PitchatRisktoZisk

Don't tell that to Seby.

That was the 2020 "using Covid to cover up gutting the Ops department" move after the season that never really happened.

Cease was dominant when he was calling his own pitches. Got in a rhythm and threw strikes. Now with Grandal "in charge", he looks lost. Can someone explain why they went away from Cease calling his own game? And please don't tell me it was because Pitch Com kept falling off his glove.

God I can't stand Grandal. He singlehandedly has turned this game around. Had a guy picked off 1st and couldn't make a throw. Then he calls for a fastball 1st pitch to Buxton. Cost us 3 runs. Brilliant. I thought Cease looked unhittable in his 1st couple of starts when he was calling his own pitches. Does anyone know why they changed to Grandal calling pitches? And now a butchered passed ball. This guy was the worst waste of a long term deal (other than Kuechel) in recent history. Yeesh.

We have an off day on Monday with the Twins coming in for 3 games. It is the perfect timing for Hahn to grow a set and resign. JR won't fire him, so have some pride and walk away.

The fact that Merkin (mouthpiece) immediately says it was a manager's decision tells me this is Pedro sending a message. The fact that Luis has been standing in the dugout ever since reinforces it. Effect? We will probably be running hard to 1st as we lead the league again in ground ball rate.

He is in a total funk at the plate, going something like 3 for 37. He hasn't seen a fastball in the strike zone in a week and keeps fishing for breaking balls a foot off the plate. Either sacrifice a live chicken in the locker room or sit him for a couple of days to get his head right. I don't see disinterest......I see a guy in a hitting funk that needs to break out.

None of this really matters. Every other franchise that tanks and rebuilds knows you can't trade for all the pieces necessary to win a WS. At some point you have to fill in a couple of spots with big time free agents to complete the team. JR will never allow a Harper/Machado/Soto level contract so the "rebuild" is DOA before it ever starts. We're screwed.

And here I thought Brooks was a solid guy. He sucks too. If I have a choice of believing Jason or ANYBODY in the WS organization, I'm going with Jason all day long.

Spring Training is next month and there's been no word on either Jason or Steve. This from a franchise in the 3rd largest media market. What a joke.

What an utter and complete garbage move. Allow your new manager and staff to run their camp without the "ghost of Christmas past" to pollute the well. Total bush league move by JR.

After watching what real teams with owners that give a $hit do to improve their teams, is anyone still surprised these chicken $hits canceled SoxFest? They would get eviscerated by EVERYONE. As long as JR owns this team, "mired in mediocrity" is the ceiling. If Portland hadn't passed on Michael, this stiff would have been run out of town on a rail 30 years ago.

Would you prefer a) the exception that proves the rule or b) even a broken clock is right twice a day......or in the Sox case once in 42 years of JR ownership?

But wait, I'm confused. Is this the type of move a team in a "multiple championship window" makes? Oh, I forgot. Jerry still owns the team. He sabotaged the whole thing by a) letting Hahn run the rebuild, b) forcing LaRussa on the organization, and c) taking his chips off the table from windfall media and sponsorship deals while cutting payroll. I'm an idiot. Wait until I give them an earful at SoxFest. WHAT?!? I'm out of here.

Does JR still own the team? We'll trade major league contracts (Liam) for marginal minor leaguers..... and like it!

Maybe?!? I think it's the first line on his resume.

I'm sure despite the odds he'll pick the wrong guy(s) and give away too much for them.

Gee, I wonder which way Jerry will be counting it? ?

Where do we send the "thank you" card?

This. Grifol was the guy the Royals analytics people went to and said "please convince Ned (Yost) to look at this stuff, it's critical". Grifol poured over the data, added a lot to it, and then convinced Yost to look it over. Grifol IS an an analytics guy that was stuck in a backwards organization. He sees the value of analytics and blends it with all the other tools. To poo poo him because he came from the Royals is shortsighted, imho.

Yup

In that case someone should mention that to DVS so he can ammend his story.

I thought the option on Pollock was a player's option? If it is truly a club option, write the buyout check NOW!!!

Interesting insights, thank you! Now I think I'll go drive MY car off a cliff! Seriously, I can't say many of the quotes surprise me. That said, having spent time in both public and private companies, many of those quotes could have come from any of those places as well. Hopefully hiring Grifol and (supposedly) letting him hire his coaches is a step in the right direction.

This. Detroit could not pass on Hinch. I have some people that I trust in the Royals organization. They were sure they were losing him in 2020. When Detroit picked Hinch, the Royals gave Grifol a substantial raise to keep him on the bench. Once Dayton Moore got fired, the Royals were committed to let Picollo go outside the organization for his first hire. They STILL wanted Grifol as their bench coach, but certainly weren't going to stand in his way to get the Sox job. And before we $hit all over the Royals organization, they've been to and won a WS far more recently than the Sox.