Anybody Else Concerned With The Way Francona Handles The Bullpen?

[BigFish]

Seems as if he leaves some of these pitchers in there way too long.....

[KLMulder]

I think he is doing a fine job.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Oh Yeah....If you have the lead in the 5-6th inning and your starter has trouble...Yank Him!!!

Especially the way the Sox Bullpen has been playing this year. Last year I could understand it, with that whole Bullpen by Committee thing that basically sucked. But this year they have been exceptional.

Brace yourself...Its going to be a Bumpy Ride

[BigFish]

No, I think Francona is doing a very good over all job, but some of the clutch decisions he has made have really been lousy......example, That game last Sunday, the Schilling game. Schilling goes 5 2/3 innings perfect ball.....Sox have a big inning and while they are batting, Scilling gets stiff sitting there, which is normal. Schilling comes in, gives up a few runs and with two out in the 8th inning, and the likelihood that the game could get tied up due to men in scoring position, Francona brings in Foulke.....now at this point, I am thinking.....bad move. He already brought in Embry for what, one batter???? Why not bring in Timlin, better yet.....why not leave Embry in for at least another batter cause if they tie the game up, we are looking at extra-innings and after Foulke.....you are starting to look kind of lean in the bullpen, should the game go 13-14 innings? Personally, at the very least, I would have saved Foulke for the ninth inning and let someone else mop up the eighth! Then he left Lowe in to get shelled the other day and Arroyo was left in too long last night!

[CSK]

You thought it was a bad move that he brought in one of the best closers in baseball??

Up until that point Foulke had 10 saves and no blown saves and an ERA under 1 with 25 innings pitched.

[BigFish]

Yeah, given the fact that there were men on base in scoring position, I thought they would have been better served to let one of the other guys mop up and save the closer for what he is meant for......closing! The way it turned out, he never got the chance to "close" and they were lucky to escape that game with a win! I would like to have seen what would have happened if that game went 15-16 innings! Bring on Mark Belmore!

[CSK]

10 saves means he's gone in 10 different times with a tie or the Sox being behind and won the game.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Actually 10 saves means he went into the game w/ the sox winning by 3 runs or less and saved the game for the victory

[CSK]

I'm a dope, you're 100% right

[beachwalker]

he's doing a GREAT job