ORS

Nah, he giving up hits all over the park too. If it was just walks, it would be Dice K.

How about a few strikes, Quasimodo?

Lackey is channelling his inner Beckett.

Yaz would have put his forehead on the nub of the bat, with the barrel end on the ground, run around the bat in tiny circles until he puked, chugged a keg, and done backflips until the vertigo went away.

That "study" is funny. First of all, the difference from average is unimportant in what is trying to be measured. What is important is the correlation between wins and rank in those categories. More important, the assumption in the analysis is that those teams ignored offense in their attempt to field well. This isn't the case. It is about run differential. I think the Sox knew they would have a less productive offense, and the attempt was to mitigate that by an equal level of run prevention. If you can keep the run differential static, your expected won/loss record improves as the overall scoring decreases. For example, with a run differential of 162, you are 162-0 when your run scoring for the season is 162-0 (1-0 win every game), and you are 82-80 when your run scoring is 2162-2000. Yes, these are unlikely extreme examples, but they are used to quickly demonstrate the concept. These teams didn't just try and win the UZR/150 measure. They tried to offset any offensive loss with defensive gain. Whether or not that will happen over a full season remains to be seen. My guess is that forecasting run prevention is much more difficult than forecasting run scoring, so there is more risk attempting this strategy.

Ramiro Pena is not the arbiter of the strikezone, Blue. If he doesn't swing, you can call those ones that split the plate strikes.

Darnell thinks you should have a side of tater salad with that.

Can't, the insta-tan locks it in.

Deflection. This doesn't make the hypocrisy you've displayed go away.

Clearly, TW101 didn't take Jounalism 101 where they teach that "value" to a team only counts if the team makes the postseason. What is this, "Most Value to The Team", concept? Nobody will understand that. Just give it to the guy with best stats on the best team and move on.

I've got a sitter, so I'm out to the bar. Later folks.

Yeah, let's bitch about Beltre not getting one meaningless out in this shitfest. Forget about blaming our sucktacular starter that we get to enjoy for another eleventy-five years. He was good in 2007, so he gets a free pass. Let's bitch about the new guy. BOO, NEW GUY!

Beckett's getting squeezed, but he also, kind of, sucks. Very overrated pitcher, or at least, to me, a disappointing pitcher given his natural talent. What a waste. He's dropping a big ole Beckett suckbomb tonight.

Beckett isn't getting squeezed, he's being rung up in a vise. Ridiculous when you look at the zone Hughes has had.

Swollen labia? Or something like that, I'm sure.

Good time for a quick work inning.

Where he got screwed, relative to the Hughes strikezone, was against Teixeira.

Based on pitch and location, I'm guessing the Swishdouche tattered..... Yup.

Cano'wned.

Right, except that Granderson was hitting 8th.

Luck and 24" plate, what more could a pitcher ask for.

I just got back from putting my 1 y/o in bed. So, I scanned the game log and saw another line out benefitting Hughes (the one from Youkilis).

Phil Hughes must have graduated with honors from the Andy Pettitte School of Getting Major League Hitter to Hit Rockets Right at Your Fielders.