The Offense

[harkness99]

No offense... guys that swing at everything... no home runs pulling everything.

 

I'm happy with our record... but yeah I have some serious doubts about these bats.

[harkness99]

What I mean is... we saw this last year.

 

We lost a ton of games giving up 3 or less runs.

 

It's hard to just forget the last few years when you see offense like this the last 3 games... it makes it all come back.

 

 

[SCCWS]

What I mean is... we saw this last year.

 

We lost a ton of games giving up 3 or less runs.

 

It's hard to just forget the last few years when you see offense like this the last 3 games... it makes it all come back.

 

Hey, Tampa wasn't hitting till we came to town. Must be the dome effect.............................

 

[BaconOnAStick]

This team got up to 8-2 on the backs of a 2.00 team ERA. We have seen the past 2 games what happens if the pitching or defense even slips a little bit. The bats aren't getting better. I went through this last year, "but the BABIP's are so bad! B-bad luck! They'll figure it out eventually!".. I'm not buying it for one second. Frazier is on track to have a year worse than any Dunn had.

 

If the Sox want to compete this year there are two things they need to do:

Trade for Sonny Gray and get rid of the automatic Danks loss.

Trade for a top defensive CF and move Jackson to LF and Melky to DH.

 

The reason everyone is down on this team despite the record is we are all watching the same crap, the kind of pitching the Sox have been riding to this record cant be sustained with their current players.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Alexeihyeess

[The Beast]

More than anything, I'd like to see Frazier get going with the bat. He had 35 home runs last year and could be relied upon. I am expecting big things from him this year. And I expect our catchers not to look uncomfortable behind the plate and looking silly in their own at bats.

[flavum]

I think being home for 7 nights in a row will help. Home cooking. A routine. Hopefully in a few weeks the good players will have respectable numbers and the Sox go 12-8, and be 20-12.

[SCCWS]

This team got up to 8-2 on the backs of a 2.00 team ERA. We have seen the past 2 games what happens if the pitching or defense even slips a little bit. The bats aren't getting better. I went through this last year, "but the BABIP's are so bad! B-bad luck! They'll figure it out eventually!".. I'm not buying it for one second. Frazier is on track to have a year worse than any Dunn had.

 

If the Sox want to compete this year there are two things they need to do:

Trade for Sonny Gray and get rid of the automatic Danks loss.

Trade for a top defensive CF and move Jackson to LF and Melky to DH.

 

The reason everyone is down on this team despite the record is we are all watching the same crap, the kind of pitching the Sox have been riding to this record cant be sustained with their current players.

 

Who are you giving up for a "top" defensive CF and Sonny Gray????

 

[Lip Man 1]

More than anything, I'd like to see Frazier get going with the bat. He had 35 home runs last year and could be relied upon. I am expecting big things from him this year. And I expect our catchers not to look uncomfortable behind the plate and looking silly in their own at bats.

 

To be fair he also wasn't the same player after the All Star home run hitting contest either.

 

Mark

 

[harkness99]

I think being home for 7 nights in a row will help. Home cooking. A routine. Hopefully in a few weeks the good players will have respectable numbers and the Sox go 12-8, and be 20-12.

 

eeh hopefully... last year we scored less runs and had less homeruns when we played at home.

 

 

[caulfield12]

There was an article at SSS that stated we had the worst OPS in the major leagues the first time 1-9 in the order facing a pitcher.

 

Obviously that didn't improve on Sunday.

 

I think we were something like 8th/9th worst the second and third time through the order against the starter. With the increasing specialization in the bullpen department, it's obviously not ideal to be playing catch up and relying on scoring runs in innings 4-6 instead of jumping out to early leads and having the confidence your defense and bullpen can close it out.

 

 

 

I don't know what the hell it is about playing in that terrible stadium, but just winning 1/3 shouldn't be entirely shocking. You almost felt it like HAD to happen after Quintana missing the bag with his foot (overran it, poorly-timed throw, whatever).

 

We can point to the Royals losing 2/3 in Oakland, whereas we won 3/4...or the fact we've only played two homes games so far the entire season.

 

 

All I know is that it seems like a century since the last time we had really good offensive teams....2006 for 4 1/2 months and then 2008 when Quentin and Alexei were on fire.

 

Almost miss that time from 2000-2004 when we didn't have enough pitching to go with our explosive (but highly inconsistent) offense.

 

Bottom line, we're still at least one impact bat (not absolutely sure it HAS to be LH but that would help, too) away from being a really good team. We're also one major injury to the pitching staff or bullpen (Robertson/Jones/Albers) from being a below .500 squad as well.

 

 

 

[caulfield12]

Almost wish they would have doubled down on the pitching (instead) and signed Kenta Maeda...but it would have been so risky for the Sox based on the medical reports over the winter.

 

And Tanaka looked REALLY good two seasons ago but I doubt anyone here would want that contract on the books now.

[Harry Chappas]

Silver lining 8-4 with 10 on road to start the season......

 

 

[hi8is]

First time all year we've lost two in a row. It's April. We're on the road. Step away from the ledge.

[ChiSoxFanMike]

First time all year we've lost two in a row. It's April. We're on the road. Step away from the ledge.

Agreed. I would have killed for an 8-4 start at the beginning of the season.

 

The offense will come around eventually. Let's just hope it's sooner rather than later.

[BigHurt3515]

First time all year we've lost two in a row. It's April. We're on the road. Step away from the ledge.

 

We all love the record through 12 games but it is what we are seeing on the field that gives us concerns.. Like I mentioned after Thursday's and Friday's games, we can't keep winning like this

[reiks12]

First time all year we've lost two in a row. It's April. We're on the road. Step away from the ledge.

 

What is wrong about voicing concerns?

[JoeBatadatz]

What is wrong about voicing concerns?

 

Agreed. If this were a snapshot of just 12 games, then yeah, step away from the ledge. But this is all too familiar for our guys and is a continuation from years past. This is not an emotional reaction, it's "here we go again". As someone here said, they need to earn the benefit of the doubt.

 

An emotional reaction is to invoke "hope".

 

"Fill one hand with hope, and the other with dog doo, and tell me which hand fills up first"...source unknown

[Kyyle23]

Agreed. If this were a snapshot of just 12 games, then yeah, step away from the ledge. But this is all too familiar for our guys and is a continuation from years past. This is not an emotional reaction, it's "here we go again". As someone here said, they need to earn the benefit of the doubt.

 

An emotional reaction is to invoke "hope".

 

"Fill one hand with hope, and the other with dog doo, and tell me which hand fills up first"...source unknown

 

Im not filling the one hand with hope, im filling the one hand with 8 wins.

 

 

 

[JoeBatadatz]

Im not filling the one hand with hope, im filling the one hand with 8 wins.

 

I'm with you there....been a fun ride so far. I'm more referring to the thread title and the fact that we've seen similar hitting prowess going on 6 years. I sure "hope" they break out of it soon.

 

 

 

 

 

[southsider2k5]

Agreed. If this were a snapshot of just 12 games, then yeah, step away from the ledge. But this is all too familiar for our guys and is a continuation from years past. This is not an emotional reaction, it's "here we go again". As someone here said, they need to earn the benefit of the doubt.

 

An emotional reaction is to invoke "hope".

 

"Fill one hand with hope, and the other with dog doo, and tell me which hand fills up first"...source unknown

 

But apparently "panic" isn't emotional.

[JoeBatadatz]

But apparently "panic" isn't emotional.

 

I never mentioned panic....just that it's OK to acknowledge that a trend exists. And that it remains a trend until....it's not a trend anymore. Waiting impatiently!

[SCCWS]

Lawire, Cabrera and Eaton are hitting. Though they're all due for regression, so is everyone else, in the positive way.

 

Abreu and Frazier are struggling heavily but both have track records.

 

Jackson has looked fine despite meager results.

 

Rollins hasn't been good but he does has a .219 BABIP. Avi was expected to suck, but he also has a .192 BABIP but he's second on the team with 9.3 BB%. The catchers have been horrible, but they have combined for a .129 BABIP. Even if they are god awful, they will double that mark in a decent sample.

 

This is a very small sample and an individual snapshot in time. The offense has been bad and it needs to get better very soon but it's not time to freak out.

 

The concerns to me are: 1.)#5 starter Danks 2.)DH Avi Garcia 3.) Duke/Putnam/Petricka

 

If #3 is a in your list of concerns, things are going that bad. I'll wait til the end of May to get testy about SS/C.

 

They used to say the strength of a team is up the middle. At least offensively our C-SS-CF look weak offensively. Hopefully Lawrie can at least hit .275 and offset the weaker spots. Frazier and Abreu will hit for power if not average( Frazier). Hopefully Melky can also hit .275 ish.

[southsider2k5]

I never mentioned panic....just that it's OK to acknowledge that a trend exists. And that it remains a trend until....it's not a trend anymore. Waiting impatiently!

 

A trend like winning? Or pitching? Or defense?

[Dick Allen]

This isn't college football or college basketball where you need to blow teams out for higher rankings. Wins are all that matters. 8 of them so far. You want to compare everything to last year, 8-14 through 23 games last year. Even the poor Sox hitters are better than what they have shown. A good week and things will turn around. Last week, Melky sucked, shouldn't be hitting second. Ever. Now it is wondered why he isn't playing against a LHP, and another suggestion he should be batting 3rd. It is beyond early. There are a ton of guys around baseball not hitting. Is Russell Martin as bad as he has shown?

[Lillian]

The Sox team On Base Percentage is now .278. That is just a few points above Oakland and Tampa Bay, which is last in the League.

Last year, the Sox were virtually tied for last in the League, with Minnesota. This is a trend which is not likely to be improved by the additions of Lawrie and Frazier,

who own a collective, career OBP of .315.

 

And some think that concerns over this constitute premature, irrational "panic". OK, we'll see. I hope the optimists are correct.

They have the payroll flexibility to try to fix this, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyone available. The most discouraging thing to me is that there isn't

one guy in the Minors, who could offer any help. I'd be willing to part with Anderson, if the Sox could fix this glaring weakness. Who could they target in a trade, at this point?