A Realistic View at 2021: Part III

[mvp 78]

He's playing, he literally was delayed by two weeks. It's not like he was out for the rest of the season. It makes perfect sense when your boss tells you you can't go over the luxury tax.

 

He didn't start last night. Is his hammy still bothering him?

[illinoisredsox]

He didn't start last night. Is his hammy still bothering him?

 

Probably the lefty righty thing, and Plawecki is hitting something like .350 over his last 14 or 15 games. And he did have one of the only hits the Sox got last night.

 

I would have PH Schwarber for him in the 9th though, even with the lefty on the mound; the Sox needed a long ball there, something Plawecki was very unlikely to provide.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Really? That's what causes fans to change the channel?

 

Players have been doing that since I was a kid and I've following MLB since 1966. This isn't Little League. Major League players virtually never mess up routine chances in such a manner that it would make any difference in the outcome whether a player busts it down the line or jogs. How often would it make a difference, maybe one time in 500? Out by 30 feet or out by 2 feet is still out. These guys have played enough to know when they've got a shot and when they don't, and when they've got a shot, they do go all out.

 

This is down around page 18 of the issues with MLB.

 

I've been watching for just as long and know a lot of observers who find it unacceptable for multi-millionaires not to run 90 feet a couple times a night. Back in '66, I might've said three or four times, but nowadays batters are lucky if they make contact half the time. At least all the old-timers dropped their bats when they did.

[illinoisredsox]

I've been watching for just as long and know a lot of observers who find it unacceptable for multi-millionaires not to run 90 feet a couple times a night. Back in '66, I might've said three or four times, but nowadays batters are lucky if they make contact half the time. At least all the old-timers dropped their bats when they did.

 

To each his own; it's just not something that bugs me all that much.

 

The bat thing bothers me much more, but it's the current generation is all sports. You beat your opponent on the play but you have to make sure you let him know you beat him.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I've been watching for just as long and know a lot of observers who find it unacceptable for multi-millionaires not to run 90 feet a couple times a night. Back in '66, I might've said three or four times, but nowadays batters are lucky if they make contact half the time. At least all the old-timers dropped their bats when they did.

 

Back in the 60's there were consequences if a player didn't hustle out a grounder. Thses days, not so much.

[moonslav59]

Back in the 60's there were consequences if a player didn't hustle out a grounder. Thses days, not so much.

 

If a batter fails to run hard to 1B, they should send them back to the 60's!

[mvp 78]

Back in the 60's there were consequences if a player didn't hustle out a grounder. Thses days, not so much.

 

Like when Manny and Youk fought in the dugout?

[mvp 78]

If a batter fails to run hard to 1B, they should send them back to the 60's!

 

No, they'd f*** up the timeline, kiss their moms and teach everyone about launch angle.

[illinoisredsox]

If a batter fails to run hard to 1B, they should send them back to the 60's!

 

Complete with that massive $6000 minimum salary (which I'm guessing a lot of players made)?

[moonslav59]

Like when Manny and Youk fought in the dugout?

 

I thought that was about Youk throwing an overboard tantrum after a K.

[illinoisredsox]

No, they'd f*** up the timeline, kiss their moms and teach everyone about launch angle.

 

Good point. Of course, that would mean Nolan Ryan may have struck out 10,000 batters.

[mvp 78]

Good point. Of course, that would mean Nolan Ryan may have struck out 10,000 batters.

 

Go back in time and give Ryan spider tack...

[mvp 78]

I thought that was about Youk throwing an overboard tantrum after a K.

 

A Red Sox source told ESPNdeportes.com that the cause of the dugout disagreement was Youkilis' temper following a poor at-bat.

 

"It all happened because Manny complained about Youkilis' habit of throwing bats, helmets and other objects in the dugout when he has a bad at-bat, something that has become a constant practice," the source said.

 

"Other players have told Youkilis in the past about the situation, which makes him look selfish and that he is more worried about each at-bat than about the team. If Boston is winning easily, there's no reason to throw objects all over the dugout because of a bad at-bat.

 

"There was a meeting where the team let Youkilis know that many of his teammates were tired of his explosive reactions for each bad plate appearance. It became very bothersome … more so when the team is winning and it's in first place. There's not much room for individualistic attitudes."

[moonslav59]

A Red Sox source told ESPNdeportes.com that the cause of the dugout disagreement was Youkilis' temper following a poor at-bat.

 

"It all happened because Manny complained about Youkilis' habit of throwing bats, helmets and other objects in the dugout when he has a bad at-bat, something that has become a constant practice," the source said.

 

"Other players have told Youkilis in the past about the situation, which makes him look selfish and that he is more worried about each at-bat than about the team. If Boston is winning easily, there's no reason to throw objects all over the dugout because of a bad at-bat.

 

"There was a meeting where the team let Youkilis know that many of his teammates were tired of his explosive reactions for each bad plate appearance. It became very bothersome … more so when the team is winning and it's in first place. There's not much room for individualistic attitudes."

 

That's exactly how I remembered it, and the players actually sided with Manny, after the media initially questioned Manny's actions.

[moonslav59]

Poor A's. They've lost 4 straight and 5 of 6. Their next 10 games are:

 

1 @ CWS

3 v SFG

2 v SEA

day off

4 v NYY

[moonslav59]

Poor A's. They've lost 4 straight and 5 of 6. Their next 10 games are:

 

1 @ CWS

3 v SFG

2 v SEA

day off

4 v NYY

 

We could go .500 over our next 10 games and gain 2-3 games on the A's.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

That's exactly how I remembered it, and the players actually sided with Manny, after the media initially questioned Manny's actions.

 

Then there was the time Manny hit a one-hopper to the pitcher, did an immediate about-face and escorted his bat back to the dugout. Maybe Youk remembered that one.

[dgalehouse]

Manny was a great hitter and likable in a lot of ways. But he did too many things wrong , both on and off the field , to be given too much love and respect.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

But it's obvious they don't really want to put Schwarb at first, likely because of injury concerns.

 

Which does make Bloom's deadline work look a little suspect.

 

A strong consensus has emerged among fans and sports writers/commentators that Bloom blew it at the trade deadline. I suppose such fans and commentators could be wrong, but they seem to be in the majority. Of course, we don't have to value majority opinion.

 

But we also can't overlook what has happened to this team in terms of wins and losses since the trade deadline. That also matters when we try to evaluate whether a team was a trade deadline winner or a trade deadline loser.

 

Three weeks after the trade deadline and the Red Sox still don't have a major league caliber starting 1b, thus they didn't fix the biggest black hole and obvious weakness in the lineup, and they are now playing JD Martinez in the outfield. Something went incredibly wrong with the Red Sox's evaluation/thinking at the trade deadline and that could be a big problem for this organization going forward if we see a trend of bad decision-making. On the other hand, maybe the Red Sox's poor management at the trade deadline will be anomaly and not a common occurrence.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Plawecki is hitting something like .350 over his last 14 or 15 games.

 

If you want to get Plawecki in the lineup, you do so at catcher. Let him start at catcher, and use someone else at DH, probably JD Martinez, and then put Duran in the OF. But Cora seems fixated on never playing Duran against left handed pitching, another weird decision since Duran did OK against lefties in AAA.

[dgalehouse]

It would be nice if Plawecki could throw out a base stealer at least once in a while.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

The biggest problem for the Red Sox during this slump is how many pitches they swing at that are way out of the strike zone.

 

And JD Martinez has the worst swing rate (of pitches outside the strikezone) of his career. That could be a harbinger of things to come for JD. In contrast, Schwarber doesn't expand the zone. What does this mean for next year? The Red Sox better resign Schwarber for DH and will hopefully cut ties with JD. If Martinez doesn't opt out, the Red Sox should should kick in 5-10 mil and trade him. The Red Sox desperately need to keep Schwarber, since he doesn't expand the zone.

 

Also, I would bring in a new hitting coach next year. The players have not responded to the calls to stop expanding the zone.

Edited August 19, 2021 by Fan_since_Boggs

[moonslav59]

A strong consensus has emerged among fans and sports writers/commentators that Bloom blew it at the trade deadline. I suppose such fans and commentators could be wrong, but they seem to be in the majority. Of course, we don't have to value majority opinion.

 

But we also can't overlook what has happened to this team in terms of wins and losses since the trade deadline. That also matters when we try to evaluate whether a team was a trade deadline winner or a trade deadline loser.

 

Three weeks after the trade deadline and the Red Sox still don't have a major league caliber starting 1b, thus they didn't fix the biggest black hole and obvious weakness in the lineup, and they are now playing JD Martinez in the outfield. Something went incredibly wrong with the Red Sox's evaluation/thinking at the trade deadline and that could be a big problem for this organization going forward if we see a trend of bad decision-making. On the other hand, maybe the Red Sox's poor management at the trade deadline will be anomaly and not a common occurrence.

 

Maybe it wasn't "poor management" at all.

 

I'm curious what all these people thought we should have given up for enough players to have made this team into a ring winner.

 

To get Scherzer or some other big name player, we'd have had to sacrifice a big chunk of the farm? Not doing that was "GOOD" management, not poor.

 

To get another moderate or minor piece to play 1B or bolster the pen might or might not have been enough to make a difference, but again, at what cost? Do any of us know what GMs asked from us for Berrios, Rizzo or Kimbrel or some other player that could be viewed as a major difference maker?

 

In hindsight, it appears we may have need way more than even the complainers thought we needed to be highly competitive.

 

The fact is, we looked pretty good right before the deadline and had several players about to return from the IL. We acquired Schwarber to help our offense and maybe fix the 1B issue. It's hard for Bloom to foresee a subsequent groin pull that delayed his return and stunted his ability to learn 1B quickly or even play there, at all. I guess that all his fault.

 

I, for one, am very happy he did not equal or top the returns I saw teams give for marginal and good talent. It does look like I'm in the minority, but I'm with Bloom and Cora on this one. This was not "the time" to go big and going half way equates to the worst of both worlds.

 

Next year, we spend big and set ourselves up for a deadline where maybe we are just one or two pieces away from being a top contender. That may be the better time to trade some future pieces for the here and now.

 

Many fans and commentators only care about winning now. Their jobs don't depend on winning next year and beyond. Bloom's does.

 

[moonslav59]

I agree on Plawecki. This whole, he's been hot for 2 weeks crap is just that: crap.

 

On Duran: until Arroyo returns, I agree. Kike at 2B, Duran in CF makes the most sense.

 

If Schwarber can't play 1B or can't play it much, then the dynamic changes. Schwaber plays the shorter corner OF and Verdufo or Renfroe plays CF.

 

An argument could be made to platoon Verdugo, but I don't think Cora likes that idea.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

It's hard for Bloom to foresee a subsequent groin pull that delayed his return and stunted his ability to learn 1B quickly or even play there, at all. I guess that all his fault.

 

It was hard for Bloom to figure out that a no-field DH type like Schwarber, who has almost zero experience at 1b, might not be able to play 1b for the Red Sox? I could figure that one out, and I'm just a Red Sox fan.

 

I liked the Schwarber trade, but I was stunned when the Red Sox didn't do more. They needed to do more and Bloom blew it.

[Kimmi]

Disagree. When the closing bell rang on July 30 they were 63-41, 1.5 up on the Rays and 8.5 up on the Yanks.

 

In their previous 2 series they had won 3 of 4 against the Yankees and split 4 with the Jays.

 

So, are you saying that the team is playing so badly because they are deflated by the lack of moves?

[Kimmi]

Ok so they won 1 series and lost 3? that's still a skid, the team was skidding before the all star break.

 

The team, unfortunately, was due for some correction in terms of W-L. IMO, it had nothing to do with the trade deadline. That said, the 'correction' has gone to the other extreme. The Sox should realistically be .500 in the month of August, not 6-11.

[moonslav59]

It was hard for Bloom to figure out that a no-field DH type like Schwarber, who has almost zero experience at 1b, might not be able to play 1b for the Red Sox? I could figure that one out, and I'm just a Red Sox fan.

 

I liked the Schwarber trade, but I was stunned when the Red Sox didn't do more. They needed to do more and Bloom blew it.

 

Had he not pulled his groin, he may have played 1B more. (Badly or okay)

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Manny was a great hitter and likable in a lot of ways. But he did too many things wrong , both on and off the field , to be given too much love and respect.

 

I respected Manny as a great hitter and was in awe of how many dead grandmothers Manny had.

[mvp 78]

So, are you saying that the team is playing so badly because they are deflated by the lack of moves?

 

Merloni has said as much previously.

 

I don't buy into that argument, but he's a former MLBer.