The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

[amherstblackbear]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

i dont think either of those homeruns were fastballs.. looked like a bad changeup then a bad slider. though you could argue that a 91 mph changeup is still a fastball!

Busted.

I was watching the Bruins when he served up those gophers. I'm just not a Bard fan. His control is poor, his fastball overrated, and his changeup ranges from barely serviceable to pointless (when he's throwing it 91-92).

The kid can throw, but he needs a lot of work before he can pitch.

[CLS]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

Quite the weekend.

If I hadn't been pizzed off because I had already wasted a fine Saturday afternoon watching the Bruins debacle, and because the Sox blew a chance to move into first place, I would have found Saturday's game very entertaining. Haven't seen an inning like that since my son stopped playing coach-pitch baseball.

Nice to see Wake have a good game.

[amherstblackbear]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

Bard strikes again.

After blowing 70% (7 of 10) of his save opportunities last season, you had to figure this year would be better.

And it is. After tonight, he's still 100% (blown 2 of 2).

Please, Francona. Figure this out. If you're playing the Cubs, fine. But if your opponent's record is > .500, Bard is not your setup guy.

[ScottK]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

I thought everyone wanted Bard to be the closer last year and move Papelbon to be the setup guy?

[CLS]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

I thought everyone wanted Bard to be the closer last year and move Papelbon to be the setup guy?

Nah, "everyone" wanted to trade Papelbon or let him walk, because we have Bard and Jenks.

[amherstblackbear]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

I'm definitely not everyone.

[amherstblackbear]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

Time to maybe work Crawford back up in the order?

April: 15 for 97 (.155)
May (thru 5/26): 32 for 96 (.333)

[CLS]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

Time to maybe work Crawford back up in the order?

April: 15 for 97 (.155)
May (thru 5/26): 32 for 96 (.333)

Yeah, the simple thing would be to flip him and Drew (when JD returns), but I'd like to see him moved to 5. Having him on base could create havoc with the Ortiz shift, and Papi wouldn't be clogging the bases.

[ScottK]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

Time to maybe work Crawford back up in the order?

April: 15 for 97 (.155)
May (thru 5/26): 32 for 96 (.333)

The team in general, and Crawford specifically, are doing quite well right now, so why change things up?

[amherstblackbear]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

I see your point, but . . . change is inevitable. I mean, the team that did so well the last couple days had Drew Sutton and Josh Reddick in the lineup.

Not to mention that Crawford's 2 big days happened after he was bumped from 8th to 6th. The team was already doing well, and those changes didn't exactly bring things to a screeching halt.

I'm just wondering if Francona might want to get Crawford more ABs now that the worst of the slump seems to be behind him. I guess going from 8th to 6th is a start...

[ScottK]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

I see your point, but . . . change is inevitable. I mean, the team that did so well the last couple days had Drew Sutton and Josh Reddick in the lineup.

Not to mention that Crawford's 2 big days happened after he was bumped from 8th to 6th. The team was already doing well, and those changes didn't exactly bring things to a screeching halt.

I'm just wondering if Francona might want to get Crawford more ABs now that the worst of the slump seems to be behind him. I guess going from 8th to 6th is a start...

Ellsbury
Pedroia (when healthy)
Gonzalez
Youkilis
Ortiz

Which one do you really want to move out of the Top 5 of the lineup?

[amherstblackbear]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

If Crawford is dialed in, I'd rather see him hit in front of Ortiz than behind him.

ETA

It *is* a tough call. They're too loaded on lefties. Francona could go back to the beginning of the year lineup, but Gonzalez has been so productive, it would be hard to put him back to #5. Which leaves only one other way to put Crawford in the top-3 -- batting Youk 5th. That's a hard decision, too. (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Crawford, Gonzalez, Youk, Ortiz). Whichever way you choose, there's no getting around the fact that 4 of the top 6 hitters are lefties. There will be back-to-back lefties any way you cut it.

Barring injuries, suspensions, etc, which could "solve" the problem, I guess I'd be willing to go with Crawford batting 5th and Ortiz 6th. The benefit of that lineup (or last night's) is that you keep the left-right alternation up through the top 5 spots. As opposed to having consecutive lefties in the middle of the top 6 (ex: 3-Crawford, 4-Gonzalez).

Adrian Gonzalez could solve all of this by just learning to hit right-handed.

[Scarlet]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

With all the hoopla about the Bruins, it's kind of hard to miss that the Red Sox have woken up this morning........in. First. Place.

[joecct]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

Well poop, tonights game is PPD and they'll play a day/nite tomorrow. However the E$PN contract prohibits those of us outside the Boston DMA from watching the night game.

In the small world department. An exerpt from tomorrow's baseball notes in the Globe:

Kaline was very close to Harmon Killebrew and spoke about the loss of his old friend and contemporary. Kaline is one of the classiest men to ever wear a uniform. I mention in tomorrow's Sunday Baseball Notes about the meeting his granddaughter had with Mike Yastrzemski, Carl's grandson. The two kids of these Hall of Famers are students at Vanderbilt University.

[CLS]

Re: The 2011 Boston Red Sox: This Space for Rent

With all the hoopla about the Bruins, it's kind of hard to miss that the Red Sox have woken up this morning........in. First. Place.

A great day for Boston sports. Sox with a big lead before the hockey game started. Great hockey game. Wake up to find the Mariners rallied.

The way they're playing, the last thing they want is a rainout.