Sox OPS last 28 days (not counting today):
1.213 Devers
1.143 Bogaerts
1.008 Vazquez
.985 Hernandez
.967 Holt
.922 Betts
.812 JBJ
.807 Chavis
.793 Martinez
.741 Benintendi
.368 Leon
ERA (listed in order of most IP)
3.30 ERod
2.45 Price
7.59 Sale
10.50 Porcello
2.19 Taylor
6.52 Brasier
1.93 Workman
4.82 Brewer
9.39 Barnes
6.14 Velazquez
12.15 Walden
8.53 Wright
9.00 Cashner
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
Last 50 Games:
1.081 Bogey
1.050 Devers
.973 Pearce (27 PAs)
.943 Holt
.916 JBJ
.880 Marco (55 PAs)
.851 JD
.838 Betts
.817 Vaz
.752 Beni
.746 Moreland (24)
.724 Chavis
.486 Leon
.320 Travis (25)
9 guys over .817!
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
This has sort of been my thinking ever since I heard about the "new" baseball but to me it pertained more to pitchers who aren't trying to reinvent themselves but instead were pitchers who never were "throwers" but relied on their stuff... like Rick Porcillo. (I think I got the right "P" this time. LOL)Originally Posted by moonslav59
It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star game and the Old Timer's game.
-Vin Scully
When I say "reinvent himself," I'm not saying Sale needs some radical make-over. He still throws pretty hard and has multiple pitches. He just can no longer rely on rearing back and throwing it 98-100 mph when needed.
His control went on the blink a couple times this year, but he has also had some stretches where his K:BB rate was off the charts.
There is still reason for concern, but I'm confident Sale will be great for us going forward.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
So, when Eovaldi returns, will this be the 25 man roster, until Moreland and/or Johnson is ready? (Pearce, reportedly, isn't even close.)
5 SP: Price, Sale, ERod, Porcello, Cashner
8 RP: Eovaldi, Workman, Taylor, Barnes, Brewer, Hembree, Walden , (Weber or DHern)
2 C: Vaz, Leon
2 1B: Chavez, Travis
2 2B: Holt, Hernandez
1 3B: Devers
1 SS: Bogaerts
1 LF: Beni
1 CF: JBJ
1 RF: Betts
1 DH: JD
Moreland> Travis
Johnson> DHern or Weber
Wright> Trade or Walden or Hembree back to IL (velo down)
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
But that isn't what his WAR is saying. A single number is not doing what you are doing. It is not analysing the reason for the number. So in that way, WAR fails.
I like to take a realistic approach. I go by the performance of the present team in the present season. This team, from game one, gave me no reason for optimism. They don't have the fire that I see in the Yankees, or the scrappiness of the Rays. The Rays do more with less. And their other two main WC opponents, the Indians and A's do the same. The Sox will have to clean up on the doormat teams, because the Yanks and Rays are not going down easy. I hate to say it, but the Yankee "savages" seem like the team on a mission this season.
Yes, it is not perfect, but it is the best, single comparative value number we got.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
But the problem remains, as it does, with the use of any single number to evaluate the real value or ability of a player. Also, it is not important to compare players in assessing their value to your team.
Might be worth looking at the balls that Ryu has thrown in his early career before he came here. He thrives with this baseball and it makes me wonder if the balls used in Korea bear some resemblance to these baseballs. Also makes me wonder if the number of pitchers now throwing a knuckle curve instead of using the traditional curve grip is a consequence of this new ball. There is no slider version of the knuckle curve which also makes me wonder if that is at he heart of seeing so many suck ass Sliders just rolling up to the plate waiting to be lambasted.
It might be harder to throw breaking balls with this baseball and it might even be more difficult to exhibit command with this baseball. However, I still applaud the efforts of pitchers to try. In the first place, there are not enough of them around that EVER had gas. Many of the guys that threw real gas didn't have the physical characteristics nor the technique to throw that hard for very long and wore out leaving us with the general level of sludge pitching in MLB unis today.
If they were willing to throw hard when they really couldn't for Manfred and for their agents, they should be willing to try to exhibit command for us. Everything that happens on the diamond starts with the ball in the hands of the pitcher. Without them (unless Manfred reverses direction) we are doomed to a remaining life of watching hitters hack away at 96 above their heads and balls in the dirt, behind their ears, WHEREVER. Most of the pitchers can't throw worth crap and most of the hitters have no clue what they are swinging at when and that is not interesting baseball to me.
Even with these baseballs and even with the explosion in HR's that "explosion" amounts to 2.8 HR's per game on average in total. Wow....I am SOOOOOOO excited. Lets watch 3 hours of guys trudging back to the dugout for 2.8 HR's, approximately 10 seconds of excitement per game. Whoopdie-ding-dong. Be still my heart!
Last edited by jung; 07-19-2019 at 07:06 AM.
IMHO the "problem" with WAR is in the serious fans. We were all clamoring for something that would compare the value of players so when WAR was introduced (by more than one group, who report different WAR values) we were going to be all over it regardless of its accuracy.
Saying it's the best single comparative number we've got may not be a resounding endorsement. Remember, the Yugo was the best car imported from Yugoslavia too.
It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star game and the Old Timer's game.
-Vin Scully
The way I look at WAR, it's an excellent *starting point* when analyzing a player's performance.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
Yes, not necessary, but I like the attempt, and they make noble efforts. It tries to shorten the water cooler conversations into one number instead of 3, 4 or 10.
It is saying it if you know how to look at the numbers. It certainly says it to me.
If a player doesn’t get as many opportunities, his stats should suffer.
Mark Canha, for example, is a home run hitting machine. But he is never among the league leaders. While he is awesome at hitting home runs per at bat, he doesn’t get as many at bats. Therefore his home runs suffer.
But if you look at the single number to evaluate home runs, plenty of hitters hit more. Not because they’re better in many cases, but because they get more chances.
WAR, like all stats, measures accomplishments. Not ability. Fans like to use the two notions interchangeably, but that doesn’t make it right...
What sometimes gets overlooked is that WAR is a 'counting stat', not a 'rate stat'. Quantity is a big part of it.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
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