cp176

There really is nothing wrong with line of reasoning. It is another way of looking at things other than your way. I'm ok with it.

"back of the cards" stats. My oh my -

JBJ frustrates mostly all of us but we continue to be one of the best 4 teams in baseball inspite of what he does not give us offensively. Replacing him I think should be way down on the improvement wish list. Looks like DD is beginning to look at adding bullpen help for now and the long term. I think that he will also be looking for one more high quality starter during the off season. Even without the guy everybody (except one guy here) would love to see back at second, we still field a good solid team from top to bottom. We have a chance once again. I don't ask for or expect any more than that.

I think that is a realistic way of looking at things.

The more I think about it the more I think that this is a great(er) post and shows one of the glaring pitfalls of over relying on simply one point of view to formulate any opinion on just about anything. Mookie has hit 21 home runs and has a total of 42 rbi's. That seems very low to me but I'm not backing that statement up with anything measurable. I can't help but think that if he was hitting third he would have just a few more rbi's. He is one of if not the best hitter in the game today. Now, if he is comfortable leading off and wants to hit in that position, I say leave him alone even though it might not optimize his ability to knock in runs.

I'm not sure if this comment was sort of directed my way in a an indirect manner or not but no one has ever said that getting hits in a major league game was particularly easy. i loved seeing JBJ drop that bunt down the third baseline line for a hit last night. It is about goddam time. If he was pounding the ball out of ballparks on a regular basis than maybe to some his poor hitting would be more tolerable. If he doesn't start getting "luckier " as some of you like to say with all of his hard hit balls, he needs to at least try some of these apparently forgotten ways of hitting regardless of how incredibly hard they might be. For the record, I think that shifts are great. It is on the field management and if as a hitter you can't figure out a way to beat them maybe you shouldn't be playing ml baseball. Oh and I am very proud to be saying all of this from my armchair the same way probably everybody else does. Once again - here's hoping this gifted defensive player can figure out a way to hit the ball hardly or softly where the defensive players are not standing.

I really like JBJ but trying to sell me on the fact that because of his outstanding defense that his failings at the plate don't seem to matter would be akin to me telling folks here that Martinez really isn't as bad a fielder as metric lovers say that he is. Or maybe even that because one of the best pitchers in the game should not be your first option come playoff time because of past failings is the way to go. I'm sorry but if JBJ can't hit .200, he has to be replaceable. Heres hoping he continues to hit the ball hard but I guess just gets lucky and hits it somewhere other than where the opponents are standing.

I think that you are right about this but I tend to think that someone who is good with and knows how to use statistics can use them frequently to justify about any position that they want to take. The old ways vs the new ways - neither really can stand alone. Kind of like politics, what would be wrong with using the best of what both have to offer.

Probably going unnoticed here was that the Sox mustered up only 4 hits last night. One by Leon and one by Swihart. Severino is the real deal and that Yankee lineup ain't bad.

No one is disagreeing with you about the complexity of the game. It still simply amazes me that he could be in the eyes of some as being unwilling to try something different. The best always have. I will be very sad to see it happen but if he doesn't pick up the pace to at least get somewhere near where has been, I'm thinking that he will be gone if someone wants him.He is a great center fielder - i get that. Hope he ihits.

you are right as is my friend SSDewey. I'll say again also that if he feels more comfortable playing the field as opposed to dhing I would stuff all those misleading metrics right where the sun don't shine. He is just to good at what he does.

I'm perfectly fine with the way you are looking at this. If you think that his hard contact makes his future look bright, of course I am with you. The fact remains that all of those hard hit balls that are hit directly at someone amount to just as much as a weak flyball in the infield. A choked up punch hit to the opposite field with 2 strikes I think is still something worth considering even today. JBJ is not Dave Kingman. I agree with you in principle though as someone who really wants him to succeed. I just feel better seeing him make any kind of contact as opposed to striking out repeatedly. Lately there seems to reason to hope!

Look what you started. You know better than that!

I grew up listening to Johnny perched high above courtside as he liked to say. A true Boston guy!!!

David Price does not deserve the crap he gets from the news media as well as some fans. People can believe what they want I guess with respect to what he has done or not done but by all accounts he is an excellent teammate and when he is on the mound he is a pro. whether he is worth what he is being paid, i would simply say that are any of these guys really worth what they are being paid? If the man writing the checks is content then it works for me.

Well - maybe if he keeps making plays like that last one, hitting .200 ain't that bad! lol

If anyone can find them, it is likely that it will be DD.

I understand what you are saying. Everyone wants to hit the ball hard for sure. I might be asking too much also but when you are hitting as poorly as he is, maybe just attempting to make a little contact would be a good thing. Bat control, hitting to the opposite field now and then - those still are good things. I like JBJ very much but if his hard hit balls wind up consistently being caught, maybe he should even try to bunt for a hit. I'm very results oriented and sadly if he does not hit going forward better than he has to date, he very likely will be traded if some team is willing to do business. This won't make me happy but might just be the way it goes.

My point was my last sentence.

I wish that he had that kind of bat control. It sounds good that he has been making solid contact but at the end of the day if those balls don't find some holes they don't amount to much of anything. If he was a 30-40 homers guy, then sure but he isn't.

I don't think that he is apt to trade either one of those guys but I guess you never know. I don't think of either of those guys as prospects though. That being said, if he continues trading chaff and getting wheat in return like he has been doing, I'm all in.

think you are right - i've felt this way for awhile now as in a couple of years. He is a more powerful version of Buch for sure but I think that people should keep their expectations of him realistic.

I agree - He will do that for sure but only for the right deal.

So wait - let me get this straight - it is a good thing when Jackie hits it hard even though it is an out most of the time. I just want him to hit the f***ing ball - f*** the metics.

sorry i beat you to it - Not talking a couple of aces out there on the mound tonight.