7/17 @ Toronto - Buchholz Starting

[Dutchy]

One inning to go. Let's hope Papelbon doesn't need anyone to rob a home run.

[Dutchy]

Thank you for the objective assessment Dutch.

I'm OK. My Daughter is OK.

 

Glad to hear that.

[Spudboy]

Not dominating stuff tonight' date=' but still pretty solid. I'm pleased.[/quote']

 

More objectivity. Thank you J.

[Dutchy]

I love watching League pitch.

[Spudboy]

I have to sy that I anticipated Bucks start with some trepidation. I am VERY pleased that he did not get lit-up. More over, He "did Good". Whew!

 

Let's close it out.

 

Did Milar make an appearance?

[msubulldogs21]

Did Milar make an appearance?

 

Only talking to Halladay on the bench

[VA Sox Fan]

Nope' date=' I completely agree. If it's not broke don't fix it right?[/quote']

 

Exactly!

[VA Sox Fan]

I have to sy that I anticipated Bucks start with some trepidation. I am VERY pleased that he did not get lit-up. More over, He "did Good". Whew!

 

Let's close it out.

 

Did Milar make an appearance?

 

No Kevin Millar tonight. Love him

 

GAME OVAH!!!! Paps!!!

[Spudboy]

Only talking to Halladay on the bench

 

I actually saw that! Milar has grey in his beard!

 

Ha! He's getting old too!

 

Still love him, though.

 

 

Paps with two down an no one on in the ninth.

 

GAME! 4-1.

[Dutchy]

/collects save

 

Good game all around. Of all the pitching matchups in this series, this was the one I was most worried about.

[Spudboy]

/collects save

 

Good game all around. Of all the pitching matchups in this series, this was the one I was most worried about.

 

I haven't looked at the schedule past this game. But I was concerned about Buck. Failure would not have been good for him.

 

I'm glad that he looked pretty good.

 

Bard looked good too, from what I saw.

 

He's my man!

 

 

I have not looked. Did the Yankees loose!

[VA Sox Fan]

Nice way to start the 2nd half of the season.

 

Glad all is well Spud!! Sorry it's even happening.

[VA Sox Fan]

I haven't looked at the schedule past this game. But I was concerned about Buck. Failure would not have been good for him.

 

I'm glad that he looked pretty good.

 

Bard looked good too, from what I saw.

 

He's my man!

 

 

I have not looked. Did the Yankees loose!

 

They are up 5-3 in a rain delay. f*** the NYY.

[The_Destroyah]

solid start by Buck, and god do i love watching Bard pitch...put another one in the win column and lets continue it tomorrow...

[BoSox21]

this board wouldve been all over paps had he given out a two-out bloop single. no love for the clean inning though

[Spudboy]

and god do i love watching Bard pitch..

 

It will likely get even better. This kid is the goods.

[The_Destroyah]

this board wouldve been all over paps had he given out a two-out bloop single. no love for the clean inning though

 

you're right, we have just gotten a little spoiled in having a closer thats dominant so we expect a clean inning every time he steps on the mound so we tend to make little of it when he does it, kind of like we expect Ellsbury to catch a pop up to center field we just feel that that is his job and dont make much of it when he does it, so GOOD JOB PAP!!!!

[BoSox21]

we're spoiled when we bitch this much about a closer with a 1.85 ERA and I believe only two blown saves all year

[The_Destroyah]

we're spoiled when we bitch this much about a closer with a 1.85 ERA and I believe only two blown saves all year

 

that is what im getting at and you are correct he has 2BS on the year, and ill be extremely suprised if he blows another one...

[BoSox21]

and ill be extremely suprised if he blows another one...

 

well, odds are he'll blow at least one more...doesn't make him deserving of the criticism he's gotten this year

[Cocos Disciples]

He's a good pitcher, but he obviously isn't as good as previous years.

[The_Destroyah]

well' date=' odds are he'll blow at least one more...doesn't make him deserving of the criticism he's gotten this year[/quote']

 

agreed, the best closer in baseball doesnt deserve the criticism he has gotten thus far people are just so used to him being dominant that they get dissapointed if he lets a runner on base and strikes out the rest its a pretty ridiculous standard we hold pap to.

 

and im sure he'll blow another 1 at some point but itll still suprise me being that it doesnt happen very often to pap.

[The_Destroyah]

He's a good pitcher' date=' but he obviously isn't as good as previous years.[/quote']

 

even so he is still one of the top 3 closers in baseball...

[BoSox21]

yea, he isnt as good as he was in his MIND-BLOWING OMFG HOLY s*** LOOK AT THAT STAT-LINE years but he's still arguably the best closer in the game

[Cocos Disciples]

Whatever. You'll find most of my bitching in the GT, and it's all reactionary.

[BoSox21]

well yea, its frustrating when batters foul off 8 pitches and then get a single leading to a 35-pitch save and then having him unavailable the next night....all im asking for is a little perspective on the big picture

[Dipre]

All he needs to go back to the OMFG INSANE STAT LINE is to throw the f***ing split so that hitters have it in the back of their heads instead of sitting on the FB 100% of the time and usually getting it.

[Looch Ness Monster]

yea' date=' he isnt as good as he was in his MIND-BLOWING OMFG HOLY s*** LOOK AT THAT STAT-LINE years but he's still arguably the best closer in the game[/quote']

 

To me, that honor has to go to either Mariano Rivera or Joe Nathan with both Papelbon and K-Rod pretty close. Nathan gets so overlooked.

 

I've been satisfied with Papelbon's performance this year though. Who cares that he isn't putting up hall of fame numbers that would give him 16 K/9 innings? He's getting the job done and has been 93% successful in save situations which is A-OK in my book. I'll take 93% anyday over the abysmal bullpen we had in 2003 where BHK was our #1 saves leader with 14 saves (est.)

[SoxSport]

The Sox have a real dilemma with their starting pitching. I think they create their own problems with their policy of not allowing rookies to earn a rotation spot in the BP first. My view is you carry your 12 best pitchers. Forget the starter or reliever labels. Specialists, except maybe for closers, should be developed in the majors, not the minors. You start a kid as a reliever and let him earn a rotation spot. That's the way it used to be done--and still is, with some teams. Masterson is one kid who has done both, and that's to his advantage. I wish they had done the same with Buchholz. Bard looks like a classic closer.

 

So, now Buchholz looks like a stud again. He might well be better than Penny, Wake and Smoltz. You are in a dogfight with the Yankees. You send him back to AAA? What I would do is put him in the bullpen, make him show some consistency, and trade Penny at the deadline if he does.