The Alex Cora Managerial Decision Thread

[moonslav59]

@PeteAbe

 

#RedSox have 14 outs on the bases, tops in MLB. Five at the plate, which is second. Still a small sample, but same issue as last season.

 

It seemed like more of last year's mistakes were players being boneheads. This year, it seems like more have to do with the 3rd base coach than last year.

 

Still, too many running into outs.

 

I get that being aggressive will lead to some outs, and I'm not upset about the out at the plate yesterday, but cutting down on boneheadedness is never a bad thing.

[Bellhorn04]

I have only questioned 2 decisions thus far this season. both of which I deem "rookie manager" mistakes. both of which I feel he will cleanup as he gets more experience. you can defend the decision to leave Price in the game until your blue in the face. that doesn't change the fact that it was a rookie manager mistake.

 

OK, I get it - when it's your opinion, it's a fact...

[Bellhorn04]

 

Bad send. The cut-off man would have had him on a relay. He would only be safe on a total misfire. Add to this that th best hitter on the team was coming to bat against a struggling closer.

 

I have to agree - all things considered, it was a bad decision.

[jung]

Considering how much faster the ball travels than the runner, the ball would have needed to be thrown into the dugout for Nunny to have scored on that. Hitting the cutoff man, hitting any cutoff man, even bounding into home plate and Nunny was out. Not even close.

[Slasher9]

OK, I get it - when it's your opinion, it's a fact...

 

hahahaha. didn't think I would get away with that....

[fxkatt]

A third base coach should be aware of the game situation , and have a plan before the play unfolds. In this case , the pitcher was struggling mightily , Betts was coming up next and Granderson , with a strong arm , was starting his throw before the runner even reached third base. Sending Nunez was clearly a blunder no matter how you try to spin it. He was out by the proverbial mile. " Send him in " Kim would have even been embarrassed .

 

I agree. And why not be satisfied with a remarkable 2 out tie when the whole context points to a WIN with just a little patience in terms of stopping a runner and waiting on your best clutch and situational hitter to end it all in a couple more minutes.

[Spudboy]

 

Bad send. The cut-off man would have had him on a relay. He would only be safe on a total misfire. Add to this that th best hitter on the team was coming to bat against a struggling closer.

 

This photo clearly shows that sending an average runner is stupid. Now if Granderson has a rag arm like say, Ellsbury, a fleet footed runner may have a chance.

 

With Betts coming up a higher percentage chance was squandered.

 

Oh well. This has nothing to do with being a rookie manager. Bonehead Farrell would have done the same thing and everyone here would have eviscerated him for it.

 

Just a plain wrong decision.

[mvp 78]

This photo clearly shows that sending an average runner is stupid. Now if Granderson has a rag arm like say, Ellsbury, a fleet footed runner may have a chance.

 

With Betts coming up a higher percentage chance was squandered.

 

Oh well. This has nothing to do with being a rookie manager. Bonehead Farrell would have done the same thing and everyone here would have eviscerated him for it.

 

Just a plain wrong decision.

 

The Grandyman has a -4.3 ARM in LF. Nunez has a positive BSR score for his career, but those wheels aren't that healthy right now.

 

Probably shouldn't have sent him, but it's not the worst decision in the world.

 

So far, Febles' 3b coaching stint is probably getting the "Carlos Feebles" nickname in the SBF household.

[cp176]

The Grandyman has a -4.3 ARM in LF. Nunez has a positive BSR score for his career, but those wheels aren't that healthy right now.

 

Probably shouldn't have sent him, but it's not the worst decision in the world.

 

So far, Febles' 3b coaching stint is probably getting the "Carlos Feebles" nickname in the SBF household.

 

 

third base coaches in general seem to take a beating - I was and am still a big butterfield fan but oh baby did he get whooped on here. It is not a job that I would ever have wanted.

[dgalehouse]

I can see taking a chance if the play at the plate will be close. But that was not the case here. Better to have Betts up with the bases loaded against a faltering pitcher. The coach should have known this.

[Jasonbay44]

 

Bad send. The cut-off man would have had him on a relay. He would only be safe on a total misfire. Add to this that th best hitter on the team was coming to bat against a struggling closer.

Thank you! Was looking for this picture last night. It wasn’t an aggressive play, it was stupid one. The logic of “an error could’ve happened, or a bad throw” when Granderson didn’t even need near a perfect throw to get him is dumb. An error, passed ball, wild pitch or whatever could’ve happened with Mookie up. It was a bad send, period. It is never a good decision, regardless of the situation when you are out by that much. If it was a bang-bang only where Granderson made a ridiculous throw, I’d understand it, but that wasn’t the case.

[Kimmi]

A third base coach should be aware of the game situation , and have a plan before the play unfolds. In this case , the pitcher was struggling mightily , Betts was coming up next and Granderson , with a strong arm , was starting his throw before the runner even reached third base. Sending Nunez was clearly a blunder no matter how you try to spin it. He was out by the proverbial mile. " Send him in " Kim would have even been embarrassed .

 

Except if Nunez had been safe and the Sox won the game, it would have been a great send.

[Kimmi]

The Grandyman has a -4.3 ARM in LF. Nunez has a positive BSR score for his career, but those wheels aren't that healthy right now.

 

Probably shouldn't have sent him, but it's not the worst decision in the world.

 

So far, Febles' 3b coaching stint is probably getting the "Carlos Feebles" nickname in the SBF household.

 

Apparently, Cora and Febles do not think that Granderson's arm is all that.

 

They said that they've been challenging his arm for years.

 

Kind of like Johnny Noodle Arm.

[a700hitter]

Apparently, Cora and Febles do not think that Granderson's arm is all that.

 

They said that they've been challenging his arm for years.

 

Kind of like Johnny Noodle Arm.

All he had to do was hit the cut-off man and he was easily out. It was a bad play whether or not he is a noodle arm. Edited April 26, 2018 by a700hitter

[Spudboy]

All he had to do was hot the cut-off man and he was easily out. It was a bad play whether or not he is a noodle arm.

 

Nah. It was a completely random event.

[a700hitter]

Nah. It was a completely random event.

I thought i could see the 3B coach flipping a coin.

[dgalehouse]

The chances of Nunez being safe were slim , to say the least. That made it a bad call. The smarter move would have been to hold him and give Betts a chance. Playing for the inside straight is a bad move even if every so often you hit it.

[FredLynn]

The chances of Nunez being safe were slim , to say the least. That made it a bad call. The smarter move would have been to hold him and give Betts a chance. Playing for the inside straight is a bad move even if every so often you hit it.

 

It was a dumb decision to send him....too little chance of success. That said, despite the mistakes Cora and his coaching staff have made early on, its hard to argue with 18-5. I give them a pass for now.

[Jasonbay44]

There is minimal complains from me about Cora. He's doing a good job thus far, sure there have been some questionable moments, but every manager has questionable moments.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Except if Nunez had been safe and the Sox won the game, it would have been a great send.

 

That's how almost all decisions work, though. I still think a lot of people, myself included, would have been saying it was a huge risk and we were lucky it paid off. Usually I agree with you on this kind of subject, but this time I have to go with the majority. Betts was up and he's been hitting something like .999999999 with the bases loaded. Sending Ricky Henderson would have made no sense in that situation, especially since they were playing an away game. Tie games going into the ninth are always bad news for the away team.

[Youk Of The Nation]

There is minimal complains from me about Cora. He's doing a good job thus far, sure there have been some questionable moments, but every manager has questionable moments.

 

I also agree with this. When you boil everything down, what you're left with is the team's record. The Sox's record thus far says that Cora is doing fine. Will that translate over the entire season? Only time will tell, but I think it will. He's got a great mix of aggressive strategy and critical thinking. Too many of our past managers have only had aggressive strategy without critical thinking (Too many to count), critical thinking without aggressive strategy (Farrell), or neither (Valentine).

[Bellhorn04]

There is minimal complains from me about Cora. He's doing a good job thus far, sure there have been some questionable moments, but every manager has questionable moments.

 

My thoughts exactly.

[Maxbialystock]

Actually, the team's record is the measuring stick for all MLB managers. You win, you stay. You lose, you're gone. You can also be gone when you win if the FO thinks the team under performed. Managers are hired to be fired, and I frankly think that's fair.

 

As for Cora, he has been quite different from Farrell, so it's hard not to give him credit because almost all the same guys are back this year. JD is the one real addition, and one guy can't do it all, nor has he. Plus, as moonslav reminds us, the players aren't playing hurt this year. Bogie and Pedey are on the DL and that hasn't seemed to hurt.

 

The Sox have the best record and the the best run differential in MLB. The players did that, but Cora sure as heck hasn't hurt and probably has helped.

[Slasher9]

As for Cora, he has been quite different from Farrell, so it's hard not to give him credit because almost all the same guys are back this year. .

 

does this invalidate all the posts you made last season in defense of JF?

[Hitch]

That is very faulty logic. Having an opinion that most managers have little intelligence and that they do a poor job would not have anything at all to do with their effect or impact on the performance of their teams.

 

Yes of course. I mean having a manager with little intelligence whilst doing a poor job none the less, would obviously have absolutely no effect or impact on their team.

 

And you talk to me about faulty logic? Good grief.

[Maxbialystock]

does this invalidate all the posts you made last season in defense of JF?

 

No. Farrell did a decent job and the Sox won the WS in 2013 and 93 games two years in a row, 2016-17. But I also feel the FO gets to decide on whether the team under performed. I defended his in game decisions and, near the end of the season, the fact that the Sox had a relatively low run differential--lower than the Yankees, for example--but still won the AL East. When he was let go, I was fine with that. Ditto Francona in 2011. Managers are hired to be fired.

 

Now we have a new manager, and so far, so good. Plus I'm normally inclined to support any manager.

[Emp9]

“Now we have a new manager, and so far, so good. Plus I'm normally inclined to support any manager.”

 

Yeah... I didn’t like Valentine either.

[Kimmi]

That's how almost all decisions work, though. I still think a lot of people, myself included, would have been saying it was a huge risk and we were lucky it paid off. Usually I agree with you on this kind of subject, but this time I have to go with the majority. Betts was up and he's been hitting something like .999999999 with the bases loaded. Sending Ricky Henderson would have made no sense in that situation, especially since they were playing an away game. Tie games going into the ninth are always bad news for the away team.

 

Honestly, I would have preferred holding the runner at 3rd and giving Mookie a chance in that situation.

 

My point is that these decisions always seem so much worse when they don't work. If Nunez had been safe, many would have credited the team's aggressive base running and forcing Granderson and the catcher to make the play.

[StephenCurry30]

sending a guy and getting lucky he was safe, doesn't mean it was a good, smart aggressive play. its like when jr smith takes stupid contested fadeaways while LeBron is open, sure he might make 1/10, doesn't mean it was smart because hes stupid and aggressive

[a700hitter]

Yes of course. I mean having a manager with little intelligence whilst doing a poor job none the less, would obviously have absolutely no effect or impact on their team.

 

And you talk to me about faulty logic? Good grief.

That isn't what I said and it makes no sense at all. You probably didn't do too well fitting the different shaped blocks into holes.