The Truth About

[hi8is]

Here's a conspiracy theory and more so just something stupid to laugh at.

 

It went down like this:

 

May 23rd, Hahn and the Padres GM agree in principle about a Shields trade.

May 24th, Shields is notified.

May 25th, Shields sees the Sox are struggling and wants to build an instant kinship. He s***s the bed.

 

The Sox keep tanking and when Shields finally gets here - he seeks to have his new team mates relate to him by sucking. He figures he will be received as a leader of he first becomes as s***ty as them - to finally preach revival.

 

With this said, the next step in Shields master plan is to begin pitching good... Finally.

 

What he doesn't know, however... Is if he actually can or not.

 

[Buehrle>Wood]

Came in for the gif, did not leave disappointed

[southsider2k5]

Completely disregarding the initial post, realistically, something is going on with Shields. My guess is that he is tipping pitches. Go back to truly bad pitchers, such as John Danks, and they didn't get hit nearly as hard as Shields has been getting hit. He is getting hit like people know what is coming.

 

My hope is that because Shields got better as the game went on, that means he is figuring out whatever is wrong. We'll see.

[hi8is]

Completely disregarding the initial post, realistically, something is going on with Shields. My guess is that he is tipping pitches. Go back to truly bad pitchers, such as John Danks, and they didn't get hit nearly as hard as Shields has been getting hit. He is getting hit like people know what is coming.

 

My hope is that because Shields got better as the game went on, that means he is figuring out whatever is wrong. We'll see.

No, actually... It was all planned as a team building leadership exercise. He's from Newhall which is 10 minutes from me. His uncles cousins friends dog told me. It's a trusted source.

[Dick Allen]

I don't know that he's tipping them, I just think he's out of whack and throwing pitches Wimpy used to like to say would say "hit me, hit me". He got better. So whatever it is, hopefully he figured something out.

[CB2.0]

Dear James,

 

[kitekrazy]

Coop will fix him.........................

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

There's no deception to his delivery at all and he's not moving the ball around especially not pitching inside or up in the zone. When your stuff isn't as good as it used to be you can't do things the same way. I understand you want to keep your delivery simple ( less moving parts and all that ) but it just seems too easy to time his motion. In, out, up, down , add some deception, reinvent yourself when your old self isn't what it used to be.

 

I'd also like to know the speed on each of his pitches. Doesn't seem to be enough difference between them.

 

Hi8is, I'm looking forward to the last part of the master plan.

Edited June 14, 2016 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[Ducksnort]

Was watching MLB Network and they were analyzing Shields...one of the guys said he thinks the reason these hitters, even the bottom of the order guys, are destroying shields is because of his delivery. His windup is almost like a pitching machine...it's extremely easy for hitters to time him because he is so predictable with the way he pitches, and his stuff isn't what it used to be so he isn't deceptive nor is he blowing guys away (bad recipe right there). He literally is throwing batting practice. I mean, the very first pitch he threw to Justin Upton was a changeup in the dirt...if anything that tells the hitter that he doesn't trust his fastball to throw it and get ahead. That gives hitters a world of confidence because they can just sit on his pitches and unload. Maybe he needs to change the way he delivers, but can he do that in this stage of his career?

[southsider2k5]

I don't know that he's tipping them, I just think he's out of whack and throwing pitches Wimpy used to like to say would say "hit me, hit me". He got better. So whatever it is, hopefully he figured something out.

 

There is a difference between being bad and hittable, and letting everyone know what is coming. MLB hitters are good enough where they will kill if you they know what is coming. Just the simple act of not knowing what a pitcher is throwing is the difference between getting hit like John Danks, and getting hit like James Shields is right now.

[Quin]

Came in for the gif, did not leave disappointed

 

[elrockinMT]

Completely disregarding the initial post, realistically, something is going on with Shields. My guess is that he is tipping pitches. Go back to truly bad pitchers, such as John Danks, and they didn't get hit nearly as hard as Shields has been getting hit. He is getting hit like people know what is coming.

 

My hope is that because Shields got better as the game went on, that means he is figuring out whatever is wrong. We'll see.

 

 

I think this is a better evaluation of the situation than originally suggested. He is either tipping or he is hurt. I actually thought he looked better in the last couple innings he threw last night

Edited June 14, 2016 by elrockinMT

[soxforlife05]

Completely disregarding the initial post, realistically, something is going on with Shields. My guess is that he is tipping pitches. Go back to truly bad pitchers, such as John Danks, and they didn't get hit nearly as hard as Shields has been getting hit. He is getting hit like people know what is coming.

 

My hope is that because Shields got better as the game went on, that means he is figuring out whatever is wrong. We'll see.

 

He's just getting old and he's not very good anymore. No need to make excuses. He just straight up sucks and it's sad that the management of a major league baseball team could not see that. They even had the opportunity to change their minds after the epic meltdown against Seattle.

Edited June 15, 2016 by soxforlife05

[SoxAce]

Came in for the gif, did not leave disappointed

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

This.

[oldsox]

The Shields trade accomplished two things. It did the Padres a huge favor and it blows approximately $27 Large of Jerry's largess. Presumably, the trade was engineered by Hahn, and he is still employed. Where else, other than MLB, could this happen?

[southsider2k5]

He's just getting old and he's not very good anymore. No need to make excuses. He just straight up sucks and it's sad that the management of a major league baseball team could not see that. They even had the opportunity to change their minds after the epic meltdown against Seattle.

 

If you think this is the real James Shields, I feel a bit sorry for you.

[GhostofDickeyKerr]

OP tries too hard. Should stick to poop jokes.

[he gone.]

The Shields trade accomplished two things. It did the Padres a huge favor and it blows approximately $27 Large of Jerry's largess. Presumably, the trade was engineered by Hahn, and he is still employed. Where else, other than MLB, could this happen?

 

Ummm, anywhere?

Listen his first two starts were horses***. But in the end we essentially signed James Shields for a 3yr $27mm contract in June. Tatis Jr. might be something, but in the end - he's 17. So that's a crapshoot.

 

If you take a poll of people, would you sign James Shields for 3yr 27mm I think the majority would say yes -- even with these bad starts.

 

Just like Latos this year --- he wasn't going to keep it up. James Shields won't be this bad all year. He won't be great. But he is an okay #4 and good #5.

 

Now beyond that - Pedro Martinez tweeted something the other day about having to keep his head down and something about follow through. I'm not mechanics guy, so no idea. But I'm sure he'll find what he is doing and tweak it. WE just have to hope it doesn't take a whole year like it did with Smardizja.

[shysocks]

Ummm, anywhere?

If you take a poll of people, would you sign James Shields for 3yr 27mm I think the majority would say yes -- even with these bad starts.

Put me in the no column.

[he gone.]

Put me in the no column.

 

I'm squarely in the Yes column -- the only caveat being, I don't want to hear about his $9mm is handicapping us signing FA in the offseason like they did with LaRoche and Danks.

 

Shields has a track record. He should be able to be better than Danks by a bit -- which doesn't sound great. But give me a 4.20 era and 200 innings out of my #5 all day.

[shysocks]

I'm squarely in the Yes column -- the only caveat being, I don't want to hear about his $9mm is handicapping us signing FA in the offseason like they did with LaRoche and Danks.

 

Shields has a track record. He should be able to be better than Danks by a bit -- which doesn't sound great. But give me a 4.20 era and 200 innings out of my #5 all day.

If Shields can put up those numbers it'll be fantastic. I just doubt his ability to do it.

 

Time will tell. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[he gone.]

If Shields can put up those numbers it'll be fantastic. I just doubt his ability to do it.

 

Time will tell. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shielja02.shtml

 

I won't post the stats here, but just check out that link - it should give Sox fans some hope. I know he's aging, but he's thrown over 200IP every year since 2007 (which shows his ability to not only be consistent, but go late in games) and has had an ERA over 4 only twice since 2007. Every other year has been UNDER 4. So 4.20ERA to me is very doable even in old age.

 

He's not going to be this bad all year - just sucks it happened in his first 2 starts with the Sox.

 

I hate this team as much as anybody right now and have taken negative takes on almost every aspect, but Shields is one where I think it may work out decent.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shielja02.shtml

 

I won't post the stats here, but just check out that link - it should give Sox fans some hope. I know he's aging, but he's thrown over 200IP every year since 2007 (which shows his ability to not only be consistent, but go late in games) and has had an ERA over 4 only twice since 2007. Every other year has been UNDER 4. So 4.20ERA to me is very doable even in old age.

 

He's not going to be this bad all year - just sucks it happened in his first 2 starts with the Sox.

 

I hate this team as much as anybody right now and have taken negative takes on almost every aspect, but Shields is one where I think it may work out decent.

 

A Hall of Fame pitcher just publicly posted his mechanical flaw. People can either go with that, or they can go with their idea that in the matter of 3 starts James Shields has completely forgotten how to pitch.

[Y2Jimmy0]

A Hall of Fame pitcher just publicly posted his mechanical flaw. People can either go with that, or they can go with their idea that in the matter of 3 starts James Shields has completely forgotten how to pitch.

 

 

Bruce Levine was on with Mully and Hanley this morning and said in the 3rd inning that a team executive came down after identifying a mechanical issue. They feel like he's tipping his pitches. Shields and Cooper have begun to work on it apparently.

[southsider2k5]

Bruce Levine was on with Mully and Hanley this morning and said in the 3rd inning that a team executive came down after identifying a mechanical issue. They feel like he's tipping his pitches. Shields and Cooper have begun to work on it apparently.

 

Coincidentally the 4th and 5th innings were scoreless.