Dice K or Clay in Game 3 - Talksox

a700hitter · 09-29-2009, 10:36 PM

I'm going with Dice K, regardless of what Clay does in his next start.

TheKilo · 09-29-2009, 10:38 PM

lol

lol

lol

lol

lol

**Coco's Disciples** · 09-29-2009, 10:39 PM

Clay.

Dojji · 09-29-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a700hitter

I'm going with Dice K, regardless of what Clay does in his next start.

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeah

Clay.

suns · 09-29-2009, 10:40 PM

Clay.

suns · 09-29-2009, 10:40 PM

Where does Dice-K go if he doesn't start?

example1 · 09-29-2009, 10:41 PM

You know, I'm actually going with Dice-K on this one if he can come out and have one more good start.

a700hitter · 09-29-2009, 10:44 PM

I would have gone with Dice K before tonight's debacle. Now, I wouldn't even agonize about it, unless Dice K looks like shit in his last start. In the playoffs, I think experience is very important. Schilling won 3 games in '07 with his shoulder hanging by a thread and topping out at 90 mph. An experienced guy with poise is a real commodity, when everyone is as tight as a drum.

a700hitter · 09-29-2009, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by example1

You know, I'm actually going with Dice-K on this one if he can come out and have one more good start.

So far you and me are standing alone on this one. How funny is that.

Spudboy · 09-29-2009, 10:47 PM

Clay.

example1 · 09-29-2009, 10:47 PM

Part of this is because I feel like I would rather have Buchholz on the mound in a deciding game and I don't think game 3 would be a deciding game... if it is then they either lost 3-0 or are about to win 3-0. If they are down 2-0 then it is possible that both Dice-K and Buchholz would need to win, or we'd be looking at starting Beckett or Lester, both of whom would have lost already.

I like the idea of Clay winning big games as a 4th starter this year and developing that confidence in the future. Dice-K gets paid and is expected to win as a #3 starter on this club. If he's healthy (which he appears to be) then throw him this year and have Buchholz as the #3 next year and on...

Long story short, I see the playoffs this year as a year of development for this team. I simply don't feel like they are a WS championship team. I really hope I'm wrong.

a700hitter · 09-29-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by example1

Part of this is because I feel like I would rather have Buchholz on the mound in a deciding game and I don't think game 3 would be a deciding game... if it is then they either lost 3-0 or are about to win 3-0. If they are down 2-0 then it is possible that both Dice-K and Buchholz would need to win, or we'd be looking at starting Beckett or Lester, both of whom would have lost already.

I like the idea of Clay winning big games as a 4th starter this year and developing that confidence in the future. Dice-K gets paid and is expected to win as a #3 starter on this club. If he's healthy (which he appears to be) then throw him this year and have Buchholz as the #3 next year and on...

Long story short, I see the playoffs this year as a year of development for this team. I simply don't feel like they are a WS championship team.

You and Spud are bringing me down. Yes, I am concerned about things, but I think the Sox beat the Angels again, unless the Angels steal 5 bases each game. "A year of development"? Huh? We lost to Tamp last year. That was enough development. We've only got one young guy in a critical spot and he might not pitch until game 4. Everyone else is fairly well-seasoned.

Keeper · 09-29-2009, 11:02 PM

Experience is important in the playoffs, but Buchholz has mostly been good this year. He's had three hiccups. With Dice-K, you never really know what you're going to get, but you do know he probably won't give you 6 innings whereas Buchholz has pitched 6 or more innings in 9 of his 15 starts.

It's not a slam dunk, but I'd start Buchholz.

Spudboy · 09-30-2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a700hitter

You and Spud are bringing me down. Yes, I am concerned about things, but I think the Sox beat the Angels again, unless the Angels steal 5 bases each game. "A year of development"? Huh? We lost to Tamp last year. That was enough development. We've only got one young guy in a critical spot and he might not pitch until game 4. Everyone else is fairly well-seasoned.

It was not my intent to bring anyone down.

Leave that to the Sox. Or not.

I'd love to see the Sox prevail. I need something to cheer me up and something to look forward to.

But let's get real. Take away the Sox record against the O's this year, and they are what?
4 games over .500?

Beckett=?. Lester(now)=? Buch?????? Well, I think he will do fine. But no one really knows.
Dice? Ha! What has he shown? "Savvy veteran performance"? Hardly.

Firing on all cylinders (healthy , and playing their best), the Sox are competitive in the playoffs. But they are not currently either healthy or performing up to standard.

It will be nice to see them in the post season. But let's not get carried away.

This is not a championship team.

Don't need sabermetrics to see this.

example1 · 09-30-2009, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a700hitter

You and Spud are bringing me down. Yes, I am concerned about things, but I think the Sox beat the Angels again, unless the Angels steal 5 bases each game. "A year of development"? Huh? We lost to Tamp last year. That was enough development. We've only got one young guy in a critical spot and he might not pitch until game 4. Everyone else is fairly well-seasoned.

I think we just see this team as being in different places. I'm usually the optimist, but this year I'm not. It was bound to happen at some point. Perhaps I'm preparing for the fall, perhaps I'm just not seeing something I should be... I don't know.

They are a great team overall, and Bay and Youkilis have been the best offensive pieces this year. To me, they both feel like accessory pieces rather than centerpieces. When Ortiz is on he's a center piece. I don't expect that from him anymore. Drew has never been the centerpiece, Martinez has shown flashes of it in his career but isn't really. Pedroia and Ellsbury are both very nice accessories too.

Their saving grace this season might end up being the Yankees weak pitching staff and relative lack of contributing depth. The Yankees have a great offensive team but if CC loses the first game they could be in trouble quickly as their #2 and #3 spots are suspect.

Honestly, if the Yankees were not in the way I would be much more optimistic--still cautious about LAA, but optimistic. If they are able to beat LAA and the Yankees then I will be very, very impressed and more than happy to eat dirty, feathery, shit-infested crow. Again it feels like the 2008 club to me. Good, not great at any particular spot. Key players playing tired, Lester and Beckett having questionable issues going on when it matters most, questions about Dice-K's abililty. The most reassuring part about this team is the experience coming out of the bullpen. That's invaluable in the playoffs, and it seems unique to this Boston squad this year. Let's hope at least.

EDIT: Let me clarify: there is ONE player on this team who can carry a team in the playoffs. It's Josh Beckett. He's certainly done it before. If he shows up as playoff Josh Beckett then the rest of the team can stand behind him and go pretty far. I wanted to clarify that. His playoff success should not be underestimated.