A Realistic View at 2017 Part II

[Bellhorn04]

i'm respect what you offer and your love of statistical data to prove your points. They really don't work for me much of the time though. For me it is very simple. One stat that is left hanging on the scoreboard at the end of the game. If Sale sees things this way, I'm going to guess that most other players do as well. It's how I see it. We are not knocking enough players in leading to us not scoring enough which leads to well you know.

 

I think the post you were responding to was in agreement with us that the offense isn't that good, or hasn't been.

[Nick]

Well Pom went 4 innings today while throwing 96 pitches.

 

He will need to get his stamina up to around 150 pitches so he can go 6 innings.

[cp176]

I think the post you were responding to was in agreement with us that the offense isn't that good, or hasn't been.

 

Yup you are right. Notin if this offends you, i apologize.

[a700hitter]

And who's to say that Ben and Theo didn't make very compelling cases and got overruled anyway. In the end, the boss is going to do what the boss wants to do. That's the bottom line, regardless of how good the GM is. Theo is living proof of that.

Ben didn't make a good enough case too many times. The proof that the case was not compelling was that he didn't convince the boss. They were Ben's moves or he was unsuccessful in convincing his bosses not to make the moves. Either way, he was unsuccessful.

 

Theo had a much longer tenure with far fewer terrible moves than Ben in his short tenure. As for Theo being proof of anything, he doesn't have a boss anymore. He is the President of the Cubs and the final word.

[cp176]

Whoever was responsible for drafting and cultivating our current crop of players, was really remiss when it came to considering who could in fact hit for power! That was a mistake.

[a700hitter]

Whoever was responsible for drafting and cultivating our current crop of players, was really remiss when it came to considering who could in fact hit for power! That was a mistake.

They are a bunch of midgets. Our SS is one of the bigger guys on the club, and he has 0 HRs. On th bright side, more of our starting lineup could fit in a clown car than any other MLB starting lineup.

[Nick]

They are a bunch of midgets. Our SS is one of the bigger guys on the club, and he has 0 HRs. On th bright side, more of our starting lineup could fit in a clown car than any other MLB starting lineup.

 

We play at Fenway 81 games a year. We also visit other AL East parks where balls typically go beyond the OF grass. It's stupid to build a team on singles hitters. That's what we have.

 

That's why I'm not married to any of our pending FA in 2019/2020. Hell trade the Benitendi's of the world. Sign premium starting pitchers and power hitters. Then fill in the bus with Pedeys of the world.

 

Keep Devers only because of his power potential. I'd go get Q for Swihart, Beni and Groomes. If that's not good enough for White Sox, then we know that Sox fans are delusional about our young talent. We overvalued them.

 

And let's not forget that baseball has to be entertaining. Watching Chris Sale pitch is a treat. Many of us set our schedule around his schedule (don't lie, you do it). Two years ago during a dismal Sox season, I never missed E Rod starts. He was ray of hope. He was fun to watch. He's having a decent year.

 

Pomeranz? He's the exact opposite of Chris Sale. I'm beginning to hate his starts. And he's not even our #5 pitcher, he's our #4. You hope for the best, but you end up disappointed.........I need a pick me up, I need Devers.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Nick

[oldtimer]

Well, we got beaten again by a club with a poor record because we didn't hit or at least score runs. Is this team heading for a poor finish? It sure looks that way. We really have 3 starting pitchers and a short bullpen. Price remains a question mark in my mind.

 

None of this is encouraging. We do have some talent but we need more power in the lineup. Probably too soon to rely on Devers to provide that.

 

Maybe we will have to have a lot of patience this year and reform the team next season with a new manager and a lineup with major revisions.

[Nick]

Pomeranz has yet to get past six innings this season, having gone four, three and four innings, respectively, in his last three outings. Since joining the Red Sox, he has gotten an out in the seventh inning just twicw in 21 starts.

He's a long reliever that comes in to start the game.

[Station 13]

This team couldn't win on Sale start again, this explicitly says they flat out sucks. Get rid of Farrell as the purge commence.

[a700hitter]

This team couldn't win on Sale start again, this explicitly says they flat out sucks. Get rid of Farrell as the purge commence.

A new manager might spark the team, and we could add a bat to help. I wouldn't back up the moving truck just yet.

[Station 13]

A new manager might spark the team, and we could add a bat to help. I wouldn't back up the moving truck just yet.

 

Adding a bat might help them some, but they still got 2 holes in that rotation. As I mention, when Sale pitches, he often has no room for error. In his no decision he has a 0.82 ERA, seriously that pisses me off greatly he is being wasted by this dreadful team.

[Nick]

Adding a bat might help them some, but they still got 2 holes in that rotation. As I mention, when Sale pitches, he often has no room for error. In his no decision he has a 0.82 ERA, seriously that pisses me off greatly he is being wasted by this dreadful team.

 

Ding, ding, ding....we have a winner.

 

You do everything you can to seize the moment.

 

I will say it again. TO HAVE THE MINOR LEAGUE'S WORST OPS GUY PLAYING 3B while you have a guy with over .900 OPS is f***ING ASININE. Especially with this pussy of a line up.

 

Why not ask Sale who he would rather have playing 3B?

 

Yeah, Kimmi and her gang will jump in and proclaim players can't make decisions for the organization. I get it. But just as I applauded DD's moves last year (not the results) for not WASTING terrific years from Ortiz, Betts and Porcello, something needs to be done this year.

 

Sitting on your ass day after day expecting different result is not formula for success. Do something. Ship has taken water.

[moonslav59]

Sad to lose to these bums, but it's a long, long season.

 

I'm still not that worried, but some concerns remain.

[Spudboy]

Pomeranz has yet to get past six innings this season, having gone four, three and four innings, respectively, in his last three outings. Since joining the Red Sox, he has gotten an out in the seventh inning just twicw in 21 starts.

He's a long reliever that comes in to start the game.

 

That's about it.

[cp176]

They are a bunch of midgets. Our SS is one of the bigger guys on the club, and he has 0 HRs. On th bright side, more of our starting lineup could fit in a clown car than any other MLB starting lineup.

 

I've been going to Portland for years now and regardless of how talented our current crop might be they are outsized easily by many teams playing today. Size doesn't equal wins - we all get that but you have to have some power in your lineup. i'm very pleased with the fact that we got Sale in the deal including the trading of Moncada but while i say that Moncada at 6'2" and 210 pounds looked like a giant in comparison to almost all of our players in Portland last year. i have to question whether a team can win while yarding out 6 or 7 leadoff hitters game in and game out. I just hope they keep on swinging.

[cp176]

Pomeranz has yet to get past six innings this season, having gone four, three and four innings, respectively, in his last three outings. Since joining the Red Sox, he has gotten an out in the seventh inning just twicw in 21 starts.

He's a long reliever that comes in to start the game.

 

 

i really don't disagree with your disgust of Pomeranz, I'm disgusted by him too. i don't think that he is to blame for us having so many leadoff hitters in the lineup though. If this team had some legit power, they could probably survive with a Pomeranz at the back end of the rotation. All of our starters probably feel one hell of a lot of pressure when they go to the mound these days.

[moonslav59]

I've been going to Portland for years now and regardless of how talented our current crop might be they are outsized easily by many teams playing today. Size doesn't equal wins - we all get that but you have to have some power in your lineup. i'm very pleased with the fact that we got Sale in the deal including the trading of Moncada but while i say that Moncada at 6'2" and 210 pounds looked like a giant in comparison to almost all of our players in Portland last year. i have to question whether a team can win while yarding out 6 or 7 leadoff hitters game in and game out. I just hope they keep on swinging.

 

It would be nice to have a big husky power hitter in the 4 slot, but our little guys seems to have more power than most "lead off hitter" types.

 

I think we'll hit for more power the rest of the way as a team, but getting on base is still the leading indicator for projecting runs scored.

[Nick]

It would be nice to have a big husky power hitter in the 4 slot, but our little guys seems to have more power than most "lead off hitter" types.

 

I think we'll hit for more power the rest of the way as a team, but getting on base is still the leading indicator for projecting runs scored.

 

What's the hold up on Home Runs? If its all about weather won't the other teams also hit more, thus negating our incremental increase? If we can get Q without giving up Devers, I do it. Starting pitching has a great deal of impact on winning games. I am giving up on Pomeranz. He has the ability to strike guys out but opposing hitters seem to foul off several pitches when he's on the mound. He goes deep into count. He's just not very efficient.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Nick

[Bellhorn04]

I think we'll hit for more power the rest of the way as a team, but getting on base is still the leading indicator for projecting runs scored.

 

Which has a higher correlation though, OBP or OPS? There has to be some factoring in there of total bases and SLG.

[Bellhorn04]

What's the hold up on Home Runs? If its all about weather won't the other teams also hit more, thus negating our incremental increase?

 

Agreed. 'The bats will heat up with the weather' is just another of those comforting little platitudes that don't mean anything.

[moonslav59]

A little less than three-quarters of the season to go, and here is our we place in the AL by positional OPS:

 

4th in RF.855

4th at SS .765

6th as a team .738

6th in LF .750

6th at C .732

7th at 1B .771

8th in CF .727

9th at 2B .707

11th at DH .704

15th at 3B .588 (76 points behind 14th place!)

 

9th in runs scored in the AL with 184. We're one run behind 8th (CWS) and 11 behind 7th (BAL). We're 30 behind being top 3 (NYY, TBR, HOU).

 

T 9th in wRC+ at 97

 

6th in team UZR/150 at +0.4.

 

T 3rd in ERA- at 93

 

1st in Pitching WAR at 6.3

1st in starter WAR at 4.1

4th in pen WAR at 2.2

 

8th in team WHIP at 1.28

 

2nd K/BB% at 18.1%

 

 

[Nick]

A little less than three-quarters of the season to go, and here is our we place in the AL by positional OPS:

 

4th in RF.855

4th at SS .765

6th as a team .738

6th in LF .750

6th at C .732

7th at 1B .771

8th in CF .727

9th at 2B .707

11th at DH .704

15th at 3B .588 (76 points behind 14th place!)

 

9th in runs scored in the AL with 184. We're one run behind 8th (CWS) and 11 behind 7th (BAL). We're 30 behind being top 3 (NYY, TBR, HOU).

 

T 9th in wRC+ at 97

 

6th in team UZR/150 at +0.4.

 

T 3rd in ERA- at 93

 

1st in Pitching WAR at 6.3

1st in starter WAR at 4.1

4th in pen WAR at 2.2

 

8th in team WHIP at 1.28

 

2nd K/BB% at 18.1%

 

 

 

Basically we have invested $40M per annually on 2 positions to have 11th/15th in OPS at DH and 3B. Yikes.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Nick

[Bellhorn04]

A little less than three-quarters of the season to go, and here is our we place in the AL by positional OPS:

 

4th in RF.855

4th at SS .765

6th as a team .738

6th in LF .750

6th at C .732

7th at 1B .771

8th in CF .727

9th at 2B .707

11th at DH .704

15th at 3B .588 (76 points behind 14th place!)

 

Wow, that makes the offense look even worse than I thought it was LOL

[cp176]

It would be nice to have a big husky power hitter in the 4 slot, but our little guys seems to have more power than most "lead off hitter" types.

 

I think we'll hit for more power the rest of the way as a team, but getting on base is still the leading indicator for projecting runs scored.

 

No one can argue that getting on base more frequently than others should lead to more runs scored. You still have to look at your lineup. A balance is needed. We do not have it.

[notin]

Wow, that makes the offense look even worse than I thought it was LOL

 

And what makes it even worse than that is this is just OPS, not park-adjusted OPS+...

[Bellhorn04]

And what makes it even worse than that is this is just OPS, not park-adjusted OPS+...

 

Our current OPS+ is 97.

[dgalehouse]

Here are the home run totals for last season: Hanley - 30. Pedroia - 15. Bogaerts - 21. Bradley - 26. Betts - 31. The power is there. They are just not showing it so far this season. Maybe there has been too much emphasis on just getting on base, especially in the case of Bogaerts. OBP is important , but you also need to lift and drive the ball out of the park. That is how to put some runs on the board quickly. These guys have proven that they have that ability. It is high time they started to show it.

[Kimmi]

But the Sox didn't leave 20 men on base. The combined total of runners each batter left on base was 20 (actually 19). As a team, the Sox only left 10 runners stranded. Neither of those numbers lead me to believe this offense is in good shape or unlucky right now...

 

Fair enough about the actual number of runners stranded. As I posted in another thread, there is still some disconnect between OBP and runs scored, however. No, this is not the offense that it was last year, but it's an offense that should be scoring more runs than it has.

[Kimmi]

Ben didn't make a good enough case too many times. The proof that the case was not compelling was that he didn't convince the boss. They were Ben's moves or he was unsuccessful in convincing his bosses not to make the moves. Either way, he was unsuccessful.

 

Theo had a much longer tenure with far fewer terrible moves than Ben in his short tenure. As for Theo being proof of anything, he doesn't have a boss anymore. He is the President of the Cubs and the final word.

 

That's exactly the point. Look at what Theo was able to do when he doesn't have to answer to a boss.