TedWilliams101

I just don't get it. It's the insanity, having the same off-season year after year, but expecting the pitching to get better despite it not working in the past. The last 3-4 years each offseason there's heavy criticism for not doing enough to the pitching staff (and often we get labelled as unrealistic, complainers, etc, they team will be fine, etc etc etc). How many here said price and Kimbrel weren't enough? Time to make a move or two. I could care less about making the playoffs if the team has little chance of beating playoff teams. Get an ace. The offense deserves better.

7 homeruns. Something has to be done.

lolz. Everyone is falling apart.

Tazawa you bum!

We need better pitching.

This is starting to look like last night... Hopefully we can hang on to a lead tonight though! Papi!!!! We're not worthy!!!

It's not f*cking ******** Clay, you're pitching is F*cking ********. 

I'd kill to get another Mirabelli - Wakefield start! Why not throw in capt. Vtek too (DH?)

All in good fun... Just enjoy the show!

Mookie can't hit or play defense.

He's 35, so of course he is going to be on the tail end of his career and not in his prime, but so is Koji. If you want to take about the last 4 or 5 seasons, I don't know how you don't put Papelbon in the group of elite closers. There's Melancon, Kimbrel, Uehara, Casilla, Jansen, Britton, and Papelbon. There's really it that have put together consistently elite seasons as a closer in the last 4/5 years. Again, Papelbon is going to eventually start fading, but he's still in the small group of closers that has shown consistent greatness over many seasons and is in that elite group. Just because he's on the tail end doesn't mean he's not elite. It just means the end is inevitable where as Kimbrel, Britton, etc are still in their prime. Papelbon might not put up top 5 stats every year, but he pretty much guarantees a solid year at worst, which IMO is the definition of elite.

No one is down playing Koji's accomplishments. He's been one of the best closers the last 4 years and had one of the all time best seasons in '13. We are just pointing out that Paps was and still is an elite closer and that it very much is a valid argument to put him in the conversation of not just the redsoxs best closer ever, but one of the leagues best ever. Of course Mo is N.1, but there's a strong argument for Paps at #2, especially consideringt his dominance in the playoffs

The reason I broke it down year by year is because Koji's 13 historic seasons skews the overall stats. I'm not saying throw that year out, but for every other year (3+) Paps has been just as good. And we WERE talking about all-time, which is why I mentioned PApelbons early years.

[TABLE=width: 538] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]Uehara[/TD] [TD]vs Papelbon[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [/TD] [TD] ERA[/TD] [TD] ERA[/TD] [TD]Saves[/TD] [TD] Saves[/TD] [TD] Whip[/TD] [TD] Whip[/TD] [TD] HR/9 [/TD] [TD] HR/9[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=align: right]2013[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.09[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.92[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]29[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.565[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.135[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.6[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.9[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=align: right]2014[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.52[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.04[/TD] [TD=align: right]26[/TD] [TD=align: right]39[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.917[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.905[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.4[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.3[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=align: right]2015[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.23[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.13[/TD] [TD=align: right]25[/TD] [TD=align: right]24[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.917[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.026[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.7[/TD] [TD=align: right]1[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=align: right]2016[/TD] [TD=align: right]4.26[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.89[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.053[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.286[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.9[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.5[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] And career save conversion percentage: Uehara - 86.0%, Papelbon - 88.3% Uehara certainly had one of the greatest seasons in '13 and has been dominant... but lets not pretend he was much more dominant that Papelbon. I didn't post the K/BB because it's so obvious, it's the one fairly significant edge that Uehara has (but does show up in the WHIP). But results based, Paps has been just as good or better than Uehara from '14 to today. As for their prime, Papelbon's stretch from '06 to '09 was definitely more dominant. 1.74 ERA, 151 saves to 17 BS, 90% conversion, 0.92 WHIP. Plus you have to consider that Papelbon has really only had one sub-par season in more than 10 years and he didn't fall apart when he left Boston

I have loved Uehara, but no way is/was he EVER better than Papelbon. What's worrisome about Uehara is his age and the fact that if his location is off, he is royally screwed, especially if he's throwing high, become's he doesn't have a good FB. When he is off, it's batting practice. Paps was the greatest closer in Red Sox history by a country mile. Best closer in history after Mo and it's not even an argument, owns a 1.00 ERA in the playoffs over 27 innings. I love Uehara, but come on.

It's a big part of the game that I don't want to see disappear. It's like ball spots in the NFL. There's always going to be a human element and this "grey" area. Sometimes you benefit, sometimes you don't. But just like the a 3rd and 1 in the NFL, a good team doesn't leave it to chance. You get 2 yards on a 3rd and 1 and there's no worries about getting a "bad spot". You swing at anything close with 2 strikes likewise. Sure, it can change an at-bat here earlier in the count, but it's a 27 out game, with 162 games in a season, and 5 and 7 game playoff series. 1 s***** at-bat or game shouldn't sink a team. Officiating can ruin a game, but is never an excuse for ruining a season or series. Automation is not the answer.

I never want to see an automate strike zone, but I agree the umps have been abysmal this year and something needs to be done. Perhaps the league should come down tougher on the umps, perhaps they could add a replay ump to each game that has an ear in the homeplate ump and can instantly relay whether a pitch was a ball or strike if the homeplate ump isn't quite sure/etc. Something needs to be done. As much as I like the history of umps with their 'own' strikezone and taking 'law' into their own hands and "getting" hitters, as Remy has even discussed, it's getting ridiculous in the game today. The umps are there to call the correct, fair game. Not to take matters in their own hands or put their own spin on the game.

It's funny how roles change. First it's the starters s***ing the bed and the bullpen putting up zeros, then good starting pitching but the pen totally shits the bed. Oh well. What really makes it sting is losing after scoring 9 runs and regaining the lead in the 9th. tomorrow!

If Bett's had gotten on base and JBJ got a hit in his 5th at bat, people would be calling Farrell a genius for batting him lead-off to get that extra AB. I was personally happy to see him put at the top of the lineup as it maximizes both the potential ABs and makes it more difficult to just pitch around him. The streak was bound to end eventually. It sucks that it happened tonight, but it had nothing to do with being moved up in the lineup. Nothing.

Well, he didn't walk anyone...

I've been frustrated with Clay since 2008. I was done with him since 2014. Nothing new.

He's been the WORST starter in ALL of baseball. Call ANYONE up from AAA. The WORST they can be is as bad as Buchholz. Enough giving this kid "another chance" This is going on 9 years now... Give someone else a chance.

Buchholz is now has the second worst ERA in ALL of baseball for qualified starters. He doesn't deserve another start.

Why is Clay still in the game!!!!! Is 6 ER not enough??? Is it not enough!!!!!!!!! GAHHHH!!!

This could turn to be a real crappy game...