The Alex Cora Managerial Decision Thread

[oldtimer]

See, that's the problem with you. I'm serious. You're always doing your homework.

 

Well, tonight he has left Betts out and since he has been well rested with 2 weeks off, it seems odd to me. Of course Betts may still be injured and that would be different.

[mvp 78]

Well, tonight he has left Betts out and since he has been well rested with 2 weeks off, it seems odd to me. Of course Betts may still be injured and that would be different.

 

I’m sure he was just napping for those two weeks!

[Kimmi]

This was brought up by a bunch of people on the game thread.

 

I don't have the answer for why Cora did this, but I am quite sure he had his reasons and it wasn't an oversight. I do wish the media would ask the manager this type of question though.

 

Of course Cora has reasons for playing Nunez over Holt. And they are valid reasons. We just don't know what they are.

[moonslav59]

See, that's the problem with you. I'm serious. You're always doing your homework.

 

I've been teaching ESL for 11 years, so I know all about homework and the effects of not doing it.

[Slasher9]

I'm not defending Cora's choice of Nunez over Holt, but here are a few reasons I can think of...

 

1) Holt's career splits are close to equal vs LHPs and RHPs, so choosing based on this might be misplaced. Holt has hit lefties better than righties over his career (.717 to .693). Nunez has hit RHPs better over his career .743 to ,688. That's a significant reverse split differential.

2) For the many that love to use the "what have you done for me lately" argument, Holt has actually hit lefties way better than righties, so far this season (1.084 v L/ .768 v R). Nunez has been way better vs RHPs this year (.710) than vs LHPs (.413).

3) Last 14 day OPS: Nunez .701 & Holt .603.

4) Neither are plus defenders.

 

Again, I'm not defending Cora, but I don't see this choice as being a no-brainer. Sometimes the lefty-righty split thing is not as clear as it looks. In this case, both players have career and seasonal reverse splits.

Again....75% of your points are about offense. I don’t care about the offense from either of these 2 choices. 1 of them is a negative 1 defender and the other is a zero defender. I could give a flip about the offense splits....I’m not putting a negative d player in the infield in a game my grounball knuckler is starting.....

[Slasher9]

June 12th

Bringing Kimbrel into the game with a 4 run lead the night after he threw 30+ pitches is borderline negligent by Rookie Manager Cora. with the 25+ bullets he used up in this non save situation we can now consider him a spectator for tonight's game when we very well could need him to protect a 1 run lead. I believe J Kelly was also used the past 2 nights so not sure who will close tonight? with a 4 run lead against the vaunted orioles lineup...terrible 9th inning decision making by our rookie manager.

[mvp 78]

Tough to manage the pen when ERod can’t go more than 5.

[Slasher9]

Tough to manage the pen when ERod can’t go more than 5.

 

meh. Erod went 5.2.

kelly got us thru 7.

Barnes pitched the 8th.

pretty sure we could have tried someone not named kimbrel for the 9th with a 4 run lead. i would understand it if he hadnt pitched in awhile and needed to get some work in. but he threw 30+ pitches the night before.

negligent managing.

[Station 13]

This is where f***face Carson Smith is missed. Where is Thornburgh now?

[jacksonianmarch]

Thornburg has been walking a s*** ton of players in the minors

[Bellhorn04]

June 12th

Bringing Kimbrel into the game with a 4 run lead the night after he threw 30+ pitches is borderline negligent by Rookie Manager Cora. with the 25+ bullets he used up in this non save situation we can now consider him a spectator for tonight's game when we very well could need him to protect a 1 run lead. I believe J Kelly was also used the past 2 nights so not sure who will close tonight? with a 4 run lead against the vaunted orioles lineup...terrible 9th inning decision making by our rookie manager.

 

Disagree 100%.

 

4 run leads can still go away. Closers are used frequently in 4 run lead situations.

 

You could have the first 2 guys get on in a heartbeat and then the tying run's on deck and you've got Kimbrel up in the pen rushing to get ready.

[moonslav59]

Again....75% of your points are about offense. I don’t care about the offense from either of these 2 choices. 1 of them is a negative 1 defender and the other is a zero defender. I could give a flip about the offense splits....I’m not putting a negative d player in the infield in a game my grounball knuckler is starting.....

 

Again, Holt is no wonder glove.

[Slasher9]

Disagree 100%.

 

4 run leads can still go away. Closers are used frequently in 4 run lead situations.

 

You could have the first 2 guys get on in a heartbeat and then the tying run's on deck and you've got Kimbrel up in the pen rushing to get ready.

 

i would like to see that stats of a manager using a closer the day after throwing 30+ pitches with a 4 run lead vs a lower tier offense in a mid june game.

[Slasher9]

 

Again, Holt is no wonder glove.

 

nope, you are correct. and that is the problem with our team right now. we have NO starting secondbaseman. and this is why i posted in another thread that DD needs to go out and get one.

[SoxHop]

i would like to see that stats of a manager using a closer the day after throwing 30+ pitches with a 4 run lead vs a lower tier offense in a mid june game.

 

I'm with you on this one. Sounds suspect. Who else was available though? Maybe Johnson who would have been fine for a 4 run lead.

[Bellhorn04]

i would like to see that stats of a manager using a closer the day after throwing 30+ pitches with a 4 run lead vs a lower tier offense in a mid june game.

 

Kimbrel threw 23 pitches the game before, not 30+.

[bosoxmal]

Players have to learn, That means making mistakes, Were you immune?

A player makes a mistahe, runs into anout. So? What does that have to do with Cora making a bad decision?

As far as I am concerned he has done one hell of a job! JD has fit in, Betts and Benintendi have blossmed.

 

This looks like a "team" to me. It never did under Farrell.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm with you on this one. Sounds suspect. Who else was available though? Maybe Johnson who would have been fine for a 4 run lead.

 

A 4 run lead is suspect IMO.

 

When Velazquez loaded the bases in the 7th with one out, how comfy-cozy were you feeling?

[SoxHop]

A 4 run lead is suspect IMO.

 

When Velazquez loaded the bases in the 7th with one out, how comfy-cozy were you feeling?

 

Not to bad actually. It was a good time to bring in Kelly and close it out the 7th. Heck, they probably could of left Velazquez in there and we still would have won.

 

I can't keep up with bullpen workloads. But I would have been fine seeing Workman or Hembree come in in the 9th last night.

[Bellhorn04]

The bottom line is, it's very common for managers to use their closer with a 4-run lead. Obviously they're not too concerned about whether it's a 'non-save' situation. They want to nail the damn thing down.

[SoxHop]

The bottom line is, it's very common for managers to use their closer with a 4-run lead. Obviously they're not too concerned about whether it's a 'non-save' situation. They want to nail the damn thing down.

 

Well. Maybe someone should take away the panic button from them. I get that it's a gray area, but again, Kimbrell isn't available tonight.

[Bellhorn04]

Well. Maybe someone should take away the panic button from them. I get that it's a gray area, but again, Kimbrell isn't available tonight.

 

There's also probably a 50% chance he won't be needed tonight. So that plays into it too.

[SoxHop]

There's also probably a 50% chance he won't be needed tonight. So that plays into it too.

 

I'm throwing this back at you. You think using Kimbrell in that situation was a good idea, and better than other options?

[SoxnCycles]

i would like to see that stats of a manager using a closer the day after throwing 30+ pitches with a 4 run lead vs a lower tier offense in a mid june game.

 

Cora probably figures the Sox are due to pound the crap out of the O's in the next game.

[Maxbialystock]

Love the discussion about Kimbrel. He stubs his toe, and Cora gets blamed for sending him out there in the first place. We already know Kimbrel shouldn't be used when men are on base. Ditto the 8th inning. Now apparently it's consecutive games. Also with 4 run leads. That's the beauty of having an $11M reliever--finding that perfect niche for him and absolutely, positively not placing too many demands on him.

[Slasher9]

Cora probably figures the Sox are due to pound the crap out of the O's in the next game.

 

lol. that sounds great to me!

unfortunately it always seems like whenever Sale pitches we are in a 1-0 or 2-1 ballgame......which is always a great time to have your lights out 9th inning closer available.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm throwing this back at you. You think using Kimbrell in that situation was a good idea, and better than other options?

 

Absolutely.

[Dojji]

I'm throwing this back at you. You think using Kimbrell in that situation was a good idea, and better than other options?

 

Kimbrel is a relief pitcher. He pitched in relief. You are seriously overthinking this.

 

Kelly or Barnes can take a save situation from time to time. Taking appearanes in the 9th when the closer can't go is part of the setup role. That's why you have depth of quality relief, so if your most reliable guys are gassed, you have other arms you can fall back upon.

 

The REd Sox are uniquely well suited to survive a situation where the closer can't go. Not many teams boast 2 other closer quality relievers, and we have them. Either Barnes or Kelly could be someone's closer in 2-3 years and would be up to the task. We have an incredible back end to our bullpen right now, and they're more than good enough to allow the manager to spread the load.

 

This is not actually a problem. 2006 when Papelbon blew out his shoulder and the next best reliever we had was the corpse of Mike Timlin, THAT was a problem. This is an inconvenience at worst.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Dojji

[SoxHop]

Absolutely.

 

Because we needed a shutdown inning with a 4 run lead?

[SoxHop]

Kimbrel is a relief pitcher. He pitched in relief. You are seriously overthinking this.

 

Kelly or Barnes can take a save situation from time to time. Taking appearanes in the 9th when the closer can't go is part of the setup role. That's why you have depth of quality relief, so if your most reliable guys are gassed, you have other arms you can fall back upon.

 

The REd Sox are uniquely well suited to survive a situation where the closer can't go. Not many teams boast 2 other closer quality relievers, and we have them. Either Barnes or Kelly could be someone's closer in 2-3 years and would be up to the task. We have an incredible back end to our bullpen right now, and they're more than good enough to allow the manager to spread the load.

 

This is not actually a problem. 2006 when Papelbon blew out his shoulder and the next best reliever we had was the corpse of Mike Timlin, THAT was a problem. This is an inconvenience at worst.

 

I get it. It's not the end of the world. But again, who's batting 4th or 5th isn't the end of the world. This board is about argueing inconveniences.

 

Chances are we won't need Kimbrell tonight. But if that happens, and Workman has to come in and blows it. Well......... Kimbrell with a 4 run lead is going to look super duper suspect.