Grady succombs to the Curse

[andyfox]

"Shifting the lineup around is just panicked thinking"

-I agree with this. Pete Palmer ran a study several years ago that showed that the difference between the best possible batting order and the worst is less than 25 runs per season. That is, if a manager attempted to make out the worst possible batting order, he would only cost his team about 25 runs over 162 games vs. the best possible batting order.

[Rick Nebiolo]

KurnsonofMogh

I just noticed you are from Cranston. After college I used to visit my friend John Cole in Cranston but we would usually head out to Providence if we wanted to have fun. That being said, our first taste of public poker was playing the Friday "Las Vegas Nights" in the Knights of Columbus Hall off Pontiac Avenue. That was around 1982. I still remember my first $300 win [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Other than family, friends and the seasons, the things I miss most about Rhode Island are Lupos Heartbreak Hotel, the Met Cafe, the Last Call Saloon, New York System Hot Weiners (especially the one in Olneyville) and Haven's Brothers Diner. The diners were especially great late at night.

BTW, do the women from Cranston still have that accent and wear too much jewelry?

Just wondering [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

Rick

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Rick,

I've only lived in Cranston since January, but there is that weird NY/NE mix of an accent. Personally, I'm a native of NJ who lived in and around Boston for 33 years.

As for big hair and jewelry, that sounds more like Johnston. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Part of managing is knowing waht's right for the moment.

The Sox were doing that all year for very good reasons. Walker is a weak defensive second baseman and Lowe is a heavy groundout/flyout pitcher.

I disagree. Walker is a decent 2nd baseman with almost zero range to his left. Jackson is a mediocre fielder (pretty poor lifetime FP) with above average range. If you wanted to make a change for purely defensive and strategy purposes, you start Merloni at 2nd. He's head and shoulders the best fielder of the 3, and a better hitter than Jackson. Jackson's speed is negated with Pettitte starting. That leaves you with Walker's bat and Jackson's speed coming off the bench. Jackson made 2 huge defensive gaffes in the Oakland series, not the least of which was almost killing Johnny Damon.

Shifting the lineup around is just panicked thinking.

Really. It seemed to work for the Yankees. I'd concede that maybe Nomar's reliance on routine may be too fragile to accept it, but I'd still think it was a weak excuse. Usually, it motivates the guy who was moved down, like it did with Giambi. Besides, Nomar had be killing rallues since the end of August. When the slump is 6 weeks long, that's not panic.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

So the logic is leave the guy who hasn't seen the Mendoza Line for over 6 weeks hitting 3rd? Noamr's lack of production wasn't just post-season. He'd been king of the infield popup since late August.

[andyfox]

If Nomar wasn't hitting, and I believe he hit below .200 for a long period of time, the thing to do is bench him, not move his to another spot in the line-up. It's simply not true that changing a lineup will effect a team's offensive production appreciably.

Now there may be some psychological effect (either positive or negative) by moving someone up or down in the lineup. I understand that Giambi was quite upset about being moved down to the 7-spot.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I understand that Giambi was quite upset about being moved down to the 7-spot.

I'd say he channeled that anger pretty well, wouldn't you?

The sad thing about game 7 was, Pedro outpitched Roger, but Torre outmanaged Grady. Torre didn't worry about offending Giambi. When he went to the mound with no outs in the 4th, he didn't worry about it being perhaps the last game of Clemens' career. He didn't ask him how he felt. He said "give me the ball."

It's simply not true that changing a lineup will effect a team's offensive production appreciably.

In mid-season, Grady moved Damon down to 8th to take some pressure off when he wasn't hitting. The change let him get his head screwed back on and he had a monster 2nd half.

[Joe Tall]

[ QUOTE ]
The Sox were not as good a team as their statistics and final record say they were

[/ QUOTE ]

No, they are better.

Sorry Dynasty, I disagree and by drafting David Ortiz and Kevin Millar (who I pulled a great trade mid-season for Torri Hunter) on my fantasy baseball team before the season started, I think I knew what Theo Epstein was trying to accomplish.

Peace,
JT