Red Sox 2012 Season Overview

[Bellhorn04]

This team must have done something to really piss off the baseball gods last September. I mean, Middlebrooks comes up for a couple of games and today he can't play. Cook comes up, gets knocked around and gets injured.

[User Name]

What Pumpsie said.

 

 

If you think it gets old listening to people with realistic views of the team, you should try the other side.

 

Why do you have to be such a douche to everyone? First VA, now this s***. Was your first ban not enough?

[iortiz]

Overview? This is the result of horrible 3-4 years management.

[BornToRun]

Actually, Ortiz was screaming from the tops of the mountains all offseason that this team needed more pitching. Both he and a700 were yelling it. I thought they'd be fine because of how poorly Lackey and Wake and the entire back of the rotation threw.

 

I was wrong. This team needed more pitching. But I'm not sure this was the offseason to go about getting it. I think the Sox have their sights locked in on Cole Hamels this year.

 

And I said it in a different thread. Don't be surprised if the Sox have another 2011 Offseason, where they go out and get 2 studs. This time it will likely be SP. Sign Cole Hamels and a guy like Matt Garza. Maybe sign Matt Garza and trade for a guy like Felix or Lincecum.

 

I know that sounds crazy right now, but trading for Gonzo and signing Crawford sounded crazy last offseason.

I want garza bad. I would keep shoppach though, Beckett likes throwing to him and you don't need offense from your backup catcher. I want the kids up here because all they'd be replacing is dead weight. We are better than this. I don't care what the numbers say since last September, we are not a team that is at a last place talent level. We can compete, it's time to start f***ing showing it. The 2004 team was mediocre until the break. Were they a better squad? Probably, but, nothing says we cant drag ourselves outta the mud and get going. We just have to hang around until some things normalize and some of the injured guys get back. I'm not giving up on 2012 yet.

[SoxSport]

Overview? This is the result of horrible 3-4 years management.

 

 

When a player goes bad, it's usually the players' fault.

 

When a team goes bad, it's always the management's fault. But they rarely blame themselves.

[SoxSport]

Hamels, by the way, will likely stay in Philly. The Phillies aren't about to break up their three aces--about the only thing they have right now--plus Pap.

 

The Yankees would scarf him up first, anyways. A better fit in their RF bandstand park.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Hamels, by the way, will likely stay in Philly. The Phillies aren't about to break up their three aces--about the only thing they have right now--plus Pap.

 

The Yankees would scarf him up first, anyways. A better fit in their RF bandstand park.

 

The Phillies can't afford 3 $20mm SP and a $15mm Closer and still try to have money for a closer. Hamels signs elsewhere.

 

And I can almost guarantee you that the Red Sox have had their eye on him since before this offseason, and is likely the reason why they didn't commit much money this offseason. Eerily similar to the 2010-2011 offseason.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Then I guess it's not hindsight' date=' is it? Which is the entire argument against your original post.[/quote']

What the hell are you talking about?

[SoxSport]

The Phillies can't afford 3 $20mm SP and a $15mm Closer and still try to have money for a closer. Hamels signs elsewhere.

 

And I can almost guarantee you that the Red Sox have had their eye on him since before this offseason, and is likely the reason why they didn't commit much money this offseason. Eerily similar to the 2010-2011 offseason.

 

I think the Phillies are well off financially with their new park and sellout crowds (we'll let the Globe decide whether they are real sellouts. )

 

I don't see them giving up any of their big 3. That's their core. They paid a boatload for Pap, so that shows you they can pay. Pitching is their priority.

 

Look at the Nationals. They focussed on pitching and they are on top--for now.

 

The Red Sox are in deep financial trouble with bad signings like Crawford and Lackey.

Even AdGon looks like a luxury right now. They will have to shed salary next year.

That makes it imperative for them to establish some stars from their crop at Pawtucket--quickly. Something they have been slow in doing.

[Brennan]

Why do you have to be such a douche to everyone? First VA' date=' now this s***. Was your first ban not enough?[/quote']

 

 

 

You took that statement and used it as a means to call me a douche? You really think I should be threatened with being banned for it? Wait, who's the douche again?

 

 

Look for trouble much?

[Station 13]

The Phillies can't afford 3 $20mm SP and a $15mm Closer and still try to have money for a closer. Hamels signs elsewhere.

 

And I can almost guarantee you that the Red Sox have had their eye on him since before this offseason, and is likely the reason why they didn't commit much money this offseason. Eerily similar to the 2010-2011 offseason.

 

Hamels 50% going to PHI and 30% LA and 20 % NY.

 

The Dodgers are going to spend crazy to get back their 3.5million visitors they had a couple of years back.

[Brennan]

Why do you have to be such a douche to everyone? First VA' date=' now this s***. Was your first ban not enough?[/quote']

 

 

Just keep searching for my elusive Lackey signing posts that you made up, that should keep you busy so that the rest of us can stay on topic.

[FredLynn]

Hamels 50% going to PHI and 30% LA and 20 % NY.

 

The Dodgers are going to spend crazy to get back their 3.5million visitors they had a couple of years back.

 

We might not get Hamels, but we are certainly going to have to try. There are several other great FA SP that come available after this bridge year is over. We will have the money to get at least one, maybe two,and failure to do so means more bridge years are in our future.

When will these guys realize that we need great pitching to compete in the ALE? Are they really that stupid? Or maybe they just can't judge talent. Pretty frustrating.

[VA Sox Fan]

Aaron Cook to DL, Andrew Miller activated

Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff May 6, 2012 12:10 PM

 

 

A day after making his Red Sox debut, righthander Aaron Cook was placed on the disabled list, making room on the roster for Andrew Miller, whose 30-day rehab stint ended Sunday.

 

Cook needed 11 stitches to sew up a gash he sustained after being spiked by Orioles DH Chris Davis in the second inning of the Red Sox' 8-2 loss Saturday.

 

Sox manager Bobby Valentine explained the move, "One, we need a little help in the bullpen obviously, so Aaron understands that. He understands baseball.

 

"Two, he has 11 stitches, and I can't try to have him pitch. He's had shoulder problems in the past. If the stitches come out, there could be infections. So it's just the only thing we can do at this time, we think. He'd like to pitch, but it's not going to happen."

 

Nagged by ankle and elbow issues in spring training, Miller was ultimately sidelined in March by a strained hamstring. He treated his time on rehab as a pseudo-spring training. He made 12 appearances -- two in Single A Greenville and 10 in Triple A Pawtucket, where he had a 5.73 ERA.

 

"It was tough not getting repetitions in spring like everybody else," Miller said. "But that's what I've done the last month I guess. The last month has been my spring training, and I feel ready to go.

 

"It's been good. I've gotten chances to warm up and sit down and warm up. I've gotten to warm up in the cold and the rain and I've thrown multiple innings, started innings, finished innings. All that stuff, it's been nice to kind of work some of that stuff out and get used to it and all of it's gone pretty smoothly."

[Brennan]

I saw a poster one time that said:

 

EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO MY OPINION.

 

Nuff said.

 

 

 

I'm getting the Boomer/Joe Brady vibe very strongly.

[Bellhorn04]

It's actually kind of mind-boggling how bad this season could get. After this little homestand that's off to such a great start, they have an 8-game trip to Tampa, Philly and Baltimore. Then home to play the Rays again. And on from there. No days off till May 24.

[Whatsinaname]

It's actually kind of mind-boggling how bad this season could get. After this little homestand that's off to such a great start' date=' they have an 8-game trip to Tampa, Philly and Baltimore. Then home to play the Rays again. And on from there. No days off till May 24.[/quote']

 

Phew, so it's the easy part of the schedule coming up.

[jung]

For anybody interested apparently the NY Times group has sold its last remaining stake in Fenway Sports and is completely out as a part of the ownership group. Timing is certainly interesting.

[mvp 78]

For anybody interested apparently the NY Times group has sold its last remaining stake in Fenway Sports and is completely out as a part of the ownership group. Timing is certainly interesting.

 

Why is the timing interesting? They've been selling off over the past few years.

[jung]

Well actually now that they have completely exited, it leaves a much "cleaner" ownership picture going forward if JH wants to do something with either the Sox or some other part of Fenway Sports.

 

There has been speculation here that JH does want to do something specifically with the Sox, in the near term.

[Bellhorn04]

Strange but true:

 

Red Sox team ERA and W/L record by month:

 

April 5.54 11-11

May 3.93 15-14

June 3.36 8-8

 

The pitching has improved tremendously but not the winning part. It seems that at the same time the pitching has gotten better, the offense has gotten worse.

 

This does give some credence to the idea that if the offense can return to form, better things are ahead for this team.

[jung]

I think we always tend to focus much of our efforts on these pages inward which is only natural and correct by the way. However I think we miss what is a very simple and central point....while our pitching has improved so has the pitching improved for teams that had better pitching than we did from the start.

 

In my view they have to get another good arm into the rotation. I just hope that they a) can do it and can get an effective arm without giving up to much in prospects.

 

Beckett has already missed starts and we really have no idea where he is at this point and we are still overly reliant on Beckett, Lester and Buch to pitch to form, without missing significant time for the remainder of the season.

 

As for the offense I am encouraged that the Sox as a team have been a bit more patient at the plate and are seeing some better pitches to hit. They have not done a whole lot with them as yet and it is not like it is yielding multiple good pitches to hit each at bat but they are getting more even against pretty good pitching.

 

Ortiz is laying off the high heat again thank God and is not missing anything in his wheelhouse. Agons is still swinging at sliders off the plate as is Youk from the other side.

 

Aviles is really only a power hitter if he can pull and frankly he still tries to hard to pull. There are spots where I would be just as happy to see a base hit from him.

 

Good to see Ross back. Nava still appears to be Nava. Hopefully a stint on the DL will resolve Pods injury. WBM still looks so good at the plate. Kalish is going through that early Fenway thing but I think that is to be expected.

 

Salty is probably the most improved player on the team....maybe in baseball having changed his approach to plate appearances for the better and having found a speed of play in the field that seems to have really improved his defense. He is no longer rushing everything and that at least appears to have made a monster difference for him.

[kapsis21]

Strange but true:

 

Red Sox team ERA and W/L record by month:

 

April 5.54 11-11

May 3.93 15-14

June 3.36 8-8

 

The pitching has improved tremendously but not the winning part. It seems that at the same time the pitching has gotten better, the offense has gotten worse.

 

This does give some credence to the idea that if the offense can return to form, better things are ahead for this team.

 

good to know.

[FredLynn]

Strange but true:

 

Red Sox team ERA and W/L record by month:

 

April 5.54 11-11

May 3.93 15-14

June 3.36 8-8

 

The pitching has improved tremendously but not the winning part. It seems that at the same time the pitching has gotten better, the offense has gotten worse.

 

This does give some credence to the idea that if the offense can return to form, better things are ahead for this team.

 

Here are the offensive (pun intended) numbers:

 

April: first in runs scored, 5.77 RPG

May: fourth in runs scored, 4.86 RPG

June: twelvth in runs scored, 4.31 RPG

 

Every single month we are averaging more RPG scored than we are surrendering, at least earned runs. Yet we are still right at .500. This would seem to indicate to me that when we score runs we get tons of them but that there are other times that we can't push across any runs. Thats sure what it looks like when I watch the games.

[example1]

Here are the offensive (pun intended) numbers:

 

April: first in runs scored, 5.77 RPG

May: fourth in runs scored, 4.86 RPG

June: twelvth in runs scored, 4.31 RPG

 

Every single month we are averaging more RPG scored than we are surrendering, at least earned runs. Yet we are still right at .500. This would seem to indicate to me that when we score runs we get tons of them but that there are other times that we can't push across any runs. Thats sure what it looks like when I watch the games.

 

And people are saying the injuries to the offense doesn't hurt them...

[FredLynn]

And people are saying the injuries to the offense doesn't hurt them...

 

Thats pretty much correct. Despite all the injuries they are overall second in runs scored in the AL for the whole season-despite Crawford and Ellsbury being injured for nearly the whole season. Its lack of pitching that has resulted in our mediocrity so far.

[iortiz]

Of course it hurts the team, but still pitching the problem... and unless we address that issue, this is a 3rd place ALE team at very best this season as I predicted.

 

Everybody expects Ells and CC produce immediately... hopefully that happens, but it will take time maybe 1 or 2 months IMO, if so...

[Bellhorn04]

Thats pretty much correct. Despite all the injuries they are overall second in runs scored in the AL for the whole season-despite Crawford and Ellsbury being injured for nearly the whole season. Its lack of pitching that has resulted in our mediocrity so far.

 

I think that's only partially true now. I think the offense has actually been the bigger culprit over the last month or so. The numbers support that.

[jung]

It all depends on the period of time that you pick with regard to the pitching and the hitting.

 

When the Sox started the month of June they were facing teams that were pitching better than the Sox were pitching and those teams continued beating the Sox.

 

Since then the Sox have gone on a run playing Miami and Chicago. They had been out-pitching both of those teams at the point mid-month when they played them, and they are currently out-pitching all of the teams that remain for them to play this month. So I still think it boils down to the pitching. Now it is an issue of whether the Sox can maintain the pitching that they have had very recently, who they are playing coming up and whether those teams will go on another run of solid pitching as they come into the period when the Sox have to face them.

 

Frankly I think it unlikely that the Sox as a staff will continue at this pace. They have been truly outstanding for the last week to 10 days and that has pulled their 14 and 28 day numbers into really sporty territory. I expect Felix to win tonight's dual and at least based on the numbers for the period of the last 14 and 28 days, the Sox look pretty good to close out the month strong unless things change. Beckett being on the DL might turn out to be a factor. The Braves are the only team even close to the Sox 14 and 28 day numbers.

[SCM33]

I am still trying to be optimistic......

 

Great win today.

 

They are 19-14 on the road and 16-19 at home. That home record HAS to improve, they are traditionally ELITE at home.