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The Red Sox Bullpen Feels Shaky. Does it Matter?

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Baseball’s waiver trade deadline passed yesterday, without so much as a peep from the top team in the majors. Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox chose to roll with the guys in the clubhouse, despite two other AL rivals (New York and Cleveland) making moves to bring in former MVPs and despite calls across their fan base to improve the bullpen.

Those desperate cries have rang out all season long. As it turns out, fans aren’t feeling too comfortable at the thought of Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly, or Heath Hembree entering the 8th inning of a Game 7. Dombrowski’s reputation of building star-studded teams without reliable relievers doesn’t help matters either.

But just how shaky is Boston’s ‘pen? Is having a group of dominant relievers really so important in October? Let’s do a bit of digging to find out.

Red Sox Bullpen: Actually Good?

Photo Credit: AP Photo / Charles Krupa

For starters, the idea that the Red Sox bullpen has struggled this season is more perception than reality. There may not be a ton of big names and former closers like there are with the Yankees and Indians. That being said- the Sox’s relievers have generally been up to the task.

Boston currently ranks 6th in the majors in reliever ERA this season (4th in the AL). The five teams ahead of them also happen to be teams currently slated for a playoff spot. The aforementioned Indians, despite trading for the Padres’ Brad Hand earlier this summer and having Cody Allen and Andrew Miller in the mix, rank 26th in the league in bullpen ERA.

The Sox also rate favorably in FIP (5th in the majors, 3rd amongst playoff teams). Their bullpen’s 4.5 fWAR ranks 7th in baseball, even though their relievers have thrown only 461 innings this season (19th most). In other words, Boston’s ‘pen has provided enough value to rank in the top 25% of teams, despite appearing in fewer innings than every team ahead of them for the exception of Houston.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ve been perfect. Far from it in fact. Two troubling peripherals: the Red Sox rank 18th in reliever BB/9 (3.65) and 4th in strand rate (78.4%). Giving up free passes in high-leverage situations is playing with fire, especially in October. A high strand rate means that Boston has done well at putting out those fires. But, that luck can turn in a hurry.

Bullpen Matters

CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 12: Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the third inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 12, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

All of this is to say that the Red Sox bullpen has been overall perfectly acceptable, if not dominant. The good news? Having a great regular season bullpen isn’t necessarily a predictor for postseason success, especially if you excel in other areas like Boston does.

The defending World Series champion Astros ranked 17th in baseball with a 4.27 bullpen ERA last year, yet still won 101 games. That was thanks in large part to their league-leading offense and strong starting pitching. The team they beat for the title last year, the Dodgers, ranked 4th in bullpen ERA. Both finished behind the Red Sox, whose 3.15 reliever ERA was good for 2nd best in baseball.

Here’s where the other previous six pennant winners ranked in bullpen ERA:

2016: Cubs 8th, Indians 4th

2015: Royals 2nd, Mets 11th

2014: Giants 5th, Royals 10th

Of the last eight World Series participants, four finished in the top five. Only last year’s Astros finished outside of the top half of the league. The Royals, who started this craze with their three-headed monster of Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Greg Holland, finished 2nd in 2015. Their bullpen effectively functioned as the team’s greatest asset, compensating for a weak rotation and unconventional lineup. It was essentially the inverse of what the ’17 Astros lineup did for their relievers.

It’s perfectly fair to critique Dombrowski for not finding a better option at either trade deadline. It certainly would have been nice to supplement Craig Kimbrel at the end of games. Ultimately, it might not matter if the Red Sox bullpen is merely above average instead of dominant. Having a killer set of relievers helps come playoff time. However, it’s not necessarily more important than timely hitting, strong starting pitching, and major contributions from stars.

Thus far, it appears Red Sox management is betting on that being the case.

An Interview with Red Sox Legend Rico Petrocelli

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I had the privilege of interviewing Red Sox legend Rico Petrocelli the other day. Rico is in the Red Sox Hall of Fame and hit more home runs than any other shortstop in team history when including his work at third base. He was a member of the 1967 “Impossible Dream” team that went to the World Series, and a member of the 1975 Red Sox team that played in the series. Rico has stayed in touch with the game since his retirement and still follows the Red Sox closely today.

BSE: Did you have a nice weekend down in Massachusetts?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, in Falmouth. I have another book out with two other authors and I did a book signing down there. I played against or with 56 Hall of Famers and I got to know them. The book is about some of the things I spoke with them about. There are photos of baseball cards, an explanation about the cards, the worth of the cards and something about the players.

BSE: Sounds interesting, what’s the name of the book?

Rico Petrocelli: “An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories.” I used to collect them as a kid, and like most people of my era, we threw them out. I had a card of 52, Mickey Mantle, rookie card. One of them, in perfect condition of course, went for 2.8 million.

BSE: You used to have it?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, used to put them in the spokes of the bike; flip them, hit them up against the wall. Who knew? The industry hadn’t been born yet.

So, this ball club, what’s the word? I used to use amazing about a month ago, now it’s…

BSE: Historical I think. On pace to threaten the all-time record for wins in a season.

Rico Petrocelli: That’s right, and they can do it, no doubt. They’re just a good hitting team. Everybody, well when I say everybody I mean the talk show guys say “well, wait until they get into the postseason.” But you know, it’s a month and a half away, let’s talk about it when it gets closer. This club right now is having a remarkable year. Mookie, what can you say about him? But Martinez has just turned things around. I don’t think too many people knew what he’d be in the clubhouse and the guys just love him. He helps with hitting, he’s a hard worker and a great example. I tweeted out the other day, I love Mookie Betts and Mike Trout, but JD Martinez has got to be the front-runner for MVP of this league. The guy has a lot of big hits, a la Big Papi.

BSE: What do you think of Xander this year?

Rico Petrocelli: I think he’s improved 100 percent. We know he’s a good hitter, he’s hit some more home runs, but his defense, his range has improved tremendously; I was happy to see that. He was hurt, but I don’t think he was getting to a lot of balls that he’s getting to this year.

BSE: Do you see any areas of concern for the rest of the season?

Rico Petrocelli: Other than major injuries, no. They feel great about themselves. You see other teams waiting to lose, when the Sox get to the late innings they just get tougher at the plate. But there’s no doubt it will be a battle come postseason. If they ran through some of these teams like nothing in the postseason I’d be very surprised.

BSE: Who do you think is their biggest threat come postseason? Any one team stand out?

Rico Petrocelli: I still think Houston. Once Altuve comes back, and their rotation is more settled. The key with them is their bullpen, I don’t know how much they’ve improved that end, but they’ll need it. They’re definitely beatable, they’re a good team but not as good as last year.

BSE: I’d like to talk some about your playing days if that’s alright? You grew up in Brooklyn watching the Yankees and Dodgers.

Rico Petrocelli: The Giants were there too, we had three teams. Willie Mays was the center fielder for the Giants, of course Mickey Mantle for the Yankees and Duke Snider. All three teams had tremendous players. It seemed to me that the World Series was always Yankees-Dodgers. The Dodgers couldn’t win until 1955, the Yankees had some great teams. I’m the youngest of seven and my brothers were all Yankees fans. I used to go see the Dodgers, when I was real young, to Ebbets Field. Then growing up and making the Majors and getting to play against them? It was like being in baseball heaven.

Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.

BSE: You had a brother that worked security at Yankee Stadium right?

Rico Petrocelli: Actually two of them, but the one Dave, he worked there almost all the home games. When we came they’d put him next to the dugout so he could talk to me.

BSE: So was he rooting for the Yankees when you played there?

Rico Petrocelli: Well he said “no, when we play the Red Sox we’ll root for you guys, but our heart isn’t fully in it.”

BSE: What was it like signing with the Red Sox after growing up in New York and having your brothers such big Yankees fans?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, the explanation I was given by the Yankees and the Mets out of high school, the Yankees said they just signed five guys to bonuses. The Mets, I don’t know what they were looking for. But it worked out, the old Yankee Stadium was unbelievably large. 463 feet to center, left-center 400. Right field was short, but man. Then when I came to Boston, it was only 200 miles from home.

BSE: You were actually pitching some in high school right, hurt your elbow?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, the Dodgers were actually looking at me as a pitcher. Playing in a semifinals city game, I threw 12 innings. In the 12th inning, I threw a slider, I used to throw a hard slider too, probably didn’t hold the ball right. All of a sudden I heard a crack, I threw the ball and there was a loud crack in my elbow and my whole arm went numb. I said “Oh my God.” I was really hurting. Since I was a decent hitter, they threw me out in left field. So the next inning, they get a man on second, a couple of guys on. Where do you think the guy hits the ball? They hit it in the hole, out to me. I had no chance, I threw it underhand.

BSE: That affected you in later years too? You changed your diet and workout regimen before the 69 season?

Rico Petrocelli: Yes, I had calcium deposits in my elbow so I had to lay off dairy products. I had a great offseason working out. Got ready to go in Spring Training and felt great, the ball looked like a grapefruit. I was hitting the ball hard, took it into the season, hit the 40 home runs. I think I was just as surprised as everybody else, but it sure was a thrill to be able to do it.

BSE: Yeah, you hit 97 home runs over three years, and as you mentioned the 40 in 1969 which broke Vern Stephens record for American League shortstops. That stood until A-Rod, do you have any thoughts on him being the one to pass you?

Rico Petrocelli: Not at all, most people don’t like him but I thought he was just a great player. He really focused on what he had to do, and also he was a hell of a shortstop.

Rico was a sure-handed infielder, setting franchise records for fielding % in a single season at both shortstop and third base.

BSE: Speaking of fielding at shortstop, you had set a single season franchise mark for fielding percentage at shortstop. Then, you volunteered to move to third base for Luis Aparicio?

Rico Petrocelli: Luis Aparicio, they got him at the winter meetings. They called me and said, “you’re probably going to move over to third eventually, would you do it now because we could get Luis Aparicio and we just couldn’t get a decent third baseman.” I said of course, Aparicio was one of the top shortstops in the league, we all respected him. He had a couple good years left.

BSE: Over at third base you set another fielding percentage franchise record, and a Major League record for errorless games in a row at the position.

Rico Petrocelli: I believe so, 77, I think. I don’t know exactly what it was. I had good hands, but of course at short Aparicio was there and he was a Gold Glove, and rightfully so. And when I moved over to third, Brooks Robinson was there, one of the all-time greats. So, I never really had the chance at getting a Gold Glove, but the main thing was helping the team. Frank Malzone helped me when I moved to third base.

BSE: Anyone else you give a lot of credit to for your successes?

Rico Petrocelli: Eddie Popowski was a manager, I had him for two years in the minors and he really helped develop me at short. Then he came up to be a coach too, he was kind of a father image. I was very close to him.

BSE: You played in two World Series with the Sox. Hit two homers in game six in 1967, batted over .300 in 1975. What was it like playing on the big stage and what was the energy like in Fenway back then?

Rico Petrocelli: The energy was incredible, as soon as they opened the gates, so excited. It happened my third year, the first one in 67, which I was just thrilled to be there. I think me, Yaz and Reggie Smith all hit home runs in one inning. I hit another one, maybe earlier in the game.

BSE: And the season kind of saved baseball in Boston.

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, from what we understand. We didn’t really realize it until later on that Mr. Yawkey was thinking of selling the team or moving the team. We didn’t know that until a year later. A lot of players from the organization came up together, played together as friends, we had a great pennant race between four teams.

BSE: And a lot was done last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that team. How does it feel to be a part of a team so widely remembered and celebrated?

Rico Petrocelli: It feels great and I appreciate it, I think all the guys do. The fans have been so great to us over the years. John Henry and Tom Werner have been great to us.

BSE: Last year was also the 50th anniversary of Tony C being hit. What do you think his career could have looked like had that beaning not happened?

Rico Petrocelli: You know I really believe Tony could have been a 500 home run guy. He had a home run swing; he was strong, could hit to all fields, and with power and was a clutch hitter. Then with the DH, I think he could have stayed for a long time. But it was a tragedy.

Tony C with a mighty swing.

BSE: When the Sox won finally in 2004, what was that like for you as a former Sox player?

Rico Petrocelli: I was really happy. Really happy for the team, for the fans, it meant so much. The players on the team were great guys, not just as players, but great guys. First of all, coming back from the Yankees, that was just incredible. After they won the World Series, the guys were celebrating and almost every guy they got on said that they were so happy to win, but it wasn’t only for them, it was for the guys who came before them and got so close. That was really classy and very appreciated.

BSE: What are some of your favorite memories from your playing days?

Rico Petrocelli: Certainly the two World Series, Yaz’ great year in ’67 was just phenomenal. I think the game against Vida Blue; Sonny Siebert against Vida Blue at Fenway. Vida was, I think 10-1 and Siebert was 9-0. We were both in first place and they hyped it up like it was a World Series game, it was just incredible. The fans came in to see Vida, he was a phenom. I was fortunate enough to hit two home runs off him and we went on to win the game.

BSE: After your retirement you did a number of things; coaching, broadcasting, radio shows, writing. Did you have a favorite out of those?

Rico Petrocelli: I enjoyed doing the radio in ’79 with Ken Coleman. Ken was a tremendous broadcaster and that was really fun. Since 1977 I’ve been doing some form of broadcasting, including currently. I did pregame and postgame when it was on channel 68, when they had the games for a couple years, and that was fun.

BSE: You worked closely with the Jimmy Fund in the past, do you still do a lot with them?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah I play in their golf tournaments. I worked with them for three years, was involved with their sports fundraisers with Mike Andrews. What an experience. Tough at times, seeing the kids and the young parents, six or seven year olds getting treatments. But the Jimmy Fund was dear to my heart.

BSE: So what are you up to nowadays in addition to the book?

Rico Petrocelli: These past seven years I’ve been doing a show on Sirius XM on the MLB station, myself and my partner Ed Randall. We do a show called “Remember When.” A lot of our guests are players and managers from the past. We talk a lot about what it was like when they played. A lot of them are currently in baseball, we have some guys who just retired five years ago. It’s good to get some insight from them on how their organization is doing. How an organization decides the path they are going to take, whether to sell off their players for kids and take a lot of losses. We’ve had Hall of Famers; Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, we just had Bob Costas on last week. He is one of my favorite broadcasters.

Then I do a collectibles show; it’s called “The Great American Collectibles Show” with a partner. It’s an hour show and we have the experts in that field come on and talk about all these cards, their worth. That’s been a couple years now. I keep busy.

Rico Petrocelli with Tom Zappala recording “The Great American Collectibles Show.”

BSE: That’s all my questions for today, did you have anything you’d like to add?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, I go out to book signings or whatever. The fans amaze me with how wonderful they have treated me over the years. They’ll talk about their father’s taking them to see me play.

BSE: That is great to hear.

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, I’ve been very fortunate, blessed. Whatever happens the rest of the way, I have no regrets. My wife and I had four sons and have nine grandkids; seven girls and two boys.

BSE: Well thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.

Rico Petrocelli: You’re welcome Scott, I enjoyed it. Take care and best of luck.

The Red Sox Are On The Verge Of Ending The Yankees Season

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The Yankees came into Boston with a chance to close the gap in the A.L East. Instead, the Sox have stomped on the throat of the Yankees. For the second straight day, the Sox’ starting pitching shoved the bats down the throats of Yankees hitters. Boston now has a commanding 8.5 game lead heading into Sunday’s finale against New York. With the Yankees coming apart at the seams, it’s now time for the Sox to wrap up the division once and for all.

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David Price Has To Step Up

Everyone knows how much of a disaster David Price has been in Boston. None the less, the pressure falls on the shoulders of the soft left-hander. The Red Sox have absolutely dominated the Yankees in all assets of the game. Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi both had excellent starts against the “potent” New York lineup. Porcello ignited Fenway Park on Friday night with a complete game one-hitter, retiring twenty-one straight Yankees. Eovaldi followed up Porcello’s excellent outing with an equally dominant performance going eight strong shutout innings. This sets Price up perfectly heading into Sunday Night baseball.

The Yankees hitters cannot seem to get out of their own way at the moment. With Judge hurt and Sanchez on the DL, Price is primed to finally have success against the Yankees as a member of the Red Sox. Price needs to show up and perform because he could wrap up the A.L East. Sweeping the Bronx Bombers out of Fenway without Chris Sale starting a single game would be astronomical for the moral of the Red Sox. Let’s watch and see if Price can give the Sox anything in a big spot.

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Boston Hitters Must Stay Sharp

After the beatdown the Sox gave New York the past three days, it would be easy to take the Yankees lightly. No matter the outcome of the finale on Sunday, the Red Sox weekend is a success; but still, the Sox have to show up and put the pinstripes down once and for all. With Tanaka on the hill, the Sox lineup has to come out of the gates hot. If they can get a lead on New York, then its all but over. This once prominent Yankees team is now on the verge of spiraling into their fourth straight loss. Time to send New York packing with their hopes of a championship crushed.

First Ever BSE Podcast (@alykins32)

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Boston Sports Extra has a Podcast!

Get all your Boston sports news. That’s right, get your Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, Bruins, and Revolutions news and information, now in podcast form.

On this Episode Anthony, Zack, and Justin get in deep about where the Red Sox stand at the break and where they can and should move forward from here. And a bonus! Get into the latest Celtics news and what it means for all the pieces that Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens has available. Get it right here for all your unbiased news of your favorite teams.

 

Download the Episode Here!

On This Day In Red Sox History: July 15, 2005 (@TheFrizz87)

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On Friday, July 15, 2005, the Red Sox and Yankees met for the second of a four game series at Fenway Park. This was the first series after the All-Star break and the Yankees had taken the first game to move within 1.5 games of the Sox for first place in the East. Through nine games, the Red Sox had gone 5-4 in their season series. Among the wins was a 17-1 victory at Yankee Stadium in late May.

Taking the Field

The Red Sox sent former Yankee David Wells to the mound. Wells was in his first season with Boston and just a year removed from his second stint with the Yankees. He had pitched twice versus New York already on the season, going 1-1. For New York, newcomer Tim Redding would take the hill. The Yankees had just acquired Redding along with Darrell May from the Padres for Paul Quantrill. Redding was 0-5 with an unsightly 9.10 ERA while pitching in the National League West.

Wells cruised through the top half of the first, striking out Derek Jeter and Robinson Canon before getting Gary Sheffield to fly out. Johnny Damon was the Red Sox leadoff hitter and singled to right to open up the home half of the first. Edgar Renteria walked before Tim Redding surprisingly struck out David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez back-to-back. With two outs, Trot Nixon doubled home both Damon and Renteria to put the Red Sox on the board first. After a Kevin Millar walk, Jason Varitek doubled and the Red Sox were ahead 3-0.

Sox Chase Redding

After another 1-2-3 inning for Wells, the Red Sox offense went back to work. Mark Bellhorn and Johnny Damon walked followed by a single by Edgar Renteria to load the bases. Just like that, Redding’s night was over, as was his Yankees career. Redding never threw another pitch for the Yankees, getting just three outs. In came Darrell May, their other recent acquisition from the Padres. The left-hander fared a little better, if only marginally so. A run came home on a fielder’s choice. Manny Ramirez followed with a double to left to score the Red Sox fifth run of the night. Trot Nixon, in the play of the night, hit a fly ball to center that seemed to tail some. Melky Cabrera, coming in for the play missed the ball as it glanced off his glove. Trot kept running as the ball rolled well past Cabrera and came around to score with a three-run inside-the-park home run! The Red Sox were up 8-0 and it was only the second inning. Tim Redding allowed six runs while only recording three outs in his only appearance for the Yankees.

Melky Cabrera misses Trot Nixon’s fly ball, leading to an inside-the-park home run.

Red Sox Chase Another Yankee Acquisition

The Red Sox got another run in the third when Edgar Renteria drove home Johnny Damon. In the top of the 4th, the Yankees got their first hit off their old buddy on a ground ball into center by Robinson Cano. After a wild pitch moved him to second, Gary Sheffield drove him home with another hit. Wells would get Alex Rodriguez to hit into a double play and Hideki Matsui to ground out to end the inning. The Yankees had scored a run, good for them.

In the bottom of the inning, the Sox got two men on via walk with two outs. Bill Mueller doubled to left to drive home Kevin Millar with the Sox’ 10th run. After another walk, Johnny Damon doubled home two more runs to chase Darrell May from the game. May had equaled Tim Redding’s six runs allowed, although at least he had gotten eight batters out to Redding’s three. This was May’s second outing as a Yankee, having allowed seven runs six days prior against the Indians. Just like Redding, this would be his final outing with the Yankees. The Yankees two recent trade acquisitions pitched a combined three games for the Yankees, allowing 19 runs over eight innings. May never pitched in the big leagues again.

A Grand Slam

The Yankees found some semblance of competency with Jason Anderson, who enjoyed a 1-2-3 fifth inning after recording the final out of the fourth. Meanwhile, David Wells kept cruising along, allowing just one hit between the fifth and sixth.

Anderson did not seem up for another inning of work however. Kevin Millar led off with a double before Anderson walked Varitek. Alex Cora then pinch-hit for Bill Mueller and singled to load the bases. Anderson actually got two outs after that without allowing a run to come in. Close to getting out of the jam, Anderson walked Edgar Renteria to bring home the Red Sox’ 13th run of the game. That was the end of Anderson’s night. With David Ortiz due up, the Yankees brought in long-time lefty specialist Buddy Groom. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ortiz took an 0-1 offering from Groom deep to right and over the fence for a grand slam. So much for the lefty specialist, the Red Sox now led 17-1.

David Ortiz follows through on his grand slam off pitcher Buddy Groom in the sixth inning at Fenway Park on July 15, 2005. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Yankees Get Embarrassed

The rest of the game was uneventful. Buddy Groom wound up pitching a shutout seventh after allowing the grand slam. For the Red Sox, David Wells went seven innings allowing just one run to improve to 7-5 on the season. John Halama had a perfect eighth followed by Geremi Gonzalez bringing home the huge victory with a perfect ninth. For the second time on the season, the Red Sox had beaten the Yankees by a score of 17-1. Trot Nixon and David Ortiz both drove in five runs on the day, with Nixon hitting the inside-the-park home run and Ortiz the grand slam.

It’s Time To Revamp The All Star Game’s Selection Process (@ELJGON)

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It’s that time of year again.

The 2018 MLB All-Star rosters have been revealed and boy, do we have a lot to talk about. It’s clear that the player selection process is a popularity vote rather than an endorsement for a successful first half. The fact that Blake Snell (12-4, 2.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), Nicholas Castellanos (.306, 15 HR, 56 RBI, .882 OPS), Jesus Aguilar (.302, 23 HR, 64 RBI, 1.000 OPS) were not originally All-Stars is terrible. These players are among many others who face the same issue each year, and it’s doing more harm for the game than good. On a bigger scale, if MLB wants to continue its trend of raising viewership numbers, they need to do away with some old habits; the All-Star game is no exception. Some have many ways to fix the player selection, and here is my take:

Things To Keep

There are certain aspects of the All-Star game and its process that are beneficial to the integrity of baseball as well as the attractiveness of current fans. These aspects should be kept without a doubt.

  1. Uniforms during the actual All-Star game will be every player’s respective uniform. It should follow the home and away color code.
  2. Each team will send at least one representative to the All-Star game. I had a lot of time to think about this, and at first I was against it. Why should someone on a really bad team make the All-Star game over someone who actually deserves it? However, this keeps fans engaged, even when their team is not doing so well. Also, it keeps bigger market teams from overpopulating the roster versus smaller market teams. We’re keeping it.
  3. Both the NL and AL teams will implement the DH regardless of venue.
  4. Managers will make starting lineups.

Things To Change

Here is where things could get a little weird at first but have an open mind.

Basically, the All-Star game format will change into four teams total, two teams for each league (Team A and Team B for NL and AL).

Team A and Team B in each league will play each other on the first day. Then, the winning teams will represent their respective league in the final game the next day. This is a similar process to how the NHL bases their All-Star game. However, since MLB has six divisions instead of four like the NHL, it would get complicated.

Fans will vote for four player captains, two for NL and two for AL.

All captains cannot be from the same Major League teams. Fans will also vote for players into a pool for team captains (with their manager) to pick in a draft style player selection process.

The preliminary games will be six innings long, the final game will be nine.

This ensures a few things such as roster size, reducing game times and reducing the chance of injury among other aspects. Having four teams instead of the usual two would mean that there would be twice as many all-star players as before, which doesn’t make sense.

Roster sizes for the preliminary games are 20 players (eight position players, five bench, three starters, four relievers). The captain of each winning team chooses five players (two position, three pitchers) from the losing team to take them to the final game, thus making a 25 man roster.

Each team will have a manager, as always. But instead of from the recent World Series, they will be from the year’s past championship series.

This still gives us two managers from the World Series and two more managers for the third and fourth teams.

Finally, the fight for home-field advantage in the World Series is coming back.

The All-Star game is so much better when there is actually something to fight for.

 

Wrapping up, this whole thing isn’t perfect. There will be flaws in this and all criticisms are accepted, but we can all agree that something has to be done in order to avoid major snubs every single year while keeping fans of the game engaged.

@ELJGON

Red Sox Interested in Nathan Eovaldi

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It’s July, which means only one thing: Trade SZN. The Red Sox made their fair share of roster moves in June, including signing former All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips to a minor league contract and trading for Steve Pearce. However, Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about shuffling pieces around the board (and across the league), so it’s unlikely the Sox are done tweaking their roster for the summer.

The next shoe to drop could be a move for starting pitching help. The Red Sox were among several teams in attendance for current Rays’ starter Nathan Eovaldi‘s start on Monday, per MLB.com’s Bill Chastain.

Sox fans will remember Eovaldi best during his stint with the Yankees from 2015-16. During that two-year stretch, Eovaldi was 23-11 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He missed all of last season after undergoing his second Tommy John’s surgery in August 2016. Eovaldi could represent a low-risk/low-cost rental for teams in need of pitching depth down the stretch.

The Problem

Boston fits that mold perfectly. Chris Sale has been dominant and Rick Porcello has been both consistent and dependable. David Price has shown a tendency to mix strong stretches with complete meltdowns. He is also only a year removed from his own injury issues. Eduardo Rodriguez seems to have righted the ship with Wednesday’s virtuoso performance in Washington. He’s also notoriously inconsistent, and has gone deeper than the 6th inning only twice in his 17 starts this year. Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright are currently on the disabled list.

Both Wright and Pomeranz are close to returning. Wright is expected back by the All-Star break, and Pomeranz made his first rehab start this week. However, Wright’s knee issues are becoming chronic, and Pomeranz allowed four HRs in Monday’s rehab start. Neither qualify as reliable back-of-the-rotation options.

The Solution

That’s where Eovaldi fits in. He’s posted a 3.92 ERA across seven starts so far this season, with career highs in K/9 (7.6) and K/BB (5.83) ratio. While he’s benefited from good batted ball luck, he’s also had poor home run luck. Opponents are only batting .211 on balls in play, and he’s stranded 79.6% of his runners. However, Eovaldi’s HR/FB rate (21.4%) is higher than ever. In other words, look for both of those numbers to even out a bit as the sample size grows.

Eovaldi’s stuff has remained consistent in his return as well. He still throws gas (avg. four-seam velocity of 97 mph). He’s also mixed in a cutter more frequently than ever. In 2016, only 7.3% of Eovaldi’s pitches were classified as such. That number has climbed all the way up to 25.3% this season. That could partially explain his luck on balls in play. An improved cut-fastball is limiting how much solid contact opposing batters are able to make.

Granted, none of these numbers are exactly eye-popping. But, they are representative of a solid fifth starter who provides depth at the end of the rotation. Eovaldi would come with his own question marks as well; he missed the start of this season with elbow and rib injuries. However, if the price is right, he could be a nice piece to help get the Sox through the dog days of summer.

W2W4: Sox-Yanks Weekend Showdown

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The Rivalry resumes tonight in the Bronx, when the 55-27 Red Sox take on the 52-26 Yankees in a battle for AL East supremacy. As is always the case when these two teams meet, there will be plenty to keep an eye on. Here are a few things to watch for this weekend’s three-game series:

Will Eduardo Rodriguez Rebound?

Rodriguez’s start on Friday night is arguably the most intriguing of the weekend. That’s no small statement, considering Chris Sale and David Price are set to toe the rubber on Saturday and Sunday. The Red Sox are 13-2 in Rodriguez’s 15 starts this season. That’s thanks in large part to run support; Boston is averaging 6.13 runs per E-Rod start.

However, Rodriguez has also been much more consistent than in seasons past. He’s only allowed more than three runs three times this year. One of those times was in his last outing, when the Mariners dealt him his first loss since mid-May (and snapped his six-game winning streak). The Sox will be hoping Rodriguez recovers and can replicate his five-shutout inning performance against the Yankees from May 10th. How he reacts to his last start will will go a long way towards telling us just how much he has matured this year.

Devers Heating Up

On June 5th, Rafael Devers went 0-3 with a strikeout and grounded into a double play. His average dropped to a paltry .223, a total nadir. JD Martinez helped sort out his swing that weekend, and Raffy has been mashing ever since. Devers entered last night hitting .291 with an .802 OPS in his last 20 games. He then proceeded to stay hot in the series finale against the Angels, mashing a solo shot to dead center:

Devers was a surprise spark last season as a rookie, though he’s struggled through a sophomore slump this year. Let’s see if he can keep the good vibes rolling in the House That Jeter Built this weekend.

Will David Price Ever Figure Out That Team in Pinstripes?

Price is on an absolute tear. Since allowing nine runs (seven earned) on May 3rd in Texas, he’s 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA. Part of the reason for his success? Price has been more effective at keeping batters off-balance. In his first seven starts, he used his changeup only 14% of the time vs. left-handed hitters, and 16% of the time vs. right-handed hitters. In his last nine starts, he’s thrown his changeup 27% of the time to lefties, and 20% of the time to righties. The opposition is having trouble making solid contact as a result. Opposing batters have only hit .160 against Price’s fastball and .138 against his sinker during this run.

Of course no matter how hot Price is, the Yankees are an ever-present thorn in his side. Price is 15-12 vs. New York in 38 career starts, but with a 4.67 ERA. Only the Mets, Rangers, and Rockies have given him more trouble, though he’s faced those three clubs a mere total of 19 times. That record includes an April 11th drubbing earlier this year. In that start, Price was shelled for four runs in one inning of work, before leaving due to numbness in his left hand.

Sunday night, under the lights, Price will get another shot at his arch-nemesis, with first place possibly hanging in the balance. Time will tell whether or not he’s up to the task.

The Hunt for a Better Bullpen

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If you watched Red Sox baseball this past week, you should have seen a trend forming. All week great starting pitching was followed by the bullpen crapping themselves. The stats in the last seven days can support this claim, as Sox starters have had a 3.11 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP. Sox relievers have had a 6.06 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP. This has been frustrating to watch and almost makes us forget about Jackie Bradley Jr.’s woes at the plate.

Better Numbers are Ahead

The full season’s numbers don’t paint the same story, however. Sox relievers in the entire season have posted a 3.76 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Starters also going on to average 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Clearly, we can justify this by saying the obvious: The Red Sox bullpen had a bad week. They were not clutch and they did not throw quality strikes. More was expected from this quality pitching staff.

The only way from here is up and the quality is ahead of us, folks. We have seen this bullpen do tremendous things when they try. Carson Smith is finally turning the corner, posting a 1.04 ERA in the last 28 days (11 games) with 12 strikeouts and one earned run. In the same sample size, Joe Kelly has posted a 0.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts and one earned run.

Reinforcements are Incoming

Don’t forget, more help is on the way. Tyler Thornburg is set to begin his rehab assignment in Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday 5/14. Steven Wright is also slated to join the Sox on the same day. A much needed depth will be added to this bullpen, but what can we expect from the two? Thornburg hasn’t pitched in a major league baseball game since 2016. Even then, I’m sure Cora will be using him sparingly since he’s apparently made of glass. Even Wright, who has recovered fully from his left knee injury and served his 15 game suspension for domestic violence, will be a mixed bag of results.

Also, at some point, Bobby Poyner should be getting called back up as well. Poyner posted a 2.25 ERA in seven regular season games with the Sox, and even has a 1.42 ERA in six games with the PawSox. If anybody outside of Brian Johnson slips up, expect to see Poyner in the big league bullpen for the majority of the season.

Dealin’ Dave at it Again?

What if this all doesn’t pan out the way we expect? There will be trade activity around the time of the deadline (or even sooner) and the Red Sox will be involved one way or another. Kelvin Herrera and Jeurys Familia are two names that will probably finish the 2018 season with a different team and are two pieces that can really bring a bullpen to the next level. Yes, both are closers and both are eligible for free agency in 2019, so they would be rentals. However, the Sox obviously wouldn’t dare move Craig Kimbrel from his job in the pen.

The Mets and the Royals both seem to be trending downward quickly and I would be shocked if they were playoff contenders this season. Also, both teams could use an outfielder which could potentially prompt a JBJ trade. Familia is known for his sinker which averages at 97 mph and Herrera for his 89 mph changeup. Also, they have been in the spotlight before as they actually faced each other in the 2015 World Series. That last part is something the Sox bullpen lacks: clutch factor.

Overall, these two players will find another home this season acting as rentals. The New York Yankees are also in the same boat as the Red Sox for the fact that their bullpen hasn’t been the best either. Also, going off of last year, the Astros bullpen may not be the best as well. All in all, the Sox won’t be alone when it comes to bolstering their relief pitchers, but hopefully this bad week has been a wake up call to the front office.

@ELJGON

The Red Sox Head to New York

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Red Sox Yankee Rivalry Heads to New York

Via FOX 61

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees begin another three-game series today. The New York Yankees are 18-4 since the bench-clearing brawl that transpired the last time these two teams faced each other. The Yankees are a game behind in the AL East, which means that series in April is why the Red Sox are currently in first place in the division. The Yankees are 14-5 at home and with the weather a lot warmer the Yankee bats might be waking up. The Red Sox are 16- 8 since the bench-clearing brawl.

The Red Sox and Yankees Head to Head

According to Boston Sports Info on Twitter, the Red Sox have 46 home runs and the Yankees have 48. In 2017, the Red Sox had 30 and the Yankees had 55 homers in the first 34 games. A big difference from last season. Mookie Betts has really been hitting the ball a lot better. It is not certain if he’ll be playing in this game because he’s dealing with a right shoulder bruise. He probably will be fine and play because this is a big series.

Mookie Betts is on Fire

Mookie Betts has 13 home runs and a batting average of .355. According to Boston Sports Info, J.D. Martinez at Yankee Stadium Martinez has 39 at-bats, three home runs, nine RBI’s, and 11 strikeouts. Stanton has had 82 at-bats, four home runs, nine RBI’s, and 11 strikeouts. For the rivalry between these two teams, it’s safe to say it’s back on.

There shouldn’t be any sleeping at these Yankee Red Sox games. The question remains: will the Red Sox and Yankee brawl continue at Yankee Stadium this week? Not according to Tyler Austin, who told ESPN, “We’re just coming out here to try to win ballgames”. Cold hands David Price will no longer pitch on Wednesday. Pomeranz is taking the mound tonight, and Porcello is being moved up to pitch Wednesday. The Red Sox should take two out of three of these games.