4/5: DAY GAME vs. Pirates
- Thread starter DJnVa
- Start date
Really tough way to start the year at home. I think they will come around but man, I'm not ready for a summer where they are just puttering along mostly out of it by June.
I don't know how anyone could've looked at this roster going into the season and expected anything else. Pretty much every major projection system put this team at .500 at best with significant downside if guys got hurt or the low-cost options didn't pan out. We're seeing that play out so far.
By the time we get to Father's Day weekend, how many of the seats will be occupied by Yankees fans? 75% 80? 90?
With the Celtics and Bruins expected to make deep playoff runs over the next few months and the usual attention the NFL/Draft/Patriots get, this team might quickly disappear into the ether.
At least the O's are on the rebound. The Pirates franchise isn't even trying to compete.
So Tampa is unbeaten. Forget stealing signs on the field. Send a spy down there to infiltrate their front office and find out what their secret is. It obviously wasn't Bloom.
Even the best of teams can lose 4 of 6, but the schedule was designed for them to get off to a good start, and for all the talk of how the team will start returning pitching help, guys like Sale and Kluber (who was fine today) aren’t going anywhere. I’m most concerned with how they looked- unprepared and ill-equipped to deal with the recent changes in the game. The fan base seems largely ambivalent towards the team as is, a slow start will only make that worse.
That being said, it’s 6 games. Win the next series and things will be fine.
That being said, it’s 6 games. Win the next series and things will be fine.
I just checked the "Predict the 2023 Red Sox Season" thread, and the lowest win total predicted was 68. Do the "Price Is Right" showcase rules apply where if everyone goes over no one wins?
Let's Predict the 2023 Red Sox Season | Sons of Sam Horn
Let's Predict the 2023 Red Sox Season | Sons of Sam Horn
I want to know what the deal is with Jeffrey Springs.
Two years in Texas: 4.90 era, 1.66 whip, 4.62 fip
One year in Boston: 7.08 era, 1.82 whip, 4.81 fip
Third year in Tampa: 2.61 era, 1.05 whip, 3.14 fip
I mean...what the ever loving hell?
The way I figure it, it costs me nothing to be hopeful. At least until the results and the record made it impossible. I know they are not going to win the world series. I just want them to be entertaining and competitive, and I'm not ready to declare that over at 2-4. The problem is that 2-4 including the lowly Pirates starts to make me think that being able to stay delusional longer may be a challenge.
What are they doing differently? Because Jeffrey Springs was one of the worst pitchers in baseball elsewhere, and now he's become a very, very good one in Tampa - something that seems to happen with basically anyone who shows up there. Like, if Chris Sale went to Tampa, we all know he'd go 18-3 with a 2.07 era and 13.1 k/9.
That 4 game series in Tampa next week already looking huge. This Red Sox team could get buried quick in AL East standings.
#1 How stupid are the Sox for not allowing that?
#2 Makes me wonder why he would take the job (Yeah I know $$$$$) . Did he really think he could function effectively without his "crew".
I agree with your thoughts. They do look really unprepared with the changes. 14 stolen bases against them now.
Doubly aggravating that they both won rings with the Red Sox but now are crushing us with the Devil Rays.
I mean, what if Alex Cora just isn't a good tactical manager? He's clearly a top-flight motivator; guys seem willing to run through walls for him. But his bullpen and pinch-hitter decisions have always seemed off, his emphasis on hyper-aggressive base running is a net negative, and his teams seem wildly unprepared (or at least under-prepared) when it comes to fielding and hitting decisions. Just about every manager is reliant on the talent at hand to get results, but nothing about Cora makes him seem like a manager who can make do with anything other than a very good roster.
You got me curious, so I looked him up on Baseball Savant. On a quick glance it looks like the main things he's done since going to TB are change his pitch usage and pitch location. He's also increased his extension by a couple of inches and that cuts down the time a batter has to react to the pitch. Especially on the 4 seam.
Here are his location charts.
I already posted this, I think in the predictions thread.
This is a 70 win team. Maybe.
Tampa was able to get a good season and a half out of Matt Wisler by having him just throw sliders.
He'll be striking out the side against the Sox for Tampa Bay in September.