Tag Archives: The Boston Red Sox

Review – Alex Cora: The Making Of A Champion

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Last night on the MLB Network they ran their MLB Network Presents series Alex Cora: The Making of a Champion. It was an in depth and poignant piece on our manager, a tremendous watch. The story starts and ends from his home town of Caguas Puerto Rico, from his childhood straight through to his current place as the first Big League manager from Puerto Rico. Oh, and through that incredible Red Sox season in 2018. Here are some highlights:

Heartbreak at home

Screengrab from MLB Network

Is pain a friend of yours? Have you suffered heartbreak and loss? Alex Cora is shoulder to shoulder with you. Several times he speaks about losing his Father when he was 13 years old, and how that has shaped him. Seeing him well up while talking about looking at the family seats in Dodger Stadium during the World Series and wishing his Dad was there is tough.

On the other hand: Seeing him handing out supplies in Caguas at the beginning of the story, then celebrating with the World Series trophy at the end, is incredibly uplifting. His love for his homeland is so familiar to our love for our cities and towns here in New England. There’s a fierce loyalty that speaks the same language.

And the family bond is a beautiful thing. I mean who wouldn’t want a Mother like this:

Screengrab from MLB Network

Or a Brother like this:

Screengrab from MLB Network

What He Took From The Astros

Cora talks about the teamwork throughout all departments in the Houston organization as a valuable lesson. And of course the analytics that he learned as well. But it was something that he was aloud to do, not necessarily told to do, that unlocked things for him.

He talks about AJ Hinch letting him be close to the players. Carlos Beltran is one of Alex’s good friends, and it appears he uses that relationship as a basis for being close with all the players. Tom Verducci, who is excellent as the interviewer, mentions that it is almost taboo for the manager to be close to the players in the Majors. So he asks Cora more about his philosophy on this topic. Here is Alex Cora’s response:

“So I was like, you know what? Why not? Why not be close to them (the players)? At the end of the day they know that there’s (going) to be tough decisions – Hanley Ramirez – but at the same time they understand that we can be close. But there’s some respect. I respect them as players, that’s the most important thing. And then obviously they respect me as a manager.”

Alex Cora on having close relationships with his ball players

It is these relationships that allow Cora to be such an exceptional manager. Yes, he has the 14 year big league career, and the analytics and incredible baseball knowledge. But the trust he engenders from the players allow him to have such incredible buy in from stubborn players like Mookie Betts, and change things on the fly and create perfect buttons to push. And that trust grows exponentially because of those close relationships.

Of course, he learned some of that from this guy too:

Screengrab from MLB Network

The Nathan Eovaldi Moment

Screengrab from MLB Network

Words don’t do this part justice. It’s a must see. The Red Sox felt that had won game three in LA, not lost an epic heartbreaker. Alex Cora was a huge part of that.

The Red Sox Are In Great Hands

Alex Cora is already thinking about how to follow up after a once in a lifetime experience. He knows things have to be different, and lucky for him, he knows someone with a lot of experience in this area:

Screengrab from MLB Network

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Photo Credit: www.nashuatelegraph.com

Mookie Betts Signing: Shades Of Lady Gaga

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The echoes of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face race through the memory banks. The Patriots are in the AFC Championship, 55% less likely, according to odds makers, than the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. Almost as bad as the Patriots odds against the Falcons down 28-3. Gaga performed at halftime, and the rest was history. These were a fraction of the long odds the Red Sox were looking at resigning Mookie Betts a month ago. Then he signed with the Red Sox for $20 Million last week. Is this the turning point that Hightower’s sack of Matty Ice was?

Mookie Betts Contentious Arbitration Cases

It is well documented that Mookie has gone to the wall with the Red Sox in arbitration thus far. It has been trumpeted by Tony Massarotti, among many others, that the Sox have risked completely alienating Betts by going to arbitration after 2017.

In that case, Betts asked for $10.5 Million, and the Red Sox countered with $7.5 Million. Up to that point in history, only Kris Bryant and Ryan Howard had gotten more than $10 Million in their first year of eligibility for arbitration. They agreed before an arbitration hearing, and both had Rookie Of The Year and NL MVPs under their belts at the time. The Red Sox were most definitely looking at Mookie and saying to themselves “Hey, he hasn’t won any major awards, why give him $10.5 Million?”

Arbitration hearings can be contentious. The player is promoting themselves, while the team is tearing them down. A funny thing happened in this case. The Arbitrator sided with Betts, noting his Silver Slugger in 2016, his Gold Gloves in 2016 and 2017, and his MVP runner up in 2016. Hey, not everyone has to compete against Mike Trout.

A New Deal

But then the news came across the wire on January 11th of this year: Mookie Betts had agreed to one year contract with the Red Sox for $20 Million. This after an MVP season in 2018, when he put to bed all the worries that 2016 was a one year aberration. After a historic 105 win season and 11-3 postseason on the road to a World Series Championship.

The fact that the Red Sox have approached him with long term offers that he has rejected don’t seem so real now. His deal of $20 Million sets a record for players with only 4 years in the big leagues, but it’s still a bargain.

Mike Trout is simply the sickest player on the planet. He finished 2017 leading the majors in WAR for the 5th time. He’s played 7 years full years. If he retired tomorrow he would arguably sail into the Hall Of Fame on the first ballot. That’s the guy Mookie beat out for the 2018 AL MVP. Guess who beat Trout out for 2018 WAR lead? That’s right. Mookie Betts. In 2018 he lead the league in batting average at .346, hit 32 homers, stole 30 bases, and won another gold glove, among many other things. Yes, $20 million is a bargain.

The Future

The bars of Gaga’s A Million Reasons ring out:

” I’ve got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one to stay “

Sox fans have a reason to feel good. Because the Sox gave Mookie $20 Million reasons to stay, and by agreeing without going to the wall in arbitration they’ve opened the door to perhaps $300 Million more after 2019.

Is it Alex Cora and a culture of togetherness and support? Maybe it’s JD Martinez and his other teammates that he loves. Could be the joy of working in Fenway Park with all of us screaming his name. Whatever the reason, Mookie has opened the door to a long term deal.

Don’t screw this up Red Sox. And go Pats!

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Forget Kimbrel, Sign Kelvin Herrera

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Mainly due to a lack of suiters, there is plenty of speculation that Craig Kimbrel is bound to come back to the Red Sox. But Kimbrel’s weaknesses haven’t disappeared. He will still be pricey, even at a reduced rate. Kelvin Herrera, however, is also sitting out there. And his experience and value could be priceless to the Sox.

Injury History

One reason Kelvin Herrera is still available is his injury history. He suffered a torn Lisranc ligament in his left foot and had surgery for it on 8/30/2018.  The recovery for that encompasses around six months and requires vigilance.  That means he’ll be available a few weeks into spring training if all goes well. From the looks of it, things are on track:

Beyond his foot surgery, Herrera had a right shoulder impingement in August of last year. That was actually good news. He was traded from the Royals in the first place in part due to his mysterious shoulder problems. Knowing it was an impingement provides a clear method of treatment going forward. He would not be throwing ‘light toss’ if he was still suffering.

Performance

There’s a lot to like about Herrera.  He will only be 29 on Opening Day 2019.  He also he walks the fewest batters of all the relievers that are and were available in free agency.  His 3 year average is 2.17 walks per 9 innings, which is the lowest of all comparisons in the top tier.  It is that low walk number than allows him to rival Kimbrel in the walk per strikeout stat.  Herrera is 4.6 BB/K, Kimbrel is 4.97 BB/K. His three year ERA in the regular season is 3.15.

His postseason performance is almost Rivera-esq. His postseason ERA is 1.26 in 28.2 innings. That includes a minuscule 1.081 WHIP and 11.9 K/9. He turns it up when the lights are brightest, a perfect fit for the Sox.

Because of his injury there are questions about Herrera, but that will also make him less expensive.  He very well could big the biggest relief Ace bargain of 2019.

Get Noah Syndergaard On The Red Sox

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The Mets are a little off their rocker, the Winter Meetings are coming up, and the Cardinals have stolen some National League thunder with the Paul Goldschmidt trade.  Nathan Eovaldi is back!  Now is the time for the Red Sox to strike.  Bring Noah Syndergaard to Boston.  A quick reminder:

The Mets

The Mets are in win-now mode with their strange reliance on 36 year old, recently PED suspended, Robinson Cano.  They also got Edwin Diaz in the deal.  He’s a young closer who’s only done it in the relative obscurity of the Pacific Northwest.  Those guys are often inconsistent.  They’re also reportedly looking into trading for Corey Kluber, which is kind of nuts.  Kluber has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the last few years.  But the reason he’s available from the Indians is because he is 33 and on the verge of a big payday.  His contract escalates, from $10 million to $17.5 million and beyond, the next few years.

When news of a Syndergaard trade first surfaced, the Mets were said to be looking to upgrade their farm system with a trade.  And why wouldn’t they?  Syndergaard will be the best bargain Ace in the game the next few years.  His injuries are overblown and his September was one to remember.

But something happened on the road to a competitive team and stacked farm system.  Potential trades aren’t bearing the kind of fruit the Mets thought they would get.  Let’s take a deep dive on some rumored deals.

The Padres

The most recent rumor from the MLB Network was a package of Manny Margot, Austin Hedges, and Mackenzie Gore.

Margot, whom the Red Sox gave to the Padres in the Craig Kimbrel trade, has been a classic good defense, no-so-good offense, center fielder.  In 2017 he hit .263 with a .721 OPS.  In 2018, after the league had a look at him, he hit .245 with a .675 OPS.  Think Jackie Bradley Jr without the hot streaks and superior defense.

Austin Hedges is a catcher with slightly above average power, and little else.  In 2017 he hit .214 with a .660 OPS, 2018 it was .231/.711.

Mackenzie Gore is a highly rated young pitcher who gets a lot of strikeouts.  He also walks a lot of people.  Because of this, he had a middling 4.45 ERA in single A ball last year.

The Rockies

The Rockies have a lot of young pitching.  It may be just for show, but Assistant GM Zack Rosenthal told the MLB Network on Tuesday 12/4 that the Rockies are built on that young pitching and defense.  This is a team that hits missile after missile into the glorious Rocky Mountain air.  The team is also about to spend a record amount in arbitration on MVP candidate Nolan Arenado.  Arenado is not making that kind of money for his gold glove defense at third base.  He hit .297 with 36 Home Runs last year.

So what does this mean?  The Rockies may be deluding themselves into thinking their MVP candidates don’t matter and it’s all about the pitching.  More likely, they’re negotiating in the media to reduce their arbitration cases with their hitters.  But because of the money going to their hitters, they’re likely to keep the young starters they have.  The Red Sox don’t have that kind of young pitching.

The Red Sox

Rafael Devers is better than anyone the Padres or Rockies can or will throw at the Mets.

Margot is 24, Hedges is 26.  Devers is still the tender age of 22.  This precious youngster hit .284 with 10 home runs and a .819 OPS in part time play as a 20 year old in 2017, then .240 with 21 home runs and a .731 OPS last year.  Furthermore, Devers  hit .311 in the Postseason over his first 2 years, including 3 home runs and a .884 OPS in 45 at bats.

That’s special.  But he’s no Tony Conigliaro.  The beloved Tony C hit .290 with 24 home runs and an .883 OPS as a 19 year old, then .269 with 32 home runs and an .850 OPS as a 20 year old, then .265 with 28 home runs and an .817 OPS as a 21 year old.

Devers will be worth holding on to, but not transcendent.  That is why he’s worth giving up for the rare young, cost controlled monster, like Noah Syndergaard, who becomes available.

What’s more, the Mets need a catcher.  The Red Sox have a plethora.  Putting Christian Vazquez, whose Postseason success means his value may never be higher, in a trade would be ideal.  But the Sox could throw in Blake Swihart instead.  A combo of either Swihart or Vazquez, with Sandy Leon as backup, would be more than fine for the 2019 Red Sox.

If the Mets wants minor leaguers, give them some.  The Red Sox have a weak system, but Devers is younger than most of the highly touted minor leaguers in the game.  It would take less top young talent than some other teams.

Eovaldi Frees Things Up

And now that Nathan Eovaldi is back, the Sox are freed up to include Eduardo Rodriguez in the deal if they need to.  This gives the Red Sox more options.  They don’t need to give the Mets everything, but widens the possibilities of how a trade could look.

Syndergaard Solves The Contract Crunch

At the end of 2019 the Sox will have some choices to make.  Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, and Xander Bogaerts become free agents at that time.  Nathan Eovaldi’s contract is reported to be in the $17 million a year range.  All three of those other guys will cost more than that.

Then there is JD Martinez’s opt out.  He’s currently being paid $23.75 Million.   With his performance he will definitely be looking for a raise starting in 2020.

Noah Syndergaard is in arbitration.  He made $2.975 Million last year and, his projected earnings in 2019 are $5.9 Million.  If he becomes a top 10 starting pitcher in 2019, watch out.  Thor has three years of control left in arbitration.  He won’t approach $20 million in salary until 2021 at the earliest.

If Syndergaard is in Boston, there’s a lot more money for the rest of the team.

Time To Act

There are reports of the Mets talking with the Marlins about JT Realmuto.  They are itching to trade.  The competition for Syndergaard is falling away.  The Red Sox can solve the Mets catching problems.  Fire up the Knights of Cydonia and let’s rock this trade Dave Dombrowski.

Vote Roger Clemens Into The Hall Of Fame

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When we pull out the winter coats and see our heating bills rise, the Baseball Hall of Fame announcement is soon to follow.  This year is year 7 of 10 for Roger Clemens.  This is a man with 7 Cy Young awards and 354 wins.  So why isn’t he in the Hall Of Fame right now?

We all know the answer to that question.  His PED use.  Or his alleged PED use.  That story is so overdone and convoluted I’m not going to dive into it here.  Instead, I’m going to go through a Red Sox fan’s journey to acceptance of The Rocket.

The Red Sox Rise & Fall

Roger Clemens started on the Red Sox in 1984, but he burst onto the scene in 1986.  He went 24-4 with 2.48 ERA and won the Cy Young and MVP.  The list of pitchers that have done that is small.  Through 1992, he continued his greatness.  He won 17 or more games 7 times and averaged a 2.90 ERA.

But then 1993-1996 happened.  Clemens appeared to pack it in.  Over those three years, he averaged 10 wins and a 3.78 ERA.  That ERA is good for most pitchers, but not for The Rocket.  His decline famously led Dan Duquette, the Sox GM at the time, to say it was the twilight of his career.

Betrayal

So Duquette allowed him to sign with the division rival, Toronto Blue Jays, and all of a sudden he was revitalized.  He won two straight Cy Young awards, averaging 20 wins a year and a 2.35 ERA.  He even had the best strikeouts per 9 innings of his career, a measure of a pitcher’s ‘nastiness’.

And then he went to the Yankees.  If he had done nothing else, that would’ve been enough for me and the rest of Red Sox nation to hate him.  But of course, he continued to pitch well, including another Cy Young and 2 World Series wins with the hated Pinstripes.

This turned our unrequited love towards him to ash.  Clemens had turned the place of our escape from everyday turmoil, the game and the local nine, into another place of hurt and pain.

Perspective

But hate is no way to go through life.   In time, Jose Canseco has been proven right: Everyone juiced.  Batters, starting pitchers, relievers, part-time players, Hall of Famers, everyone.

Sure there have been many clean players, but so many juicers, they were all shoulder to shoulder in the PED wine pit.

And Clemens was still head an shoulder above most of them.  He ended with 7 Cy Youngs, the most in history.  He’s the 9th winningest pitcher in MLB history.  Yes, there is plenty of taint on those records.

But Jim Bouton, in his seminal Ball Four, speaks of PED use by pitchers, mainly himself and Whitey Ford, in the 1960s.  The bottom line is there’s been a lot of ‘looking for an edge’ going on throughout baseball history.

To summarize: Yes, Roger Clemens probably cheated, but so did a lot of others, and on performance alone, he would’ve been a first ballot Hall of Famer.  As it is, the writers have made him suffer for 6 years so far, and the rules were even changed because of him and Barry Bonds.  It used to be players had 15 years on the ballot to get in, that’s how long it took Jim Rice and Tim Raines.  But now it’s a 10-year limit.

I don’t think anyone is going to forget his probable PED use.  But I believe we should move towards forgiveness.  So what are his chances?

Roger Clemens Hall of Fame Voting

To get into the Hall, 75% of the vote is required.  Thanks to the intrepid Ryan Thibodaux, we can track Clemen’s voting percentages.   Since Thibodaux’s tracking started, Clemens has gone from 39% in 2013, up to 61% in 2018.  In the old system of 15 years of eligibility that is a track that eventually leads to the 75% threshold.

But Clemens only has three years left.  The theory is that younger voters are voting for him.  Let’s hope they can persuade their cranky obstinate brethren, and get him voted in.

Support Rob Manfred: Contact The MLBPA About Pace Of Play

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Rob Manfred has gotten a contract extension to remain The Commissioner of Major League Baseball for another 5 years.  That is outstanding news for all baseball fans because Mr. Manfred is a man on a mission to save our beautiful game.

Declining Ratings

And why does our game need saving?  Because ratings and attendance are down, more every year.  How is it that the World Series between Boston and LA, two historical franchises, had reduced ratings of 20% over the prior year?  Because people hate the Red Sox.  Oh, and it takes too long.  The game simply takes too long.

Rob Manfred, a hero of busy people with only so much time, has taken on Titans and Legends alike in his time as Commissioner, all in the name of reducing Pace of Play.  Let’s take a brief walk down his warpath.

Rob Manfred Pace Of Play Initiatives

In 2015, Big Time Rob got the MLB Players Union to agree to several Pace of Play initiatives:

  • Managers have to stay in the dugout during replay challenges.  I have to admit, I kind of miss Lou Piniella.  But it saves time!
  • Hitter have to keep one foot in the batter’s box at all times.  No more afternoon strolls or other shenanigans.
  • The game must start promptly after commercial breaks.
  • Relievers have 2 minutes 30 seconds to come in from the bullpen and warm up.

It’s debatable how often Thor, I mean Rob Manfred, threw the hammer and fined players for their violations.  But clearly, the battle lines were drawn.

The Owners Pony Up

In 2018 Jon Snow, I mean Ron Manfred, pulled out his long sword and did the unthinkable: He got the MLB owners to agree to reduce commercial time.  This is money directly out of their pockets.  20 seconds less per break during the regular season. That’s almost a 10% reduction on 2:25 of ad time.

That hurts.  It’s estimated that on national MLB games in 2017 the total cost of advertising was $313 million.  That was just network games like Fox and TBS.  Imagine all the team networks out there, charging for ads in all the MLB games every day.

Now imagine bigger.  In 2017, the Phillies signed a deal with Comcast for $5 Billion over 25 years to televise the games.

The Players Need To Get Behind This

It’s high time the Major League Players Association started getting truly serious about reducing the time it takes to watch the games.  I won’t say this is a crisis, but I don’t think I have to go chapter and verse of why a faster game would benefit all.

In 2018, when Jesse Owens, I mean Rob Manfred, negotiated the reduction in ad time, as well as limiting mound visits, he wanted to introduce the play clock.  But he could not come to an agreement with the Players Association.

I’m no expert, but Paul Bunyan, I mean Rob Manfred, and his team are experts.  And they say increasing the pace of play is vital for the game.  The Commish could implement things like the pitch clock and between-batter timer unilaterally if he wanted to.  But he has been exercising caution in the name of labor peace and cooperation thus far.

A Travesty In The World Series

I mean honestly, they were playing ads between pitches during the World Series.  Between pitches in the ninth inning of a close game in the World Series.  I watched this happen and was enraged.

The history and honor and glory of our great game is made and lost in the 9th inning of World Series games.  How is it possible ads are playing between pitches?

Because too much time is taken between each and every pitch!  It’s on the teams, the players, the managers, and the league, to make it inconceivable a real ad could be placed between pitches in the 9th inning of a World Series Game.

A Call To Action

I propose a grassroots campaign to flood the Major League Players association with calls and emails and letters urging them to agree with Commissioner Manfred to do anything possible to speed up the game.  Here is the MLBPA contact information:

  • Website: www.mlbplayers.org
  • Phone number: (212) 826 – 0808
  • Email address: feedback@mlbpa.org
  • Address: 12 East 49th St, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10017

The owners have given up millions of dollars.  They, in turn, have endorsed General George S. Patton, I mean Commissioner Manfred, to go on a long campaign of reducing the pace of play.

This is the players’ game.  They need to get behind these efforts instead of fighting them.  We cheer them, boo them, love them, hate them, and ultimately support all of them by attending and watching.

Now let them hear your voices like never before.  Tell them to get behind the efforts, like the pitch clock, to speed up the game and not make it a point of contention or call for labor strife within the Players Union.  Make it part of our great game going forward instead of a stagnant game going backward.

For the love of the game.

Red Sox Free Agency 2019: Is Marwin Gonzalez A Fit?

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When last we gazed on the 2018 Red Sox, the view was majestic.  But the 2018 season is over, and second base is a need.  Could Marwin Gonzalez meet that need?

On The Roster Now

For over 10 years, Dustin Pedroia was the guardian of second base and the second spot in the batting order for the Red Sox.  Before the dark times, before Manny Machado.

But let’s not be too harsh.  Machado’s spike and the aftermath, it could be argued, ended with the Sox getting Alex Cora.  That’s a great thing!

Pedroia is making a lot of money.  He’s on the books for an average of $13.75 million until 2021.  And that would be fine if he could play.  But the outlook is extremely iffy. He had knee cartilage restoration surgery in late 2017, followed by arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in late July of this year.

I’m not a doctor, I don’t even play one on the Boston Sports Extra website, but because of those knee surgeries, I’m not hopeful for a full recovery.

Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt are the remaining possibilities at second base.  But Nunez is a DL stint waiting to happen, while Brock Holt provides limited returns the more he plays.

Look, I love me some Brock Holt, but he’s averaged 89 games a year for the past 3 years.  He’s not reliable for a full season.

Can Marwin Gonzalez play 2B?

Gonzalez is what’s known as a super utility player.  Think Ben Zobrist.  He has played 1B, 2B, SS, and OF for the Astros over the past few years, and done well.  His 3-year averages are 140 Games, 28 Doubles, 17 Home Runs, and a .778 OPS.

He has been held back from a set position because of the team he’s been on.  The Houston Astros have MVP candidates at Second Base in Jose Altuve, and at Short Stop in Carlos Correa.  In his career, Marwin Gonzalez has spent 54% of his time at either Short Stop or Second.

I think Gonzalez can definitely play Second Base, but why would he come to the Sox?

The Alex Cora Connection

Because of Alex Cora.  Even the most casual observer could see the difference over a full season and in the playoffs that Alex Cora makes.  It’s no mistake his teams have won the World Series two years in a row.  And Marwin Gonzalez knows Cora from their time together last year with the Astros.

Even if Pedroia comes back, Holt gets playing time, and somehow Nunez stays healthy, Alex Cora knows how they communicate with the team effectively.  Gonzalez’s versatility would be put to cooly efficient use by Cora in those circumstances.

The Cost

MLB Trade Rumors pegs Marwin Gonzalez as the 16th best free agent and estimates he will garner a 4 year, $36 million dollar deal.

These are the types of players I believe the Red Sox will go after because of their substantial payroll.  The Luxury Payroll Tax is a complicated matter that will be addressed at a later time.  But after all the arbitration numbers for the entire All-Star Outfield, as well as Xander Bogaerts, the Sox will be well into Luxury Tax territory.

Less expensive players like Marwin Gonzalez would go a long way towards solidifying the roster and getting the Red Sox back to the playoffs in 2019.

The 2019 Red Sox Bullpen: Joe Kelly or David Robertson

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There are changes coming to the 2019 Red Sox Bullpen.  Two big pieces, closer Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly, are both free agents.  Who is worth paying to keep and what are some options out there?

Today is the beginning of our deep dive into those questions.  We start with Joe Kelly.

Joe Kelly

Kelly had an indelible stamp on the 2018 team.  He started the year by blowing game 1.  He became Jim Buchanon and started a Joe Kelly Fight Club faze when he called out Tyler Austin of the Yankees.  Then he became an afterthought and albatross around the neck of the bullpen as the summer dragged on.

But then, in the playoffs, the mid-bullpen became a strength, because he became a strength.  In six innings in the World Series he had a 0.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts.  That is domination.

However, is that the Joe Kelly we know for any other stretch of time?  His ERA over the past three years has been 4.12 during the regular season.  His fastball has averaged 97.8 MPH over that same time.  How is that?

It has been noted frequently that his fastball is straight, and he could not get his breaking ball over for strikes.  This lead to walks, a lot of them.  Almost 5 per 9 innings, 4.67 to be exact.

It feels like instead of only relying on his gifted arm that can throw gas with ease, he finally starting pitching in this postseason.  Because he threw his breaking ball for strikes, it was almost that simple.

It’s at least a question whether he can repeat it.  Will he continue to work after winning the World Series?  Is he worth betting on?  History says no.  How about an alternative?

David Robertson

One name is David Robertson.  He has spent the past year and a half toiling in the mid to late innings for the New York Yankees.  Before that he was the Chicago White Sox closer.  Unlike Craig Kimbrel, Robertson has proven he can work in different innings and different game situations.

He throws a lot softer than Joe Kelly, averaging 91.9 MPH over the same 3 year period.  But his ERA weighs in at 2.85, about 30% better than Kelly.   He also strikes out 25% more batters.  How can this be?

Because he throws more strikes, and he pitches rather than throws.  He walks a batter less than Kelly.  Less runners on base leads to fewer runs allowed.

Conclusion

It’s not perfect.  Robertson still walks 3.7 per 9 innings, that’s high for a reliever.  Robertson is also 3 years older than Kelly.

But Kelly was not given the 8th inning with a lead until game 5 of the World Series.  This was not an accident, Cora didn’t trust him there.  Robertson can work the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, whatever you want.

Robertson will command north of what he’s making now, $13 Million per year.  Kelly probably much less.  But a team could bid up Kelly and make him expensive.

The choice here is Robertson, if you can convince him.  He’s representing himself in free agent negotiations and probably looking for closing opportunities.

The Red Sox might have an opening at closer.  More on that tomorrow.

World Series Game 3, A Heart Breaker

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It took 18 innings, but the Red Sox lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in World Series Game 3.  A heart breaker for the Red Sox. This puts the Sox up 2-1 in the series and still in the cat birds seat for a World Series Championship.

Eduardo Nunez’s Wild Ride

It’s Eduardo Nunez’s world and we’re all just living in it.  It was the top of the 13th inning.  The score was 1-1.  On a bad ankle and knee he was beat up and pushed around in the batter’s box.  He had Brock Holt, who had walked after an 0-2 count, standing at first.  During the wild pitch that lead to Nunez’s adventure, Holt scampered to second.

The Red Sox Break Through

After a visit from the trainers and Alex Cora he settled in and waited for a pitch from lefty Scott Alexander.  The pitch came in and he swung, a little nubber into no man’s land in front of the mound.  The first baseman, Max Muncy, broke for the ball, but the pitcher got there first.

Even gimpy, Nunez got down the line and did what you are never supposed to do.  He slid.  Amazingly, wonderfully, Alexander’s throw went beyond the grasp of second baseman Kiki Hernandez, who was covering first.  While all that was going on Brock Holt went from second to home to take the lead 2-1.

The Dodgers Come Back

By this time the lineup Alex Cora had was make shift at best.  Christian Vazquez, catcher,  was at first and Eduardo Nunez, pulling a Willis Reed, was at third.  Nathan Eovaldi, the supposed Game 4 starter was pitching.  Max Muncy walked on a questionable check swing call ball four.

The next batter, Cody Bellinger, skied a foul ball towards the stands on the third base side.  Nunez sprinted over and caught the ball, barreling into the stands.

With 2 outs, however, Yasiel Puig hit his own ball into no man’s land.  Ian Kinsler was in the game to run for JD Martinez earlier in this game.  A bad decision by Cora, one of his very few.  Kinsler barely got to it at second base and threw wildly to first.  Vazquez didn’t have a chance.

Muncy scored to make the game 2-2.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

A brief timeout to raise up Jackie Bradley Jr.  The whole reason the Red Sox were in that position in the first place was because of him.  There were two outs in the top of the 8th and the Dodgers closer, Kenley Jansen, was on the mound.

The score was 1-0 Dodgers after an outstanding outing from rookie Walker Buehler.  No matter, JBJ knew what to do.

Many questioned his spot in the lineup.  Not Boston Sports Extra.  His solo Home Run set up the extra inning theatrics.

Nathan Eovaldi

With Nathan Eovaldi doing yeoman’s work the score remained 2-2 into the 18th inning.  Yeoman’s work doesn’t cover it.

Eovaldi pitched the most pitches in relief in world series history.  He pitched 6 plus innings of 1 run ball on short rest, along with the unearned run from the Kinsler error.

Max Muncy took him deep for a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th.

This game pushed well into October 27th.  If that date is familiar to you as a Red Sox fan, it should be.  That was the date in 2004 The Curse was destroyed.  So today isn’t all bad.

David Price, Red Sox Win, Game 2 Recap

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The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series.  David Price was locked in, the relentless 2 out offense was in bloom, and now the Sox have a 2-0 lead.

We’re not in the peak Eck ‘Time To Party‘ zone yet, but man oh man are we getting close!

David Price

Live it up David.  Any man who goes six innings with three hits allowed and two earned runs in the World Series gets to have his kid up there bring some levity.

While Price was busy rewriting his post season narrative, the offense continued to do things we have never seen.  The mantra for offense in baseball is batting with runners in scoring position.  For premium offense it’s all that plus doing it with two outs.

There is David Ortiz clutch, in which a singular individual gets hit after hit to win games in the post season.  Then there is this team’s version.

In the top of the 5th inning, Hyun-Jin Ryu was steamrolling the Red Sox lineup.  He got Ian Kinsler to ground out and JBJ to hit a weak infield fly.  He got Christian Vazquez to an 0-2 count.  Then it began.

Vasqy keeps his swing short and hits a single.  Betts singled.  The anticipation and trust and faith in this team begins to ripple through Fenway.  Benny walks and the bases are loaded.

The Turning Point

Dave Roberts is getting killed for over managing his Dodgers, but what would you do?  Let Ryu face lefty killer Steve Pearce with the bases loaded, or bring in a normally trustworthy strikeout reliever?  Roberts goes with door number 2 and brings in Ryan Madson.

The moment proved too big for Madson.  He walks Pearce.  Almost every pitch looked like Mariano Rivera’s last pitch to Kevin Millar in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS to set up Roberts famous steal.  The score is now 2-2.  All of this with two outs.

So Madson, who had blown away JD Martinez in Game 1 with the bases loaded, gets to face him in the same situation.  You can’t stop JD Martinez, you can only hope to contain him.  Because JD is so obsessed about hitting, he look locked in, laser focused.  Staying inside the ball, he rockets the second pitch to right and two more runs score.  It’s 4-2 and the Dodgers are shook.

The Dodgers were one strike away from getting out of that inning.  Who knows how long Ryu could’ve pitched.  But The Red Sox relentlessness is a wonder to behold.  Putting the ball in play.  The Red Sox are making this look easy.  Despite what we are witnessing it is not.

Historical Perspective

With runners in scoring position in the postseason the Red Sox are hitting 17-40.  That’s a .425 average.  .425 is beyond comprehension. They’ve turned into peak Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn, at the most critical times of the game.

The only other team in the same stratosphere is another old timey Titan.  That’s the 1910 Philadelphia A’s.  You remember them.  Lead by a young Eddy Collins, they hit .394 in those situations.

The Bullpen

Tip of the cap.  High Five.  Way to go!  The Red Sox bullpen, so maligned and beleaguered during the year, continued to dominate.  Of note, Nathan Eovaldi, building an MVP case, pitched a clean 8th inning for the second game in a row.  Along with Price, they set down the final 16 Dodgers hitters in a row.

Outfield Defense

Another day, another outstanding outfield catch.  This was in the top of the 5th with the Dodgers trying to to increase their 2-1 lead.  Brian Dozier thought he had a lead-off hit, but yet again there was Andrew Benintendi.  Consequently, it was just another out.

Viewing Note

Commissioner Rob Manfred did an interview with Felger and Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub yesterday.  You can find it here in the second half of the run-time.  The interview starts off contentious.  No surprise there.  Up for debate: pace of play.

The incorrigible Felger hammers Manfred on pace of play in the postseason and Manfred takes exception.  More or less Manfred downplays it and says pace of play is not as big of a deal as Felger is saying it is.

When it’s the 9th inning of Game 2 of the World Series, the score is 4-2, and the closer is on the mound?  That is what drama and tension and watch-ability is all about.  Most importantly Legends are made and Goats are birthed in these situations.

What do I see on my screen between batters coming to the plate?  A split screen ad.  Because Fox knows there’s all kinds of time between batters coming up and between pitches.  They used it in Game 2 to throw ads at us, not between innings, but between pitches.

If that’s not a mic drop argument that there is way too much time wasted in the game of baseball, I don’t know what is.  Commissioner Manfred, it is appalling you are allowing this to happen.

On To LA

The 2018 Sox are making themselves into an all time juggernaut.  They’re up 2-0 in the World Series and headed to LA, the land of swimming pools and movie stars.  Get ready for your glamour shot boys!