Posted on 09/19/2005 7:21:17 AM PDT by ken5050
Good Monday morning, all you FReeper baseball fanatics....Two weeks left in the season, and just about everything is wide open...so let's begin...
Is it that bad? Nothing can be worse than the Four Train.
After a night game at Shea it is...imagine sardines from "A CLockwork Orange"..
'Stros just won..Braves blew a chance when they let Hudson hit with one one..man on third..and the Phils 3B made an incredible play on the next batter..
4-0 Phils, top of the 9th...folks..the NL EAST division is now up for grabs..Braves are imploding.
And it forces Tito to rely on Hansen, Papelbon, Delcarmen, which is probably a good thing.
Anyone know what we'll be able to do for the postseason roster in terms of injured pitcher exemptions and so forth?
As I understand the rules...injured pitchers are exempt from the normal post-season roster rules...You can bring up another pitcher anytime...but I don't think the pitcher replaced can return in the same series..
What?
They can use Mantei and Miller's spots and probably Foulke's slot as well.
They can use Mantei and Miller's spots and probably Foulke's slot as well.
With respect to yelling at him, he wasn't traded here, he chose to come to Boston. They love you when you win and get on your case when you stink or screw the pooch. Foulke would have gotten a lot of free space if he had been a bit less of an ass to the media and by extension the fans. He also could have gotten his knees worked on in the off season and been back in time for May/early June.
Faith no more
By Eric Wilbur, Boston.com Staff | September 22, 2005
Faith is a funny thing. The Red Sox implore you to have it in them. This despite the fact they don't even possess it in themselves.
Of all the pitchers Terry Francona could have gone to with two outs in the eighth last night with a runner on first -- Craig Hansen, Lenny DiNardo, Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Myers, Manny Delcarmen, Chad Bradford, Keith Foulke, Jeremi Gonzalez, and Chad Harville -- he elected to go with his closer, the same one who had allowed an eye-popping 56 percent of inherited runners to cross the plate.
Fifty-six percent. Over the past two months, or at least since Mike Timlin has assumed the role of full-time closer, it is a number that has been dissected and analyzed perhaps more than any other bullpen pitching statistic this season. And yet, when the situation called for a move, Francona ignored the numbers staring him in the face, and instead elected to go with the closer, who allowed three runs to score in a five-run inning for the Devil Rays. Tampa took two out of three, as the Red Sox fell into second place in the AL East and wild card races. So much for being an organization that depends on the numbers, right?
Yeah, yeah, smart guy, who would you go to in that situation? Despite a season-long tinkering by Theo Epstein, the bullpen remains the de facto issue holding this team back from October. If Foulke isn't coming into a 15-2 game, he certainly ain't coming into that situation last night. Bradford's been terrible lately, and can you imagine the season depending on the likes of Harville or Gonzalez? Heck, if it's me, with the season on the line, and it IS on the line, Delcarmen seems a pretty good option. Didn't Papelbon succeed brilliantly in a somewhat similar situation in Toronto? As for Hansen, well let's wait a bit more before you start sprucing up that wing in Cooperstown, OK?
The Sox want you to believe in them, but how easy is that to do when the team's manager doesn't believe in his bullpen arms? You do remember the last guy who showed a prevalent lack of faith in his 'pen, don't you?
Whether or not he has a valid reason not to is an entirely different topic. Should Francona have faith in the arms dealt him? Have you watched any baseball this season? This isn't a case of Grady Little refusing to go to the 'pen despite a trio of arms that had been nearly perfect for him in their playoff run. Francona's got two promising kids that he neglects to use, and another that many are going to be screaming for today despite the fact that he has pitched exactly one major league inning.
Other than that, the bullpen is the same disaster it has been since Day One. Why doesn't Francona show some semblance of faith in the kids? Good question. Why doesn't he show faith in the rest of the guys? Again, you have watched some baseball this year, right?
So, why are they there? Why are we all wasting our time talking about the likes of Papelbon and Delcarmen? Why should we care that Keith Foulke's changeup is "really getting better?" The manager quite obviously doesn't trust any one of them in that situation. Why should you? Kevin Millar wants you to relax, take a nice, deep shot of JD, and ride it out to the end, showing loyalty in these guys, belief that they'll get the job done and still make the playoffs. That's an easy one. Because they've proved so much toward that cause the past two weeks.
And what's the return on the faith they've provided? Apparently we should expect some miracle revival over the next 10 days, especially following today's off day, which we never thought they would quit whining about. Maybe that's why a $20 million ballplayer can't run out a simple ground ball. Too tired. Starting tomorrow, they have to play 10 games in 10 days, a stretch that will determine whether they are forced to play more or get to rest for the next six months. I hope the player's union approved such a strenuous streak.
Three with Baltimore. Four with Toronto. Three with (ahem) New York. That's it. That's what stands between the Red Sox playing an extra month, and awarding Foulke time to get back to Arizona faster than Public Enemy.
Mind you, this isn't a collapse by the Sox, but it's pretty darned near close to one. They just dropped two out of three to the last-place Devil Rays, three out of their last four overall, and eight of their last 14. Awesome. Manny Ramirez continues to ignore fundamental common sense, the bullpen stinks, Matt Clement is lost, Johnny Damon is all kinds of banged up, Curt Schilling is a box of chocolates, Foulke is not even a factor any longer, and Edgar Renteria fumbles more balls than Kevin Faulk. And a mole in the Red Sox organization dared to call Nomar Garciaparra the worst fielding shortstop in the majors last season? Please.
Red Sox baseball. Don't forget to register to purchase first-round tickets exclusively on redsox.com. Buy some grass while you're there.
And please, stop, stop, stop, with comparisons to how the 2000 Yankees struggled down the stretch or how last year's Red Sox proved nothing was impossible. Contrary to what the National Weather Service is threatening, history does not always repeat itself. To depend upon it is even more obtuse.
Are they done, a mere half-game out of first place, one game out of the wild card hunt? Let's see what they bring in Baltimore over the weekend before we make any such professions. If it's more of the same as we saw in Tampa, next week will be no more than a chance to enjoy baseball in the Hub for one more week, no matter the standings. With pitching like this, it's a wonder they have 88 wins, never mind the 95 it's likely going to take to pull this thing out.
So, there you have it. The bright and cheery among us still have their eyes on a division title, spouting catchphrases and history as reason enough that they'll get the job done, watching 2004 DVDs more than 2005 games. "Keep the Faith. They'll do it again."
Um, no, they won't.
"You have to believe."
Tell that to their manager. Because it's quite obvious he doesn't believe in what he's been dealt by Epstein and Co. Why should you either?
I heard that we get the exceptions only for guys before the deadline like Mantei.
If a guy was eligible for the post season and he goes on the D.L. then it is my understanding that you can replace his slot.
You have convinced me...that, and the fact that the weather is beautiful, and it will my LAST chance..
Good choice.
On another note, I just bought a DVD recorder for under $100. Gonna use it for post season games. Save them for posterity.
My ladyfriend is an absolute Cards nut (worse than me) so I'll give her copies of all the Cards playoff and hopefully WS games. She'll 'Go Crazy Folks' (in the immortal words of Jack Buck.. may he rest in peace).
Yankees win again tonight 7-6 after being up 7-1. The offense is there, the starting pitching has been good but their middle relief is in rough shape. Rivera and Gordon are a good combo but a championship team needs more than 2 guys to carry the load.
Yep, we heard the actual audio last weekend on WEEI of Keith Foulke making this statement. Also how he loves hockey more than baseball, how he hates Boston and the fans, and can't wait to move out, yada, yada, yada... Don't let the door hit ya on the way out, Keith!
Will do, but we have no plans to go there for awhile. Possibly not until next CPAC?
Dammit, Baltimore!!!! I turned the game off in disgust when the **Y went up 7-1 and now I log to FR to see that the O's almost pulled it off....
GRRRRRRRR.......
Chen gave up 2 homers tonight to Posada and that was difference. Musina looked sharp for his 80 pitches and showed no signs of rust. Leiter let the O's back in the game.
We actually had tickets to Orioles vs Yankees tonight (cheap tix, seats not together) but didn't go. To be honest, I've had MORE than my share of Yankee Stadium (and a certain contingent of its fans) this season. Someday when I have more time I may elaborate on our experience with these "classy" Yankee fans. (Many are just fine, to be fair)
We'll be leaving here early tomorrow AM for the trip down to Baltimore to see the limping Red Sox (Fri and Sat games), so I can't do the usual late-night thing on FR tonight, unfortunately.
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