8/13 @ New York Yankees

[a700hitter]

First, for someone like Farrell who has been in baseball for as long as he has been, you would think that he would know that once a pitcher has thrown one pitch to a batter, that pitcher can not be removed for a relief pitcher until the at-bat is completed, except of course in the event of an injury to the pitcher. To come out of the dugout with that intent, and having the umpire remind him of that rule is embarrassing.

 

Secondly, much as I had hoped for a sweep, which the Sox would have achieved had not the pen imploded with a 3-0 lead in the 8th inning of the 1st game, I still think that this was a really great 3-game series from a purely baseball standpoint.

 

Two very good teams battling to the final out.

Other than Joe Maddon submitting a lineup card listing 2 third basemen and costing his team the use of the DH for the game, Farrell's coming out of the dugout to make a pitching change that he couldn't make was the dumbest thing that I can remember a manger doing.

 

Although last season, Terry Collins did not challenge a play at the plate on the final out of a game when his runner looked to be safe. He had nothing to lose, but he didn't challenge it because his video people couldn't communicate with him. The GM Sandy Alderson was at that game, and he told a group of season ticket holders that he and Collins got into a pretty heated discussion after that game. Alderson ran down to the dugout to try to get Collins to challenge the play, but the team had left the dugout. The s*** hit the fan in the clubhouse.

[TylerD]

Didn't get to see the game tonight. Glad we took the series against these guys finally!!!

[Youk Of The Nation]

According to MLB Devers' HR was the fastest pitch hit for a homer since they officially started tracking velocity in 2008

[SoxHop]

Oh man...... What a weekend of b ball

[illinoisredsox]

So the bottom line is:

 

1) Farrell, who tried to make a pitching change when he couldn't, needs to recharge his two working brain cells.

 

2) His biggest critics here, a) didn't know what happened and don't seem to know the rules.

 

Am I to conclude that they are operating with 1 brain cell?

[Bellhorn04]

So the bottom line is:

 

1) Farrell, who tried to make a pitching change when he couldn't, needs to recharge his two working brain cells.

 

2) His biggest critics here, a) didn't know what happened and don't seem to know the rules.

 

Am I to conclude that they are operating with 1 brain cell?

 

You should take this to the Farrell thread, Illinois...that's an ongoing thread, this one will be locked shortly.

[illinoisredsox]

For the record, the rules are (paraphrasing):

 

1) A team is allowed 2 mound visits per inning per pitcher. On the second one, the pitcher must be removed from the game. Exception due to apparent injury (and the ump will go out to assure only the injury is discussed).

 

2) A relief pitcher must face at least one hitter (the batting slot must complete an AB) or otherwise finish an inning (e.g., a runner caught stealing to end an inning finishes his obligation).

[illinoisredsox]

You should take this to the Farrell thread, Illinois...that's an ongoing thread, this one will be locked shortly.

 

I know but the applicable comments (the attempted second mound visit) are here.

[Youk Of The Nation]

According to MLB Devers' HR was the fastest pitch hit for a homer since they officially started tracking velocity in 2008

 

Okay, also awesome: According to ESPN, that was the first HR off of Chapman this year, and the first HR off of Chapman by a lefty in ​6 seasons.

[Thunder]

So, basically, Addison Reed is the only thing between us and a 11 game win streak right now.

[S5Dewey]

So, basically, Addison Reed is the only thing between us and a 11 game win streak right now.

 

That's pretty much it. If we're going to use him we first need to get him into some lower leverage situations. I was going to say then we can find out if he's "clutch" or not but... never mind.

 

Whatever he is, he's ours and we need to get as much as we can out of him. It may be long relief (I'm hoping that's something we never need) or actual mop-up duty. Right now our pen is strong enough that we can afford to have a mop-up guy and leave the real relieving to someone who can do the job.

 

Or he may get his feet under him and pitch well, but for God's sake, DO NOT put him in a high leverage situation again until he's pitching better than he has been!!

[moonslav59]

According to MLB Devers' HR was the fastest pitch hit for a homer since they officially started tracking velocity in 2008

 

This kid is special!

[Kimmi]

You have to be f***ing kidding me! I wanna know how many games this bullpen has blown after the all star break

 

Not as many as the vaunted Yankees bullpen has blown.

[a700hitter]

I couldn't believe it when he took Chapman's fastball out of the park. Players just don't get on top of 103 mph fastballs and drive them. 103 mph is so fast that the eye barely has time to process it never mind hit it. That is at the limits of human physiology. Only the best of the best can turn around those kinds of fastballs. I remember George Brett turning around a 9$ mph Goose Gossafe heater at his neck and putting it in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium. That was the Pine Tar game. Brett was already an established great. As for a young kid doing it, the only guy I can remember was a 19 year old Andruw Jones getting on top of a Mo Rivera 97 mph 4 seamer and putting it in the Yankee bullpen. Devers shot was unbelievably exciting.

[Kimmi]

Damn Devers smoked it.

 

Many well hit balls that didn't get down for hits last night.

[Kimmi]

Boys and Girls we got ourselves a 3rd baseman. Don't need no one there.

 

I will never say another bad word about Dombrowski and his panic moves again. (Or at least until tomorrow.)

[Kimmi]

Should have swept them. Damn 2 out of 3 take it.

 

Friday nights game was a heart breaker, but the last 2 games have been sweet redemption.

 

2 out 3 ain't bad.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I couldn't believe it when he took Chapman's fastball out of the park. Players just don't get on top of 103 mph fastballs and drive them. 103 mph is so fast that the eye barely has time to process it never mind hit it. That is at the limits of human physiology. Only the best of the best can turn around those kinds of fastballs. I remember George Brett turning around a 9$ mph Goose Gossafe heater at his neck and putting it in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium. That was the Pine Tar game. Brett was already an established great. As for a young kid doing it, the only guy I can remember was a 19 year old Andruw Jones getting on top of a Mo Rivera 97 mph 4 seamer and putting it in the Yankee bullpen. Devers shot was unbelievably exciting.

 

No matter what your age, what year it is, or what team is batting, watching a Yankees pitch being deposited in the seats with power and authority is just viscerally exciting. It's like watching someone who cut you off in traffic get pulled over, or watching the video of Buzz Aldrin punching that moon-landing conspiracist. Seeing a douchebag get exactly what they deserve is almost sublime.

[Kimmi]

JF is a genius. Extend him now to a lifetime contract!

 

LOL Merloni went on a nice little Farrell rant last night.

 

I am concerned about the message that Farrell is sending to Reed - "I don't trust you." At this point, I don't blame Farrell for not trusting him. I just hope that Reed can bounce back from his shaky outings.

[Kimmi]

So the bottom line is:

 

1) Farrell, who tried to make a pitching change when he couldn't, needs to recharge his two working brain cells.

 

2) His biggest critics here, a) didn't know what happened and don't seem to know the rules.

 

Am I to conclude that they are operating with 1 brain cell?

 

Post of the game thread.

[Kimmi]

I also want to point out that Holt's aggressive base running led directly to our first run scored. Things like this tend to go unnoticed or at least unmentioned in the game thread. But this why our aggressive base running has helped us more than it has hurt us, despite all the OOBs.

[moonslav59]

I also want to point out that Holt's aggressive base running led directly to our first run scored. Things like this tend to go unnoticed or at least unmentioned in the game thread. But this why our aggressive base running has helped us more than it has hurt us, despite all the OOBs.

 

I've been critical of Holt over the years, but he is one of our best heads-up base-runners.

[a700hitter]

So the bottom line is:

 

1) Farrell, who tried to make a pitching change when he couldn't, needs to recharge his two working brain cells.

 

2) His biggest critics here, a) didn't know what happened and don't seem to know the rules.

 

Am I to conclude that they are operating with 1 brain cell?

Such a smarty pants. I knew the rule. My confusion was that I hadn't t realized that Farrell had visited the mound while Ells was being announced. Maybe I was distracted posting, and when it was pointed out that he has visited the mound, it made sense to me and posted that it made sense. While I might have been distracted, Farrell should have been fully engaged and realized that he made a mound Visit. He didn't. I would conclude early onset dementia or that he was operating on 1 brain cell last night or both.

 

Edit: BTW , that move by Gil Hodges's changing pitchers with a 1-2 count to face Rico Carty in the second inning with runners on second and third, was an out of the box move that shocked everyone including the batter who swung at Ryan's only pitch after it was in the catcher's mitt. Gil would do things like that, because he studied the game intently. He saw things that didn't even occur to most managers. I have spoken at length with former players under Gil. They speak about Hodges's to this day with awe and reverence. They don't talk about their other coaches and managers that way. I asked Seaver if the Mets organization instructed them to adopt the Drop and drive delivery that all Mets pitchers used on that staff. He laughed and told me that the coaches didn't teach them anything-- that they came up with that on their own and they learned from each other. He had open disdain for the pitching coaches in the organization, but when it came to Gil, it was like he was discussing a baseball God.

Edited August 14, 2017 by a700hitter

[Slasher9]

devers just missed the strike 2 pitch. had a really really really good swing at it. shame on sanchez and chapman for not going offspeed on the next pitch.

[a700hitter]

I also want to point out that Holt's aggressive base running led directly to our first run scored. Things like this tend to go unnoticed or at least unmentioned in the game thread. But this why our aggressive base running has helped us more than it has hurt us, despite all the OOBs.

Holt is a very useful player who adds value in many way. Farrell's mistake was not playing Holt last night, but trying to force in a RH bat in Young at the expense of Devers' bat.

[Kimmi]

I've been critical of Holt over the years, but he is one of our best heads-up base-runners.

 

If he had been thrown out, there would be several posts about how stupid the base running was, but since he was safe, it was heads up base running.

 

That's the thing about aggressive base running. You're taking a risk. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. We have won more than we have lost.

[Maxbialystock]

Holt is a very useful player who adds value in many way. Farrell's mistake was not playing Holt last night, but trying to force in a RH bat in Young at the expense of Devers' bat.

 

Perhaps. I think Farrell wanted to keep Nunez in the lineup, but moved him to 3b under the assumption Holt would do better at 2b. Now I wouldn't have played Holt at all, but he worked out well. Nunez hit the ball hard for at least two outs.

 

Against lefty starter, HanRam played 1b and bombed, but also left the DH position open. Who to play? Not Moreland. Young? Devers? Young gets the nod only because Devers had not DH'd for the Sox--I guess. In any case Devers ended up with 3 at bats as the DH, so I'm inclined to sat not starting him at DH wasn't so bad, especially against a lefty starter and having gone 4 of 19 in a think his previous 5 games.

 

All that said, Devers is an amazing hitter at his age in MLB. Last night's dinger on a 103 mph fast ball was legendary, but I have also seen him him hit breaking balls hard.

 

I defend Farrell on general principles, but have no doubt that what turned this offense around was the acquisition of Nunez and bringing Devers up after short duty at Pawtucket. Now suddenly Benintendi is also going ape. Changing the lineups game to game might have helped, but who knows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[a700hitter]

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[TD=colspan: 2]8/14/17, 10:23 AM

WOW. Baseball was made to break your heart, and Rafael Devers just did it to this Yankees fan. (via @JoezMcfLy) pic.twitter.com/3ivcTPwErR

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A Yankee fan's reaction to Devers' Home Run. A Yankee fan shared this with me.