The Alex Cora Managerial Decision Thread

[Dalas21000]

If that's the case, why didn't they keep Farrell?

They can enjoy their record now, but when it comes to playoffs and big games, you need an aggressive coach that isn't afraid to lay down a bunt at the right time. Exactly what I would have done today, in the 9th when Oakland's pitcher was hurtin and couldn't run. I would have had Vasquez lay one down the 1st base line. If he gets on, you got Betts up next. Farrell was a passive coach as well. I was hoping Cora was different. Please don't say coaching don't matter. You can win some games without coaching, but you won't beat better teams without it, unless every team has bad/passive coaching.

 

In addition to what I posted, lay a bunt down, steal a base, steal home.

[StephenCurry30]

stealing home? yeah because that's a common thing teams do.

[StephenCurry30]

there is no way david price should've faced khris davis today. he was tiring and carson smith was ready. davis is premiere power hitter in todays game.

[Emp9]

The 7 Inning was the time to pinch hit, not 2 outs and 2 strikes top 9th. It was almost a slap in the face to see Mookie on the On-deck circle in the 9th. And the musical chairs in the OF is starting to get annoying. I have some questions for Cora. This game gave me pause.

[Dalas21000]

stealing home? yeah because that's a common thing teams do.

You're right, most teams dont, but until Boston becomes more of an aggressive team, I think they will keep failing to win in the postseason.

[Dalas21000]

Managers don't matter. It has been proven statistically.

 

If that's the case, why didn't they keep Farrell?

They can enjoy their record now, but when it comes to playoffs and big games, you need an aggressive coach that isn't afraid to lay down a bunt at the right time. Exactly what I would have done today, in the 9th when Oakland's pitcher was hurtin and couldn't run. I would have had Vasquez lay one down the 1st base line. If he gets on, you got Betts up next. Farrell was a passive coach as well. I was hoping Cora was different. Please don't say coaching don't matter. You can win some games without coaching, but you won't beat better teams without it, unless every team has bad/passive coaching.

[notin]

In addition to what I posted, lay a bunt down, steal a base, steal home.

 

 

Right. When you lose two games in a row - panic and change everything! !! Start overmanaging! !!

[Dalas21000]

Managers don't matter. It has been proven statistically.

Statistically??? Where are your stats?

[Jasonbay44]

Man I really hate this forum when the Sox lose, The team is 17-4 and there is so many people in panic mode, or they're trolling, I can't tell

[Dalas21000]

Managers don't matter. It has been proven statistically.

Just about every championship team that I played on had the most agressive coaching.

[Dalas21000]

Right. When you lose two games in a row - panic and change everything! !! Start overmanaging! !!

 

Being aggressive is not over managing. Being aggressive is what separates the 10 other pretty good teams from Championship teams. But maybe that's just the norm in Professional baseball today? When I played, aggressive teams won championships

[Emp9]

Man I really hate this forum when the Sox lose, The team is 17-4 and there is so many people in panic mode, or they're trolling, I can't tell

 

Being truthful here, with an off day tomorrow, I didn’t see any real need whatsoever to rest that many starters when still winning the series after being no-hit was a definitel possibility. I’m starting to think Cora was the one who needed a day off, not Betts, Hanram and Nunez.

[Dalas21000]

Being truthful here, with an off day tomorrow, I didn’t see any real need whatsoever to rest that many starters when still winning the series after being no-hit was a definitel possibility. I’m starting to think Cora was the one who needed a day off, not Betts, Hanram and Nunez.

 

Ya, I could see resting Nunez, but Betts and HanRam need to be in your lineup. Was it their punishment for not getting a hit yesterday?lol wtf

[Dalas21000]

The 7 Inning was the time to pinch hit, not 2 outs and 2 strikes top 9th. It was almost a slap in the face to see Mookie on the On-deck circle in the 9th. And the musical chairs in the OF is starting to get annoying. I have some questions for Cora. This game gave me pause.

 

Just bring back Farrell please....lol

[Jasonbay44]

Being truthful here, with an off day tomorrow, I didn’t see any real need whatsoever to rest that many starters when still winning the series after being no-hit was a definitel possibility. I’m starting to think Cora was the one who needed a day off, not Betts, Hanram and Nunez.

 

I don't mind that, it is a legitimate gripe, but the talk of Price being s*****, the team going nowhere in October, and Sale going to suck in playoffs, is just absurd.

 

For the record, the amount of off days our best player is getting is absurd, Mookie is good enough to win games by himself and he should be in lineup literally every day.

[Dalas21000]

Cora is so dumb. 13-2 so far is no excuse for his innumerable incompetencies.

 

Im assuming you were being sarcastic.....btw Boston has a good team and I think just about any coach in the league could have sat in the dugout and probably had the same record at that time.......to be honest, I really haven't seen Cora do much of anything unique or substantial explaining their successes as of yet....I hate to be so "negative", no im not perfect, but I could probably only point things out that need to be worked on.....

[Slasher9]

there is no way david price should've faced khris davis today. he was tiring and carson smith was ready. davis is premiere power hitter in todays game.

Agree. This was another rookie manager mistake. Trying to get the veteran pitcher through the inning in hopes to get him a W. He should have been pulled once 2 reached....

[Dalas21000]

I don't mind that, it is a legitimate gripe, but the talk of Price being s*****, the team going nowhere in October, and Sale going to suck in playoffs, is just absurd.

 

For the record, the amount of off days our best player is getting is absurd, Mookie is good enough to win games by himself and he should be in lineup literally every day.

 

I am a firm believer that good coaching wins championships. I think the only exception in sports might be basketball. But, then again,I think good coaching might be needed there too. I have seen teams in baseball win without much coaching(when Farrell won in Boston), but I think having aggressive coaching is best. As far as how far the team goes in October, I think, Boston has a good team, but I have not seen Cora do anything yet that would separate him from every other manager in baseball. Then again, it does seem like more and more managers in baseball are taking more of a passive managing approach. Like I stated in another post, I think the only thing Farrell lacked was aggressiveness and I was hoping they hired Cora to correct that. I know this sounds crazy, but I would have considered pitching Fister in Game 1 of the postseason last year against Houston. He was pitching very good at the tail end of the year, threw a 1 hitter against Cleveland. I'm not saying I would have been right but I know it can take ballzy moves as a manager to win. Sometimes making a move, no one else understands..........

[Jasonbay44]

I am a firm believer that good coaching wins championships. I think the only exception in sports might be basketball. But, then again,I think good coaching might be needed there too. I have seen teams in baseball win without much coaching(when Farrell won in Boston), but I think having aggressive coaching is best. As far as how far the team goes in October, I think, Boston has a good team, but I have not seen Cora do anything yet that would separate him from every other manager in baseball. Then again, it does seem like more and more managers in baseball are taking more of a passive managing approach. Like I stated in another post, I think the only thing Farrell lacked was aggressiveness and I was hoping they hired Cora to correct that. I know this sounds crazy, but I would have considered pitching Fister in Game 1 of the postseason last year against Houston. He was pitching very good at the tail end of the year, threw a 1 hitter against Cleveland. I'm not saying I would have been right but I know it can take ballzy moves as a manager to win. Sometimes making a move, no one else understands..........

Why? He is a mediocre pitcher and when he did start in a playoff game he got rocked by the Astros, starting him in game 1 would of been idiotic. Fister was going to get rocked by Houston regardless of what game he pitch.

[Dalas21000]

To everyone that thinks people are going overboard with their comments at this time of season, and "panicking"..... Despite the good start, I don't think you can be too critical about the team. We have a rookie manager that I think is making some of the same mistakes that Farrell did last year and as a sox fan we want to see improvement.....Not just a 13-2 start, but I think most of us would like to see them go further in the playoffs this year as well......

[Emp9]

I am a firm believer that good coaching wins championships. I think the only exception in sports might be basketball. But, then again,I think good coaching might be needed there too. I have seen teams in baseball win without much coaching(when Farrell won in Boston), but I think having aggressive coaching is best. As far as how far the team goes in October, I think, Boston has a good team, but I have not seen Cora do anything yet that would separate him from every other manager in baseball. Then again, it does seem like more and more managers in baseball are taking more of a passive managing approach. Like I stated in another post, I think the only thing Farrell lacked was aggressiveness and I was hoping they hired Cora to correct that. I know this sounds crazy, but I would have considered pitching Fister in Game 1 of the postseason last year against Houston. He was pitching very good at the tail end of the year, threw a 1 hitter against Cleveland. I'm not saying I would have been right but I know it can take ballzy moves as a manager to win. Sometimes making a move, no one else understands..........

 

We don’t need ballzy moves. We need our best players to play. He treated this like a spring training game. I’m not calling for Cora’s head, but I’m scratching mine.

[Dalas21000]

Why? He is a mediocre pitcher and when he did start in a playoff game he got rocked by the Astros, starting him in game 1 would of been idiotic. Fister was going to get rocked by Houston regardless of what game he pitch.

 

I see what you're saying, he let up 3 runs early against Houston in game 3. I was not aware of that. I'm just trying to say lets bring in a manager that takes chances and doesn't just do the same thing that every other manager would do in the same situation. I believe in more of an aggressive approach as a coach in baseball. I have seen it work more times than not while I was playing.

[Dalas21000]

I see what you're saying, he let up 3 runs early against Houston in game 3. I was not aware of that. I'm just trying to say lets bring in a manager that takes chances and doesn't just do the same thing that every other manager would do in the same situation. I believe in more of an aggressive approach as a coach in baseball. I have seen it work more times than not while I was playing.

 

while I played*

[Dalas21000]

We don’t need ballzy moves. We need our best players to play. He treated this like a spring training game. I’m not calling for Cora’s head, but I’m scratching mine.

 

I disagree. Perhaps a ballzy move for Cora, would have been to play those players....

[notin]

Being aggressive is not over managing. Being aggressive is what separates the 10 other pretty good teams from Championship teams. But maybe that's just the norm in Professional baseball today? When I played, aggressive teams won championships

 

When you start insisting the team bunt and steal home more, you're calling for overmanaging. The Sox do Need to execute properly and the fans need to accept the reality that the Sox are going to lose two games in a row once in a while. ...

[moonslav59]

When you start insisting the team bunt and steal home more, you're calling for overmanaging. The Sox do Need to execute properly and the fans need to accept the reality that the Sox are going to lose two games in a row once in a while. ...

 

+10

[notin]

Being truthful here, with an off day tomorrow, I didn’t see any real need whatsoever to rest that many starters when still winning the series after being no-hit was a definitel possibility. I’m starting to think Cora was the one who needed a day off, not Betts, Hanram and Nunez.

 

I might be the only one who has noticed this judging by the bulk of the comments, but Cora's MO looks like he intentionally gives players the day off before an off day, probably too double the rest.

 

I also wonder if the unreasonable cold most of the country had been experiencing was a factor.

 

I do question leaving Price in for so long today, but those games happen. ...

[moonslav59]

All these days off should pay dividends later in the year and into the playoffs.

 

I've scrathed my head a few times, but I'm loving Cora, so far.

[SoxHop]

All these days off should pay dividends later in the year and into the playoffs.

 

I've scrathed my head a few times, but I'm loving Cora, so far.

 

I say they don't...

 

I meant I do .....

 

I meant I don't think it matters..... well maybe ........ not sure really..... I think it comes down to the genes of a players family...... or maybe it's love that matters....

 

I have no idea and I don't think anyone will know until later in the season....... which is a bitch. Looks like we are going to see how this plays out. Or maybe not.

[moonslav59]

I say they don't...

 

I meant I do .....

 

I meant I don't think it matters..... well maybe ........ not sure really..... I think it comes down to the genes of a players family...... or maybe it's love that matters....

 

I have no idea and I don't think anyone will know until later in the season....... which is a bitch. Looks like we are going to see how this plays out. Or maybe not.

 

My head was already spinning before i read this. Now, I'm going to bed.