MLB 2012 Season

So do you think the Redsox are playing this badly on purpose? Could they hate Valentine that much?

After getting blown up for 7 ER in 2 1/3 IP Thursday, Josh Beckett now has an ERA of 5.97. A weird trend has developed since Beckett joined the Red Sox. In odd numbered years, he's been an All-Star and finished the year with an ERA below 4. In even numbered years, he has struggled, finishing the year with an ERA above 5 in both 2006 and 2010


Josh Beckett - ERA By Season with Red Sox
2006 5.01
2007 < 3.27
2008 4.03
2009 < 3.86
2010 5.78
2011 < 2.89
2012 5.97
> Made All-Star Team

Ez wrote:

So do you think the Redsox are playing this badly on purpose? Could they hate Valentine that much?

I think , as far as the pitching goes, that they miss tek, and they aren't comfortable with the latest new pitching coach. last year they had a new one, and now again this year. John farrell is the guy that all of these pitchers, minus a couple of new guys, had for years, and I thnk salty can't call a game to save his life, and that beckett has a hard time calling his own game. I know he uses shoppoach, but i don't think he's comfortable with him either that being said, i also think that alot of guys hate valentine and aren't willing to play for him

JJ wrote:

sigh....

don't mind us - we're losing

iwantmycrayons wrote:

Ez wrote:

So do you think the Redsox are playing this badly on purpose? Could they hate Valentine that much?

I think , as far as the pitching goes, that they miss tek, and they aren't comfortable with the latest new pitching coach. last year they had a new one, and now again this year. John farrell is the guy that all of these pitchers, minus a couple of new guys, had for years, and I thnk salty can't call a game to save his life, and that beckett has a hard time calling his own game. I know he uses shoppoach, but i don't think he's comfortable with him either that being said, i also think that alot of guys hate valentine and aren't willing to play for him

enough to destroy their own season? they should be thinking about themselves and their own reputations


We just had a bit of an overhaul over the last 2 days. We'll see if it improves anything. If nothing else, we'll see how major league ready our AAA pitchers are. Jobs are there for the taking

blondie wrote:

iwantmycrayons wrote:

Ez wrote:

So do you think the Redsox are playing this badly on purpose? Could they hate Valentine that much?

I think , as far as the pitching goes, that they miss tek, and they aren't comfortable with the latest new pitching coach. last year they had a new one, and now again this year. John farrell is the guy that all of these pitchers, minus a couple of new guys, had for years, and I thnk salty can't call a game to save his life, and that beckett has a hard time calling his own game. I know he uses shoppoach, but i don't think he's comfortable with him either that being said, i also think that alot of guys hate valentine and aren't willing to play for him

enough to destroy their own season? they should be thinking about themselves and their own reputations


We just had a bit of an overhaul over the last 2 days. We'll see if it improves anything. If nothing else, we'll see how major league ready our AAA pitchers are. Jobs are there for the taking

Not all of them, i'm sure there are quite a few players that are burning up inside trying to win games, but it's kinda hard when you get behind by 7 friggin runs in third inning every damn night. i have no doubt that a few players are looking for a way out, to get traded, whatever, to get a new start at this point.

its tough - losing leads just deflates the whole team. you can see it on their faces, and in their mannerisms as soon as it happens

blondie wrote:

its tough - losing leads just deflates the whole team. you can see it on their faces, and in their mannerisms as soon as it happens

they have 5 of the bottom 20 in the list of 53 starters eligible for the ERA award. they start at like 36, and the bottom 2 are beckett and Bucholz. I really think losing ellsbury hurt their attitude alot more than people think. but the pitching is just unbelievably bad. i knew they would not be great, but what is happening right now is atrocious. they have a 4-11 home record

iwantmycrayons wrote:

blondie wrote:

its tough - losing leads just deflates the whole team. you can see it on their faces, and in their mannerisms as soon as it happens

they have 5 of the bottom 20 in the list of 53 starters eligible for the ERA award. they start at like 36, and the bottom 2 are beckett and Bucholz. I really think losing ellsbury hurt their attitude alot more than people think. but the pitching is just unbelievably bad. i knew they would not be great, but what is happening right now is atrocious. they have a 4-11 home record

there's a lot of that going around

I didn't think losing Howard would be this bad - but it seems like they've just given up until he comes back. That's a lot of pressure on 1 guy. And its not like he's a .300 hitter either. Hopefully he doesn't try to rush back too soon.

would you guys be down for a fantasy bball league?...we could have me and ez...blondie..vod..meeps..xe..jj....thats 7..we could talk some others into it no? foreall...its not too late..shitd be fun

I've never done Fantasy Baseball, just Football.

Ez wrote:

I've never done Fantasy Baseball, just Football.

if you play, you would be wise to stay away from the Red sox starters, and thier relievers, and most of their hitters. that's all the advice i can give at this time

Pedroia is our most consistent.

Ez wrote:

Pedroia is our most consistent.

he really is a guy who would play for free, it must be absolutely killing him inside what is going on right now

Yea, he's solid.

they are very hard to watch. last night i turned the game on, watched the first inning, everything was great. I left the room to put some fucking spaghetti on a plate, i came in, it's 3-0

Yea, I have been reading during the games lately.

I can honestly say that I'm rooting for the Cards this weekend

3 wins ina row, and i still feel that our pitching is suspect.

we still managed to drop 1 to the Padres

Pence and Wigginton are killing us.

We have the Astros and Cubs again this week - good GOD we need to beat these teams

sorry Derek but its true

our best hitter, other than pedroia, will be sent back to the minors when our crippled third baseman returns from the DL.. I know you aren't supposed to lose your position to injury, and i know that youk has been a great player for us in the past, but Middlebrooks has i think 8 extra base hits, 4 of them homers, in 9 friggin games. yet, mark my words, he will go to the minors so youk can play

is Adrian Gongolez playing? I haven't heard anything about him. just wondering....


is that for sure about Middlebrooks? if he's that good it'd be a shame to send him down.

blondie wrote:

is Adrian Gongolez playing? I haven't heard anything about him. just wondering....


is that for sure about Middlebrooks? if he's that good it'd be a shame to send him down.

Gonzalez is playing every day, he just hasn't been making any impact. he's getting hits, but no power, and very few with runners in scoring position. Middlebrooks, from what i've seen, IS that good, but they're stuck, if they want to trade Youk, they have to get him some playing time to show he's healthy, and there just isn't anywhere to put middlebrooks right now.

You have to believe that they'll play whoever is producing. We hear it every broadcast: if you hit, they will find a place for you to play.

I don't think they send Middlebrooks down, hes been to productive.

I bet it happens,youk makes 13 mil a year, no way they just sit him on the bench. if they want to get anything at all in return for trading him, he has to play.

speaking of....

figures people would think he'd be a good addition here

Youk for Blanton?

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies/Pence-Youkilis-Rollins-and-other-random-notes-to-start-the-wek.html

iwantmycrayons wrote:

I bet it happens,youk makes 13 mil a year, no way they just sit him on the bench. if they want to get anything at all in return for trading him, he has to play.

I heard Buster Olney say they want to play Middlebrooks some in the outfield when Youk returns.

Ez wrote:

iwantmycrayons wrote:

I bet it happens,youk makes 13 mil a year, no way they just sit him on the bench. if they want to get anything at all in return for trading him, he has to play.

I heard Buster Olney say they want to play Middlebrooks some in the outfield when Youk returns.

That has been shot down by the front office , and i think it would be a mistake, either he's an infielder or an outfielder, he can't be both.

ah, the young ones can learn to play other positions

it would do him well to be versatile

blondie wrote:

ah, the young ones can learn to play other positions

it would do him well to be versatile

yeah but they have been grooming him for years to be the next third baseman for the team, and have gone out of their way to not include him in any trades the last 2 years, he was basically off limits. he's pretty much major league ready now as a third baseman, and trying to get him in the outfield just so he can hit is the wrong way to go IMO.

has he played any outfield at all? Not just in professional ball, but college? sometimes they'll try to revive an old skill.

blondie wrote:

has he played any outfield at all? Not just in professional ball, but college? sometimes they'll try to revive an old skill.

not sure about that, he is young 22-23 something like that, and if he was a an average player looking for any kind of advantage i would agree, but he has a great arm, obviously can hit, and will be back in pawtucket within a week or two.

I mean what are thier choices, they can't just throw him in the outfield in a major league game without at least a few games to try it out in the minors. that could be a disaster, and if they're sending him back down, just let him play third and hope the Youk A proves he's healthy, and you can keep playing him, or trade him, or B is not healthy and you bring him back up and do whatever you need to with Youk. i'm not saying he's the next brooks robinson, i just hope they don't keep him down there like the did with.....ironically, Youk, too long

I think Youk was like 26 when they finally found a spot for him full time, and he was ready to play in the bigs long before that.

oh maybe they're just thinking about it then. sounds like they just want him to stay up in the bigs

blondie wrote:

oh maybe they're just thinking about it then. sounds like they just want him to stay up in the bigs

it's more the fans and the media are.

because he's hitting right now. I think he should stay too, only because he's been a bit of a spark to an otherwise dreadful start to the season. It's my guess, due to lack of any other viable option right now, that he ends up going back down for a couple of weeks when youk comes back and they take it from there. I would guess, as bad as this sounds, that the front office is hoping middlebrooks goes into a bit of a slump, so they don't have to answer all the questions about why they sent him back down just so youk, who hasn't done much of anything so far cn play again.

Swept after a sweep....We better beat the damn Cubs.

blondie wrote:

I can honestly say that I'm rooting for the Cards this weekend

Sorry!!!

I have no problem with Youk playing for all he has done for the Sox over the years. I just wish there was a way to keep them both in the lineup.

JJ wrote:

blondie wrote:

I can honestly say that I'm rooting for the Cards this weekend

Sorry!!!

I can't say I'm not disappointed. You've been killing it lately

Great game tonight, Lester looked like the Old Lester. Give the Pen a much needed night off.

Ez wrote:

Great game tonight, Lester looked like the Old Lester. Give the Pen a much needed night off.

yeah it was a very well pitched game, he got away from throwing his cutter all night, and i think that helped him. Now if beckett can pitch a good gamer, that will be one time through the rotation with everyone pitching a quality start.

Congratulations are in order for 3B Placido Polanco - 2000 career hits

I guess it's my turn to bitch about losing.

Welcome!

iwantmycrayons wrote:

Ez wrote:

Great game tonight, Lester looked like the Old Lester. Give the Pen a much needed night off.

yeah it was a very well pitched game, he got away from throwing his cutter all night, and i think that helped him. Now if beckett can pitch a good gamer, that will be one time through the rotation with everyone pitching a quality start.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

blondie wrote:

Welcome!

Can't say I like it much!

neither do we

not again


9th inning bullpen collapse with an assist from Pence with another error