7/4 Texas Rangers @ Boston

[mvp 78]

All of them.

[mvp 78]

Harder to find a year where he stays healthy.

[Bellhorn04]

You won't find any years in which he caused a second half swoon.

[User Name]

Everyone whines here dude and no. He has had two bad starts recently. He needs a good one now. That's my point.

 

Yeah, but other people actually come to this site to have baseball discussions instead of using it as a whine receptacle. It's a tired act.

[mvp 78]

You won't find any years in which he caused a second half swoon.

 

You've completely changed my mind.

[mvp 78]

Yeah, but other people actually come to this site to have baseball discussions instead of using it as a whine receptacle. It's a tired act.

 

He's far from the only one.

[User Name]

He's far from the only one.

 

Don't worry. I'll call them the f*** out too.

 

Also, keep Pedroia but move his DP-hitting ass from the 2 spot, Fire Farrell, release Buchholz. My new mantra.

[mvp 78]

Don't worry. I'll call them the f*** out too.

 

Also, keep Pedroia but move his DP-hitting ass from the 2 spot, Fire Farrell, release Buchholz. My new mantra.

 

I've said all along they need to do 2 of 3. I liked how he was hitting and using all fields early this season. It didn't last as long as I would have liked though.

 

Is he a big pronlem on the team right now? No, but we still have 5 more years to go on his contract. Yuck.

 

He's a fine little player who is the most overrated Boston sports star of my lifetime.

[Bellhorn04]

You've completely changed my mind.

 

Seriously, name one single year that supports your second half swoon theory. Throw a fact out there instead of a bunch of vague generalizations.

[Bellhorn04]

Don't worry. I'll call them the f*** out too.

 

Also, keep Pedroia but move his DP-hitting ass from the 2 spot, Fire Farrell, release Buchholz. My new mantra.

 

He's hit into an inordinate number of DP's for some reason, but most teams would love a 306/368/445 in the 2 spot.

[gojohn99]

Why not use Koji with a 5 run lead? At least when he gives up his run or two, you still have a lead!

 

Agreed on Porcello.

 

I'm not sure why Farrell put Koji in the game today in that situation.

[User Name]

He's hit into an inordinate number of DP's for some reason, but most teams would love a 306/368/445 in the 2 spot.

 

Most spots actually, but still.

[Bellhorn04]

The high DP number looks like a good old statistical aberration to me.

[Kimmi]

All the negative Pedroia talk is perplexing.

 

On this, we agree. He adds so much value to the team, both in tangibles and intangibles, even when he isn't playing at his best.

[User Name]

Pedroia averages 16 GIDP per 162, and has had years of 24, 19 and 17 GIDP's. He grounds into double plays a lot, and there's a simple explanation behind it: He stings a lot of balls, and a lot of them are hit on the ground. You're not going to avoid a DP on a 100+ MPH grounder unless the fielder makes an error.

[Kimmi]

You let me have my fun. The ump was flat-out terrible today.

 

You can make your point about the ump being terrible without completely belittling and dismissing another person's opinion.

[User Name]

I don't get why you keep taking it personal though. A bunch of people here make the point about the human element being an indispensable part of the game. Out of all of those people, you think I'm singling you out. Why?

[Kimmi]

Why not use Koji with a 5 run lead? At least when he gives up his run or two, you still have a lead!

 

Here is Farrell's explanation of why he used Koji:

 

“We had three pitchers to get through the two innings,” Farrell said. “We’re thin down there. We know that Koji has had limited success, if at all, coming in (the middle of) an inning. So if we get into a situation where Robbie Ross runs into a little bit of problems, it was the reverse to start with Koji, bring Robbie in if needed. And it also gave us the option to use Robbie if we lengthen it out in the ninth inning to stay away from Craig (Kimbrel). And that’s the way it turned out.”

 

This reasoning actually makes some sense.

[Bellhorn04]

You can make your point about the ump being terrible without completely belittling and dismissing another person's opinion.

 

Kimmi, it's not really any different from constantly reiterating that the Buch option was a no-brainer even though you know there are a number of people that don't agree.

[Kimmi]

Kimmi, it's not really any different from constantly reiterating that the Buch option was a no-brainer even though you know there are a number of people that don't agree.

 

OK!

[User Name]

Kimmi, it's not really any different from constantly reiterating that the Buch option was a no-brainer even though you know there are a number of people that don't agree.

 

This is what I keep telling her. I'm on the "Buch was a no-brainer" camp and I don't take the mocking personally.

[a700hitter]

That one reliable barometer is getting injured during the year, gutting it out and causing a second half swoon.

His health is a key for this team. He had the hand problems which look to be behind him. Last year his hammy set him back. He has made an effort to get his legs in better condition and his hands and wrist are fully recovered. When he is healthy and producing offensively, this team goes on a big roll. As Pedroia goes, so go the Sox. The guy has had a pretty good career for the Sox. He has been very dependable. Everyone gets injured from time to time. Ortiz has had his injury issues and he doesn't play D. When he hurt his wrist, his performance suffered and people wanted to send him to the glue factory. Then he hurt his heel and missed time. When Ortiz or Pedey are out of commission, this team struggles. When they are healthy, this offense produces. They are the barometer for the Red Sox. They are both healthy now (even though Ortiz's heels need to be managed) so that is a good sign for our offense.

 

BTW, the thing about Ortiz's heel problems is that it becomes a bigger problem as he is more successful. The more that he is on base it becomes a bigger problem.

[mvp 78]

Is Pedroia healthy right now? If so, then why is the team swirling the toilet bowl?

[a700hitter]

Is Pedroia healthy right now? If so, then why is the team swirling the toilet bowl?

We are in second place right now. That is a big step up from the basement last year. We have hit a lull that has dropped us behind the Orioles which has coincided from Pedroia slumping. When Pedroia gets hot, this offense gets supercharged. If he is starting a hot streak, the offense will be on high octane. That has always been the case when Pedroia is in a hot streak.

[User Name]

Pedroia could hit 1.000/1.000/1.000 with a HR every AB and this team still wouldn't win consistently with the pitching problems it has.

[Kimmi]

The Sox have gained 3.5 games on the Os in 5 days!!!

[mvp 78]

Pedroia could hit 1.000/1.000/1.000 with a HR every AB and this team still wouldn't win consistently with the pitching problems it has.

 

If the Sox averaged an additional 4 runs per game, they'd definitely win more consistently.

[mvp 78]

We are in second place right now. That is a big step up from the basement last year. We have hit a lull that has dropped us behind the Orioles which has coincided from Pedroia slumping. When Pedroia gets hot, this offense gets supercharged. If he is starting a hot streak, the offense will be on high octane. That has always been the case when Pedroia is in a hot streak.

 

I will hope for a hot streak then.

[User Name]

If the Sox averaged an additional 4 runs per game, they'd definitely win more consistently.

 

Dropping 21 to the Angels, and spotting 4-spots to the other team in the first inning several other times 06/10-07/1? Not really.

[illinoisredsox]

Pedroia could hit 1.000/1.000/1.000 with a HR every AB and this team still wouldn't win consistently with the pitching problems it has.

 

That would be 1.000/1.000/4.000 but everything to the right of the "and" would nonetheless remain completely true.