Special Update: My Team Doesn’t Suck :D
I’m not sold on Boston. Sure, they’re beaten up the weak teams, but
they’ve struggled against winning teams lately and that’s what the
playoffs are all about. Pitching is getting weak, shaky, suspect… I’d
say they’re the dark horse now, even more so than Texas (who I think
will overtake them).–Jeff
Hello Jeff!
I have a response to this. I’m going to talk about some of your wording. Specifically these:
“Struggled against winning teams”
“Pitching is getting weak”
“Dark Horse”
From the top, here we go =)
they’ve struggled against winning teams lately and that’s what the
playoffs are all about.”
Lets take a look at August and September, shall we?
The beginning of August started with the major team slump coming off the all star break.
The first team we beat out of that slump?
Detroit Tigers
In fact… we won 3 of 4 there. That team spent a lot of time winning around that period, I would not say they were slumping. The fact that we beat them 3 straight is pretty damn good if you ask me.
In the same month we had that 14-1 win against the Yankees. Now you cannot tell me, in ANY situation that the Yankees are incapible of scoring more than one run in a game. Furthermore, you really have to SUCK that day to give up 14. You and I both know the Yankees starting rotation and pen does NOT suck that much.
Also we swept Toronto twice that month. There’s no luck there. Toronto isn’t terrible enough to lose 6 straight. Even teams like Oakland can ususally scurry up 1 or 2 in the series.
Next, series win vs Tampa in the beginning of September. PRE pena injury. Considering that we haven’t won a series at the trop since 2007, thats big. VERY big.
If you’re not sold, we have two series to prove it: Angels and Yankees.
Done deal.
Also… prove to me Texas isn’t slumping hardcore. They beat the Indians… who I consider the Pirates of the AL right now, they don’t have much of a team left.
Other than that, they beat… Baltimore and Toronto, what do you know, the teams we beat. You have to notice that clear 7-0 loss to baltimore though… I think thats far worse than losing to the White Sox.
Next they go up against a pitcher who is 0-4 with Seattle. Then against the A’s, who by the way beat them 3 straight and swept last time they played.
Weak?
I say so.
Lets start out with the NEW pen member. Billy Wagner. Take a look at his pitching lately and try and tell me he’s been terrible.
Clay Buchholz has been solid lately, he found his groove and he seems to be working much better.
Quote from MLB.com:
“Buchholz won his fourth consecutive decision last Tuesday, shutting out
the Orioles over seven innings of three-hit ball at Fenway Park.”
“The 25-year-old right-hander is 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA in seven outings since Aug. 8, posting six quality starts over that span.”
Thats right, six of seven were QS. I don’t see shakey.
Beckett is looking to bounce back. You can’t really take him as the whole team. EVEN ROY HALLADAY had a slump. It happens
Jon Lester: if you can’t tell me he is solid, who is?
Quote:
“The lefty has been utterly dominant for more than three months. In an
18-start run that began on May 31, Lester is 9-2 with a 2.25 ERA. He
has given up one earned run or less 10 times over that span. In his
last start, he became the 10th pitcher in Sox history to notch 200
strikeouts in a season. In that win over the White Sox, Lester fired
seven shutout innings, walking two and striking out eight. Lester is
21-5 lifetime at Fenway.”
I see solid as a rock, shakey does not exist.
The only real problem I see is the 4 spot. Once Wakefield is back for good I wouldn’t worry about it.
So there was once a stat calculated, essentially a combination between “Well hit average” and “chase rate”. Basically how many pitchers fool hitters into swinging at a bad pitch and inducing a weak hit or a swing and miss.
Tim Wakefield tops that stat.
Byrd looked OK but he’s really just a replacement.
The bullpen is on and off. The only person I worry for is Okijima. The rest are solid and Papelbon has gotten BETTER not worse.
So essentially.. you have the solid 2 and 3, the questionable and likely to bounce back 1, and the open 4 spot. If Beckett bounces back, which he is liable to do before October, you get a solid 1,2,3 and a sketch 4. Sounds pretty good to me. You don’t need to win 4 straight to win a series.
So Jeff..
Dark Horse?
Has Boston, post 2004, EVER been the Dark Horse?
I don’t think so buddy.
-Mike
A Tale of Two Leagues 
Amen to that!
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
Cute. I was referring to the Orioles. Still, they have holes. It happens.
–Jeff
http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
http://mtrredstatebluestate.com
I’m apt to defend my teams Jeff :p
Mike- Don’t be too concerned about Jeff. He once got me fired up near the beginning of the season when he said something to the effect the Rockies were a one hit wonder fluke yada yada. Well of course I had to shut him down, but upon hanging out with him in Chicago, I learned he’s a good guy just sometimes misguided…
Tom
http://rockymountainway.mlblogs.com
I’m not fired up :p
I just respond. Hey, I work with 40+ kids every day, I’m patient enough lol. It’ll be all good when the Cards face the Rox later this month.