MNSoxChief102

I wouldn't have a problem with it. He works the count and gets on base frequently. Crawford would seem to me to be a solid #2 hitter and should be able to see better pitches with AGon right behind him and Youk after that. No one's going to want to walk him with his speed and AGon coming up next.

The key to all good lead off guys is that they get on base in a variety of ways. That's what made Johnny D so good at it... he could hit for average and he saw a lot of pitches, fighting off the bad ones with foul balls to either get one he could handle or draw a walk. Neither Crawford or Ells are doing that right now. They're up there swinging away trying to score runs on their own instead of being patient and working the count to their advantage. Sooner or later Crawford is going to figure it out and he'll get on base with consistency, either by hitting the ball to a open spot or taking pitches to draw walks. I really don't care how he does it... walk or hit... if he's on base he's a threat that makes us a better team offensively.

Pete Abraham at The Globe posed the same question today and I wanted to see what everyone here thought on the issue... here's a few examples of options Francona could try to lite a fire under the team. 1. Throw a fit: Come in with fire in your eyes. Told a team meeting after batting practice and flip over a table. Take a bat to something. Threaten to fight anybody who talks back. Throw things across the room. This was big with Billy Martin. 2. Get ejected: As soon as there's a close call or your pitcher gets squeezed, get tossed. Come running out of the dugout and do whatever it takes. Once you get tossed, hang around for a few minutes and get your money's worth by kicking dirt on the plate or throwing a base. This will delight the crowd. 3. Blame somebody else: The media makes a good scapegoat. Collect a bunch of headlines or video clips of people making fun of your team. Try and create an "us against the world" atmosphere. Ask Tony La Russa for tips on this. 4. Change the routine: Cancel batting practice and tell the players to stay home until 5 p.m. Threaten to fine anybody who shows up early. This was a favored tactic of Joe Torre. 5. Stay the course: Trust in the roster. Trust track records. Maintain your composure. This could require plenty of medication, but it's better than panic. 6, Create a distraction with crazy behavior: Start your pre-game press conference by announcing you plan to root for the Canadiens against the Bruins. Endorse Donald Trump for president a few minutes later. This is will take attention away from how lousy the team is. Ozzie Guillen is the king of this. 7. Draw up a crazy lineup:. Hit Ortiz first. Bat Scutaro cleanup. It can't be any worse than what has gone on so far. 8. Make 'em laugh: Pretend to call a team meeting and have a guy in a clown suit sneak up and hit you with a pie in the face. I'm actually sort of serious about this. Do something to ease the tension. Me personally, I'd go with #2, #4, and #5 in no particular order. Staying the course should provide results EVENTUALLY, but how long can we realistically wait? Getting ejected usually works for one game, but not necessarily a whole series of games. Changing the routine sounds intriguing though, but it could f*** up guy's rhythym, especially the players that are actually producing. What do you all think?

Career batting stats - Red Sox Crawford = .296 BA .781 OPS (Currently .163 BA, .386 OPS) Youk = .293 BA, .889 OPS (Currently .167 BA, .685 OPS) Ellsbury = .288 BA, .746 OPS (Currently .194 BA, .645 OPS) Their stats thus far this season won't hold up throughout the entire year. When they start hitting, we start winning. I'm betting it will be soon.

At this point, I'm hopeful for a 10-6 stretch to finish off April, leaving us 12-15 and within striking distance of the division lead headed into May. Anything less makes it that much more difficult to catch up, especially in this division. Here's the series breakdown for the rest of the month: - 4 games vs. Toronto (Home) - 2 games vs. Oakland (Road) - 4 games vs. Anaheim (Road) - 3 games vs. Baltimore (Road) - 2 games vs. Seattle (Home) I suspect we can take at least split the series against Toronto, Oakland, and Anaheim. If we can play well in Baltimore and win that series, then come home to finish the month with two straight wins against a terrible Mariners team, that gives us a 9-7 finish to the month and a 11-16 start to the year.

I'm as big a fan of Francona as anyone and I have no desire to see him go, but if the current malaise that's hanging over the Sox right now continues on through the better part of May, I fully expect significant pressure on a number of fronts to have Francona fall on the sword. Funny... just heard the guys on WEEI say that if a 2-9 stretch was enough to get a manager fired, the Pirates would replace their skipper 16 times a season. Provided we turn this s*** around before the All-Star break and string together a bunch of series wins, Francona won't be going anywhere.

I know it is. But the players can't be fired for sucking ass. Managers can. s*** always rolls down hill, and seeing as there's no way Epstein gets canned, the next guy up for a fall on the sword is Francona. I don't like it and don't think it will happen, but if this s*** keeps up, the pressure will be on Epstein from ownership to make a move.

Here's a bit of recommended reading for you...

Yep

I really don't know what it's going to take to get these guys to figure it out. I've always been a fan of Francona, but if this keeps up through April and into May, I suspect he'll be sitting at home before the All-Star break. No way a team with this much talent (and payroll) can be justified in losing a f*** load of games without someone getting their ass canned.

f***... I'm so disgusted with the way this team is playing right now. They're like a 50 car pile up on the highway... can't turn away even though I know it's a f***ing disaster of epic proportions. I'll watch them win or lose all season long, but god damn this year is going to blow big time if this is how they're gonna play.

2-9. What. The. f***.

f***ing s***... what the f*** do we have to do win a f***ing game? Jesus Christ.

Thanks for nothing Ells... completely worthless at bat

Jenks has been as advertised so far. Time for the bats to wake up!

f***.

Little bit of luck for us... the inning should be over.

Good lord... how about we take a few f***ing pitches instead of swinging away and keeping Price in the game?

At this point, I really don't give a f*** what they do with him, as long as he gets no closer to the mound than the front step of the dugout. Personally, I'd be perfectly fine waiving his ass and paying his exorbitant salary if he'll just agree to disappear back to Japan. We're on the hook regardless and at least we wouldn't have to see his ass throw 120 pitches just to get through 2 f***ing innings any more.

There's no crying in baseball!! No seriously... I'm not going to shed a tear anytime soon for this team. I love the Sox and pretty much live and breathe with them over the next 6 months, but in the end they don't pay me a dime to get upset to the point of crying or being angry enough to damage myself or my property. That said... I expect them to win more than they lose this year and if they continue to play like they have to start the year, I'll be pissed off to say the least.