Comments on: Red Sox Roll It In The 9th http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/ For news & views on the Boston Red Sox Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:31:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5 by: Shawn http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-14 Thu, 12 May 2005 13:25:48 -0400 http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-14 You can't send your closer out on the mound with someone getting ready in the bullpen. That just sends a message to the closer that you are not confident in him getting the job done. You can’t send your closer out on the mound with someone getting ready in the bullpen. That just sends a message to the closer that you are not confident in him getting the job done.

]]> by: Mike http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-15 Thu, 12 May 2005 14:01:34 -0400 http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-15 And what message does it send when your closer is 6 and 9 in 1 run situations, has 2 blown saves already on the year, and the highest ERA of a closer thus far (7+). Confidence is one thing, these guys are professionals. Foulke knows he's struggling, do you really think it'd be shocking news if someone told him that, or had someone ready to come in? It's amazing that the team is where it is in the standings at this point, given the lack of offense and missing 2 of their top starters. How much credit do you give Foulke for that? And what message does it send when your closer is 6 and 9 in 1 run situations, has 2 blown saves already on the year, and the highest ERA of a closer thus far (7+). Confidence is one thing, these guys are professionals. Foulke knows he’s struggling, do you really think it’d be shocking news if someone told him that, or had someone ready to come in?

It’s amazing that the team is where it is in the standings at this point, given the lack of offense and missing 2 of their top starters. How much credit do you give Foulke for that?

]]> by: Shawn http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-16 Fri, 13 May 2005 07:22:25 -0400 http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-16 I got an idea....lets close by commitee. Confidence is everything when you are a closer. Professional or not, if you are going out to the mound in the 9th and someone is warming up......that says " Well they expect me to blow this". When you start putting doubt into your closer, he starts to doubt himself. He's blown two saves, do I like no. Is he our closer, yes. We could have Blown Save Kim. Point is, it doesn't matter who you closer is. You don't have the pen getting ready when you send your closer out. I got an idea….lets close by commitee. Confidence is everything when you are a closer. Professional or not, if you are going out to the mound in the 9th and someone is warming up……that says ” Well they expect me to blow this”. When you start putting doubt into your closer, he starts to doubt himself.

He’s blown two saves, do I like no. Is he our closer, yes. We could have Blown Save Kim. Point is, it doesn’t matter who you closer is. You don’t have the pen getting ready when you send your closer out.

]]> by: Mike http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-17 Sat, 14 May 2005 01:58:59 -0400 http://bosoxblotter.com/2005/05/12/red-sox-roll-it-in-the-9th/#comment-17 Well, I'm trying to decide if the person writing the comment above is really named Shawn or Grady Little. Many of us remember the poor decision making by Little in the 2003 ALCS game 7 against the yankees, when Pedro went into the 8th inning with a 5-2 lead and was about to go down in the history books as one of the greatest post-season performances of all time. However, it seemed ole Little didn't want to knock Pedro's confidence, maybe, so he allowed a starting pitcher to give up 3 runs in the 8th friggin' inning of the 7th game of the League Championship. Now, maybe Little was thinking he should have someone warming up right from the get-go, but decided against it because it may hurt Pedro's confidence. Either way, we know the results of that game and the results of Foulke's 2 blown saves. On another note, I'm not necissarily for close by committee, but statistically speaking it sure did the job to get the Sox into the playoffs in 2003. And, as anyone knows, the playoffs are a different breed. Furthermore, Foulke's problem isn't his confidence (unless of course you're one of many TV color commentaries who can somehow know what athletes are thinking at any given point in the game), it's his mechanics. It's his placement. The point isn't to send him out and have someone warming up immediately, unless of course it's a one run game and you're down to the 3 final outs. But rather to get the pen going when you are only ahead by a run or two with one out and a man on 2nd and 3rd for the third time this year with your closer. Confidence or no-confidence, results speak much louder than intuition. Well, I’m trying to decide if the person writing the comment above is really named Shawn or Grady Little. Many of us remember the poor decision making by Little in the 2003 ALCS game 7 against the yankees, when Pedro went into the 8th inning with a 5-2 lead and was about to go down in the history books as one of the greatest post-season performances of all time. However, it seemed ole Little didn’t want to knock Pedro’s confidence, maybe, so he allowed a starting pitcher to give up 3 runs in the 8th friggin’ inning of the 7th game of the League Championship. Now, maybe Little was thinking he should have someone warming up right from the get-go, but decided against it because it may hurt Pedro’s confidence. Either way, we know the results of that game and the results of Foulke’s 2 blown saves.

On another note, I’m not necissarily for close by committee, but statistically speaking it sure did the job to get the Sox into the playoffs in 2003. And, as anyone knows, the playoffs are a different breed. Furthermore, Foulke’s problem isn’t his confidence (unless of course you’re one of many TV color commentaries who can somehow know what athletes are thinking at any given point in the game), it’s his mechanics. It’s his placement. The point isn’t to send him out and have someone warming up immediately, unless of course it’s a one run game and you’re down to the 3 final outs. But rather to get the pen going when you are only ahead by a run or two with one out and a man on 2nd and 3rd for the third time this year with your closer.

Confidence or no-confidence, results speak much louder than intuition.

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