June Twenty-Second Tigers @ Red Sox

[Maxbialystock]

The piggyback is in the past.

 

Piggyback is pejorative.

 

Houck was a long reliever, last year and this. Last year Cora needed several long relievers--Houck, Whitlock, Valdez, Richards, and even Pivetta--because his starters had a tendency to struggle. In their second ALDS win last fall @ Tampa Bay, the Sox won because Pivetta pitched 4 innings in relief. Whitlock did the same thing, only it was 2 innings, to get the decisive third win. Neither pitcher got a save.

 

I do think Houck is the best choice for closer now--except of course, he won't be for the three game series in Toronto--but I also think long relievers can be valuable.

 

Indeed, I always get a little torqued when a given reliever just obliterates the opposition for one inning, maybe 12 pitches, with no one reaching base--only to see him hit the showers because one inning was/is his limit. Then the next guy comes in, doesn't have it that day or night, and gives the game away. It's as though the manager--and I'm not pinning this on Cora--is searching for the one reliever who can blow the game.

 

I know the paragraph above is an oversimplification and that Cora and other managers have all kinds of statistical data, which I obviously don't have, to base their decisions on.

Edited June 22, 2022 by Maxbialystock

[Bellhorn04]

Indeed, I always get a little torqued when a given reliever just obliterates the opposition for one inning, maybe 12 pitches, with no one reaching base--only to see him hit the showers because one inning was/is his limit. Then the next guy comes in, doesn't have it that day or night, and gives the game away. It's as though the manager--and I'm not pinning this on Cora--is searching for the one reliever who can blow the game.

 

I know the paragraph above is an oversimplification and that Cora and other managers have all kinds of statistical data, which I obviously don't have, to base their decisions on.

 

It's a very common complaint about modern managing. I had some back-and-forth about it with New York Post writer Phil Mushnick, who has often highlighted instances of managers "finding the guy who doesn't have it". My argument was that he was ignoring all the times that it worked.

[Old Red]

Flintstone Schwarber hit his 19th bomb today. How come we didn’t sign someone like that?

[Bellhorn04]

Flintstone Schwarber hit his 19th bomb today. How come we didn’t sign someone like that?

 

I sense a trap question LOL

[moonslav59]

Personally, I would have DFA’d Arroyo and added Sanchez at some point.

 

Makes sense, or for Fitzy. Either seems better than Downs or the 2022 version of Arroyo, so far.

[d-money]

A sweep finally? Maybe?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

THAT should keep us of the scoreboard…

 

 

What's wrong with VAZ?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

After watching the pre-game show, I asked myself are they watching the same games I am?

[d-money]

Christ this team is seriously allergic to a sweep. Terrible start.

[vegasbob]

Any chance that Bogaerts talked his way back into the lineup to help Downs at 3B on the field. If so, that is a compliment to his sense of leadership.. Meanwhile Wacha sucks so far

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Baez is hotter than a pepper sprout.

[d-money]

Gonna need the bats tonight. Come on wacha you can’t be giving runs to this soft ass lineup.

[d-money]

Hope they can get those runs back.

[vegasbob]

Downs has already put his name in baseball's historical records. Congrats, not all prospects get that footnote.

[Maxbialystock]

I sense a trap question LOL

 

I was very much in favor of signing Schwarber. He sure helped last year. But he's really a DH and so is JDM.

 

I thought he was an OK firstbaseman, but this year I've been reading on talksox that first base is actually an extremely difficult position to play, requiring years and years of study and practice, to say nothing of adroitness, smarts, wonderful footwork, and all manner of other skills. In fact, in the entire history of the Boston Red Sox there has never been a really good first baseman. It is hands down the most difficult position in baseball and really more difficult than any position in any other sport.

 

By that I mean I would have been fine with Schwarber at 1b, but no one else would.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Serious question:

Do the SOX have the most un-vaxed players in MLB on their 40 man roster?

[Maxbialystock]

Wacha in a groove--a really, really deep groove.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Speed kills; it also causes hurry-up errors.

[Maxbialystock]

Lefty vs. lefty, Duran gets another hit. I think he likes being in Boston.

[Tedballgame]

Why is Refsnyder hitting second? He just killed the inning with a weak DP ball.

[Maxbialystock]

That hurt. Oh well, JDM would have hit into one anyway. Now he can't.

[d-money]

Wacha has to settle down here and give us scoreless innings.

[Maxbialystock]

Why is Refsnyder hitting second? He just killed the inning with a weak DP ball.

 

Highest batting average in the lineup.

[vegasbob]

I was very much in favor of signing Schwarber. He sure helped last year. But he's really a DH and so is JDM.

 

I thought he was an OK firstbaseman, but this year I've been reading on talksox that first base is actually an extremely difficult position to play, requiring years and years of study and practice, to say nothing of adroitness, smarts, wonderful footwork, and all manner of other skills. In fact, in the entire history of the Boston Red Sox there has never been a really good first baseman. It is hands down the most difficult position in baseball and really more difficult than any position in any other sport.

 

By that I mean I would have been fine with Schwarber at 1b, but no one else would.

 

Mientkiewicz was pretty good. He caught the toss that mattered most after 86 years of frustration. Then he kept the ball for awhile.

[d-money]

Wacha seems off early here.

[vegasbob]

Serious question:

Do the SOX have the most un-vaxed players in MLB on their 40 man roster?

 

Who do we know for sure beyond our closer, Houck.? Sale, if unvaxxed isn't ready yet anyway.

[d-money]

Runs plz! Let’s go!!! Get something going.

[Tedballgame]

Horrible AB by Xander.

[d-money]

Looks like one of those games where the Sox offense is sleeping at the wheel. This team has had too many of those this year.

[d-money]

Rays up early on the Yankees.