Kimmi

Tanaka's performance last night was an ace performance. He basically shut down our high octane offense in a game that the Yankees needed to win to have any hope. Most people think the Yankees already have no hope, but that's beside the point. In addition to quoting his pedestrian stats, McAdam nailed it with this part of his article: Aces don't stumble when their team has won six straight and is going for a series sweep of a struggling rival. Aces don't trip up when that struggling rival is desperate for a win, in a game the opposing manager suggested was "the most important (July) game we've played in a number of years." And aces don't consistently get outpitched by the best pitcher on the other side, the way Price has far too often this season. He's already lost to Madison Bumbgarner in San Francisco. And Chris Tillman of Baltimore. Now, add to that list Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees. ...But aces don't pitch well for stretches; they consistently dominate opponents and deliver their best efforts when they're most needed. Like Sunday night. That the Sox missed out on a chance to put the chokehold on the Yankees won't, in the long run, make or break the season. The Yankees aren't a factor in the division, and are unlikely to transform themselves into one in the coming weeks. And even with the loss, the Red Sox won a road series against a division opponent and are 9-3 in the month of July, heading home for an extended homestand against (mostly) mediocre clubs. But again, that's not the point. Aces don't let down, or fail to finish a task off the way Price did Sunday.

I saw this earlier on another site. I love this kid.

http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfx.aspx?playerid=11426&position=P Scroll down to "Advanced" and you can find the BABIP broken down by pitch type.

Torre sent a letter to the MLB managers warning them to stop arguing with the umps, particularly on balls and strikes. I realize that you can't argue balls and strikes, but having the automated strike zone readily available in the dugout has made the situation worse for the umpires. At any rate, I agree with Matheny's take on this: "Joe's the boss, so I guess we'd better cool it," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "There's just some days you can't stand over there and not say something. They're always making additions, and I get speeding the game up and sometimes that sort of thing slows it down, so it'll take a little while to walk through that and see exactly how to play it. But you can't take the emotion out of the game. Joe knows that as well as everybody, but I understand where he's coming from."

I hate it too. They are one of the luckiest teams around. Anyway, another great win, and ERod's performance is encouraging. Let's complete the sweep tonight.

Just a random comment: ERA- is a better stat to use than ERA+.

Agreed. Dombrowski has done a good job with his midseason acquisitions. The team should be set for the foreseeable future. As long as Dombrowski does not continue to empty the farm, I'm good.

If he doesn't, we have Buch to back him up in the BP.

IMO, a successful GM can balance the short term goals with the long term goals. If I'm understanding your 'timing is everything' statement, it sounds like you think the Sox have to strike now before the opportunity is lost? I don't think a team should ever mortgage its future or its farm with a win now at any cost philosophy. Selling the farm (which hasn't happened yet) to win a championship now guarantees nothing for this year (or the next). And then you're left with a bleak future. As I said, I like the trade overall. If the Sox win a WS as a result of it, then the trade will have been worth it, no matter how good Espinoza becomes.

@ MVP - I don't think you're allowed to trash Fangraphs, then quote a couple of articles from them when they support your view. I'm pretty sure you broke a law. However, if you're ready to join the Fangraphs bandwagon, I welcome you with open arms.

There is something very comforting about knowing that 4/5 of our rotation is set for the next 2 years. If ERod can step it up, make it 5/5.

I'm a little late getting to this party. I can't believe there are almost 500 posts on this topic in 3 days. There's really not much to say that hasn't already been said. Good arguments on both sides. We paid a steep price, but on the whole, I like this deal. There are some valid concerns, but our team is better than it was before the trade. Pomeranz, at the very least, should be able to stabilize the bottom part of the rotation. Additionally, the trade should be an emotional boost to the team. The FO has sent a clear message to the players that they are all in. I will hand it to Dombrowski - he doesn't mess around. I will echo the concerns about what Dombrowski might do to our farm system. At this point, it is still in good shape. However, Dombrowski cannot continue to overpay and trade away our prospects with a 'win now' mentality.

Yesterday's game was a great way to start the 2nd half. We need to keep it going. Let's put the Yankees out of their misery and nail their coffin shut. Just win!

Taz will be back as soon as he is eligible, per Farrell. It was more of a roster thing than anything else.

MLB has apparently made promises of getting the All Star Game to cities who have recently built new ballparks. Cincinnati, San Diego, Washington, and Miami all have relatively new parks.

If only Clay and ERod could pitch well enough to round out the 4/5 slots. They both have #2 potential, so it's not asking that much, is it?

I'm still on the fence about Farrell. I don't think that he's that bad in terms of in game decisions. However, the number of underperformances and the degree of those underperformances over the past 2 1/2 years leads me to question the coaching staff, namely Farrell. He is reported to be well-liked and respected by his players, yet there seems to be some disconnect when it comes to players playing to their potential.

I do not disagree at all. I don't think ERA is worthless, by any means. I often use it myself, as I did in this discussion of Price. However, Price's 4.34 ERA is somewhat misleading in terms of how effectively he has pitched. All I'm saying is that it's not the best measure of how well a pitcher has performed.

That is the worst combination EVER. How is that even possible?

I really don't know how the parks are chosen. Teams make bids and the commissioner's office decides, but I don't know what the decision is based on. I'm sure it comes down to money.

Ha. Good quote, but now I'm left wondering who the poster is that went crazy. I have a good idea.

It's a terrible week in terms of baseball. They really should consult us before making such decisions.

LOL It is usually depressing to wake up and realize it's only Thursday and not Friday, baseball or no baseball. Unless you're off for the summer.

The main idea is that much of what happens after the pitcher makes his pitch is out of the pitcher's control, be it due to luck or to the team playing behind him. Therefore, ERA is not the best measure of how good a pitcher is. DIP stats like xFIP and Sierra do a better job of predicting future ERA than actual ERA does.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for some baseball. #Boredom