Am I the only one a bit nervous about John Lackey?

[Spudboy]

As Jacko has said 9,567 times, what you really need are three solid starters and a couple people who can eat innings and be a bit better than league average.

 

They have the best top three in the game, and three starters that can be above league average.

 

Besides that, every pitcher ever has some inconsistency. You're complaining about Beckett's rough stretch but forget Lester had one of his own early in the year. You also forgot Bucholz. I'd like to see another team (besides maybe the Yanks) who's trotting out a number five with as much upside as Bucholz, but that's just me, i like to be optimistic, specially if what my eyes tell me and the stats (plus typical pitcher trends) portend to a good year from the rotation.

 

After 2004 and 2007, i've discovered the beauty of not being a defeatist most of the time and being optimistic, specially if a situation (like the Sox rotation) calls for it.

 

 

On paper it's all good. But things rarely go to plan.

 

Beckett is still a question mark. Lester started slowly but was, for the most part, consistently very good. Dice K is a sushi gobbling piece of s*** that just does not get it. By that, I mean he does not understand the employer/employee relationship.

 

I did not forget Buch. I mentioned him. I expect him to be reasonable productive IF he keeps that bat s*** brain of his in check.

[Dipre]

On paper it's all good. But things rarely go to plan.

 

Beckett is still a question mark. Lester started slowly but was, for the most part, consistently very good. Dice K is a sushi gobbling piece of s*** that just does not get it. By that, I mean he does not understand the employer/employee relationship.

 

I did not forget Buch. I mentioned him. I expect him to be reasonable productive IF he keeps that bat s*** brain of his in check.

 

So the Yanks can be great on paper and that can come to reality, since they have already won the division in the minds of a lot of people, but if the Sox have something good goin' on paper, things rarely go to plan?

 

I'm not saying you've said that, but even though things rarely go to plan, with six pitchers healthy or near healthy, how much can realistically go wrong?

 

There's a chance for every team in the Majors to not be so good as they are in paper, but to see what happens, you gotta wait until the season actually plays out.

[Imperial59]

Am I the only one who is concerned that we let our most productive hitter walk?

 

No, but I think our lineup should be almost as good, if not as good as it was last year. It should certainly be more consistent.

 

And was Bay really our most productive hitter last year? I think I'd go with Youkilis.

[Dojji]

And was Bay really our most productive hitter last year? I think I'd go with Youkilis.

 

Really kinda shows the generation gap there IMHO. Youkilis has more OPS (beating Bay in both OBP and Slugging), and Bay has more runs, RBI and homers.

 

Meanwhile there's a surprise contender who should probably be in the conversation, athough slightly (but only slightly) behind the other two.

[Dipre]

I'd say Bay was the most productive hitter, but all of those who cry that the offense produced "Garbage runs" forget that Bay was one of the main culprits of that due to his inconsistency.

 

Jason Bay's month-to-month OPS:

 

April:1.124

 

May:.978

 

June:.701

 

July: .689

 

August:1.097

 

September:.988

 

Disappeared there for two whole months. Don't get me wrong, i like Bay, and i wish they'd kept him (on the right deal) but context needs to be applied to last year's "offensive struggles". What this lineup lacked last year was consistency.

[Dipre]

Really kinda shows the generation gap there IMHO. Youkilis has more OPS (beating Bay in both OBP and Slugging), and Bay has more runs, RBI and homers.

 

Meanwhile there's a surprise contender who should probably be in the conversation, athough slightly (but only slightly) behind the other two.

 

Games played.

[riverside sluggers]

What Im really nervous about is that... its just about a foregone conclusion that Mauer will indeed offically sign a big extension with Minnesota. That makles V-Mart the top catcher next offseason. It could be Jason Bay all over again. The Sox could find themselves without a clue about who to go to for starting catching duties

[Dojji]

Games played.

 

One game MORE than Youkilis.

[Dipre]

One game MORE than Youkilis.

 

I meant in the Bay vs Youk vs Drew discussion. If you read my earlier post, you'll notice i said i consider Bay to have been the most productive hitter.

 

14 and 15 games MORE than Drew and Youk respectively.

[Dojji]

Fair nuff

[riverside sluggers]

Disappeared there for two whole months. Don't get me wrong' date=' i like Bay, and i wish they'd kept him (on the right deal) but context needs to be applied to last year's "offensive struggles". What this lineup lacked last year was consistency.[/quote']

 

The emergence of Victor was a big lineup changer for the last 2 months of the season, except for the 3 game sweep of the Angels

 

(56 games)

71 for 211 (.336 avg) (.405 obp) (.507 slg) (.912 ops) 12 Doubles, 8 HRs, 41 RBIs, 32 Runs, 24 Walks, 23 Ks, SB

 

I think Youk will probably lead the team in HRs, but him and Martinez will finish with roughly the same amount of RBIs

[Dipre]

The emergence of Victor was a big lineup changer for the last 2 months of the season, except for the 3 game sweep of the Angels

 

(56 games)

71 for 211 (.336 avg) (.405 obp) (.507 slg) (.912 ops) 12 Doubles, 8 HRs, 41 RBIs, 32 Runs, 24 Walks, 23 Ks, SB

 

I think Youk will probably lead the team in HRs, but him and Martinez will finish with roughly the same amount of RBIs

 

The road was a nightmare for this team offensively last year, that has been addressed to a certain extent by adding three guys who are known to be solid road performers. That should help consistency.

[Imperial59]

Yeah, I'm really excited to see how our offense shapes out next year. Bay had some sexy numbers, but he only comes up once every 9 at bats, and he'd strike out 1/3 of them. I'd much rather have a lineup with solid production 1-9 than a lineup with a guy who hits 36 home runs in the middle (he had to be moved down in the order because of inconsistency) and two guys barely hitting .200 in the 8 and 9 spot.

 

If we could get a solid OBP out of either Ellsbury (.389 OBP in the minors) or Scutaro (.379 OBP last year) then our lineup will be much improved. I think our leadoff hitter last year was a pretty big weakness, even with all the stolen bases.

[Imperial59]

The emergence of Victor was a big lineup changer for the last 2 months of the season, except for the 3 game sweep of the Angels

 

(56 games)

71 for 211 (.336 avg) (.405 obp) (.507 slg) (.912 ops) 12 Doubles, 8 HRs, 41 RBIs, 32 Runs, 24 Walks, 23 Ks, SB

 

I think Youk will probably lead the team in HRs, but him and Martinez will finish with roughly the same amount of RBIs

 

You're right, we did score almost half a run more per game once we acquired Victor Martinez.

[Keeper]

If we could get a solid OBP out of either Ellsbury (.389 OBP in the minors) or Scutaro (.379 OBP last year) then our lineup will be much improved. I think our leadoff hitter last year was a pretty big weakness' date=' even with all the stolen bases.[/quote']

 

I wouldn't count on that happening. But I could see both having an OBP in the .355 - .365 range, which is respectable.

[Dojji]

I could see Ellsbury improving on his OBP numbers, but not by a ton unless he drives the ball better and hits for more power as he fills out. I suspect he'll always be a "decent-to-good OBP, great speed" guy.

 

If he can't improve his D at least a little and play in CF, he's headed for Scott Podsednik territory anyway.

[Keeper]

I'll always have a soft spot for Podsednik, but Ellsbury is better than he ever was. Pods was never really a good outfielder. He misplays a lot of balls and takes bad routes. Ellsbury is a better contact hitter and has more upside, IMO.

[Dipre]

If Ellsbury can't develop some sort of respectable power stroke, he'll never fulfill his potential to get on base from the lead-off spot because pitchers will keep going right after him, and he'll never be able to take an acceptable number of BB's. He needs to drive some balls.

[vic vinegar]

yeah hes aging, but i trust his ability and heart, dudes a warrior, i always hated facing him in the playoffs and hopefully the yanks will too

[jacksonianmarch]

I have said before that Lackey should be durable. The questions are valid, but when he's on, he's a top 10-15 pitcher in the AL.

[Dipre]

Every player in the history of ever has question marks.

 

Sox don't sign the big guys, fans bitch, Sox sign the big guys, fans come up with a bunch of retarded concerns. The FO did their homework, and again, every player has question marks.

[a700hitter]

Lackey is a really good pitcher. It's ridiculous that people are concerned that the Sox have signed a really good pitcher. They should be concerned that an offense without last year's most productive bat can go right in the crapper unless Ortiz starts the season like he finished last season.

[Dipre]

Lackey is a really good pitcher. It's ridiculous that people are concerned that the Sox have signed a really good pitcher. They should be concerned that an offense without last year's most productive bat can go right in the crapper unless Ortiz starts the season like he finished last season.

 

But dude, we have Josh Reddick! :thumbsup:

[BoSox21]

The fact that the Sox have shown a tremendous ability to keep their pitchers healthy should be taken into consideration as well.

[TheMino007]

The fact that the Sox have shown a tremendous ability to keep their pitchers healthy should be taken into consideration as well.

 

I don't know if thats entirely true, I mean Dice-K was hurt all last year (not really the Sox fault, but better communication would have helped) and has been on the DL before last year. Wakefield is hurt every year, Beckett seems to hurt down the stretch every year.

[a700hitter]

But dude' date=' we have Josh Reddick! :thumbsup:[/quote']and Lars Anderson.

 

If at anytime this season before the last two weeks of September, we hear the PA announcer saying "Batting 4th the Designated Hitter, Josh Reddick", we will be 15 games out of first palce and 10 games behind in the WC.

[example1]

I think the same question would be asked if they signed Jason Bay or Matt Holliday to a big multi-year deal.

[BoSox21]

I don't know if thats entirely true' date=' I mean Dice-K was hurt all last year (not really the Sox fault, but better communication would have helped) and has been on the DL before last year. Wakefield is hurt every year, Beckett seems to hurt down the stretch every year.[/quote']

 

I'm talking about things the Sox control through the shoulder strengthening and rest programs. Unless Lackey starts hiding injuries to pitch for Japan in the WBC, the Dice-K thing is a moot point.

 

As for Wakefield, he's old and the Sox pretty much know that Wake is going to need a break every season for a couple of weeks from here on out. They know he's been pitching with a torn labrum for what? 3 years now? And as far as Beckett goes, it's hard to control a blister, oblique or Beckett sleeping on his arm funny one night.

[a700hitter]

People who are concerned about adding the ace of the staff of the team that beat us in the playoffs clearly need to worry about something. The Red Sox rotation 1 through 3 is the last thing that should worry Red Sox fans. Can Dice K rebound? Can Buchholz step up and come into his own? Can the offense score enough runs? Can Ortiz avoid a major early season slump? Can Scutaro play SS full time and produce like last season or is he a utility player? These are real concerns. Will one of the 1 through 3 starters go down with an injury? That's paranoid.

[YeAuldBroade]

I'm worried about the bullpen. I'm worried about the Sox having a consistent offense. The two things I'm not worried about are starting pitching and defense.