This Has Got to Stop
The Red Sox seem incapable of bashing their way to victory. If their pitching doesn't shut the other team down, then there is isn't a chance of a victory. The Red Sox of recent were prone to winning slugfests.
What has gone right offensively thus far?
Pedroia, Youkilis, Varitek and Lowell
What hasn't gone right?
Lugo, Crisp, Drew, Ortiz, Ramirez
Certainly Ramirez and Ortiz have been productive, but not to the degree we've become accustom. Since the All-Star break, Manny has turned it on, so hopefully (never a word we like to use) he has found his way.
Let me illustrate some problems:
Ortiz vs lefties - .250/.352/.327/.679
Ramirez vs righties - .261/338/.416/.754
Lugo couldn't hit against anyone through June (the #s are too sorry to post)
Drew - Has been getting on base (.366) but hasn't produced anything. His slg% is .385. Wow, that is far from league average. Drew's struggles are more apparent when Ortiz and Manny aren't hitting.
Oh yeah, Drew against lefties - .221/.291/.351/.641
Crisp against righties (231 at bats) - .255/.307/.364/.670
The Red Sox, for whatever reason, are not hitting. The first thing most are inclined to do is to look at Dave Magadan the new hitting coach. Well, hitting coaches are important, but they aren't everything. Well, perhaps he has played a role in this, but I think it unfair to lay the blame entirely on him. Age, injuries, the inability to quickly adapt to playing in Boston, all play a part in these things.
With less than 2 weeks to the trade deadline, I would not be surprised to see a large trade happen. A few ideas have already been discuss on my last post (comments), but my guess is that Red Sox management might feel compelled to deal a big prospect (Ellsbury, Buchholz, Bowden, Masterson, Bates or Bell) to make this offense right.
The most important thing for management to do is identify the real problems versus the temporary problems. Is Ramirez really done? Is Ortiz's knee that big a deal? Is Drew incapable of playing in Boston? Or is Manny just in one of his funks (ala Manny's struggles at the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005), and Ortiz just dealing with a few minor injuries and Drew just getting through the "First Year Red Sox Blues?"
I expect we'll see some movement over the next 2 weeks.
The Red Sox have a 7 game lead on the Yankees. The Red Sox have been a .500 team since Memorial Day. Losing 2 of 3 to the Royals is not acceptable. Time to stir to the pot I think.
Comments
Manny Ramirez commits to carbon neutral lifestyle, will bike to remaining Red Sox games.
Another reason for Red Sox fans to freak. Whole story on www.eTrueSports.com
Posted by: Frank Coffey | July 19, 2007 12:22 AM |
Andy - you stay within the problems of the hitters. I accept and agree with everything you mention. I wonder about the pitching though. Earlier there were lots of low scoring games won as well as when the bats did rip off lots of runs.
Lately Tavarez (5-8) has been giving up 5+ runs (my impression) and Wakefield is ice cold or red hot (with no support).
7 games is nothing as much as 10 games was nothing. I have friends at work that are diehard Yankee fans and they were spouting all the appropriate stuff since May about how they were writting the season off. I was spouting the appropriate stuff about how they weren't out of it, anything can happen.
Anything has happened. It is a winning streak combined with a losing streak.
7 games in July? Might as well be tied.
Time to pony up to your point, you will disagree but I say find a solution for Drew/Crisp that does not include giving Willie Mo more time.
Solve the Tavarez issue, bring Lester up and run with it. Assuming he stays healthy, does anyone believe Lester would not perform at Tavarez level or better?
Hope Schilling comes back strong as well.
You do not do anything with Ortiz and Manny other than hope they have a strong finish.
Lugo is unmoveable so you are stuck with him.
I always wish for the Sox to bury the Yankees but having a good race is great too.
Posted by: blmeanie | July 19, 2007 09:38 AM |
Blmeanie,
I think more and more, there must be something else going on with Lester that has prevented them from bringing him back. Granted he has a horrible June, he has improved in July and like you said, I don't know if he could be worse than Tavarez right now.
As for Crisp, you know my feelings, he is doing fine and playing stellar D. As for Drew, he missed another one tonight and I say DL the guy and let Wily Mo play everyday (unless they make a trade for a better option). I believe Pena will hit given the ABs. 2 weeks of steady play might just yield something, certain Pena wouldn't be much worse than Drew has been (OBP notwithstanding).
If/when Schilling comes back, we'll all feel much better about this rotation. It would allow the removal of Tavarez or Gabbard (1 CG SHO does not a HOFer make).
Posted by: Andy | July 19, 2007 10:29 PM |
I am not totally sure what Boston fans are expecting from Drew.
He isn't an RBI man or a masher, but with only one 100 RBI season, he never has been. He has had 2 seasons above .300, but I wouldn't say he has hit for a particularly good average in his career.
Drew has always done two things exceedingly well: get on base, and get hurt.
Right now, he isn't doing either anywhere near as well as he has in the past.
Posted by: Ian | July 20, 2007 11:32 AM |
Ian, good points on Drew. He has never been a major producer and he is far below his norm in terms of OBP. As for your last sentence. You said he isn't doing either nearly as well as he has in the past referring to getting on base and getting hurt.
I beg to differ, he has gotten hurt very well. He misses 1 game, plays 2, misses 1, etc. He is like a fragile egg. So soft and vulnerable.
As a Boston fan, I hoped Drew would play 140 games, hit .280, with an OBP of .400 or more and an slg of .500 or so. Neither are unrealistic given his history.
He has been far below those in Boston thus far and therein lies the frustration. Drew did have a good night tonight (HR...taken away by the umps), but he needs to keep it going. The most encouraging thing was to see him hit to left field.
Posted by: Andy | July 20, 2007 11:02 PM |