Beecke

But I really don´t get that. It´s not as if the Red Sox have been the only ones trying to tell us how good those prospects are /were, they were hyped by pretty much everyone that cared to make a statement on them. So are they really overrated or is something going wrong when they are brought up to play with the big boys? I really don´t know and I still hope that over time we will see some improvements in at least one or two of them, but to go 0 for on all your hyped up prospects certainly is not a common thing, even if you take statistics out of it. Anyway, shut out again. Listening to these games on WEEI at night I really have a lot of respect for commentating day in day out on this kind of suck without goign apopleptic with rage. When Middlebrooks provided the Pirates with another double play it felt kind of unreal because it was so, so predictable, everyone seemed to just be waiting for it and sure enough he came through. If you don´t laugh you´d have to cry.

Tough to be here watching them play meaningless games in August again. I had hoped that 2012 would be an outlier in terms of being out of it that early. Anyway, its not necessarily the being bad part that I hate as is the hopelessnessthis early in the season, it really makes the off season a bit too long when I have to start watching for roster building that early. However, decent recovery today, hope it holds up.

So basically he got traded for a bag of chips. Quite remarkable considering how he entered this season and it seemingly always was only about him taking the "next step" to become more than a #4/5 starter, which was supposed to be his floor. He totally bombed and looked like a d-bag to boot. Wonderful.

Theycertainly are in no position to waste an outing by Lackey like that, but what do I know. They wasted Peavysrare decent start a few daysago, so maybe it is what it is.

Apart from two or three starts this season Lackey has been so consistent, will be really interesting to see if he holds that up the secondhalf of the season. The same can be said about the offense, though. Just that their consistency is more of the worrying degree. I guess you can't expect this team to be great at offense every year, but this drop from one year to another is something else, what is happening?

The thing is that I want to believe this as well and I find it hard to believe that being "clutch" doesn´t exist, especially since it is a narrative often used throughout sports to describe all-time greats. But I am not aware of any statistical analysis coming out with data backing this up in any sport, it merely seems like the real good players stand out because they stay real good, not because they elevate their play in specific situations. I will happily be wrong, if someone can point me in the direction of studies that suggest otherwise, because sometimes I really like the the whole "clutch" narrative.

You have said that a number of times on this board and I really, really struggle to get on board with this kind of thinking. I have yet to read any statistical analysis that shows batting with RISP to be a special tool, that certain players have and others don´t. As far as I understand it, it´s not that big of a deal, deviating only slightly from your typical BA and potentially changing wildly from season to season with the same player. So making hitting with RISP out to be a skill, that will have to be learned or whatever is not making a lot of sense to me. So you either slight Bogaerts for his batting, his approach or whatever you want to critizice, but going about his hitting "in the clutch" is arbitrary IMO and proves nothing.

If by the end of the season you want to point to a game or two that is showing why this season unfolded in that particular way, then this 4 game set against the Guardians is probably the most fitting example. They can´t quite get over the hump in so many ways, it´s mediocrity through and through. I still think in the long run this season will be a helpful one and they will reap the benefits and I am not sure how much the FO should or could have done differently.

There is no big rush here IMO. He will see good money, of that I have no doubt and I do think he will stay with the Sox. The way he is pitching right now and has done ever since TJS is well good enough to warrant another contract with decent money attached to it. He seems to be a good clubhouse guy, dedicated and driven to stay a competitive pitcher, so even if he tails off a bit, he will be a valuable piece to the rotation. From his standpoint I think it makes a lot of sense, too. Fenway suits him IMO, after being kind of a villain at the start of his time here he has seriously turned things around and become a bit of a cult hero, so he is well liked in Boston. At his age he won´t be playing too long anymore, so why go somewhere else, unfamiliar and risk playing in an environment that doesn´t appreciate you? Also, I´ve always had a mancrush on him, even before he became all skinny :-), so I want him to stay.

I don´t know about Buchholz, he certainly is a big reason for this seasons struggles, just imagine him putting up his projected numbers and bumping Lackey and Peavy down one spot in the rotation, things would look pretty good then and things would fit quite well. Finding a #5 starter is not a difficult task right now and the rotation would be set nicely. Anyway, doesn´t look like Buchholz will come around anytime soon, so what´s there to do? His trade value will be too low to be useful, so you pretty much either decide to just give up on him anyway or give him a shot to build some value back up. Frustrating stuff, but having watched him for so many years now with the Red Sox I am at the point, where I don´t care that much anymore, just find someone to replace him, please.

I don´t know why, but for some reason I enjoy watching the Red Sox right now, the success isn´t really there, but every so often I get the feeling that something is coming together here and sooner or later the benefits of this season will show. If they want to have a shot at the postseason though, they will need to convert games like yesterday. On another day Peavy playing like this will give up 7 ER, so they should have taken that bit of good fortune and run with it.

Calling a 15 pitch, 1 hit, no runs inning by Peavy here.

I dare Peavy to ruin a second night this post season all by himself, it's 3 effing am here. He will settle down, the end. The bats need to do something tonight though. I already hate Kelly.

tHey got this, shouldn't be this close, but this is not September of 11 or last season. They will scrape by here.

Gardner is a guy you could punch all day long, he has that look on his face.