[Rice4HOF]

FWIW... Mirabelli threw out the first runner that tried stealing off him today. Small sample size and all, but it's one more than Bard in all the games Wake had previously started.

[SaveBooFerriss]

Rice4HOF, on May 2 2006, 12:10 AM, said:

FWIW... Mirabelli threw out the first runner that tried stealing off him today.  Small sample size and all, but it's one more than Bard in all the games Wake had previously started.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was on a pitchout. Belli has done a very good job behind the plate though.

[DieHard3]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes I know you have to look at trades independently, but who here wouldn't trade Bard, Meredith and cash for Mark Loretta? That's the net net of our dealings with SD this year.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Don't you have to bring in the Crisp trade here though? Bard came at a cost as well. He was part of the negotiations that allowed the Red Sox to feel comfortable giving up Shoppach and that 3rd base prospect everyone was so excited about. I think Bard's value is greater than Mirabelli's value in a vacuum so I am a bit surprised that the Sox had to give up Meredith and Cash or a PTNBL in addition. Absent Wakefield's special needs, I don't think anyone could possibly conclude this was a good trade for Boston.

In fact, needing to make this trade, combined with Loretta's questionable start following a questionable season, makes me wonder whether we should have simply resigned Bellhorn.

[SpikeMyOwen]

Skins24, on May 2 2006, 01:53 AM, said:

It was on a pitchout.  Belli has done a very good job behind the plate though.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Belli has always been a very good defensive catcher, as I recall his first game with the red sox he threw out 2 MFYs, one was a pick off first base, the other was a caught stealing.

It's only fitting that his first game back, he catches another.

[berstch]

Dougie being compared to Willis Reed on BBTN.

[Quintanariffic]

berstch, on May 1 2006, 10:29 PM, said:

Dougie being compared to Willis Reed on BBTN.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And the comparison is apt, b/c Papi played the role of Walt Frazier tonight.

[gcapalbo]

Small sample size, but this trade seems to have worked out well so far.

Watching Bard struggle, I think I paid a lot more attention to the way Doug caught and blocked the ball tonight.

There were a number of catches he made as the knuckler dropped down in the zone where he would track the ball down through the zone and then pluck it out of the air at the last moment as if it was a feather.

It looked easy.

I think the intangible effect of this trade was to loosen up the clubhouse after a foul road trip. Doug was obviously very popular in the clubhouse and the team looked loose coming out to clash with our fiercest rival.

Sounds like the lesson from this: "If it's not broke, don't fix it".

[saintnick912]

At the risk of being a bit game-threadey here, I'd like to ask a historical question. Has a backup catcher ever caused such an uproar at a stadium? I was there and I was floored.

[SoxScout]

The game just seemed to go much more smoothly, I don't know if anyone else sensed that... I didn't really like giving up Meredith but, oh well.

This post has been edited by SoxScout: 01 May 2006 - 10:14 PM

[ookami7m]

I'm still waiting for my screen caps of Dougie coming out of the trooper's car in full uni right at game time. I'm very disappointed in you.

[67WasBest]

SoxScout, on May 1 2006, 10:13 PM, said:

The game just seemed to go much more smoothly, I don't know if anyone else sensed that... I didn't really like giving up Meredith but, oh well.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

100% felt the same way. Life seemed more in order this evening.

Do I feel this is a huge factor in the season for the Sox? Only partially, but yes I do feel this is a significant positive.

Edit: fixing a typo

This post has been edited by 67WasBest: 01 May 2006 - 11:47 PM

[SoxScout]

Quote

I'm still waiting for my screen caps of Dougie coming out of the trooper's car in full uni right at game time. I'm very disappointed in you.

Let me finish this paper I am working on and I'll load up my TV card. Hopefully I can have them for you from the late Sports Center or from Sports Desk in the morning. No promises.

[singaporesoxfan]

gcapalbo, on May 2 2006, 10:33 AM, said:

I think the intangible effect of this trade was to loosen up the clubhouse after a foul road trip.  Doug was obviously very popular in the clubhouse and the team looked loose coming out to clash with our fiercest rival.

Sounds like the lesson from this: "If it's not broke, don't fix it".
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Much as I like the end result tonight, I can't say that Mirabelli being popular in the clubhouse is in line with what was heard about him previously...

[Noah]

You know what's funny? If Varitek doesn't break his elbow laying out on the warning track five years ago, Dougie probably never plays for the Red Sox.

And now here he is, a 35 year old backup catcher with a bad back and a .154 batting average, being rushed to Fenway with a police escort to a standing ovation.

[SoxScout]

There you go..

This post has been edited by SoxScout: 02 May 2006 - 12:57 AM

[67WasBest]

singaporesoxfan, on May 1 2006, 11:34 PM, said:

Much as I like the end result tonight, I can't say that Mirabelli being popular in the clubhouse is in line with what was heard about him previously...
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I kow where this is goig, but perhaps a brief exile to ebe wil have an impact. Even if it doesn't, then a stopping of the Wake induced bleedingh is a positive!

[SpikeMyOwen]

67WasBest, on May 2 2006, 05:58 AM, said:

I kow where this is goig, but perhaps a brief exile to ebe wil have an impact.  Even if it doesn't, then a stopping of the Wake induced bleedingh is a positive!
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have to agree with this, one of our best pitchers over the last 3 years is / was 1-4 and showing very little confidence in thowing his bread and butter pitch, watching belli tonight made me realize wether you like him or not he is a commodity (as long as you have a knuckleballer) he follows the ball well and "lunges" for lack of a better word into position to keep the ball in front of him.

He also still has a very nice arm throwing out 3 of 7 runners this year.

[Arock78]

gcapalbo, on May 1 2006, 09:33 PM, said:

Sounds like the lesson from this: "If it's not broke, don't fix it".
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think using Bard rather than Belli wasn't ever meant to be any kind of fix.

[Carroll Hardy]

Lesson Learned from all of this: Belli had been assessed as a "backup catcher" previously; that obviously needs to be reconsidered. He is no more of a "backup" baseball player than Tim Wakefield is a "backup" starting pitcher.

He is the starting catcher on the days the Tim Wakefield pitches. Big difference, as we have discovered.

[Arock78]

Carroll Hardy, on May 2 2006, 05:27 AM, said:

Lesson Learned from all of this:  Belli had been assessed as a "backup catcher" previously; that obviously needs to be reconsidered.  He is no more of a "backup" baseball player than Tim Wakefield is a "backup" starting pitcher.

He is the starting catcher on the days the Tim Wakefield pitches.  Big difference, as we have discovered.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that's a good way to interpret this. It's pretty clear that Wake's personal catcher has a special role on this team. I still think Bard could have eventually gotten the hang of it, but I don't think I really appreciated the difference until last night. I still don't think the trade was reactionary. And even if the trade was a bit lopsided value-wise (not sure it was), it's something the team can easily afford. I mean, compared with how strong the organization is, prospect-wise and money-wise, the magnitude of the net loss in this trade isn't significant.

I'd see this trade as reactionary if we all thought of Bard as someone we expected to become a real solid full-time major league catcher. But many didn't. Far from it, in fact. It isn't like the Sox traded Wily Mo after he made a few errors in right and struck out a few times.