Have the Red Sox improved or regressed?

[jacksonianmarch]

You said it correctly, its all about their health. If they stay healthy, then I think they should put up similar numbers to their norms. But as these guys age, it typically becomes more difficult to go through the grind of 162. If these guys don't get any sort of nagging injury or significant DL stay injury then they should be fine. But it is much harder to guarantee that when they get into their late 30s.

[Plumpamania]

Then you're concerned about: Jeter, Rodriguez, Posada, Pettite's health?

 

If so I'd take Cameron's concerns mildly compared to the number of players in their late 30's.

[Dipre]

You said it correctly' date=' its all about their health. If they stay healthy, then I think they should put up similar numbers to their norms. But as these guys age, it typically becomes more difficult to go through the grind of 162. If these guys don't get any sort of nagging injury or significant DL stay injury then they should be fine. But it is much harder to guarantee that when they get into their late 30s.[/quote']

 

Fair enough.

[Imperial59]

Why is Mike Cameron a question mark?

 

Because he plays for the Red Sox.

 

Why is JD Drew a question mark?

 

Why is Victor Martinez a question mark?

 

Why is Jacoby Ellsbury a question mark?

 

Because they play for the Red Sox. Duh!

[Imperial59]

You said it correctly' date=' its all about their health. If they stay healthy, then I think they should put up similar numbers to their norms. But as these guys age, it typically becomes more difficult to go through the grind of 162. If these guys don't get any sort of nagging injury or significant DL stay injury then they should be fine. But it is much harder to guarantee that when they get into their late 30s.[/quote']

 

Are you at all concerned about the amount of older players that the Yankees have playing crucial roles on the team?

[Dipre]

Are you at all concerned about the amount of older players that the Yankees have playing crucial roles on the team?

 

Let's assume he is. If he backpedals later, he knows he's going to get called out on it.

[das11209]

I have been extremely critical of the offense of past year. The third place in run scored was so skewed by running score on bad teams - the bats did not do much against good pitching.

 

This year even after loosing Bay - I am more optimistic on offence. I think that we do not have one player any more that needs to carry the offence - but collectively they just should hit better. Moving Ells to left should help his bat. There are two factors that will determine the performance of offence. Can Tito resist playing Tek than he absolutely have to? Can Papi bounce back after having an inconsistant year ( contracft year + better shape + healed wrist)?

 

The rotation and defense has improved - but bullpen has lost a step. Overall - I like this team better - they have better balance. I think with Theo's bridge comment and all - it is clear that this is a transition team before payroll can get big contracts out and we get better free agent class. In light of that - I am OK with this team.

 

But this team is not a championship team - neither are they catching MFY. Wild card will be a realistic goal in my opinion.

 

They really need to do something abot Lowell before spring training.

[TheMino007]

I agree with this mostly. I don't think the team has regressed/improved greatly in either direction, I think the Sox are really not that much better off than they were last year. Teams like the Angels have gotten worse, the NL Central still sucks, and teams like the Mariners and Rays have gotten better but aren't as good as the Red Sox. In a 7 game series you have a shot at the Yankees but over the course of a 162 game season they are 7+ games better than the Sox. The AL East race won't even be close really. The problem with the Sox last year was the offense and a iffy backend of the rotation. The pitching improved, but the offense hasn't. Its gotten worse. Throw all the metric BS you want, losing Bay and adding Cameron doesn't make this team better. Scutaro will make a minimal difference because the guy is just a mediocre player coming off a career year. Beltre is a push at best with Lowell.

[Dipre]

I agree with this mostly. I don't think the team has regressed/improved greatly in either direction' date=' I think the Sox are really not that much better off than they were last year. Teams like the Angels have gotten worse, the NL Central still sucks, and teams like the Mariners and Rays have gotten better but aren't as good as the Red Sox. In a 7 game series you have a shot at the Yankees but over the course of a 162 game season they are 7+ games better than the Sox. The AL East race won't even be close really. The problem with the Sox last year was the offense and a iffy backend of the rotation. The pitching improved, but the offense hasn't. Its gotten worse. Throw all the metric BS you want, losing Bay and adding Cameron doesn't make this team better. Scutaro will make a minimal difference because the guy is just a mediocre player coming off a career year. Beltre is a push at best with Lowell.[/quote']

 

Opinions are like asses. Everybody has one. That is why we use metrics instead of subjective opinion. That is all.

[Keeper]

In a 7 game series you have a shot at the Yankees but over the course of a 162 game season they are 7+ games better than the Sox. The AL East race won't even be close really.

 

A full season of Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz, Scutaro (who I believe will be around league average), and V-Mart closes the gap significantly. Pitching and defense. The Sox have both in spades. And while you may not be sold on the offense, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the production from the bottom of the order.

[Dipre]

A full season of Lackey' date=' Dice-K, Buchholz, Scutaro (who I believe will be around league average), and V-Mart closes the gap significantly. Pitching and defense. The Sox have both in spades. And while you may not be sold on the offense, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the production from the bottom of the order.[/quote']

 

Not only that, but this team's real offensive problem last year was inconsistency on the road.

 

They brought in three guys who all outperform their career averages by a significant margin on the road.

[TheMino007]

What guys? Cameron will make the team deeper, but he isn't the impact bat we needed. Scutaro, like I said, really a non-difference maker. The only guy that does better on the road is Beltre, but that is b/c he played in pitchers parks, LA and Safeco field. Outside of Fenway Park this team struggles offensively. We had V-Mart in the playoffs last year and how many games did we win with him catching? None. Over the course of a full season we will get more production out of the Catcher position thats for sure, but one guy can't do it all. V-Mart will put up .300/.380/25 homers/100 RBI but he isn't the middle order slugger we need.

 

Agree, the pitching and defense has improved, but that bullpen is questionable and our starters have a lot of health concerns. Beckett gets hurt every year come playoff time, Lackey has been declining in innings the last two years and had some injury issues to start last year, Dice-K- who the hell knows. How will Clay pan out this year? Its the best rotation in baseball on paper, but through the course of the year problems and injuries could arise, and for a team built on pitching and defense, if you don't have the pitching, your screwed.

[Dipre]

What guys? Cameron will make the team deeper, but he isn't the impact bat we needed. Scutaro, like I said, really a non-difference maker. The only guy that does better on the road is Beltre, but that is b/c he played in pitchers parks, LA and Safeco field. Outside of Fenway Park this team struggles offensively. We had V-Mart in the playoffs last year and how many games did we win with him catching? None. Over the course of a full season we will get more production out of the Catcher position thats for sure, but one guy can't do it all. V-Mart will put up .300/.380/25 homers/100 RBI but he isn't the middle order slugger we need.

 

Agree, the pitching and defense has improved, but that bullpen is questionable and our starters have a lot of health concerns. Beckett gets hurt every year come playoff time, Lackey has been declining in innings the last two years and had some injury issues to start last year, Dice-K- who the hell knows. How will Clay pan out this year? Its the best rotation in baseball on paper, but through the course of the year problems and injuries could arise, and for a team built on pitching and defense, if you don't have the pitching, your screwed.

 

Mike Cameron career splits:

 

Home: .762 OPS

 

Road: .812 OPS.

 

Adrian Beltre career splits:

 

Home: .727 OPS

 

Road: .826 OPS

 

Marco Scutaro career splits:

 

Home: .717

 

Away: .725.

 

All perform better on the road, according to their career stats,stadiums are not of consequence, since problems with them only helps reflect a player's true offensive value, not diminish it, and Scutaro, even at his career averages, is a massive improvement offensively over the suckfest we had at SS last year. It's ok to bitch and whine, but do so with substance.

 

This team's offensive problem was consistency, the lineup was full of holes (Varitek, Green, Bay at times, Ortiz at times), and the lineup as a whole should be more consistent next year.

 

Also, banking on injuries to support your argument is intellectually dishonest.

[Dojji]

Also, we're taking Mike Lowell out of the lineup, and as much as he's been a credit to us for most of his Red Sox career, Lowell has always been a terrible road hitter

[Dipre]

Also' date=' we're taking Mike Lowell out of the lineup, and as much as he's been a credit to us for most of his Red Sox career, Lowell has always been a terrible road hitter[/quote']

 

Has and hasn't. Lowell has carried an interesting trend:

 

2006:

 

Home:. 763

 

Road: .866

 

2007:

Home: .993.

 

Road: .767

 

2008:

 

Home: .766

 

Road: .823

 

2009:

 

Home: .932

 

Road: .713

 

Go figure.

[yankees228]

Mike Cameron career splits:

 

Home: .762 OPS

 

Road: .812 OPS.

 

Adrian Beltre career splits:

 

Home: .727 OPS

 

Road: .826 OPS

 

Marco Scutaro career splits:

 

Home: .717

 

Away: .725.

 

All perform better on the road, according to their career stats,stadiums are not of consequence, since problems with them only helps reflect a player's true offensive value, not diminish it, and Scutaro, even at his career averages, is a massive improvement offensively over the suckfest we had at SS last year. It's ok to bitch and whine, but do so with substance.

 

This team's offensive problem was consistency, the lineup was full of holes (Varitek, Green, Bay at times, Ortiz at times), and the lineup as a whole should be more consistent next year.

 

Also, banking on injuries to support your argument is intellectually dishonest.

 

Haven't you and Imperial focused on potential injuries when discussing the downside of the 2010 Yankees' roster?

[Dipre]

Haven't you and Imperial focused on potential injuries when discussing the downside of the 2010 Yankees' roster?

 

Haven't i been comparing the "Question mark" status of certain players on both teams?

 

Because, if i recall correctly, my argument has always been that if "Dice-K is a question mark, Burnett is a question mark as well". I never initiated any conversation about expecting any Yankee player to be injured for any significant period of time during 2010. Not even Nick Johnsonn. who i have repeatedly said should be healthier manning the DH spot.

 

I like you, but don't put words in my mouth.

[yankees228]

Haven't i been comparing the "Question mark" status of certain players on both teams?

 

Because, if i recall correctly, my argument has always been that if "Dice-K is a question mark, Burnett is a question mark as well". I never initiated any conversation about expecting any Yankee player to be injured for any significant period of time during 2010. Not even Nick Johnsonn. who i have repeatedly said should be healthier manning the DH spot.

 

I like you, but don't put words in my mouth.

 

The funny thing about this site, at times, is that people just assume that someone else is taking a shot at them. I asked you if that's what you guys had done, nothing more.

 

Also, to me, Daisuke is more of a question mark than Burnett because Burnett was completely healthy the last two years, while Daisuke is coming off a season where he missed a great deal of time.

 

I understand that you were only using that as an example, in an attempt to show your conversational approach. Now that I'm clear on that, I was simply commenting on the example.

[Dipre]

The funny thing about this site, at times, is that people just assume that someone else is taking a shot at them. I asked you if that's what you guys had done, nothing more.

 

Also, to me, Daisuke is more of a question mark than Burnett because Burnett was completely healthy the last two years, while Daisuke is coming off a season where he missed a great deal of time.

 

I understand that you were only using that as an example, in an attempt to show your conversational approach. Now that I'm clear on that, I was simply commenting on the example.

 

It's the internet. I can't see your facial expressions, and the way you wrote the sentence made it sound like a condescending call-out when read out loud:

 

Haven't you and Imperial focused on potential injuries when discussing the downside of the 2010 Yankees' roster?

 

Doesn't seem like an honest question, but a call-out.

 

If you feel Dice-K is more of a question mark, i don't have a problem, but putting the importance of each pitcher to their respective rotation (Burnett #2, Dice-K #4) and the confounders surrounding Dice-K's freakish 2009 as well as Burnett's extensive injury history, i'd say he's a better bet to miss time. But notice the word "bet" because you really can't predict injuries, just like you can't predict age-related decline, which is mostly what i've been calling out Jacko on anyway.

[Imperial59]

Haven't you and Imperial focused on potential injuries when discussing the downside of the 2010 Yankees' roster?

 

I think it's safe to say that it's a downside of both rosters with guys like Burnett, Johnson, Posada, Matsuzaka, Drew and Beltre on both teams. But I think Burnett and Johnson are probably the largest injury liabilities on either roster given their past histories (11 DL visits since 2000, playing more than 133 games once in his career).

[jacksonianmarch]

So wait, Burnett is more of a concern than DiceK, really? And you call me biased

[Dipre]

So wait' date=' Burnett is more of a concern than DiceK, really? And you call me biased[/quote']

 

Nice save-face attempt.

 

If you'll noticed, i mentioned each one's importance to their respective rotations as a reason (which is coherent except if you lack a functioning brain), and also, i mentioned "Miss time" not "Miss significant time", because of two reasons:

 

A) Burnett's significant injury history.

 

B ) The Sox will probably be handling Dice-K with the kid gloves, which they can, because he's the 4th, not the 2nd starter.

 

And yes, i call you biased, because you are, without a shadow of a doubt, extremely biased.

[jacksonianmarch]

I wasnt responding to you Dipre. That being said, I find it absolutely hilarious that people are considering DiceK more of a lock to stay healthy than Burnett. Hilarious. Burnett had TJS. He's been healthy for 2 yrs straight. DiceK cannot stay off the DL. Big difference.

[Dipre]

I wasnt responding to you Dipre. That being said' date=' I find it absolutely hilarious that people are considering DiceK more of a lock to stay healthy than Burnett. Hilarious. Burnett had TJS. He's been healthy for 2 yrs straight. DiceK cannot stay off the DL. Big difference.[/quote']

 

Actually no.

 

Again, i'm thinking the kid gloves factor and working in Wakefield to make spot starts will keep him healthy.

 

I'll go ahead and say neither of them misses any time.

 

Oh, and you're "He cannot stay off the DL" statement. Now that is hilariously biased.

 

Carry on.

[Spudboy]

I wasnt responding to you Dipre. That being said' date=' I find it absolutely hilarious that people are considering DiceK more of a lock to stay healthy than Burnett. Hilarious. Burnett had TJS. He's been healthy for 2 yrs straight. [b'] DiceK cannot stay off the DL.[/b] Big difference.

 

Care to expand on this statement?

[Dipre]

Three years, two injuries, one of them caused by a stupid decision by Dice-K and it wasn't major.

[jacksonianmarch]

It wasnt major, nope, he only missed nearly the entire season! My god, you're insane. I am sure you're expecting CY type numbers too and the sox are on point to win 130 games.

[Dipre]

It wasnt major' date=' nope, he only missed nearly the entire season! My god, you're insane. I am sure you're expecting CY type numbers too and the sox are on point to win 130 games.[/quote']

 

*Yawn*

 

[Spudboy]

It wasnt major' date=' nope, he only missed nearly the entire season! My god, you're insane. I am sure you're expecting CY type numbers too and the sox are on point to win 130 games.[/quote']

 

Off topic here.

 

But Doc, what can you tell me about Winstrol? What are the clinical applications of the drug?

What precautions are there? Can it be used to aid in weight loss in individuals with a thyroid condition?

 

Thanks.

[yankees228]

I apologize for the tone of the question. Reading it again, I understand how it could have been misconstrued.