AGon fans vs. Scutaro

Peter Abraham:

Marco Scutaro will win the fans over by May 1 and everybody who whined about giving up Alex Gonzalez will realize how misguided they were.

I've got some news for Peter - the vast majority of the people who "whined about giving up Alex Gonzalez" aren't ever going to realize how misguided they were. There's no actual rational reason for whining about "giving up Alex Gonzalez" so it's a religious issue. They aren't going to convert, no matter how much better than Gonzalez Scutaro is.

Good Sox news

Good news for Red Sox fans:

[SS Alex] Gonzalez yesterday signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays worth $2.75 million. The Blue Jays hold a $2.5 million option for 2011...The Red Sox obtained Gonzalez from the Cincinnati Reds Aug. 14...Gonzalez had a .279 on-base percentage with the Reds and Red Sox last season.

One of the keys to an effective offense is the absence of Alex Gonzalez.

What the hell was he thinking?

Everyone knows that I'm a fan of Terry Francona - I think he's done an excellent job. Not perfect, but excellent. And I don't believe in outcome-based second guessing of managerial decisions. You evaluate managerial decisions based on what's knowable at the time the decision is made. Sometimes bad decisions work and good ones don't.

So this isn't second guessing. I wasn't on-line when it happened, so I didn't write before it happened, but I was watching in disbelief when Alex Gonzalez walked to the plate in the 8th inning. With the Sox down by one. With the bases loaded and one out. And Mike Lowell (and Rocco Baldelli) standing in the dugout. And two more infielders available to play a couple of innings at shortstop.

Seriously, what the hell was he thinking? Gathright ran for Ortiz, but no one hit for Gonzalez, he of the career .247 batting average. He of the career .293 OBP. You're going to let him hit in the 8th inning of a game that you're trailing by one, with the bases loaded and one out and September rosters with multiple better hitters available? Against a competitor for the playoff spot? The night after you've had Papelbon come in with no outs in the 8th?

I can't even imagine what kind of behind the scenes situation would justfiy that decision.

Obviously, there's no guarantee whatsoever that hitting for Gonzalez would have resulted in a win. And there was some possibility of Gonzalez getting a hit. But that was a bad decision that worked out badly. And it didn't take any second-guessing to see it.



P.S. - I've never been a fan of NESN's use of "sideline reporters." I think that it adds nothing but interruptions. And Heidi Watney demonstrated her uselessness last night when she talked to Francona post-game and didn't even mention the decision to let Gonzalez hit. Only the single most obvious managerial move to ever not be made.


P.P.S. - By the way, that was one of the quietest "rallies" you'll ever see. The Red Sox sent six men to the plate in the 8th inning last night, scored one run, and never put a ball in play. Out of 36 pitches from four Rays pitchers, four of them were touched by a Red Sox bat, and they were all foul. Three walks, three strikeouts and a Wild Pitch to score a run.

Red Sox concede season

"The Red Sox have completed a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, bringing shortstop Alex Gonzalez back to Boston."

What a bad decision. What a terrible move. I don't care what they gave up, it was much, much too much.

Ugh.

A: The one available SS who does not represent an upgrade over Nick Green.
Q: Who is Alex Gonzalez?

Ugh.

Yes, he has a fabulous defensive reputation. Yes, he's sure-handed, and looks smooth. He's a mediocre, or worse, defender, who can't hit well enough to justify playing time even in someone as good defensively as he's reputed to be (but isn't.)

Ugh.

This is a panic move, the kind of thing that they usually (though not always [remember Bard-Meredith-Mirabelli]) avoid doing.

Just a bad idea. This is a trade that makes them worse over the remainder of the season, as Gonzalez takes playing time away from both Nick Green and Jed Lowrie, while improving nothing.

Ugh.