Red Sox (Early) vs Reds (Lowder): 3/29/26, 1:40pm

[mvp 78]

Just now, notin said:

The Sox were third in the AL in scoring last year.  Not quite sure they’ve reached the point where every run in sacred…

We'll see! That was last year. This is this year. 

[notin]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

We'll see! That was last year. This is this year. 

Kind of our only option…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

37 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The k problem is why I don't like Story at #2. I don't have a problem with Roman at #1, but he needs someone better behind him.

That's a problem they didn't solve all winter... as many of me, myself and I said all offseason.

Maybe they can draft, develop and lock up one with a team-friendly longterm extension soon (because he ain't in the minors) -- and we already know they don't want to pay market prices for an established free agent bat.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

That's a problem they didn't solve all winter... as many of me, myself and I said all offseason.

Maybe they can draft, develop and lock up one with a team-friendly longterm extension soon (because he ain't in the minors) -- and we already know they don't want to pay market prices for an established free agent bat.

Rafaela is better as a bottom of the order guy. Durbin maybe could be a #2 at some point as he didn't k much last year, but has zero power. Duran k's about as much as Story and I don't think you want Anthony and Duran going back to back. The only big RHB is Contreras. In order to protect Anthony and not have anyone pitch around him:

Duran 

Durbin 

Anthony 

Contreras

Abreu

Story

Mayer

Narvaez

Rafaela

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Rafaela is better as a bottom of the order guy. Durbin maybe could be a #2 at some point as he didn't k much last year, but has zero power. Duran k's about as much as Story and I don't think you want Anthony and Duran going back to back. The only big RHB is Contreras. In order to protect Anthony and not have anyone pitch around him:

Duran 

Durbin 

Anthony 

Contreras

Abreu

Story

Mayer

Narvaez

Rafaela

Basically the order I proposed, and the type managers who played the game have been assembling for over a century. 

Even the metric police can't deport you from the forum for suggesting batting the supposed best contact man in the 2 hole.

How can a guy who supposedly strikes out less than everyone else and therefore hits the ball the most be bad when you're trying to optimize a limited line-up? 

It's either that or if Abreu is really blossoming into a star, then a top 6 of Anthony-Durbin-Abreu-Contreras-Duran-Story -- because no matter what, Cora wants a LRLR order.

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Yea Yoshida is the gift that keeps on giving. Seems like he’s going to get plenty of playing time too. 

You're cynical and I'm worried for the same reason.  

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Basically the order I proposed, and the type managers who played the game have been assembling for over a century. 

Even the metric police can't deport you from the forum for suggesting batting the supposed best contact man in the 2 hole.

How can a guy who supposedly strikes out less than everyone else and therefore hits the ball the most be bad when you're trying to optimize a limited line-up? 

It's either that or if Abreu is really blossoming into a star, then a top 6 of Anthony-Durbin-Abreu-Contreras-Duran-Story -- because no matter what, Cora wants a LRLR order.

It's a lineup I presented before. How about with Masa as DH? 

Anthony

Masa

Contreras

Abreu

Story

Duran

Durbin

Mayer

Wong

 

[Maxbialystock]

32 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Rafaela is better as a bottom of the order guy. Durbin maybe could be a #2 at some point as he didn't k much last year, but has zero power. Duran k's about as much as Story and I don't think you want Anthony and Duran going back to back. The only big RHB is Contreras. In order to protect Anthony and not have anyone pitch around him:

Duran 

Durbin 

Anthony 

Contreras

Abreu

Story

Mayer

Narvaez

Rafaela

 

[Maxbialystock]

I like that.  A better lineup with a good rationale.  

[Maxbialystock]

17 hours ago, king koji said:

Pitch count should be disregarded. Early should have pitched until he started to falter. The manager used to see it with his own eyes and know when to go to a reliever. Not this ******** we have today. Give away loss. Laughable

It occurs to me that this stance was taken strictly to stir the pot.  Better to argue that Early should not have been sent out to pitch in the 6th inning.  Crochet was pitching up a storm in his first start and Cora took him out after 80 pitches.  

I am by no means saying the Sox win if the bullpen starts the 6th inning.  The 2 run lead still incurs risks.  Weissler could still screw things up.  

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

It occurs to me that this stance was taken strictly to stir the pot.  Better to argue that Early should not have been sent out to pitch in the 6th inning.  Crochet was pitching up a storm in his first start and Cora took him out after 80 pitches.  

I am by no means saying the Sox win if the bullpen starts the 6th inning.  The 2 run lead still incurs risks.  Weissler could still screw things up.  

I'd rather bring in a reliever with empty bases than continue to try to sneak one more out from a starter's arm.

[moonslav59]

How about....

L Anthony

R Contreras

L Abreu

R Story

L Duran

R Durbin

or

L Anthony

L Abreu

R Contreras

L Duran

R Story

L Mayer

R Durbin

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I'd rather bring in a reliever with empty bases than continue to try to sneak one more out from a starter's arm.

I agree, and all the arm up pitches take a toll, too.

[mvp 78]

20 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

How about....

L Anthony

R Contreras

L Abreu

R Story

L Duran

R Durbin

or

L Anthony

L Abreu

R Contreras

L Duran

R Story

L Mayer

R Durbin

Option 2 looks very k heavy too me.

I saw elsewhere someone suggesting Contreras for #2. 

[moonslav59]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Option 2 looks very k heavy too me.

I saw elsewhere someone suggesting Contreras for #2. 

I would not do either of these, but I suggested this as a solution to the "get Anthony protection" problem.

[Old Red]

All this focus on the BO like that’s a big problem. 15k’s the other day wasn’t, because of the BO, but the batters themselves. You can get all the geeks, and nerds together all you want, or just draw names out of a hat that could give you the same results.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

All this focus on the BO like that’s a big problem. 

Name one poster who claims the batting order choice is a "big problem."

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Name one poster who claims the batting order choice is a "big problem."

All the focus? K’s, and runners in scoring position BA is a focus to me. Draw names out of a hat.

[moonslav59]

13 minutes ago, Old Red said:

All the focus? K’s, and runners in scoring position BA is a focus to me. Draw names out of a hat.

It happened to become a topic for discussion. Nobody called it a "like a big problem," as you said. Nobody even implied it was a bif problem.

[mvp 78]

35 minutes ago, Old Red said:

All this focus on the BO like that’s a big problem. 15k’s the other day wasn’t, because of the BO, but the batters themselves. You can get all the geeks, and nerds together all you want, or just draw names out of a hat that could give you the same results.

Body odor can really ruin the mood in the dugout. 

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Body odor can really ruin the mood in the dugout. 

Get a new hat.😉

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It happened to become a topic for discussion. Nobody called it a "like a big problem," as you said. Nobody even implied it was a bif problem.

Sometimes, if you talk about something that a poster doesn't like it's made out to the biggest deal in the world. In all honesty, it's only been 3 games and there isn't much to talk about unless we want to get knives out for Weissert. 

39.45 xERA (bottom 1%)

1071 xwOBAcon

1197 SLG

40% PullAIR

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sometimes, if you talk about something that a poster doesn't like it's made out to the biggest deal in the world. In all honesty, it's only been 3 games and there isn't much to talk about unless we want to get knives out for Weissert. 

39.45 xERA (bottom 1%)

1071 xwOBAcon

1197 SLG

40% PullAIR

I think everyone talking about batting orders knows, the impact of changing it is not very big, so nobody thinks it's a "big problem."

People often pick out the guy who has had recent struggles, like Weissert, and either blame them for being human or blame Cora for playing somebody he should have known was going to suck.

The blame game is as old as history.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The batting order is only a problem because of the names that aren't in it that left or never got here the past two years: Soto, Devers, Bregman, Schwarber, Alonso, Marte, Bichette, Paredes and Nico Hoerner, who sat in the corner on a bowtie spider that belongs to insider- Ken Rosenthal.

[Old Red]

22 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:Sometimes, if you talk about something that a poster doesn't like it's made out to the biggest deal in the world. In all honesty, it's only been 3 games and there isn't much to talk about unless we want to get knives out for Weissert. 

39.45 xERA (bottom 1%)

1071 xwOBAcon

1197 SLG

40% PullAIR

I didn’t say I didn’t like it, and that’s why I said draw names out of a hat you might get the same, or better results. Of course it was taken that way, and some went off half cocked. The problem to me in this early stage is the batters racking up k’s, and leaving runners on base.

[Old Red]

12 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The batting order is only a problem because of the names that aren't in it that left or never got here the past two years: Soto, Devers, Bregman, Schwarber, Alonso, Marte, Bichette, Paredes and Nico Hoerner, who sat in the corner on a bowtie spider that belongs to insider- Ken Rosenthal.

Well said. Con Man, and Durbin aren’t most of these, and time will tell on the results of not getting some of the ones you listed instead.

[moonslav59]

24 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I didn’t say I didn’t like it, and that’s why I said draw names out of a hat you might get the same, or better results. Of course it was taken that way, and some went off half cocked. 

Who went off "half cocked?"

[Old Red]

14 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Who went off "half cocked?"

Who this? Who that? As Gomer would say hooty who!

[notin]

4 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

That's a problem they didn't solve all winter... as many of me, myself and I said all offseason.

Maybe they can draft, develop and lock up one with a team-friendly longterm extension soon (because he ain't in the minors) -- and we already know they don't want to pay market prices for an established free agent bat.

Why not Duran at #2? At least vs RHP…

[drewski6]

56 minutes ago, notin said:

Why not Duran at #2? At least vs RHP…

Because theyll sub a lefty in at the top of the order every time after the first or second time through.