7/08 A's @ SOX 4:10PM ET

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Another great thing about the SOX playing the A's over this weekend is the games won't be televised on FOX or ESPN. Edited July 9, 2023 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[FredLynn]

That must mean Kike is way better at 2B, because Kike's dWAR must be dragged down by his SS innings.

 

2B DRS

+1 Kike (104 innings)/ +19 career (1821 innings)

-1 Arroyo (351 inn.)/ +9 career in 1241 innings

 

UZR/150 shows Arroyo is better.

 

I got the As feed to watch it-recorded. The announcers said that Arroyo has only had two errors ever playing 2B. If true that’s pretty amazing.

[Maxbialystock]

About Duran. I could not agree more he's been terrific this season. But, if you look at his stats, you see he was terrific in April (OPS 1.061), not so terrific in May (OPS .670), better in June (.765), and out of his mind in July (OPS 1.706). In other words, up and down. Nothing wrong with that, especially in a rookie, which he officially still is.

 

But this board is rife with criticism of Cora for not starting Duran in every game and probably playing him every inning.

 

That his OPS before today against lefties was .600 and against righties .906 is regarded as unimportant. The belief among talksoxers seems to be that Cora is impeding the emergence of greatness.

 

And my rejoinder is simple: maybe the reason Duran has been so terrific--his OPS right now is .885--is partly due to the way Cora has used him. I say this in complete confidence that our collective knowledge of how to manage MLB players is at best modest and at worst obtuse.

[Old Red]

Another great thing about the SOX playing the A's over this weekend is the games won't be televised on FOX or ESPN.

 

I would rather listen to the guys on Fox, Or ESPN then listen to OB, and the Yuckers on NESN.

[Jasonbay44]

About Duran. I could not agree more he's been terrific this season. But, if you look at his stats, you see he was terrific in April (OPS 1.061), not so terrific in May (OPS .670), better in June (.765), and out of his mind in July (OPS 1.706). In other words, up and down. Nothing wrong with that, especially in a rookie, which he officially still is.

 

But this board is rife with criticism of Cora for not starting Duran in every game and probably playing him every inning.

 

That his OPS before today against lefties was .600 and against righties .906 is regarded as unimportant. The belief among talksoxers seems to be that Cora is impeding the emergence of greatness.

 

And my rejoinder is simple: maybe the reason Duran has been so terrific--his OPS right now is .885--is partly due to the way Cora has used him. I say this in complete confidence that our collective knowledge of how to manage MLB players is at best modest and at worst obtuse.

 

Hes had 65 career at bats against left handed pitchers… maybe give him a bigger sample size?

[Old Red]

You mean lefties on a pitching staff with a collective ERA of 6.01, of course.

 

You count the wins against those bad teams don’t you? Same goes with the his against bad pitching. They all add up, and count.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

About Duran. I could not agree more he's been terrific this season. But, if you look at his stats, you see he was terrific in April (OPS 1.061), not so terrific in May (OPS .670), better in June (.765), and out of his mind in July (OPS 1.706). In other words, up and down. Nothing wrong with that, especially in a rookie, which he officially still is.

 

But this board is rife with criticism of Cora for not starting Duran in every game and probably playing him every inning.

 

That his OPS before today against lefties was .600 and against righties .906 is regarded as unimportant. The belief among talksoxers seems to be that Cora is impeding the emergence of greatness.

 

And my rejoinder is simple: maybe the reason Duran has been so terrific--his OPS right now is .885--is partly due to the way Cora has used him. I say this in complete confidence that our collective knowledge of how to manage MLB players is at best modest and at worst obtuse.

 

OK, Max. Time to fess up. Are you in reality actually Cora posting on these game threads? There's nothing wrong with that, but, at least, admit it.

[Old Red]

OK, Max. Time to fess up. Are you in reality actually Cora posting on this game thread? There's nothing wrong with that, but, at least, admit it.

 

There are a few relatives on this site. Some are JH’s, some are Cora’s, some are Bloom’s, and even some are Kike’s. It’s a Family Affair.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

There are a few relatives on this site. Some are JH’s, some are Cora’s, some are Bloom’s, and even some are Kike’s. It’s a Family Affair.

 

Good point. Max could be related to Cora. That would make more sense than my theory.

[moonslav59]

I don't care if Kike's woebegone +0.1 is based on 9000 freaking innings because it's a plus not a minus, which makes him an average defender--15 errors notwithstanding.

 

Also, if I'm not mistaken, this discussion is because of his errant throw on a difficult play in the very same half inning in which Walter hit the 2d batter--who later scored--to put him on base and then later didn't even cover first base on a routine grounder which should have been the 3d out.

 

Plus the Sox won the game 10-3. I'm more than happy to agree Chang is the best defensive SS available, but I'm darned if I'm going to dump on Cora because of what happened in the 8th inning. Walter owns that "unearned" run lock, stock, and barrel. But he also pitched 3 pretty decent innings, so I'm fine if he pitches again for the Sox.

 

Kike sucks at SS, and he's not hitting well.

 

2023

-5 DRS

-9.6 UZR/150

 

BR dWAR is not the only measure, and that +0.1 number includes his 2B and CF defense. We are talking SS D, only.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

On a more serious matter tomorrow's SOX opener will be a call up Taylor Scott. The less you know regarding his stats, the better. The A's will have their best starter JP Sears, who has a very impressive WHIP of 1.05.

[moonslav59]

Hes had 65 career at bats against left handed pitchers… maybe give him a bigger sample size?

 

He's almost always hit better v RHPs in the minors, too.

 

Duvall is a proven hitter and does better vs LHPs. Kike is over .800 vs LHPs, career. Check out their sample sizes.

 

It's not a slight on Duran to prefer other proven hitters in certain splits.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

He's almost always hit better v RHPs in the minors, too.

 

Duvall is a proven hitter and does better vs LHPs. Kike is over .800 vs LHPs, career. Check out their sample sizes.

 

It's not a slight on Duran to prefer other proven hitters in certain splits.

 

 

If Duran was on one of the bad teams in MLB, he would probably play everyday and become more proficient against LH's. Much more complicated when playing on a PO contender. I don't know; maybe Bloom has him play winter ball and has him face as many LH's as possible. I'm sure most of us want Duran to become the everyday CF.

[Jasonbay44]

He's almost always hit better v RHPs in the minors, too.

 

Duvall is a proven hitter and does better vs LHPs. Kike is over .800 vs LHPs, career. Check out their sample sizes.

 

It's not a slight on Duran to prefer other proven hitters in certain splits.

 

 

Duvall is hitting .167 in 78 AB since coming back. He’s been absolutely horrendous since his injury.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Duvall is hitting .167 in 78 AB since coming back. He’s been absolutely horrendous since his injury.

 

He's been a proven power hitter. Let's see how he performs after the ASB. I imagine he'll be living in the batting cage during the break. I haven't given up on him yet. But you're correct; he hasn't been very good.

Edited July 9, 2023 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[Duran Is The Man]

I don't care if Kike's woebegone +0.1 is based on 9000 freaking innings because it's a plus not a minus, which makes him an average defender--15 errors notwithstanding.

 

Also, if I'm not mistaken, this discussion is because of his errant throw on a difficult play in the very same half inning in which Walter hit the 2d batter--who later scored--to put him on base and then later didn't even cover first base on a routine grounder which should have been the 3d out.

 

Plus the Sox won the game 10-3. I'm more than happy to agree Chang is the best defensive SS available, but I'm darned if I'm going to dump on Cora because of what happened in the 8th inning. Walter owns that "unearned" run lock, stock, and barrel. But he also pitched 3 pretty decent innings, so I'm fine if he pitches again for the Sox.

 

 

as someone pointed out earlier, Kike's fWAR is next to last in all of MLB at -1.1. the "up and down" Jarren Durran is at 1.9 and tops all Red Sox players. i would have to think that his poor performance at SS has taken a toll on Kike's psyche.

[Jasonbay44]

He's been a proven power hitter. Let's see how he performs after the ASB. I imagine he'll be living in the batting cage during the break. I haven't given up on him yet. But you're correct; he hasn't been very good.

 

Yeah but he’s also coming off a bad season last year and is 35 soon. Plus, some players really struggle coming back from wrist injuries. He needs to start hitting

[moonslav59]

Duvall is hitting .167 in 78 AB since coming back. He’s been absolutely horrendous since his injury.

 

Yup.

 

Good thing I and Sox management don't believe that most recent small sample sizes rule over all decisions. If that was so, Duran would not be playing on the big club.

 

How about the 894 PA sample size from 2019-2021?

 

.236 64 165 (led league in RBI way back in '21.)

 

That comes to this over 650 PAs:

 

.236 46 122

 

I realize he may never hit like this again, but I do think he deserves a chance.

 

 

[moonslav59]

Yeah but he’s also coming off a bad season last year and is 35 soon. Plus, some players really struggle coming back from wrist injuries. He needs to start hitting

 

He does, and yes wrist injuries can destroy seasons.

 

His leash should be short, but I feel he does deserve a chance to find his groove.

 

That early season glimpse was a nice tease.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Yeah but he’s also coming off a bad season last year and is 35 soon. Plus, some players really struggle coming back from wrist injuries. He needs to start hitting

 

It may be his wrist, but I believe he's just not reading the pitches correctly, which is the hardest thing to adjust to after a long layoff. I guess we'll just have to stay tuned.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Tampa continues to lose, which I love. The Braves are scary; reminds me of the 2018 SOX.

[moonslav59]

HOU ended up beating SEA.

 

Wild Card Standings

+5.0 BAL

+1.0 HOU

--- NYY

--- TOR

-2.0 BOS

-4.0 LAA

-4.0 MIN (CLE is now in 1st)

-4.0 SEA

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

He does, and yes wrist injuries can destroy seasons.

 

His leash should be short, but I feel he does deserve a chance to find his groove.

 

That early season glimpse was a nice tease.

 

Do the SOX really have a choice?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Do the SOX really have a choice?

 

Just checked Duvall's salary which is 7 Mil. For some reason I believed it was higher, so, yes, they do have a choice.

[Thunder]

HOU ended up beating SEA.

 

Wild Card Standings

+5.0 BAL

+1.0 HOU

--- NYY

--- TOR

-2.0 BOS

-4.0 LAA

-4.0 MIN (CLE is now in 1st)

-4.0 SEA

 

Forget the wild card. If the Rays keep losing, we're not out of the division race yet!

[Thunder]

Tampa continues to lose, which I love. The Braves are scary; reminds me of the 2018 SOX.

 

They remind me of the 2022 Braves, who got nowhere in October. I'm not too worried about them yet

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Tampa continues to lose, which I love. The Braves are scary; reminds me of the 2018 SOX.

 

In fact, the Braves may even have a better team than the 2018 SOX. If they don't win the WS, it's all for naught.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

They remind me of the 2022 Braves, who got nowhere in October. I'm not too worried about them yet

 

A team could go 162-0 and if they don't win the championship, it means nothing. Just need to ask the 2022-23 Boston Bruins.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

They remind me of the 2022 Braves, who got nowhere in October. I'm not too worried about them yet

 

 

I'm not worried about them, but they are a well-balanced baseball team. I'd love to worry about them, because that would mean the SOX would be playing them in the WS. I know, dream on. What the hell; stranger things have happened in sports.

[moonslav59]

Do the SOX really have a choice?

 

Actually, they do.

 

Choice 1: Give Duran a chance to show he can hit LHPs and play FT in CF.

 

Choice 2: Bat the .800+ career OPS vs LHPs Kike v LHPs and sit Duvall.

 

Choice 3: Trade Duvall.