July 17, 2005

Sox In Denial, Do Not Blame Sveum

Terry Francona and Kevin Millar profess their love and support for Dale Sveum. Both place the blame for the base-running snafu on Doug Mirabelli, but the Stud Who Hits Bombs isn't so sure.

While saying he might have been a "little bit too aggressive," the SWHB explained: "I read the ball and felt I could get to third base. I didn't think there. I thought Millar would come home easy. ... I'm not the fastest guy, so I have to put all my energy into running. I picked up my head too late. ... I even saw Bernie kind of break down and field that ball kind of flatfooted. As I rounded second, I already had my mind-set, I was going to third. I felt for sure that Bernie was going to come up and try to throw me out at third. I felt like I was going to make it there pretty easy."

Here is the New York Post's take: "Millar was already at third when center fielder Bernie Williams — who has a spaghetti arm — fielded the ball. Sveum nearly body-blocked the lumbering Millar while giving him the stop sign, and Mirabelli was caught in a pickle between second and third."

As far as the praise for Sveum, he might be a great guy -- I don't know, I've never met him -- but he is a terrible third base coach. The evidence for that keeps piling higher and higher. I wonder how high it will get before the front office takes action.

If you can get beyond the absolutely moronic political comments, Schilling gives a good Q&A to the Daily News.

Wakefield / Leiter at 6:00.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lets not forget that the final run scored by the spankees was caused by big papi's error at 1B. Millar goes to RF and Papi to 1B?? How can a 120M payroll not have a legitimate backup Right handed hitting outfielder? Maybe Theo isnt the eight pound brain after all. (Hope Kaps can doesnt keep trying to hit the baseball with the chopstick he used in the far east)

Anonymous said...

Sveum is terrible, and if he is not moved, he can be counted on to lose 2-3 more games this season, which is unacceptible. Denial is exactly what it is. But Lachmann and Kim and Zimmer were terrible at third too...it's almost a tradition in Boston. "Where have you gone, Eddie Popowski?"

Anonymous said...

Post Script: Curt's comments are assuredly NOT moronic; you just disagree with them, which is fine and dandy. But this is as good as any place to start having a little respect for divergent points of view. Curt's well-informed, articulate, and he answered the question he was asked. He does not deserve to be called a moron becuase he's not a member of Move-On.org.

From the Vined Smithy said...

Hmmm, I was under the impression that blogs can allow for as little or as much respect for divergent points of view as the writer wants.

allan said...

I have moved my political stuff to my other blog, but I couldn't let this pass without mention. (I could have not mentioned the link at all, I suppose, but it was a decent Q&A.)

I think Schilling's comments were uninformed.

Two quick reasons are his linking Sadaam to 9/11 and his snide remark that all the people who are speaking out against the Iraq invasion were calling for blood on 9/11.

That is complete and utter bullshit.

Others will disagree.

allan said...

I do agree that Curt is articulate and that he answered the question he was asked.

However, I do not want to argue the merits of his comments here.

laura k said...

Curt Schilling is about as well informed as his president is honest.

Devine: good point.

Sveum: must go.

Anonymous said...

1) I agree that such issues should not be argued here, and if that's the policy, don't argue them. For the record, all of Schilling's comments (not all of which I agree with) can be fairly defended.
2) The fact that blogs CAN be rude, intemperate, unfair and disrespectful doesn't mean they should be, need to be, or have to be. The fact that so many of them are does real damage to useful political discourse in a democracy.
3) Nice call by Francona leaving Olerud on the bench, and what an idiotic excuse! Yeah, Terry, it's MUCH better losing than having to play a player out of position in extra innings...no wonder you got creamed in the National League, where you actually had to manage.