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Boston Red Sox (65-49) @ Kansas City Royals (53-61) |
GAME NOTES: With the Rays getting all dramatic in front of us with walk off win after walk off win, these are the games that the Red Sox can’t afford to let slip away. Let’s find Timmy some run support and walk away with a series win tonight.
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And Moshe, the criticisms of Jeter’s range began in 2001. Jeter won all his Gold Gloves between 2004 and 2006. I’m not sure he was ever an elite defensive player, and he was barely average by 2004.
In 2004, Jeter was 4th in FPCT, 8th in RF and 6th in ZR among the 11 AL shortstop who qualified.
Wake is probably triple checking the scoreboard as he trots back out there … 5 runs? For me?
Jeter was solid, not great, until about 2002. I think perceptive Yankees fans started noticing him decline about that time.
.446 career minor league slugging, there’s definitely a little power there and even though it’s a small sample he’s been piling up extra base hits as of late. The double today would have been a homer at fenway.
I don’t know if he’s the shortstop for the next 5 years, but at least in the short-term, this year and next, he’s an upgrade over Lugo. If a better opportunity presents itself then definitely take it, but I would like to see Jed stick around at the very least as a utility infielder as he can already play 3 infield positions and Cora will be gone after this year anyways.
Evan, Lowrie hit about .300/.380/.500 last year in the upper levels of the minors. He’s hit almost as well in the majors so far. If he can keep up that production he’d be an elite offensive SS.
And remember, the guy’s only 24. He’s likely only going to get better. For the meantime, he’s a huge improvement over Lugo. Lowrie’s hitting over .300 with RISP, Lugo hit under .139 with RISP.
Moshe, then you agree he didn’t actually deserve his Gold Gloves? You say he stopped being solid around 2002, and he didn’t win a single Gold Glove until 2004.
Of course not- his Gold Gloves are about as legit as the one Palmeiro won as a DH. I think Jeter’s fielding now is somewhat underrated because of the kind of things that dont show up in the fielding stats- positioning on cutoff throws, good feeds on double plays, etc. That said, I think he has gone from slightly above average to bad to slightly below average this season.
Ellsbury gets out of his funk in grand style!
Lowrie is GOD
Wakefield throws 80 pitches and can’t be bothered to come out for the seventh? What gives; I thought he was an “inning eater?”
He’s 42 and pitching professional baseball TD, let him go drink some Ensure and take a nap.
Sean O’s right. Wakefield’s 42 and he pitched in extreme heat all day. No need to push it.
Sean O, aren’t you one of those guys who loves Wakefield for his ability to soak up innings and spare the bullpen?
Definitel. I’m right there with you TD, but after this heat wave in KC, and the fact that he’s now our #2 starter, preserving him for the potential postseason is definitely important. Right now we’re running into Tito getting guys in for routine work, and with a 6 run lead it’s acceptable.
I love that Wakefield, if nothing else, is a reliable innings muncher. He appears to recently have become much more than that however.
Fair enough, Sean O. Thanks for the reply. Did anyone else notice Wakefield’s line had this gem: 0 BB ?
Holy shit! No walks?!? From Wake?!?
Now that’s a diamond…I mean diamond with platinum and shit.
0 walks is incredible. I have this dream whereby Wakes becomes a 76 mph fastball ace in the last 3 years of his contract, leading us to several WS victories. And that would definitely lead to his number going up on the wall.
Yanks win though…poop.
I missed the last few innings of the game. Some thoughts:
How the hell did Ells hit a homer to the deepest part of the park? Maybe he’s ready to go on a tear like he did in April and last September and October.
Lowrie is the starting shortstop from now on, and should be given every opportunity to take the job next spring. He’s this years Ellsbury, good rookie taking the job from an inadequate incumbent.
Wakefield can be excused for not coming out for the 7th considering he’s given us everything this year, it was an 8-2 lead, he’s 42 in a heat wave and tomorrow is an off day.
The off day comes at a great time. The team is riding a wave of good feelings, but Papi, Lowell, and now Youk all need a breather. Good thing that Dustin is getting 2 days off also, he’s been killing himself for the team. Rest up, big 4 gamer with the other Sox coming up. A series win could put this team in a great position.
What a game. Are the liberated Red Sox pulling it all together?
We are seeing the future . . . With support from our All-Star vets, this team’s energy and direction is now being defined by quickly evolving 20-somethings as hungry as the Rays: Bay, Lowrie, Youk, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Coco, Lester, Beckett, Matsuzaka, Masterson, Buchholz, Papelbon, Smith, Aardsma, MDC, Zinc, Pauley, Carter, Bailey and many more.
They are winning games for us.
IMhO, Lowrie will either blow it or continue to get even better, which seems more likely. If he gets better, he goes from really good to great. If so, he is our SS of the future. I used to think that one of the SS coming up behind Jed will supplant him eventually. But I believed the louder scouts who panned his arm, glove and range at SS. I don’t think that any more.
Because of what he has already accomplished, and because of what I have seen with my own eyes, I now believe the majority of scouts and his coaches, who say he can be great at SS. He is already establishing himself as one of the best in the league and he barely left AA. Go Jed. With Lowrie, we now have one of the best hitting, best fielding, smartest infields in all of baseball . . . with a great attitude.