Dojji

Doubers isn't sucking. Needed some help on that last out but he got himself out of a really bad mess there. Not bad for a young power lefty.

C: Tek 1B: Youk 2B: Peds 3B: Lowell SS: Nomar RF: Drew (yeah yeah, but look at my other options -- Drew is better on both sides of the ball than Nixon and no one else comes close) CF: Ellsbury LF: Manny DH: Ortiz Bench: C: Salty 1B: Millar IF: Alex Cora OF: Coco Rotation: Pedro Schilling Lester Beckett Lowe Papelbon-CL Foulke SU Oki SU Bard Timlin Delcarmen Aceves

If he can make the kind of contact in the bigs that he could make in the minors, he'll probably hit 15 HR's over 400 at bats -- which is a number of at bats he'll never get in any one year, so you have to prorate that -- if he hits as many as 5 over the kind of at bats he's going to get (~150) that's a pretty good result..

Laughable. OBP is a very important number, but not having a good OBP isn't enough all by itself to make you a liability. And I notice you glossed over any comment of mine that Salty's defensive game had improved from the start of the year and just called him a bad defender pretty much sight unseen. In short, commenting to a post saying a player was improving, by citing his reputation out of the old scouting reports, really doesn't address any point I raised.

Aceves was our one reliable relief pitcher and should have been setting up that month over Bard. Taking him out of the pen could have cost us more than one game we did win that month. Besides, Aceves has had chances to hack it as a starter and always lost out to actual starters. If you have to ask, you haven't been paying attention. Doubront had a number of chances to make himself an option over the course of the season and finished the year with a 6+ ERA. He was unlikely to have been that much better than the guys we did throw out there. There's two conditions for a young starting pitcher. Ready and Not Ready. All the evidence at the time suggested Doubs was Not Ready.

That starting pitching is helped along by defense. Middlebrooks for all his rookie foibles, is a better defensive 3B than Youk, who never brought that much range to third in the first place and lost some of it to age and 4 years as a fulltime 1B.

Call me crazy but I think this kid is quietly getting better. Low OBP notwithstanding, I like what Salty is doing with the stick. He's got power to spare and I can stand a low OBP from a catcher. What I like a lot more is that Salty has only let 2 balls get under him this year -- he's improved at his worst area and isn't likely to lead the league in passed balls. This is the point in Tek's career where he stopped watching them go by which I'm encouraged by as well. He does need to get back to last year's numbers at throwing out baserunners. I think he's getting a bit more respect there but I've noticed his release point tends to be kind of all over the place. As far as pitchcalling goes, jury's still out. He was off to a terrible start but I think he's settling down and learning from his mistakes there. I think the pitching staff as a whole is turning around. Shoppach's veteran presence perhaps, but Shoppach has never been much of a prize as a pitchcaller either. So he has obvious needs as a catcher who can stop the run, and as one who can call a game, but I think he's showing improvement and is probably giving us above average overall production from the catcher's spot at the moment.

Which of the pitchers who are part of the solution now, would have been able to start last year? Doubront was too green, and Bard was in the pen and crumbling along with eveyone else.

Yeah, the thing with Kapler is that he was all talent. Consistency, proficiency, competence in the sport he devoted his life to, these were things he never really got around to. He had talent galore, and made his bread by flashing it far too infrequently. He looked good when he was on, but to call him a good ballplayer... well that's a real stretch. He was a physical specimen who never really figured out that whole "baseball" thing, and never, ever lived up to his talent. Nava is pretty much the anti-Kapler. Much less raw physical talent, but he can do a great deal more with what he does have. And it's not like all that Kapler talent really allowed him to make anything of himself, so it's kind of a trade-off.

They have rookies at both positions Youk plays regularly and could use a veteran. I could see why they wouldn't do it, but I can also see it making some sense for them.

There is just no stopping Nava right now.

Tell all the people that are so bloviatingly convinced he isn't then.

This is still baseball. The only thing that's certain in baseball is uncertainty.

That was so badly needed last night. Just a good smart durable guy, hard to hate. Mad props to Jonny for being the first of the "big 3" to step up and put the team on his back.

Oh for pity's sake, why the hell are we trying to make tonight about Salty? That's just retarded.

We needed that SO badly!!!! Atta baby!

Yes.

Even if he lets that other man at third score, it's still a heck of an outing. Wanted that danged shutout though.

****

C'mon Jon, finish this up.

Now get the twin killing and let's all go to bed happy.

Lester's command isn't great. Get someone warming V. Probably won't come in, but it's better to take precautions.

Both were clearly factors. Otherwise why not just pitch to the AAAA schlub? It's not like you were passing over him to get to a lesser player if recent play isn't a factor..

C'mon Jon! Get it done!