Care to be a little more specific for those of us who didn't see all 4 hours and 27 minutes of the game?
Alex Cora's first season
- Thread starter The Gray Eagle
- Start date
Devers was thrown out at 3rd trying to advance on a comebacker to the pitcher. Pretty bad decision.
Thank you. I didn't see that. I saw Bradley thrown out at home, but it was by an inch and was a great play by the catcher.
Very nice.
Cora seems pretty frank about the baserunning blunders, at least going by what was in the game stories. He covered for the players a little bit ('It's in their DNA') but there's no indication that he is getting defensive or overlooking the importance of getting this corrected.
I thought that JD's misplay in right field could have been ruled an error allowing the Marlins runner to score from first but then again I'm a strict scorer. To clarify , he made a decent dive in an attempt to catch the ball, but he sort of fumbled the ball as he picked it up. I thought it JDM picks it cleanly the runner is held up at third. Nunez has shown a lack of range at second but overall the Sox defense has been pretty good so far.
Nunez is brutal. No range and shaky hands. One forgets how solid Pedey has been for a real long time.
One interesting thing, he managed an extra innings NL rules game extremely well last night. His double switch that allowed Hembree to remain in the game was especially good. He's a rookie manager and his bench coach experience was in the AL so that is good to see.
The play where he had a chance at a double play but elected to tag the runner and throw to first instead of flipping to Xander was incredibly infuriating. We were fortunate that this didn't end up ultimately costing the team the win. Maybe it's because he plays all over the field, but going to second was a no-brainer, IMO.
I knew Nunez was a poor defender but he’s clearly gotten worse post-injury. Unless he’s hitting well he’s hurting the team.
I, for one, don't see a double play on that sequence. Re-watch. Would a backwards shuffle to 2nd have allowed a throw to 1st in time? It was an awkward situation with the runner bearing down on the fielder.
Still, only a passable 2nd (temporary) baseman.
Still, only a passable 2nd (temporary) baseman.
His throw to first, after taking time to chase down the runner, pulled Hanley off the bag. If he pivots quickly and under hands it to the short stop, allowing for a better throw, I think there's at least a 50% chance he turns it. My guess is as good as yours, however. Maybe it wasn't as close I recall when watching in real time.
I must give Cora his due genius credit for last night’s triple switch.
There’s no way Hanley gets pitched to when he hit the game-winning 2B, if it’s Hembree on deck, even though it was only Leon instead.
I was impressed.
There’s no way Hanley gets pitched to when he hit the game-winning 2B, if it’s Hembree on deck, even though it was only Leon instead.
I was impressed.
I agree. The ball wasn’t hard hit, so no time to throw to X for the conventional DP. The runner was close enough for Nunez to try the tag and throw to first style of DP. I don’t know if Pedey could have pulled it off either.
Here's an example from the same game of how to do it better:
https://www.mlb.com/video/castro-rojas-turn-two-in-12th/c-1905459483
On the base running topic. The line between great aggressive base running and running into unnecessary outs is very very fine. And the decisions of the defence play a huge part. Like this example from just now.
In my opinion* Shaw should have come home. Catcher seems to think so too given the body language. But he doesn’t and Fowler gets a wrap from the commentators for “great base running”.
https://www.mlb.com/video/c-1906749983
*none out, runner on three can’t get thrown out at home. Shaw has time (although not a lot) and the angle (although again, not a lot of angle) to throw Fowler out. If he gets thrown out there it’s a terrible decision to run.
In my opinion* Shaw should have come home. Catcher seems to think so too given the body language. But he doesn’t and Fowler gets a wrap from the commentators for “great base running”.
https://www.mlb.com/video/c-1906749983
*none out, runner on three can’t get thrown out at home. Shaw has time (although not a lot) and the angle (although again, not a lot of angle) to throw Fowler out. If he gets thrown out there it’s a terrible decision to run.
I suspect JDM expects to come out of every close game for defense, and was surprised Sunday. (Not that I expect him to volunteer).
I'd be surprised if he had volunteered it, but from context I'm assuming he was asked about it, and if so then I'm neither surprised nor bothered that he answered honestly.
I mean, I understand that JDM thinks he's an OK OF and likes to play out there, but unless he's a blithering idiot, it can't be news to him that his manager--along with literally everybody else in the universe outside of him and his loved ones--thinks swapping in JBJ or Benintendi for him makes the defense better.
I love the candor! Cora is quickly becoming one of my favorite Red Sox managers. That said, the bar isn't high since my childhood. Cora's up there with Francona and Morgan as the only three I've liked.
Tyler Austin is an idiot if he doesn't expect a fastball in the ribs after sliding late with spikes up. Judge and Stanton both come away looking rather classy for trying to keep people from getting hurt.
Well, even they probably realized Austin had it coming. I wont give them too much credit because i keep asking why they were grabbing Kelly without any Red Sox player involved , allowing Austin to throw a sucker punch that clocked our coach.
And WTF was Vazquez doing. Austin should never have been allowed anywhere near Kelly. He had plenty of time to grab him.
We need some bigger players. We really are overmatched in any brawl with the Yankees, which answers my first question above
Cora needs to field his best team against the Yankees. Save the resting players or trying to get unproductive players some playing time against lesser teams.
Getting back to Cora, I know this was discussed somewhat in last night's game thread, but I think his decision to rest guys on a schedule made up well in advance is ill advised. It reminds me of a football coach running the first 15 plays off a call sheet, regardless of how the game is unfolding early.
In any event, so far I have wondered about:
- giving guys days off during the first week of the season when they were already going to rest on Monday and Friday days with no games; and even more so,
- Sitting Benintendi last night after his best offensive game of the season and after he had been somewhat cold at the plate before that.
Now the Sox scored 7 runs in last night's game so sitting AB was clearly not why they lost. But it does seem sort of unthinking to not take into account other factors when sitting a player. I am definitely in favor of getting guys rest and avoiding having run down players at the end of the season. And I hated the Francona/Farrell "Sunday JV line-ups" that we sometimes saw, so I do appreciate spreading days off out as opposed to concentrating them on one day of the week. But I think that, in the end, Cora needs to pick his head up off the preset list and consider emerging factors. I also wonder about sitting guys against the Yankees, Astros and other more difficult opponents.
Edit: Or what Sampo posted before I pressed post, and with the art of brevity.....
In any event, so far I have wondered about:
- giving guys days off during the first week of the season when they were already going to rest on Monday and Friday days with no games; and even more so,
- Sitting Benintendi last night after his best offensive game of the season and after he had been somewhat cold at the plate before that.
Now the Sox scored 7 runs in last night's game so sitting AB was clearly not why they lost. But it does seem sort of unthinking to not take into account other factors when sitting a player. I am definitely in favor of getting guys rest and avoiding having run down players at the end of the season. And I hated the Francona/Farrell "Sunday JV line-ups" that we sometimes saw, so I do appreciate spreading days off out as opposed to concentrating them on one day of the week. But I think that, in the end, Cora needs to pick his head up off the preset list and consider emerging factors. I also wonder about sitting guys against the Yankees, Astros and other more difficult opponents.
Edit: Or what Sampo posted before I pressed post, and with the art of brevity.....
Isn't it worse to establish a precedent of letting players know in advance that they'll be getting certain days off only to reverse that policy two weeks into the season? I'm fairly confident that Andrew Benintendi will be a productive hitter over the course of the season despite last night's day off and also that AB, as you note, wouldn't have brought the Sox to victory. Maybe you're saying that precedent shouldn't have been established in the first place?
FWIW, Tanaka is tougher on lefties over his career with a .674 OPS versus lefties and a .706 OPS versus righties. He's not exactly an ideal candidate to carry "momentum" from the previous game with his nasty splitter and overall ability to keep the ball down in the zone.
FWIW, Tanaka is tougher on lefties over his career with a .674 OPS versus lefties and a .706 OPS versus righties. He's not exactly an ideal candidate to carry "momentum" from the previous game with his nasty splitter and overall ability to keep the ball down in the zone.
This isn't football, so it shouldn't remind you of football.
The fact that you're complaining about this after a loss -- a loss you concede was not attributable to the lineup move that you're concerned about), and not when Cora said he was going to do exactly this (which he said several times in spring training and again after the season started) suggests that you're upset over a loss. Get used to it. They're probably going to lose at least another 60 times.
The only player that got PT was Moreland. He went 1-3 with a walk and made a nice defensive play at 1B; JDM hit a GS and caught (not with style, but caught) the two balls hit his way; Hanley as DH (which also *has* to happen once in awhile so he can play a full season) also had a good game.
And JBJ, who everyone was whining about, went 3-4.
What a ridiculous take. In every way possible.
First, there are parallels in all sports. Coaches learn from each other, common themes exist. The Boston coaches in all four sports collaborate and sometimes even address the other teams. The idea that you play to the final buzzer or for the full nine innings is an example. So is the one in the post you replied to. This is blindingly obvious and certain things in all of sports will continue to remind me of other sports. If you don't see that, that's perfectly fine, but why you would feel the need to make that supposed point is inexplicable.
Second, my Cora observation had NOTHING to do with the loss. Telling me to get used to it is pedantic and flat wrong. Other posters made the point in the game thread BEFORE the game, I agreed with them then, and I decided to note it in the thread about Cora. I'm in the NY area, am stuck with YES during games that are not nationally televised and even the Yankees announcers were saying that sitting AB was curious given that he had hit well the night before and had been cold before then.
Cora will do good things and bad things in losses and wins. If your unwritten rule is that we only get to comment negatively about Cora after wins, that is another such rule that is going to be violated, repeatedly.
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From what I've heard, players appreciate the advance knowledge of when they will have an off-day. Maybe it means they can have a little more fun the night before. I don't know but if that's the case, I have no problem with the way Cora is handling this.
You don't think Benintendi should have had his first game off last night. When should he get a game off?
No, I do not think he should have sat immediately after his performance on Tuesday night. After a slow start to the season, I would want to give him the chance to build on his success. As to when he should sit, I think it depends on who the opponent is, how AB is feeling and the pitching match-up. I also like the idea of giving him an off day next to a day when there is no game. Now if Andrew told Cora he was hurting or sore, that would be different, and perhaps just that happened. But back to your second question, I don't have a specific day in mind and agree that not too much time should pass before it does. I just don't like the idea of sticking a pin in the calendar and not taking into account other factors, which seemingly (but might not have) happened.
This is what we always think, and it seems to make sense intuitively, but I wonder whether it really matters for the players. I mean he's not going to start today and have forgotten what he did on Tuesday and perhaps what helped him get there. I'm just saying the idea of keeping the hot hand going may be something for the fans more than the players. Not sure if its possible to mine data for something like that.
Ok. so you dont like something that may not have happened. Fair enough. The Sox dont have any off days scheduled until April 23.
I dont like the idea of Wally the Green Monster coming to my house and crawling into bed with me. But that didn't happen either. Mookie didn't start the day after his 2nd straight 2 hit game and 1st homer.
Manager Alex Cora planned out the lineups before the series started (so, Monday?)
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2018/04/11/andrew-benintendi-out-red-sox-lineup-despite-good-game/CMAC563QGT7zIKFROxXl2O/story.html?event=event12
“Today, we accomplish a few things. Mitch is getting at-bats. It's still a tough matchup for lefties, let's be honest. But Mitch gets at-bats. Hanley is off his feet. J.D. is playing left field and Benny's off his feet and we can use him probably late in the game if necessary. So we accomplish a few things.”
http://www.nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/alex-cora-not-swayed-hot-hand-lineup-construction
Cora has said more than once that he thinks a day off after a good game, when a guy's head is in a good place, could be at least as valuable as one after a bad game (or a few) when a guy might wallow in it a bit, and not get the full mental break that seems to be important.
Players used to complain when they found out they weren't in the lineup at the last minute, and we would rightfully criticize the manager for not communicating with the player in that case. Now Cora does the opposite, and we complain about him giving the player plenty of notice that he will not be playing.
Had the Yankees series lined up such that the Sox would have had their 4th and 5th starter scheduled to start the series, it is doubtful that Cora, or any manager, would juggle his rotation to have Sale open the April series (turned out that Sale was scheduled to start Game 1 anyway, but that was just the way it worked out). Sitting Benintendi is not really any different. The marathon nature of the regular season means that some days there will be a suboptimal lineup; there's really nothing that can be done about it.
Had the Yankees series lined up such that the Sox would have had their 4th and 5th starter scheduled to start the series, it is doubtful that Cora, or any manager, would juggle his rotation to have Sale open the April series (turned out that Sale was scheduled to start Game 1 anyway, but that was just the way it worked out). Sitting Benintendi is not really any different. The marathon nature of the regular season means that some days there will be a suboptimal lineup; there's really nothing that can be done about it.
Please don't include me in that "we." I love the idea of giving the player a heads up regarding rest. I just don't like the idea of taking one of the better hitters out of the line-up against one of the better teams, especially with them already shorthanded with Boegarts out. I also think that even with mapping things out in advance, that Cora could (and I bet will in the future) give himself more leeway to call an audible when a guy is coming off a game like AB had on Tuesday night.
Merkle's point in post 238 is well taken, though. Maybe the "hot hand" concern is overblown and fans and the media who point to it are thinking more like wannabes than actual ballplayers. On the other hand, I think I've heard players and former players talk about this too (doesn't make it right, I know), and last night O'Neill and Cone both did so in a non-jerky way on the YES broadcast, for whatever that's worth.
Don't get me wrong. I'm hardly negative about the Manager. Cora is off to a great start, both results wise and with respect to how he is comporting himself. He is already a huge breath of fresh air in my book. I hope that planned days off become something he manages slightly more actively going forward and that he gives himself more discretion to undo a decision at times.
So the manager should have changed the plan he set up Monday (or Sunday night "before the series"), because of the way Benintendi played Tuesday? Your assumption that he gives himself "no leeway" or "discretion to undo a decision" is a baseless figment of your imagination.
Regardless, I'm sure you have your "that day off really messed Benintendi up just as he was getting hot" post all ready to go if he pops up in the 1st inning.
The first part is dead on.. As for the bolded, sternly worded talk radio nitpicking often does the trick. Mangers listen to that stuff.
Yes, I would have preferred that Cora considered Benintendi’s performance in game 1 of this series and as a result of it, changed course in game 2.
As to the amount of leeway Cora now gives himself, I don’t think my assumption is baseless. He seems to be, for now, committed to sticking with his plan. Not that either of us really knows. And not that sticking with the plan doesn’t have its benefits.
As to your last and latest foolish dig, you are again spectacularly wrong. The notion that I would react to one at bat and try to connect the dots in such a linear fashion is laughable.
Is this a huge, honking issue? Of course not. But we disagree, so I guess that means it’s time for you to unfurl the snark. Wash, rinse, repeat.
It's what he always does. He never seems to be happy with anyone and is always patronizing.
Or, some Billy Martin types. Sox could have had Puig, but lord knows what that guy would do in a brawl. We’re fine.
Maybe he gave Beni the choice of which pitcher to sit against over the series too.
He's 4 for 16 vs Tanaka, 4 for 6 vs. Gray and now 8 for 16 vs. Severino.
Obviously Yankees games are dogfights but I am ok with all the days off so far.
I just wish the bench was better, the team could use Marco Hernandez' upside.
He's 4 for 16 vs Tanaka, 4 for 6 vs. Gray and now 8 for 16 vs. Severino.
Obviously Yankees games are dogfights but I am ok with all the days off so far.
I just wish the bench was better, the team could use Marco Hernandez' upside.
Cora has no remorse telling the Yankees 3B coach to get back in his box yesterday
http://www.weei.com/blogs/john-tomase/alex-cora-fires-back-phil-nevin-i-didnt-he-was-pointing-me-and-screaming-me
http://www.weei.com/blogs/john-tomase/alex-cora-fires-back-phil-nevin-i-didnt-he-was-pointing-me-and-screaming-me
Anonymous coaches are angry at Cora
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/alex-cora-stung-yankees-joe-kelly-fastball-article-1.3930076
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/alex-cora-stung-yankees-joe-kelly-fastball-article-1.3930076
Whoever the sources are for the quotes in that article are fucking idiots.
Don't know what he said? Get bent.
Shocker.
So it's cool for the mighty Yankees to pick their spot? Morons.
Excellent point - Cora hasn't won a World Series in almost 200 days.Anonymous coaches are angry at Cora
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/alex-cora-stung-yankees-joe-kelly-fastball-article-1.3930076