If I heard correctly, they're about to debate whether or not a sweep at the hands of the Yankees this weekend would "end the Red Sox season". *sigh* it never fails to amaze me how much people over-analyze the beginning of the season.
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If I heard correctly, they're about to debate whether or not a sweep at the hands of the Yankees this weekend would "end the Red Sox season". *sigh* it never fails to amaze me how much people over-analyze the beginning of the season.
It's not like the Red Sox lack the talent to rip off an 18-2 run and get right back into the race or anything, but hey Chicken Littles are everywhere. Especially at the beginning of the season, when everyone's favourite pastime is to stretch completely meaningless sample sizes like 9 games over an entire 162 game season. Anyone else here think Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, KC, Pittsburgh, or San Diego stand a ghost of a chance of making the playoffs this year? Maybe one of those six teams shocks the world and gets in, but that's probably it.Quote:
Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG
9 games isn't completely meaningless.Quote:
Originally Posted by actionjackson
Most people had the Red Sox pegged for 95ish wins on the season; that's a .586 winning percentage.
After going 0 - 9 if the Red Sox are still a .586 team they'd be on pace to win (162-9)*(.586) 90 games. 90 wins is a lot less likely to make the playoffs than 95 wins are.
http://www.coolstandings.com/cs2/cha...tats_s_BOS.jpg
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...nic-in-boston/Quote:
Originally Posted by filihok
In other words, the first week of the season shouldn't change our assessment of the team's talent level, but it should change our assessment of the team's final record.
Thats what she said
John Lackey vs. Bartolo Colon.
Oh the humanity
Lackey sporting the always popular 17+ ERA. Lackey vs Teix is the mouthbreater duel I've waited my whole life for.
lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Alloutwar
I f'ing hate Lackey. I was not happy with that signing when it first happened, and he hasn't done much to dispel my negativity about him.
The Yankees bought a time machine and got the right Batolo Colon instead of the other one.
So maybe what they did is they took the bad one and brought him back to the past and brought the good one back with them. So therefore the bad one is actually from the future and has yet to pitch except in the past! TIME PARADOX.Quote:
Originally Posted by OregonDuck1989
Question: Why is John Lackey still in the game?
Answer: So A-Rod can piss on his 90 MPH weak fastball
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/1362599_02bcdea730.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by OregonDuck1989
My sympathies. Looks like "Giggleman" is on pace to make Sparky "Captain Hook" Anderson look like a 19th century manager. Last year, "Giggleman" went to his bullpen 494 times, which was the 7th most in the NL behind Pittsburgh, Colorado, Houston, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Milwaukee. The league average number of relievers used per game was 3.00, and the Nats led by their fearless leader checked in at 3.05, so right around league average and middle of the pack.Quote:
Originally Posted by CCamels73
This year's league average number of relievers used per game so far (keeping in mind that a little less than 4% of the schedule is done) is 3.21. The Nats and Marlins lead the league with a whopping 24 relievers used in 6 games, or 4.00/game. The next highest team is the Houston Astros at 3.50 relievers per game. If any team should be leading the league in relievers/game, it's Houston with the 8.22 ERA that their SP are currently sporting, which includes the 2.03 ERA that Brett Myers has in 2 starts.
"Giggleman"'s pulls the first time through the (so far) 4-man rotation were, in a word, bizarre. The only reason Spring Training lasts six weeks is to build up starting pitchers arms. There is no other reason for it to be that long. The way he was yanking people though, you would think that they still had two more starts left in Spring Training, rather than it being the first time through the rotation in the regular season.
1st game: Livan Hernandez goes 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, and had only thrown 77 pitches when Riggleman inexplicably removed him with one out and a runner on 1st trailing 2-0. Even more baffling is that the pitcher's spot was due up 4th in the bottom of the 7th. He should've been able to finish the 7th inning at least, and if the Nats went 1-2-3 in the 7th, he could've probably finished the 8th as well. We're talking about Livan "rubber arm" f***ing Hernandez here, not some young phenom whose arm you're coddling in order to look after his long term best interests (Oops, bit late for that ;) ). He's thrown 125 or more pitches in a game 72 times in his career, and 150 or more 3 times. He's probably only good for 100-110 at this point in his career, but he's just about a mortal lock for 30 GS and 200 IP every year. That's the definition of an innings eater, AKA a bullpen saver.
The next game was even more bizarre, as John Lannan went 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, and threw just 68 pitches before being replaced by Chad f***ing Gaudin to start the 6th inning. Yes, that Chad Gaudin, who makes scouts drool and managers cry. Mike Rizzo's going to have to get rid of Gaudin because it appears Riggleman can't help himself and keeps going to him. Did I mention that the pitcher's spot was due up 2nd in the bottom of the 6th and that the Nats led Atlanta 4-1 at the time? He could've gotten 7 innings out of him that day. Brutal.
The next day was not as bad, but it wasn't great either. Jordan Zimmermann went 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 0 HR and left trailing 3-1, having thrown 84 pitches. The pitcher's spot was due up 6th in the bottom of the seventh, so he probably could've gotten another inning out of him.
Off to Florida, home of Edwin Rodriguez, AKA the other "Captain Hook". Be prepared bullpens. In the first game Jason Marquis went 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, and left the game leading 2-1, with 1 out and a runner at third, having thrown 78 pitches. The pitcher's spot was due up 2nd in the top of the 8th, so I don't see any need for this pull either. Let him finish the inning for cryin' out loud. By my count that's 5.1 IP in four games that could've been given to the starters, that went instead to the bullpen.
When you get four efficient, effective starts in a row like this, you shouldn't be loading up on the bullpen so much because you'll need to load up on them soon enough when the starters aren't as efficient or effective, like what happened in games 5 and 6 of the season, when Riggleman correctly pulled Hernandez and Lannan after 5.0 IP each. That 5.1 IP that went to the bullpen instead of the starters doesn't sound like a lot, but over the course of a 162 game season, it can add up. It was completely unnecessary, and very poor bullpen management.
The present Bartolo Colon found his way to the mound for the 5th.
http://www.greatdreams.com/war/black_hole.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG
thanks for the rip in the universe jerk
and AJ... gotta be shorter and less lines... people here cant read long blocks of text... it confuses people like MT