FredLynn

Anyone got a link for this game? FOX out here has the damn Giants on TV. Thanks

Its POSSIBLE to win a ring and not be in the top 4 in pitching; it just hasn't happened in a decade, and with good reason IMO. I think that the Yankees are a much better balanced team right now, unfortunately. They are #3 in overall pitching. I posted this on another board: I think that in order to have any chance for a ring we will need to upgrade both our SP and pen by one arm each and eliminate the bottom feeders in both categories. Right now the Mariners are at #4 in ERA in the AL at 3.55. Assuming that we will need to at least equal that and assuming that the Yankees will be our major competition for the AL pennant we can look at who on each pitching staff is over the 3.55 number and who is below it: Under 3.55: Red Sox: Bard (1.81) Albers (2.09) Beckett (2.17) Lester (3.23) Aceves (3.28) (Buchholtz-3.48) Yankees: Garrison (0.00-new) Ayala (1.24) Robertson (1.54) Rivera (1.83) Wade (1.88) CC (2.56) Garcia (3.23) Colon (3.29) Logan (3.29) Noesi (3.34) Pitchers over 3.55: Red Sox: Papelbon (3.59) Morales (4.23) Wheeler (4.67) Wakefield (5.15) Miller (5.45) Lackey (6.20) Williams (9.53) Yankees: Nova (4.12) Burnett (4.21) Hughes (8.24) You can see that the Yankees are a much superior club when it comes to pitching right now. I think we would be best served by getting rid of Williams and replacing him with an excellent LHRP and releasing Miller and getting a very good #3-4 SP (4 if CB returns). Wakefield would be in the pen and his job would be mopup only. In the playoffs we would then have a competitive SP rotation of Beckett/Lester/CB or new guy/new guy or....gulp...Lackey. In the pen we have Papelbon (not NEARLY as good as the Yankee closer)/Bard/Albers/Aceves/Wheeler (ERA since May 21, his return date from the DL: 1.84 with a BAA of .185)/new guy/and Wakefield for mopup duty. Morales's tenure would depend on whether or not CB comes back. Thats the best we can do right now. Given the failures of Wakefield, Lackey, Miller, Jenks, and Williams it may not be good enough, especially when you look at the Yankee pitching staff. But I will tell you this: if we don't upgrade BOTH our starting rotation and our pen by at least one arm each, we will be promptly bounced out before we can reach the WS.

Are Williams and Jenks going to be on the postseason roster? How about Morales, ERA 4.26? I admit that the pen is better off than our rotation, but we need BOTH to be top flight to compete for a ring. Hitting alone will not get us to where we want to be, even with two very good SP.

The problem is that THOSE GUYS ARE STILL ON THE ROSTER! If we can lose at least one of them and upgrade, I think we DO have a shot at a ring.

You are talking about bashing your way into the playoffs with a mediocre pitching staff. That can and does happen. I never said that you cannot bash your way into the playoffs. I DID say that once you are there, pitching is much more important. We WILL bash our way into the postseason this year; and I think we will make a quick exit if we do not significantly upgrade at BOTH SP and in the PEN. Just can't see us doing it with Miller, Wakefield, Lackey, and Williams on the roster.

Last I checked Lester is pitching again. You can argue that the facts are not relevant to the case, like the fact that no team has won a WS with Adrian Gonzalez on the team. I think that the saying, "Pitching and defense wins rings" has merit, and that the fact I presented is proof of sorts that that saying is true.

Its also irrelevant. No one has won the WS in April either. Should we consider that?

Not misleading at all. Its a fact: NO TEAM HAS WON THE ALCS WITH AN OVERALL TEAM ERA IN LESS THAN THE #4 POSITION IN THE LAST DECADE. That is not disputable. Neither is the fact that we are now at #9. Furthermore, last I checked, Miller, Lackey, Wakefield, and Williams are all still performing for the team and are on the active roster.

Here is how important pitching is to winning rings. Listed are the AL champs along with their position in terms of ERA and their actual ERA: 2010: Rangers; 4 (3.93) 2009: Yankees; 4 (4.26) 2008: Rays; 2 (3.82) 2007: Sox; 1 (3.87) 2006: Tigers; 1 (3.84) 2005: White Sox 2 (3.61) 2004: Red Sox; 3 (4.18) 2003: Yankees; 3 (4.02) 2002: Angels; 2 (3.69) 2001: Yankees; 3 (4.02) Right now: 2011: Red Sox; 9 (3.93) See the pattern? Over the last decade no team had finished less than FOURTH in ERA in the league and won a AL championship. Conclusion: we do not have a snowball's chance in hell with our current pitching staff; we need a quality SP NOW

Ortiz looked like a Little Leaguer at that AB. Too bad. Swung at ball 4. Could have brought the tying run to the plate.

No options left: By Gordon EdesFORT MYERS, Fla. -- Lefthanded pitcher Andrew Miller is out of options, which means that if he spends any time with the Boston Red Sox this season and the club then elects to send him to Pawtucket, he must clear waivers. That would give the 29 other major-league teams a chance to claim him for the waiver price.

I don't think so. I believe that the Sox had to promote him to the ML after a certain date or he had to be released. I think he would have to be waived to be sent back down again. Frankly, I doubt anyone would pick him up. He has failed every time he has tried to make it in the "Bigs".

Waive him. If no one claims him see if he wants to go back to Pawtucket to work on the things he needs to work on. A contending club in a pennant race is not the place to learn how to pitch.

The "real Miller" is exactly what his career numbers say he is. The 3.67 was due to a small sample size against bad teams.

Incidentally, there is no comparison between Miller and Lester. Miller's numbers are very consistent. When he came up he had ERAs/WHIPS of 5.63/1.75 and 5.87/1.64. Now at age 26 he is still at 5.69. Lester is now an ace and just one year older than Miller. When he first came up at age 22 and 23 his ERAs/WHIPS were 4.76/1.65 and 4.57/1.46. He has only gotten better. Miller is still just as bad as he was five years ago. I don't hold out any hope at all that he can make it in the majors.

He can work on his mechanics in the minors. We cannot afford to be his training ground. Yes, he WAS worth gambling on as long as the leash was short enough. If he agrees to go back to Pawtucket I would keep him in the organization. If not, I would be the first to give him a handshake on his way out the door.

Catching is such a demanding position to play that very few catchers over the years can maintain their offensive contributions as they age. For my part, give me a catcher who can hit .250-.260 and excels defensively.

They serve lots of bean burritos at the concession stands.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I think that there are other alternatives that deserve a shot.

On the other hand, if you are right and they aren't going to give him the reps at Pawtucket, then he WILL never be a ML catcher, at least in our organization. Thats something they really should be doing, given the paucity of catchers around that can hit a baseball. Catching is largely a defensive position in the ML. Besides Mauer, who really is good at catching and hitting-I mean with an OPS of the league average or better? Not many. You gotta be able to defend behind the plate.

Here is a recent scouting report on Lavarnway: Well below-average speed. Rough overall catching skills. Limited range behind the dish and slow reactions. Tends to stab at offerings along with catching hand drifting when framing offerings. Average blocking skills, with need to improve how he controls balls bouncing out in front of him and fluidity of footwork. Has made strides with his catch-and-release mechanics since joining the organization. Hard worker and dedicated to honing craft. Despite improvements, catching skills are limited. Will need to increase defensive versatility. Projects as DH/bat off the bench at the major league level.

It doesn't have to be Millwood. It just can't be Miller time any more. He got bombed his last two times out. And the Rays are not even a strong offensive team. He hasn't corrected his control problems, and you just can't pitch that way.