Eminor3rd

QUOTE (hi8is @ May 6, 2016 -> 08:59 PM) I don't think they'll have Sale do it If I know anything about Chris Sale it's that he'll do whatever hell he wants to do and it won't really matter whether or not it's a good decision. His "emotional judgement" doesn't seem to be the strongest.

Guys I've never seen that look on Abreu's face before and it's been there a long time now.

QUOTE (shysocks @ May 4, 2016 -> 08:45 AM) They only have like 5 games' worth of a sample, but the Red Sox are last in the AL against LHP by a wide margin. Link In other words we shoulda given Danks that start. Ahh but how do they rank vs. a pitching machine? Because Dnaks is closer to that than a typical LHP at this point

Great work, Lip.

QUOTE (shysocks @ May 2, 2016 -> 07:42 AM) I feel like this isn't the first time Sale has done this. Somebody help me out? He hits people on the back foot when they swing fairly regularly, but this is the first one to my knowledge that basically ended up in the center of the batter's body.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 29, 2016 -> 01:39 PM) I absolutely hate this line of thinking. They're already 0-4 in his starts, and in 3 of them he gave them no chance to win. He's pretty much one of the 3 worst pitchers in baseball over the last 4 seasons. We've seen too many seasons derailed over the past twenty years due to incompetent number 5 starters. +1

Johnny Danks Batting Practice ™

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 28, 2016 -> 11:53 AM) I'd argue that over the past few years, I learned one thing about those teams, our defense was atrocious. It had nothing to do with a defensive slump, it had to do with us having a lot of really bad defenders. That's true, but it's separate from my point. For example, Alexei Ramirez and Adam Eaton are capable fielders who have had prolonged streaks of excellence and prolonged streaks of bone-headedness. I wasn't trying to say that the Sox have lost because of slumping, I'm just trying to say that defense can totally slump and we've seen it.

Small pet peeve, not to take away from the overall message, but: I hate when people say "fielding doesn't slump." It absolutely slumps, and it's hard to believe that anyone who has watched the Sox regularly the past few seasons doesn't know that.

Awww, Danks

http://gfycat.com/SlimArcticGreatargus

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Apr 21, 2016 -> 03:25 PM) Danks actually pitched decent but the offense remains putrid. Updated numbers: In 10 out of the 16 games played, Sox have scored three runs or less (62.5%) Have now lost three games when holding opponents to three runs or less. Garcia needs to go away now to Charlotte. He's brutal. Mark Danks pitched like crap, defense made a bunch of plays, balls got hit at defenders, and he got 4 DPs. Absolutely brutal to get that kind of luck and not be able to score enough runs.

Gotta be patient here

God forbid anyone ever be on base.

God damn it

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 21, 2016 -> 12:59 PM) In this game: two struggling offenses make two terrible pitchers look adequate. You get the sense that the other shoe is going to fall at any moment.

Basically, a Danks start is like 6 rounds of Russian Roulette. Dudes are gonna be on base, the ball is going to get hit hard. How many times in a row can it be hit right at an infielder? Enough to give the bullpen a chance to win?

Danks is trash at this point. I hate to say it. He has to air it out to touch 89, and it costs him all his control.

Weaver throws like 75 mph now. I've gotta believe he's going to start getting hammered. Might as well be today.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Apr 15, 2016 -> 11:17 PM) Austin Jackson improved 2 positions defensively. Eaton's a pretty nifty RF. I was thinking the same thing tonight on several occasions.

QUOTE (daggins @ Apr 15, 2016 -> 08:41 PM) Chris wants that CY. He can taste it. He'll have to outpitch Matt Albers.

If this wasn't a hard pass before the shoulder injury, it absolutely is now.

Haha

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Apr 14, 2016 -> 10:06 AM) Let's not pretend that Avi hasn't shown flashes in the past to show that maybe we shouldn't write him off at 24 years old. I think people forget how young he still is. He also had a fairly major injury that really hampered his development. From the time the Sox acquired him until his injury he had a .298/.332/.450 slash with 162 game averages of 23 HRs and 81 RBIs over roughly 200 PAs as a 22 year old. Sure he had a bad year last year but I'm not ready to write him off. Last year everyone thought Trayce Thompson was going to be our savior. Apparently everyone forgets that TT is older than Avi and put up an OPS that was 200 points less than what Avi did in AAA. TT is a plus defender and baserunner. That cherry-picked slash line doesn't float when it's attached to one of the worst corner OF defenders in the majors. I really don't know that he HAS shown flashes of anything. He's had a good game here and there, sure, but there's been no significant stretch of time where he's been even above replacement level. I get that he's athletic and has upside -- we all do -- but the reason this thread was started isn't because of a bad 8-game stretch, it's because of a bad 250-game stretch.