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Post by patford on Apr 17, 2024 8:49:39 GMT -5
Are there really fans on the forum who went into the season believing the Sox would win the World Series? Because winning the World Series is the only thing that matters. I know that as a fact because I watched; 1967, 1975 and 1986 and the feeling was no different from the Red Sox finishing in last place. It's actually a worse feeling. As that is how I see things this season and the past few are all about how the team might win the World Series at some point in the near future. That is the reason the Sox should immediately get rid of Jansen. It's not that he blows games. It's that he isn't going to be around and I doubt anyone wants him around. So move him. A trade would be perfect. The return isn't even important if a partner will pick up his contract.
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Post by patford on Apr 16, 2024 20:51:21 GMT -5
Anyone game for watching Jansen in the 9th ? ... I thought not.
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Post by patford on Apr 15, 2024 16:48:03 GMT -5
Nice to see an exceptional start by Crawford. The bullpen was bad but it would not have mattered if they were great as 1-0 is the same as 6-0.
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Post by patford on Apr 14, 2024 20:43:09 GMT -5
9-7. Oppositiion is .500. West coast trip outa way. Other than the Devistating news of Story nit terrible No one here (as far as I saw) expected them to compete. Overall mood was off the charts negative. Really they completely pissed away at least two games so they could easily be 11-5.
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Post by patford on Apr 14, 2024 16:21:31 GMT -5
What in the world was Verdugo doing there? That was just bad, any sort of effort there and he's safe. In the look from behind the plate it appears he has a hitch around 1/3 of the way down the line so perhaps he pulled something?
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Post by patford on Apr 13, 2024 12:38:50 GMT -5
I know it's the game thread and all but this feels like a *slight* collective overreaction to Hamilton's first 3 games at SS. He's 26. I've been listening to Chris and Ian on podcasts for going on three years saying he's not a MLB SS.
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Post by patford on Apr 13, 2024 11:16:56 GMT -5
You’d have imagine there’s positive regression to the mean on offense and defense coming… er, right? You'd think the offense will come around. The defense as it stands isn't fixable. Devers has never improved in any measurable way. Duran is a known factor not a young kid who might develop. Casas is never going to be above average and might continue to be well below. SS is a disaster. Hamilton is older and not a MLB caliber player and should not even be on the roster. Rafaela should probably be moved to SS for the sanity of the pitching staff but even he has made more errors already in CF than some outfielders make in a full season. The Sox should also consider Mayer. Sure there's the argument he might be ruined but many teams are aggressively promoting their top prospects. If a prospect is raw and very young they might be ruined but a mature individual with a degree of polish should not be permanently ruined by being rushed. If they have to be sent back down and are ruined by the experience then chances are the prospect is so fragile they were never going to be great anyhow.
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Post by patford on Apr 11, 2024 12:19:40 GMT -5
I'll start worrying about Rafaela when Devers begins to hit.
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Post by patford on Apr 9, 2024 17:41:41 GMT -5
Wasn't able to watch. Nice outing by Bello. How in the world did Winckowski give up 9 hits in two innings and only 3 ER ? More errors leading to runs. I was hoping for better. Starting to look like last year. The Sox have got to lead MLB in unearned runs allowed which says something considering the A's.
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Post by patford on Apr 9, 2024 17:37:24 GMT -5
Dalbec will be picked up by the Rays. Hit .217 with 47 HR and 93 RBI.
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Post by patford on Apr 8, 2024 19:10:48 GMT -5
Is it past time for MLB to expand rosters to allow additional pitchers? It would have to be pitchers only no added position player slots. Maybe that would help? It's getting ridiculous.
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Post by patford on Apr 8, 2024 12:17:55 GMT -5
The mention of Campbell on the most recent pod plus his most recent shoutout in the Baseball America article. Tantalizing! It's mentioned the same scout who was long ago raving about Anthony is now raving about him:
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Post by patford on Apr 7, 2024 16:13:03 GMT -5
You gave a super specific set of criteria and I thought of a player off the top of my head who fit it. Broaden it slightly and you can include guys like Beltran, Trout, Tulowitzki I think clearly the solution here is we should spend the next several hours of our Sunday on Baseball Reference to find examples to win an argument over the internet, as to comment on an injury whose severity we won’t know the details of until like tomorrow night. Only to endlessly go around and around because...important.
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Post by patford on Apr 7, 2024 10:58:28 GMT -5
Man, we could have signed Xander Bogaerts for a little bit more money and at least had a guy who would log a lot of games...instead we have this albatross of a contract for a guy who is unable to stay healthy. What a disasterclass. Do we think he tops the 162 games played in a Red Sox uniform before 2026 or nah? The Red Sox need a SS not a 1B.
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Post by patford on Apr 7, 2024 10:57:42 GMT -5
I wish Mayer was ready to step in now and even be an average MLBer but he's not even in the equation yet in my opinion. If story is out most the year they really should go out and get someone to cover them this year if there is anyone available out there. Not sure there is at this point in the season so they'll probably have to make due with what they have and maybe try and poach someone off waivers in the coming weeks/months. Highly unlikely but within the realm of possibility. Reports from those who have seen him are his fielding is very advanced. If by chance he hits the cover off the ball at AA and then at AAA he could easily force the issue as there is a need at the position. Quite a few teams are promoting their young high end prospects.
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Post by patford on Apr 7, 2024 8:52:26 GMT -5
Horrendous error by Devers. At this point the sooner he can become a full time DH the better because he is unlikely to ever solve his problems at 3B. Putting that aside, will this team ever start to hit? Duran and O'Neill and the catchers have been great but the rest of the lineup has been a black hole.
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Post by patford on Apr 7, 2024 8:45:05 GMT -5
Saying Story's career is over seems pretty asinine to me. Its not like he keeps having some nagging injury. Don't understand even saying that one bit. Just agree with him or you'll be spending the next six months on this.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 19:50:10 GMT -5
Apropos of nothing, but David Hamilton yet to be activated before the game tonight (meaning the Sox would effectively have a 3 man bench if we assume Story isn’t playing.) Cora said they are still waiting for MRI results for Story (he took them at 4 pm PST) - but you’d figure they would know enough as to whether at bare minimum he should be put on the 10 Day IL… right? Best possible outcome would be if it was a stinger. Michael Hisey, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon: "A stinger can be caused by a downward force to the shoulder. This sudden force pinches—or acutely stretches—the nerves in the neck. When the nerves are suddenly impacted like this, stinging or burning and possibly neurological symptoms may radiate along the path of the nerve into the arm. Stingers get their name from the intense, electric-like pain that characterizes the injury. Symptoms also include sensations of tingling and/or weakness in the arm and hand. Typically, the pain lasts 10 seconds or less, but sometimes continues for hours or even days.
The pain is triggered when the impact stretches or presses on the group of nerves called the brachial plexus. These nerves start in back of the neck and travel down into the arm and hand. After the initial electrical discharge at the time of impact, the nerves' motor fibers that allow movement in the arm often do not function well. The dysfunction is evident by weakness in the arm and possibly the hand."
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 19:03:23 GMT -5
It certainly seems even in the best case scenario story is going on the IL. His post just prior to that says Hamilton is on the taxi squad and no roster move has been made. That may be a glimmer of hope the Sox think it's not as bad as it looked.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 19:01:00 GMT -5
It certainly seems even in the best case scenario story is going on the IL. That isn't how it reads to me but I'm none the less expecting very bad news. Hopefully not season ending.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 16:28:17 GMT -5
David Hamilton has some strong defensive metrics on the minors, and the Red Sox claim to believe he's a strong defender. He doesn't pass the eye test for me, but what do I know. My best guess is that he's the guy you want starting at SS vs RHP among current options. Wasn't the knock on him his glove all along? Super athletic with granite hands.. Lets hope Story's injury isn't as bad as it looked. I've seen very little of him but Ian Cundall has seen loads of him and has very consistently said he's not good. He was at least as bad as Hernandez when he was up with the Sox last year.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 16:26:06 GMT -5
Calling up David Hamilton doesn't make any sense to me. He can't play SS at more than a bottom of the league level (if that) and he can't hit. I hope (and think) the plan isn't to have Hamilton start a lot of games at SS if Story is out awhile. Pablo Reyes is the SS for now unless they want to get weird with Cedanne, and hopefully the news on Story isn't too bad when the MRI comes back. Hopefully. You would think after the Hernandez fiasco it should be clear SS is still a defense first position. It's fantastic if the SS also hits but having someone out there who clearly does not belong is a bad idea.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 16:10:55 GMT -5
Calling up David Hamilton doesn't make any sense to me. He can't play SS at more than a bottom of the league level (if that) and he can't hit.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 10:48:41 GMT -5
Again per Fangraphs, since 2015 there have been 20 players age 31 or older to play at least 120 games at SS in a season, and like I said earlier only 6 of those were able to put up more than 2 WAR. By comparison there have been 41 players age 31 or older to play at least 120 games at 2B, and 27 of them were able to put up at least 2 WAR. I'm using the term 'injury' loosely here, maybe 'effectiveness' is a better term. But SS is clearly a difficult position for guys in their thirties to play at even an average level.
And the contingency plan was acquiring Grissom, not sticking Story at SS. If your plan was to move Story to 2B when Mayer is ready, which again, I think has been the plan from day 1, you only go out and get Grissom if you think there is a good chance Story's career is coming to an end.
You're conflating multiple things here that aren't related, but I'll just cover the most important one. Story has enough ability, talent and skill to be a better than 2 war player at SS at his current age. The only thing preventing that is his injury history. Why do you suppose that his style of play makes it less likely that he injures himself at 2b given how often a 2b has to dive for balls up the middle and into the hole and given how many more balls story can get to than the average 2b? Grissom has nothing to do with Story or Mayer. It's true. Story played the same aggressive style at 2B last year. Diving and throwing his body around to make great plays. The only big difference for a SS is much more difficult throws. The other aspects of defense are almost aren't much different.
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Post by patford on Apr 6, 2024 9:58:23 GMT -5
I know he doesn’t have SS eligibility yet in my fantasy league and it’s very harmful to me at the moment I haven’t seen him personally but he doesn’t do anything wrong until playoff time so I’d imagine he’s doing great at SS. Like would it truly shock anyone if he ends up a GG candidate at SS? Nothing he does surprises me anymore Mookie reminds me of this quote from Tommy Leach on the great Honus Wagner, in Ken Burns Baseball: “…And it turned out that ol’ Honus was the best third baseman in the league, he was also the best first baseman, the best second baseman, the best shortstop, and the best outfielder. That was in fielding. And since he led the league in batting eight times between 1900 and 1911, you know that he was the best hitter, too. As well as the best base runner.” If he took up pitching he’d probably be the best pitcher. He reminds me more of Jason Tatum.
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