Indians-redsox

[big L dawg]

CC sucked game one.should have gotten pulled alot sooner.

[Rearden Metal]

Not much he could do, really. The Sox hitters were ultra patient and capitilized on tiny errors.

The real story is Beckett. Total Ace.

[big L dawg]

carmona didn't pitch much better but the tribe got the win.

[CC973]

I was suprised they didnt pitch Dice K last night.

[body88]

Sox got spanked last night. Yes if it goes back to Boston Becket will pitch guts.

[mass 04]

as usual Dice K dissapoints, I understand the whole culture adjustment, and this is technically his rookie year, but the guy is frustrating to watch, the team needed a long outing and he gave them 4 1/3, with that contract and the huge posting fee i don't think he'll ever meet expectations, i think he's gonna be good, but not good enough to justify the money they spent, I feel good about tonight.

[Rearden Metal]

as usual Dice K dissapoints, I understand the whole culture adjustment, and this is technically his rookie year, but the guy is frustrating to watch, the team needed a long outing and he gave them 4 1/3, with that contract and the huge posting fee i don't think he'll ever meet expectations, i think he's gonna be good, but not good enough to justify the money they spent, I feel good about tonight.

I disagree. I think his adjustment next year will be vast. He'll half his walks and HR's. His conditioning next year will be improved as well. Look for an 18-9 year next year.

[mass 04]

I disagree. I think his adjustment next year will be vast. He'll half his walks and HR's. His conditioning next year will be improved as well. Look for an 18-9 year next year.

I agree with you, what i was saying was that because of the huge contract, posting fee, pitching in Boston and having the whole country of Japan watching everything you do he could win 24 games and people would be dissapointed, I think next year just like you said, I'm looking for a Beckett 2006 to 2007 transformation

[body88]

as usual Dice K dissapoints, I understand the whole culture adjustment, and this is technically his rookie year, but the guy is frustrating to watch, the team needed a long outing and he gave them 4 1/3, with that contract and the huge posting fee i don't think he'll ever meet expectations, i think he's gonna be good, but not good enough to justify the money they spent, I feel good about tonight.

We need to give hime some time. He can be very frustrating. But he has the stuff. Its all there. Look at Becket last year. The guy just moved here from Japan! Look how much Money Zito got. He is terrible! At least Dice has monster potential.

[CalvinH]

I think his adjustment next year will be vast.




His next year is coming fast

[njflex]

We need to give hime some time. He can be very frustrating. But he has the stuff. Its all there. Look at Becket last year. The guy just moved here from Japan! Look how much Money Zito got. He is terrible! At least Dice has monster potential.

somewhat yes to a degree dicek can suceed,but like nomo can not pitch effective from stretch,there windup is where they establish the velocity and power on harder throwing pitches fastball and slider.against yankees, they had him on ropes every single start.i am a true yankee fan and don;t care if dice k wins cy young next yr ,but i cannot see him being more than a few games over 500 each yr.runners on base change everything in the american league due to the power ball,pitch from stretch and lose a few miles of velocity and ball goes out...

[Tre]

My argument is that the Red Sox should've started Beckett last night because they needed Game 4, so as not to lose 3 in a row. 

[body88]

My argument is that the Red Sox should've started Beckett last night because they needed Game 4, so as not to lose 3 in a row. 

Totally agree. Tito effed up. Sox leaving far to many guys on base.

[Grape Ape]

My argument is that the Red Sox should've started Beckett last night because they needed Game 4, so as not to lose 3 in a row. 

There were blurbs up here that Beckett was pulled after 80 or so pitches in game one due to tightness in his back/shoulder.  I'm wondering if that hand anything to do with it, since starting Wakefield made no sense.

Maybe they thought they would beat up on Byrd.

[jmt1]

There were blurbs up here that Beckett was pulled after 80 or so pitches in game one due to tightness in his back/shoulder.  I'm wondering if that hand anything to do with it, since starting Wakefield made no sense.

Maybe they thought they would beat up on Byrd.

i heard some reports that he was very stiff and needed the extras days rest.  if beckett was healthy he should have pitched although wakefield didnt pitch badly.

they also need to get some more guys hitting. lugo cant hit and crisp is almost an automatic out. lugo has to be in the lineup but i would like to see ellsbury in center and maybe get kieltys bat in there too.

[CalvinH]

they also need to get some more guys hitting. lugo cant hit and crisp is almost an automatic out.




More at bats for JD Drew

[Grape Ape]

At this point, Francona is a fool if he doesn't start Ellsbury.  I realize Kielty will be the RH hitter against CC for Drew, but you could play Ellsbury in CF and sit Crisp.

[ieffinhatecardio]

At this point, Francona is a fool if he doesn't start Ellsbury.  I realize Kielty will be the RH hitter against CC for Drew, but you could play Ellsbury in CF and sit Crisp.

He's a fool for many reasons. I have mixed feelings about starting Ellsbury for the first time in the playoffs in an ALCS elimination game against Sabathia on the road. I would have started him earlier in the series. At least Crisp can bat from the right, not that I'd expect him to do anything.

The series is more than likely over so why not let Crisp play and try and up his trade value. And let Epstein stew on his horrific free agent signings and his terrible signing of Gagne.

Cleveland is a great team and they're likable. Except for game 1 so far they are the better team. The breaks aren't going the Sox way, that Youks at bat in the ninth in Game 2 and last night when Wakefield stuck out his glove and ruined what would have been an inning ending double play are two glaring examples. Had those plays gone the Sox way this series would be completely different.

It feels like it's Cleveland's year.

[jmt1]

He's a fool for many reasons. I have mixed feelings about starting Ellsbury for the first time in the playoffs in an ALCS elimination game against Sabathia on the road. I would have started him earlier in the series. At least Crisp can bat from the right, not that I'd expect him to do anything.

The series is more than likely over so why not let Crisp play and try and up his trade value. And let Epstein stew on his horrific free agent signings and his terrible signing of Gagne.

Cleveland is a great team and they're likable. Except for game 1 so far they are the better team. The breaks aren't going the Sox way, that Youks at bat in the ninth in Game 2 and last night when Wakefield stuck out his glove and ruined what would have been an inning ending double play are two glaring examples. Had those plays gone the Sox way this series would be completely different.

It feels like it's Cleveland's year.

i dont think the series is over at all. beckett is coming up and if the sox can get it back to boston they can definetly take the series. i dont see anyway that clev would win a game 7 in fenway park.

[AVBG]

I watched the 6th innings of this game yesterday (whilst having lunch)... I normally don't get to watch any live baseball anymore (not much coverage in Australia) so seeing what I did see was  .. BTW I was rooting for Boston

[Grape Ape]

He's a fool for many reasons. I have mixed feelings about starting Ellsbury for the first time in the playoffs in an ALCS elimination game against Sabathia on the road. I would have started him earlier in the series. At least Crisp can bat from the right, not that I'd expect him to do anything.

The series is more than likely over so why not let Crisp play and try and up his trade value. And let Epstein stew on his horrific free agent signings and his terrible signing of Gagne.

Cleveland is a great team and they're likable. Except for game 1 so far they are the better team. The breaks aren't going the Sox way, that Youks at bat in the ninth in Game 2 and last night when Wakefield stuck out his glove and ruined what would have been an inning ending double play are two glaring examples. Had those plays gone the Sox way this series would be completely different.

It feels like it's Cleveland's year.

You make good points.  I didn't see any sox fans crying when they acquired Gagne.  Locally, and nationally, it was viewed as a killer move.

I don't think Crisp can up his value at this point.  A couple games can't replace a season.

[Grape Ape]

i dont see anyway that clev would win a game 7 in fenway park.

I can give you 103 million reasons how the sox could lose a game 7 at Fenway.

[ieffinhatecardio]

You make good points.  I didn't see any sox fans crying when they acquired Gagne.  Locally, and nationally, it was viewed as a killer move.

I don't think Crisp can up his value at this point.  A couple games can't replace a season.

I agree, everyone thought the Gagne move was a great one. Although most people liked the move there was a group that thought Epstein didn't upgrade the part of the team that truly needed upgrading, namely the offense. It's almost like he signed Gagne to hide the fact that he didn't actually address the real need.

As far as Crisp upping his trade value, I can dream can't I? 

I can give you 103 million reasons how the sox could lose a game 7 at Fenway.

It's way too early to condemn Dice-K, for all intents and purposes he's a rookie. After two more seasons then we can start piling on but it's too early yet.

Also, if it goes to 7 games his leash will be so short that any trouble he gets into will end his night. I'd expect no more than 3-5 innings and then Beckett to come in.

[Grape Ape]

I agree, everyone thought the Gagne move was a great one. Although most people liked the move there was a group that thought Epstein didn't upgrade the part of the team that truly needed upgrading, namely the offense. It's almost like he signed Gagne to hide the fact that he didn't actually address the real need.

 

I totally agree on the offense part.  In fact, a sox fan at my office asked on the trade day what I thought of the moves, and I told him I was just relieved that the sox didn't get Dye.  The sox did not address the real need.  However, I'm going to give Theo some credit about attempting to upgrade the bullpen because I think he's smart enough to know what he really had in Okajima.  Middle relief can make bad pitchers look good for awhile, but eventually the truth comes out.  The league was starting to catch up to Okajima, and Theo knew it. 

It's way too early to condemn Dice-K, for all intents and purposes he's a rookie. After two more seasons then we can start piling on but it's too early yet.

I'm not writing Matsuzaka off, but I don't agree at all that he's a true rookie at all.  His problem, I think, is that he's frustrated by the MLB strikezone.   From the Japanese footage I've seen, he got a lot of batters out with pitches at the chest level, sometimes with fastballs, sometimes with changeups.  The trouble is here, fastballs that high get called for balls, and changeups that high get crushed.

Statistics have shown that Japanese pitchers tend to have their best years in the first year, before the league adjusts to them.  I'm not saying that this will happen to him, just what the trends show.  Right now, it appears that the sox have spent 103M for a league average #4 with occasional flashes of brilliance, and the Yanks have spend 50M on an NL #5.

Also, if it goes to 7 games his leash will be so short that any trouble he gets into will end his night. I'd expect no more than 3-5 innings and then Beckett to come in.

Reports have indicated Beckett's not even going to be 100% tonight due to tightness.  We'll have to see if he'd be available.

I think the hardest game for the sox to win, should it go 7 will be game six.  It's unlikely Carmona has such bad control again.

[headhuntersix]

Since u bring nothing, shut the hell up. The Sox have nobody to blame but....Theo. They have purchased a series of guys..Crisp/Lugo/Drew who aren't getting the job done..nor have they all year. Some of these guys will need to go. It will be one more year before guys like Santana etc will be on the open market and hopefully we can get somebody to complement Beckett. They will need to replace Manny to protect Ortiz after 08'. This team has holes but they got as far as they could.