Why the Sox Will Lose the ALCS

[oldskool138]

Here's the second thread explaining why the Sox will lose the ALCS.

1. Starting pitchers not named Josh Beckett cannot get out of the fifth inning. 4 2/3rds seems to be the average start for the other three guys in the rotation.

2. Drew, Lugo, Crisp and Pedrioa are all batting in the low .200's or below.

3. Francona. I haven't criticized Terry during the season. No longer. Why wasn't Keilty and/or Ellsbury playing last night? Why did he pitch Gagne in Game 2? Why is Dustin still batting lead-off since he's not hitting or walking and isn't fast? He's the skipper and he's going to go down with the ship.

4. The bullpen has been over taxed. This is a product of most of the starting rotation going 4 and 2/3rds innings a start.

5. The Indians are getting hot at the right time. They have a strong 1-9 lineup, better bullpen, and better starters. They are the better team right now.

6. Not one of Theo's 2007 off-season/mid-season acquisitions have done anything in the play-offs. Drew, Lugo, Gagne, Pedroia, Lopez have done nothing but hurt this team in October. That's saying nothing about the guys who didn't make it to October- Donnelly, Pienero, et al.

That's all I can think of right now...

[grogsox]

I was screaming not to trade for Gagne. No one listened. It would be nice to have Gabbard around.

The big two are doing great. But they can't carry the load. Terry is pushing all the wrong buttons this time.

[Mikiemo83]

let me club Gagne with a bat in the clubhouse and replace him with Tavarez, pressure is nothing for this nincompoop, he doesn't know what it is

[Moebius]

I'd sum it up in one sentence. This is a classic case of Cleveland's peaking at the right time, and the Sox are slumping at the wrong time.

Terry's made a few bad moves IMO, but I don't think in most cases they would have affected the outcome of the games (other than Gagne, but he didn't have much choice by then... Sox failed to seal the deal when they had the chance)

[3 Point Stan]

Here's the second thread explaining why the Sox will lose the ALCS.

1. Starting pitchers not named Josh Beckett cannot get out of the fifth inning. 4 2/3rds seems to be the average start for the other three guys in the rotation.

This is uncanny. I can't believe anyone could have expected it - yet it's true.


2. Drew, Lugo, Crisp and Pedrioa are all batting in the low .200's or below.

They are all killing this team.


3. Francona. I haven't criticized Terry during the season. No longer. Why wasn't Keilty and/or Ellsbury playing last night? Why did he pitch Gagne in Game 2? Why is Dustin still batting lead-off since he's not hitting or walking and isn't fast? He's the skipper and he's going to go down with the ship.

Ellsbury will not get a start and he was never intended to. Kielty should have been in over Drew last night as he has even BETTER numbers against Byrd than he does Sabathia. He'll be in tonight though. Dustin will probably bad lead-off again tonight because he can handle fast balls well. If it were another sinkerballer, perhaps he'd be moved. As for the Gagne move in Game 2, it was the 11th inning of a game in which Francona had removed his starter in the 5th. He emptied his pen and Gagne, Lopez & Lester all faltered. He used his best relievers first. It gets interesting in ANY game (playoff or otherwise) after that. At least Gagne was consistent in his mediocrity. If anyone melted in the 11th it was Lopez more than anyone else.


4. The bullpen has been over taxed. This is a product of most of the starting rotation going 4 and 2/3rds innings a start.

Correct


5. The Indians are getting hot at the right time. They have a strong 1-9 lineup, better bullpen, and better starters. They are the better team right now.

Also correct and you're among the first people to give them credit.


6. Not one of Theo's 2007 off-season/mid-season acquisitions have done anything in the play-offs. Drew, Lugo, Gagne, Pedroia, Lopez have done nothing but hurt this team in October. That's saying nothing about the guys who didn't make it to October- Donnelly, Pienero, et al.

This team won despite Lugo and Drew all season. I am not surprised to see them underachieve in the post-season. Is anyone? As for Pedroia, he's been one of the spark-plugs that got them this far. Unfortunately, his lack of discipline at the plate is starting to rear it's ugly head and it's rearing it at the worst possible time. Gagne's just been dreadful. I still think Donnelly and Piniero were good pick-ups. Assembling a BP is a year-to-year crap-shoot.

[fightingdoxies]

Is it just me... or does anybody else hate J.D. Drew more than the Yankees. I know Lugo and Crisp haven't had that great of a year etc.. but for some reason every time Drew gets up to bad I have to say something bad about him and with my 3 year old son right next to me and keeping it PG make me even more angry

[3 Point Stan]

Yeah, I am pretty all set with JD Drew. I would like to sell him to the glue factory.

[fightingdoxies]

As far as the Indians deserving it... absolutely. They look like a team that will not be satisfied until the Sox are dead and buried. They want it. Also of the two games I saw in Cleveland... hats off to the fans... they sent shivers down my spine and i was at home watching the game on TV.

[SamBam39]

More and more 2004 is looking like a fluke! Just an amazing set of circumstances coming together at the right time. It is sad that since then the Sox are looking more than ever like, well.....like the Sox!

[fightingdoxies]

More and more 2004 is looking like a fluke! Just an amazing set of circumstances coming together at the right time. It is sad that since then the Sox are looking more than ever like, well.....like the Sox!

Depends on how you look at it. If you talking about the team.. no i wouldn't say fluke... just a bunch of guys with a lot of heart that WANTED IT!!!!!. As far as calling Epstein a genius and Francona an elite coach.. yeah that was the fluke.

[oldskool138]

Also of the two games I saw in Cleveland... hats off to the fans... they sent shivers down my spine and i was at home watching the game on TV.

Yeah, the retarted towel waving aside, the fans in The Mistake by the Lake do make some noise. Too bad the Sox couldn't have a staidium that could seat 6,500 people or so...

[3 Point Stan]

Yeah, the retarted towel waving aside, the fans in The Mistake by the Lake do make some noise. Too bad the Sox couldn't have a staidium that could seat 6,500 people or so...
I know. Towels and Thunderstix - why do they need these things in baseball? But hey, they wave towels in Pittsburgh and I think Steeler fans are pretty decent. I too noticed how loud the Jake was. I appreciate that.

[oldskool138]

But hey, they wave towels in Pittsburgh and I think Steeler fans are pretty decent.

You haven't gotten into a long and tiresome debate with a Steelers fan about who's better Rothlesberger or Brady? Lucky man! I've met some okay Steeler fans but I've met some real jerks as well.

[3 Point Stan]

I've met some okay Steeler fans but I've met some real jerks as well.
HeTry and go easy on them. Half that town is unemployed. You'd be hard to deal with too if you had to wipe your ass with the same towel you wipe your mouth with after a steady diet of bologna sandwiches.