I think all it explains is that if the Sox and Dodgers had switched managers, the Red Sox still would have won. As bad as Roberts is, Alex Cora is even worse IMO. Weird to say a WS Champion manager should be fired, but I honestly think that about Cora. Unless, for some reason, Cora is the reason their players balled out. Every mistake Cora made was covered up by great plays on their side and complete ineptitude on ours.
Mmmm..IDK, Mouse. The manager switch scenario is leaving me a bit flat and unconvinced actually. I don't think Cora is HOF stuff, but I think he would have gotten more out of the roster than Robots did or ever will. I do agree that Boston was the better team. I do think Cora would not have approached the series as Kershaw must pitch twice...and formed a battle plan differently with much better results. You and VRP are not Kershaw lovers, yet defend the template of Robots plan, which not only failed miserably now, but did so last year also. Kershaw based. Cora won, Roberts didn't. The Astros won, Roberts didn't. How long should we rally behind him? Any longer than Joe Torre? Any longer than Don Mattingly? Anyway, I'm very confident you will have him back, so detractors like me will just have to grin and bear it. But in all my years, the one thing I've learned is, don't piss on my head and tell me it's raining. And that's exactly what Roberts is to me.
It all depends on whether or not AF will scapegoat DR. If we're right, and he was only running the gameplan with no wiggle room, the only real fuckup he had of his own was not communicating effectively with Hill, and Baez could have made that one go away, IF DR had the liberty to make that call over (gameplan) Madson...and we'll never know. Another IF.... If that's true, and AF does can DR, then he's an even bigger ass hole than we already think he is, and it proves beyond the shadow of a doubt why Maddon isn't managing the team.
I just want to clarify that I had no intention of defending Dave Roberts. Dave Roberts needs to be fired, and I will say nothing to the contrary this offseason. Cora should be fired too, for what it's worth. I think he was that bad.
davey bailed him out after the Pig HR in game 4 he left his guy in way too long and the sox fans would have fried him thats one no question the all RH lineups in the first two was another
FIFY Believing in the Dodgers to win takes a certain irrational mindset.. .. rather like believing in flying spaghetti monsters
players routinely hitting with two outs or two strikes against them is not because of the players, the whole team can't be clutch this is obviously good coaching from the manager to his coaches big league managers forget that the biggest part of their job is still developing and training these guys
and training is not a one time thing you have to train players constantly because the league adjusts to them, pitchers adjust, mechanics change as body changes or habits picked up, etc...
can't train prima donnas can't make them hustle can't make them shorten their swings can't make them hit the other way can't make them bunt for an easy hit with the shift on only power the manager wields is filling out the lineup card and even then, who's to say higher ups aren't peering in and saying "oh, i wouldn't do that"
yes you can train prima donnas and all the other things you say you cant train The Packers coach is a good coach but he could not train even a role player to do the right thing even when told what it is. The Rams coach is a great coach because he can take a primodonna and train him to put team first above his ego/stats and the star athlete... listens. Coaches love to be heard, but they really rarely care if they are being listened to. Same with bosses. Just because players 'should' not have to be babysat or constantly told what to do does not mean that you don't have to babysit and constantly tell them what to do.
don't agree managers do not possess anything near absolute power quite the contrary fans pay to see the players, thus mgmt has to placate the stars the lunatics run the asylum
Sox were better by far but we became what we as posters have known for awhile and that is a true outcome team. The Sox were old school in approach and it worked to perfection. All in all we sucked and they didn't. FUCK THEM SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow...spent time during the last three days getting calls from friends who are mostly NYY and NYM fans, telling me to "wait 'till next year". NEVER heard that. And positively laughing at Roberts and the way he managed the Series. I reminded them that their team wasn't even in it, but when they reviewed the many moves they thought dumb and senseless, I guess it was pretty funny. Now...just not at the time it happened, if you're a Dodger fan.