Fire alex cora

[Bellhorn04]

he was slow to react in the Cleveland game. you know that. so is this an over correction? then it still qualifies as WTF Cora.

if we can't even try to have our mop up guys eat an inning or 2 late in a game when we are up by 6 runs then our RP arms will certainly be dead by the end of the season.

but yes, it was a game we badly needed. for sure.

 

Barnes is not being overused.

 

Going into last night's game he had thrown 23 pitches in the previous 6 days.

[Slasher9]

Barnes is not being overused.

 

Going into last night's game he had thrown 23 pitches in the previous 6 days.

 

fair point but i still dont go to him with a 6 run lead in raining conditions. thats what mop up arms are for.

[vegasbob]

That was an "early" critical game. Going to Barnes should not have been an issue. His performance under the conditions was unfortunate because it fuels the arguments over whose a loser and idiot.

 

But here is something to watch. Barnes and Workman would be considered by most to be our #1 and #2 RP's right now for shutting down the opponent. Barnes relies heavily on his knuckle curve, and Workman on a 12 to 6 breaker. In high leverage situations, reliance on curve ball command/control can vary a lot night to night . Despite his fastball, one of Kimbrel's risks last season was significant use of his curve. It may be too predictable, but set the AB up with a FB strike before going to the curve to try and get strike 3 swinging at a non-strike. Be nice if either of Barnes or Workman had a good change up to really mix the hitters up. Matt can throw mid 90's, so he should be able to throw a sinking straight change which would be a killer. Or maybe a splitter can be developed by these guys. WTF do LeVangie and Bannister do in their spare time anyway?

[Bellhorn04]

fair point but i still dont go to him with a 6 run lead in raining conditions. thats what mop up arms are for.

 

If we were playing Baltimore I'd be more inclined to agree with you.

 

Playing the MFY's with the way they've been swinging the bats and the porch out there...I support Cora 110%...nail the bastard down and get out of there.

[Maxbialystock]

Gotta go with Bellhorn04. Assume nothing vs. the Yankees lineup, especially when you are trying to salvage 1 game of 3.

[YastrzemskI]

fair point but i still dont go to him with a 6 run lead in raining conditions. thats what mop up arms are for.

 

We had to get out of there win a win. Not going to critique Cora there. Although he has left some others ((cough Velasquez, Weber)) in for a few batters too many recently. With what Weber showed us his lat time around, it seems outrageous to trot him out there again. Not even vs Baltimore.

[Slasher9]

We had to get out of there win a win. Not going to critique Cora there. Although he has left some others ((cough Velasquez, Weber)) in for a few batters too many recently. With what Weber showed us his lat time around, it seems outrageous to trot him out there again. Not even vs Baltimore.

 

if that is the case - weber should not even be on the roster. it is on DD to have someone that can be used in mop up. im sorry, a 6 run lead in the 8th inning against the '29 yankees is still "mop up". get a couple runs in? then it's time to bring in the horses.

[Slasher9]

Gotta go with Bellhorn04. Assume nothing vs. the Yankees lineup, especially when you are trying to salvage 1 game of 3.

 

it's never the managers fault maxbialystock. for 3 years it was never JF's fault either.

also, one could argue we were trying to "salvage" one of those games because of WTF Cora. but he doesnt throw the pitches or swing the bats or field the ball or run the bases, right?

[Maxbialystock]

it's never the managers fault maxbialystock. for 3 years it was never JF's fault either.

also, one could argue we were trying to "salvage" one of those games because of WTF Cora. but he doesnt throw the pitches or swing the bats or field the ball or run the bases, right?

 

I have always said that the manager is responsible for wins and losses in the aggregate and whether they met the GM's expectations with the talent on that team. Right now it seems clear this team is under performing, so that's on Cora. I just have a problem second-guessing specific decisions because I think the manager has way more insight and stats and counsel from his coaches than we have. What he decides may not turn out well, but it is well-informed.

 

Last year it was clear that those early win streaks became contagious. Well, so does losing become contagious. April was bad enough, but in May the Sox won 5 straight and were looking good. Then they went 7-10 or something before finally salvaging last night's win.

 

The hitting is good. Not great or as good as last year, but good. The pitching is not good. Price is, and so are 2 or 3 guys in the bullpen. But Sale is a far cry from Sale, ERod's ERA is over 5 (it was under 4 last year with no ST, and this year he was the only starter he had a regular ST with 15 innings), Porcello is still Porcello, and Eovaldi has yet to appear. Plus Price missed several starts with the IL thing and then the flu.

[notin]

If we were playing Baltimore I'd be more inclined to agree with you.

 

Playing the MFY's with the way they've been swinging the bats and the porch out there...I support Cora 110%...nail the bastard down and get out of there.

 

 

I think it’s odd to criticize Cora for his strategy in a game we won like this. Can you imagine if he didn’t use Barnes and the Dox lost?

[moonslav59]

I think it’s odd to criticize Cora for his strategy in a game we won like this. Can you imagine if he didn’t use Barnes and the Dox lost?

 

Some will never be happy.

[Bellhorn04]

I think it’s odd to criticize Cora for his strategy in a game we won like this. Can you imagine if he didn’t use Barnes and the Dox lost?

 

If we had blown that game, today we would have a real Fire Cora thread, possibly a Fire Dombrowski thread, and various other ugliness, perhaps a banning or two.

[Slasher9]

I think it’s odd to criticize Cora for his strategy in a game we won like this. Can you imagine if he didn’t use Barnes and the Dox lost?

 

lol. when do you want to use mop up pitchers? should it be double digit lead in the 8th? or shall we just continue to waste barnes/workman bullets? apparently no one thinks that's a fair question or fair criticism. cool.

[Slasher9]

Some will never be happy.

 

wrong. just plain incorrect.

[Slasher9]

If we had blown that game, today we would have a real Fire Cora thread, possibly a Fire Dombrowski thread, and various other ugliness, perhaps a banning or two.

 

sorry. i will question the managers decision when i think it's wrong even in a game we get a W. just like i will not question his decision when i dont think he did anything wrong in a game we get an L. and that has happened a lot this season.

[notin]

sorry. i will question the managers decision when i think it's wrong even in a game we get a W. just like i will not question his decision when i dont think he did anything wrong in a game we get an L. and that has happened a lot this season.

 

I was ok with using the only gun. While I would never say that game was a must win, it was certainly important after the last 4.

 

As for mop up pitchers, that’s mostly what we have after Barnes and Workman.

[moonslav59]

wrong. just plain incorrect.

 

A company I once worked at gave everyone a $1000 bonus- some complained.

[Kimmi]

I think my objection is when Cora refuses to PH a regular on his day off in the 8th or 9th inning when the sub-Mendoza line boys are up with RISP. Now in recent games, the bottom of the order has made strides above the .200 level, and the Betts, Beni's, JDM's, Chavis have failed significantly. Cora is getting whipsawed by his players .

 

I understand where you're coming from. My objection is when Cora rests 2-3 of the regulars in the same game. All I can say is that he has his reasons for doing what he does, and it worked last year for us, and in 2017 for the Astros when he was there, so I give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Kimmi]

Has it now? I don't recall seeing anything definitive about that. There well may be some correlation but that isn't the same as either proof or causality.

 

I didn't say anything about causality, just that resting players gives the team a better chance of winning than home field advantage does.

[Kimmi]

I haven't heard any HOF pitchers contradict Palmer, Smoltz or Eckersley on this subject. If so I'd appreciate hearing who they are. I certainly would trust the opinions of those three gentlemen than any who offer a differing perspective on this forum.

 

Just remember, at least one of those 'experts' honestly believes that a fast ball rises. Just because they are in the HOF doesn't mean that they can't be wrong.

[georom4]

I like Alex but sometimes I do think he has the spirit of JF in him when every pitch is a good one even when his team tanks. As far as resting players go, I've given up on that years ago. This is the way it is done now given the huge investments.

[Swiharts Ghost]

It's now under consideration

[moonslav59]

It's now under consideration

 

By the insanity club of never-neverland.

[Jasonbay44]

I’m not saying he should be fired but let’s just say I wouldn’t call his management job this year good

[notin]

It's now under consideration

 

 

I bet it hasn’t even been discussed...

[Bellhorn04]

You can't put anything past Sox fans, talking about firing the manager less than half a season after the greatest season in franchise history.

[notin]

You can't put anything past Sox fans, talking about firing the manager less than half a season after the greatest season in franchise history.

 

 

Fans? Sure.

 

Dombrowski? Think so?

[Bellhorn04]

Fans? Sure.

 

Dombrowski? Think so?

 

Of course not. BTW the Fire Dombrowski thread may not be far off either.

[notin]

Of course not. BTW the Fire Dombrowski thread may not be far off either.

 

 

I dare you to start it...

[Bellhorn04]

I dare you to start it...

 

Not me. I have my reputation as one of the reasonable ones to uphold.