Red Sox

Updated: 6-25
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Over The Monster

GT: D-Backs @ Red Sox

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Last night's game was one that could have gone either way. I'd like to have seen the bats balloon up and not Youk's eye, but that's baseball. Today's info:

Next Game
Arizona Diamondbacks
@ Boston Red Sox
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008, 7:05 PM EDT
Fenway Park
Doug Davis vs Justin Masterson
-->
Partly cloudy with a 50-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing from left to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 80.

Complete Coverage >

More detailed starter info:

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Justin Masterson 4-1 3.00 1.08 28 17

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Doug Davis 2-3 3.65 1.61 38 25

Really. SS. Is this good?

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via d.yimg.com

Errors suck. Wow. What an obvious statement, right? Errors are not the best way to judge a fielder. And as FP is based upon errors, we can't use that either. What can we use?

THT uses a metric called (revised) zone rating, or RZR, and they also attempt to measure the amount of balls a SS gets to out of his zone, or OOZ. BP uses a metric called Rate2, which is a measure of defensive proficiency that adjusts for league difficulty and "normalizes statistics over time". Rate2 is based on 100, where 100 is average and anything below, is well, below.

Lugo's THT Stats.

Lugo's BP Stats.

If you see those numbers, you'll notice...last, that Lugo's Rate2 is 83. He's well below-average according to BP this season, and was below-average last season as well, if not drastically so. On Lugo's THT numbers, I'll just tell you that he's at the bottom of the AL in RZR (behind, among others, David Eckstein ) and is not exactly topping the charts in OOZ with 18.

Don't get excited, Alex Cora  fans. He's actually well-below Lugo in RZR at  .722 v. .772. He does notch a 109 according to Rate2, though it's possible neither number is particularly significant for Alex Cora  given sporadic playing time. To my own amateur eye, the RZR difference is the truth. There are balls Alex Cora  doesn't get to that it feels like Lugo might at least get close to, and some of which, to be frank, the 2005-2006 Alex Cora  would've gotten to.

I don't know. To my mind we have a shaky-handed SS who does have the capacity to make some great plays (take hits away) while making errors on some plays he should make. We have a backup SS who seems to, at the moment, not have the range to play SS anymore. I almost think that we might need to make a trade at the deadline for a better option as a backup MIF. It's a strange "need" for June/July, but I think there'll come a time where we'll need the kind of guy who can make the tough plays and have a steady hand for the ones that MIFs get time to think about. The two best defensive options potentially on the market:

Jack Wilson: Wilson is a whiz with the leather, he's a lifetime 106 Rate2 SS, with an .816 RZR last season with 76 OOZ plays. He's had a down year at the plate and has had injury issues this season, which could help us in attempting to acquire him in a trade. He isn't cheap, with a $6.5M salary this season, and $7.25 next season. That in itself, again, might help us acquire him cheaply in terms of players. I don't know.

Khalil Greene: Greene always seems like a good SS to me, and his 108 Rate2 in 2007 and 115 in 2006 tend to bear that out. His RZR is .847 this season, .848 last season. He's got some power as well, though his offensive numbers have been down quite a bit this season. He's getting $4.5M this season and due $6.5M next season.

If the Pirates have a willing taker for Wilson , they'd probably do well to deal him. He's probably not part of the next great Pirates team, and that's a lot of salary for a team operating on that kind of budget. On the other hand, the Padres don't necessarily have any need or obvious desire to trade Greene , He's about two years younger than Wilson and signed cheaper. I looked at his hit charts, and he's a pull hitter, which suggests he might be very successful at Fenway Park as opposed to the vastness that is Petco National Park. This is some possibly wild speculation on my part. Note, nothing about Jed Lowrie  thusfar. We'll just leave it there.

GT: D-Backs @ Red Sox

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This is going to be a really fun series. The D-Backs, you could say, are my National League team. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some of these games...

The info:

Next Game
Arizona Diamondbacks
@ Boston Red Sox
Monday, Jun 23, 2008, 7:05 PM EDT
Fenway Park
Dan Haren vs Josh Beckett
-->
Partly cloudy with a 60-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >

The starters:

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Josh Beckett 7-4 3.87 1.13 89 17

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Dan Haren 7-4 3.26 1.01 84 16

The Defecting Red Sox Fan

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I never thought there'd be a Red Sox fan defecting -- not now, at least.

But there's a pretty interesting column in the Philadelphia Inquirer by former Sox fan Daniel Rubin. Rubin essentially says he's done with Red Sox Nation:

So how do I renounce my citizenship in Red Sox Nation?

I've been a member for so long I could still fill out a scorecard for the 1964 team. (Mantilla, Bressoud, Yaz . . .) I've rooted as my hometown nine went from bottom-dwelling to heart-breaking to dominating.

Now I want out. I sensed something had happened to me on the subway Tuesday and then in the stands when Boston bandwagoneers started chanting "Beat L.A." as if neither baseball nor Philadelphia - championshipless since 1983 - mattered.

I watched them stand and cheer when the Sox did something well, then I started to enjoy it as the Phillies fans booed them down, like dogs spraying their turf.

By Wednesday, I'd had enough. I walked out of the Businessperson's Special a few innings early, Sox up, me down.

I can't take the hangers-on. I can't take the pink and green ball caps and "Green Monstah" T-shirts.

I can't take the winning.

I don't think Rubin is too far off. Although I'm never going to turn my back to the Sox -- it's just not an option -- I completely understand what he's saying. I would predict that the majority of "fans" that enter Fenway Park on a daily basis really can't be considered "fans" at all. They're the people with the money, the connections and the attitude of, "hey, maybe I'll attend the Boston Sox game at Fenway Stadium today."

I'm not saying there is no place for these type of "fans," but there's just too many of them. There were none of them in 2004 until the World Series trophy came home. Now there are millions of them everywhere. Why? They cling to success. The Red Sox are the popular and "cool" thing in New England; who doesn't want to be apart of the cool crowd?

Personally, I hate talking Red Sox or baseball with people that really don't know anything about the Sox or baseball. I can pick a poser fan out of a lineup nine times out of 10. When a poser fan asks my thoughts, I have a standard answer that doesn't divulge any detail of my thoughts because I know they won't understand.

When I talk to a true Sox fan though, I know I can let loose and they'll understand everything I say. When I say things like, "J.D. Drew can't struggle for long because of his beautiful swing," or "Dustin Pedroia just isn't taking any pitches," or "center field isn't big enough for both Coco and Jacoby," those fans know what I'm talking about. Try explaining those things to the casual "fan," and you're just going to get a dumb look in return.

There are enough true Red Sox fans at Fenway Park on a daily basis though to keep the heart of Red Sox Nation alive. For example, remember videos like this one? Or this one? That's not a normal thing for baseball fans around the country. We're Sox fans. I'm proud to be one, that's for sure.

At this point, we really can't change anything unless we start losing -- which, also, is not an option. I guess I'd rather be surrounded by a bunch of phony "fans" and win than be a Royals fan.

Bullpen Thoughts.

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via d.yimg.com

Can I admit I'm not exactly Paps  up there when thinking about how the bullpen has been used lately? Our players love playing for Tito  and some of that has to do with the confidence he shows in them in certain situations.

Paps , for example, belongs to save situations and that's not going to change anytime soon, and it shouldn't. MDC  is the RHP called upon most often in the 7th/8th in close games. Again. No problem.

The issue, here, is some heralded RPs who need to switch roles with their, perhaps, less-heralded counterparts.

Craig Hansen  has been up-and-down since called up, looking better than MDC  at times, and looking worse than Timlin  at others. Yet Tito has shown confidence in Hansen, putting him in situations where the score is close and the Sox are deep into the game. The fact of the matter is, despite how good he was today (and he was, awesome). He needs some of what Joe Morgan  might refer to as consistency before he's trusted as the third option out of the pen.

Hideki Okajima . I wish I had some confidence in him. But I just don't. I have to wonder why he was in the game late yesterday, rather than David Aardsma , but of course remembered that we used/wasted  Aardsma in back-to-back losses. I don't know what Oki needs, but he needs to put in some impressive work in garbage time to earn our confidence to pitch him late in games. Until then.

Javy Lopez. I wouldn't be saying this last year. But, for now, Javy needs to be getting those high-leverage situations when Tito/Farrell want a lefty. Javy's been effective this year, for whatever reason, and we should keep riding that while it lasts. The fact that his total numbers indicate that he's making hitters, in general, look like Jason Varitek (.703 OPS against, v. .717 OPS) is as encouraging about Lopez  as it is discouraging about our captain.

David Aardsma. Aardsma  has earned a shot at some more important situations, especially given his performance this weekend, striking out the side in two straight games. A 1.30 WHIP and 36 Ks in 34 ? Not lights-out, but certainly better than many of our other options.

In, short, get J-Lo  and Aardsma out of these blowout games and near-losses, and let's start using a couple of our best relievers as they should be used.

Oh. And Mike Timlin needs to be moved from the 15-day DL to the foreverplease RL. Yes. I'm in the camp that believes he's pretty much entirely cooked. I know he proved us all wrong last season, but it just seems different.

I suppose some trades could be made to help our cause. Names that intrigue me:

Jon Rauch: 33 Ks and 35 baserunners in 36 2/3. Toiling away for the last-place Nationals.

Alan Embree: Looks like he's gotten his mojo back in Oakland. 31 Ks and a 1.24 WHIP in 30 2/3.

Damaso Marte: He's been excellent, in Pittsburgh,with 39 Ks in 36 1/3 and a 1.07 WHIP. Last I've seen is that Pittsburgh might hold on to him the rest of the year, but I don't know how much sense that makes for them.

Who'd be a fair return for these cats? I dunno. Throw down some ideas in the comments.

GT: Cardinals @ Red Sox

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I was supposed to be there today ... damn.

Here's the info:

Next Game
St. Louis Cardinals
@ Boston Red Sox
Sunday, Jun 22, 2008, 1:35 PM EDT
Fenway Park
Joel Pineiro vs Jon Lester
-->
Partly cloudy with a 50-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >

The starters:

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Jon Lester 6-3 3.18 1.33 62 38

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Joel Pineiro 2-3 4.02 1.27 33 14

GT: Cardinals @ Red Sox

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Lineup
St. Louis Cardinals @ Boston Red Sox
06/21/08 3:55 PM EDT
St. Louis Cardinals Boston Red Sox Skip Schumaker - RF Jacoby Ellsbury - CF Aaron Miles - 2B Dustin Pedroia - 2B Ryan Ludwick - LF J.D. Drew - RF Rick Ankiel - CF Manny Ramirez - DH Troy Glaus - 3B Mike Lowell - 3B Chris Duncan - 1B Kevin Youkilis - 1B Jason LaRue - C Brandon Moss - LF Adam Kennedy - DH Jason Varitek - C Brendan Ryan - SS Alex Cora - SS

Game Thread: 06/20/08

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Sox:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury LF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. J.D. Drew RF
4. Manny Ramirez DH
5. Mike Lowell 3B
6. Kevin Youkilis IB
7. Coco Crisp CF
8. Julio Lugo SS
9. Kevin Cash C

SP: Tim Wakefield

Cardinals:

1. Cesar Izturis SS
2. Skip Schumaker RF
3. Ryan Ludwick LF
4. Rick Ankiel CF
5. Troy Glaus 3B
6. Chris Duncan 1B
7. Yadier Molina DH
8. Adam Kennedy 2B
9. Jason LaRue C

SP: Kyle Lohse

The Cardinals have a pretty weak line-up without Pujols. Look up there, it's awful. Ludwick is having a nice season, Ankiel is also good, and Glaus is fair enough. The rest is bad. They have a nice record, sitting at 42-32 entering game today. However, they're playing a little bit over their heads right now, so expect that record to drop in the near future. So, it's pretty much your Red Sox vs. a non-playoff NL team. This smells good.

Sox up, 1-0 thanks to a Sac Fly by Julio RBI Lugo. Is it just me, or would the whole world hate Lugo a little bit less if his name was Lulio Jugo. :)

Schilling to have season-ending surgery

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Per Extra Bases, Curt Schilling has decided to operate on his right shoulder, meaning he is done for the season. The Sox had hoped he could rehab it without surgery, but apparently that was not possible. If Schil tries a comeback after the surgery, the earliest he could contribute to a major league team would be in late 2009.

The Stealing Sox

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via graphics.boston.com

The most remarkable development in the 2008 Red Sox season has been speed. Coming off of last year, we expected great pitching, and we expected solid offense. But how many of us were expecting the Sox in June to be second in the league in steals?

Jacoby Ellsbury is almost single-handedly responsible for this achievement. He has 34 stolen bases, leading the majors in that category. Since getting caught for the first time in his major league career in May (after 25 steals), he has only been caught three more times, giving him a phenomenal success rate of 89%. Ellsbury has already shattered the Sox rookie record for steals (31), and is well on his way to breaking the Sox team record of 54 steals, held by Tommy Harper. Ells is on pace to rack up 73 stolen bases.

After Ellsbury, the biggest culprits are Coco Crisp (12 SB, 2 CS) and Julio Lugo (9 SB, 3 CS), followed by Dustin Pedroia (7SB, 0 CS). Pedroia's numbers surprise me, considering that 1) he is not a fast base-runner and 2) he never had this sort of success in the minors. He already has as many SB as he accumulated in all of last year.

Overall, the Sox have 70 thefts this season, and their baserunners have only been caught 13 times. Their success rate is 84%, better than the Rays (75%) and the Angels (72%), who are respectively first and third in stolen bases. If the Sox continue to steal at their present rate, they will swipe 151 bases this season.

Exciting as steals are, they often are overrated. Because of the intrinsic danger in giving up outs, most Sabermetricians argue that you need to steal bases with a success rate of 75% or higher for it to be worthwhile. (This article discusses that figure, and other interesting SB stuff.) Moreover, more steals doesn't necessarily equal more runs. The 2005 Red Sox scored 910 runs, but only stole 45 bases; by contrast, last year's team scored 867 runs, with 96 steals. And our current team projects to score only 822 runs,  while stealing 151 bases.

As Ellsbury's prowess for base-stealing becomes known through the league, it could become harder for him to steal. Tuesday's game stands out in this regard. Ellsbury was on first with two outs, and swiped second despite a pitch-out. He then broke for third, and the catcher's throw nailed him, ending the inning. With his speed, Ells could have scored from 2nd on just about anything, so stealing third was an unnecessary risk.

So what do you think about the blatant thievery going on? Will Ellsbury keep up his record-setting pace? Is Pedroia's success sustainable, or will his aggressiveness and lack of speed catch up to him? Should the Sox cool off a bit on the base paths, or continue to tear them up?

GT: Sox at Phillies. Rubber Match.

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It's:

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Justin Masterson 3-1 2.90 1.06 27 15
V.

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Kyle Kendrick 6-2 4.54 1.48 31 24
And the lineups. No Manuel.

Lineup
Boston Red Sox @ Philadelphia Phillies
06/18/08 1:05 PM EDT
Boston Red Sox Philadelphia Phillies Jacoby Ellsbury - LF Jimmy Rollins - SS Dustin Pedroia - 2B Shane Victorino - CF J.D. Drew - RF Chase Utley - 2B Mike Lowell - 3B Ryan Howard - 1B Sean Casey - 1B Pat Burrell - LF Jason Varitek - C Geoff Jenkins - RF Coco Crisp - CF Greg Dobbs - 3B Julio Lugo - SS Carlos Ruiz - C Justin Masterson - P Kyle Kendrick - P
Let the commentingness begin.

The Steinbrenner

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[via www.survivinggrady.com ]

With all the hoopla over the Celtics, you might forget that the Sox won a well-pitched game last night, or that they remain atop the AL East. Unless you are the man pictured above, that is. In honor of the Sox divisional lead, I wrote the following:

The Steinbrenner
(with apologies to the non-baseball playing Kenny Rogers )

On a warm summer’s night

On a train bound for Tampa ,

I met up with a Steinbrenner

I was too amused to speak.

So we took turns a starin’

At American League standings,

‘Til frustration overtook him

And he began to weep.

He said, "Theo, I’ve made a living

Out of yelling at my workers,

And feeding off the fear I see,

Coming from their eyes."

"But if you don’t mind my saying,

You can see I’m out of aces .

So I promise not to hurt you,

If you give me some advice."

Well I tried to run for safety,

But he beat me to the doorway.

Then he took a coil of rope,

And tied me to my seat.

And the train got extra sullen,

And his face turned deadly crimson.

Said "If I’m gonna play the game, boy,

I’m gonna learn to do it right."

"I gotta know when to draft ‘em,

Know when to trade ‘em,

Know when to yell and scream

And know who to fire."

"I’ll never trust a manager,

Who should’ve got Santana.

Now there’s time enough for Phil Hughes

Sitting on the bench ."

"Now every owner knows,

That the secret to survival,

Is knowing who to trade away,

And knowing who to keep."

" ‘Cause every team’s a winner,

But my team is a loser.

And the best that I can hope for

Is to die with thirty rings."

When he’d finished speaking, he turned back to the doorway,

Saw the policemen, and knew his time was up.

Now somewhere deep in prison, Steinbrenner is still steaming,

Knowing that he’ll never see another Series cup.

He doesn’t know when to draft ‘em,

Know when to trade ‘em,

Know when to yell and scream,

And know who to fire.

He shoulda got Santana,

‘Steada listening to the Cashman.

Now there’s time enough for Phil Hughes,

Sitting on the bench.

Congratulations, Celtics!

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Congratulations to the 2008 National Basketball Association Champions, the Boston Celtics.

Gotta' share the love around Boston. Title town, baby.

GT: Red Sox @ Phillies

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Let's win this one.

Next Game
Boston Red Sox
@ Philadelphia Phillies
Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008, 7:05 PM EDT
Citizens Bank Park
Jon Lester vs Jamie Moyer
-->
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from left field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Jon Lester 5-3 3.43 1.36 57 37

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Jamie Moyer 7-3 4.12 1.37 43 19

The Rotation.

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Who's safe? Who's not?

via d.yimg.com

Daisuke threw a rehab start for Pawtucket, and pitched well. 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 baserunners and 5 Ks. He has proclaimed himself ready to rejoin the rotation, and as pointed out by Buster Olney last night on BBTN, is on the same schedule now as Bartolo Colon, who left the game last night with back spasms.

Believe it or not, Colon's injury might actually be a little lucky for us. No? I'll be pompous for the moment and explain.

We have three starters who are not going to be displaced in the rotation anytime soon. Jon Lester , Josh Beckett , and Tim Wakefield are not going anywhere. Amidst all of that, tonight's starter, Justin Masterson , has pitched well, with a 1.06 WHIP and a 7.84 K/9. Would like to see him lower his walks, because the hit-rate of ~5.2 H/9 isn't sustainable. Nonetheless, he's given the Sox no reason (other than having options left) to kick him out of the rotation. Are there any OTMers, for example, who would like to see him sent back to AAA later this week?

However, the smart money was that Daisuke would come back and pitch in Masterson's  slot, despite pitching on Colon's schedule. After all, while he hasn't been Cy-quality, Colon  has pitched well enough for us, and certainly deserved another start or two to prove he wasn't a semi long-term option. Now, however, the back spasms. I anticipate this means that we might DL Colon for Daisuke  in the next several days, which would allow us to keep Colon , as otherwise he might've had to be DFA'd. (I don't believe Colon  has options left, and he's not really a good bullpen candidate at this point in his career)

In this case, we can now continue to keep Colon around as insurance, and when either ineffectiveness or growing concerns about inning totals start to make us more cautious about Masterson , Colon could be ready to step back into the rotation. And if Daisuke  pitches a couple starts and doesn't really look ready, we can make an adjustment that way as well.

So, the next couple weeks: Becks, Lester, Wakefield, Daisuke, and Masterson

Then, potentially, Becks, Lester, Wakefield, Daisuke, and Colon  again. Either way, depth is looking good for the moment, and we've got some pieces to play around with. Not to mention a couple guys on the farm that go by the names of Buchholz  and Bowden .

Game Story: Can you say pitching mismatch?

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via www.fangraphs.com

Summary:

You know something? Cole Hamels is a very good pitcher. This is much akin to when Colon  and Felix Hernandez  were matched up a little while ago. Winning this game would've been stealing one from the Phillies, and they of course have a much better offense than the Mariners. Some NL teams have really started to separate themselves lately, and the Phillies are one of them.

Speaking of that good offense, Jimmy Rollins  and Ryan Howard  just steamrolled us today. Howard was 3/5 with 4 RBI, 2 HR, and a 3B. Rollins led off the bottom of the first with a HR and added two more hits.

The Mike Timlin DFA Contest continued today, leading a lot of Sox fans to believe that he should be shipped...somewhere. 4 ER in 0.2 IP. Of course, all of our other relievers pitched well, reinforcing the idea that Timlin shouldn't be in games that are closer than 4-128 runs. Lopez , Aardsma , and especially Oki (Who not only looked good by the box score, but looked like he had his pitches working) combined for 3 1/3 scoreless.

J.D. Drew  continued his good performance at the plate, going 1/3 with a HR and a BB. The real offensive star was DP , who went 3/4 with a HR and a 2B. Lugo was 1/2 with a 2B and a BB, and Sean Casey  was 2/4 with a 2B. Manuel was...not good at the plate last night, with an 0-4, GIDP and a K.

Player of the Game:

via d.yimg.com
Yeah. It's from the Baltimore series. So what?
Comment of the Game:
I'm not sure Cora is much better at the plate than Colon. -Drugs Delaney

GT: Red Sox @ Phillies

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This is going to be a fun series to watch. A real AL team versus a wanna-be AL team.

Next Game
Boston Red Sox
@ Philadelphia Phillies
Monday, Jun 16, 2008, 7:05 PM EDT
Citizens Bank Park
Bartolo Colon vs Cole Hamels
-->
Partly cloudy with a 40-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Near 85.

Complete Coverage >

The starters:

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Bartolo Colon 4-1 3.41 1.31 22 7

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Cole Hamels 6-4 3.27 1.02 86 27

Beckett is still very good.

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via d.yimg.com

I'm like everyone else. I've felt from time-to-time this season that Josh Beckett  just hasn't been what he was last year.  Were we spoiled last season? Has he actually been worse? Have his record and 4.00 ERA (before yesterday) made us over-critical of his performance?

Well, after reading this article on Fangraphs, I have to conclude that we have been. His K/BB is actually up from a year ago, at 5.24, which is pretty much entirely due to a higher K-rate. His WHIP is 1.13, as opposed to 1.14 last season. In short, while we've been debating whether Jon Lester , or Daisuke  has been our best pitcher this season, Beckett  has continued to be our ace for all intents and purposes. Of course, this is probably easier for people to think about now given that he's improved his ERA to 3.87 and his record to 7-4.

The only thing that's really changed, as pointed out by Eric Seidman at Fangraphs, is Beckett's HR rate. He's getting less GBs than last season, and some of those extra line drives and flyballs have become HRs. It's probably not a large point of concern. I think he'll settle somewhere in-between his current 1.15 HR/9 and last season's 0.76 HR/9. If that happens, then as surprising as it may be, Beckett  might still get some Cy attention at the end of the season.

With apologies to Jon Lester , Daisuke Matsuzaka, and even Tim Wakefield  and Justin Masterson , Beckett still wears the big pants in the rotation. I think we're probably all more comfortable that way.

GT: Red Sox @ Reds

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The info:

Next Game
Boston Red Sox
@ Cincinnati Reds
Sunday, Jun 15, 2008, 1:15 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park
Josh Beckett vs Homer Bailey
-->
Sunny. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 85.

Complete Coverage >

The starters:

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP 2008 - Josh Beckett 6-4 12 12 0 0 0 0 79.0 74 38 37 11 15 83 4.22 1.13

W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Homer Bailey 0-2 6.30 1.90 3 7

Game Thread: 6/14/08

Previous

Is there anybody around?

Line-ups:

Ellsbury-LF
Pedroia-2B
Drew-RF
Lowell-3B
Youkilis-1B
Crisp-CF
Lugo-SS
Cash-C
Wakefield-SP

Bruce-CF
Janish-SS
Griffey-RF
Phillips-2B
Dunn-LF
Encarnacion-3B
Votto-1B
Bako-C
Voloquez-SP

Sox up, 1-0, thanks to Taco's wonderful speed. I missed the error, so I'm wanting for a replay to see what happened. Also, glad to see that Pedroia is seeing more pitches today. He saw 3 before grounding out. And Volquez is ugly. Very fucking ugly indeed...

Red Reporter

Game 78: Reds at Blue Jays

Next

Next Game
Cincinnati Reds
@ Toronto Blue Jays
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008, 7:07 PM EDT
Rogers Centre
Bronson Arroyo vs A.J. Burnett
--> Mostly clear. Winds blowing in from left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Bronson Arroyo 4-6 5.55 1.58 81 32 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - A.J. Burnett 6-7 5.42 1.56 90 46
Hmm, Arroyo and Burnett are having very similar seasons, no?  The good news for the Reds is that Arroyo makes about half of what Burnett makes this year and is owed about $3.5 million less over the next two seasons.  I wouldn't expect both of these pitchers to continue to suck all summer.  Hopefully it's Arroyo that picks his game up, though I still believe he's just a 6 inning pitcher now.

Offensively there are two big stories this series.  First, Joey Votto goes home.  He's batting .500 over the last 7 games.  Look for him to hit at least double that while playing at home.

The other story is Adam MAD!  Surely Dunn will feel like he has something to prove playing in front of JP Riccardi.  The only question is whether is bat will be straightened out in time.  If only motivation were enough for a player to turn it on.

The Reds are 6-3 against the real Mickey Mouse league.  Two of three above the border would be nice.

Farmers only, when the Bats got Herr back

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The real revelation in the ongoing saga of Aaron Herr is that they actually give out a "Postseason Utility Player of the Year," or PUPOTY.

Herr
Triple-A: Aaron Herr, last year's IL Postseason Utility Player of the Year, returned to the Bats with a thud, striking out 3 times and committing 2 errors in the Bats' 8-5 loss to Rochester. Herr was with the Bats all last year with the Bats but joined Cleveland's Buffalo Bisons this year. He was traded as the Bisons were leaving town, so he just headed back to the old home clubhouse yesterday. Kevin Barker hit his team-high 10th home run, and Josh Roenicke and Daniel Ray Herrera got roughed up a bit. UP NEXT: Rochester, 7 tonight.

Waring
High A: Todd Frazier hit his 6th home run for Sarasota in the first of two S-Reds losses, 9-3 and 4-1. Dan Perales went 3 for 3 with a triple in Game 2 and is flourishing so far in High A, batting .304 in his first 19 games. UP NEXT: Reds at St. Lucie, 7 tonight.

Low A: Brandon Waring cracked his 14th homer in Dayton's 6-4 loss. Keltavious Jones was 2 for 5 with a triple, and Jeff Jeffords struck out 3 in 3 scoreless innings. UP NEXT: South Bend at Dayton, 7 tonight.

Also: Andrew means went 3 for 4 in Billings' 6-5 loss. ... Juan Duran was 1 for 3 with a triple in the DSL Reds' 6-5 win. ... Evan Hildebrandt allowed just 1 hit in 6 innings in the GCL Reds' 9-2 win. Frank Pfister was 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, 3 runs and 2 RBIs.

Farmers only: More Neftali

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Soto
Chris Dickerson's walk-off single gave Louisville the 3-2 win. Danny Herrera escaped from Tyler Pelland's jam in the 7th. ...

Danny Dorn went 2 for 5 with a homer in Chattanooga's 10-1 win. Sam Lecure struck out 4 and allowed just 2 hits in 6 innings. ...

Keltavious Jones homered in Dayton's 8-2 loss. Brandon Waring was 2 for 3, and Devin Mesoraco had a hit. ...

Neftali Soto was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles in Billings' 6-5 loss. First baseman Matt Stiffler went 1 for 4, but more importantly, Matt Stiffler blah blah blah.

Sarasota rained out, and the DSL and GCL teams had the day off.

Game 77: The Wet Thread

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This one going to postponement?

Game 77: Reds at Yankees

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Next Game
Cincinnati Reds
@ New York Yankees
Sunday, Jun 22, 2008, 1:05 PM EDT
Yankee Stadium
Johnny Cueto vs Andy Pettitte
-->
Partly cloudy with a 50-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Johnny Cueto 5-7 5.19 1.40 74 34 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Andy Pettitte 7-5 4.29 1.36 70 21
This all depends on how you look at it: Johnny Cueto has only given up more than 3 earned runs in a game once in his past 7 starts. Really not bad for a guy with a 5.19 ERA. But then again, he hasn't given up fewer than 2 runs in a start since... his first start of the season (April 3). Still, I'm no scout, but I see more stuff coming off Cueto's arm than anybody on the team other than Volquez. And only maybe to that. I still get excited about each of his starts. So let's make this a sharp one, Johnny.  Go Reds.

Farmers only, the Neftali Soto version: Abridged

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Soto
Homer Bailey gave up 10 hits and 4 runs (3 earned) in 8 innings, but Louisville lost 4-1. Homer struck out 7, and manager Rick Sweet called it a 'great start.' Jeff Keppinger didn't play because he was on a plane to New York to join the big boys. ... Ben Jukich struck out 6 in 7 innings in Chattanooga's 4-3 win. Carlos Fisher got his 6th save and has his ERA down to 3.76. ... Josh Fogg allowed 12 hits yet somehow managed to get the win for Sarasota. ... Zach Cozart had 2 homers in Dayton's 6-0 win. Neftali Soto went 4 for 5 with a triple and a homer (his 4th in his first 5 games!) in Billings' 4-3 loss. Soto -- our 3rd-round pick last year and our No. 14 prospect according to Baseball America -- had only 2 homers last season in 40 games in the Gulf Coast League, although he broke Juan Gonzalez's youth home run record in Puerto Rico, so his power should not be a surprise. He could not be amid a hotter start to his season. He's only 19 years old. ... $2 million boy Juan Duran went 0 for 4 for the Dominican Summer League Reds.

Game 76: Part III

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The Reds have taken a commanding lead, and tHan admitted Curb's inferiority.

Game 76: Part II

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Thompson/Giese locked in. 0-0.

Game 76: Reds at Yankees

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Next Game
Cincinnati Reds
@ New York Yankees
Saturday, Jun 21, 2008, 1:05 PM EDT
Yankee Stadium
Daryl Thompson vs Dan Giese
-->
Mostly sunny. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 80.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB MiLB Career - Daryl Thompson
27-21 3.37 1.21 368 125 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Dan Giese 1-1 1.23 0.99 4 1
Thompson makes his MLB debut today in Yankee Stadium against a 31-year old making his first career MLB start (he has 11 career games pitched).  This could be a fun one!

Game 75: Deuce

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It's a lead.  On the road no less.  Reds up 4-1.

Game 75: Reds at Yankees

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Next Game
Cincinnati Reds
@ New York Yankees
Friday, Jun 20, 2008, 7:05 PM EDT
Yankee Stadium
Edinson Volquez vs Mike Mussina
-->
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Edinson Volquez 9-2 1.64 1.17 105 44 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Mike Mussina 10-4 3.87 1.22 46 11
Edinson still leads the majors in strikeouts (8 more than Sabathia) and ERA (ahead of No. 2 Tim Lincecum's 2.21). Mussina, however, leads the AL in wins and has 1/4 the walks of Volquez.

And in the past 5 games (all losses), we've been outscored 31-10 and managed a robust .214/.294/.298/.592 line (down from .247/.326/.403/.729 on the season.) Of course, now we're at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 1976 (when we swept) and the last time evah, so maybe we'll get some of that Big Red Luck. Maybe.

Thompson to be called up

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Thompson

Via the Fay's iPhone:

The Reds are expected to recall from Class AAA Louisville RHP Daryl Thompson (#53) to start tomorrow's game...he will make his Major League debut. Thompson, 22, began the season in the minors and in 14 starts at Class AA Chattanooga and Class AAA Louisville combined to go 6-2 with a 2.22 ERA.

He replaces 22-year-old RHP Homer Bailey in the rotation.

Here's the reds.com version.

Thompson's only had one bad start in Louisville, when he allowed 8 hits and 8 runs in 5 innings against Indianapolis. In his other 3 starts, he's allowed just 2 runs, striking out 18 in 22.2 innings. He had a 1.76 ERA in Chattanooga, with 56K and 14BB in 61.1IP.

I'd also like to point out that Thompson's the last piece of The Trade to make it to the majors. So far neither team has gotten much production from the players in that trade. Maybe we can end up with a solid starter out of it.
Poll What do you expect from Daryl Thompson?
Edinson Volquez
Aaron Harang
Johnny Cueto
Bronson Arroyo
Homer Bailey/Josh Fogg

158 votes | Results

Game 74: Reds vs Dodgers

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Next Game
Los Angeles Dodgers
@ Cincinnati Reds
Thursday, Jun 19, 2008, 12:35 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park
Eric Stults vs Aaron Harang
-->
Mostly sunny. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 70.

Complete Coverage >

Lineup
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Cincinnati Reds
06/19/08 12:35 PM EDT
Los Angeles Dodgers Cincinnati Reds Juan Pierre - LF Norris Hopper - CF Blake DeWitt - 3B Jay Bruce - RF Jeff Kent - 2B Brandon Phillips - 2B Russell Martin - C Adam Dunn - LF James Loney - 1B Edwin Encarnacion - 3B Matt Kemp - CF Joey Votto - 1B Andre Ethier - RF Paul Bako - C Angel Berroa - SS Paul Janish - SS Eric Stults - P Aaron Harang - P
Sorry, I've been distracted.

Farmers only ponder Yonder

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Alonso
Miami's season is over, so it's time for our guys to get Yonder Alonso to sign on the line. This story from the Fay says he is not represented by Scott Boras and is not demanding a major league deal, as had been reported. If that's true, we should have no trouble paying slot money and getting him signed up as a pro baseball player. He can't really improve much on his college numbers, and as the No. 7 pick is poised to become an instant millionaire. He also seems to like the Reds. There's no reason not to get this guy locked up. What are everyone else's thoughts?

Double-A: Shaun Cumberland went 2 for 3 in Chattanooga's 7-0 loss. Not much good from the Lookouts in this one. Chris Valaika had a hit, and Jordan Smith struck out 7. But Smith allowed 9 hits and 6 runs in 6 innings. UP NEXT: Game 3 vs. Carolina, 7:15 tonight.

High A: Juan Francisco homered (10), Drew Stubbs had 2 hits and Todd Frazier had an RBI triple in Sarasota's 8-2 win. Camilo Vazquez (4-2) and Philippe-Alexandre Valiquette (1st save) struck out 3 and allowed just 2 hits in their 4 innings. Jacob Kahaulelio was 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs. UP NEXT: Sarasota at Fort Myers, 7 tonight.

College: Yonder Alonso was 2 for 5 with a scorched pull double off the wall in the ninth, but the Miami Hurricanes fell to Stanford 8-3, ending the Canes' season. As long as we can get Yonder signed, he's all ours now. He finished his season at .370/.534/.777/1.311 with 24 homers and 72 RBIs in all 64 games.

Game 73: Reds vs. Dodgers

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Next Game
Los Angeles Dodgers
@ Cincinnati Reds
Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008, 7:10 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park
Derek Lowe vs Bronson Arroyo
--> Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 15-20 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 70.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Derek Lowe 4-6 4.03 1.30 61 24 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Bronson Arroyo 4-5 5.31 1.62 75 31
The Reds have scored 16 runs in 7 games so far on this home stand.  That has to change.

Arroyo looked good in his last outing and he has a 3.04 ERA over his last 8 starts.  He may only be a 6 inning pitcher at this point (remember, he pulled himself out of his last start after 6 IP), but if those 6 innings can keep the Reds in the game that might be enough.

Outside of Bailey's two starts and Cueto's 8 walk fiasco a week ago, the starting pitching has been good on the homestand.  Hopefully Arroyo can keep it going.

Game 72: Reds vs. Dodgers

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Next Game
Los Angeles Dodgers
@ Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008, 7:10 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park
Chad Billingsley vs Johnny Cueto
--> Mostly clear. Winds blowing in from left field at 10-20 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 75.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Chad Billingsley 4-7 3.71 1.37 82 38 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Johnny Cueto 5-6 5.42 1.43 72 31
Remember last year when the Reds couldn't hit lefties but they could hit righties?  Well, so far this year the opposite is true.  The Reds are batting just .238/.310/.397 against right-handers this season.  Even worse news is that they are batting just .225/.313/.366 against power pitchers like Chad Billingsley this season.  Add to that the fact that Billingsley is also a ground ball pitcher, and well, the matchup doesn't look good for the Reds.

Luckily, the Dodgers hit lefties much better than right-handers as well.  After a terrible outing from Cueto in his last start, and a short outing from Bailey on Sunday, the Reds could really use a quality start tonight.  He shouldn't expect a lot of run support, that's for sure.

Keep your eye out for the Dodger way tonight.  It should be in full effect.

Farmers only: Hopper and Keppinger done simmering?

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It might be time for Hopper to return, and certainly Keppinger. It will mean the demise of Jolbert Cabrera or Paul Janish. But who would be sent down when both of those guys return from rehab? Valentin DFA? Andy Phillips? I don't see an obvious sub-out to get Hopper back. That is, if the Reds are interested in sending him back to Cincinnati.

Jukich
Triple-A: Norris Hopper was 3 for 4 with 2 runs and Jeff Keppinger was 2 for 4 with an RBI in Louisville's 5-2 loss. The Bats were facing former phenom Francisco Liriano and former Red Ryan Jorgensen, who is 0 for 5 so far in this series. UP NEXT: Game 3 at Rochester, 7 tonight.

Double-A: Ben Jukich struck out 8 and earned a win, going to 7-2, in Chattanooga's 5-4 win at West Tennessee. Michael DeJesus had 2 doubles, and he's been lighting it up since his promotion to Double-A: .405/.488/.595/1.083. Jukich's ERA is down to 2.82. UP NEXT: New series vs. Carolina, 7:15 tonight.

Low A: Logan Parker hit his 7th homer as Dayton beat South Bend 8-7. Devin Mesoraco had a hit and 2 RBIs, and Joseph Krebs struck out the side in order for his 5th save. Krebs is putting together a nice season in his first full pro year: 31K:13BB in 36.2IP, 1.34 WHIP, 2.45 ERA. He was our 14th-round pick last year out of the University of Texas. UP NEXT: Tomorrow is the Midwest League All-Star Game! All kinds of folks representing Dayton: Relievers Krebs and Jeff Jeffords and starter Luis Montano; outfielder Denis Phipps; and starting at third, Brandon Waring. Good luck, guys.

- Yonder Alonso and Miami play Florida State in a College World Series elimination game today at 2 on ESPN2. Check the gametracker here.

- Sarasota starts post-All-Star Game play today at home vs. Lakeland, 7 p.m.

Game 71: Reds vs Red Sox

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Next Game
Boston Red Sox
@ Cincinnati Reds
Sunday, Jun 15, 2008, 1:15 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park
Josh Beckett vs Homer Bailey
-->
Sunny. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 85.

Complete Coverage >
W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Josh Beckett 6-4 4.22 1.13 83 15 W-L ERA WHIP K BB 2008 - Homer Bailey 0-2 6.30 1.90 3 7
We need a big game out of Bailey today.  A series win would be awesome!

Farmers only: Drew Stubbs is the MVP of something... Celebrate!

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Stubbs
It's a pretty nice honor to have 4 of your guys on an All-Star team, and it's really special when one of them is named MVP of the game. Congratulations, Drew. I hope this break gets the S-Reds going at the pace they were on when the season began.

Triple-A: Daryl Thompson nearly went the distance as the Bats won 4-1. Read more about the game in this FanPost. (Note: Keppinger and Hopper are up to Louisville in their rehab assignments.) UP NEXT: Game 2 at Rochester, 1:35 today.

Thompson
Double-A: Chattanooga lost 8-2. Chris Valaika had a hit, Sean Henry had 2. UP NEXT: Lookouts at West Tennessee, Game 5, 5:35 tonight.

High A: Sarasota's Drew Stubbs was the MVP of the Florida State League All-Star Game as the West prevailed 9-3. Stubbs went 1 for 4, but that 1 was a 2-run homer in the second and proved to be the game-winning hit. Juan Francisco was 1 for 3, Chris Heisey was 0 for 2 and Ramon Geronimo got his two guys out. A splendid showing by our boys. Francisco supposedly took part in the home run derby, but I can find no record that he competed. Maybe he didn't do very well. UP NEXT: New series vs. Lakeland, 7 tomorrow.

Alonso
Low A: Brandon Waring had a double and 3 RBIs in the Dragons' 9-7 loss. Zach Cozart  went 3 for 4, and he's starting to heat up. He's batting .351 in his past 10 games. UP NEXT: Game 3 at South Bend, 1:30 today.

College: Yonder Alonso went 1 for 2 with a homer to center and two walks, but Miami choked on the lead and fell 7-4. UP NEXT: The Canes face Buster Posey and Florida State in an elimination game tomorrow at 1 on ESPN2.

Game 70: Part II

Previous

Bottom 8. Let's get a ND for Volquez.

Table of Contents

Over The Monster

GT: D-Backs @ Red Sox

Really. SS. Is this good?

GT: D-Backs @ Red Sox

The Defecting Red Sox Fan

Bullpen Thoughts.

GT: Cardinals @ Red Sox

GT: Cardinals @ Red Sox

Game Thread: 06/20/08

Schilling to have season-ending surgery

The Stealing Sox

GT: Sox at Phillies. Rubber Match.

The Steinbrenner

Congratulations, Celtics!

GT: Red Sox @ Phillies

The Rotation.

Game Story: Can you say pitching mismatch?

GT: Red Sox @ Phillies

Beckett is still very good.

GT: Red Sox @ Reds

Game Thread: 6/14/08

Red Reporter

Game 78: Reds at Blue Jays

Farmers only, when the Bats got Herr back

Farmers only: More Neftali

Game 77: The Wet Thread

Game 77: Reds at Yankees

Farmers only, the Neftali Soto version: Abridged

Game 76: Part III

Game 76: Part II

Game 76: Reds at Yankees

Game 75: Deuce

Game 75: Reds at Yankees

Thompson to be called up

Game 74: Reds vs Dodgers

Farmers only ponder Yonder

Game 73: Reds vs. Dodgers

Game 72: Reds vs. Dodgers

Farmers only: Hopper and Keppinger done simmering?

Game 71: Reds vs Red Sox

Farmers only: Drew Stubbs is the MVP of something... Celebrate!

Game 70: Part II