Postseason Happenings 2016

[Bellhorn04]

That would be a big resounding NO.

 

I don't want him for $100 mil even if he's not attached to a QO.

 

I'd love to have him on my team, but signing him to a large contract at his age goes against every baseball fiber in my body.

 

I'm shocked...shocked, I tell ya.

[Kimmi]

Dombrowski stated that the main job of the manager is to keep the ship running, not tactical maneuvers. It's the organizational philosophy at the moment. If you don't agree, you'll just have to hold your nose until Dombrowski is gone.

 

It's not just an organizational philosophy. I think it's pretty much a baseball wide philosophy.

[Kimmi]

Oh but doing so will damage our precious pipeline of burgeoning studs!

 

The thing is that DD SHOULD make a big splash in free agency to supplant the loss of Ortiz's bat while this team still has most of it's skilled core. The window for a World Championship will close quickly.

 

Strike while the fire is hot, as it were.

 

If Dombrowski does his job correctly, the window for a World Championship should not close.

[Kimmi]

Some people don't understand that. They ooh and ahh over the farm system, but by the time Groome and others get here Bogaerts, Betts and Bradley will be ready to walk. Pedroia will be gone. Hanley will be gone. And we will be coming up short even if the prospects pan out.

 

Aren't you the one who keeps saying that a team with our resources should always be competitive?

[S5Dewey]

You're in denial if you think Papi's postseason heroics weren't the key to our parades. 'Good pitching beats good hitting' - yeah, sometimes, but guess what, not all the time. The teams we faced in the World Series had pretty good pitching, but Papi destroyed them.

 

I would never say that Papi wasn't the key to the team's success in 2013. He definitely was the key to the Sox getting there and winning. . It's like I said, he went through a period of time when he never 'missed' a hittable pitch - and that's unusual for any hitter.

 

However, it's also significant that the Cards scored a total of 5 runs in the 4 World Series games the Sox won. Pitching, pitching, pitching.

[Spudboy]

It is not some sort of new revelation that pitching is ultimately what gets it done. We all know that . We all get it. it is the top priority and I am going to guess that at least 95% of the people posting here get it. It is first and foremost. Aren't we lucky though that the team we cheer for can have both - big time hitting and pitching. This is in no way an either or situation!

 

It is actually laughable that someone suggests that because there are some of us who would like to see EE in the middle of our lineup that we would pass on an opportunity to improve our pitching in order to sign him. That is a joke. The Red Sox can do both.

 

I'm glad that you have taken your Geritol.

[Spudboy]

That would be a big resounding NO.

 

I don't want him for $100 mil even if he's not attached to a QO.

 

I'd love to have him on my team, but signing him to a large contract at his age goes against every baseball fiber in my body.

 

Why? I too hate big contracts especially for "aging" vets.

 

Do you have inside info that says that EE will not perform up to his 100 mil contract? I must have missed that memo.

[Bellhorn04]

I would never say that Papi wasn't the key to the team's success in 2013. He definitely was the key to the Sox getting there and winning. . It's like I said, he went through a period of time when he never 'missed' a hittable pitch - and that's unusual for any hitter.

 

However, it's also significant that the Cards scored a total of 5 runs in the 4 World Series games the Sox won. Pitching, pitching, pitching.

 

Pitching, fundamentals and 3-run homers, a wise man once said.

[mvp 78]

Pitching, fundamentals and 3-run homers, a wise man once said.

 

Pfft... He was only good for making sure his team showed up on time. Onfield maneuvers don't matter.

[Kimmi]

Why? I too hate big contracts especially for "aging" vets.

 

Do you have inside info that says that EE will not perform up to his 100 mil contract? I must have missed that memo.

 

Why do you hate big contracts, especially for aging vets?

[cp176]

As I posted before, if it's a choice between having home field advantage or not having home field advantage, of course you would take the HFA. If it's a choice between having well rested players and having your rotation lined up or having home field advantage, you go with the former.

 

HFA is not as important as people think it is. Also, the lack of HFA is not why we lost this series.

 

I think that the overall advantage of playing on your home field is going to obviously be answered differently based upon who you ask. To the teams that won 65% of their games at home this year, it probably would seem very very important.

Having rested players (very few of the good ones are well rested at this time) is very important. The question of how much rest it takes is debatable for sure. A 40 year old with bad feet and a second baseman with a bad knee might need some good down time. When your talking about how much rest a healthy 23-28 year old player needs, I would err on the side of not much for sure. Playing for a championship may not come around again.

Having your rotation lined up is important.

I certainly have not said that not having home field advantage cost us the series. It very well might have been a factor. How would anyone know? We got outplayed by a team that won 65% of its regular season games at home this year.

Great debate we are having - mostly just all hind sight though. We had a great year and quite honestly, I hope that cleveland gets it done.

[cp176]

Why? I too hate big contracts especially for "aging" vets.

 

Do you have inside info that says that EE will not perform up to his 100 mil contract? I must have missed that memo.

 

The "word smithers" here are unbelievable.

[cp176]

I'm glad that you have taken your Geritol.

This is where my word smithers comment was supposed to be.

[sk7326]

I think that the overall advantage of playing on your home field is going to obviously be answered differently based upon who you ask. To the teams that won 65% of their games at home this year, it probably would seem very very important.

Having rested players (very few of the good ones are well rested at this time) is very important. The question of how much rest it takes is debatable for sure. A 40 year old with bad feet and a second baseman with a bad knee might need some good down time. When your talking about how much rest a healthy 23-28 year old player needs, I would err on the side of not much for sure. Playing for a championship may not come around again.

Having your rotation lined up is important.

I certainly have not said that not having home field advantage cost us the series. It very well might have been a factor. How would anyone know? We got outplayed by a team that won 65% of its regular season games at home this year.

Great debate we are having - mostly just all hind sight though. We had a great year and quite honestly, I hope that cleveland gets it done.

 

It's the spread you care about for that evaluation, not just home record. Exactly 4 teams won 65% of their home games (Cleveland, Texas, Cubs, Dodgers) ... only the Dodgers were below .500 on the road. That seems more an indicator of them being good generally.

[cp176]

It's the spread you care about for that evaluation, not just home record. Exactly 4 teams won 65% of their home games (Cleveland, Texas, Cubs, Dodgers) ... only the Dodgers were below .500 on the road. That seems more an indicator of them being good generally.

 

Sorry but I am very non complicated. A team that wins their division and wins 65% of their games at home would be a team that I would think had a very good chance of winning at home.

[a700hitter]

Better teams usually get HFA, so when you don't get HFA stating that it is no big deal is illogical, because it probably means that you aren't as good as the team with HFA. That, plus the statistics that show teams with HFA win 54% of the time really makes me shake my head about the people taking the position that HFA doesn't matter. It doesn't add up

[sk7326]

Sorry but I am very non complicated. A team that wins their division and wins 65% of their games at home would be a team that I would think had a very good chance of winning at home.

 

Since they also have to play road games - it says less than you think

[Bellhorn04]

We've got some real, current results right in front of us. 6 teams have been eliminated so far. 3 of them had HFA and 3 didn't.

[sk7326]

Better teams usually get HFA, so when you don't get HFA stating that it is no big deal is illogical, because it probably means that you aren't as good as the team with HFA. That, plus the statistics that show teams with HFA win 54% of the time really makes me shake my head about the people taking the position that HFA doesn't matter. It doesn't add up

 

The statistics say no such thing. Or that game in Fenway park that just happened was a figment of our imagination.

[mvp 78]

We've got some real, current results right in front of us. 6 teams have been eliminated so far. 3 of them had HFA and 3 didn't.

 

But only one had a prolonged retirement tour!

[a700hitter]

The statistics say no such thing. Or that game in Fenway park that just happened was a figment of our imagination.

science denier!

[S5Dewey]

That's called KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

[cp176]

The statistics say no such thing. Or that game in Fenway park that just happened was a figment of our imagination.

 

Kind of obvious I think that we can find statistics somewhere to support most of our beliefs.

[Bellhorn04]

Kind of obvious I think that we can find statistics somewhere to support most of our beliefs.

 

There are statistics and there are personal observations and logic. Personal observations and logic tell me that HFA is a slight advantage in the postseason, but that when it comes to games against teams that you're evenly matched with or better than you, it means nothing. I watched the Sox lose Game 7 of the 75 Series at home, the 78 playoff game at home. In 86 we won the first 2 at Shea and then blew it by losing 2 of 3 at Fenway. In 99 we won Game 5 in Cleveland. In 03 we won Game 5 in Oakland. In 03 we lost 2 of 3 to the Yanks at Fenway. In 04 we won the last 2 in NY. In 07 we won the crucial Game 5 in Cleveland. Where was the HFA in all these critical games? It was nowhere to be seen.

 

This year Cleveland just kicked our butts.

[Kimmi]

We've got some real, current results right in front of us. 6 teams have been eliminated so far. 3 of them had HFA and 3 didn't.

 

I was just going to say that it's too bad the Nats didn't have HFA. They might have won last night.....

[sk7326]

There are statistics and there are personal observations and logic. Personal observations and logic tell me that HFA is a slight advantage in the postseason, but that when it comes to games against teams that you're evenly matched with or better than you, it means nothing. I watched the Sox lose Game 7 of the 75 Series at home, the 78 playoff game at home. In 86 we won the first 2 at Shea and then blew it by losing 2 of 3 at Fenway. In 99 we won Game 5 in Cleveland. In 03 we won Game 5 in Oakland. In 03 we lost 2 of 3 to the Yanks at Fenway. In 04 we won the last 2 in NY. In 07 we won the crucial Game 5 in Cleveland. Where was the HFA in all these critical games? It was nowhere to be seen.

 

This year Cleveland just kicked our butts.

 

in 2003 we also won a do or die Game 6 in New York and in 2008 with a compromised Josh Beckett we won a do or die Game 6 in Tampa ... I saw the Giants win a Game 7 in Kansas City and was too young to see live (but have seen on tape) the Pirates winning in Baltimore in Game 7 of the ugly softball jersey world series

[a700hitter]

Wow! Road teams win games too? Who'd a thunk it.

[sk7326]

Wow! Road teams win games too? Who'd a thunk it.

 

I know - I did not even know they were eligible!

[cp176]

There are statistics and there are personal observations and logic. Personal observations and logic tell me that HFA is a slight advantage in the postseason, but that when it comes to games against teams that you're evenly matched with or better than you, it means nothing. I watched the Sox lose Game 7 of the 75 Series at home, the 78 playoff game at home. In 86 we won the first 2 at Shea and then blew it by losing 2 of 3 at Fenway. In 99 we won Game 5 in Cleveland. In 03 we won Game 5 in Oakland. In 03 we lost 2 of 3 to the Yanks at Fenway. In 04 we won the last 2 in NY. In 07 we won the crucial Game 5 in Cleveland. Where was the HFA in all these critical games? It was nowhere to be seen.

 

This year Cleveland just kicked our butts.

 

I don't disagree with you really. What I would say is that all things being equal - 2 teams - one that has won 65% of its' games at home playing against a team that has won roughly let's say 50% of its' game on the road. If the game is held on the home field of the team that has won 65% of its' games at home, logic supported by statistics would tell anyone that the home team has the advantage. Exceptions to any situation of course can be found.

[cp176]

Wow! Road teams win games too? Who'd a thunk it.

 

What am I missing here? Really