What Would YOU Have Done Different?

[jacksonianmarch]

It's so strange. Dice-K is criticized so harshly for getting tired and less effective at the end of the season as if he is the only one.

 

CC Sabathia has pitched 9.1 innings in the post-season, and has allowed 11 earned runs, striking out 8 and walking 11.

 

Jake Peavy has pitched 9.2 post-season innings in his career, allowed 13 earned runs on 19 hits, walking 4 and striking out 5.

 

Dice-K has pitched 9.1 innings in the post-season and allowed 7 earned runs, 9 strikeouts and 5 walks. Varitek said he looked good the other night and, all team-mates-menship aside, I thought it was a solid evaluation.

 

Dice-K is JUST missing. He's an inch off the plate consistently and still hitting 94 at this point in the season. I really think that he will take what he has learned this year and apply it when he comes back next year, both in preparing for the longer/harder season and the MLB strike zone, and the tendencies of hitters given that strike zone. He will have to figure out how to get two strikes on guys, because that is when he's dominant. He should be Paul Byrd for the first two pitches, and Dice-K to finish it off. Not only will attacking the strike zone help him get batters out, it will keep walks off base.

 

Walks were his biggest issue this year, as his BAA was only .246, #20 in baseball, .001 behind Josh Beckett and ahead of other notoriously 'hard to hit' guys like Fausto Carmona, Sabathia, Oswalt, Halladay, and Kazmir The biggest difference between them was the .040 difference between Beckett and Matsuzaka in OBP against. That was from the walks.

 

I'm not shocked that you see Matsuzaka as a TBD, but imagine the alternative. His 15 wins on the Yankees this year would have been scary, coupled with the prospect of him pitching for the next 5 years--all of them in the prime of his career--for your team. Let's not kid ourselves here, the Yankees would love to have Matsuzaka because the real fan of baseball can see what he is doing and see the raw talent and the adjustments that need to be made.

 

Dice had almost as many K's as Pettitte and Clemens combined this year. There is no doubt that he can make hitters swing and miss and that his pitches are not yet honed. His changeup has been non-existent but has been effective when he's been able to command it.

 

 

so because CC Sabathia is fatiguing as well, it is okay for DiceK to do so? Not in my book. DMats was brought here as a Japanese phenom who was to take you guys to the playoffs and beyond. But he absolutely disappeared after the AS break and if the rest of your team wasnt white hot to begin the yr, he would have been blamed for your collapse. Imagine how he and the other flops (Drew and Lugo) would be getting murdered in the media if you didnt make the playoffs. Amazing how team success can overshadow a player's poor play in the eyes of the fans. Shall we go to the stats?

 

Pre-AS- 10-6 3.84ERA 119.2IP 110H 12HR 123K/38BB 1.23WHIP

Post AS- 5-6 5.19ERA 85IP 81H 13HR 78K/42BB 1.52WHIP

 

More homers and walks in less innings. An ERA that jumped 1.35 runs per 9. A WHIP that jumped nearly 0.3. The guy has been absolutely awful since the break. SO to say that he is just missing is way off the mark. The guy is tired, and has been tired. Hell, he admitted he was tired like he had never been before and it shows. His fastball may be 94, but he is throwing it down the middle. His breaking stuff has gone from lights out to right down the middle. So to give the guy a TBD, you have to see where I am coming from. He is a big ego pitcher from a land where pride and honor is your #1 duty. He came here with the weight of a nation (RSN) on his shoulder and he failed miserably down the stretch. If it wasnt for a reclamation effort from Josh Beckett, DiceK's mug would have been on the front of SI weeping as the sox went home at the end of september. So no, I dont think you can call his season a success. Just to measure that, how much faith would you place in DMats should the sox get to game 7 of this series. Exactly.

 

But hell yeah I'd want the guy on my team, no doubt. He has the stuff and maybe he will be able to overcome the league figuring him out, fatigue and the mental anguish that will come after failing miserably down the stretch. That is why his acquisition gets a TBD. Lots of factors need to be figured out before we know what kind of pitcher he will be over that contract. And as we know, 90% of the game is half mental.

[Mr Crunchy]

its obvious the pressure hes been under has worn him down

he gave us a s*** load of innings and even though his velocity is about the same his command is way off and his confidence is shaken.

 

as a sox fan i dont want this guy with the ball in game 7

as a sox fan ive seen careers destroyed over s***** playoff performances as well.

gedman schiraldi stanley and buckner were never close to being the same after the world series

i wouldve said game after game 6 but geddy hit a 3run homer in game 7

have i mentioned i hate john mcnamara and pepper nosed al nipper?

anyways

dice had a whirlwind of a season and he has indeed faded

look for him to stretch into american baseball for good next year where he wont have the pressures of this year

[jacksonianmarch]

its obvious the pressure hes been under has worn him down

he gave us a s*** load of innings and even though his velocity is about the same his command is way off and his confidence is shaken.

 

as a sox fan i dont want this guy with the ball in game 7

as a sox fan ive seen careers destroyed over s***** playoff performances as well.

gedman schiraldi stanley and buckner were never close to being the same after the world series

i wouldve said game after game 6 but geddy hit a 3run homer in game 7

have i mentioned i hate john mcnamara and pepper nosed al nipper?

anyways

dice had a whirlwind of a season and he has indeed faded

look for him to stretch into american baseball for good next year where he wont have the pressures of this year

 

 

Hence why I gave him a TBD. Next yr is the big yr for him. His first yr over here with mixed results. Will he be a Javy Vazquez and just fall apart? Will he be a Josh Beckett and right the ship and turn into a dominant pitcher? Who knows. It is to be determined.

[Mr Crunchy]

hes a 3 i feel

hes getting 4 money but he can be a 3 here

this guy gets a year of settling in,an adjustment in culture can be difficult

i married a protestant and immedietley lost 20lbs when i left mamas house...

so i know what its like.

the book is still open here but i will say he made enuff of a diff for us to win the division

[ORS]

What exactly was I selling? I complimented him. I also simply stated that The Boy Wonder is nowhere near the perfect GM' date=' like he has been portrayed as by some in the past. Thats all. He's made really good decisions at times, and he's made really bad ones at times. If you can't agree with that, and acknowledge he has some flaws then that would make you the fanboy.[/quote']

Oh, I can agree with him being worthy of criticism. It's just funny coming from a guy who actually thinks Big Stein is unfairly portrayed. In other words, we can do without you telling us we should accept our guy's flaws when you can't do it yourself.

[rician blast]

26...Give me the name of a GM who is perfect.

 

"The Boy Wonder" thing is a media creation and only the sheep latch onto to that label and the associated expectations of perfection. I don't think any reasonable fan portrays Theo as being the perfect GM...in fact I think reasonable fans understand that there is no such thing.

 

It's less an issue of a GMs flaws than it is an issue of "not all moves work out"...that's just the way it is. There's good acquisitions and bad ones...there are good non-signings and bad ones, etc. GM's go with what they know at the time, based on the analysis they and their staffs put together, with consideration given to the long and short-term status and goals of the organization, their current and future needs, their resources, etc.

[Ray10]

I would have signed Damon because his bat is something that is hugeeeee in any part of the lineup. Never would have bothered getting Gagne. Would have found someone to trade Crisp too. Would have went after some more starting pitching. And would have left Papelbon as a starter cause the playoffs are a perfect example think about what we could have done with Papelbon as a starter.

[TheKilo]

I would have signed Damon because his bat is something that is hugeeeee in any part of the lineup.

 

Where would you play him? He doesn't play CF, and you have a LF and a DH.

 

Never would have bothered getting Gagne.

 

Hindsight is 20/20 isn't it.

 

Would have found someone to trade Crisp too.

 

To what team, and for what? Be specific please.

 

Would have went after some more starting pitching.

 

Who?

 

And would have left Papelbon as a starter cause the playoffs are a perfect example think about what we could have done with Papelbon as a starter.

 

If Papelbon is a starter then who closes for you? Keep in mind Okajima was not thought of as a viable option until AFTER Papelbon went back to closing. Besides, Papelbon wants to close so he's going to close.

[example1]

so because CC Sabathia is fatiguing as well' date=' it is okay for DiceK to do so? Not in my book. [/quote']

 

It's not "okay", but it is understandable and doesn't make Dice-K some sort of under producing monster who isn't worthy of wearing the uniform, as you would so like for everyone to think.

 

DMats was brought here as a Japanese phenom who was to take you guys to the playoffs and beyond.

 

1. There isn't much beyond the playoffs.

2. He was brought here to do that for 6 years

3. The FO has been VERY up-front about not having unrealistic expectations for this season.

 

But he absolutely disappeared after the AS break and if the rest of your team wasnt white hot to begin the yr, he would have been blamed for your collapse.

 

I find it hilarious that your mind can conceive of a situation where one player--a pitcher, nonetheless--is blamed for an entire franchise's failure. Seems like some of the blame would have gone to Papi and Manny (who sat out the last month)'s lack of production compared to prior seasons, Drew's non-production, the failures of Eric Gagne to hold ANY leads this team gave him (5 or 6 overall, I believe). But if it makes you feel better to throw the guy who threw 200+ IP with 200+ K's and the 20th lowest BAA against in his ROOKIE season under the bus you can go ahead. It's just a weak and unrealistic point.

 

Imagine how he and the other flops (Drew and Lugo) would be getting murdered in the media if you didnt make the playoffs. Amazing how team success can overshadow a player's poor play in the eyes of the fans. Shall we go to the stats?

 

Pre-AS- 10-6 3.84ERA 119.2IP 110H 12HR 123K/38BB 1.23WHIP

Post AS- 5-6 5.19ERA 85IP 81H 13HR 78K/42BB 1.52WHIP

 

More homers and walks in less innings. An ERA that jumped 1.35 runs per 9. A WHIP that jumped nearly 0.3. The guy has been absolutely awful since the break. SO to say that he is just missing is way off the mark. The guy is tired, and has been tired. Hell, he admitted he was tired like he had never been before and it shows. His fastball may be 94, but he is throwing it down the middle. His breaking stuff has gone from lights out to right down the middle. So to give the guy a TBD, you have to see where I am coming from.

 

Of course I see where you're coming from. He has fatigued as the season went on. Clearly, nobody would question that. But to say that it is "way off the mark" to say he is just missing, when his own catcher says it is the case is equally absurd. The reason he is throwing the ball right down the middle is because he is getting into 2-1 and 2-0 counts due to JUST missing on the first few pitches. It doesn't justify it, but it does differentiate between a pitcher who just misses and a pitcher who completely loses sight of the strikezone.

 

He is a big ego pitcher from a land where pride and honor is your #1 duty. He came here with the weight of a nation (RSN) on his shoulder and he failed miserably down the stretch.

 

Starts #21-27 (7 starts against CLE, TB, SEA, BAL, TB, TB, NYY): 45.2 IP, 3.55 ERA, 43 K, .229 BA/.328 OBP/.386/.714 (notice those are some of the best offenses in baseball)

 

Starts #30-32 (3 starts vs. NYY, TB, MIN): 20.1 IP, 3.98 ERA, .213 BA/.314 OBP/.373/.687

--He outpitched the not-getting-s***-for-his-performance-Andy Pettitte here

 

Starts #28-29 (2 starts against TOR and BAL): 8 IP, 16.88 ERA, 5 K, .410BA/.465/.692/1.157

--He got shelled here. Why do you let these two starts ruin his second half? Was he dominant or Cy Young worthy? No. Was he at least DECENT, holding up the staff at a time when they needed him to? Absolutely.

 

You're naive to think that getting Dice-K and keeping him from the Yankees--even with his mediocre first season--wasn't a victory for the Sox.

 

Average Game Scores in 2007:

Andy Pettitte: 49

Chen-Ming Wang: 52

Roger Clemens: 50

Phil Hughes: 50

 

Beckett: 58

Wake: 48

Dice-K: 53

Schilling: 52

 

So, spread over the season, Dice-K's starts tended to be 2nd best of all starters on the Yankees and the Sox. I showed above how including just a few stats greatly hurts his overall stats, but I find it ironic that DESPITE those stats he still averaged better starts than Pettitte and Wang, two guys who are NOT on the front page of SI weeping because their team didn't make it and WANG didn't make it out of the 2nd inning (or was it the 3rd) in the most important start of the season. Get over yourself buddy, and stop letting the jealousy cloud your otherwise sound baseball vision.

 

If it wasnt for a reclamation effort from Josh Beckett, DiceK's mug would have been on the front of SI weeping as the sox went home at the end of september.

 

Which, given the numbers I cited and the players I cited above would have been nothing but selective stat-mining, a strong belief in 'clutch performances', and wanting to see a famous person eat s***, from my perspective.

 

So no, I dont think you can call his season a success. Just to measure that, how much faith would you place in DMats should the sox get to game 7 of this series. Exactly.

 

Probably a lot more than most people here would. Take out those two starts against TOR and BAL, and Dice-K had a 3.89 ERA this season. That would have put him just behind AJ Burnett and James Shields (two guys who get plenty of credit), and ahead of Andy Pettitte, whom most Yankees fans would be willing to give a casual blow-job if so-asked. So, no, I wouldn't jump off a bridge if Dice-K had to pitch a game 7. Would I rather have Dice-K than Jake Westbrook or Paul Byrd moving forward? Absolutely. So would you....

 

But hell yeah I'd want the guy on my team, no doubt.

 

 

That is why his acquisition gets a TBD. Lots of factors need to be figured out before we know what kind of pitcher he will be over that contract. And as we know, 90% of the game is half mental.

 

And I know that 90% of the game is keeping the Yankees from getting players that are 26 year old strike-out pitchers for 6 years when the thing they need most is young pitching. Furthermore, I know that it was important for the Sox to land the best available free-agent pitcher last year and that Dice-K badly out performed pitchers like Jason Schmidt and Barry Zito, both of whom are not drawing NEARLY as much ire for their performances this season as Dice-K is.

 

You may not believe this jacksonian, but, remarkably enough, if the Sox had not made the playoffs this year it would not have been blamed on the pitching staff. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you simply don't throw rookie pitchers under the bus for being near the leaderboard in a number of important categories, especially when there were ELEVEN starts where Dice-K had two or fewer runs of support. Wang had 4 such games.