CaliSoxFanViaSWside

Not suggesting anything about a platoon of Engel and Hamilton. Just suggesting it's time for Vaughn to start getting some hits or he will be back in the minors when Engel comes back or Hamilton or Lamb DFA, not sure which will happen.

Oh this is set up nicely . Engel conveniently comes back just as the minor league season starts. One more week for Vaughn to do something noteworthy.

I like it TBPA+ . Let 'er rip and let's see the results. Might want to put catchers interference in it too even though you won't find that On base stat anywhere but some guys naturally let the ball travel deeper and get those calls more often ( Tommy LaStella, Jacoby Ellsbury).

And considering how often the Sox as a team have struck out so far with men in scoring position with less than 2 outs when just a ground ball or fly ball scores a run you might think that making contact would be a skill that we should like a little more. If a sacrifice fly does not go on the hitter's record as an out why is a groundout with a runner on third that scores the run count as an out . They accomplish the same thing yet one reduces the hitter B.A. and other stats and the other one doesn't ? Plus a ground ball is more likely to lead to an error more often than a routine fly ball that scores a run. Of course shallow fly balls and groundouts to the pitcher aren't good but at least when the ball is in play sometimes weird things happen, a lot more than K's leads to strange occurrences. How many times do we see pitchers make poor throws to 1st ? When I watch the condensed games on the MLB app the Sox aren't alone in fielding miscues, bobbled balls, bad routes, dropped balls ,poor throws and errors. We saw a play in which Vaughn got a hit on a high chopper when if the SS takes his time and makes and accurate throw he gets Vaughn by a full step or more. I think in the same series (Cleveland) the official scorer gave an error on some bad throw that would have been much closer. It might have been a slow roller by Mercedes. It's a lot harder play charging a slow roller, bare handing it and making an accurate throw sidearm while bent over than it is to wait for a high chopper to come down while running towards 1st and just a short accurate toss to get the out.

And if Cease has 3 games in a row where he looks like he has turned the corner while Dunn gets hit hard in 3 in a row, then the actors become quite dramatic once more in the Soxtalk production of SSS Theater.

Ok so I used a bigger sample size than 8 games so if we want to use a smaller one in his last 6 games he is hitting .292 .583 Slg. and .875 OPS . If you want to use a sample size between the last 6 games and his last 11 (15 days) days to prove your point so be it if you only want to use BA as your only stat which would be unlike you.

Yea Madrigal and Robert are hitting well and they are in the bottom third but Timmy and Eaton are doing well also so not sure what you do. Tim, Eaton, Robert, Moncada , Abreu, Mercedes, Grandal , Madrigal, Vaughn . I know it's strange for Vaughn to be at the bottom but if you want a hit or contact against a RHP with a guy in scoring position I'd go with Madrigal.

Seems a bit strange to be playing him at 1st base but I suggested he play 1st probably 2.5 years ago on here when he was still playing in Winston-Salem. Hope he doesn't cost the Sox any runs there. Abreu needs a rest.

I'm not sure "who the guy we thought he was" is. Over the last 2 weeks he's got a .280 BA, around a .545 SLG and .850 OPS. He's been carrying the load while Abreu, Grandal and Moncada slump without Eloy and when Tim was out. Plus we lost another good bat against lefties with McCann and he has been way better than EE. He still leads the team in many offensive categories. Against RHP in the last 15 days he is 3rd in BA behind Madrigal and Robert . He's 1st in SLG. ( wouldn't exactly call that weak contact) and 2nd to Eaton in OPS. Hopefully when some of the others start to hit Yermin can continue just at his current clip which should be good for no worse than 6th in the batting order.

It's not the nature of baseball anymore to expect deep starts. I'd guess half the games so far the starters have gone 5 or less. That means a lot of BP usage. Long season after a short season already lost Fry and Cordero , Lynn on the IL . I prefer the kid glove treatment, there's a long way to go.

Hmm it says the back end of that April 23rd home stand. Interesting. Kind of coincides with the start of the minor league season if true. So if true, I have to think that if that's when Engel is coming back it's also when Vaughn is being sent down so Vaughn's got about 10 days to show more than he has even though Lamb and Hamilton might take some of his AB's.

Yea your stance on Vaughn kind of shocked me. Normally we think a lot alike. I was really surprised so many wanted him to play every day and thought he was going to get an extension before the season started. I was pummeled on here for going the opposite way on both.

April 30th ? Last I saw was the start of the next home stand April 23rd . Where did u see 30th ?

It's 8 AM baseball here !

Funny thing is I liked Hawk a lot and I like Jason too. He's very quick witted and even makes Stone laugh which seems pretty hard to do. I don't even care that they sing. People like to sing and it's just once a game. If it helps keep Nationwide as a big sponsor great !

Yea a few people didn't like that he seemed farther away from the plate but I actually did. If he is too close to the plate he's chasing outside pitches off the plate. You back him off the plate and those pitches look too far away to swing at. Also closer to the plate and you get jammed too. Ideally you want Robert extending his arms and getting the sweet spot on the pitches. It forces him to use CF and RF more while still using his quick bat to turn on pitches on the inner half and down the middle. You have seen him using right and right center a lot more . And right now we need hits and contact from him.

Yea nice heckling when you're about to get swept and down 5-1. I would've been chanting 5 to 1, 5 to 1 and double header sweep, double header sweep right back at him.

Wahhhh ! Maybe you haven't seen a bunch of people lately questioning Vaughn in the lineup so maybe not so idiotic.

Robert, Mercedes, and Vaughn all going deep . Not just 1 HR prediction but 3 !

Its the 1 out with RISP that really sucks. I guessing the Sox have about a 50% K rate in those situations when just a ball in play is usually needed..

Au contraire !

Pretty difficult in a 7 inning game.

You win !

SURPRISE !

Hopefully there's spaghetti in the clubhouse to get some carbs between games.