Hugh2

https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/06/04/sticky-stuff-is-the-new-steroids-daily-cover Looks like the Sox are some of the largest beneficiaries of increased spin rate. Makes you wonder how many of these guys are junking up their balls, it would certainly explain the pitching staff shattering expectations. If this is true, it could also mean the Sox staff stands to be hurt the most if the crack down on this and it sounds like they will start doing so any day now. Maybe I'm wrong, but if I'm not....makes one want to cash in now.

Not as high as ours.

I did some research on this the other day. Gerrit Cole led the majors in innings pitched back in 2019, rewind 20 years Cole would have have ranked 22nd.

especially the second half. Koji's Whip (without looking it up) was something like .325 in the second half. He walked ONE guy after the all star break, he threw 89 and no one could touch him. I loved the 2013 season.

Rivera may be the gold standard for closers, he may hold the title of greatest closer of all time for a while, but nobody ever had a season like Koji in 2013. He was absolutely dominant, it was absurd how unhittable and consistent he was.

Bello just got promoted to Portland

Whitlock is a very rare case. They're in a situation where they have to keep him on the big league team because he's a rule 5 guy but they also have to be careful with him because he just recently had Tommy John. Right now, I think they care more about him being on a starter's schedule as best as possible. They're not exactly stretching him out but they're usually getting at least an inning plus from him, the one-out appearance was rare yesterday. I'm not sure if they plan on ramping him up later in the year, or if they want to save him for a playoff run where they feel confident in using him out of the pen more. It's a good problem to have because of his talent level, but the downside is it either leaves us a pitcher short in the pen or a bat short on the bench and we've seen that seesaw all year. I really hope Whitlock pans out, develops, and exceeds ALL expecations. I hope he's pitching 200 innings and winning Cy-Youngs and we can go shove that in all the Yankees fans faces. But, we'll probably have to wait a year for that to happen.

I don't think the plan changed with Whitlock. It's not as if starters sit around for 4 days doing nothing, they do throw. Physiologically there's not harm in throwing a guy out there to steal an out. I have mixed feelings on the issue because you see how good Whitlock could be in the pen and how valuable that could be this year. But, if you think he's a starter, you stick to the plan. At least, that's my opinion.

Oh it's not a fact, we can never know, that is a permutation that we will never see played out nut I would believe someone if they came from a parallel universe and told me we lose to LA without David Price

I remember some people making the argument for price getting the world series MVP. He was good in the ALCS and the World series that year. I think it's a fair statement to say David Price was a large part of that world series win and we might not have won it without him.

So there's a chance for Whitlock.

Baseball can be a weird game. Sawamura would be mine too. Lets hope the Sox don't screw this up and give the W to someone on the other side of the ball.

This. We needed this thread.

I'm aware that Pivetta can't get the win but the official scorer can decide who is more deserving of the win, which is usually not the guy who gets the 15th out and only the 15th out.

It's starting to look like we will get some Valdez/Workman/Taylor action tonight. Get very excited folks.

So I guess I kind of am fully endorsing it, I was trying to have my cake and eat it too.

That's what I'm thinking, Sox have Whitlock on a plan, and pitching him for an inning or more would break that plan and likely make him unavailable for the Houston series. They got a cheap quick out, and he will be good to go in a day or two in Houston.

Not fully endorsing the Whitlock pull but I'm guessing Coras line of thinking is he gets 1 out and saves him for the Houston series.

I'd imagine the official scorer is not going to give Whitlock the win.

This is how baseball is played nowadays, teams utilize relief pitching more. The days of the 200 IP are over. That comes with saying that having a guy who can go 8-9 every once in a while and save the pen would be valued on this team.

I don’t think those are bad trades at all. I might be a little reluctant to trade Downs for an outfielder. We don’t have a 2nd baseman in our future anytime soon if it isn’t Downs. I can see Duran inserting himself into left with Verdugo/renfroe in center/right. Not that Duran/Mullins/Verdugo wouldn’t be a nice outfield either I just want to upgrade 2nd first. More than one way to skin a cat I suppose.

I can live with a guy or two like that in my lineup if the defense is good and the rest of the lineup is good. Problem is, the Sox have 3 #9 hitters right now. The first 1/2 of the lineup is as good as anything else out there though.

I can live with a guy or two like that in my lineup if the defense is good and the rest of the lineup is good. Problem is, the Sox have 3 #9 hitters right now. The first 1/2 of the lineup is as good as anything else out there though.

Must be a bust. Maybe we can trade him for two bags of baseballs.

Sometimes sitting makes you a little rusty. I can see a team coming off a five-game series getting into a bullpen game one and doing some damage against some rust.