For all that, Papi projects to 30.33 Hr and 76 RBI...

[BostonTim]

...I would be grateful for that at this point, but I think (hope?) it will be 20% better or so.

What say you? Is he coming around (and earlier than last year?).

Cheers, BostonTim

[3 Point Stan]

I think he can knock in 75 runs.

Problem is, they need him to knock in 105 runs.

[sonsofkraftybob]

25 of those 30 will come in blowouts. When the game is close or the tying or winning runs are on, he's an easy out via the K. If you like stats check out his lob #'s.
Posted via Mobile Device

[BostonTim]

Originally Posted by sonsofkraftybob

25 of those 30 will come in blowouts. When the game is close or the tying or winning runs are on, he's an easy out via the K. If you like stats check out his lob #'s.
Posted via Mobile Device

Well, I'm ever hopeful I guess. When you are performng as badly as he has, in the heart of a fairly productive line-up the LOBs are a given. In part because people will pitch around others (say Youk - creating even more guys to be LOB). In part cause you aren't hitting. Hopefully, if he's getting better swings, that might change a bit and he can perhaps contribute more and have a better LOB profile,

Ever hopeful as I say and there's nothing between mid-June and training camp besides the Sox.

Cheers, BostonTim.

[mikiemo83]

eye drops arrived from Manny Alexander

[dropKickMurphy]

Originally Posted by mikiemo83

eye drops arrived from Manny Alexander

That will always be my assumption whenever Ortiambi starts to "turn it around"

[BostonTim]

Originally Posted by dropKickMurphy

That will always be my assumption whenever Ortiambi starts to "turn it around"

Sad isn't it. We really can never again look at sports through the lenses we used as kids.

Cheers, BostonTim

[O_P_T]

i recall some other talking head or reporter said this, but I think it bears repeating.

He claimed that the hits and HR's Papi got last year were primarily against mediocre teams and thus one would expect mediocre pitching.

If Papi starts hitting against the Yankee;s, Ray's etc. of the league, then I'll feel a whole lot better.

[jaychamp]

Originally Posted by O_P_T

i recall some other talking head or reporter said this, but I think it bears repeating.

He claimed that the hits and HR's Papi got last year were primarily against mediocre teams and thus one would expect mediocre pitching.

If Papi starts hitting against the Yankee;s, Ray's etc. of the league, then I'll feel a whole lot better.

What do they consider mediocre? Most of the league is pretty mediocre, and I think he hit pretty decent against the Yankees last year. I'm mostly concerned if he'll start hitting late in games when they need him, regardless of who they're playing. I don't think those numbers were too flattering last year even after he started hitting

[BostonTim]

Originally Posted by jaychamp

What do they consider mediocre? Most of the league is pretty mediocre, and I think he hit pretty decent against the Yankees last year. I'm mostly concerned if he'll start hitting late in games when they need him, regardless of who they're playing. I don't think those numbers were too flattering last year even after he started hitting

Well, he had a pretty clutch (though not pretty per se) hit last night in the 10th till Drew severed his carotid artery hitting weakly into an inning ending DP.

Cheers

[babalu87]

Originally Posted by sonsofkraftybob

25 of those 30 will come in blowouts. When the game is close or the tying or winning runs are on, he's an easy out via the K. If you like stats check out his lob #'s.
Posted via Mobile Device

Few to none against top tier pitching

Sabbathia makes him look silly

[BostonTim]

Originally Posted by babalu87

Few to none against top tier pitching

I know it's a blowout and noone's watching - but Hughes? There goes your none anyway ;) (imo - based on his year so far).

I'm not stickin' up for him or going ga-ga. Mostly just wanna root for him. Flaws aside - he is the author of some of the great sports moments in my life (one with many great moments) and I just prefer to root for him. Not a lot to root for this year, i fear, but go :Redsox:

Cheers, BostonTim

[O.Z.O.]

Originally Posted by babalu87

Few to none against top tier pitching

Sabbathia makes him look silly

Hughes is not a scrub

over his career, Ortiz is 8 for 28 vs. Sabathia with 2 home runs. 8 for 28 is a .285 BA. This year, he's 0-3, faced him in one game. Last year, he was 5 for 14 (.357) with a home run against Sabathia. So, rather then Sabathia making Ortiz look silly, it turns out that Ortiz hits Sabathia as well as anybody does.

[Steve1]

Ortiz has a slugging average of .500 ! Amazing.

Just for kicks, check out Victor Martinez' slugging average (as of 5/18 morning): .387 ! A very very sad number....like say a Tony Pena in a bad year, or an allenson, or somebody like that.

[O.Z.O.]

Originally Posted by Steve1

Ortiz has a slugging average of .500 ! Amazing.

Just for kicks, check out Victor Martinez' slugging average (as of 5/18 morning): .387 ! A very very sad number....like say a Tony Pena in a bad year, or an allenson, or somebody like that.

here's something to think about-

every team plays a version of a shift on Ortiz. I can think of at least a dozen balls that he's smoked right into the teeth of that shift that have been outs (2nd baseman fielding a 1-hop line drive about 30' out into RF and making the play at first). The season is 6 weeks old. If Ortiz had 6 more hits on the season then he has (as in 1 per week), he would be hitting .294...and we'd all be talking about the great rebound he's having from last year.