oldtimer

Electronics can be used as a tool to help the umpire get the call right. When a tool comes along to enhance accuracy why not use it? Right now the umpire's calls are bing scored against the electronics, so why not just go with them?

Brasier has been a real find. Excellent addition to the pen.

We have Devers back tonight I think. Hope he didn't go bananas overeating while laid up. We also have Kinsler and Swihart days away and Sale reportedly available by the Baltimore series. That will make this team even more formidable. I like the idea of a lineup with no holes. Makes it extremely hard on the opposing pitching.

You sound kind of like my wife, who was a college math professor before she retired. The analytical approach and I agree with you. It probably was the right move but not a no-brainer.

The era of electronic strike and ball calling is coming and soon. One could put an ear plug in the umpire or place a vibrator in his hand and have it feed back calls to him while he stands behind the plate to handle other issues like tipped balls, etc. I tend to be old school, but when I see umpires with variability behinnd the plate and when the electronics have progressed to where they are now, it can only help the game. On another note related note, stats are kept but don't seem to be readily available regarding hitters taking called strike three. JBJ did it in the last inning for instance. Called strike three volume doesn't necessarily relate to win percentage as the Sox took a bunch and still won the world series. I do think a hitter with a large number of called strike threes doesn't see the pitches well and maybe doesn't know his strike zone. Certainly some called strike threes are on overly generous calls by the umpire, but one would think that would average out in a similar way for all hitters so a guy who has a lot of called strike threes has a problem picking up pitches. I looked at a list from 2013 ande noticed Napoli was high on the list of called strike thees for 2013. That's the only reference I could find.

All good points and Kimmi assures me that all the many variables are accounted for in the analysis that indicates one has to be successful more than 70% of the time to make the steal a viable threat. I liked it more wehen everything wasn't broken down to numbers.

There has been a long drought between the last Beni HR as he continues to hit mainly to left and center. He had one against Baltimore that he golfed over the fence, but it was taken away due to the rain out. I still would like to see him pull some of the inside pitches.

Starting Pom and Johnson is not exactly putting our strongest foot forward.

I'm [rpbably from your dad's generation and I remember Dom Dimaggio as being an excellent CF for the Sox. Not the big hitter but very viable.

I had to hit the hay last night due to an early softball game this morning and thought the Sox had about a 10% chance of winning facing a tough Yankee BP. Something like the meltdown which happened with Champman had to occur to givve us a chance and we were fortunate that it did. I went to bed thinking the decisions made or not made in the 7th had lost our opportunity to win. Those decisions. 1. Cora might have shifted to our normal outfield to strengthen our defense (and probably weaken our offense) at the start of the 7th. The problem is that the Sox bench is pretty light right now with Renza, JBJ and the catcher. I can certainly understand Cora not making that decision. 2. Price was up in pitches and had been missing spots set up by Leon. It might have been reasonable to pull him at the start of the 7th but Cora decided to let him pitch to Gardner lefty on lefty. Garner got a hit that Mookie might have gotten to. Then Cora let him pitch to one more and that was in my opinion not the best idea with Price issuing a walk and putting the team in trouble with 2 on and none out. 3. Cora and the coaches went to Hembree. Relief pitchers generally have a couple of pitches they get get over and that are hard to hit. The situation which arose was on Hembree and what I saw as a lack of situational awareness. He had the bottom of the order up who wanted to bunt. The last things a relief pitcher wants to do in that case is balk, hit the batter, throw a wild pitch or lastly walk the batter. A bunt moves the runners but produces an out, much better than giving up the walk as the team can then walk the lead off batter and set up the double play. The worst thing happened when Bogaerts made an error on a double play ball following the walk but sometimes those things happen. Amazingly after that mess the Sox were gifted the opportunity to get back in and win the game. It must be our year.

I disagree. With a day off tomorrow and our BP not used much in the last two games, 6 innings by Price should have been enough. Trying to push Price longer, when his control was getting worse was not a smart thing to do, although Hembree wasn't the answer either. It didn't work out so we move on for the next series.

I thought Cora left a tiring Price in one batter too long. Hembree has his problems at times under pressure. Coming in with 2 on and a 1 run lead is a pressure situation, but he was ahead in the count and whatever he was thinking, he made the cardinal sin of walking the 9 hitter to put up the Yankees best in Hicks. The error by Bogaerts compounded the issue and the game was out of hand. Another hit and a sac fly and it was 4 to 1. With the Yankee BP, the game that we had a god chance of winning is now a less than 10% chance. Lot of unfortunate decisions, pitching and field play in one inning. Good start by Price and now he probably will lose this one.

I know someone in the Cardinal's organization that swears that Pujols was older than reported by several years. They were glad to see him go!

The runners don't usually run on their own but are sent. Therefore, when they are caught stealing is it on the manager or the player? Now stealing to avoid a double play can be a good thing and that has to be considered as well as putting the player into scoring position when they can either be moved to 3rd on an out or score on a single. My view is that is more complicated than just making an out versus stealing a base. Even the pitcher is impacted when the steal occurs as now he is less likely to throw for a ground ball that can move the runner. Don't know if anyone has attempted to review the many aspects of stealing and hit and run versus hanging at 1st base.

The Yankees look like they will continue to lose a significant amount of games during August. If the Sox continue to win series against weaker teams and at least split with the stronger teams, I don't see the Yankees gaining on us in the standings. Id E-Rod gets back and pitches well, the our starters will be rock solid. I am assuming Eovaldi keeps his momentum going forward.

I still like the idea of setting a budget for the team, in the form of a pay pyramid with the most valuable guys at the top but with an eye on paying all the players. If you pay enormous amounts for one or two players that takes away from what can be paid to the more journeyman types, who nevertheless contribute to the team. The league really sets the total amount available and assuming the big market teams will be willing to pay that much, then the distribution among the players can be argued, but clearly has to leave enough to get quality supporting players. As far as the length of time allowed for a contract, I see it as dependent upon the age of the player. Most players start to decline in their early 30's and by their mid 30's the change in capability becomes evident. Then their are injuries which haunt the careers of most players. Pitchers are in a special category as few of them are still able to produce into their later 30's so the risk goes up. Most pitchers also incur injuries so are more fragile. I would set the 10 year limit on the absolute star who is 25 or 26. Between 27 and 30 I would go with 7 or 8 years, just over 30 5 years and 33 up maybe 2 or 3 years as an upper limit. Historically, we will be carrying Pedey for a few years, perhaps as a reward for his long and valuable service. Panda was a mistake and Price might turn out to become a burden. If we lose a guy when staying within reasonable guidelines it is too bad, but remember, other teams are accepting the risk that management sets as being too high for us to accept. In the long run, being prudent should work out the best.

What Cora seems to bring to the table, in addition to new coaches, is the point of view of being aggressive at the plate and on the base paths. Maybe that also translates into a different morale on the team. That cannot really be inferred although is possible. I saw Farrell as passive during the game and jokingly referred to him as the standing Bhudda. Both Cora and Farrell had/have their questionable decisions but the results for both have been/are good.

We are aggressive on the base paths and that may explain why we have more hamstring issues than most teams. Nothing like accelerating between bases to strain ones hamstring.

There is always a danger of replacing a pitcher who is doing very well with a guy out of the BP. One would think a closer is fairly safe but we have seen even Kimbrel seems to let his nerves get to him. What a downer it would have been had Kimbrel given up a HR to Bird. Still,, Cora has done very well with the team using these approaches.

Wonderful pickups, all three and Theeee Yankees lose, Theeee Yankees lose!

That you are crude and stupid is self evident. From now on, I will ignore any message that you choose to befoul this site with.

Exactly the reaction I would expect from you!

Just because you reply in BOLD script doesn't mean it makes sense. Putting 1/5 of your available luxury tax salary money into one of your 25 players doesn't make a lot of sense.

We have had a run on hamstring injuries. Maybe Devers will be back from his while Swihart is on the Dl with one and now Kinsler may have strained his stealing second. We are getting unlucky with these injuries.

Great pitching, better defense and timely hitting. 2 in the books and now the Yankees face humiliation.