Referendum on John Farrell

[Slasher9]

i am not opposed to bunting/small ball late in a game to tack on a run. in the early innings of a game i am categorically against it.

[sk7326]

But there is truth to what he speaks. In certain situations, the impact of a single "manufactured" run on WPA is massive.

 

Of course - but for me the situations are pretty small ... and with our team i am very careful about punting chances at crooked numbers

[Kimmi]

Farrell managed the starter and the pen very well tonight. Both neurons were firing tonight.

 

It's funny how much smarter a manager looks when the team wins.

[Kimmi]

The one thing I wish JF would do more of is play some small ball when it is called for. Not often for this team, but we will need to win close games by manufacturing some runs should we make the playoffs. I advocated bunting in a situation a couple of nights ago. Last night I wondered why with all our team speed that we didn't attempt a steal to put a runner in scoring position. I can understand not doing it with Ortiz at bat (even though he hit into a double play once and stuck out and was called for interference for a second double play with men on base). We have Bogaerts, Betts, Bradley and Beni who have superior speed and we aren't using it very often. We will face increasingly tough pitching in the playoffs and have to avoid that big LOB statistic that we saw last night.

 

Teams that have the ability to mash the ball actually lose less of their scoring ability in the postseason than teams that rely on small ball.

[Spudboy]

Of course - but for me the situations are pretty small ... and with our team i am very careful about punting chances at crooked numbers

 

So you are a "Go big or go home" type of guy.

 

Still, a well timed bunt in a big moment can be huge.

[oldtimer]

So you are a "Go big or go home" type of guy.

 

Still, a well timed bunt in a big moment can be huge.

 

Got some of both the small ball and the bashing already. Pedroia stole second to avoid a double play and then Ortiz went deep. The best of both worlds.

[sk7326]

So you are a "Go big or go home" type of guy.

 

Still, a well timed bunt in a big moment can be huge.

 

I am pro bunting for hits. And there are some select late game reasons to sacrifice. (basically a situation where you only want one run)

 

But Outs are baseball's clock ... so wasting time (in this sense) is the biggest crime there is in the game - and stopping the clock as it were is the fundamental object of hitting

[Bellhorn04]

Got some of both the small ball and the bashing already. Pedroia stole second to avoid a double play and then Ortiz went deep. The best of both worlds.

 

They also appeared to try a hit and run play before the steal.

[a700hitter]

It's funny how much smarter a manager looks when the team wins.

He will never look smart. He always looks lost.

[oldtimer]

No doubt there were reasons for it, but the lineup the Sox put on the field today was very weak going in and did indeed waste a very good performance by Pomeranz. With Leon and Ortiz stting, run production was left to Pedey and Betts. Too much to ask of these guys.

 

1. Very weak hitting at catcher

2. Very weak hitting at 3rd base

3. Bogaerts in a long slump

4. Handley doing his usual with only one hit in the series.

5. Bradley slumping

6. Poor left field hitting against righties

 

The game was bound to be a nail biter, even with good pitching by our side. No doubt guys are tired and need some rest but we essentially donated this game to Tampa Bay.

Young didn't look particularly good in the field and made a running blunder as well.

 

So what should we do going forward.

 

1. We have Leon so we are good there but I would bring up Vazquez. I understand he is hitting well in the minors and would make a good substitute for Leon

2. Bring up Moncada. The situation really cries for a change with Hill being weak. Could Moncada be any worse.

3. Give Bogaerts a couple of days rest and put Marco Hernandez in for him. Bogaerts isn't hitting now anyway and Hernandez is a good defensive SS.

4. Let Shaw play first and if need be substitute Hanley in against lefties. A middle or the order guy has to produce something and he is very hit or miss. Ortiz will generally fill the designated hitter role so will take care of Hanley's poor DH showing. By the way Hanley, cut off your pretty curls so your batting helmet will stay on.

5. Bradley is so good defensively and we don't have an alternative with Benintendi down. His swing has gotten very uppercut based. Hitting coach should work with him on it.

6. Young didn't look good in the game so maybe we have lefty in the minors who could share time with him

 

Someone needs to tell JF we are in a pennant race and to act accordingly! Two frustrating days in a row.

[Maxbialystock]

No doubt there were reasons for it, but the lineup the Sox put on the field today was very weak going in and did indeed waste a very good performance by Pomeranz. With Leon and Ortiz stting, run production was left to Pedey and Betts. Too much to ask of these guys.

 

1. Very weak hitting at catcher

2. Very weak hitting at 3rd base

3. Bogaerts in a long slump

4. Handley doing his usual with only one hit in the series.

5. Bradley slumping

6. Poor left field hitting against righties

 

The game was bound to be a nail biter, even with good pitching by our side. No doubt guys are tired and need some rest but we essentially donated this game to Tampa Bay.

Young didn't look particularly good in the field and made a running blunder as well.

 

So what should we do going forward.

 

1. We have Leon so we are good there but I would bring up Vazquez. I understand he is hitting well in the minors and would make a good substitute for Leon

2. Bring up Moncada. The situation really cries for a change with Hill being weak. Could Moncada be any worse.

3. Give Bogaerts a couple of days rest and put Marco Hernandez in for him. Bogaerts isn't hitting now anyway and Hernandez is a good defensive SS.

4. Let Shaw play first and if need be substitute Hanley in against lefties. A middle or the order guy has to produce something and he is very hit or miss. Ortiz will generally fill the designated hitter role so will take care of Hanley's poor DH showing. By the way Hanley, cut off your pretty curls so your batting helmet will stay on.

5. Bradley is so good defensively and we don't have an alternative with Benintendi down. His swing has gotten very uppercut based. Hitting coach should work with him on it.

6. Young didn't look good in the game so maybe we have lefty in the minors who could share time with him

 

Someone needs to tell JF we are in a pennant race and to act accordingly! Two frustrating days in a row.

 

Fascinating exposition. You point to all the weak hitters and then blame Farrell for all the losses. I didn't much like today's lineup either, but the biggest gap and the only one that meant anything was no Ortiz. Last night he hit the 2 run dinger in the 1st, but the entire team couldn't score in the 4th thru the 11th innings.

 

This team, except for Ortiz and maybe Pedroia, can't hit good pitching, and the Rays have a good rotation and apparently a very good bullpen which in this series pitches 16+ innings while giving up 2 earned runs (and no runs at all in the final 3 games).

 

I notice you point out "very week hitting in LF against righties," which must mean you blame Farrell for Benintendi's injury last night.

[Dojji]

Farrell isn't a bad manager.

 

Farrell isn't a good manager.

 

If the team is going badly he won't pull wizardry out of his hat to save it.

 

If the team is doing well, he won't make boneheaded decisions that torpedo its success (fan wangst about small insignificant moves notwithstanding).

 

Because all managers take risks and play the odds, there will be times when Farrell makes moves that don't work. These will include two kinds of moves that don't work -- calculated risks that don't pay off, and moves that seemed right at the time but did not pan out that way He will also make many moves that do work, and well be ignored because they did work and so everything is fine.

 

Because the focus isn't (and can't be) always on winning the game right in front of you, fans can always point to times when Farrell made decisions that didn't win the game in front of him, at least in their own heads.

 

All of these things are part and parcel of an average manager. No one who has said words in this thread in the last 6 months has said anything new or interesting. Farrell isn't the greatest manager in the history of ever but he is also nowhere NEAR bad enough to worry about replacing. He is right in the middle, a solid rank-and-filer, and anyone you replace him with will be subject to every criticism our smallminded fury idiotically assumes is somehow uniquely his.

[Kimmi]

You tell 'em, Dojji!

[oldtimer]

Fascinating exposition. You point to all the weak hitters and then blame Farrell for all the losses. I didn't much like today's lineup either, but the biggest gap and the only one that meant anything was no Ortiz. Last night he hit the 2 run dinger in the 1st, but the entire team couldn't score in the 4th thru the 11th innings.

 

This team, except for Ortiz and maybe Pedroia, can't hit good pitching, and the Rays have a good rotation and apparently a very good bullpen which in this series pitches 16+ innings while giving up 2 earned runs (and no runs at all in the final 3 games).

 

I notice you point out "very week hitting in LF against righties," which must mean you blame Farrell for Benintendi's injury last night.

 

You certainly read a lot in to my comments. Since JF is managing the club, he had to know they were unlikely to score with the lineup they had last night. My view is that it is time to take action and make moves that will give the club a better chance of winning. He needs the support of the front office to do that. Of course he has to believe that things need to be done. Clearly I didn't blame JF for Beni's injury but do think he and the front office needs to be proactive in bringing up reserves that will give the club a more dynamic character. I made suggestions that I think could help. You chose to criticize any mention of JF's part in this. Do you think the club should just give up and wait til next year?

[Dojji]

You certainly read a lot in to my comments. Since JF is managing the club, he had to know they were unlikely to score with the lineup they had last night. My view is that it is time to take action and make moves that will give the club a better chance of winning.

 

 

Because the focus isn't (and can't be) always on winning the game right in front of you, fans can always point to times when Farrell made decisions that didn't win the game in front of him, at least in their own heads.

 

So... yeah. Bout dat smallminded fury.

[a700hitter]

So... yeah. Bout dat smallminded fury.

Quoting and agreeing with yourself these days?

[Dojji]

Quoting and agreeing with yourself these days?

When someone makes an argument I've already replied to in a prior post, I find it saves time to quote myself rather than repeat myself. A bit narcissistic perhaps but we all have our own little flaws.

[a700hitter]

When someone makes an argument I've already replied to in a prior post, I find it saves time to quote myself rather than repeat myself. A bit narcissistic perhaps but we all have our own little flaws.

I think quoting you in my signature has gone to your head. LOL!

[User Name]

Fascinating exposition. You point to all the weak hitters and then blame Farrell for all the losses. I didn't much like today's lineup either, but the biggest gap and the only one that meant anything was no Ortiz. Last night he hit the 2 run dinger in the 1st, but the entire team couldn't score in the 4th thru the 11th innings.

 

This team, except for Ortiz and maybe Pedroia, can't hit good pitching, and the Rays have a good rotation and apparently a very good bullpen which in this series pitches 16+ innings while giving up 2 earned runs (and no runs at all in the final 3 games).

 

I notice you point out "very week hitting in LF against righties," which must mean you blame Farrell for Benintendi's injury last night.

 

Mookie Betts.

[oldtimer]

Even though they lost tonight, I didn't see what JF could have done differently to change what happened. I think he needed to stay with Wright and that will help Wright's confidence in his next start. He used Tazawa as the game was somewhat out of hand and Tazawa showed again that he looks like a tired pitcher with his velocity down. He also used Abad who showed again that he has really good stuff but sometimes tries to get too fine. Pretty good result by him.

 

JF put his best lineup out there but some of the guys are just not hitting. Our substitutes also look weak at the plate. It doesn't look good for the Sox unless the front office and JF do something to bolster this lineup.

[Station 13]

Tazawa got through his inning, throwing 90-91, Farrell brought him back. Didn't work out.

 

Regardless, that wasn't the reason they lost.

[jacksonianmarch]

Tazawa is entirely done.

[Station 13]

Tazawa is entirely done.

 

He look good in his 1st inning. Instead of letting the guy feel good about it, Farrell ask him to return the next inning. That could been good for him to start something. Farrell had other plans. Tazawa is still a kiss of death to lefties bats, he seems to can't get the ball in good location vs the righties.

[mvp 78]

It's too late in the season to do anything about Farrell now. The only question is if FO thinks he's the guy going forward and if they bring him back next year. It depends on how much they value the "off the field" contributions he provides.

 

I can't blame Farrell for all of bullpen's faults, but I still wonder if Uehara or Tazawa could have been helping us if their innings were managed better.

 

Farrell does tend to be a batter or two slow in pulling guys and I find it hard to believe that it would have only cost us a game or two. Blah...

[Slasher9]

i think it all depends whether or not we make the playoffs.

bunting (and i am referring to the red-white-blue decorations - not the batting) in Fenway in October? JF keeps his job.

October dates added for Kid Rock? buh bye JF....

[southpaw777]

i think it all depends whether or not we make the playoffs.

bunting (and i am referring to the red-white-blue decorations - not the batting) in Fenway in October? JF keeps his job.

October dates added for Kid Rock? buh bye JF....

 

Personally, I think if he doesnt make it to the big game hes gone. Bottom line...no WS appearence, no job.

[mvp 78]

I keep him if they win the ALDS.

[User Name]

They will keep him if he makes the playoffs either way.

[mvp 78]

They will keep him if he makes the playoffs either way.

 

WC game count?

[sk7326]

WC game count?

 

Yes - although if they lose that 15-2, that could change things.