June 2, 2024, Tigers @ Fenway, 1:35 pm

[moonslav59]

It turns out that I'm an even bigger Cora fan than you are.

I think Cora has certain principles that he adheres to when he's making out lineups and he sticks to them faithfully. He doesn't bury guys who are cold like Cooper. He's definitely not a "ride the hot hand" guy.

It's up to Breslow to cut a guy like Cooper loose.

I'm fine with playing Cooper at 1B in a platoon with Smith.

What has Cooper done in the last 2.3 seasons to show he deserves to DH over Ref or Wong? He has a .722 OPS since the start on '22. It's .697 since the start of '23. This isn't about a hot of cold hand. He's been bad for over a year or two.

He bats RH'd- like Ref & Wong. He done okay vs LHPs, but not RHPs.
.666 in '23 (345 PAs)
.496 in '24 (68 PAs)
He's played in 21 games since APR 30 (started 16)

Wong has career reverse splits (.759 v .599) and hits RHPs way better than Cooper. This is not about a month or two of hot hitting, like Ref.
v RHP
.734 in '23 (295 PAs)
.794 in '24 (108)
I get how catching is very demanding. I'm not advocating he DH every day he does not catch, but we could let McGuire catch more, so Wong could DH more. McGuire hits lefty and seems to be doing better with the staff than Wong, this year.

Now, to Ref: Ref is a notorious platoon type bat. Asking for him to play more is about "riding the hot bat," and I can understand Cora or anyone else not thinking that is a good philosophy.
Career: .641 v RHPs
.792 in '22 (104 PAs)
.466 in '23 (98)
.964 in '24 (61)
He's only been horrible one year in in the last 2.3 seasons.
He's played in one more game than Cooper since APR 30, but he's started only 13 games compared to Coop's 16. I ask why?

Hot hand? Numbers since April 30th (Coop's first game with the Sox)
All the players that could play, instead of Coop. I'm only saying 2 should have played a few more games than they did...
.827 DHam
.811 Ref
.743 Wong
.649 Romy
.562 Smith
.488 McGuire
.464 Cooper

Season with the Sox v RHPs
.964 Ref
.794 Wong
.768 Yoshida
.752 DHam
.658 Valdez
.592 McGuire
.571 Smith
.422 Dalbec
.299 Cooper (which is even worse than your fave- Grissom at .334)

I'm a huge fan of Cora. I know he understands much more about the game and our players than I do. I make statements about what I'd do or like to see done, more often, but not in a way that is trying to make Cora look badly.

[moonslav59]

It turns out that I'm an even bigger Cora fan than you are.

Because I sometimes make suggestions Cora does not follow?

I'd give the guy a lifetime services contract, today.

[Maxbialystock]

It turns out that I'm an even bigger Cora fan than you are.

I think Cora has certain principles that he adheres to when he's making out lineups and he sticks to them faithfully. He doesn't bury guys who are cold like Cooper. He's definitely not a "ride the hot hand" guy.

It's up to Breslow to cut a guy like Cooper loose.

That last line is what I was getting it. Cora is a proponent of the "dud liberation movement."

[Bellhorn04]

Because I sometimes make suggestions Cora does not follow?

Yes. I don't even question him LOL

Just messing around of course.

[Bellhorn04]

That last line is what I was getting it. Cora is a proponent of the "dud liberation movement."

I get the philosophy. Give a guy like Cooper a full shot, if he doesn't capitalize, you move on.

[mvp 78]

I get the philosophy. Give a guy like Cooper a full shot, if he doesn't capitalize, you move on.

I was going to run some splits and gamelogs for Cooper, but FanGraphs no longer wants to run on my computer. Anyone else have this issue? Is it the ads?

[mvp 78]

Cooper:

860 OPS from 5/8-5/19
145 OPS from 5/21-present

Thanks to BRef

[Bellhorn04]

I was going to run some splits and gamelogs for Cooper, but FanGraphs no longer wants to run on my computer. Anyone else have this issue? Is it the ads?

Looks like they're doing some "upgrades". You know how that goes sometimes.

[moonslav59]

I get the philosophy. Give a guy like Cooper a full shot, if he doesn't capitalize, you move on.

The thing is, he would still "get his shot" as a platoon 1Bman. Granted, it's the short end platoon, but if he started hitting, he could be given more chances vs RHPs, assuming those DH'ing vs RHPs start to slump, too.

I'm all for giving guys a shot, but why not give Ref a shot vs RHPs?

Wong has already shown he does much better vs RHPs, despite batting RH'd. With him, it's not a short "ride the hot hand" opinion.

I happen to like McGuire behind the plate a little more than Cora has played him, there.

So far, GS as catcher: 34 Wong/ 26 McGuire.

We could have McGuire catch 4 out of 7 games. Wong catch 3 of 7 and DH 3 of 7 and rest 1 of 7. Ref DHs against all LHPs and vs the RHPs that Wong is not the DH.

Cooper platoons with Smith, until Casas returns.

Nobody is being benched from this group.

Perform better and you play more often, and vice versa.

[mvp 78]

Looks like they're doing some "upgrades". You know how that goes sometimes.

That site has been rough for me for the past few weeks.

[Bellhorn04]

The thing is, he would still "get his shot" as a platoon 1Bman. Granted, it's the short end platoon, but if he started hitting, he could be given more chances vs RHPs, assuming those DH'ing vs RHPs start to slump, too.

I'm all for giving guys a shot, but why not give Ref a shot vs RHPs?

You think Ref suddenly and miraculously turned it around against RHPs at age 33? Does that actually make sense?

[Bellhorn04]

That site has been rough for me for the past few weeks.

Personally I think technology has peaked and is now going downhill.

[moonslav59]

You think Ref suddenly and miraculously turned it around against RHPs at age 33? Does that actually make sense?

No, I don't. That is why I am not saying Cora is wrong. I'm just saying what I'd do. I'd ride the hot hand with Ref, until he shows he can't do it anymore. He was also not bad vs RHPs in '22, so it may not be a fluke. His sample size is not tiny.

Wong seems to have come close to proven he is better vs RHPs than Cooper has been in 2.3 years.

Ref compares to Coop over a 2.3 year sample size, too, so it's not just a "hot hand."

2022-2024 vs RHPs
.918 Devers 1035 PAs)
.906 Abreu (236)
.852 Casas (541)

.748 Wong (441)
.746 Valdez (226)
.713 Refsnyder (263)
.708 Cooper (781)

.689 O'Neill
.677 Smith
.654 McGuire
.621 Rafaela (230)
.611 Grissom (224)

.583 Romy (145)
.560 Dalbec

hell, EValdez seems like a better choice, right now.

I'm fine with Coop getting a nother chance, if he starts hitting LHPs, well.