A Realistic View at 2021: Part III

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly ball.

 

Ted Williams said the most important thing is to "get a good pitch to hit."

[Bellhorn04]

Ted Williams said the most important thing is to "get a good pitch to hit."

 

Boy that sounds simple LOL

[oldtimer]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly

 

I didn't see his at bat, but it was described as terrible by at least one of the BB writers. He has been hitting well but again, on one ball off the wall he stood at home plate admiring his hit so was late out of the box and then got thrown out as he made a big turn around ist. The Sox are not playing smart baseball.

 

there again, we have Munoz sitting in Worcester while others are slumping. (Yairo Muñoz, 3B: 4-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI). I'm losing faith in the Sox front office.

[oldtimer]

If it's the middle of the order that is struggling, I'm not sure how Arroyo fixes that. He won't be taking over for any of those middle of the order bats. Shaw has an XBH in the past 3 games. Is Arroyo going to do better than that? Arroyo wouldn't have made that lineup any better last night. Maybe his defense helps a bit more? IDK that he's that great of a defensive 2b. He's fine, but not Pedroia. Is he even better than Kiké. The real change is pusing Kiké to CF for defense, but then you have to sit one of JD, Verdugo or Schwarber. How does that help the offense?

 

Martinez is 2 for 20 with 0 rbi in the last week. Why not give him a rest while letting Arroyo DH. Doing nothing is condoning poor performance.

[oldtimer]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly ball.

 

He didn't make any contact against a pitcher who had just given up a double, HR, single and walk. Making excuses for poor situational hitting doesn't change the fact we had an opportunity for a win but blew it.

[mvp 78]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly ball.

 

It's a kid's game...

[mvp 78]

Boy that sounds simple LOL

 

"Excuse me sir. Please throw me a good pitch because I need to hit a long fly ball here."

[mvp 78]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly

 

I didn't see his at bat, but it was described as terrible by at least one of the BB writers. He has been hitting well but again, on one ball off the wall he stood at home plate admiring his hit so was late out of the box and then got thrown out as he made a big turn around ist. The Sox are not playing smart baseball.

 

there again, we have Munoz sitting in Worcester while others are slumping. (Yairo Muñoz, 3B: 4-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI). I'm losing faith in the Sox front office.

 

If the Sox aren't playing smart baseball, it's on the coaching. If their running is a big problem, it's on the base coaches.

[Maxbialystock]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly

 

I didn't see his at bat, but it was described as terrible by at least one of the BB writers. He has been hitting well but again, on one ball off the wall he stood at home plate admiring his hit so was late out of the box and then got thrown out as he made a big turn around ist. The Sox are not playing smart baseball.

 

there again, we have Munoz sitting in Worcester while others are slumping. (Yairo Muñoz, 3B: 4-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI). I'm losing faith in the Sox front office.

 

I did watch Verdugo's at bat. Contrary to the commentary from other talksoxers or any stupid announcers, Colome in fact threw three great pitches, cutters down in the zone, which clearly is Verdugo's weak spot. The last two were in fact below the zone, and Verdugo swung hard at both of them because he's blind down there.

 

Munoz!!!!????? Is this a joke?

 

The Sox just scored 11 and 6 runs vs. the Twins while giving up 9 and 9 runs and you think the problem is the hitting?

[moonslav59]

He didn't make any contact against a pitcher who had just given up a double, HR, single and walk. Making excuses for poor situational hitting doesn't change the fact we had an opportunity for a win but blew it.

 

I'm not making excuses. I'm just saying baseball is not easy.

 

It's not easy to hit a deep enough fly ball off any MLB pitcher at any given moment.

 

He failed in his attempt. It doesn't necessarily mean he took the wrong attitude or approach. It could just mean, no matter how hard he tried to do what he needed to do, he just plain failed.

 

Yes, the great hitters do a better job under that circumstance. Verdugo is not a great hitter, and he failed, last night.

[Bellhorn04]

 

I did watch Verdugo's at bat. Contrary to the commentary from other talksoxers or any stupid announcers, Colome in fact threw three great pitches, cutters down in the zone, which clearly is Verdugo's weak spot. The last two were in fact below the zone, and Verdugo swung hard at both of them because he's blind down there.

 

Munoz!!!!????? Is this a joke?

 

The Sox just scored 11 and 6 runs vs. the Twins while giving up 9 and 9 runs and you think the problem is the hitting?

 

Thanks for your common sense, Max.

[a700hitter]

Verdugo needed a fly ball- not a weak pop-up.

 

I don't have an issue with him swinging hard. It's not as easy as it might seem to just hit a deep fly ball.

His approach was too aggressive. He probably should have taken a pitch unless he got a middle of the plate meatball. The pitcher used the aggressiveness against him. It is easy to say it from a couch, but it was a very bad approach. It doesn’t take a lot of talent to go up with the intent of looking at a pitch.

[Maxbialystock]

 

If the Sox aren't playing smart baseball, it's on the coaching. If their running is a big problem, it's on the base coaches.

 

Could be right. Clearly Vazquez needed the reminder last night that there were 2 outs. Indeed, when it's late August in a very long season of ups and downs, the coaches need to work extra hard at keeping the baserunners alert. Ironically, Vazquez is also the Sox player who loves to gamble on the basepaths, often foolishly.

 

That said, it's also worth nothing that Verdugo, starting from 1st, scored on a single because of alert baserunning and an error. The hitter, Renfroe, could not advance to 2b on the error, but Verdugo went from 1B to home plate.

[Maxbialystock]

His approach was too aggressive. He probably should have taken a pitch unless he got a middle of the plate meatball. The pitcher used the aggressiveness against him. It is easy to say it from a couch, but it was a very bad approach. It doesn’t take a lot of talent to go up with the intent of looking at a pitch.

 

I thought it was great pitching. The Twins have a good book on Verdugo, and Colome simply kept throwing to his weak spot. Colome also got Renfroe to pop out to the catcher.

 

Contrast Colome with Robles. Both gave up 2 runs dingers and both then put 2 more guys on base. But then Colome K'd Verdugo and popped up Renfroe. Robles threw another meatball for a 3 run dinger.

[Bellhorn04]

I thought it was great pitching. The Twins have a good book on Verdugo, and Colome simply kept throwing to his weak spot. Colome also got Renfroe to pop out to the catcher.

 

Contrast Colome with Robles. Both gave up 2 runs dingers and both then put 2 more guys on base. But then Colome K'd Verdugo and popped up Renfroe. Robles threw another meatball for a 3 run dinger.

 

Robles saved the previous game, OTOH. Different night, different results.

[MADSTORK]

His approach was too aggressive. He probably should have taken a pitch unless he got a middle of the plate meatball. The pitcher used the aggressiveness against him. It is easy to say it from a couch, but it was a very bad approach. It doesn’t take a lot of talent to go up with the intent of looking at a pitch.

 

How about a squeeze in that situation?

At times u have to think outside the box

[Maxbialystock]

Once Schwarber moves to 1B, the Sox should have their best lineup this season:

 

Kike, CF, OPS .813

Schwarber, 1B, 1.100

Bogaerts, SS, .881

Devers, 3B, .897

JDM, DH, .868

Verdugo, LF, .791

Renfroe, RF, .817

Arroyo, 2B, .787

Vazquez, C, .650

 

However,

 

Good pitching still trumps good hitting, and right now the Sox have bad pitching. The bullpen, despite some good work last night before Robles came in, is in turmoil. And the improved rotation with Richards and Perez replaced by Sale and Houck, is still inconsistent--see the most recent starts by Pivetta, Houck, and ERod.

 

Against the last place Twins, the Sox lineup (not the one above) scored 11 and 6 runs, but the Sox pitchers gave up 9 and 9 runs.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Maxbialystock

[Maxbialystock]

How about a squeeze in that situation?

At times u have to think outside the box

 

A squeeze bunt would have been great. Problem is, the Sox don't consider bunting to be useful. Had Verdugo been told to bunt, the chances are pretty good he would not have tried to bunt those pitches.

[Maxbialystock]

He didn't make any contact against a pitcher who had just given up a double, HR, single and walk. Making excuses for poor situational hitting doesn't change the fact we had an opportunity for a win but blew it.

 

I say again, you needed to watch the at bat because Colome threw three great pitches to what is obviously a blind spot for Verdugo. They were all cut fastballs low in the zone, and the last two were below the zone, but Verdugo swung at them anyway.

 

And don't forget that Renfroe also had a shot and popped up to the catcher.

 

Also don't forget that in the 10th Robles, like Colombe, started out by giving up a 2 run dinger and then by putting two more guys on base, while also getting 2 men out. So what does he do? He throws another fat pitch that gets hammered to CF for 3 more Twins runs. If Robles gets that 3d out instead, the Sox likely would have tied the score in the 10th.

[mvp 78]

A squeeze bunt would have been great. Problem is, the Sox don't consider bunting to be useful. Had Verdugo been told to bunt, the chances are pretty good he would not have tried to bunt those pitches.

 

They have been going onto the field early in the day and practicing bunting per NESN broadcast.

[Maxbialystock]

Robles saved the previous game, OTOH. Different night, different results.

 

True. But don't forget that on that other thread, the one discussing who closes with Barnes on the sidelines, Robles was touted as his replacement. The simple fact is that Robles ain't ready, not when he gives up 2 dingers and 5 runs in 1 inning.

 

Which gets to my biggest point. In two games vs. the Twins, the Sox have scored 11 and 6 runs, but the Sox pitching has given up 9 and 9 runs.

 

To me all the moaning and groaning about Verdugo not coming through misses the much bigger point that the Sox pitching is looking pretty frayed. ERod, Pivetta, and Houck all had weak starts their last times on the mound. And the bullpen continues to disappoint even though they did great last night for the 5 innings between Houck and Robles.

[mvp 78]

True. But don't forget that on that other thread, the one discussing who closes with Barnes on the sidelines, Robles was touted as his replacement. The simple fact is that Robles ain't ready, not when he gives up 2 dingers and 5 runs in 1 inning.

 

Which gets to my biggest point. In two games vs. the Twins, the Sox have scored 11 and 6 runs, but the Sox pitching has given up 9 and 9 runs.

 

To me all the moaning and groaning about Verdugo not coming through misses the much bigger point that the Sox pitching is looking pretty frayed. ERod, Pivetta, and Houck all had weak starts their last times on the mound. And the bullpen continues to disappoint even though they did great last night for the 5 innings between Houck and Robles.

 

The Twins are a bad team, but they can hit. It doesn't excuse Robles in the 10th though.

[iortiz]

His approach was too aggressive. He probably should have taken a pitch unless he got a middle of the plate meatball. The pitcher used the aggressiveness against him. It is easy to say it from a couch, but it was a very bad approach. It doesn’t take a lot of talent to go up with the intent of looking at a pitch.

 

Yeah. He was too aggressive. His aggressiveness changed his standard approach at the plate which is very nice.

 

He didn't need necessarily a hard contact. He should have been more patience and only put the ball in play. You never know what is going to be when the ball is in play.

[moonslav59]

The Twins are a bad team, but they can hit. It doesn't excuse Robles in the 10th though.

 

I agree, but some here thought he should have been our new closer before gametime.

[mvp 78]

I agree, but some here thought he should have been our new closer before gametime.

 

It should have been Richards.

[moonslav59]

It should have been Richards.

 

Better than Robles, but I thought Taylor by default and the process of elimination method.

[dgalehouse]

Verdugo has come through in big spots before. It's not like it's easy to do. Sometimes you do strike out. That's baseball.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Yeah. He was too aggressive. His aggressiveness changed his standard approach at the plate which is very nice.

 

He didn't need necessarily a hard contact. He should have been more patience and only put the ball in play. You never know what is going to be when the ball is in play.

 

This has been my point all day. No take signs, no two-strike adjustments, not even no "swing away at the first one you like, but if you miss, then we're putting on the safety squeeze to win this thing".

 

Big leaguers may be the best batters on the planet -- and guys like JD, Dalbec or Verdugo (with his bat speed) can launch a pitch 400+ feet sometimes, but if your job title is "manager" or "coach", it's ok to ask them and have them be ready to modify at bats in certain situations.

[Bellhorn04]

I think with a good hitter like Verdugo at bat in that situation, you want him to hit the ball hard somewhere. And Verdugo is not an all-or-nothing guy, he uses the whole field.

 

Colome just made the right pitches.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I think with a good hitter like Verdugo at bat in that situation, you want him to hit the ball hard somewhere. And Verdugo is not an all-or-nothing guy, he uses the whole field.

 

Colome just made the right pitches.

 

That's fair, and Cora surely considers the psyche of his players and whether he has confidence in them to do the job.

 

But do any other fans watch JD methodically flail at and miss low and away breaking stuff every single night and wonder why a coach never runs into the batter's box and grabs his arms to hold him back? At least in BP?