Boom! Goes the Dynamite -- AKA Manny Delcarmen -- in Red Sox Loss

Yes it is

I refer to Brooks’ zone a lot, and I seem to always have the impression that it’s a little wide. If you could find where you read about exactly how it’s determined, I would appreciate it (maybe it’s just on Brooks’ site, in which case, I will look myself).

Oh, and I hate to do this, especially as I’m just a visitor here, but I think you (Randy) meant that MDC pitched “without recording an out” not “without allowing a hit,” as he actually allowed 4 hits. I don’t mean to criticize though, I think this blog is expertly run.

for some time. Why didn’t he say something? Instead he just goes out there with a problem and sucks worse.

Yeah, in regards to NBN referencing Ells. Other than that, I was not aiming at anyone in particular. I am not really too familiar with indiv’s views. I was making an overall comment on the problem with sucking (possibly from being hurt) versus an injury and how the fans often react to the player. How would we know if the MDC is hurt? I am not a doctor..

I just notice that fans tend to get pissed if a player is injured and plays (Bill Buckner comes to mind – to stir up the pot here – he was very injured in 86 and should have been shut down – but he was a gamer) or if they sit on the bench to recoup/rehab during the injury.

Some of the players Pedroia, V-Mart, etc were to make my point as that would be absurd.

Here is another: Drew has been accused by me and others that he needs a spinal implant & the favorite nickname for him is Nancy Drew. However, when I say that I realize I am not Drew – so who really knows? Either way fans start calling for the axe when a player is not performing.

I stated I understand the frustration with MDC as when he comes to the mound I hold my breath. My thought is he is average enough to keep in the Bullpen – as the Sox have done the past few years. But, your points above make a good case to drop him like a bad habit. And, if he sucks because he is injured then it is an issue – and he needs to get healthy as opposed to he sucks because he really sucks – see your points above that make that case.

But, most bullpen pitchers are like prostitutes – they look good when they first come up – but then most decline pretty rapidly from overuse. Maybe we need a new hooker in the pen?
Cheers!

You want them wearing football pads? Pedroia already wears a shin protector. How about a whole boot so he can’t get to second even on a ball into the triangle?

I’m sorry, unless other teams are injecting their players bones with steel like Wolverine than there isn’t really anything you can try to pin on management per usual.

Let’s look at the injuries this year:
Ellsbury – Cracked Ribs
Hermida – Cracked Ribs
Martinez – Broken finger
MDC – Sucking and making excuses
Lowrie – Kissing too many girls in Ft. Meyers (Don’t hate the playa, hate the game)
Pedrioa – Broken foot
Cameron – Ab strain
Lowell – The same hip he had sliced open by a surgeon
Buchholz – hamstring running bases, not an uncommon or unpredictable injury for an AL pitcher in interleague.
Beckett – who knows, they say back strain.

So out of all of these, only two, Cameron and Beckett are conditioning related and how many times have you put out your back carrying things or falling or sleeping funny on your side? I think they easily fall under the “shit happens” category.

I mean, unless management starts having players stand in front of a pitching machine to “toughen ’em up a little” there isn’t much that can be done, Beltre’s knee to the chest is going to break ribs at those speeds whether you’re Jacoby Ellsbury, James Bond, Indiana Jones or your neighbor Bob.

Not really fair to mention Beltre here. Clearly he feeds off of the injuries of teammates. As our players fall to the DL he keeps getting better and better.

Cameron is in fact human.

“Broke down” implies a more systematic failure of skill and conditioning, to me at least. I think Cameron’s got a hole in his abdominal muscles – which would explain generally subpar performance with a more acute and specific cause and betokens less of a “this guy will never be good again” feeling.

Again, not disagreeing, just that was my impression

Even if they were hit 2 or 3 at a time, I assume…

it lines him up perfectly for a spot start if Buchholz has to miss his next start with the lower hamstring issue on his landing leg. Doubront as insurance puts me at ease.

Robert Manuel’s time has come. Even though he doesn’t have the velocity on his fastball to put batters away, I hope he gets his chance to be the righty version of 2007 Okajima.

Wake has sucked

But it’s a dry heat…

Same old Wake; good start followed by bad start followed by good start. The only problem is that I doubt we’ll get that 6-7 start “good Wakefield” run this year. Not enough reps…