S5Dewey

Regardless of how well he performs in the playoffs, here's a kid who is living the dream. He's barely 22 years old, less than a year and a half ago he was drafted, and later this week he's probably going to be playing in the ALDS. How can you not feel good for this kid?

When the Sox relegated Sandoval to the bench on opening day (before the shoulder issue became an issue) they were making the statement that having a huge salary didn't guarantee playing time. I can't help but wonder if that attitude will carry over into the playoffs.

Just to be clear, although I've been very vocal about my opinion regarding Kimbrel at the same time I'm not rooting for him to fail just so I can say I was right. I'd much rather see him succeed and have me be wrong.

Kimmy...did you just say that something is immeasurable through stats?

I'm not even sure that it's a good thing he's not down on himself. As you said, meh, a walk due to mechanical adjustments, cross up on signs, sac fly, not a bad outing. Well, I have a flash for him. That WAS a bad outing, and the one before it was too, and until he realizes that (a la David Price) I'd be very hesitant to put him out there again in any inning. Koji 4 Kloser

I think my disdain for Kimbrel is pretty well established here by now and if it's not you're not paying attention. :-) Max and I are apparently on the same page when it comes to the "quirks" some players have - we're old(er) school and think they have no place in baseball, whether it's Kimbrel's vulture-like look when he gets the sign, Rodney's cap on crooked, or Nomar's continually fiddling with his batting gloves. Just play the game, for Christ's sake! However, these same quirks that are endearing when the player is playing well become a target when the player isn't playing well. It's easier to be quiet about Kimbrel's or Nomar's quirks when they're playing well - although I NEVER liked Rodney and his cap. Ugh. And btw, I like the comment about 'not doing windows'. I fail to see how it can be said that Kimbrel didn't pitch well because it was a non-save situation without implying that "he doesn't do windows".

It's the sign of a potentially good team. It's also the sign of a team that can never actually put it all together. That team that played up to its potential went on an 11 game winning streak. That team that can never actually put it all together has now lost 2 of the last 3. Let's see which one shows up later this week. #Koji 4 Kloser

So...what are the thoughts on what Kimbrel's psyche might be knowing that there's someone warming when he takes the mound? Is it a motivator? Or does it lead him to a self-fulling prophecy that he may not be that good any more?

Interesting point! Just a couple of weeks ago we were all optimistically saying that if the Sox could just get into the playoffs, even as a WC team, "anything can happen!". Now that we've won the division and the right to call the Sox one of the best teams in the AL we're negatively saying that in the playoffs "anything can happen :(". Perspective is a wonderful thing.

Three points, and I'm not disagreeing with what your're saying, except for your last sentence. 1. Is it possible that you're viewpoint is colored by your never from opening day believing in this team? 2. This team has played well enough to win in these last two series, except for the closer. That needs to be changed, but it's not grounds to condemn the team to being done. 3. Baseball can be a game of streaks. Both winning streaks and losing streaks. I was thinking the same thing you were during the winning streak- that sometimes teams go flat after a streak like that. OTOH, they'd have some games to be flat in and then start playing well again. While the team isn't playing their best baseball at the moment they are playing well enough to beat the Yankees and Toronto other than, well, see my Point #1. They're not done. It's now either up to John Farrell to make (or be prepared to make) the necessary bullpen change or for the offense to go back to scoring enough runs to keep our closer out of the games. Either of those can happen.

As a point of comparison, I now have more faith in Buch as a starter than in Kimbrel as a closer.

Agreed. And that alternative will be hard to find. The Sox have shortened the game to six offensive innings for their opposition with Ziegler et.al. for the 7th, Koji for the 8th, and Kimbrel for the 9th. My solution (FWIW) is to give Kimbrel one more chance to get people out - in the 6th inning - and move the others back one inning. If he can't do the job in the 6th then he sits and Kelly takes his place. At this point I'm in it to win it. #Koji 4 Kloser

Something else that concerned me about Saturday night - the post game interview: Often times what a person says without knowing it tells a lot about the mindset. IIRC Kimbrel never used the word "I" in his talking about what happened. It was always "we". "We" have to figure out what's happening, "WE" have to make changes. "WE" will be working to solve this. Contrast that with what David Price said when he was going through his slump and was saying "I". "I" need to do better. "I" let my team down with what I did tonight. "I" need to figure this out. Right now Kimbrel isn't taking personal responsibility for his bad pitching. It's the team's issue. Until he can admit that it's his issue he hasn't the ultimate responsibility to solve the problem. Until he can take responsibility for six walks in two games he will imply that it's everyone's problem, and if it's everyone's problem it's no one's problem. Not even his - in his eyes. #Koji 4 Kloser

Proceeding with caution is something Farrell DID NOT do on Saturday night. To proceed with caution he would have had to have someone ready in case Kimbrel started walking people. Now, I know this would be insulting to 'Allegedly Fragile Craig' but we are now at a point in the season when we can't afford to let him "work his way through it". If JF hasn't the guts to tell Kimbrel that he's been replaced as the closer he should at the minimum have his Plan B ready. If Kimbrel is offended by having someone warming up when he takes the mound, well, it's time Kimbrel put on his big boy pants and realize the HE is the reason it's happening.

Farrell says he still has complete confidence in Kimbrel. That should send Kimbrel a message. THE WRONG MESSAGE.

He should have been pulled after the first walk, if only to send him a message.

This is nothing new. He hasn't been able to find the plate for a week. The only difference is that this time it bit him on the ass.

This is ridiculous. Once again Kimbrel can't find the plate. The difference is that this time it costs us the game. How can ANYONE defend this guy now?? Again I'll say again what I've been saying for days #Koji 4 Kloser. Koji can't do any worse.

yes, yes, yes, because, and are you ready for this?.... it has to pass the straight-face test in the court of public opinion. In this real world we live in the people making the selections are concerned about their own credibility and they know that since the general public puts a lot of weight on wins they kmow it's not out of reason that they would too. It's called CYA.

Let's just say that it looks a lot better in Baseball Reference than it does on the field.

He did. But not on the other three ball calls that got him into that mess to begin with. Those were balls.

I'm a Bill James disciple and James has always said that the best reliever shouldn't necessarily pitch the 9th. He should be used in spot situations to get important outs whether it's the 7th, 8th, or 9th. Of course I wouldn't want to bring OUR closer in during any situation with people on base because he can't be trusted to not walk people. If he's going to be the closer he NEEDS to start with a clean inning and that limits the Red Sox as to who else has to be used in the high leverage situations. Fortunately Zeigler and others have been up to the task, leaving Kimbrel to pick up the "all important" save even though someone else most likely saved the win. #Koji 4 Kloser

Same old same old. Two BB's, 1 WP but "he got the job done". Maybe his NOT getting the job done would be the best thing that could happen to this team in the long run. Koji 4 Kloser

That's true, so at the end of the day wins may be the deciding factor.

Another tightrope act. Ugh #Koji 4 Kloser