May 7th Red vs White

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Btw, as SOX fans, most on this board should be more than aware of how badly most SOX long-term free-agent contracts have failed. If the SOX can build a competitive team thru their farm system, I'm all for it. It just might require patience.

This being said, I'd love to see Devers playing for the SOX well into the future. Right now I'd say that's at a 50/50 chance.

Edited May 8, 2022 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[jad]

JH hired Bloom knowing Bloom's GM'ing history in Tampa. He wants Bloom to GM the SOX exactly like he GM'ed the Rays. Welcome to small-market baseball. JH probably feels that he bought the SOX 4 championships and now it's time for himself to make more money. How SOX fans reacts to this new type of management, well, I guess, time will tell.

Note: Bloom's style in Tampa did make the Rays a consistently competitive team, but just never quite good enough to win a championship.

 

Yup. Only with one difference: Bloom clearly wants to put a stamp on this team, getting "his" guys (e.g., Story--or one of them, not sure whether it's the one making 140million or the one who was 0-4 today and is hitting .202), and getting rid of deadwood, i.e., guys associated with a different GM (you know, like Betts, and soon Devers and Bogaerts).

[Thunder]

Btw, as SOX fans, most on this board should be more than aware of how badly most SOX long-term free-agent contracts have failed. If the SOX can build a competitive team thru their farm system, I'm all for it. It just might require patience.

This being said, I'd love to see Devers playing for the SOX well into the future. Right now I'd say that's at a 50/50 chance.

 

If we lose Devers in addition to Xander, I might have to root for another team for a few years until we get our s*** together. A part of me died when we lost Mookie. I never really liked the Bloom hire

[Oscars]

It’s not on Bloom that the team is in a collective hitting slump.

But this pathetic bullpen is on Bloom, as it looked like s hit on paper, and it has been total s hit on the field.

[moonslav59]

It’s not on Bloom that the team is in a collective hitting slump.

But this pathetic bullpen is on Bloom, as it looked like s hit on paper, and it has been total s hit on the field.

 

Can't disagree, but we could try Houck as the closer, so that could be on Cora not Bloom, assuming it would have worked.

[Oscars]

As I’m visiting the states in July, I need them to turn it around by then as I’m catching a couple of games against the hated Yankees at Fenway!!!

[jung]

Can't disagree, but we could try Houck as the closer, so that could be on Cora not Bloom, assuming it would have worked.

 

Well I don't see the logic in piggybacking Hauck to Hill. If you are going to use Hill as sort of an opener then do that. Don't commit Hauck to piggybacking Hill. Whitlock should not be starting at all. The bullpen is too weak to use Whitlock for 5 innings and then put him on the shelf for a few days. Both of those are Cora decisions. Cora seems insistent in developing his own pitching staff formula, not quite the bullpen centric version of today's game and not quite the rotation-centric version of the past. So far, if you ask me, its not working. A healthy Sale would be a big lift.

 

Now strapping the team with Bobby D-oesn't hit and really still makes too many mistakes around the bag at first, Franchy a sort of ham handed platoon OF/1st baseman and a 2nd baseman "Story" that is likely destined to replace X at SS and now a lost in limbo Arroyo makes for a bunch of middling ballplayers sort of milling around not adding much value to the team. Combine that with JD and Vaz maybe about 1 year past it and this team does not look competitive this year and likely next year as well. If there are gems down on the farm that are ready to contribute in a big way next year that might resolve a good deal of this. If not.....this team might not be much fun to watch for awhile. Sale would help but lets face it, he is looking a bit like he is at least on the back 9 at this point in his career.

[vegasbob]

I missed the last 6 innings , but know the result now. I was going to trash Barnes once again just because it feels good, but there were multiple opportunities when Devers, Bogaerts and JDM were in position to make a difference and they sucked very much too.

 

I am beginning to truly believe that Bloom and ownership have sucked the life out of this bunch and yet will benefit with another high draft choice, although what they deserve is condemnation for the worst in the AL. This is truly bad and I'm happy that some will lose their jobs before this year is out. If they performed like this in my job, they would be gone by now.

[jad]

I dunno. Sometimes, I guess, you have to sacrifice. Like, we need to realize the importance of making lots of money, and to do that you need to learn and exercise fiscal responsibility. And if you want to be 'successful' at that, sometimes you need to give up once important things--things like friends and family, your best employees, Mookie, Bogaerts, and replace your friends with accountants and your players with .200 hitters. As for the fans, think how great it will be for them to walk down to the ole ball park and get a ticket on game day! Maybe, if enough people stop going, you can even lower ticket prices! If the Reds can do it, there's no reason it can't happen in Boston.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Well I don't see the logic in piggybacking Hauck to Hill. If you are going to use Hill as sort of an opener then do that. Don't commit Hauck to piggybacking Hill. Whitlock should not be starting at all. The bullpen is too weak to use Whitlock for 5 innings and then put him on the shelf for a few days. Both of those are Cora decisions. Cora seems insistent in developing his own pitching staff formula, not quite the bullpen centric version of today's game and not quite the rotation-centric version of the past. So far, if you ask me, its not working. A healthy Sale would be a big lift.

 

 

Totally disagree blaming Cora for the misuse of Whitlock. Cora isn't concerned with "stretching out" and developing Whitlock to be a rotation ace for a sustained contender in the future. That smacks of an organizational decision made by front office types sitting around a big table staring at hypothetical line-ups on a whiteboard in a conference room.

 

Cora wants -- and needs -- to win now, because like any manager, he knows if he doesn't he won't have a job. He can't possibly be satisfied with the bullcrap bullpen blowing games, and knows -- like the rest of us -- if he could use Whitlock at the back end that the record would be much better.

[jacksonianmarch]

Pivetta came alive yesterday. Pen imploded again. While the O has definitely hurt them, the lack of an able closer has cost them at least five games this year

[jung]

Totally disagree blaming Cora for the misuse of Whitlock. Cora isn't concerned with "stretching out" and developing Whitlock to be a rotation ace for a sustained contender in the future. That smacks of an organizational decision made by front office types sitting around a big table staring at hypothetical line-ups on a whiteboard in a conference room.

 

Cora wants -- and needs -- to win now, because like any manager, he knows if he doesn't he won't have a job. He can't possibly be satisfied with the bullcrap bullpen blowing games, and knows -- like the rest of us -- if he could use Whitlock at the back end that the record would be much better.

 

 

You can stretch out Whitlock any year you want to. Completely counterproductive to this team this year. I don't buy the idea that the front office is insisting Whitlock be stretched out this year. You know how long stretching a pitcher out lasts? About as long as the year he is pitching in. Unless MLyeaB intends completely ridding itself of spring training, the Sox can stretch out Whitlock any year they want to.

 

In addition, locking Houck to Hill makes no sense. So Hill is sort of a glorified opening. OK...fine...that is not a rational for locking Houck to Hill.

Edited May 8, 2022 by jung

[jacksonianmarch]

May 8, Sox down 11 games in the L column in the division. Is this the biggest hole by May 8 of all time?

[Bellhorn04]

May 8, Sox down 11 games in the L column in the division. Is this the biggest hole by May 8 of all time?

 

I assume you mean in Red Sox franchise history? I doubt it, but I'll have a peek. The 2020 team was down 10 after 28 games, on a later date of course.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I assume you mean in Red Sox franchise history? I doubt it, but I'll have a peek. The 2020 team was down 10 after 28 games, on a later date of course.

 

That Covid summer was basically half over. For an entire year I have a winner -- I mean, loser: 1932, when Boston lost 111 (of 154) and finished 64 games back. Worst-best season may have been 1954, when the fourth-place Sox lost 85 and finished 42 games out.

 

I also remember '69-71, when the Sox had winning records and third-place teams, and finished 22, 21, and 18 GB. At least those clubs were fun to watch.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

May 8, Sox down 11 games in the L column in the division. Is this the biggest hole by May 8 of all time?

 

Excluding yourself, it probably is.

Edited May 8, 2022 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[moonslav59]

Excluding yourself, it probably is.

 

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.