Comments on: Dear Mariano - I’m doing everything I can to work you into the ground. Love, Joe. http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/ Media, Baseball, Boston, the Red Sox, Music, Literature, and Mnookins Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:05:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Gee http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-154129 Gee Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:48:00 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-154129 rln2433, some time you must share your mindreading machine with me. You know exactly what the Sox brass was thinking with each move they made, even without citing any evidence. It's impressive, is what it is. Maybe you could apply for Murray Chass' job when the Times finally cans his ass. Like I said. Bad stuff -- incompetence. Good stuff -- luck. See a pattern there? <i>Think Roy Oswalt would be nice to have right now?</i> Since we have one of the best rotations in the game, arguably <i>the</i> best, I'm not really sure how "nice" that would be in the scheme of things the Sox need right now. And the question is, Oswalt for who? My understanding from what I read in the papers at the time is they <b>did</b> try to get Oswalt, but couldn't. Do you know exactly who the Sox were offering? Who the 'Stros wanted instead? I don't. 'Cmon, fire up the mindreading machine. Inquiring minds want to know. rln2433, some time you must share your mindreading machine with me. You know exactly what the Sox brass was thinking with each move they made, even without citing any evidence. It’s impressive, is what it is. Maybe you could apply for Murray Chass’ job when the Times finally cans his ass.

Like I said. Bad stuff — incompetence. Good stuff — luck. See a pattern there?

Think Roy Oswalt would be nice to have right now?

Since we have one of the best rotations in the game, arguably the best, I’m not really sure how “nice” that would be in the scheme of things the Sox need right now. And the question is, Oswalt for who? My understanding from what I read in the papers at the time is they did try to get Oswalt, but couldn’t. Do you know exactly who the Sox were offering? Who the ‘Stros wanted instead? I don’t.

‘Cmon, fire up the mindreading machine. Inquiring minds want to know.

]]> By: rln2433 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-154105 rln2433 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:56:24 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-154105 Okajima was not projected to have anything like the season that he is having now. He was a distant second to Dice-K when they were looking to land talent. That he has worked out so well is great and I am glad to have him but the front office is considering him as a steal much like Ortiz. Timlin....signing him based on last year's performance was a leap of faith and I think that he can be effective but not as a core guy. Lot of miles on him. Papelbon went back to the pen for a few reasons. They had no one else to close, he wanted the job and as a starter he is nothing special since his velocity drops, he has no third pitch (not that his splitter is great) and he's a 5 inning guy. He has been managed well this year. The front office rushed Clay Merideth to the big leagues, Francona put him in a bad spot then they dump him for Mirabelli? They give Hanson $4 million and for what? Piniero is starting and winning games for the Cards and what did they get in return for the guy? This front office makes bad trades or bad signings and it's like, who cares? It's only money. Plenty more where that came from. Or, when the chance comes to land an impact player they want to hold on to prospects. Think Roy Oswalt would be nice to have right now? Okajima was not projected to have anything like the season that he is having now. He was a distant second to Dice-K when they were looking to land talent. That he has worked out so well is great and I am glad to have him but the front office is considering him as a steal much like Ortiz.

Timlin….signing him based on last year’s performance was a leap of faith and I think that he can be effective but not as a core guy. Lot of miles on him.

Papelbon went back to the pen for a few reasons. They had no one else to close, he wanted the job and as a starter he is nothing special since his velocity drops, he has no third pitch (not that his splitter is great) and he’s a 5 inning guy. He has been managed well this year.

The front office rushed Clay Merideth to the big leagues, Francona put him in a bad spot then they dump him for Mirabelli? They give Hanson $4 million and for what? Piniero is starting and winning games for the Cards and what did they get in return for the guy?

This front office makes bad trades or bad signings and it’s like, who cares? It’s only money. Plenty more where that came from. Or, when the chance comes to land an impact player they want to hold on to prospects. Think Roy Oswalt would be nice to have right now?

]]> By: HFXBOB http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-152930 HFXBOB Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:44:33 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-152930 Those numbers on Gagne about his performance before the Sox got him are a little misleading, if you look at the game logs. He had one really bad outing where he gave up 3 runs in an inning and that had a huge impact on the stats, because obviously closers don't throw that many innings. It's true he did have a dip in July from the previous 3 months but it wasn't anything alarming. Somebody who watched all those games, however might see it differently. I hope the Sox scouts did their job. Those numbers on Gagne about his performance before the Sox got him are a little misleading, if you look at the game logs. He had one really bad outing where he gave up 3 runs in an inning and that had a huge impact on the stats, because obviously closers don’t throw that many innings. It’s true he did have a dip in July from the previous 3 months but it wasn’t anything alarming. Somebody who watched all those games, however might see it differently. I hope the Sox scouts did their job.

]]> By: Gee http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-152803 Gee Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:44:39 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-152803 What about giving the front office credit for re-signing Timlin? At the time I thought this was an idiotic move (as, I recall, did Seth). Now it looks damn shrewd, especially for the $$. What about agreeing to move Paps back to the pen? And by what act of clairvoyance do we know that the Okajima acquisition was an "afterthought?" Wait, I get it. All the bad moves are caused by incompetence. All the good moves are dumb luck. There's tight logic for you. What about giving the front office credit for re-signing Timlin? At the time I thought this was an idiotic move (as, I recall, did Seth). Now it looks damn shrewd, especially for the $$. What about agreeing to move Paps back to the pen? And by what act of clairvoyance do we know that the Okajima acquisition was an “afterthought?”

Wait, I get it. All the bad moves are caused by incompetence. All the good moves are dumb luck.

There’s tight logic for you.

]]> By: redsoxrantsfromchina http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-152179 redsoxrantsfromchina Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:57:03 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-152179 Here is a gem from the Boston Herald. The second paragraph being the most eye opening--as we all knew the first paragraph. "Gagne has allowed 10 runs and 14 hits in his seven appearances with the Sox. But the dip in performance began even before the trade, as Gagne has given up at least one hit in each of his last 12 outings and has posted a 7.91 ERA in 20 games, beginning June 24." For a more detailed discussion please see: http://redsoxrantsfromchina.blogspot.com Here is a gem from the Boston Herald. The second paragraph being the most eye opening–as we all knew the first paragraph.

“Gagne has allowed 10 runs and 14 hits in his seven appearances with the Sox.

But the dip in performance began even before the trade, as Gagne has given up at least one hit in each of his last 12 outings and has posted a 7.91 ERA in 20 games, beginning June 24.”

For a more detailed discussion please see:

http://redsoxrantsfromchina.blogspot.com

]]> By: tinisoli http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-151081 tinisoli Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:53:56 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-151081 Okay, but who pitches instead of Okajima in the 7th and 8th innings of game 1 if you reserve him to close game 2? Either way you've gotta use Gagné at some point, unless you think it makes sense to simply never play him again. It would hardly be "miraculous" if Gagné turns it around. Like any Sox fan, I realize there is a cathartic satisfaction in getting angry when a player shits the bed and then stating the obvious ('Gagné sucks [right now]!') about that player's performance, but it just seems premature and unrealistic to write this guy off as just another bad bullpen acquisition by the front office. Okay, but who pitches instead of Okajima in the 7th and 8th innings of game 1 if you reserve him to close game 2? Either way you’ve gotta use Gagné at some point, unless you think it makes sense to simply never play him again. It would hardly be “miraculous” if Gagné turns it around.

Like any Sox fan, I realize there is a cathartic satisfaction in getting angry when a player shits the bed and then stating the obvious (’Gagné sucks [right now]!’) about that player’s performance, but it just seems premature and unrealistic to write this guy off as just another bad bullpen acquisition by the front office.

]]> By: rln2433 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-150833 rln2433 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 15:15:32 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/16/dear-mariano-im-doing-everything-i-can-to-work-you-into-the-ground-love-joe/#comment-150833 The Red Sox front office has been a terrible evaluator of bullpen talent the past few years. The list of bad free agent signings is substantial and that they even have Okijima is a lucky stroke given that he was an afterthought. Gagne has already had a negative impact on the team's playoff chances which is the opposite of what this acquisition was supposed to provide. Even if he miraculously turns it around his overall impact will likely be a minor plus. 93MPH with no movement and a change up and curve that can't find the plate? His last 11 appearances: 10 IP 21 Hits 14 Runs 4 BB Papelbon to save game one, Okijima to save game two. The Red Sox front office has been a terrible evaluator of bullpen talent the past few years. The list of bad free agent signings is substantial and that they even have Okijima is a lucky stroke given that he was an afterthought. Gagne has already had a negative impact on the team’s playoff chances which is the opposite of what this acquisition was supposed to provide. Even if he miraculously turns it around his overall impact will likely be a minor plus.

93MPH with no movement and a change up and curve that can’t find the plate? His last 11 appearances:

10 IP
21 Hits
14 Runs
4 BB

Papelbon to save game one, Okijima to save game two.

]]>