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Good for the Cards if they were able to figure out what was wrong with Pineiro. If Duncan believes he was tipping his pitches then he must mean he was tipping them from the stretch, as the sox don't allow their relievers to pitch from the wind-up. Personally, I think it's hogwash. If he figured out what was wrong with Weaver last year then how come he's been hittable this season despite getting that great piece of advice? How about Suppan? Seems to me that Duncan is of COURSE a great pitching coach, but not everything he touches turns to gold.

I'd say that is pretty good bat control. Nice screen capture Rdsxmbnt. I wish I knew how to do s*** like that.

I wonder where I could see a picture of him doing just that? hmmm...

You're not the only one from Oregon on this board so you have some familiar company. Welcome!

All state 3B/P in HS, played one year in college until I realized it was a waste of money to pay to practice instead of study. Strike one. What does Clemens being an ******* have to do with him playing for the Red Sox? In fact, when did I say that beaning a guy would be wrong? I said "go ahead and bean him", it IS part of the game. Admiring a 450 ft. shot is also part of the game. Get used to it. The double standard is saying that pitchers have the right to brush guys back but guys can't admire a home run. They admire at their own risk, but I see nothing wrong with it. Perhaps Weaver SHOULD have brushed back Manny, that doesn't make what Papi did "bush league". Or he was just watching the same thing that EVERY PERSON IN THE PARK WAS WATCHING. Do you think he looked down at his shoes? Jesus, get off your high horse Gom. A-Rod did the same thing in the VERY FIRST clip I looked at. I bet I could find 20 more where he does, and Delgado does, and Pujols does, and Manny does, and Sheffield and Giambi and Bonds. T The ONLY reason this is an 'issue' is because Weaver stared him down, and the only reason Weaver stared him down was because he has pride and got absolutely smoked. Why did he throw an inside fastball to Ortiz? Everyone pitches him away, he got cocky and got burned for a grand slam that ended up knocking him out of the game. And you are showing the pitcher up when you start walking/jogging down to 1st after you hit a 4 run home run when down by 3 in the mid-to-late innings of a playoff race game at home against the team with the second best record in baseball? ********. He was admiring a beautiful homerun, not by tossing his bat into the dugout while yelling at the pitcher. It was a majestic homerun, possibly the best HR of the year for a Sox player, on a night when they absolutely needed a win. I don't have a problem with either case, A-Rod or Ortiz--but you have a double standard if an individual can celebrate an individual accomplishment but an individual cannot celebrate a team accomlishment.

Watch the second HR by A-Rod on 8/11. http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=121347 Watch A-Rod's 500th. You think it's appropriate to clap for yourself, smiling, as you round the bases in the 1st inning against the Royals? Why was that HR significant? Only because it was A-ROD's 500th, not because the team was in trouble against the Royals (like the sox were with the Angels). I just picked it randomly, and watched the second homer on 8/11. He takes 4 steps out of the box, all of them walking. Just like Ortiz did. Ortiz was on his back leg, knew it was gone, and started walking. A-Rod was extended over the plate, knew it was gone, and started walking. NO DIFFERENCE.

So what if Clemens had drilled him? There's something out there that says its okay to drill a player for doing something like that, but its not okay to watch a ball leave the yard? It's okay to risk someone's safety and well being by hitting them with a 95 mph heater, but not okay to watch an OBVIOUS home run leave the yard, at home, in a big game? Get your priorities straight man. Pitcher's have a HUGE advantage in that they don't have to stand in the box and potentially get hit by the pitch. If Ortiz is man enough to watch the shot, he's man enough to take the free pass when some ******* like Clemens wants to hit him. I think both the admiration AND the drilling are appropriate, but your logic is silly.

Gameday says he gave up 3 hits in the inning. Are you saying he only gave up a bloop single and blew the lead? Nice try.

Beckett got shelled last year, and he's a Cy Young candidate this year. Rivera blew the lead tonight, and almost blew it last night. He had a horrible start to the season. You're not giving up on him, right? Why? Track record. Overall, Gagne gave up a big homerun to Miguel Tejada (not the first to do that) and gave up runs to a streaking Balitmore team... a la Mariano Rivera tonight. I just don't think it is that big a deal. s*** happens and he's having a hard time finding his role and his groove. he will.

Am I the only one who feels that this one isn't that close? If I had to win a game tomorrow I would want Schilling 10 out of 10 times. He comes through in big games and, despite not having won recently, he's pitched decently.

No offense Gom (I meant offense before, I don't mean it now ) but have you actually WATCHED gagne with the Sox? His velocity hasn't been "way down" he's consistently hitting 93-94. It's a little down, from the 97 he used to hit, but he's still throwing hard. Personally, I think we've seen two unfortunate outings for a guy who definitely knows how to pitch. His career is on the line now, as nobody will give him s*** if he sucks this year. He has been missing his spots and--as often happens when pitchers switch teams--I don't think Varitek completely understands how to best utilize Gagne's arsenal quite yet. They should come around. I still like him on this squad and am hopeful for his success here.

Yes, but groudballs between his legs will cost them games. He's a GREAT player, but at 2B I want consistency both in the field and at the plate. Cano's .348 career OBP (with a .316 avg) tells me he isn't as consistent as one would like. This is a tough one... EDIT: also, yes, Pedroia is not very fast. He has okay speed, but nothing to write home about. he is the quintessential #2 hitter IMO.

Pedroia kept a .392 OBP throughout his minor league career. I wouldn't call that a one-year-wonder. He was the NCAA defensive player of the year and has made enough big plays this season for me to say "yup, he SHOULD have been defensive player of the year". there are lots of players who are one-year-wonders, but I don't think that either of these guys fit that category. You will be seeing plenty of both for years to come. I'll take Pedroia's plus defense and plus fielding over Cano's power and decent defense.

Yup. G(n)om(e) is a tool right now, with his pansy little "Aaron Boone walk-off shot" avitar. Really, you're a big Aaron Boone fan G(n)om(e)? Cause, whatever he did for the Yankees, they dropped him like the dogshit that he is as soon as he hurt himself playing B-Ball. "Oh, A-Rod's available, let's buy him!!" yet you still have him on there. You start s***, then disappear when the going gets tough. You cheer for the only "sure thing" on earth, then you insult REAL sports fans for sticking with their team through the hard times. Stop trying to provoke people and start talking baseball. (yeah, I'm a little bitter, but who is this guy and why can't he post on a Yankee's site? At least Jacko attempts to be respectful.)

Sometimes it's a thread like this that makes my day bright. I'm at home in VT visiting family, and I missed the game today to spend time with family friends. I was going to watch the midnight re-run, but my dad came and told me not to waste my time, that Gagne blows another one, the Yankees won, and the lead is down to that number I have always told myself it is time to get nervous around: 4 games. Then I come on here and one of the most pessimistic (realistic?) guys around makes a post like TheKilo did to start this thread. f*** yeah I'm on board. Let's get this show on the road. I think what we're realizing right now is that the Yankees and the Red Sox are--shockingly--the two best teams in baseball. Hands down. Just like the last few years. The playoffs are always different than the regular season, but you can't look at these lineups and rotations and think otherwise. Two of the last three games have been crushing, no doubt. However, we see a resurgent JD Drew, a continuing-to-surge Manny, a solid Schilling, an excellent Dice-K, etc., I like what I see, except from Gagne. I'm still confident that he'll turn it around. f*** yeah, I'm on board. If someone told me "Example1, you could start the season over or you could have the Sox with a 4 game lead in August" and I'd take the lead in August every single time. The Yankees look unbeatable, which is why it's great that we don't play them for a bit. My only piece of advice: bring up Clay Buchholz and either put him in the pen or the rotation. Bring Wake or Lester into the 'pen if necessary. Thanks for brightening my evening folks. That's the first that that has happened in a long, long time on this board. Usually it's ORS and I (and a few others, RS included) who try to stay positive and go with the percentages. Well, going with the percentages, it was bound to happen for the Sox to blow a few leads this year, just like it was bound that the Yankees were going to finish with a solid record. You can go back and look: I haven't counted them out a single time this year, and for good reason. There was always time for them to ascend to their mean, and they have. Now, if Drew ascends to his mean, and Lugo to his then this team is still in good shape against everyone else.

Why would the timing have been any different between a blown save in May and a blown save in August? They are all devistating. Do you think the Sox chose a bad time to win games earlier in the season when the Yankees were losing? I don't. Each game is a game unto itself. Yes, the Yankees are hot. They SHOULD be hot. They have a tremendous team. C'est la vie. It is easy to get all doom-and-gloom, but the sox came back and 'won' this game tonight, if not for the pen. They had a 4 run lead. This bullpen will not give up many 4 run leads.

I would rather have the sox offense and Josh beckett than the O's offense and Olsen. If the sox were going to lose any game of the series (i.e., if it were acceptable for them to lose any game this series) it was tonight. Bedard pitched his heart out. I don't know what's going on with gagne. He struggled down the stretch with the Rangers, and he's struggling now. Everything they are hitting is hit hard. It is weird. Back to Okajima and Papelbon to set up and close, I guess. :dunno: