cp176

You might be right

The implication here is that I don't think that management has its reasons for doing things? Sorry Bellhorn - laughable. I am a proud supporter of everything DD and management does. Bothers me not one bit to say for instance that I agree with the Pomeranz trade. I'm not that subtle. Much more obvious.

I quite honestly would and would have been in favor of trading him but I just don't think that we need what he would bring in return. We have plenty of bats and balls. Be realistic. He does his job - he does what he is asked to do and he does it well. No more no less. Trade ideas are just wonderful but unfortunately for the dreamers you have to have another interested party.

Watching JBJ in the minors was enough to let me say goodbye to JE. I really liked him and still do. Just a little to fragile for me. just glad to see JBJ really becoming the player it looked like he was going to become. I think that he will just keep getting better as we move forward.

lol - sarcasm

really - so you say - are you sure it was him?

Oh boy oh boy - I'm loving this debate! As much as I hate what they have done, I too think that Hernandez provides some insurance that allows management to sleep at night. if something happens to Pedroia, which could and has, I'm guessing that would become Marco's time. Same goes for XB. It may be the only way he gets a chance in Boston. I will add that I like everything about Holt as well but someone brought up the idea of trading him. To whom and for what? Maybe somebody and not for much would be my answers. With that said I still love him.

Not sure it is going to make much difference. They were pretty fresh yesterday.

I get that Leon's bunt got to Cole a bit but the that high heater to Benintendi was the one that drove his chin to his draws (drawers -there I go again)

Not me - I could care less about whether that team wins or loses. lol If you care about winning and losing as much as I do, I wonder if you felt the way i did when Barnes was struggling to get the job done.

Not me . I was pleased to see him come back in the 7th. I couldn't see any reason to yank him early. When he came up and in to whats his name the Pittsburgh catcher the second time, it looked like he was tiring. Didn't look the same. I'm not an early hook kind of guy - particularly with things still being sorted out in the bullpen. I hope that the established pattern of relief pitcher usage in the 7th and 8th to get to your closer doesn't haunt us. I hope Farrell doesn't lock himself into a pattern just because it seems like the thing to do. It might be the thing to do if you have the guys to do it!

I know that he was charged with all 3. That is my point! Barnes didn't help him out very much. If Barnes had pitched a clean inning and finished the job, Porcello's line would have looked a hell of a lot better . As in 1 run not 3. I just have to be clearer.

Benintendi has been one of the best hitters on every team that he has ever played for. Leon looked pretty good from my couch today. A couple of hits and a pea to second. JBJ looked like an All-Star to me. one miscue by Sandoval but he just looks like someone who really has something to prove. Two tough chances for Mooreland - would have been nice to see him dig them out but even the best have trouble with that play. Porcello - got tired a little at the end but he looks so much in command. Tough - very tough - I hate the fact that he had to be responsible for 2 of those 3 runs. I hope that I can get get comfortable eventually with the bullpen. Would like to see one guy out there who could conjure up a clean inning or two.

yup sorry - got tater right though

good win

Just have to add - I do not think that it is a case of them playing as they always do while everyone around them gags it. What the hell though - i'm still looking for the unicorn and I think that bigfoot might actually exist. i hope that I never get too old to keep looking for them.

I just hope he wasn't hiding that tater in his draws!

I think that you are right but I think most people on either side of this debate would agree with you. What I always add and I truly believe because I have seen it - there are players who in most situations do not stand out - they are not the stars- whose games seem to elevate under maximum pressure. It is not normal- they are not normal - and they are few and far between. they may not be the most predictable performers but they are the guys you want on your team when things tighten up.

I'm going to be in Florida for 2 more weeks - just paid $14 to get NESN for a month. I am very cheap but for a dollar a day I was able to pony up. Let's go!

you are not wrong at all. Things happen everyday that just happen. i don't believe that everything can be predicted accurately based on analyzing statistics. I believe as always there will be some very special athletes that do perform better under certain circumstances than others. They often are not what seem to be the best players - they just come up big when you need them most. This is our belief and no one actually can prove that our beliefs are wrong. Obviously, if you are a gambling man then going with the data most of the time will be the safe avenue but it doesn't always work out. if it did, Ben Taylor would not be in our bullpen today. Good for him i say but no one and I mean no one was yapping too loudly about this what number21 or 22 prospect making this year's team. i'm sure that there will start to be a lot of ass covering by the people who rate everything rateable with respect to prospects. Good for them if they do - they aren't wrong it is just that things don't always follow this tidy little path. i guess maybe even spring training had a little significance for this young man as well! Maybe he will even come up big in a moment we might consider clutch. If he does, I will call him a clutch player whether he can do it repeatedly or not. lol Let the games begin!

How can I say this - i agree but! You are right. I get that. I don't like it. there is just something about it that I can't verbalize real well I guess that just doesn't work for me. I think in all reality and I fully admit that I might be wrong - I think that this kid Hernandez is good enough to be a starter for any team in ml baseball at second for sure and perhaps even short. I don't consider him a utility depth piece. I'm glad that we have him but in all honesty I wish that he was playing for someone else so that he would get the opportunity that I truly think he deserves. From a "thinking " perspective, yes its does help when you look at the team in general as being comprised of 40 as opposed to 25.

I disagree (obviously). In no way does it show that they cannot operate by having ultimately the best 25 players on their roster. Whether it shows good common sense from a financial contractual standpoint is a different matter. I understand it but I sure don't like to see happen.

I'm starting to develop my own theory actually about where someone elses $ (glad of that) is best spent. Spending much money to acquire any kind of relief pitching would be a low priority for me. in most situations, these guys are failed starters. You need something out of them for a short period of time when you need it. I really do think that we should just keep yarding what we have out there in hopes that eventually we might actually get lucky. Sadly i guess I really don't have a great deal of confidence in Kimbrel either after watching him do his thing last year.

I think that author of an article such as this would profit from having someone like you to help explain what they actually were trying to say. Keeping an open mind is something that I absolutely agree with. That is how we learn. I am absolutely willing to accept the fact that sabermetrics is helping to show that there alternatives to traditional thinking that should be considered if traditional ways and concepts just aren't working.

I'm like you. I get it - I understand it but will never necessarily buy it as being right. The righty lefty arguement is a very weak one in my mind as well.