be on improving the team’s pitching and defense. It’s easy to identify the two biggest defensive liabilities, Sandoval and Ramirez, who were quickly added last offseason because the Sox felt they needed more run producers. Their grand plan, which also involved remaking the team’s starting rotation, obviously hasn’t worked.
TRANSLATION...We have no clue, and nobody wanted our players. We're stuck with HanRam and the Walrus, so we're just gonna limp along and hope the fans don't revolt. Pathetic!!
What's new? NADA...streak over, and now the Yankees are here, the Yankees are here...hide the children.
The following is an excerpt from the Red Sox manager, Mr. John Farrell...typical of what I call a "Farrellism"...mostly gobblygook and nonsense you'd hear from a stumbling drunk who has no clue where he is or how he got there.
“Five consecutive fastballs to Asdrubal, which is a little bit uncommon for [Tazawa],’’ manager John Farrell said. “And the last one leaked back over the plate. Even against Longoria leading off the inning, tries to go down and away, ball ends up back arm side and close to Evan on that pitch. It’s been fastball location that hasn’t been as sharp in those moments.’’
Huh? "leaked back over the plate". Wow, I didn't know a baseball, thrown by a pitcher, which arrives at home plate in about 1.3 seconds, can "leak". The rest is just BS nonsense. I do like the last sentence, how astute of an observation! Really John "in those moments"?...your team has had a lot of moments.
Better get on your titanium jockstrap, 'cause evil cometh and you can bet the Walrus' last Twinkie that they will do everything in their power to lengthen their lead as theY drool over the bold stats so sadly posted on the Monster...YANKEES - , RED SOX 13
Ok Red Sox team it's pride time...let's see what ya got.
Well, the mega-million $ pitcher has a tricep strain and is on the 15-day DL. Bucky is out too, Masterson is in the pen...so, we have a rookie going against the Yankees in the Bronx.
In case you guys miss my post on the Registry Forum...I've uploaded 95+ pics of my Luis Tiant Master Set. So, if you care to see a bunch of Tiant cards, just go the Registry, look up Luis Tiant Master Set, and I'm sure you'll know which set is mine.
I think the Red Sox should spend the next two months trying to secure the first overall pick. And maybe give more of the minor league guys a taste of the big leagues to see what we've got.
Al - going back a few posts regarding the Sandoval and Ramirez contracts being the worst . . . I tend to agree. Both were terrible contracts and both guys have been worse defensively than they should be. But when you're talking Boston and bad contracts, you can't forget the Crawford debacle. If not for the Dodgers taking pity on the Red Sox they'd still be shelling out $21 million a year for a guy that's been averaging less than 300 at bats a year.
Von...the HanRam and Sandoval contracts are a total disaster conjured up by Cherington with the blessing of Lucchino.
I certainly agree about Crawford, what a horror that was! Could the Daisuke Matsuzaka affair be worse, or have cost more??
Too much money spent on future performance. What nailed it for me with the Walrus was his tweeting to the hottie during a live game, and his huge weight gain.
The season has been toast for quite a while. Porcello is up there with HanRam and Sandoval...tons of money wasted. Pitching has killed the team this year, no question. Lack of key hits in situations has also been a major contributor to the team's downfall. far, far too many RISP situations not capitzlized on.
Sandoval looks like a morbidly obese, tobacco chewing slob. How on earth Red Sox management thought he would do well at 3rd base, having to move all that weight around, quickly, is really beyond me. HanRam is a misfit in left field, as evidenced again by his play early on... but, both are sucking up a combined total of $36m per season, or, to put it into perspective a bit more...the Red Sox are paying these two a Princely sum of right at $1.5 million PER WEEK, total.
Porcello? A disaster as well, and yet another $12.5m.
Holt, the only all-star selectee is getting a paltry $530.5k this season.
No wonder Luccino is leaving, he's up to his ears in this mess. His age has nothing to do with his departure, I think he's being pushed to the door by John Henry. The first domino falls.
The team better try to enjoy August, 'cause September is gonna hurt!! I would not be surprised to see the season end with them 20+ out of first place. YIKES!!
I had to listen to the Yankee feed of the broadcast yesterday and even those fools were making fun of Sandoval and how dumb it was for the Red Sox to not include the same kind of weight restriction stipulations on Sandoval that the Giants had. They weighed him every day. The Sox are just letting him eat and eat and eat. He's starting to remind me of this guy: Meaning of Life - some explicit language
<< <i>I had to listen to the Yankee feed of the broadcast yesterday and even those fools were making fun of Sandoval and how dumb it was for the Red Sox to not include the same kind of weight restriction stipulations on Sandoval that the Giants had. They weighed him every day. The Sox are just letting him eat and eat and eat. He's starting to remind me of this guy: Meaning of Life - some explicit language >>
Speaking of letting Panda "eat and eat and eat" the Sox may someday have to "eat" his contract.
Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
Speaking of letting Panda "eat and eat and eat" the Sox may someday have to "eat" his contract.
The Red Sox are already eating his contract !! El Hombre gordo, aka The Walrus, is being paid SEVENTEEN MILLION per season...let's see, 162 games = $104,938+ per game. If I had been the manager when he was texting the hottie thing, he would have lost $104,938 that day. Farrell is trying to emulate Francona with his nice guy approach...it ain't workin'.
Who's doing better, Brock Holt at a bit over $500k per season or the Walrus?
Even I have little to say...up 4-0 in the 6th, 4-11 in RISPs, the Fat One 0-4. A roster where it appears Farrell is just "trying out" this guy and that guy to see how they'd perform.
I called it very early and I am even more convinced at this point...and YES, I was hoping to say I was wrong...but, the entire season has been a disaster...D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. No team spark, no cohesiveness, no esprit de corps, no nada, no 2004 Cowboy up stuff. Last to last guaranteed. I suspect management is more than well aware that the season was lost sometime ago.
One thing I can indeed guarantee, vacation plans for October are well underway, no playoff worries for this team.
Should never...NEVER have signed HanRam and the Walrus...TOTAL WASTE.
so maybe the new people in charge will find a way to put Bradley, Jr., Betts, and Castillo in the outfield and Travis Shaw at 1B on a somewhat permanent basis? If the Sox are committed to Ramirez, move him back to 3B. He can't be worse than the ever-expanding Panda. No clue what to do with his largesse. The nucleus of a good team for 2016 is there, except for a complete lack of pitching. Yup, just 11 pitchers away from a good team...
in case you are not tuned in, there's some good stuff going on with the younger players on the team. Looks like a good nucleus for next year (yes, minus the pitching for the most part). Castillo now up to .286, Swihart at .274, JBJ at .247, Bogaerts at .313, and Betts at .275.
Big improvements for Swihart, JBJ, Castillo from earlier this year. Dombrowski will find them some pitching. He HAS TO.
<< <i>in case you are not tuned in, there's some good stuff going on with the younger players on the team. Looks like a good nucleus for next year (yes, minus the pitching for the most part). Castillo now up to .286, Swihart at .274, JBJ at .247, Bogaerts at .313, and Betts at .275.
Big improvements for Swihart, JBJ, Castillo from earlier this year. Dombrowski will find them some pitching. He HAS TO. >>
I would not be too quick to give away some of out young talent for more pitching.
We have some pretty good looking kids coming along right now, let them pitch and see what they can do.
Give Buchholtz one more year for his $13 million option and see what happens instead of spending 200 million for a 30+ year old arm with a lot of wear on it.
Miley and Kelly are getting things together.
Trading young players that have high promise for established older pitching with a lot of miles on them could prove to be a disaster for the coming seasons.
Lets see what happens over the next couple of months before calling for radical changes as we may not need as much as we think we do.
Last year we panicked picking up Ramirez and fat boy too quickly and both were big mistakes.
Fat boy has some good qualities ( nothing a strict diet cant fix ) but Ramirez is a lost cause and should be dumped to give our young guns the opportunity.
Someone will take him off our hands for a reduced price as he still cant play left field so eat some of his contract, it wont be the first time this has been done.
Who would you rather see in left field Ramirez or Bradley or on 1st base Shaw or Ramirez?
Needed changes have been made in management so now give the players a chance to excel or play their way off the team and don't be afraid to eat a contract or two.
Just my opinion so don't dump on me about it as once in a while I am right.
Any thoughts on what Dombrowski should or will do for 2016?
If you were the Director of Baseball Operations, what would you do with The Walrus and HanRam...other than just put up with them? Pretty obvious HanRam can't effectively play the wall, let alone left field. The Walrus? Well, it's also pretty obvious his play at 3rd isn't exactly where it should be, not to mention him being previously touted as a power hitting switch hitter, who now bats only lefty.
Too bad Cherington didn't focus on pitching, which is key to any game, the Walrus/HanRam/Porcello decisions cost him his job, no question. He should have gone all in for an ace pitcher IMO. Porcello ain't it.
The September schedule cometh...not gonna be pretty.
Every player on the team had better play up to their potential from now to he end of the season if they value their jobs as the boss is watching pretty closely.
<< <i>Any thoughts on what Dombrowski should or will do for 2016?
If you were the Director of Baseball Operations, what would you do with The Walrus and HanRam...other than just put up with them? Pretty obvious HanRam can't effectively play the wall, let alone left field. The Walrus? Well, it's also pretty obvious his play at 3rd isn't exactly where it should be, not to mention him being previously touted as a power hitting switch hitter, who now bats only lefty.
Too bad Cherington didn't focus on pitching, which is key to any game, the Walrus/HanRam/Porcello decisions cost him his job, no question. He should have gone all in for an ace pitcher IMO. Porcello ain't it.
The September schedule cometh...not gonna be pretty. >>
I think the nucleus is there:
1B Shaw 2B Pedroia SS Bogaerts 3B Ramirez or Fat Man C Swihart or Vazquez OF Castillo, JBJ, Betts DH Ortiz (contract guaranteed for 2016)
Super utility guy: Brock Holt
Really, look at that lineup and tell me it doesn't reek of potential. It may not win it all in 2016, but it should be competitive from an offensive and defensive standpoint.
So if I'm the President of BBO and GM, I focus solely on eleven pitchers.
For sure, one of the starters will be Eduardo Rodriguez. He's earned it and I think with good coaching, he will only get better. By the nature of his contract, Porcello will be another starter. I would love for Dombrowski to NOT accept that assumption and see if he can do better.
So they need four starters. Free agents and trades abound with opportunities. I expect either Vazquez or Swihart to be traded in the offseason. If they go for anything but pitching, it will be a disappointment.
Bullpen: Uehara under contract for one more year. Assuming he can come back from his injury, he will be a better than average closer.
Tazawa will be a good setup guy again, despite his recent implosion against KC.
After that, all bets are off. Bullpens can and should be blown up from time to time. I would consider none of their pitchers, other than Eduardo Rodriguez, to be untouchable.
The Royals were raving about the throw Bradley made to get Infante at home. The 3rd base coach said he thought it was a good send, even with nobody out, until he saw a missile headed for home plate. Moustakas said he's never seen a throw like that.
I'll pretty much go with Barndog's assessment...that is except for El Hombre Gordo. I think they better have a "come to Jesus" meeting with him...#1, loose 30 lbs...#2, get back to switch hitting. And, weigh him every day, like the Giants did, it puts pressure on him to get off the twinkies/oreos, whatever he's gobbling up. And while we're at it, dump the chew in the lower lip, only makes you more Gordo-like.
The enigma is HanRam. Can't play LF and is guaranteed a sick amount of money. I don't know his history, so can't really offer any ideas, but he is a problem.
Pitching, pitching, pitching...get some arms in the off-season. Too bad Cherington didn't go long in this department instead of the direction he took.
They have potential, as they did at the start of this season...lack of cohesive, solid baseball has put them where they are. Of course the injuries added to the mix, like chili pepper in a milk shake.
As for Farrell...I still think he's gotta go. Too soft, didn't see the train wreck early enough to adjust and get some discipline going, too much "wanna be one of the guys". Need a Whitey Herzog type manager, all baseball, no BS.
Take a gander at the September schedule...ouch. Thank God for football...I predict Brady gets vindicated by the judge. The prosecutors can't pony up the smoking gun. Let the games begin!!!
Oh, welcome back Pit Boss. I'm still gonna call 'em like I see 'em. Nobody, NOBODY on these boards want the Red Sox to win more than me, BUT, when they stink, they stink!!
I wish the Sox could can Farrell, but how do you fire a guy who's undergoing chemo?
I'd like to see either Ramirez or Fat Man at third. Ditch the other. If it's the the Fat One, someone will need to ride his ass every day about weight, while also teaching him how to field again.
A no nonsense manager doesn't work (Bobby V) and a softie (Francoma or Farrell) only works with the right mix of players for a short period of time. They need a hybrid who can lend a shoulder or stick a boot where it belongs. Tough to find these days.
I wouldn't support either Varitek or Gedman. I recognize the "emotional" attachment as they're both former catchers, but we don't need emotion, we need a seasoned manager that can deal with egos. Neither catcher has managerial experience and the Red Sox don't need them to become rookie managers.
It's unfortunate that Farrell has health issues, but life is sometimes not so fair and caring...putting that aside, MLB is a business, no more, no less. It's all about winning the WS as a goal, and playing to the best of your ability along the way. When you are GUARANTEEING insane money for 6 months of playing a kid's game at a very high level, I think the incentive to excel can be lacking without guidance. I witnessed both Fatty and HanRam in a game not long ago, they didn't hustle, they kinda sauntered to their positions...whereas Holt, Bogaerts moved with intent.
Maybe somebody like a combo of Earl Weaver and Joe Torre. I don't think Farrell fits the bill. Who knows, the wheels may already be turning in Dombrowski's head about this, Farrell's health may force the issue without doing it otherwise. Surely they could slide Farrell into a comfortable position somewhere in management.
Three problems Dombrowski MUST deal with Fatty, HanRam and pitching. If he can't solve this, I suspect 2016 could be in jeopardy already. The Fenway Faithful, i.e. Red Sox Nation will not stand for a trifecta in the cellar department.
There is no way the Royals third base coach should have sent Omar home with no outs. This same third base coach would not send Gordon home in the World Series with two outs.
BTW it was nice to see the Royals fans that filled up that one section.
HanRam to 1st base in 2016...well, they had to do something, we'll see how that works out.
In the "What Just Happened?" department...
Play-by-play man Don Orsillo has no comment on ouster
Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer
CHICAGO -- Don Orsillo, who has served as Boston Red Sox play-by-play man on NESN for the past 15 seasons, said he had no comment on reports that he is being let go by the regional sports network, but it has been confirmed that the network is indeed making a change.
There was no indication that Orsillo had forewarning of his ouster, which he learned of about 10 days ago, according to a source. Orsillo was in the last year of his contract with NESN, but there have been no contentious contract talks nor had the network expressed any dissatisfaction with his work. Ratings have been in decline the past two years, but that almost certainly is due to the team’s last-place finish in 2014 and last-place standing for much of this season.
With his strong local ties and obvious popularity, Orsillo, who was born in Massachusetts, grew up in New Hampshire, and graduated from Northeastern University, had all the earmarks of a broadcast lifer with the Red Sox, the only team he has covered on a regular basis in the major leagues.
The network has leaned on Orsillo heavily during the travails of his broadcast partner, Jerry Remy. In 2009, while Remy was recovering from complications stemming from his lung cancer treatment, Orsillo worked with 26 different partners. And after Remy’s son, Jared, was charged in 2013 and convicted in 2014 for the slaying of the mother of his child, Jennifer Martell, Orsillo carried on, first without Remy during his leave of absence, then during his return, which became the focus of a highly charged debate.
Orsillo is under contract for the rest of the season. NESN has not yet made a comment on the reports.
I always enjoyed Orsillo's broadcasts, hard to believe he's gonna be gone.
Porcello pitched a gem with 13 SOs in a losing cause. His ERA stands at 5.21, but with last night's performance you wouldn't think it was his stat. I thought he was on fire.
Shaw chokes at first and tries for the "hot dog" catch instead of at least stopping the ball. He is on the bubble with HanRam, who is only being placed at 1st to get some kind of something out of him. The outfield now being locked in. I suspect Shaw will be getting a Rhode Island license plate for his car by seasons end, if not sooner.
Oddly...Dombrowski (then the Tigers GM), traded Porcello to the Red Sox...the Red Sox traded Andrew (yes I am a damn good closer) Miller to the Yankees. Porcello gets the loss, Miller the win. Weird stuff. Even weirder (IMO) is that the Red Sox are encumbered to Rick (I'm a friggin jillionaire) Porcello at 4 years and a stunning $82.5 Mmmmmmmmmmmillion guaranteed. So the Rickster comes up with some this and that about his control to the bloggers...yeah Rick, where were you in April and May. Oh geez guys, gotta go drive my new Z06 vette with my lady up to the Kancamagus, I hear the leaves are turning.
As for letting Miller go...oh yeah, Koji's our guy, well unfortunately Koji is not bullet proof and got whacked on the wrist and is toast for the season...The backup you wonder?? Machi ? Didn't we throw him under the bus long ago?
So, the meaningless game is on at 4 Eastern today, guess I'll take a gander. The team can only try and hurt the Yankees and help the Blue Jays at this point. I wonder if any of the players are bothered by having to stare at the number 14 on the scoreboard and realize they are playing for pride.....maybe.....
would be nice if Porcello could pitch like that more frequently.
Anyway, Sox traded Miller to Baltimore, not NYY. I think they got E Rodriguez in return for Miller. They were going to lose Miller anyway, so they believed, because they were going to be stupid with their money for pitching.
Comments
LOBs OTOH can be much higher if they have a runner on 1st, as in bases loaded, or a runner on 1st and 3rd, or 1st and 2nd...the LOB stat kicks in with a higher number when the runner on 1st is included.
On a brighter note, some humor from Gordon Edes...
BOSTON -- At the current market rate of about $11 a dozen, the Boston Red Sox signed Pablo Sandoval to a five-year deal worth 103,636,355 doughnuts at Dunkin's.
At 14 games out with 60 to play, the season is more than over.
My RISP comment was aimed at saying they are worse than you are making them out to be. MUCH worse!
But hey, they won tonight! Xander with three hits. They're just a pitching staff and four or five good hitters away from being able to succeed. Yup, that close.
I'm not a stat hound, but did look a bit more deeply into Red Sox team performance from time to time...statistically. Their numbers are really, REALLY bad. The most amazing thing is the talent they have that is simply not showing up at game time. Porcello, HanRam, Walrus, Napoli, and others. The fact that they've left a ton of people stranded at 2nd and beyond without getting that key hit to drive in one or more runs has pretty much been the tale of the tape this season.
I read a lot of Gordon Edes (as you know), and he has nailed this thing from day one. He gives a daily snapshot of what the team's performance was in the previous day's game. Pretty good synopsis to get the pulse of the team.
I think Farrell has been a disaster this year, not enough discipline, especially with the Walrus. The Walrus used to get weighed every day in SF as they monitored his tonnage...oh no, not us, not the Boston Red Sox...you head right on out to the North End and suck up as much pasta as you can tote. How on earth can you have such a huge monetary commitment on a player's future performance and not be involved with his health? Weird to me.
Farrell BTW, claims Wright's performance last night was "huge for us"...really John? You're 13 back and sinking...the guy pitched exceptionally well, but "huge" ?? It means nothing in terms of reaching your goal...you know John, that little thing like the playoffs and WS ?? GL to him.
Not likely the road ahead gets an easier for the Sox...Rays and Yankees on the horizon, followed by Detroit and Miami. September is gonna be a crusher...take a look at that schedule!!
Was disappointed to see Nava get DFA'd. I still recall his GS on the first pitch he saw in the majors.
Clearly management has decided this year is gone, they've already got Fort Knox tied up in HanRam and the Walrus...which, IMO, will go down in Red Sox history as the two WORST acquistions since the team was known as the Boston Bean Eaters, and that was 1894. Of course, these two are not in the lineup because they have injjjjjjuuuuuuurrrrriiiieeeeees.
The Flying Hawaiian was huge for us in '13 so we got our moneys worth in my opinion, best of luck to him.
<< <i>Trying to show my softer side Paul.
“One of the things I want to do now that we’re past the deadline is -- and John [Farrell] and I already have talked about this -- is get together with John and his staff and talk about how we can best use the next two months,’’ Cherington said. “Until we do that, I don’t know what that’s going to be. What I do know is we’ve got to use the next two months in the most productive way possible.’’
For now, Cherington said, he is still committed to Sandoval as the team’s third baseman.
“This is a guy who wants to be good, wants to be a good third baseman,’’ Cherington said. “We need him to be a good third baseman going forward, and he has been a good third baseman. His job and our job is do everything possible to put himself in that position where he’s able to do that.
“If there are things he needs to do or that we need to challenge [him], those are things we’ll talk about with him behind closed doors. We know he wants to be good, and he has been good. He can be again. Certainly, he is capable of doing that.’’
Cherington said that the focus will be on improving the team’s pitching and defense. It’s easy to identify the two biggest defensive liabilities, Sandoval and Ramirez, who were quickly added last offseason because the Sox felt they needed more run producers. Their grand plan, which also involved remaking the team’s starting rotation, obviously hasn’t worked.
TRANSLATION...We have no clue, and nobody wanted our players. We're stuck with HanRam and the Walrus, so we're just gonna limp along and hope the fans don't revolt.
Pathetic!!
I figure if they run off another 20 straight, they're back in this thing
The following is an excerpt from the Red Sox manager, Mr. John Farrell...typical of what I call a "Farrellism"...mostly gobblygook and nonsense you'd hear from a stumbling drunk who has no clue where he is or how he got there.
“Five consecutive fastballs to Asdrubal, which is a little bit uncommon for [Tazawa],’’ manager John Farrell said. “And the last one leaked back over the plate. Even against Longoria leading off the inning, tries to go down and away, ball ends up back arm side and close to Evan on that pitch. It’s been fastball location that hasn’t been as sharp in those moments.’’
Huh? "leaked back over the plate". Wow, I didn't know a baseball, thrown by a pitcher, which arrives at home plate in about 1.3 seconds, can "leak". The rest is just BS nonsense. I do like the last sentence, how astute of an observation! Really John "in those moments"?...your team has had a lot of moments.
Better get on your titanium jockstrap, 'cause evil cometh and you can bet the Walrus' last Twinkie that they will do everything in their power to lengthen their lead as theY drool over the bold stats so sadly posted on the Monster...YANKEES - , RED SOX 13
Ok Red Sox team it's pride time...let's see what ya got.
GO RED SOX !!
Should be interesting.
Enjoy!
Al
Al - going back a few posts regarding the Sandoval and Ramirez contracts being the worst . . . I tend to agree. Both were terrible contracts and both guys have been worse defensively than they should be. But when you're talking Boston and bad contracts, you can't forget the Crawford debacle. If not for the Dodgers taking pity on the Red Sox they'd still be shelling out $21 million a year for a guy that's been averaging less than 300 at bats a year.
I certainly agree about Crawford, what a horror that was! Could the Daisuke Matsuzaka affair be worse, or have cost more??
Too much money spent on future performance. What nailed it for me with the Walrus was his tweeting to the hottie during a live game, and his huge weight gain.
The season has been toast for quite a while. Porcello is up there with HanRam and Sandoval...tons of money wasted. Pitching has killed the team this year, no question. Lack of key hits in situations has also been a major contributor to the team's downfall. far, far too many RISP situations not capitzlized on.
Sandoval looks like a morbidly obese, tobacco chewing slob. How on earth Red Sox management thought he would do well at 3rd base, having to move all that weight around, quickly, is really beyond me. HanRam is a misfit in left field, as evidenced again by his play early on... but, both are sucking up a combined total of $36m per season, or, to put it into perspective a bit more...the Red Sox are paying these two a Princely sum of right at $1.5 million PER WEEK, total.
Porcello? A disaster as well, and yet another $12.5m.
Holt, the only all-star selectee is getting a paltry $530.5k this season.
No wonder Luccino is leaving, he's up to his ears in this mess. His age has nothing to do with his departure, I think he's being pushed to the door by John Henry. The first domino falls.
The team better try to enjoy August, 'cause September is gonna hurt!! I would not be surprised to see the season end with them 20+ out of first place. YIKES!!
<< <i>Napoli traded to Rangers. No idea of cash or other players involved. >>
Just like Victorino, thanks for 2013 bud best of luck to ya
<< <i>I had to listen to the Yankee feed of the broadcast yesterday and even those fools were making fun of Sandoval and how dumb it was for the Red Sox to not include the same kind of weight restriction stipulations on Sandoval that the Giants had. They weighed him every day. The Sox are just letting him eat and eat and eat. He's starting to remind me of this guy: Meaning of Life - some explicit language >>
Speaking of letting Panda "eat and eat and eat" the Sox may someday have to "eat" his contract.
The Red Sox are already eating his contract !! El Hombre gordo, aka The Walrus, is being paid SEVENTEEN MILLION per season...let's see, 162 games = $104,938+ per game. If I had been the manager when he was texting the hottie thing, he would have lost $104,938 that day. Farrell is trying to emulate Francona with his nice guy approach...it ain't workin'.
Who's doing better, Brock Holt at a bit over $500k per season or the Walrus?
Great human being, just not a major league quality pitcher these days
I called it very early and I am even more convinced at this point...and YES, I was hoping to say I was wrong...but, the entire season has been a disaster...D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. No team spark, no cohesiveness, no esprit de corps, no nada, no 2004 Cowboy up stuff. Last to last guaranteed. I suspect management is more than well aware that the season was lost sometime ago.
One thing I can indeed guarantee, vacation plans for October are well underway, no playoff worries for this team.
Should never...NEVER have signed HanRam and the Walrus...TOTAL WASTE.
Big improvements for Swihart, JBJ, Castillo from earlier this year. Dombrowski will find them some pitching. He HAS TO.
<< <i>in case you are not tuned in, there's some good stuff going on with the younger players on the team. Looks like a good nucleus for next year (yes, minus the pitching for the most part). Castillo now up to .286, Swihart at .274, JBJ at .247, Bogaerts at .313, and Betts at .275.
Big improvements for Swihart, JBJ, Castillo from earlier this year. Dombrowski will find them some pitching. He HAS TO. >>
I would not be too quick to give away some of out young talent for more pitching.
We have some pretty good looking kids coming along right now, let them pitch and see what they can do.
Give Buchholtz one more year for his $13 million option and see what happens instead of spending 200 million for a 30+ year old arm with a lot of wear on it.
Miley and Kelly are getting things together.
Trading young players that have high promise for established older pitching with a lot of miles on them could prove to be a disaster for the coming seasons.
Lets see what happens over the next couple of months before calling for radical changes as we may not need as much as we think we do.
Last year we panicked picking up Ramirez and fat boy too quickly and both were big mistakes.
Fat boy has some good qualities ( nothing a strict diet cant fix ) but Ramirez is a lost cause and should be dumped to give our young guns the opportunity.
Someone will take him off our hands for a reduced price as he still cant play left field so eat some of his contract, it wont be the first time this has been done.
Who would you rather see in left field Ramirez or Bradley or on 1st base Shaw or Ramirez?
Needed changes have been made in management so now give the players a chance to excel or play their way off the team and don't be afraid to eat a contract or two.
Just my opinion so don't dump on me about it as once in a while I am right.
If you were the Director of Baseball Operations, what would you do with The Walrus and HanRam...other than just put up with them? Pretty obvious HanRam can't effectively play the wall, let alone left field. The Walrus? Well, it's also pretty obvious his play at 3rd isn't exactly where it should be, not to mention him being previously touted as a power hitting switch hitter, who now bats only lefty.
Too bad Cherington didn't focus on pitching, which is key to any game, the Walrus/HanRam/Porcello decisions cost him his job, no question. He should have gone all in for an ace pitcher IMO. Porcello ain't it.
The September schedule cometh...not gonna be pretty.
<< <i>Any thoughts on what Dombrowski should or will do for 2016?
If you were the Director of Baseball Operations, what would you do with The Walrus and HanRam...other than just put up with them? Pretty obvious HanRam can't effectively play the wall, let alone left field. The Walrus? Well, it's also pretty obvious his play at 3rd isn't exactly where it should be, not to mention him being previously touted as a power hitting switch hitter, who now bats only lefty.
Too bad Cherington didn't focus on pitching, which is key to any game, the Walrus/HanRam/Porcello decisions cost him his job, no question. He should have gone all in for an ace pitcher IMO. Porcello ain't it.
The September schedule cometh...not gonna be pretty. >>
I think the nucleus is there:
1B Shaw
2B Pedroia
SS Bogaerts
3B Ramirez or Fat Man
C Swihart or Vazquez
OF Castillo, JBJ, Betts
DH Ortiz (contract guaranteed for 2016)
Super utility guy: Brock Holt
Really, look at that lineup and tell me it doesn't reek of potential. It may not win it all in 2016, but it should be competitive from an offensive and defensive standpoint.
So if I'm the President of BBO and GM, I focus solely on eleven pitchers.
For sure, one of the starters will be Eduardo Rodriguez. He's earned it and I think with good coaching, he will only get better.
By the nature of his contract, Porcello will be another starter. I would love for Dombrowski to NOT accept that assumption and see if he can do better.
So they need four starters. Free agents and trades abound with opportunities. I expect either Vazquez or Swihart to be traded in the offseason. If they go for anything but pitching, it will be a disappointment.
Bullpen: Uehara under contract for one more year. Assuming he can come back from his injury, he will be a better than average closer.
Tazawa will be a good setup guy again, despite his recent implosion against KC.
After that, all bets are off. Bullpens can and should be blown up from time to time. I would consider none of their pitchers, other than Eduardo Rodriguez, to be untouchable.
The enigma is HanRam. Can't play LF and is guaranteed a sick amount of money. I don't know his history, so can't really offer any ideas, but he is a problem.
Pitching, pitching, pitching...get some arms in the off-season. Too bad Cherington didn't go long in this department instead of the direction he took.
They have potential, as they did at the start of this season...lack of cohesive, solid baseball has put them where they are. Of course the injuries added to the mix, like chili pepper in a milk shake.
As for Farrell...I still think he's gotta go. Too soft, didn't see the train wreck early enough to adjust and get some discipline going, too much "wanna be one of the guys". Need a Whitey Herzog type manager, all baseball, no BS.
Take a gander at the September schedule...ouch. Thank God for football...I predict Brady gets vindicated by the judge. The prosecutors can't pony up the smoking gun. Let the games begin!!!
Oh, welcome back Pit Boss. I'm still gonna call 'em like I see 'em. Nobody, NOBODY on these boards want the Red Sox to win more than me, BUT, when they stink, they stink!!
I'd like to see either Ramirez or Fat Man at third. Ditch the other. If it's the the Fat One, someone will need to ride his ass every day about weight, while also teaching him how to field again.
A no nonsense manager doesn't work (Bobby V) and a softie (Francoma or Farrell) only works with the right mix of players for a short period of time. They need a hybrid who can lend a shoulder or stick a boot where it belongs. Tough to find these days.
I, myself, like a catcher as manager because he knows how to run a game in my opinion.
<< <i>How do you guys feel about Veritec or even Gedman?
I, myself, like a catcher as manager because he knows how to run a game in my opinion. >>
anyone who gets in AROD's face is OK by me any day of the week!
It's unfortunate that Farrell has health issues, but life is sometimes not so fair and caring...putting that aside, MLB is a business, no more, no less. It's all about winning the WS as a goal, and playing to the best of your ability along the way. When you are GUARANTEEING insane money for 6 months of playing a kid's game at a very high level, I think the incentive to excel can be lacking without guidance. I witnessed both Fatty and HanRam in a game not long ago, they didn't hustle, they kinda sauntered to their positions...whereas Holt, Bogaerts moved with intent.
Maybe somebody like a combo of Earl Weaver and Joe Torre. I don't think Farrell fits the bill. Who knows, the wheels may already be turning in Dombrowski's head about this, Farrell's health may force the issue without doing it otherwise. Surely they could slide Farrell into a comfortable position somewhere in management.
Three problems Dombrowski MUST deal with Fatty, HanRam and pitching. If he can't solve this, I suspect 2016 could be in jeopardy already. The Fenway Faithful, i.e. Red Sox Nation will not stand for a trifecta in the cellar department.
BTW it was nice to see the Royals fans that filled up that one section.
Lafayette Grading Set
In the "What Just Happened?" department...
Play-by-play man Don Orsillo has no comment on ouster
Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer
CHICAGO -- Don Orsillo, who has served as Boston Red Sox play-by-play man on NESN for the past 15 seasons, said he had no comment on reports that he is being let go by the regional sports network, but it has been confirmed that the network is indeed making a change.
There was no indication that Orsillo had forewarning of his ouster, which he learned of about 10 days ago, according to a source. Orsillo was in the last year of his contract with NESN, but there have been no contentious contract talks nor had the network expressed any dissatisfaction with his work. Ratings have been in decline the past two years, but that almost certainly is due to the team’s last-place finish in 2014 and last-place standing for much of this season.
With his strong local ties and obvious popularity, Orsillo, who was born in Massachusetts, grew up in New Hampshire, and graduated from Northeastern University, had all the earmarks of a broadcast lifer with the Red Sox, the only team he has covered on a regular basis in the major leagues.
The network has leaned on Orsillo heavily during the travails of his broadcast partner, Jerry Remy. In 2009, while Remy was recovering from complications stemming from his lung cancer treatment, Orsillo worked with 26 different partners. And after Remy’s son, Jared, was charged in 2013 and convicted in 2014 for the slaying of the mother of his child, Jennifer Martell, Orsillo carried on, first without Remy during his leave of absence, then during his return, which became the focus of a highly charged debate.
Orsillo is under contract for the rest of the season. NESN has not yet made a comment on the reports.
I always enjoyed Orsillo's broadcasts, hard to believe he's gonna be gone.
If anyone has followed Jonny Gomes...Braves just traded him to Kansas City.
<< <i>The Dombrowski era begins...DeAza to the Giants.
If anyone has followed Jonny Gomes...Braves just traded him to Kansas City. >>
Gomes seems to be a lucky player. Frequently gets traded into a pennant race. I wish him luck.
Imagine if the Sox had some pitching with the way the lineup is performing lately. Would be fun
<< <i>Ramirez playing first is a joke but at least he will be closer to the dugout and hopefully the door. >>
I can't see Ramirez AND Sandoval staying. At least one has to go before the 2016 season kicks off.
Shaw chokes at first and tries for the "hot dog" catch instead of at least stopping the ball. He is on the bubble with HanRam, who is only being placed at 1st to get some kind of something out of him. The outfield now being locked in. I suspect Shaw will be getting a Rhode Island license plate for his car by seasons end, if not sooner.
Oddly...Dombrowski (then the Tigers GM), traded Porcello to the Red Sox...the Red Sox traded Andrew (yes I am a damn good closer) Miller to the Yankees. Porcello gets the loss, Miller the win. Weird stuff. Even weirder (IMO) is that the Red Sox are encumbered to Rick (I'm a friggin jillionaire) Porcello at 4 years and a stunning $82.5 Mmmmmmmmmmmillion guaranteed. So the Rickster comes up with some this and that about his control to the bloggers...yeah Rick, where were you in April and May. Oh geez guys, gotta go drive my new Z06 vette with my lady up to the Kancamagus, I hear the leaves are turning.
As for letting Miller go...oh yeah, Koji's our guy, well unfortunately Koji is not bullet proof and got whacked on the wrist and is toast for the season...The backup you wonder?? Machi ? Didn't we throw him under the bus long ago?
So, the meaningless game is on at 4 Eastern today, guess I'll take a gander. The team can only try and hurt the Yankees and help the Blue Jays at this point. I wonder if any of the players are bothered by having to stare at the number 14 on the scoreboard and realize they are playing for pride.....maybe.....
Anyway, Sox traded Miller to Baltimore, not NYY. I think they got E Rodriguez in return for Miller. They were going to lose Miller anyway, so they believed, because they were going to be stupid with their money for pitching.