Pheasants

Is the three-batter rule for all in the same inning? What if a pitcher comes in, gets the last out and the manager wants to lift him for a pinch hitter?

I like it.

Why not start a prediction calendar on when the first negative thread shows up (not by our Debbie Downers who hate everything)? I'd bet by the end of Spring Training, and I could even see one about the choice of manager. I like the choice of Elias; I think he'll be great, but we've spent two years in a culture of negativity.

Tony, How much stronger do you think the system is now? If you were to take last year's list and put current Dietz or Carmona in it, where would they fit, 25, 20?

If Elias does not nontender Beckham and he is the starting shortstop next season, I think many blank checks will go away. If he adds even one low-level pitcher to our list of bad trades, the rest will go away. I don't see the OHers as blind followers. I see a lot of agendas out there.

How good is his defense at ss?

For the last 30 days, Davis has a .239 average, though his OPS is only .645. Maybe the question for option 3 is, is that enough to keep him? Or would a .239 with a .750 be enough?

A question I think is important to his future: How well is Mancini hitting as a DH? I tried MLB and CBS and their stats did not give me a sorted stat for when he was just DH. Does anyone have a source that separates this?

Maybe this would be the time to see if Mancini can be a productive hitter while dhing unlike Trumbo, who hit much better when playing in the field.

Even if you want Trumbo in for the bat, which was good tonight, why would you leave him in in late innings of a close game?

Yeah, but Cortes and Mesa go away if they don't make the Os; Hunter does not.

Then pitch Yacabonis (sp?) or some other guy from AAA. Our radio team was agog that Boston had 14 relievers in the pen. Let's use ours.

Givens has now pitched badly for 3 straight games (7 earned runs or inherited runners scoring). Before that he was good for 4 games but before that he was bad for 5 (11 earned runs or inherited runners scoring.) Someone needs to find the problem.

He threw two strikes to his first batter and then wasted three pitches. According to the Boston announcers, two were wa-a-ay outside; none were close enough to tempt the batter. If he'd bring those closer he might get more swings--and misses

Could not do this last game as he walked three, but on days when he isn't walking any and thus throws fewer pitches, I'd like to see him go another inning--both as a reward for him and to see how he does. If, by the end of the year, he could be up to 5 innings, we'd really have something. Or would this hurt the preparation of the guy assigned to follow him?

Just to add numbers to the comparisons: Randy Johnson hit the majors full time in 1989 and in 1991 had a walk rate of 6.8 and in 1992 6.2. After that he tended to be under 4. Nolan Ryan hit the majors full time in 1968. In 1970 he was at 6.6 and in 1971 at 6.9. In 1977 he hit 6.1. Not until 1980 did he go below 4. Does this mean anything?--Only that maybe you don't wait until they have control problems solved before you bring them up.

Do we need/want another Davis or Trumbo or do we want/need an all-around great hitter like Trout?

I am concerned that he seems to be thinking too much about power since the start of May, rather than being an overall hotter as he was in April. Strikeouts are up --I never thought I 'd see him with three strikeouts and a homer nights like Davis. Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

The players get a list of the drugs that cannot be included in medicines. They are expected to check the ingredients of what they take for colds. Some are ok; others are prohibited. I'm sure what MLB decided was that the offence was a mistake not deliberate, but it still violated rules he should have known so he earned a punishment not total forgiveness. Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

Now that it's Ortiz yelling, the electronic ball-strikes umpire movement has legs--showing up on MLB radio.

Standing straight up? Not in his standard crouch? Zach Britton might as well retire along with 90% of the sinker-ball pitchers in the leagues.

Just maybe, he turned the corner last night. After loading the bases in the fifth, he, if my memory is correct, struck out the side and than is quoted as saying he needs to throw strikes or be aggressive or some such. Has he possibly figured out what people are telling him? We may see if he remembers it. I won't give up on Bedard until we've got 4 others in the rotation doing well.