Jinxing Koji Uehara

[steveringo]

The Sox surprising closer has now gone 26 games without allowing an earned run (a HR on June 30th).

Since July, he has pitched 28.1 innings, given up 8 hits, walked 2 and struck out 36. With last night’s 1,2,3 inning against Detroit, he has retired 21 batters in a row.

His only blemish in that time was a blown save in LA due to a 3B throwing error (on July 6th)….



Remember when Boston signed Hanrahan, because they were worried about Bailey’s health?

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

The Sox surprising closer has now gone 26 games without allowing an earned run (a HR on June 30th).

Since July, he has pitched 28.1 innings, given up 8 hits, walked 2 and struck out 36. With last night’s 1,2,3 inning against Detroit, he has retired 21 batters in a row.

His only blemish in that time was a blown save in LA due to a 3B throwing error (on July 6th)….



Remember when Boston signed Hanrahan, because they were worried about Bailey’s health?

Why is he a "surprising closer"? He's been arguably the best reliever in baseball since making the transition to the pen. I just don't understand why people are so shocked. Classic case of the guy who didn't have the stuff to start, but more than enough to be a dominant reliever.

 

[Hambombs]

Why is he a "surprising closer"? He's been arguably the best reliever in baseball since making the transition to the pen. I just don't understand why people are so shocked. Classic case of the guy who didn't have the stuff to start, but more than enough to be a dominant reliever.

I agree. I miss the guy in Texas a lot. I had tons of confidence in him

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

The only people who should be "surprised" are drooling imbeciles like Mitch Williams who thinks it takes special powers to convert saves. Which is funny, since he was a "successful closer" and clearly didn't have any special powers.

 

[Hambombs]

The only people who should be "surprised" are drooling imbeciles like Mitch Williams who thinks it takes special powers to convert saves. Which is funny, since he was a "successful closer" and clearly didn't have any special powers.

Lol what does he mean by special powers?

 

[steveringo]

Why is he a "surprising closer"? He's been arguably the best reliever in baseball since making the transition to the pen. I just don't understand why people are so shocked. Classic case of the guy who didn't have the stuff to start, but more than enough to be a dominant reliever.

The surprise is 8 hits, 2 walks, 36 K since the start of July.... That is more than the Sox expected.

And, 21 in a row! Six more outs and he has a perfect game.

Bobby Jenks and David Wells' record 38 in a row might have been possible if I hadn't jinxed him with this thread....

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Lol what does he mean by special powers?

He's never said those words, that's just the impression you get when you listen to him (and guys like him) talk about closing games as if it's some incredibly daunting task that only a select few people can do.

 

[broncosmitty]

Koji just gets rucky. A rot.

 

[broncosmitty]

And why anyone would respect Mitch Williams opinion is beyond me. He's an absolute moron. Beyond me how his career lasted so long with as little as he comprehends.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

And why anyone would respect Mitch Williams opinion is beyond me. He's an absolute moron. Beyond me how his career lasted so long with as little as he comprehends.

He has a job because he says stupid things that get attention. People watch just to see the next stupid thing that will come out of his mouth. If you replaced him with a person who provided a reasonable, well-thought-out opinion/analysis, fewer people would watch. It would be a better product, but since when has that mattered on TV?

 

[broncosmitty]

I have a hard time even tolerating him. wasn't aware of him being down on Uehara. (I try to zone him out tbh. Amsinger gets as much attention from my ears) Does he base it off not being a "power" pitcher?

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

I have a hard time even tolerating him. wasn't aware of him being down on Uehara. (I try to zone him out tbh. Amsinger gets as much attention from my ears) Does he base it off not being a "power" pitcher?

It's not that he's down on Uehara. He just seems to have this silly notion that only certain special pitchers are fit to be closers, which is clearly not even the slightest bit true. Anytime an established closer goes down, he makes it seem like the team is doomed, or if a contender doesn't have a big closer, they won't go far in the postseason. When a guy like a Uehara or an Edward Mujica or a Jim Johnson or a Jason Grilli (or countless other examples) is elevated to the closer role, he suggests that they can't do it because they've never done it before, which is just incredibly illogical since all closers were once setup men.

And somewhat to his defense, he's not alone. That's the position a lot of "analysts" seem to take. It's why the closer role is the most overrated role in the history of professional sports.

 

[redseat]

Remember when Boston signed Hanrahan, because they were worried about Bailey’s health?

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Remember when Boston signed Hanrahan, because they were worried about Bailey’s health?

They didn't sign him. They traded for him. Go back and look who they gave up. It will turn that into a .

 

[steveringo]

They didn't sign him. They traded for him. Go back and look who they gave up. It will turn that into a .

Melancon was one of those players that couldn't handle Boston (sim. Carl Crawford). Not sure if it that excuse is a crock, but in the majors last year he was awful and in AAA he was awesome. I am actually very glad he's doig so well in Pittsburgh.

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Melancon was one of those players that couldn't handle Boston (sim. Carl Crawford). Not sure if it that excuse is a crock, but in the majors last year he was awful and in AAA he was awesome. I am actually very glad he's doig so well in Pittsburgh.

I agree, it's just gotta be frustrating to give up a guy who goes on to have the best season of any reliever in the NL for a guy who was never particularly good to begin with and then goes on to immediately get hurt.

I'm also glad for Melancon. Add him to the never-ending list of Yankee farmhands who go on to success with other franchises after never getting a real shot with the Yanks.

 

[broncosmitty]

Was Melancon horrid after he made the bad Beckett start in Detroit even worse? (Very early in the season last year). If I remember right, he got sent down quickly after finding his way into BobbyV's doghouse. I was pissed, had him in about four leagues last year.

 

[broncosmitty]

It's not that he's down on Uehara. He just seems to have this silly notion that only certain special pitchers are fit to be closers, which is clearly not even the slightest bit true. Anytime an established closer goes down, he makes it seem like the team is doomed, or if a contender doesn't have a big closer, they won't go far in the postseason. When a guy like a Uehara or an Edward Mujica or a Jim Johnson or a Jason Grilli (or countless other examples) is elevated to the closer role, he suggests that they can't do it because they've never done it before, which is just incredibly illogical since all closers were once setup men.

And somewhat to his defense, he's not alone. That's the position a lot of "analysts" seem to take. It's why the closer role is the most overrated role in the history of professional sports.

Completely agree with you on closers. A good bullpen should have several guys capable of ending a game.(KC comes to mind quickly) To be honest, I dislike the "save" stat quite a bit. (That should come as no surprise). Ohhh Mitch Williams....

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Completely agree with you on closers. A good bullpen should have several guys capable of ending a game.(KC comes to mind quickly) To be honest, I dislike the "save" stat quite a bit. (That should come as no surprise). Ohhh Mitch Williams....

The save stat is a joke, and it's incredibly stupid that managers manage to the statistic rather than the situation. I'd recommend you take a look at shutdowns/meltdowns (Major League Leaderboards » 2013 » Relievers » Win Probability Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball). It treats closers and middle relievers equally, and isn't defined by an arbitrary situation, but rather the actual weight of the situation that the pitcher enters and how he impacts his team's probability of victory. It's a far superior stat (though it's still not perfect in and of itself).

If I'm up by one in the 7th, with less than two outs and runners in scoring position, why would I want to trust that situation to anyone but my best reliever? It's so stupid that guys like Boone Logan handle that situation while someone like Mariano Rivera sits waiting for a situation that may never come. A team's best reliever should come in when the game is on the line. Sometimes it's going to be in the 9th inning, but rarely. Then again, if a guy like Boone Logan gets out of that jam, and then the Yanks tack on two runs, and Mo gets an easy 3-out save, who really did the "saving"? The middle reliever did the real work, but the closer gets the recognition.

I've always felt the save/hold statistics should be redefined. I think to get a save, you should have to enter the game with the tying run in scoring position, and get out of the inning. To get a hold, you must face the tying run without having put yourself into the situation (i.e. if you enter with a two-run lead and allow a baserunner, putting the tying run at bat, you don't get a hold), or enter the game with the tying or go-ahead run on base (since preserving a tie is an unheralded situation), or enter in a "save situation" and successfully record an out, but not finish the inning (i.e. you enter with the tying run on 3rd and 0 out, and you retire a batter, but then are pulled and the next guy finishes the inning).

I think if the stats were defined this way, you'd see managers using their bullpens more effectively.

 

[steveringo]

Was Melancon horrid after he made the bad Beckett start in Detroit even worse? (Very early in the season last year). If I remember right, he got sent down quickly after finding his way into BobbyV's doghouse. I was pissed, had him in about four leagues last year.

Depends on you definition of horrid, I guess... He did get better as the year went on.

His April ERA was 49.50. He spent May in AAA. In June, he cut his ERA to 11.17. At one point in July, it was below 6.00. Then he spent the rest of the year between 6.00 & 8.00... He did have about 10 apearance where he did not give up a hit or a walk!