Don't fret when the Sox don't sweep

[retro1983hat]

Ouch!

I remember that game against the Yanks. I believe that Cotts pitched that day. The Sox went up in the first inning and then the Yanks just teed off. I assume that if we win the first two against the Twins in September and we are only 2 games up at the time, Ozzie will do what he can to sweep. Hopefully.

[BobDylan]

It's a good point. I just want this team to go for the kill when it has the chance.

But Ozzie doesn't always do it.

In Game 3 at Wrigley, he did put his best line up out there behind BMac. Hopefully our B team can get a sweep soon.

 

He did it because BMac was out there. Plain and simple. Any of the other four pitchers wouldn't have had the same treatment.

[Balta1701]

He did it because BMac was out there. Plain and simple. Any of the other four pitchers wouldn't have had the same treatment.

 

Maybe he did it a little because he knows how big the Cubs series is for the fans?

[WilliamTell]

This is a great thread and I do agree with it. We need to get the backup guys playing time, it helps with team chemistry, keeps them from being rusty, and gives the regular guys a days rest.

[Wedge]

Not necessarily with the line-ups, but an example of good short-term/poor long-term bullpen management can be seen with the 2004 Yankees. The team went 101-61 and won their division by 3 games. They "won the wildcard" by finishing 10 games better than the As. Through the stretch run, Joe Torres had a limited bullpen in that only Quantril, Gordon, and Rivera, which he relied heavily on. While managing to win 101 games, by the end of the regular season, Quantril was basically dead and couldn't pitch effectively, giving the Yankees basically a 2-man pen (if you recall, they had to put Loiaza out there in extra innings). In their historic 3-0 to 4-3 loss of the ALCS, the Yankees lost in the late innings (Rivera gave up the game-tying runs in games 4 and 5), followed by strong outings by Schilling and Lowe. We can either attribute games 4 and 5 as two of the most amazing clutch performances by the Red Sox over one of the most dominant post-season closers in MLB history, or we can attribute this to a tired bullpen.

 

I think we can learn a lesson from over-using a bullpen during the regular season from the 2004 Yankees.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

It's a good point. I just want this team to go for the kill when it has the chance.

But Ozzie doesn't always do it.

In Game 3 at Wrigley, he did put his best line up out there behind BMac. Hopefully our B team can get a sweep soon.

 

 

If Oz would rotate in one bench player a game Id like it a lot better than if he just threw out the crap Sunday lineup every few days. I think our chances of winning would be a lot better in that situation.

[ChWRoCk2]

If Oz would rotate in one bench player a game Id like it a lot better than if he just threw out the crap Sunday lineup every few days.  I think our chances of winning would be a lot better in that situation.

i wouldnt mind seeing ozuna replace uribe once in a while

 

or uribe moving to third to give crede a breather and having harris play, or having the normal lineup and take out spod for timo once in a while

[robin_ventura_eternal]

Great post jugs.  I agree.  My only hope is that Timo gets sent down so when we play the bench guys they actually play like professional baseball players.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

HEY, whats wrong with Timo??! Did he not win that game in the 9th against the LAAA (LA angels of anaheim, haha, what a gay name) just a few games ago?? Be fortunate for Timo, he's a great utility player, don't take him for granted. I remember another game at the beginning of the season that he won with a clutch pinch hit earlier in the season, too. Timo's better than other team's utility players by far, I think. I can't even name another team's utility player (then again i'm extremely biased to the sox). Except chone figgins playing right feild against us in the cell and he dropped a fly ball that eventually cost them the victory. name a better utility man.

[SnB]

HEY, whats wrong with Timo??! Did he not win that game in the 9th against the LAAA (LA angels of anaheim, haha, what a gay name) just a few games ago?? Be fortunate for Timo, he's a great utility player, don't take him for granted. I remember another game at the beginning of the season that he won with a clutch pinch hit earlier in the season, too. Timo's better than other team's utility players by far, I think. I can't even name another team's utility player (then again i'm extremely biased to the sox). Except chone figgins playing right feild against us in the cell and he dropped a fly ball that eventually cost them the victory. name a better utility man.

 

you can always tell a new guy because he says something nice about timo.

 

timo has a few clutch hits this season to save his ass, but 95% of the time he's pure garbage.

[Milkman delivers]

HEY, whats wrong with Timo??! Did he not win that game in the 9th against the LAAA (LA angels of anaheim, haha, what a gay name) just a few games ago?? Be fortunate for Timo, he's a great utility player, don't take him for granted. I remember another game at the beginning of the season that he won with a clutch pinch hit earlier in the season, too. Timo's better than other team's utility players by far, I think. I can't even name another team's utility player (then again i'm extremely biased to the sox). Except chone figgins playing right feild against us in the cell and he dropped a fly ball that eventually cost them the victory. name a better utility man.

 

AAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

[nitetrain8601]

This is what I've always thought, but I've thought it's better if you mix and match everyday instead of getting mass substitutions in there.

[Balta1701]

HEY, whats wrong with Timo??! Did he not win that game in the 9th against the LAAA (LA angels of anaheim, haha, what a gay name) just a few games ago?? Be fortunate for Timo, he's a great utility player, don't take him for granted. I remember another game at the beginning of the season that he won with a clutch pinch hit earlier in the season, too. Timo's better than other team's utility players by far, I think. I can't even name another team's utility player (then again i'm extremely biased to the sox). Except chone figgins playing right feild against us in the cell and he dropped a fly ball that eventually cost them the victory. name a better utility man.

 

To be a "Utility" player, don't you have to be able to play some position other than the outfield without causing your team to lose the game?

 

Juan Uribe is a better Utility player. Pablo Ozuna is a better utility player.

[Balta1701]

This is what I've always thought, but I've thought it's better if you mix and match everyday instead of getting mass substitutions in there.

 

Well, let's think about it...which one would give you the chance to win more games...playing more of your subs on 1 day or spreading them out.

 

I would guess spreading them out would stand to cost you more...simply because any time you take a starter out of the game, you're taking a decently large step down in quality.

 

If you take several starters out at once...you hurt yourself for 1 game, and you free yourself to keep your best lineup in there all of the rest of the days.

[GoodAsGould]

you can always tell a new guy because he says something nice about timo.

 

timo has a few clutch hits this season to save his ass, but 95% of the time he's pure garbage.

 

 

actually timo was like 0 for 6 coming into that game in pinch hit situations so i very much doubt he has an earlier clutch pinch hit.

[SnB]

actually timo was like 0 for 6 coming into that game in pinch hit situations so i very much doubt he has an earlier clutch pinch hit.

i said "hits" not pinch hits.

but yeah, i agree with you.

I'll never forget a game i went to in april. I can't remember who they played, but i remember it was a contreras start.

All timo needed to do was hit it in the outfield, which would have brought the runner home from 3rd and won the game.

He struck out....

[GoodAsGould]

well I really meant to respond to the Robin_Ventura guy... yours was just the last one I read lol

[Yossarian]

If Oz would rotate in one bench player a game Id like it a lot better than if he just threw out the crap Sunday lineup every few days.  I think our chances of winning would be a lot better in that situation.

You're right, those "forfeit" lineups got to go.

[YASNY]

Well, let's think about it...which one would give you the chance to win more games...playing more of your subs on 1 day or spreading them out.

 

I would guess spreading them out would stand to cost you more...simply because any time you take a starter out of the game, you're taking a decently large step down in quality.

 

If you take several starters out at once...you hurt yourself for 1 game, and you free yourself to keep your best lineup in there all of the rest of the days.

 

If Ozzie altered the line up a little bit every game, then you'd never, or rarely, have a "set" line up. Guys get used to hitting in the same slot, and having the same guys hit in front of and behind them. Ozzie would also be accused of Jerry Manuel type tinkering if he did this, and it would be the same people screaming about the way he does things now.

 

As for the Durocher comment earlier in the thread .... That's exactly what Durocher did in 1969. He played the same 8 starters every day. By August 15th they were meat. No thanks. I'd keep everyone fresh and/or sharp, whatever the case may be.

[Yossarian]

If Ozzie altered the line up a little bit every game, then you'd never, or rarely, have a "set" line up.  Guys get used to hitting in the same slot, and having the same guys hit in front of and behind them.  Ozzie would also be accused of Jerry Manuel type tinkering if he did this, and it would be the same people screaming about the way he does things now. 

 

As for the Durocher comment earlier in the thread .... That's exactly what Durocher did in 1969.  He played the same 8 starters every day.  By August 15th they were meat.  No thanks.  I'd keep everyone fresh and/or sharp, whatever the case may be.

I remember 69 well. Durocher could be a good game day manager, but like everyone else he had his weaknesses. He loved Phil Regan and clearly overused him. Earlier in the year Durocher did well inserting Al Spangler, Willie Smith, and Paul Popovich in key situations and they came through for him. Jim Hickman became a late in his career star because Durocher little by little gave him a chance to play. The 69 Cubs just plain choked. I still don't like Ozzie's throw in the towel in the last game of a series lineups. There has to be a happy medium.

[DonkeyKongerko]

i said "hits" not pinch hits.

but yeah, i agree with you.

I'll never forget a game i went to in april.  I can't remember who they played, but i remember it was a contreras start. 

All timo needed to do was hit it in the outfield, which would have brought the runner home from 3rd and won the game.

He struck out....

 

I believe it was against Troy Percival at the Cell. We ended up losing that POS game too.

 

I would also prefer an 8 game lead in June. I say you play to win every game, I don't think Ozzie would do it any other way. His personnel management is questionable with regard to this.

[YASNY]

I remember 69 well. Durocher could be a good game day manager, but like everyone else he had his weaknesses. He loved Phil Regan and clearly overused him. Earlier in the year Durocher did well inserting Al Spangler, Willie Smith, and Paul Popovich in key situations and they came through for him. Jim Hickman became a late in his career star because Durocher little by little gave him a chance to play. The 69 Cubs just plain choked. I still don't like Ozzie's throw in the towel in the last game of a series lineups. There has to be a happy medium.

 

Choked or ran out of gas? In all honesty, probably a little of both.

[Yossarian]

Well here we go again. Won the first two. Wonder what the lineup will be tomorrow.

[DonkeyKongerko]

Ozuna IN

Widge IN

Timo IN

Everett IN?

[Wedge]

Ozuna IN

Widge IN

Timo IN

Everett IN?

 

 

Timo Perez, IN the axis of evil

[I-HATE-CREDE]

Someone should start a "Guess Guillens Goofy Game 3 Lineup" for tommorows contest.