Red Sox and other Major League Baseball

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Astros vs Yanks will be an all out war !!!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

The Nats...quite a story. Their starting pitching keeps this up, who would have thought they could be WS bound?

One out away from elimination......who woulda thunk it?

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

If the Yankees and Tanaka flame out tonight, this could be a short series, or at least it won't go more than 6 games. Kind of surprised Boone is starting Tanaka over Paxton...Paxton imo gives the Yanks their best chance to win, and game 1 is a must win imo.

Having Verlander and Cole pitching games 2 and 3 means an 0-3 hole staring them in the face.

A Yankee win means at least 6 games....or 7.

If they can't find a way to finally win a game at Houston, then it's wait till next year.

And sign Cole lol. Pay him whatever he wants...the guy's amazing.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 4 years ago

You were saying...?

Tanaka's post season record is outstanding, every decision these guys make is based on analytics. For better or worse.

In Game 1 thought he yanked Tanaka too quickly, but it all worked out in the end.
In Game 2 thought he yanked Green too quickly, and we ran out of bullpen depth so had to trot JA Happ out there who eventually gave up the walk off.

One thing is certain, and is a fan's best friend, hindsight is 20/20.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

They had a golden opportunity to go up 2-0 and even if Cole shuts them down in game 3, they imo would have had a great chance to win the series without going back to Houston.

Now it's going to make it a LOT tougher. Correa's play in the top of the 6th was the difference...if he doesn't anticipate that ball bouncing off the 2nd baseman, the run scores and likely it's 2 games to none.

Yankees do not win the close ones on the road. Houston's bullpen was a surprise.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 4 years ago

It's the postseason. Even aces have bad games because they're usually going up against a Top 5 lineup multiple times. I think people tend to remember the Arizona run with Johnson and Schilling, but that's more of an outlier than the norm, even if you have two pitchers of their quality. I still think Houston is the favorite, but the advantage is probably like 55 to 60 percent in every round, vs. the near-certain win percentages in the NBA. (The NCAA finals and football can also have a lot of variance, because they're one-and-done, although I imagine the individual game percentage for a win is higher than baseball.)

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 4 years ago

Yanks were playing with house money last night, weren't going to take 2 in a row in Houston they are way too tough. Got a W there which is great for confidence if they have to go back. Possible rain out Wednesday would help Yanks and give bullpen some rest. To me Verlander is the scarier of the 2 because he has done it before. Cole has been dynamite but he got shelled at Fenway last ALCS and until he comes into a raucous Yankee Stadium and shuts us down he is still an unknown postseason commodity regardless of the in season stats he has put up. Best scenario for Yanks was to come home with the opportunity to not ever go back to Houston, that remains a possibility.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑4 years ago It's the postseason. Even aces have bad games because they're usually going up against a Top 5 lineup multiple times. I think people tend to remember the Arizona run with Johnson and Schilling, but that's more of an outlier than the norm, even if you have two pitchers of their quality. I still think Houston is the favorite, but the advantage is probably like 55 to 60 percent in every round, vs. the near-certain win percentages in the NBA. (The NCAA finals and football can also have a lot of variance, because they're one-and-done, although I imagine the individual game percentage for a win is higher than baseball.)

Speaking of the Big Schill.... here's to hoping the Sox sign him up to the pitching coach spot.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

I don’t think he wants to coach ??

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

reef wrote: ↑4 years ago I don’t think he wants to coach ??

? heard the opposite on the radio the other day....

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

Not sure if getting a new pitching coach is the answer for the Red Sox.

This season they had no closer, injuries to their best pitchers Sale and Price, and a guy [Porcello] who is Cy Young quality one year, and batting practice pitcher the next.

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Imagine where they would have been, if Rodriguez didn't have the year he had.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 4 years ago

rambone 78 wrote: ↑4 years ago Not sure if getting a new pitching coach is the answer for the Red Sox.

This season they had no closer, injuries to their best pitchers Sale and Price, and a guy [Porcello] who is Cy Young quality one year, and batting practice pitcher the next.

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Imagine where they would have been, if Rodriguez didn't have the year he had.

And Devers, Vasquez, Xander, Holt......all had excellent years
Martinez solid too

But Too many underachievers - especially with the starting pitching

Cora first among the underachievers. Too many clueless managerial decisions.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

Devers and Bogearts? Devers imo was the best player on the team this season, offensively at least. Going to have a huge career.

I mean the top 5 of the batting order was the best in baseball bar none....but yes the bottom of the order plus the bench sucked.

And Cora....the best baseball mind in the universe last season....but a chump this season lol.

He pushed all the right buttons before...but now the buttons don't work.

Next season look for the Sox bench to stink again....they can't afford the quality backups anymore especially if they keep Martinez and Betts.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Yanks in a war right now

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

Yankees are not hitting with runners on base.....that's the difference so far.

If they are going to have a chance to win this series, winning the next 2 is mandatory.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Cole is a beast but tough to win that one but Chad Greene may get it done in Game 4

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Astros playing tough but will be tough to close Yanks out

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 4 years ago

Encarnacion has to hit - what happened to him?
Verlander could close it out the series tonight in NY.
Yankees losing 4 games to 1 would be a bad look for Yankee fans.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

Wait till next year. Bullpening doesn't work against a team as good as the Astros. Also the Astros staff is just too good.

Great pitching beats great hitting. Nothing new there.

Sign Cole and make a few other changes, and it's all good.

The Yanks will be contenders for the forseeable future.

However they need to make some changes in how they train their players.....was it a coincidence that so many of them got hurt this season?

Too many groin and oblique injuries....how many other teams had that problem?

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Tonight will be a war Yanks will grind out Verlander and Paxton should keep Yanks in it ???

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

Well they're still alive...and maybe they will win tonight to make a game 7.....but I give the Yanks very little chance of winning that game.

Yankees will kick themselves over losing game 2...and they had their chances in game 3.

UCH21377 · Unread post by **UCH21377** » 4 years ago

If they can get to game 7 there will be a lot of pressure on Cole and you never know what could happen.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

What a great game that was well played !!

World Series will be a war

ram1980 · Unread post by **ram1980** » 4 years ago

Yankees lose.. theeeeee Yankees lose.. bummer

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Astros are quite a heavy favorite over the Nats , I think they will win but it may go 6 or 7 ???

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 4 years ago

Houston with a disastrous 7th inning giving the Nats 6 runs. Now 8-2 Nationals bottom of 7th

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

How many regular season wins did Houston have ?? Surprised they lose 2 at home

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

That furniture salesman that bet 10 million on the Astros winning it all must be a little nervous right now lol...….

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 4 years ago

rambone 78 wrote: ↑4 years ago That furniture salesman that bet 10 million on the Astros winning it all must be a little nervous right now lol...….

Mattress Mack. Much like that guy in Boston, he also does a promotion where he gives away a bunch of mattresses if the Astros win the world series, so maybe the bet was a hedge of some sort?

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

I am sure he will be ok even though he bet 3.5 M

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Any thoughts on this Red Sox new GM ?? We likey or no ??

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

44 jacks given up by Verlander...that seems like a good sized pile

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 4 years ago

reef wrote: ↑4 years ago Any thoughts on this Red Sox new GM ?? We likey or no ??

I'm on board. I'm so much more a fan of the smart team-building that has been done over the time Chaim has been in Tampa than I am over the budget-busting, farm-raiding style of Dombrowski. I think pairing the quant aspects of the Rays approach with the Red Sox budget (albeit a smaller one in the coming years) should be a good recipe.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

It's good to have a Dombrowski breeze thru the program once in a while. I'm set for now, too, time to move on and it's been amazing what the Rays have done. Lived in the area for a while (5 years in St Pete and left the year they secured the team) and because of friends in he area and vacation preferences...have probably seen a ten to a dozen Sox-Rays games at the Trop in the last 5 years. Lot cheaper there than at Fenway (even w/airfare factored in

)

Hopefully, he gets the job done. The Rays not only have a different kind of player, but seems like different kinds of coaches, too. Should be interesting...I mean, a bachelor's degree in classics? Perfect...let's roll.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

I like the hire too seems like a well respected guy who will build up the farm system and keep the team competitive with the healthy payroll

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

1st time in sports history the road team has won every game through 6 games in a best of 7

Game 7 will be a war

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

Rooting for the Nats here......would be amazing if the road team were to win all 7 games.

Scherzer hopefully won't have any neck issues and pitches deep into the game.

This one truly is a tossup.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Great matchup 1st time 2 former CY Young’s square off in a game 7 ??

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

AJ Flinch. Unbelievable that he took Greinke out, he was pitching a gem. I'm thinking, if you are going to pitch Cole (and it seemed like he was ready to)...and you have the lead...you don't let anyone but the starter or Cole give up that lead. But what do I know...

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 4 years ago

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago AJ Flinch. Unbelievable that he took Greinke out, he was pitching a gem. I'm thinking, if you are going to pitch Cole (and it seemed like he was ready to)...and you have the lead...you don't let anyone but the starter or Cole give up that lead. But what do I know...

Eh, I've seen this criticism floating around, but Greinke's playoff ERA was around 5.40, and coming into the game people were thinking he was going to blow the game for them. It wasn't like he was -really- lights out when he was pulled - he had given up a HR and a walk, and he had three strikeouts, 49 strikes out of 80 pitches. He wasn't throwing a Big Unit or Pedro-like classic out there, he just hadn't been hit especially hard yet. I think Hinch thought, "This could get bad in a hurry," and it's not like Harris had been a scrub for the playoffs.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑4 years ago
NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago AJ Flinch. Unbelievable that he took Greinke out, he was pitching a gem. I'm thinking, if you are going to pitch Cole (and it seemed like he was ready to)...and you have the lead...you don't let anyone but the starter or Cole give up that lead. But what do I know...
Eh, I've seen this criticism floating around, but Greinke's playoff ERA was around 5.40, and coming into the game people were thinking he was going to blow the game for them. It wasn't like he was -really- lights out when he was pulled - he had given up a HR and a walk, and he had three strikeouts, 49 strikes out of 80 pitches. He wasn't throwing a Big Unit or Pedro-like classic out there, he just hadn't been hit especially hard yet. I think Hinch thought, "This could get bad in a hurry," and it's not like Harris had been a scrub for the playoffs.

I didn't think he'd make 5 before the game. But, he was pitching very well...and I still think, if you're going to use Cole AT ALL...and you have a lead in the 7th freaking inning...you don't give anyone else but Cole a chance to give up the lead in the last game of the season...

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 4 years ago

Cole couldn’t come in during the middle of the inning he would have needed to start an inning

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 4 years ago

reef wrote: ↑4 years ago Cole couldn’t come in during the middle of the inning he would have needed to start an inning

Why couldn’t Cole have come in?

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 4 years ago

NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago
SGreenwell wrote: ↑4 years ago
NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago AJ Flinch. Unbelievable that he took Greinke out, he was pitching a gem. I'm thinking, if you are going to pitch Cole (and it seemed like he was ready to)...and you have the lead...you don't let anyone but the starter or Cole give up that lead. But what do I know...
Eh, I've seen this criticism floating around, but Greinke's playoff ERA was around 5.40, and coming into the game people were thinking he was going to blow the game for them. It wasn't like he was -really- lights out when he was pulled - he had given up a HR and a walk, and he had three strikeouts, 49 strikes out of 80 pitches. He wasn't throwing a Big Unit or Pedro-like classic out there, he just hadn't been hit especially hard yet. I think Hinch thought, "This could get bad in a hurry," and it's not like Harris had been a scrub for the playoffs.
I didn't think he'd make 5 before the game. But, he was pitching very well...and I still think, if you're going to use Cole AT ALL...and you have a lead in the 7th freaking inning...you don't give anyone else but Cole a chance to give up the lead in the last game of the season...

Agree with you 208.
Either leave Grienke in the game or bring in Cy Young Award Candidate Cole
In the World Series, and especially Game 7, you go with your best. A shame Cole never got a chance. Took his Astros hat off as soon as the game was over and replaced it with a blank one as he heads to Free Agency.
Cole was the way to go.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑4 years ago
NYGFan_Section208 wrote: ↑4 years ago
SGreenwell wrote: ↑4 years ago

Eh, I've seen this criticism floating around, but Greinke's playoff ERA was around 5.40, and coming into the game people were thinking he was going to blow the game for them. It wasn't like he was -really- lights out when he was pulled - he had given up a HR and a walk, and he had three strikeouts, 49 strikes out of 80 pitches. He wasn't throwing a Big Unit or Pedro-like classic out there, he just hadn't been hit especially hard yet. I think Hinch thought, "This could get bad in a hurry," and it's not like Harris had been a scrub for the playoffs.
I didn't think he'd make 5 before the game. But, he was pitching very well...and I still think, if you're going to use Cole AT ALL...and you have a lead in the 7th freaking inning...you don't give anyone else but Cole a chance to give up the lead in the last game of the season...
Agree with you 208.
Either leave Grienke in the game or bring in Cy Young Award Candidate Cole
In the World Series, and especially Game 7, you go with your best. A shame Cole never got a chance. Took his Astros hat off as soon as the game was over and replaced it with a blank one as he heads to Free Agency.
Cole was the way to go.

I read that it was actually a Boras hat...not a blank one, but didn't see it

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 4 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑4 years ago
reef wrote: ↑4 years ago Cole couldn’t come in during the middle of the inning he would have needed to start an inning
Why couldn’t Cole have come in?

Hinch said he didn't want to bring him in mid-inning, because he's not used to pitching that way, being a starter.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 4 years ago

I stick by my opinion... It's Game 7 of the World Series..no one is used to anything - one has to buck up and stow away preferences like 'clean inning.' You can do it or you can't in that spot. And it doesn't matter if you never have done it before or you always did. Flinch overthought it. You can't lose the lead at that point with anyone other than Greinke or Cole. If he brings in Cole or leaves in Greinke and they lose...much easier to swallow. You're leading Game 7 of the World Series in the 7th inning by one run...no one at that point other than those two should be allowed to lose that lead.

Aside: I thought it was a fairly entertaining series to watch, unlike most of America

- third lowest rated? Was rooting for the Nats from the get go

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 4 years ago

SGreenwell wrote: ↑4 years ago
ramster wrote: ↑4 years ago
reef wrote: ↑4 years ago Cole couldn’t come in during the middle of the inning he would have needed to start an inning
Why couldn’t Cole have come in?
Hinch said he didn't want to bring him in mid-inning, because he's not used to pitching that way, being a starter.

That’s his story and he’s sticking with it but no way would I not bring Cole in whether there were no outs, 1 out or 2 outs. The World Series has a history of using anybody on the roster in a Game 7. I have never heard of a Manager not bringing in a pitcher part way through an inning. I have seen the great managers many times go to their bullpen for a Starting pitcher middle to late in a game.

Cole took off his Astros hat because he will be a free agent but he might very well been pissed at the managerial decision NOT to pitch him in Game 7.

Throw the traditional management book out the window when Game 7 comes around, there is no tomorrow.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 4 years ago

So now an ex player spilled the beans about the Astros stealing signs from 2017.....and are likely still doing it.....illegally....

Great stuff. Now I'm REALLY glad the Astros didn't win it all this year.

Of course MLB will probably pull an NCAA and do nothing about it...a fine will be laughable.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 4 years ago

rambone 78 wrote: ↑4 years ago So now an ex player spilled the beans about the Astros stealing signs from 2017.....and are likely still doing it.....illegally....

Great stuff. Now I'm REALLY glad the Astros didn't win it all this year.

Of course MLB will probably pull an NCAA and do nothing about it...a fine will be laughable.

My suspicion is that a bunch of teams are doing this, since (according to some other reports) the Red Sox and Yankees accused each other of the same thing in 2017. It wouldn't surprise me if, similar to tampering in the NBA a couple years ago, everyone gets a memo in the offseason saying to knock it off, and anyone caught after that gets a big ass fine.