Old Red

I don’t know when I said I was fine with Cora coming back, but I think it was before the playoff run, and it might even been during those last 9 games of the regular season when things wasn’t going so good, we’ve gone back, and fourth so many times I’m not sure. Sale was in a different situation coming off TJ with the kid gloves treatment, and i wasn’t singling Houck out with the inconsistent comment, but only because it was talked about him being in the rotation next year. With all the ups, and downs of the regular season you could say the team itself was inconsistent, but right now they are winning, so most everything looks good. I like stats, and read all of yours, but I just think all the analytics they use today is going way overboard. Like I said before it is always nice to go back, and fourth with you.

We’ve already gone over the Cora thing many times, and just because I wouldn’t have hired him back that doesn’t mean I don’t like him, and certainly don’t hate him. Would you say the same thing about Cora if he had come back, and managed the Yankees instead? I would have said the same thing about anybody in that situation. There is a hoody down at Foxboro I would say the same thing about.Getting back to Cora like I said before the players like him, and play for him, and I’m fine with him coming back. Now you are right on about me, and the state of baseball, and how the game is played. To me if a starter can’t go 6 innings he’s useless, and when starters are pulled, because something might happen if they face a batter for a third time is just crazy like EO against the Yankees, because he gave up a slow bouncer to SS he had to come out, and the best example was Snell in the WS last year. Openers to start games, and bringing in a different pitcher every inning is not baseball to me. I said Sale was babied, because who he pitched against for the most part, and not how many innings he threw. I don’t think 2 times through the order is the only thing on why a pitcher doesn’t do as well, but also the amount of pitchers thrown through 5 innings.

You didn’t finish the sentence after you said shoot me. You followed with you’ve been ranting about babying STARTERS for a while. You didn’t say Sale you said STARTERS, so where is the lie? Like I said if you could have found where I said Houck was babied you would have used it in a second.Come on man.

The point is you are always putting words in my mouth like hating Cora, and babying Houck. That’s what you do, and if it had been out there that I said Houck was babied you would have used it in a second, and you know you would have. I never said you said Houck was the best starter I just asked you if he was, and where you had him ranked. Once again you are injecting words into a conversation. The only starter I said was babied was Sale, but you said starters, so once again you inject things that aren’t there. All I’m saying if you disagree with my opinion know what my opinion is first, and most of the time you don’t. You just make things up.

Are you saying that Houck is the best starter on the team with your stats. And if not where does he rank? You still haven’t showed me where I said Houck was babied? Think maybe, because it didn’t happen, but you just want to throw it in there. You can disagree with my opinion all the time, which you usually do, but at least know what my opinion is before you do it. I keep using the hate analogy, because you assumed something to fit your analogy just like you are doing with Houck that I didn’t even want him in the bullpen, but yet I agreed with you about trying him as a closer. If saying someone is inconsistent under your interpretation then I guess I,’m guilty, but under my interpretation I’m not, and like I said you are not the Judge, and jury for anything. Once again that you haven’t answered where did I say Houck was babied?

Once again you are wrong, and I did not criticize you for slotting Houck as the closer next year. What I said was you had Houck penciled in the bullpen next year That’s all I said, and as a matter of fact I like the idea of Houck being the closer, so once again over analyzing. You keep talking that Houck had the best stats as a starter, but how many wins did he have? A few wins would have been nice. Just like you used hate to fit your narrative you did the same with bad mouthing. Houck even when he is on is only good for 4-5 innings, and that why I think that is more suited for the pen. That is not bad mouthing. You still haven’t showed where I said Houck was babied, so where is it. You show it, and I’ll admit I was wrong. Glad you are not the judge, and jury, or the interpreter for everyone.

If saying someone is inconsistent, and that is called bad mouthing then Houston we have a problem. And where does it say that I don’t trust him in the bullpen next year?Where did I say that? And where does it say I said Houck was babied? You have lied about me before when you said I hated Cora, which was 100% not true just because I mentioned his cheating scandal. You over analyzing things, and because of people like you there are people like me to strike a balance, and keep an even keel. You said earlier that Cora has made less mistake than any other manager in baseball. How do you know that? Over analyzing, and having a crystal ball too. Must be nice.

Who is bad mouthing Houck?? You had had him penciled in the bullpen next year, and you said adding both Houck, and Whitlock into the rotation next year would be like adding 1 pitcher, and not 2, and 150 innings, and all I said was it would be risky counting on him to be a full time starter next year, so like I asked who is bad mouthing Houck?

He was taken out of the rotation before the regular season ended. I’m very well aware he pitched game 161, and what he did. I like Houck, but all I said was it would be risky to count on him as one of your starters next year. He was inconsistent as a starter this year (stats anybody), and hasn’t thrown that many innings in a year, which is the same as Whitlock.

I was was talking about him being a starter, and not what he’s done out of the bullpen. Seems to me he got taken out of the rotation cause he was doing so good. Seriously.

We can get 2 Schwaber’s? Wow this is getting more expensive by the minute, and hilarious too, because then we’d have to give out 2 lifetime contracts.

Let’s sign him to a lifetime contract too.

This we agree on.

Like I said before the bar is set pretty damm low if you’re giving credit for making a routine play, and them hamming it up for the crowd. It won’t be so funny when he makes a big error in a critical moment.

I think you would be taking a big risk to go into next season counting on Houck, who was very inconsistent this year at best, and Whitlock who has never thrown more than 73 innings, and who knows what Sale will look like next year. Just because that would be the cheapest way doesn’t mean it’s the best way.

There will also be players getting raises next year namely Raffy, and even Renfroe could be in for a boost, so it’s quite as simple as that.

I keep on saying I just don’t see the infatuation with Schwaber. I have said this before that he is not a run producer, and is not a hitter in JD’s category, who hit for power, and average. Not the JD at the present even though he almost had 100 RBI again. Schwaber can hit as many homers, but he has only been above 71 RBI once in his career, and his high BA has been 266, and no he always hasn’t batted lead off. Someone on here wanted to give him a lifetime contract. Whoa pump the brakes. Of all the great players that have played for the Red Sox through the years, and this is the guy that should get a lifetime contract. He is no Babe Ruth, and shouldn’t be payed like one, nor is he a JD, and doesn’t deserve that kind of contract.

I would like to see Bogey stay, but you can’t overpay for him, and if his situation isn’t addressed this winter, and wait till next winter then that can put you in a big hole especially if he just walks, and you get nothing for him. Pitching has always been a problem, and a need, and probably always will. Nobody knows what Sale will look like next year, and if E Rod isn’t resigned, and EO is up after next year, so those are many holes to fill, and if nothing from below then it will get real expensive.

We’ve talked about this before, but before you worry about any of this you have to know what’s going to happen with JD, Bogey, and Raffy. You make valid points, but to me you have to take care of these 3 issues first, before you go on to all the other issues. I still say JD stays, and won’t get traded. Either you extend Bogey now, and if he doesn’t take it then trade him instead of letting him walk out the door for nothing. Then with Raffy you extend him now, and not for any 10+ year contract, because if you don’t do it now then it will be to expensive later. To me things things have to be worked out, before all the other things you mentioned.

I’m not the one rating him, and just said that he won’t be as highly rated after this year. That’s how it works. If you do good your stock goes up, and if you do bad your stock will go down.

Dumbrowski gave up lots of prospects in his many deals. How many have turned out to be good players outside of Moncada?Prospects are just that prospects until proven they are good major league players. Right now Duran is only a prospect, and so is Casas for that matter. Many times they are overrated, and don’t turn out at all.

I think Jeter Downs stock has taken a big turn downward after this season.

Schwaber made a good toss on a ROUTINE play. Boy the standards are really low of what we praise. I’ll keep saying that you can only play someone where they don’t belong so long before you get burned in a big situation.

The Yankees didn’t pay much for Rizzo, so it wasn’t that, and I think the Yankees just beat the Sox to the punch, so it’s just speculating that the cost for Rizzo was to high just as it is that Schwaber is a after thought. Like I said let’s just agree that it all worked out.

Look I already said it all worked out, and I’m glad it did. I don’t think Schwaber was the first option, and that is why I say after thought. Let’s remember that Dalbec was having trouble catching the ball too, and Rizzo is an excellent defensive 1B. Schwaber was not free either.