SoxSport

Who is this new pitching coach, Young, who was so bright in Oakland? Must be without the Park effect factored in. Other than Becket''s comeback, I can't see a single feather in Young's cap the whole season. The staff is loaded with underachievers, starting with Lackey. Maybe Tito's "cheerful indifference" is rubbing off.

Harden. Harden? Where are you?

Never mind the stats. What's important is how they are playing right now. The team is falling apart--especially the pitching. All this pretending that Lackey is a #3 starter is pretty ridiculous. Staying with Wake and Miller has also been ridiculous. The team can't be expected to score 8 runs a game to win. Beckett misses a start, Bedard misses a start, Dice-K and Buchholz miss almost the whole season. They have no pitching depth to make up for these things. Who in the the front office vetoed the Harden deal? They should be fired. Man, was that dumb. i guess Theo thought Miller would turn into Randy Johnson in a few starts.

I don't think it makes much difference whether they make the playoffs or not. Unless there's a turnaround in the pitching, this team won't beat anybody post-season. A bunch of injuries popping up late in the season makes you wonder again about the conditioning of this team, and whether the management is tough enough.

If they miss the playoffs, heads will finally start to roll. They need a wake up call.

Swoon? They're throwing the same crap out there for pitchers, and they keep getting hit. What do they expect? If you're a hitter, you get pretty disgusted being taken out of games early by terrible pitching. That expensive lineup doesn't deserve it. Look at the whips of their starters--and a few of their relievers. Abominable. A whip over 1.4 says you suck.

they can't get it out of their system unless the pitching improves. how does that happen?

I swear I saw the fat lady lingering in the wings...

The difference is Marvin Miller--which is why Miller won't make the HOF. The Players went too far in MLB, and have too much power. Of course, you could blame that on the owners, too, for allowing it. The MLB Players union is obstructionist.

I don't know which is the better organization at this point. With the capped NFL and the uncapped MLB, it's like comparing apples and oranges.But there is quite a contrast, it appears, with the way Belichick & Co does business vs the Red Sox organization. With Belichick, if a player is not performing up to snuff, or shows signs of age decline, he is gone. No sentimentality there. To stay around as a veteran, you have to perform. The Red Sox seem to take a lot softer attitude towards their underproducing or ageing veteran players. They keep 'em, it seems, for as long as possible. but they also hold onto their best minor league prospects, even though there is no room on the major league roster for them. That can't be too pleasant for some of those ambitious minor leaguers who want to get to the Show and make some big bucks. Now granted, guaranteed contracts make things a whole lot different in MLB--you really can't get rid of a guy like Lackey, for example, whom you are grossly overpaying. Maybe he should have been fingerprinted to make sure it's the same guy that played in LA. I don't know if it's the difference in the sports or the difference in the managements.I do know the Patriots operate differently from the Red Sox. They are quicker to get rid of players. Does it make a difference? Maybe not. Belichick hasn't been setting the world on fire the last few years, either, trying to run the Patriots by himself.

The manager reports to the GM. It's a vertical organization. What Tito can do without the FO being involved is something only Tito and the FO knows. The sportswriters don't deal with such things. Obviously, there is a lot of game managing that is Tito by himself. Something he is not great at--especially his handling of pitchers. He constantly gets himself into positions where his bullpen is overworked--because he often uses them when they aren't needed.

what playoffs? it ain't over yet.

yeah. I think the organization is looking a bit flabby. Mucho talent, but not much discipline. The manager is a what me worry? low key, popular kind of guy. No drill sargeant there. Henry maybe sets the example--easy going billionaire.

Tito just can't seem to do anything right with pitching--no matter how hard he tries. Maybe he just tries too hard? His selection out of the bullpen never seems right. His timing on changing pitchers is often questionable. It's a shame. He does other things well. Except for the pitching.

I don't think Theo made the right decision not trading prospects for Pence. Pence would have corrected the imbalance in their lineup, and was an excellent investment for the future. With all their free agents, they don't have a lot of room on the roster for prospects. They really are a win now team. But I don't think Pence would have made much difference with the Sox. Their real problem is PITCHING. And Pence can't pitch. On the other hand, Pence makes a big difference in Philly. They have the pitching, and needed the RHd bat to replace the guy that signed with Washington. If Theo had signed Pence, just keeping him for Philly would have been a factor.

The jury rests until the end of the season.

Tito just said "Somebody tell me the pitch count. I need the pitch count!"

They have to hit to win. And they know it.

13-0 wins followed by 14-2 losses. The die is cast.

103 pitches? Time to take Lester out and get somebody in there that can make this a close game. LOL

definitely one of Theo's brainfarts. the Sox are losing a ton of money rebuilding their bullpen every year with retreads.

I don't know what they were thinking when they traded Cameron and picked up this guy to play --RF? Glad to see he didn't kill himself on that fly ball yesterday. Somebody ought to tell Tito to stop playing these guys out of position. It's dangerous.