Archive for the ‘Boston Red Sox’ Category

Captured for the Very First Time: Audio of the Dead Cat Bounce

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Boston Red Sox, HardBall Talkin', New York Yankees, Vernon Wells on Jun 03, 2013

And with that Earth-shaking thunderclap, Vernon Wells‘ OBP dipped below .300. Even though they all knew it was coming, it STILL scared the Yankees Scarier yet: they have to keep playing him.

Tease as we might, the Yankees got all they needed out of Vernon Wells. They stayed above water when all their starters were out. The inevitable regression (at the speed of sound, apparently) won’t surprise anyone, least of all the Yankees front office who saw their best case scenario play out.

Now, if they have to continue relying on him, well that’s a whole ‘nother matter.

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Fogging the Measure: Stephen Drew Becomes a True Red Sock

Posted by Matt Klaassen under Boston Red Sox, Fogging The Measure on May 16, 2013

Minnesota Twins v Boston Red Sox

Way back in 2002, when Jason Giambi was in his first season with the Yankees after signing (for the time) a huge free agent contract, people doubted him. Filling the Super-Big Shoes of Tino Martinez is a bid deal; a core Yankee and close personal friend of Derek Jeter, after all.

Giambi got off to a slow start in New York in that first season. Well, “slow” being a relative term. Giambi was hitting “only” .282/.378/.456 (126 wRC+) at the end of April, which spelled disaster for many scribes following the Yankees. Of course, Giambi ended the season with at .314/.435/.598 (175 wRC+)… but midway through May (and he killed it in May, anyway, with a 206 wRC+) people were grumbling.

Then came the May 17 game against the Twins in New York. In bottom of the 14th inning, late at night with the rain coming down and very few people left in the stands, the Yankees were down 12-9. The bases were loaded as Giambi (already 3-7 on the night) came to the plate. Giambi drilled the first pitch from Mike Trombley over the wall for an extra-innings, come-from-behind, walkoff grand slam. The “Giambi has finally earned his pinstripes” stuff started right away, naturally. I am not sure it took, given that Giambi would be the subject of grumbling over the next few years with injuries, PED stuff, and, of course, the Yankees failure to win a World Series with him on the team. Never mind that he hit .260/.404/.521 with 209 homers with the Yankees (Don Mattingly himself only hit 222 in his own Yankees career, and in about twice as many plate appearances). Whether or not it finally took, at the time of the grand slam, at least, it was hyped as Giambi’s Big True Yankee Moment, one which still has resonance.

Although it was not nearly as dramatic in just about any dimension: expectations, contracts, or game situation, but last night, shortstop Stephen Drew may have become a True Red Sock in somewhat similar fashion with a grand slam. Sure, it happened in the top of the third with the Sox already up 4-0, but it still generated a reaction.

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Closer Newz: Junichi Tazawa IN For The Red Sox

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Boston Red Sox, News And Notes on May 07, 2013

Houston Astros v Boston Red Sox

As discussed in today’s link dump (and on the podcast), the Red Sox bullpen is in a state of upheaval. Both players to serve as their capital-C Closer this season are hurt, with Andrew Bailey on the disabled list and Joel Hanrahan possibly headed there as well.

Because relievers abhor role uncertainty like nature abhors a vacuum, Sox manager John Farrell told MLB Network radio (via Over the Monster) today that Junichi Tazawa will get the nod as the new man in the ninth inning. Tazawa has sparkling numbers, not just this season but last year also. As Dave Cameron notes in his very interesting post on the impact of Asian pitchers, Tazawa has a 65/8 strikeout to walk ratio since the start of the 2012 season.

Tazawa is a fine choice for closer, though the official Getting Blanked candidate Koji Uehara might be better. Uehara is a much older man, one requiring a little bit more finesse in terms of his usage and rest patterns. Junichi Tazawa is much younger (just 26 compared to Uehara’s 38 years-awesome) and should be able to handle the three-days-in-a-row rigors of closing better than the artfully-deployed Uehara.

As stated previously, the Red Sox bullpen will still be fine – losing two good pitchers hurts any team but having two other good pitchers to rely on cushions the blow quite a bit. To the fantasy waiver wire we go!

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My Approach: Dustin Pedroia

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Boston Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia, My Approach on May 02, 2013

Oakland Athletics v Boston Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia has been one of the better players in baseball over the last five seasons. Since the start of the 2008 season, Dustin Pedroia is in the top ten for position player fWAR, posting a .304/.373/.467 line with 80 home runs over that time. His .366 wOBA trails just Robinson Cano and Chase Utley among qualified second baseman.

I don’t know if the word “pure hitter” applies to Pedroia but it seems apt to me: he doesn’t strike out very much and he makes excellent use of his home ballpark, crashing doubles into the Green Monster like few Red Sox before him.

Dustin Pedroia is the subject of the latest edition of My Approach, discussing his “make something from nothing” two strike approach, using a high tee and making the most of his less-than-strapping frame.

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Don’t Bogaerts That Trade, Man

Posted by Scott Lewis under Boston Red Sox, Jose Reyes, News And Notes on May 02, 2013

Miami Marlins v Chicago Cubs

According to a story from WEEI’s Rob Bradford, the Boston Red Sox had engaged in conversations with the Miami Marlins in an effort to acquire Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson. Both Reyes and Johnson, of course, became Toronto Blue Jays this past winter when the Marlins went into fire sale mode. The two former Marlins were part of a package that also included Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio, and John Buck heading to Toronto in exchange for Justin Nicolino, Jake Marisnick, Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis and Anthony Desclafani.

The discussions between the Red Sox and Marlins, according to Bradford’s source, included Bonifacio (“if needed”), but apparently excluded both Buehrle and Buck. The Red Sox were reportedly unwilling to part ways with super prospect Xander Bogaerts, which effectively killed the potential for a deal to be made.

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Ryan Dempster and The Razor’s Edge

Posted by Drew Fairservice under Analysis, Boston Red Sox, Ryan Dempster on May 01, 2013

Kansas City Royals v Boston Red Sox

Far too often in the early days of the season, you can head over to your favorite baseball blogsite and read the fateful words “small sample size but” in many different forms. It isn’t exactly high treason to base a blogpost on less than stable information but, especially among true stat folks (read: not me) it goes against the entire nature of the beast.

In the early days of the season, it is usually more telling and more informative to look for dynamic differences rather than statistical differences. Things that stand out as changes in process, rather than result.

Jeff Sullivan wrote a very interesting post on Ryan Dempster’s early season strikeout swell for Fangraphs earlier this week. It is Sullivan-ian in its quality and depth of research, keying on many dynamic differences in what Ryan Dempster‘s done since joining the Red Sox.

Ryan Dempster is doing things slightly differently in 2013 but his results are vastly different from previous years. A result of this tinkering and adapting? Perhaps. The product of good fortune in key moments? Absolutely.

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Red Sox Activate Joel Hanrahan From DL

Posted by Darren Kritzer under Boston Red Sox, News And Notes on Apr 30, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays v Boston Red Sox

The first place Boston Red Sox have activated right-hander Joel Hanrahan from the 15-day disabled list.

Hanrahan, who was placed on the DL back on April 16th with a sore right hamstring, was expected to regain his role as the team’s closer from Andrew Bailey, who pitched well in his absence, but those plans may have changed.

Manager John Farrell:

“He’s active today. Before announcing what his role is, when he comes to the ballpark we’ll have a chance to sit down. … The one thing Joel is, he’s honest with himself, and he understands what’s going on here.”

On the season, the former Pittsburgh Pirate reliever appeared in six games for the Red Sox, recording a 11.57 ERA, 12.85 FIP, 7.46 xFIP with three saves.

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