Maxbialystock

Ball game. All the damage done off that 88 mph fastball. I apologize for saying this in the 3d inning, but this Sox team ain't in a hitting mood.

Hill may be old at 42, but I like his numbers. Alexander's aren't too shabby either. First starts for both, so 80 pitch limit is likely, which means bullpens should be a factor. The Sox bullpen has been a big factor in all 4 games this season. The rotation has given up 11 ER's in 18.1 innings and the bullpen has given up 3 ER's in 17.2 innings. Missing are the 2 unearned runs in extra innings vs the Yankees. The Sox ERA of 3.60 is 12th best in MLB. The Sox OPS of .552 is ranked 28th in MLB. Time for moonslav to remind us the Sox still have 158 games to play.

Why so? He's 1 for freaking 8. Oh, wait. Hernandez, Arauz, Arroyo, JBJ, Plawecki, and Shaw are all hitless in April. So maybe you have a point.

A lot of good discussion, far more than I expected. So, thanks, everyone. About the Pirates. MLB is a big business, and the Pirates, however much their ownership may fail to even try to field to a contender, fulfill a vital function. They are one of 30 MLB teams and one of the oldest, going back to the 19th century. Even in last place seasons, they win roughly 4 of 10 games, so not even teams headed for 100 wins (and thereby win 6 of 10 games) can be sure of a sweep in a 3 or 4 game series. Thus, as a small market club (in the 68th largest city in the USA), do they get the residue of the luxury tax paid by the teams which can afford or simply prefer to spend large to get the best players money can buy. Speaking of spending large, I see the Phillies, now headed by Dave Dombrowski, have the 4th biggest payroll at $234M. I never liked Dombrowski, but don't remember griping too much about his spendthrift ways when the Sox ran away with the 2018 season and WS. In between the Pirates and the Phillies (and Yankees and Mets and Dodgers), is Chaim Bloom, who comes from a highly successful small market club (the intrepid Rays) and is now working for John Henry, who has supported big spending, but with some limits some times. I therefore love the discussion on another thread about Bloom's extension of Whitlock because several of you have pointed out that's the way Bloom prefers to acquire/keep players. I don't share George Will's politics, but I like his writing and believe he does truly love baseball. Plus I too have railed against robo-ump, against the dramatic and effective repositioning of fielders for each batter based on computer analysis, and against the unending kabuki movements of pitchers and hitters.

Interesting. I say that because there have been times when I thought just such a pitcher was needed. And tonight just might have been such a game because the Sox couldn't hit spit. So why prolong the agony? Send in Brasier to end it.

I watched all four games and think so far its's imply good pitching shutting down what should be good hitting. But I like the lineup and so far am reasonably happy with the pitching. I thought our staff pitched well today, but their staff was better. Same goes for the Yankees series.

Credit where it's due. I think Vazquez has caught/called one heckuva game today.

One thing Bloom and Cora should have done in the offseason was to dump JDM. Too old. Oh, wait a minute . . .

Well said!!!!

NOAA map shows rain in Detroit, but not all of Detroit.

I've watching Bull Durham on TV--about as entertaining. Nevertheless, while I'm dismayed at how easily Manning is setting our guys down, I'm encouraged that Wacha has given up just 1 run in 3 innings.

Good to have you back. Arauz still in for Story and Shaw is in for Dalbec. Sox down in order to Manning in the top of the first, and, as you can see, Wacha has control issues.

This guy Manning for the Tigers has nothing. Lucky popup and lucky K of Devers. Three outs in 9 pitches--meh.

First pitch strike (swung on) to Enrique. Followed quickly by popup 1st out.

40 minutes to game time.

Could someone please wake up jasonbay44? Lineup for today/night: Herndandez, Devers, Bogaerts, JDM, Verdugo, Vazquez, Shaw (1b), Arauz, Bradley. 4 lefty bats vs. Manning. Story still sick. Dalbec resting? Bradley back in RF. Vazquez moved up from 8th to 6th. Cards and then Mets castoff Wacha (WAR of -.6 last year) starting.

Good point about last year--nothing lost.

Great bump and fascinating discussion thereafter--thanks to everyone else. jacksoniamarch as usual pulls no punches, but was basically right, I think. When his fastball and that great curve were working, Barnes was astounding and well worth the extension. When a crack in his armor appeared, Barnes kind of folded, and here we are in April 2022 wondering whether he will ever make it back to that level. For the record, I was completely in favor of raising Barnes' salary and extending him 2 years. A bargain closer, I thought--and I was wrong. Overall, I hasten to add, I think Bloom and Cora did a great job last year fielding a competitive Sox team that beat the Yankees in the wild card playoff and the Rays (with their 100-62 record and +206 run differential) in the ALDS before finally going down to the Astros in the ALCS.

Money no, pay raise and extension, yes. That move was intended to establish Barnes as the once and future closer for the Sox because he sure seemed to have the same two nasty pitches--knuckle curve and over 95 mph fastball--that made Kimbrel successful. You don't think Bloom checked with Cora on what he thought of Barnes? I do agree Bloom comes from the Rays school of acquiring and developing players, which is not what Cora (or John Henry) is used to. So I am not saying that Bloom and Cora will always agree and am saying that Bloom is the guy who hired Cora and can fire him. Nevertheless, I doubt that Bloom extended that new contract offer to Barnes without asking Cora what he thought of Barnes.

Great way to put it, and I agree with both you and John Henry. One Dombrowski in the life of a ball club--or the life of its most successful owner--is enough.

Interesting. My view is that Whitlock has a far better repertoire than Houck, who basically throws three pitches--a slider, a fastball, and fastball that breaks down slightly. He either doesn't have or doesn't trust a curve or a changeup. Last night I thought Houck was close to the strike zone on a lot of balls. Right now I like the way Cora is managing his pitching staff. Whitlock can be a very valuable long reliever, including in the late innings. Houck has the experience starting, so I'm fine with him being in the rotation.

I'm simply assuming that Cora and Bloom talk about a lot of stuff and that the subject of the raise would have come up. It's Bloom's call, and I assume the only guy who might overrule him is John Henry. If you are suggesting Cora was against the raise, I disagree, but I also have no inside knowledge or other info on how Cora felt.

I misread spotrac and thought it showed $3M for one of the columns on Diekman. Today a relook confirms no $3M column.

Yep. But let's face it. When the owner or GM or whoever is evaluating their manager, his first consideration is wins and losses. In 2018 John Henry must have felt he had tapped into a gusher. 2019, not so much, followed by the 2020 suspension. But they rehired Cora for 2021, which proved to be confirmatory.

Meh. Your first point is completely fair and accurate. In defense of both Bloom and Cora, who jointly must have agreed on that pay raise, when Barnes had that great knuckle curve and over 95 mph fastball, he was really effective.