Countdown to Playoffs - 2019 edition

[moonslav59]

None the less, all the AL teams mentioned in both posts are well ahead of us in the standings while we have the #1 offense in baseball. There are not a lotta' places to to see where a team is losing games.

 

Yes, it wasn't meant to take the blame away from our pitching. Clearly pitching is, by far, the major reason for the massive drop in wins, this year.

 

I'm just saying, many other teams have not-so-good to bad pitching, too, and they still find ways to win.

 

Less blown saves.

 

Less 5 run games by starters.

 

[harmony]

Yes, it wasn't meant to take the blame away from our pitching. Clearly pitching is, by far, the major reason for the massive drop in wins, this year.

 

I'm just saying, many other teams have not-so-good to bad pitching, too, and they still find ways to win.

 

Less blown saves.

 

Less 5 run games by starters.

 

This year Red Sox pitchers have posted 12.4 fWAR in 123 games, an average of .100810 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

Last year Red Sox pitchers posted 18.1 fWAR in 162 games, an average of .11358 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

This year Red Sox position players have posted 23.7 fWAR in 123 games, an average of .19268 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=

 

Last year Red Sox position players posted 32.1 fWAR in 162 games, an average of .19815 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

Edited August 16, 2019 by harmony

[Slasher9]

This year Red Sox pitchers have posted 12.4 fWAR in 123 games, an average of .100810 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

Last year Red Sox pitchers posted 18.1 fWAR in 162 games, an average of .11358 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

This year Red Sox position players have posted 23.7 fWAR in 123 games, an average of .19268 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=

 

Last year Red Sox position players posted 32.1 fWAR in 162 games, an average of .19815 per game:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

what is your point?'

or is this simply another post on this website with WAR numbers trying to be end all be all?

[harmony]

what is your point?'

or is this simply another post on this website with WAR numbers trying to be end all be all?

Just information a reader can incorporate or ignore in comparing the 2019 Red Sox and 2018 Red Sox.

 

Warm regards.

[Kimmi]

i have not given up on 2019 and do NOT want to see callups now. nor do i want to see any "rest days".

#20inarow

 

In!

[moonslav59]

In!

 

So, you given in to the idea that this whole rest day thing was overused?

[FredLynn]

Just information a reader can incorporate or ignore in comparing the 2019 Red Sox and 2018 Red Sox.

 

Warm regards.

 

I think I will take your suggestion and ignore it.

[oldtimer]

Seems to me that a day of rest for key players has led to losses on games we well might have won and without a justification that the rest resulted in a player who contributed more for the rest. This is Cora'S style. Like it or leave it, I expect Cora to continue with that style of management.

[moonslav59]

Seems to me that a day of rest for key players has led to losses on games we well might have won and without a justification that the rest really sulted in a player who contributed more for the rest. This is Cora'S style. Like it or leave it, I expect Cora to continue with that style of management.

 

Seems like Farrell did the same thing.

[devildavid]

Seems like Farrell did the same thing.

 

Farrell was a good manager. One Championship and two division titles.

[devildavid]

Sox still have an outside chance of "backing into" the Wild Card.

[jacksonianmarch]

Sox have won 4 in a row and gained only one game in the L column on a PO spot. Now you’re gonna have to do it without Sale down 7 in the L column

[S5Dewey]

Sox have won 4 in a row and gained only one game in the L column on a PO spot. Now you’re gonna have to do it without Sale down 7 in the L column

 

thanks for reminding us.

[Bellhorn04]

Sox have won 4 in a row and gained only one game in the L column on a PO spot. Now you’re gonna have to do it without Sale down 7 in the L column

 

thanks for reminding us.

 

Yeah, thanks Cap'n Obvious. We really need your help to know what's going on.

[moonslav59]

Farrell was a good manager. One Championship and two division titles.

 

That was kind of my point.

[Bellhorn04]

Farrell was a good manager. One Championship and two division titles.

 

That was kind of my point.

 

Fans are brutal on managers.

 

I had problems with Farrell toward the end because he seemed to have no idea how to handle things like the Pedroia-Machado incident.

[moonslav59]

Fans are brutal on managers.

 

I had problems with Farrell toward the end because he seemed to have no idea how to handle things like the Pedroia-Machado incident.

 

I wanted Farrel gone too, and I think the overuse of rest has gone too far, but when that philosophy works we call our managers geniuses.

[Bellhorn04]

I wanted Farrel gone too, and I think the overuse of rest has gone too far, but when that philosophy works we call our managers geniuses.

 

I have no issues at all with Cora's rest philosophy. I like Cora a lot.

[S5Dewey]

I have no issues at all with Cora's rest philosophy. I like Cora a lot.

 

I agree. I've always doubted that a couple of dozen innings pitched in ST would have that big an impact on how a pitcher is performing in June. Or even May.

[moonslav59]

I have no issues at all with Cora's rest philosophy. I like Cora a lot.

 

I still think Cora is the best Sox manager ever, but I dislike many of the choices of rest days, especially right after a struggling player has had a big game or two, or it is a key game vs a key opp.

[Bellhorn04]

I still think Cora is the best Sox manager ever, but I dislike many of the choices of rest days, especially right after a struggling player has had a big game or two, or it is a key game vs a key opp.

 

Well then, you don't really fully believe in him.

[moonslav59]

Well then, you don't really fully believe in him.

 

I wouldn't put it that way.

 

1) I realize I do not know everything, and Cora has access to more info than I.

 

2) I'll never fully agree with anyone, and don't need to do so to "fully believe" in a baseball manager.

 

3) I may be the only poster who believes Cora is the best we ever had, so if I don't fully believe, I can probably still claim I "believe" in him more than anyone else here.

[Kimmi]

So, you given in to the idea that this whole rest day thing was overused?

 

No, I haven't. It is now mid August and we are fighting for our playoff lives. It's time to manage differently than the way one would manage in June.

[Kimmi]

Sox have won 4 in a row and gained only one game in the L column on a PO spot. Now you’re gonna have to do it without Sale down 7 in the L column

 

According to Pythagoras, the Sox are technically only 6 games behind the Yankees. I know that means nothing in terms of actual records, but don't kid yourself into thinking the Yankees are as great as their record says they are.

 

The Yankees still haven't won anything yet. I will probably have to concede the division to you at this point, but it ends there. The playoff results are far from being conceded.

[Kimmi]

I have no issues at all with Cora's rest philosophy. I like Cora a lot.

 

Ditto.

 

Edit: I do wonder why he will often rest 2-3 starters during the same game.

[moonslav59]

No, I haven't. It is now mid August and we are fighting for our playoff lives. It's time to manage differently than the way one would manage in June.

 

Those games mattered just as much, and we were still resting guys not too long ago, when we were actually still I it AND facing teams we needed to beat.

 

Now, it doesn't matter and we play everyone every game. How does that make sense?

[notin]

Sox have won 4 in a row and gained only one game in the L column on a PO spot. Now you’re gonna have to do it without Sale down 7 in the L column

 

Sale hasn’t been much of a boon in that department anyway...

[Bellhorn04]

Those games mattered just as much, and we were still resting guys not too long ago, when we were actually still I it AND facing teams we needed to beat.

 

Now, it doesn't matter and we play everyone every game. How does that make sense?

 

After the All-Star break we had a long stretch of games with no days off. It did make sense to build in some rest days.

 

And there really haven't been that many rest days. Whenever one of our studs sits one game people freak out about it.

[jung]

Well then, you don't really fully believe in him.

 

We are forgetting that Managers no longer have the sort of control over day to day decisions that they once had. The Spread Sheet boys have much to say about it now.

 

That said, from what I can see, I really don't have an issue with Cora. I would be willing to bet some of the in game decisions are coming right off some computer geek's data and forced on the Manager.

 

As for the pure rest days (not driven by a game matchup), that IS likely Cora and as much as they might frustrate us, how many key injuries to everyday players have we had in the last two years? Pearce, Moreland, Pedey, Holt this year....Pedey, Holt last year???? How important are any of those players? JD is about the only guy I can think of that is important to this team's efforts that has had some injury issues this year. I would hope Cora has learned his lesson about JD in any OF position that is a challenge, like ANY Fenway Park OF position for example.

[jacksonianmarch]

According to Pythagoras, the Sox are technically only 6 games behind the Yankees. I know that means nothing in terms of actual records, but don't kid yourself into thinking the Yankees are as great as their record says they are.

 

The Yankees still haven't won anything yet. I will probably have to concede the division to you at this point, but it ends there. The playoff results are far from being conceded.

 

The reason for the Pythagorean difference is simple. I’ve told you guys for years how to outperform your Pythagorean. Create a lockdown pen. Think about it. You’re gonna have beatdowns, you won’t win those. You’ll have games your are beating them down. You won’t lose those. Then there are the games in between. A good pen keeps you close in games you’re down by a run or two and locks down leads when you’re up a run or two. The Yanks pen this year is frickin legendary. Our overall might not be tops in the game since corpses like Brady Lail, Steven Tarpley and Joe Mantiply made appearances, but when the games are close, we unload multiple lights out relievers on the other squad. Heck, we’ve missed probably our best reliever in Betances and still dominate. The Sox have underperformed their Pythagorean because of their horrible pen.