9/27 @ Orioles

[User Name]

And just when it seemed like the Mariners had a chance to do something, the A's score three runs. Goddamn i hate the Fat Toad.

[a700hitter]

The consistency of the 2013 Red Sox is something that is not seen very often. They will have played the entire season without a 4 game losing streak. The last time that was done was by the 2005 Cardinals. The last time that the Red Sox did it was 1903.

[marklmw]

The consistency of the 2013 Red Sox is something that is not seen very often. They will have played the entire season without a 4 game losing streak. The last time that was done was by the 2005 Cardinals. The last time that the Red Sox did it was 1903.

 

Wow .... that's pretty amazing.

[Palodios]

The consistency of the 2013 Red Sox is something that is not seen very often. They will have played the entire season without a 4 game losing streak. The last time that was done was by the 2005 Cardinals. The last time that the Red Sox did it was 1903.

 

The statistic that stood out the most to me was that the top 6 pitchers started 90% of the games this season. There were very few games where the Sox threw out a s*** pitcher with absolutely no chance to win. I hope the Red Sox management realizes that is the way to win a division.

[a700hitter]

The statistic that stood out the most to me was that the top 6 pitchers started 90% of the games this season. There were very few games where the Sox threw out a s*** pitcher with absolutely no chance to win. I hope the Red Sox management realizes that is the way to win a division.

That was they key to success in 2004. None of the starters missed a turn. Other than Schilling, no one was spectacular that season, but they took the ball every 5th day and usually gave the team a chance to win. Tey had a tremendous streak of 6 inning plus starts after the trading deadline that propelled the team. You are exactly right. That is the way to win. In the offseason, I wanted Ben to build a strong middle of the rotation as opposed to getting the stud #1 for the exact reason that if you have a bunch of guys that can give you 200 innings good things will happen. It keeps the pen fresh and covers up the weak spots in the pen by limiting their innings.

 

Cherries did a great job in building a durable group of innings eaters. Buch was the only one to miss the mark eating innings, but he was spectular when he pitched. I expected Lester to eat innings and take all of his turns, but I didn't think that both Lackey and Doubs would be able tohold up for the entire season. When Lackey grabbed his arm in his first start I was pretty sure that he would have a rocky road and miss time. Doubs came into camp out of shape and his arm strength and velocity were down, but he held up and did a very good job. I remeber that SFF was livid about him and his conditioning and velocity early in the season. Dempster, although he was a Dumpster in many games, took the ball on his turn and didn't miss starts and every once in awhile he turned in a nice start.

 

I think Cherries realizes that it is important to stock your staff with durable innings eaters, but that is easier said than done because injuries with pitchers are so random. We may not see this consistency out of our starters for years after this, so I am really appreciating what they are doing. Like I said earlier, our starter have not been this healthy since 2004.

Edited September 28, 2013 by a700hitter

[jacksonianmarch]

The statistic that stood out the most to me was that the top 6 pitchers started 90% of the games this season. There were very few games where the Sox threw out a s*** pitcher with absolutely no chance to win. I hope the Red Sox management realizes that is the way to win a division.

 

That's it man. You have solid starters who take the bump and you will win a lot of games. Your offense helped out and finding a ridiculous season out of Uehara didn't hurt either. But when your pen isn't overworked, your team suddenly gets better in its entirety.

[jung]

The elements of victory mentioned are as described by 700 and jacko. Although Buch went down for an extended period, Lackey the ultimate wild card really balanced out the scales of justice with an unexpectedly solid season long performance considering his TJ. Combine that with Felix and his 15 straight starts giving up fewer than 3 runs, the addition of Peavey and even to some extent, Demps and the starting pitching was a huge plus even with Buch sitting out 3 months. Biggest element....Lackey's performance which nobody would have projected giving the 1st year back from TJ track record for ML pitchers, followed by Peavey's impact both real on the mound and apparently perceived by his rotation mates.

 

The other two major elements:

The Sox process for generating offense.....really could not have foreseen this Sox team fielding the most disciplined offense in baseball, not only 1-9 but 1-12 when you consider the bench players also falling right in step. 1,000 more pitches seen than the next best team mark in baseball???? You have got to be kidding me! Not convinced that even the Sox themselves could ever be that disciplined again as a team over the 162...an amazing performance by this group of players and in fact the only path they had to producing this much offense. You can only hope that your whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. You can't predict it.

 

and,

 

Ueh..... had both Hanrahan and Bailey not gone down, this year's best closer in baseball would not have closed a single game for the Sox. I don't believe that even Hanrahan/Bailey together would have produced what Ueh has produced closing games. However I do think they would have done just good enough to have kept Ueh from floating to the top.

 

I don't at all believe that this season was a matter of luck as one of the thread starters here (troll) claims and posted. You make your own luck anyway. However the things that made this season for the Sox were truly unpredictable.

 

To me, the players themselves both individually and as a group deserve the lions share of the credit for this regular season performance, followed by the FO and even upper management and then the coaching staff.

[SoxSport]

The manager and the coaches had a lot to do with it, as well as the depth they built up spending $170 million. They were unlucky with two closers, but very lucky with another. Luck is always an important factor for any team having a successful season. Things happen you don't expect. Good things and bad things.

 

They haven't won this thing yet, but they are finishing strong with maybe the best record in Baseball, and hopefully home field right thru the World Series. A terrific opportunity to match '04 and '07. Carpe Diem.