Sox DFA Sizemore

[seabeachfred]

I was one of the people who wanted Drew back all along. And I thought it was a reasonable if not good thing to do to bring him back when WMB went down ( AGAIN! ) with an injury.

 

Of course back when that happened I was still sort of confident that the Sox could "turn the season around". I don't see this as likely now. Drew is excess baggage if this team stays performing as it has for the remainder of the season.

 

I have no idea why he is not hitting well. He did have a short time to get adjusted to the timing of live and high level pitching without spring training. But I'm not going to make excuses.

 

I don't think that Drew is the reason why X has tailed off at the plate. I think that it is more likely that pitchers know by now what is the best approach when facing X. That and he may just be in a slump. It may be just as simple as that.

 

If the Sox are not going to TRY to make a run at the post season I see no reason why Drew should not be dealt by the deadline. I just hope that if this is the case that the Sox get something good in return.

 

Get something good for him in a trade???? Are you kidding me? We would have to pay some of his salary to get him off of our hands. Right now he has no trade value whatsoever. Again, he sucks!!!!!!!! He gives the opposition four outs a game and the way we're scoring we needs those outs preserved. You don't think Bogaerts was hurt by the move..fine, your opinion. I happen to think he was hurt. His miserable play since then is proof to me that the move was a bad one. The problem now IMHO is for the Red Sox to bite the bullet, admit they were wrong and send Drew home. Release him and see if some o ther team will pick him up. I'd bet he would have a hard time catching on just as he did this whole off season until the Sox got a diahierra and signed him (sic).

[seabeachfred]

Sox wouldn't be any better with Ellsbury in the lineup. He's not having that great of a season.

 

We'd be better only because Jacoby would get on base, steal a ton of bases and maybe we win some of those multitude of one-run and extra inning games that we have lost. It is true RRR that so far Ells has not had that great of a season but he looks like a Hall of Famer next to that pathetic guy who took his place.

[seabeachfred]

TOTAL coincidence. If Bogaerts is such a delicate flower that this has devastated him - as opposed to just life as a rookie - then he is just not a very good player. Since I am a huge believer in X, I obviously believe that is complete nonsense. I do agree with you on this - I hope that if WMB returns and shows optimistic form (real form, not a statistical oddity) that the team is agile enough to mothball drew and play the lineup of the future. That said, nothing Middlebrooks has done supports this.

 

Ask yourself this sk----who would you rather have in your lineup the next 50 games.......Middlebrooks or Bradley? I also don't think X is a delicate flower but assuming you played on a lot of baseball teams as I did and maybe coached some as I did, you know the mental part of the game can be devastating when it is turned in a negative way. All I know for sure is that we are not playing well, are giving up seven unanswered outs a game and are playing horse s*** baseball. We need to make a change to try and recoup some ground by July 4th because after that, if we are still in the same pickle, it is time to back up the truck and begin what may be a painful rebuilding process. Lucchino and Co. can't fool themselves and they should certainly not be allowed to fool us.

[sk7326]

Ask yourself this sk----who would you rather have in your lineup the next 50 games.......Middlebrooks or Bradley? I also don't think X is a delicate flower but assuming you played on a lot of baseball teams as I did and maybe coached some as I did, you know the mental part of the game can be devastating when it is turned in a negative way. All I know for sure is that we are not playing well, are giving up seven unanswered outs a game and are playing horse s*** baseball. We need to make a change to try and recoup some ground by July 4th because after that, if we are still in the same pickle, it is time to back up the truck and begin what may be a painful rebuilding process. Lucchino and Co. can't fool themselves and they should certainly not be allowed to fool us.

 

I believe in the mental part of the game - I also believe that this is the hardest level of baseball on earth, and if the concerns of the levels of baseball we are experienced in have not been conquered, those dudes would not be there. The road from instructs to bigs is so difficult that the "devastation" you refer to would have crushed these guys way before the show.

 

Has been a rough season - a lot of negation of the good fortune of last year (especially Victorino). Between Middlebrooks who would I bet on? Oh, Bradley - premium position and better approach. But Middlebrooks has at least some time in his couple of seasons where he has been good - so there is more past performance to dream on.

[a700hitter]

I am not a Bradley believer per se - but I am not flushing him down the toilet either. He was an on-base machine at every level of baseball he has played ... friends don't let friends obsess over BA. Bunting for base hits does not increase hit tallies much - just stuff for get off my lawn types to fawn over. Stolen bases is more helpful, but relatively unimportant. I always thought the fair comp for him was Bernie Williams - and it still might be. He has a lot of work to do - and the very low probability experiment the Sox tried increased that workload.

Bradley and Bernie Williams? I am not seeing that at all. They are almost completely different types of players.

[Spudboy]

Old friend Grady Sizemore has signed a minor league contract with the Phillies.

 

I hope that he can get his hitting sorted out and can make it back to the bigs and play well.

 

He sure was fun to watch when he was playing well in Cleveland. I doubt that he will ever be that player again but I wish him well.

[sk7326]

Bradley and Bernie Williams? I am not seeing that at all. They are almost completely different types of players.

 

More like a poor man's Williams without the same power level. But the rest of it? On base guys who have speed but only manifests itself in defensive range, not base stealing. It's not a perfect comp, but more of a point to stop whining about stolen bases.

[win red sox]

Bernie Williams line his rookie year 238/336/350 and was below average cf that year and through out most of his career. Most rookies struggle, it's part of being a rookie. Edited June 25, 2014 by win red sox

[a700hitter]

Bernie's Williams line his rookie year 238/336/350 and was below above cf that year and through out most of his career. Most rookies struggle, it's part of being a rookie.

That's not the point that I was making. As athletes, they are not comparable at all. Bernie was a big, strong yet swift athlete with a lot of power, good OF range and an average throwing arm. Bradley is small, without much power. He's not as fast as Bernie who could burn up the bases going first to third (but not a base stealer). Bradley has a much stronger arm than Bernie.

 

Edit: Bradley has just about as many ABs in the majors as Bernie head in his rookie season and his OPS is 87 points lower than Bernie's

Edited June 25, 2014 by a700hitter

[Jasonbay44]

Sox wouldn't be any better with Ellsbury in the lineup. He's not having that great of a season.

 

A down season for Ellsbury is still 20x better than the production we've gotten from Bradley, Victorino and Sizemore. I can understand not wanting to pay the money for Ellsbury but saying the Sox wouldn't be any better with him in the lineup is just stupid. Our offense is pathetic and having a guy like Ellsbury who can get on base and create runs with his speed would be a huge boost and could have been the difference in quite a few of these 1 run losses this season.

[sk7326]

That's not the point that I was making. As athletes, they are not comparable at all. Bernie was a big, strong yet swift athlete with a lot of power, good OF range and an average throwing arm. Bradley is small, without much power. He's not as fast as Bernie who could burn up the bases going first to third (but not a base stealer). Bradley has a much stronger arm than Bernie.

 

Edit: Bradley has just about as many ABs in the majors as Bernie head in his rookie season and his OPS is 87 points lower than Bernie's

 

Hard to talk about fast in terms of baserunning since there is not much way to measure it ... neither stole bases, and Bradley is a better defensive CF than Williams showed at any time in his career. But the speed showed in the non-SB places. Clearly Williams had an excellent offensive trajectory, one Bradley has not gotten to. The rookie comps are interesting though it is instructive to note that Williams' PAs mostly came at once on a team committed to the philosophy. Bradley has been yo-yo'd a bit by a front office that responded to WEEI callers and brought him to the show on little but a spring. I am not giving up on Bradley - different than predicting great things, but Victorino's absence and the general LF suckitude have been every bit as bad a problem. Bradley is at least adding value on one side of the ball while the other side gets figured out.

[a700hitter]

Hard to talk about fast in terms of baserunning since there is not much way to measure it ... neither stole bases, and Bradley is a better defensive CF than Williams showed at any time in his career. But the speed showed in the non-SB places. Clearly Williams had an excellent offensive trajectory, one Bradley has not gotten to. The rookie comps are interesting though it is instructive to note that Williams' PAs mostly came at once on a team committed to the philosophy. Bradley has been yo-yo'd a bit by a front office that responded to WEEI callers and brought him to the show on little but a spring. I am not giving up on Bradley - different than predicting great things, but Victorino's absence and the general LF suckitude have been every bit as bad a problem. Bradley is at least adding value on one side of the ball while the other side gets figured out.

It's not hard to talk about speed. Bernie was extremely fast first to third, and anytime he had to run 2 or 3 bases. He just couldn't get the first step acceleration to steal bases. Bradley and Bernie are not comparable players no matter how similar their stats might be right now. Also, almost 100 pts difference in OPS is not very similar. Maybe Bradley will be a great player, but they are not similar types.

[Spudboy]

My memory of Bernie Williams is of him being a sneaky power hitter and being very athletic.

[a700hitter]

Victorino is on the Carl Pavano rehab program. His rehab has been shut down again due to a back problem. There is no target for resuming his rehab. They need to get another outfielder really fast.

[win red sox]

Betts is playing RF tonight for Pawtucket.

[Spudboy]

They should have been looking the entire time Victorino has been out.

 

I doubt that they make a splash at the deadline. Most likely they will get more trash like Brian Roberts ( 3rd ) and that scrap piece of crap outfielder in the minors who is so insignificant that I can not remember his name and am not motivated to look because he is a waste of my time.

 

This season is toast.

[seabeachfred]

They should have been looking the entire time Victorino has been out.

 

I doubt that they make a splash at the deadline. Most likely they will get more trash like Brian Roberts ( 3rd ) and that scrap piece of crap outfielder in the minors who is so insignificant that I can not remember his name and am not motivated to look because he is a waste of my time.

 

This season is toast.

 

Believe me I feel your pain Spud because I've been feeling the same way for the past month and have lashed out in frustration as the sickening turn of events. I think I'm being honest if I told you and everyone that I didn't have to see the Red Sox go to the WS again so long as they had a decent season, were in contention and some of the youngsters came through with some worthwhile progress. None of that has taken place and we now have to worry that we might actually go from first to last, in reverse of last season.

[Behindenemylines]

I think that the timing coincides with a bonus kicking in but yes, it is due.

 

I wish him well and hope that he can catch on somewhere. Probably not in Pawtucket.

 

I think the Phillies took a flyer on him?

[Spudboy]

Believe me I feel your pain Spud because I've been feeling the same way for the past month and have lashed out in frustration as the sickening turn of events. I think I'm being honest if I told you and everyone that I didn't have to see the Red Sox go to the WS again so long as they had a decent season, were in contention and some of the youngsters came through with some worthwhile progress. None of that has taken place and we now have to worry that we might actually go from first to last, in reverse of last season.

 

This is how I feel. I wanted and expected the Sox to field a competitive team. That has not happened.

 

And the promise of all the young players has not been full filed as yet.

[sk7326]

It's not hard to talk about speed. Bernie was extremely fast first to third, and anytime he had to run 2 or 3 bases. He just couldn't get the first step acceleration to steal bases. Bradley and Bernie are not comparable players no matter how similar their stats might be right now. Also, almost 100 pts difference in OPS is not very similar. Maybe Bradley will be a great player, but they are not similar types.

 

Relying on memory of Yankees gone by isn't really measurement. Bradley has struggled - of that there is no dispute. Betts could take his job - and that could be interesting. The Sox have not done enough offensively ... still producing baserunners, but knocking them in. Bradley has been a problem - but he is at least creating value on the run prevention side. The corner outfield spots have not offered that.

[a700hitter]

Relying on memory of Yankees gone by isn't really measurement. Bradley has struggled - of that there is no dispute.

What? LOL!

[TeddyBallGame9]

Too bad. A really good guy.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Believe me I feel your pain Spud because I've been feeling the same way for the past month and have lashed out in frustration as the sickening turn of events. I think I'm being honest if I told you and everyone that I didn't have to see the Red Sox go to the WS again so long as they had a decent season, were in contention and some of the youngsters came through with some worthwhile progress. None of that has taken place and we now have to worry that we might actually go from first to last, in reverse of last season.

 

Brock Holt: .327/.371/.463

JBJ: Elite, elite defense. Since changing stance before OAK series (starting 6/19): .308/.357/.369. Certainly big progress.

RDLR: 6 GS, 2.89 ERA

Vazquez: Elite, elite defensive C. Very good approach, going opposite field. Hitting .455 in his 3 G so far.

Betts: Started the year in AA. Was just coming out of low A this time last year. Now in MLB.

 

I think you're underestimating the progress of the youngsters thus far. Progress does not mean all star level production, it means progressing and getting better. All of the guys above are doing just that.

[Behindenemylines]

Sizemore is getting some playing time in Philadelphia. It would have been nice if we got the old Grady this year. We needed the offense.

[a700hitter]

Sizemore is OPSing .840 for the Phillies.

[Spudboy]

Sizemore is OPSing .840 for the Phillies.

 

Figures!

[Bellhorn04]

Sizemore is OPSing .840 for the Phillies.

 

And just like that, he's down to a .740 OPS with the Phillies after chalking up 2 singles in his last 23 PA's.

[Spudboy]

And just like that, he's down to a .740 OPS with the Phillies after chalking up 2 singles in his last 23 PA's.

 

Batting performance can be cyclic. Putting up 3-4 0'fers is not uncommon. But in his case it should not surprise any of us!

 

I'm surprised that he is still in MLB.

[GomesBeard]

Hey, it's the Phillies! Not like he's playing for a real team.....

[seabeachfred]

Hey, it's the Phillies! Not like he's playing for a real team.....

 

Earth to GomesBeard---I wouldn't say we've been a real team this season.....nothing close.