Why did the Red Sox choose the long series?

APXG · #1 10-02-2007, 11:35 AM

And then named DiceK for Game 2?

Do they really believe that an extra DiceK v. Escobar is a bigger edge than Wakefield v. Colon/Santana?

I could understand if the plan was Schilling in Games 2 and 5 b.c. of his experience, but if Schill can't go in Game 2, the short series would have clearly been far superior.

Finally, clearly the Yankees are a scarier ALCS opponent than Cleveland, and yet the Sox chose to eliminate a Cleveland edge in game 5 Carmona v. Pettitte, and replaced it with a Yankee edge in Game 4 vs. Paul Byrd / Westbrook.

And on top of everything, Francona comes out and says none of it matters. Is John Henry asleep??

gehrig · #2 10-02-2007, 11:41 AM

its prob just a matter of keeping the players happy and rested

jh12547 · #3 10-02-2007, 11:52 AM

I was listening to WEEI and they said Farrell (Sox pitching coach) actually said we are saving Schilling for Game 1 of ALCS. Is this True or are they overreacting. Cant find a link anywhere.God i hope the Sox win but this seems like good BB material for the Angels if he did say this.

J.R. · #4 10-02-2007, 11:59 AM

Why would they start Wakefield?

Its all about allowing them to throw Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, while also giving Matsuzaka and Schilling extra rest. And it also allows them to save Schilling if they advance.

APXG · #5 10-02-2007, 12:53 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Why would they start Wakefield?

Its all about allowing them to throw Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, while also giving Matsuzaka and Schilling extra rest. And it also allows them to save Schilling if they advance.

[/ QUOTE ]

both you and red sox mgmt are entirely ignoring the angles pitching, which has a gigantic hole at #4, and a very effective #2 this season. as for schilling, unless the sox plan to use him 1-4-7 in ALCS, he would be much more effective in 3-7. they want to shift the most high pressure games to schilling, then beckett, then dicek.

alcs dicek in 1-5, beckett in 2-6, and schilling 3-7 thus makes the most sense anyway.

first year, tired, unde huge international pressure DiceK starting Game 5 of ALDS and Game 7 of ALCS is completely retarded when you have a guy who has a gazillion years of post season experience and tremendous success.

kidcolin · #6 10-02-2007, 12:54 PM

Generally I hate the experience vs. young guy thing, but I think Schilling has looked a lot better as of late than he's given credit for, and Dice-K looks pretty gassed.

tolbiny · #7 10-02-2007, 01:10 PM

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Finally, clearly the Yankees are a scarier ALCS opponent than Cleveland

[/ QUOTE ]

Why, because the Yankess lost 2 more games than the tribe? Or because a 7 game series gives the Indians a chance to play to their strengths the best? The Indians will be putting the best 1-2 starting pitching punch in Baseball out there in the postseason, and had two of the best relievers in baseball in their pen. In a 7 game series the Indians could easily go with CC, Carmona, Westbrook, CC, Carmona, with the Rafael brothers pitching the high leverage situations out of the pen you could end up with a situation where your lineup gets a solid 7 innings against a pitcher with an ERA > 3.22.

The Yankees have a tremendous lineup, the Indians have stud pitching.

Toro · #8 10-02-2007, 01:13 PM

A couple reasons I have heard:

1. Angels haven't faced DiceK yet and that advantage usually goes to pitcher.

2. With games on Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday the Sox could use the Okajima/Paplebom combination in every single game.

Kneel B4 Zod · #9 10-02-2007, 01:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Finally, clearly the Yankees are a scarier ALCS opponent than Cleveland

[/ QUOTE ]

Why, because the Yankess lost 2 more games than the tribe? Or because a 7 game series gives the Indians a chance to play to their strengths the best? The Indians will be putting the best 1-2 starting pitching punch in Baseball out there in the postseason, and had two of the best relievers in baseball in their pen. In a 7 game series the Indians could easily go with CC, Carmona, Westbrook, CC, Carmona, with the Rafael brothers pitching the high leverage situations out of the pen you could end up with a situation where your lineup gets a solid 7 innings against a pitcher with an ERA > 3.22.

The Yankees have a tremendous lineup, the Indians have stud pitching.

[/ QUOTE ]

go look at the run differential of the Yankees vs the Indians. it doesn't just come down to "great hitting vs great pitching", that's oversimplifying it.

Yankees allowed 71 more runs than the Indians (and this includes all of the early season games when the Yankees pitching staff was tattered, which is much better now and injected with Joba/Hughes) and the Yankees have scored 157 more runs.

Yankee offense >>>> Cleveland offense
Cleveland pitching >> Yankee Pitching

tolbiny · #10 10-02-2007, 02:28 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Finally, clearly the Yankees are a scarier ALCS opponent than Cleveland

[/ QUOTE ]

Why, because the Yankess lost 2 more games than the tribe? Or because a 7 game series gives the Indians a chance to play to their strengths the best? The Indians will be putting the best 1-2 starting pitching punch in Baseball out there in the postseason, and had two of the best relievers in baseball in their pen. In a 7 game series the Indians could easily go with CC, Carmona, Westbrook, CC, Carmona, with the Rafael brothers pitching the high leverage situations out of the pen you could end up with a situation where your lineup gets a solid 7 innings against a pitcher with an ERA > 3.22.

The Yankees have a tremendous lineup, the Indians have stud pitching.

[/ QUOTE ]

go look at the run differential of the Yankees vs the Indians. it doesn't just come down to "great hitting vs great pitching", that's oversimplifying it.

Yankees allowed 71 more runs than the Indians (and this includes all of the early season games when the Yankees pitching staff was tattered, which is much better now and injected with Joba/Hughes) and the Yankees have scored 157 more runs.

Yankee offense >>>> Cleveland offense
Cleveland pitching >> Yankee Pitching

[/ QUOTE ]

Post season performance is more about the top tier guys in pitching as they will be pitching a far > % of their teams innings than they would during the regular season, and there will only be a modest increase in the # of ABs for the top performers in the Yankees lineup. In this sense the Indians are built for the post season as they have two top starters and two top pen guys who will be out there. Barring injury or blowout win the Sox will not be playing against Laffy, Lee, Sowers, and possibly even Byrd or the weaker bullpen players (with the exception of Borowski, shudder).

I'm not syaing the Indians are better than the yankees, or scarier, I'm saying its close and I don't see how its clear cut in the Yanks direction.