The Optimism Thread

[RedSoxNC84]

They'll probably bring Cook up and DFA Albers' date=' who is a similar but less effective pitcher than Cook.[/quote']

 

Begs the question though, will Cook pitch out of the starting rotation, or the bullpen?

[SoxSport]

Until Aceves actually 'pitch'' date=' he cannot close games cleanly. He's overthrowing by a country mile. He doesn't need to throw 95 to be a closer, and he thinks he has to. And he beans batters at an alarming rate. [/b']

Tazawa comes in last night, locate his fastball and changeup/splitters on the corners. That is pitching. He also mix in a biting curveball. These three pitches look above average, especially the splitter/change. With more time he can really polish that curveball to be a plus swing and miss pitch he can throw at will. Getting 8 swing and miss in 3 inning is excellent.

 

Now there's a guy who reads Cafardo.

 

Spot on about Tazawa. Saw him his first two appearances, and he looked sharp.

Much MUCH better than Buchholz, the meatball artist, whom he replaced.

 

I don't know what the hell the Sox coaches are looking at. Buchholz sucks. He starts. Tazawa looks sharp. He mops up. Politics. Buchholz should be in the bullpen, getting his arm back in shape. That's why I say the front office sucks on pitching. They draw a sharp line between starters and relievers. BS.

[SoxFanForsyth]

They'll probably bring Cook up and DFA Albers' date=' who is a similar but less effective pitcher than Cook.[/quote']

 

I'd be shocked if they released someone. Albers pumps 95-97 with sink and run. When he's going well, he is an elite arm. Look at the first half of last season. He is Aaron Cook with strike outs. Just need to not overuse him like Francona did

[User Name]

I'd be shocked if they released someone. Albers pumps 95-97 with sink and run. When he's going well' date=' he is an elite arm.[/b'] Look at the first half of last season. He is Aaron Cook with strike outs. Just need to not overuse him like Francona did

 

Easy on the hyperbole. Half a season doesn't erase a career of mediocrity.

[Dojji]

He's not wrong about Albers. Albers looks elite at times. He just can't sustain it over a full year. Reminds me strongly at times of Aardsma.

[User Name]

He's not wrong about Albers. Albers looks elite at times. He just can't sustain it over a full year. Reminds me strongly at times of Aardsma.

 

He sustained it over half a season last year. A one-time occurrence, not a recurring theme.

[jung]

Albers is a great fit for the Sox pen of early 2012...not sure what you are going to get from any of them from one night to the next.

 

I would love to know what the apparent reluctance was on Tazawa when he was pitching so much better than the rest at the point when he came up. Maybe they could not believe their eyes. Even though it has only been a couple of stints he has been the best they have had when it comes to shutting the door. The Sox seem to have an abundance of guys that may be able to work from clean innings but have real trouble slamming the door if they come in with an actual fire ablaze. They have for the most part been a succession of gas cans instead of firemen in those situations.

[Dojji]

He sustained it over half a season last year. A one-time occurrence' date=' not a recurring theme.[/quote']

 

So? Alll SFF said was that when Albers is on he's pretty studly. And that's true. Everyone knows he has consistency problems, but let's not leap down SFF's throat for making an accurate statement.

[jung]

The thing that has been most encouraging is the way that Doubront and Bard have pitched in the rotation. At some point I think folks have got to accept that you simply have to acknowledge the value of what Bard is doing in the rotation and fix the pen the way teams fix the pen. Toss out the garbage cans and try other guys until you get a respectable pen going.

 

It would be both easy and correct to toss Bard back to the pen if he were not succeeding as a starter as that is the usual progression anyway...can't start...hit the pen. However given the success he is having and the steady improvement he has been able to sustain, I think Bard has "shut the door" on sending him to the bull pen.

[User Name]

So? Alll SFF said was that when Albers is on he's pretty studly. And that's true. Everyone knows he has consistency problems' date=' but let's not leap down SFF's throat for making an accurate statement.[/quote']

 

That's the point. It's not accurate. Let's not kid ourselves, the first half of last year was a fluke.

 

Albers is a good garbage inning/low pressure arm, but that's it.

[jacksonianmarch]

He's not wrong about Albers. Albers looks elite at times. He just can't sustain it over a full year. Reminds me strongly at times of Aardsma.

 

elite entails top of the line. Guys who get their s*** right for 80 games and then fall apart afterwards are not elite. Elite entails durability, sustainability and performance

[Palodios]

He sustained it over half a season last year. A one-time occurrence' date=' not a recurring theme.[/quote']

 

Wasn't 2011 also the first time Albers broke into the high 90s with his fastball though? He made some change to his pitching style, or got into shape or something that made him a significantly better pitcher-- which resulted into what we saw at the beginning of last year.

[SoxFanForsyth]

He sustained it over half a season last year. A one-time occurrence' date=' not a recurring theme.[/quote']

 

That's why I said when he is throwing well. He was a huge part of our bullpen for the first half of last season and did provide an elite arm during the first half. When he is throwing well on a fairly consistent basis, he is able to absorb some bad outings and still prove to be a very solid pitcher.

 

He had a 2 ERA in the first half of last year. That is elite, and when not overused, he can bring that production over a longer span of time. No chance they release him for Cook. That would be a moronic move considering the roles and the fact that Albers can get GB like Cook but also K 8-9 per 9

[SoxFanForsyth]

elite entails top of the line. Guys who get their s*** right for 80 games and then fall apart afterwards are not elite. Elite entails durability' date=' sustainability and performance[/quote']

 

Oye!!

 

I didn't say he is an elite arm. I said when he is throwing well and not overused, he is an elite arm. The first half of last season, he was an elite reliever.

[User Name]

Wasn't 2011 also the first time Albers broke into the high 90s with his fastball though? He made some change to his pitching style' date=' or got into shape or something that made him a significantly better pitcher-- which resulted into what we saw at the beginning of last year.[/quote']

 

Where'd you come up with this? Even as a starter, Albers always threw hard. He throws harder as a reliever obviously but he's always been able to dial it up mid-90's.

[a700hitter]

He did throw very well in the first half of 2011, but he has looked like crap since then. His ERA right now is based on a very small sample size.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Started off 0-3. Went on to play a couple more series and ended up 4-10

 

We're now 10-10 and at a .500 record.

 

And some people were worried LOL.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

The Sox win six straight on the road, and everyone stops huffing the retard glue. What an amazing coincidence.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

J_E can I be vice president of your club?

[SCM33]

Optimism is that the Sox should be able to put together a nice little run with these cupcakes lined up.

 

Right now, we are 6-10.

 

Win tomorrow, and bring us to 7-10

Whitesox....split that series 2-2, to make us 9-12.

Oakland.....win that series 2-1, to bring us to 11-13.

Baltimore...win that series 2-1, to bring us to 13-14.

KC Royals..win that series 2-1, which will put us at 15-15.

CLE Guardians..win that series 3-1, and make us 18-16 on May 13th.

 

May 13th, 2012......we will be 18-16.

 

10-10 Is ahead of where I thought they could be right now. Not bad.

[VA Sox Fan]

10-10 Is ahead of where I thought they could be right now. Not bad.

 

Looked pretty bad a week ago. Hope they keep it up!!

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

J_E can I be vice president of your club?

But of course.

[FredLynn]

10-10 Is ahead of where I thought they could be right now. Not bad.

 

One game behind the Yankees and two behind the Rays in the lost column after tonite. Rays losing big in Texas. Sure glad none of the ALE teams is tearing it up like the Rangers.

[NZSox]

Lotttts of reasons to be optimistic. A few reasons to be pessimistic, the main one being the bull-pen is still a question, regardless of how well it's been over the 6W streak.

 

My ratings after 20 games:

 

Starters - pretty good so far, in particular Bard and Felix. -- 7/10

 

Offense - Great. Absolutely flowing. Only thing we could be doing more is stealing bases, but without Ells and CC that's taken a hit. -- 9/10

 

Defense - been so-so. Some great plays (Pedey's grab the other day), but some poor D behind the plate and a couple silly errors. -- 5.5/10

 

Bullpen - No more needs to be said. Streaking lately, but lacks quality arms. -- 2/10

[FredLynn]

Lotttts of reasons to be optimistic. A few reasons to be pessimistic, the main one being the bull-pen is still a question, regardless of how well it's been over the 6W streak.

 

My ratings after 20 games:

 

Starters - pretty good so far, in particular Bard and Felix. -- 7/10

 

Offense - Great. Absolutely flowing. Only thing we could be doing more is stealing bases, but without Ells and CC that's taken a hit. -- 9/10

 

Defense - been so-so. Some great plays (Pedey's grab the other day), but some poor D behind the plate and a couple silly errors. -- 5.5/10

 

Bullpen - No more needs to be said. Streaking lately, but lacks quality arms. -- 2/10

 

Agree with most of that except for the defense. While fielding percentage only tells part of the story, right now the Sox are third in that category in the AL:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/fielding/league/al/sort/fieldingPct/order/true

 

I would have to grade them higher than just 5.5/10

[RedSoxNC84]

That's the point. It's not accurate. Let's not kid ourselves, the first half of last year was a fluke.

 

Albers is a good garbage inning/low pressure arm, but that's it.

 

 

 

Albers' real problem is the fact that he can start to look good, and then he remembers that he is, in fact, Matt Albers.

[redsoxbeatz]

SIX game win streak about to perform back-to-back ROAD SWEEPS! WOOO

 

10-10 never looked so good!!

[Dojji]

There's no way Sweeney hits .380 for the rest of the year, but he seems to be the perfect kinda hitter to take advantage of Fenway Park. He needs to hit one more double to match his total all of last year.

[SoxFanForsyth]

There's no way Sweeney hits .380 for the rest of the year' date=' but he seems to be the perfect kinda hitter to take advantage of Fenway Park. He needs to hit one more double to match his total all of last year.[/quote']

 

.380? You're right, no way.

 

But he hit around .290 in Oakland. That could well translate to a .315 hitter in Fenway and the AL East. And that will come with a .360-.370 obp.

[BornToRun]

.380? You're right, no way.

 

But he hit around .290 in Oakland. That could well translate to a .315 hitter in Fenway and the AL East. And that will come with a .360-.370 obp.

 

In short, not bad for a throw in to the Bailey deal.