cp176

I am going to just suggest that that first paragraph isn't a very good example to use to prove any sensible point. Now, I know I don't know much about a great deal but I think if you found anyone in any line of work who failed miserably at everything they did over and over and still felt that they were doing things the right way - that person would be stupid. Embracing analytics and accepting every aspect of them forsaking everything you have ever learned and really do think works might be two separate issues. It is a shorthanded example in my opinion and I hope that and actually believe that most franchises accept that analytics do in fact provide valuable feedback for teams to use. Believing this as opposed to just accepting one side (sadly) or the other as being absolutely 100% is where the issue lies.

Going to be in recovery mode.

baserunner interference - batter getting hit by a thrown ball while going outside of the allowed baseline area while running to first base and actually being called out.

Who?

did he mean hammerhead? All the same thing.

no one can and no one can Clutch is when I want it to be and what I want it to be

I read some of the articles yesterday about the Red Sox management getting a little testy over questions asked by the press about the throwing programs our pitchers participate in. i don't blame them. I know nothing about throwing programs and I guess that I choose to defer to the professionals who work in the field before I pass judgement. Injuries happen. I'm not ready to believe that there is anything more to it than that. I like knowing what is going on but I'm not going to buy into any conspiracy theories anytime soon. I will continue to believe that Red Sox management knows what they are doing for the most part.

Good for Scott- deserved. I think that there remains some possible in house solutions to help out our bullpen until we get healthy.

You have to lay off this bigfoot crap! You just don't know. You come up here- You'll see things you never thought existed! Not talking about Portland, Maine south either. You might not ever leave- you might not be able to.

First of all it is absolutely not true. As much as I respect what he has accomplished, and truly do appreciate what he has done, you have a very bizarre way here of tooting his flute. I was fairly successful at what I did and yes I guess that I would have to say that there is a very good chance that he could not have done my job even if he had wanted to. If you had left out all of the ******** which is in fact what it is and simply said that you admired and respected what he has done, that would make a lot of sense. I'm not insulted by what you have said primarily because it is nonsensical but I will tell you this that on the importance scale of life - a professional athlete doesn't rank very high for me. He is a talented entertainer but that is about the size of it. No one I hope would ever question how hard he has worked to get where he has gotten but comparing what he does for a job and how much sacrifice he has had to made to get there, you should spend some time talking to a good doctor or yea maybe even a teacher for awhile.

Newsflash - If you think that because "these guys" are better at their trade than we are at anything because they are professional athletes, I feel very sorry for you. They are certainly better at their professions than I would be at theirs but that is a ridiculous and demeaning statement to make. I'm certainly not denying the fact that Rutledge is a talented baseball player. I just don't think that he is good enough to be on this team. I do appreciate your passion here Notin but I still think that there is room enough for everyone to play. I don't need nor want to have a definition or a statistical breakdown for everything that happens in the world today. it really doesn't have to be nor should it ever be one or the other. if everything was definable and explainable, I would think that watching the games would be a waste of time. the outcomes would all be pre-determined. What fun. What actually is the clutch and what actually is a clutch moment? We probably would never agree on an answer there.

Gibson was one of the reasons why the mound was lowered.

If they were all on that team and I lived closer, I would buy season's tickets!

ty for this response! You have made some strong points that I am sure have to come in to play when deciding who to keep and who not to keep. Ultimately it probably will make little difference whether Marco is sent to AAA or kept. Emotion has always played a role in decisions I have made over the course of a life time. This is once again a decision I would make if I could based on the fact that I think it is the right one to make. I understand that it would not be popular if all of the available data was used to determine what is best for the franchise overall. I just think that he deserves to be on that team.

Do you really think that that is all I am basing my feelings for Hernandez on? You're excused I guess - you don't know me. I have been following and supporting him since I first saw him play. He is a much better player these days - bigger, faster, stronger if you will. He proved last year that he could at least be serviceable on an intermittent basis. I have not and continue to not see any real comparison between Hernandez and Rutledge. I like hard nosed young players who can run, drive the ball a little , and make plays in the field. I don't really mind it much when people want to casually assume that my opinions are based on things that don't matter much such as spring training stats. Those very same people tend to assume that they might know more about athletics in general than I do. The thing that grates me about this is the condescension piece. My hunch and it is just a hunch, is that these very same people wouldn't truly recognize a clutch moment in any type of athletic endeavor if it jumped up and bit them in the ass. Maybe I didn't really answer your question - here you go - they don't!

Do I sense a conspiracy here? I'm still thinking that Hernandez makes the team regardless of what becomes of Rutledge.

I understand all of the rationale behind sending Hernandez down. I don't like it that's all. People seem to think that I don't understand why it might happen. I don't like it but of course I understand it. Personally, I think that Hernandez makes the 25 man anyway. At some point in time, you have to actually do something to earn the right to be on the team. He has played as well as just about anyone and there is certainly no comparing him with Rutledge. I like rutledge but keeping him is just another example of the Red Sox stockpiling players that will never help them.

I don't think that there is any question that Vazquez will be on the team. If I thought that he was a better defender than Leon, I would want to see their roles reversed. I think that on our team, he is the back up guy. If he outhits Leon, he quite probably could become the everyday guy. Defensively, I call it a wash between them.

As if Pawtucket is ever warm.

boy oh boy

might fit some of the criteria but just not quite tall enough

by the way, I'm not sure whether or not I could show anyone a unicorn up here in Maine but I sure as hell could show them a susquatch or bigfoot or whatever. we got one living right down town!

I'm on your page with this one. I'm not sure whether the fact that I have been actively involved in sports either as a coach or participant for 60 years taints my opinion but it really makes me say that I know clutch when I see it. For reference, the kid that blocks a groundball with his chest and keeps it in the infield might be every bit as clutch as the guy who knocks in the winning run. You have to be able to recognize what the truly big moments are in any game before you can identify clutch moments and subsequently clutch players. I am absolutely ok with people who don't believe that clutch players exist. I do and I hope that no one ever tries to create a definition for these players and moments.

I agree with you but I would never agree that it is right.

add to the list - rally caps, dirty clothing, the wave, fans cheering in general - just about anything that happens that can't be readily explained. God that is why I love this game. It is not sterile. Before anyone decides to come up with any sort of definition of what a clutch player is, I think you have to first identify what a clutch moment is don't you? Good luck with that. I wonder how many different responses you get to that one?