Crawford's problem during his slow start was basically that he never hit the ball hard. Grounders, flies, liners, all of them were producing fewer hits and fewer extra-base-hits than they'd even done in the past. Crawford's hot streak has had a huge effect on the "hitting the ball hard" numbers. This is where he stood two weeks ago (comparing this year's numbers to a weighted average of 2008-2010):

Grounders: 188/203 down from 292/306
Flies: 175/400 down from 232/663
Liners: 619/714 down from 715/979

And now Crawford is at:

Grounders: 203/215 down from 292/306
Flies: 250/654 from 232/663
Liners: 679/857 down from 715/979

Crawford's poor numbers in 2011 can now be blamed mostly on how few ground ball singles he's hit compared to expectations. If Crawford were hitting .290 on grounders rather than .200, his overall line would be 285/325/440. That's still light in walks and a tiny bit light in hits and power, but it would be a perfectly normal line.

So according to Heidi Watney's twitter account, NESN won't be able to broadcast the 7 PM game tomorrow because of ESPN's national exclusivity for Sunday Night Baseball. So apparently no one outside of the ballpark will be able to watch tomorrow's Verlander - Beckett matchup.

One thought: I believe ESPN has exclusivity, not ESPN Sunday Night Baseball (again, I think). Maybe they have NESN or FSD produce a broadcast of this for ESPN3.com?

That would be cool. I'm wondering if I'll be able to watch it with MLB.tv using a proxy located outside the US since it's only a US blackout. MLB.com does streams for untelevised games normally, so they should have one. They use the home team's radio feed for audio I think and sync it up with video from the park.

So Phil should be about the only one who can actually watch this game.

So Phil should be about the only one who can actually watch this game.

Just keep an eye on chatter eyes for your usual Phil Coorey updates....

It will be better than watching the game!

:)

I'd love to sync up the video to Phil's play-by-play.

"Ahh GD Ellsbury!! Useless! Now watch Pedroia strike-out! DAMNIT!!"

I was at tonight's non-game, but won't be able to make it for tomorrow's make up. Real shame, especially considering what tonight's match-up was going to be.

If it's broadcast somewhere, I've heard that you can usually find a stream on myp2pforum.eu, but I wouldn't know since such internet rebroadcasts are illegal.

So Phil should be about the only one who can actually watch this game.

And me. Sucks to be you though.

Also: I looked at the standings, and apparently we have a 1.5 game lead right now. WTH?!

It looks like the 2nd game will now be shown on MLB.tv. I'll be at a ####### wedding (who gets married on Memorial Day Weekend?!?), so I won't be able to see it. But this team is playing well and I'll hate to miss it.

After all kinds of begging, NESN has gotten permission from ESPN to air the 2nd game.

After all kinds of begging, NESN has gotten permission from ESPN to air the 2nd game.

Probably for the best!!

How can it be regression, to get better? I was confuse!!! #thingsdumbpeoplesay

such internet rebroadcasts are illegal.

They only have the implied oral consent of Major League Baseball.

Red Sox are one of the few teams who have not lost a significant player to the DL. Significant being setup, closer, effective SP'er or regular position player.

Remember, last year the Red Sox started off 4-9 and then went 45-23 to get to 49-32 on a 98 W pace. The rest is history.

Both Lackey and Matsuzaka projected as effective starting pitchers. They were both terrible because they were pitching hurt, and now they're DL'ed.

Also, it can be argued that both Pedroia and Youkilis are/were playing through pain that makes them less effective.

My favorite regression to the mean story is from a few years back when Pedroia was in Pawtucket, and Philly was doing a study (on SoSH) analyzing his batting splits. One his points was a first half/ second half thing that he posted 2 ABs short of finishing his sample. Pedroia went out and hit 2 HRs in his next 2 AB to make the power numbers for the 2nd half sample the same as the first...

Hell of a slow hook last night as well - was listening in the car as I was driving to Brisbane yesterday and almost drove off the road as the inevitable slowly happened.

It would have been great if he bought in Bard at 3-3 with two outs and maybe give the Sox a chance to stay in the game...

Both Lackey and Matsuzaka projected as effective starting pitchers. They were both terrible because they were pitching hurt, and now they're DL'ed.

I guess we should be surprised 2 pitchers with elbow problems, one of who was abused in japan (and missed most of 2002 with an elbow problem) and has been on the DL often the past 2 years, and another who has a clause in his contract that requires him to play an extra year at the league minimum if he misses significant time due to his previous injury history, are on the DL with elbow problems.

Personally, I am not convinced Lackeys problem is entirely his elbow, and Daisuke has not been effective since 2008.

Hell of a slow hook last night as well - was listening in the car as I was driving to Brisbane yesterday and almost drove off the road as the inevitable slowly happened.

It would have been great if he bought in Bard at 3-3 with two outs and maybe give the Sox a chance to stay in the game...

What game are you talking about Phil? None of that really fits the Sox loss to the White Sox. Wake was still pitching at 3-3, but he gave up a solo homer with one out and we tied it up in the bottom. And Albers-Hill already surrendered the lead with one out in the seventh.

And BTW, I was disappointed that you, of all people, missed my post in the most recent Goldman thread.

Crawford's poor numbers in 2011 can now be blamed mostly on how few ground ball singles he's hit compared to expectations.

Shouldn't those expectations be tempered given he no long plays half his games on the Trops turf? Also, those few GB singles do not explain the SLG% drop from 495 to 362.

Check the date of Phil's post--5/30 Lester game.

I guess we should be surprised 2 pitchers with elbow problems, one of who was abused in japan (and missed most of 2002 with an elbow problem) and has been on the DL often the past 2 years, and another who has a clause in his contract that requires him to play an extra year at the league minimum if he misses significant time due to his previous injury history, are on the DL with elbow problems.

The question was whether they projected to be effective SP. I don't think there's any doubt that they did. Sure, they were injury risks, but the default projection was for them to be effective, just as Lackey has been for the past decade and Matsuzaka was in 2007, 2008, and 2010 (sorry, I just don't feel 2002 is really important in this discussion).

In fact, it was worse than losing players to the DL because these guys stayed on the roster and sucked. They would have been better off--more fortunate if you will--if both of these guys had gone on the DL weeks before they did.

In addition, the Red Sox have also lost Jenks and Wheeler, who were 2 of their setup men, to injury (they also followed the same pattern of sucking before being DL'ed).

Check the date of Phil's post--5/30 Lester game.

Thanks. I thought I had stayed up to date on this thread.

And BTW, I was disappointed that you, of all people, missed my post in the most recent Goldman thread.

What was it?!

What was it?!


It was here.