Who is the Biggest Problem Right Now?

[Kimmi]

You're not nearly smart enough to speak for anyone else.

 

Everyone has been saying they'd trade for help at the deadline, if they could stay in contention in the first half.

 

Are you an idiot, or just a dick?

Or both?

 

I'm not sure where he got the idea that anyone thinks this team does not need pitching help.

 

Even if our offense performed in May and we were in first place, we'd need pitching help.

[Thunder]

The division is average.

with a decent month of May, they'd be in the thick of things. They didn't need to "light the world aflame".

 

No team in the AL East played above .500 ball for the entire month.

"Average" would've done the trick, but they were much worse than that.

 

Way to hit the nail on the head here, man. It was aggravating to watch many of those games, knowing how capable the offense was of great things. The lack of offense on nights with good pitching was what killed me the most.

[SoxnCycles]

I'm not sure where he got the idea that anyone thinks this team does not need pitching help.

 

Even if our offense performed in May and we were in first place, we'd need pitching help.

 

Yup.

absolutely everyone was saying "stay in contention, see which pitchers are not getting it done and get help at the deadline".

[Kimmi]

And who would that be exactly (just out of curiosity)? The sources that I usually seek before the season didn't have them in first, and the highest was 2nd. Everyone else was saying a solid third, not expecting the pitching to be what it has been. I believe they had the Rays in last, for lack of offense, and Jays in 4th, for a known lack of pitching.

 

Here are the links I posted a couple of days ago:

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...rticleid=25949

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fangr...f-predictions/

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/preview15/sto...015-mlb-season

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/116252...it-all-in-2015

 

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/02/pla...ie-of-the-year

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...043325435.html

 

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/20...eam-flop-team/

 

And this does not include the computer models, who also had the Sox finishing in first.

[SoxnCycles]

Way to hit the nail on the head here, man. It was aggravating to watch many of those games, knowing how capable the offense was of great things. The lack of offense on nights with good pitching was what killed me the most.

 

There were quite a few games in May, where the pitching was pretty good and kept them in games.

But, they couldn't score more than one or two runs.

[cp176]

Here are the links I posted a couple of days ago:

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...rticleid=25949

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fangr...f-predictions/

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/preview15/sto...015-mlb-season

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/116252...it-all-in-2015

 

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/02/pla...ie-of-the-year

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...043325435.html

 

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/20...eam-flop-team/

 

And this does not include the computer models, who also had the Sox finishing in first.

 

 

So who are you going to believe these days right? Who are you going to hang your hat? I would have felt a lot better then and I would feel a lot better now if they had gone out and gotten that one pitcher that everyone seems to have known then and now they we need. Goes without saying that we need that pitcher now. We might even need more than one.

[Thunder]

Here are the links I posted a couple of days ago:

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...rticleid=25949

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fangr...f-predictions/

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/preview15/sto...015-mlb-season

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/116252...it-all-in-2015

 

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/02/pla...ie-of-the-year

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...043325435.html

 

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/20...eam-flop-team/

 

And this does not include the computer models, who also had the Sox finishing in first.

 

Wow... Some of those are the ones I look at... Maybe I'm not remembering it right... Now I feel stupid.

[SoxnCycles]

Wow... Some of those are the ones I look at... Maybe I'm not remembering it right... Now I feel stupid.

 

Kimmi has a way of doing that to people.

[Thunder]

Kimmi has a way of doing that to people.

 

Yes. The math teacher strikes again. Hopefully, by this time next year, I'll have her number. I'm taking AP Calc and AP Stats in the fall.

[SoxnCycles]

Yes. The math teacher strikes again. Hopefully, by this time next year, I'll have her number. I'm taking AP Calc and AP Stats in the fall.

 

 

Heavy math load you've got this coming year. Work hard and good luck!

[SoxnCycles]

There were quite a few games in May, where the pitching was pretty good and kept them in games.

But, they couldn't score more than one or two runs.

 

The Sox lost 5 games where the pitching gave up 3 runs or less.

They lost two more where the pitching gave up 4 runs.

 

The Sox would be in much better shape if they had won just half of those games.

[a700hitter]

Whose logic would that be?

My prior post #559 in this thread was badly in need of clarification. I have edited it accordingly.

http://www.talksox.com/forum/threads/17286-Who-is-the-Biggest-Problem-Right-Now?p=963345&viewfull=1#post963345

Edited July 14, 2015 by a700hitter

[Thunder]

The Sox lost 5 games where the pitching gave up 3 runs or less.

They lost two more where the pitching gave up 4 runs.

 

The Sox would be in much better shape if they had won just half of those games.

 

Out of those 7, say they won 4. That would put the record at 46-43, which would be 2.5 games out of 1st, and 2 out of the wild card. So it wouldn't be just much better shape, it would be fantastic shape.

[a700hitter]

I'm not sure where he got the idea that anyone thinks this team does not need pitching help.

 

Even if our offense performed in May and we were in first place, we'd need pitching help.

 

Kimmi, you know that I have Dicks-N-Cycles on ignore to reduce conflict on this board. You could have said this without quoting his personal insult of me. I don't appreciate that, and this is not the first time that I have asked you to not do that.

 

And Dicks-N-Cycles, with regard to your personal insult to my intelligence, I am quite sure that your little pea brain could fit quite comfortably in one of the folds in my massive grey matter with plenty of room to spare and your brain wouldn't even be detected on a catscan.

 

So go f*** yourself and get lost.

 

I have this jackass on ignore (a feature of the site meant to reduce conflict), but yet he continues to potshot me. I don't think this is the way it is supposed to work.

[SoxnCycles]

My prior post #559 in this tread was badly in need of clarification. I have edited it accordingly.

http://www.talksox.com/forum/threads/17286-Who-is-the-Biggest-Problem-Right-Now?p=963345&viewfull=1#post963345

 

All that extra work and you're still wrong.

 

Way to go!

[a700hitter]

Kimmi, I am really struggling to understand your point of view. Here is what I am processing. I am not putting words in your mouth, but I am having trouble following your argument. You are saying that this is a bad team, but that it should be in first place but for the poor offense in May. You also beleive that the pitching is poor, but good enough for this team to be in first place but for poor offensive support in May.

 

If that is a correct summary of your views, I have a couple of questions. If we were currently in first place, because the offense hit in May and we won some more games, do you think this "bad team" as currently constituted could win the division over the full season? If not, what would you change about it to keep it competitive?

 

Lastly, don't you think that there have been some games over the first half of the season where the pitching s*** the bed and lost games where the offense produced ample runs?

[SoxnCycles]

Kimmi, you know that I have Dicks-N-Cycles on ignore to reduce conflict on this board. You could have said this without quoting his personal insult of me. I don't appreciate that, and this is not the first time that I have asked you to not do that.

 

And Dicks-N-Cycles, with regard to your personal insult to my intelligence, I am quite sure that your little pea brain could fit quite comfortably in one of the folds in my massive grey matter with plenty of room to spare and your brain wouldn't even be detected on a catscan.

 

So go f*** yourself and get lost.

 

I have this jackass on ignore (a feature of the site meant to reduce conflict), but yet he continues to potshot me. I don't think this is the way it is supposed to work.

 

It's simple.

 

Stop being a dick and I'll stop pointing out that you are one.

 

Frankly, I don't care what you read.

I'm just afraid some young and impressionable fan will read your inane crap and actually believe it.

And if you really cared about reducing conflict here, you wouldn't tell good posters like SK7326 and Kimmi that they lacked credibility.

If you don't agree with them, try backing it up with more than "because I said so", you f***ing bore.

 

At least UN has the balls to say what he thinks.

You're just as condescending, but much more weaselly about it.

 

And if posters repost my stuff, too bad. you don't run things here.

Grow a f***ing spine and deal with it.

Quit expecting others to hold your hand through the scary parts.

So yeah, I'm not leaving and I'm not ceasing to call you an idiot when you are clearly being one.

 

What's next? Crying to mamma?

[a700hitter]

^Can't read what he is saying, but does he have his "Dutchy" up?

[Thunder]

It's simple.

 

Stop being a dick and I'll stop pointing out that you are one.

 

Frankly, I don't care what you read.

I'm just afraid some young and impressionable fan will read your inane crap and actually believe it.

And if you really cared about reducing conflict here, you wouldn't tell good posters like SK7326 and Kimmi that they lacked credibility.

If you don't agree with them, try backing it up with more than "because I said so", you f***ing bore.

 

At least UN has the balls to say what he thinks.

You're just as condescending, but much more weaselly about it.

 

And if posters repost my stuff, too bad. you don't run things here.

Grow a f***ing spine and deal with it.

Quit expecting others to hold your hand through the scary parts.

So yeah, I'm not leaving and I'm not ceasing to call you an idiot when you are clearly being one.

 

What's next? Crying to mamma?

 

Give it a rest. I think I speak for everyone else when I say that no one wants to read this. You know he can't see it, so now you're just being a douche. Just stop. That's how you get banned.

[mvp 78]

Give it a rest. I think I speak for everyone else when I say that no one wants to read this. You know he can't see it, so now you're just being a douche. Just stop. That's how you get banned.

 

Don't tell me what I want to read.

[SoxnCycles]

Give it a rest. I think I speak for everyone else when I say that no one wants to read this. You know he can't see it, so now you're just being a douche. Just stop. That's how you get banned.

 

Eh, I've been thrown out of better places.

 

Fine, if you think he treats other ok, then I'm out of line.

I just don't like to see good posters pushed around.

 

But that's just me...

[a700hitter]

Insults hurled at me. MVP's preferred reading. LOL!!

[Thunder]

Kimmi, I am really struggling to understand your point of view. Here is what I am processing. I am not putting words in your mouth, but I am having trouble following your argument. You are saying that this is a bad team, but that it should be in first place but for the poor offense in May. You also beleive that the pitching is poor, but good enough for this team to be in first place but for poor offensive support in May.

 

If that is a correct summary of your views, I have a couple of questions. If we were currently in first place, because the offense hit in May and we won some more games, do you think this "bad team" as currently constituted could win the division over the full season? If not, what would you change about it to keep it competitive?

 

Lastly, don't you think that there have been some games over the first half of the season where the pitching s*** the bed and lost games where the offense produced ample runs?

 

For most of this argument, I've been on Kimmi's side, but you're starting to sway me because I realize the fact that this is a bad team. It isn't really possible for a bad team to be in 1st. That is the one hole with your argument, Kimmi. Until reading this post, I had clung to the idea that we were a decent team that had just underperformed. Well, we have underperformed, but we're not quite a decent team. The only thing that has underperformed is the offense. The pitching is right on par with expectations, if you average out the whole season. This team really highlights the need and important of having an ace. But, at the same time, we have left a few too many games out there.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Thunder

[Elktonnick]

For most of this argument, I've been on Kimmi's side, but you're starting to sway me because I realize the fact that this is a bad team. It isn't really possible for a bad team to be in 1st. That is the one hole with you're argument Kimmi. Until reading this post, I had clung to the idea that we were a decent team that had just underperformed. Well, we have underperformed, but we're not quite a decent. The only thing that has underperformed is the offense. The pitching is right on par with expectations, if you average out the whole season. This team really highlights the need and important of having an ace. But, at the same time, we have left a few too many games out there.

 

Sadly this team has too many holes to be considered a decent team.

[Thunder]

Sadly this team has too many holes to be considered a decent team.

 

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

[a700hitter]

For most of this argument, I've been on Kimmi's side, but you're starting to sway me because I realize the fact that this is a bad team. It isn't really possible for a bad team to be in 1st. That is the one hole with you're argument Kimmi. Until reading this post, I had clung to the idea that we were a decent team that had just underperformed. Well, we have underperformed, but we're not quite a decent. The only thing that has underperformed is the offense. The pitching is right on par with expectations, if you average out the whole season. This team really highlights the need and important of having an ace. But, at the same time, we have left a few too many games out there.

You can't stay in first place over 162 games if you are a bad team, imo. That being said, we are still close enough in the standings that if we make some moves to improve this team we could still make a run at making the playoffs. If we don't make any moves to improve what imo is a bad team, we will not be competitive in September whether or not the offense slumped in May.

[Elktonnick]

Insults hurled at me. MVP's preferred reading. LOL!!

 

I am with you. Anyone who gratuitously insults other posters is not worth reading so I added SoxnCycles to my ignore list as well.

[mvp 78]

Insults hurled at me. MVP's preferred reading. LOL!!

 

Heh. Not at you specifically, just at anyone.

 

Stuck in a webinar where the host can't get her screen up and no one knows how to use mute on their phones. Need something fun to distract me.

[a700hitter]

Heh. Not at you specifically, just at anyone.

 

Stuck in a webinar where the host can't get her screen up and no one knows how to use mute on their phones. Need something fun to distract me.

Anything beats a seminar where the A/V equipment doesn't work.

[sk7326]

One of the funny ideas about the approach to the rotation was that there was a magic alternative strategy. If the team started 2015 with Owens and Rodriguez as two of the starters, the bleating would still have been there. The FA pitching market had two impactful starters - should Boston have signed either? It's easy to say now - and certainly it would have helped in 2015, but that clearly was only part of the ROI calculation.

 

But then you have the trade market. The market for impactful starting pitching was going to very hard to come by in the offseason - because of the health of the baseball industry as well as the Kansas City Royals almost winning the World Series - the market was going to reveal itself during the season as teams got voted off the island. There is little chance a team with a premium starter was going to punt the season in December. (except for the Phillies which is another issue entirely)

 

The question becomes - what to do until then - would they have been better off with James Shields than Porcello? This year, yes - even though Shields has not actually been especially good. (even the normal plain jane ERA in a very pitcher centric world) What you got was trading for guys who were young and had a track record of durability and decent stuff. Masterson was a flyer which didn't work but was a reasonable lottery ticket if you did not want to press a kiddo into duty.