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Post by incandenza on Sept 24, 2021 16:33:14 GMT -5
The Red Sox were destined to lose game 7 in 1986 in exactly the same way that they were destined to win game 7 in 1975. (I.e., they weren't.) No idea how old you are, but do you remember that 1986 Series well? The weight of the World Series championship wait was huge and when they blew it the way they did, I don't know of anybody who thought the Sox were going to win Game 7 1986. Were you the one saying, "No problem. They got this?" As it was the Sox lost Game 7 1975 in a very painful way. I'm sure a lot of people thought they might prevail given what happened in Game 6, but as Bill Lee, the starting pitcher in Game 7, wrote in his book, "The Wrong Stuff": "When we scored those three runs, the crowd went wild. But after we failed to score again, I could feel the paranoia creeping through the stands. It was as if everyone was thinking, Okay, how are we going to f*** this one up?" I get your point, but the fact of the matter is that when you go a long time without winning and go through a ton of heartache, you would not be as inclined to think it'll work out somehow. In this century with 4 championships in hand, that mindset is not as prevalent. There is a whole generation of Red Sox fans growing up that have no idea what it's like to wonder if you'll go your whole life without seeing the Sox win it all. I am not old enough to remember 1986 well, but I am old enough to have learned that people are capable of narrativizing anything, and those narratives then get treated retroactively as inevitabilities.
The Red Sox could have won game 7, in which case they would have been a magical team that overcame the trickster gods in game 6 and finally put the Curse of the Bambino to bed. It all would have seemed like destiny all along... in retrospect.
I am also old enough to remember that it did feel inevitable that the Red Sox would find a way to lose in the end... until 2004, when all of a sudden it wasn't. There's no reason what happened in 2004 couldn't have happened in 1986 or 1975...
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Post by incandenza on Sept 24, 2021 16:36:28 GMT -5
I'd guess Dalbec working at 2B has more to do with late game pinch-hitting/defensive switching scenarios than any wild notion to start him at the position?
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shagworthy
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Post by shagworthy on Sept 24, 2021 16:37:33 GMT -5
Honestly this version of Dalbec’s offensive upgrade at 2B probably outweighs his defensive flaws and it lets you keep your ideal OF. With the shift being such a factor these days I don’t think it’ll hurt them as much as it seems. To me it’s most important that they go Verdugo-Kikè-Renfroe. Plus it possibly provides an opening for Dalbec going forward as a super utility guy of sorts. I also don’t think Schwarber has been a total wreck. He hasn’t been good by any means but it honestly hasn’t been that much worse (if at all) than what Dalbec was providing in the first half. Now of course he’s looking much better over there, but if the first thing proved anything it’s we can survive having a bad defensive first basemen Of course later in games where you have the lead you go to your more ideal alignment Yeah, but I'd worry about 4 below average guys defensively in the infield. It's like having four Eduardo Nunezes in your infield. I guess I just am more convinced than ever of good team defense. Now is the not time I'd conduct this experiment, but I suspect Dalbec is a trade chip long term and the more positional versatility they can squeeze out of him the better returns they will get. I guess if we miraculously made it to the WS it would be nice to know you could throw him out at 2b for a few innings to get his bat into a game. While I am bullish on them making the playoffs, the odds they face a national league team necessitating such strategy be deployed is rather slim imho.
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Post by Underwater Johnson on Sept 24, 2021 16:37:44 GMT -5
Raffy also takes grounders at SS before games. I would guess it's in case of emergency in the late innings, either due to injury or when yer bench is already short and you get a pitcher/batter matchup that you want (e.g. pinch-hitting Dalbec for Arroyo) and you have to make it work in the field afterwards.
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Post by julyanmorley on Sept 24, 2021 16:38:48 GMT -5
Dalbec isn't starting any games at 2B.
He has some innings at SS this year. Devers has finished games at 2B. They're just exploring their options for late game PH scrambles.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Sept 24, 2021 16:53:10 GMT -5
Hernandez 8 Schwarber 3 Bogaerts 6 Devers 5 Martinez DH Verdugo 7 Renfroe 9 Vazquez 2 Iglesias 4
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 24, 2021 16:54:50 GMT -5
Hernandez 8 Schwarber 3 Bogaerts 6 Devers 5 Martinez DH Verdugo 7 Renfroe 9 Vazquez 2 Iglesias 4 Exactly as expected.
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Post by Don Caballero on Sept 24, 2021 17:03:30 GMT -5
After having a rough time in June and July, the Verdugod has rebounded big time in August (.899) and is keeping that momentum in September (.856). He's key for this line-up.
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Post by reasonabledoubt on Sept 24, 2021 17:04:52 GMT -5
What's the weather situation? Does it look like things are clearing out, or are we expecting delays? Here in central NJ it's been sunny all day.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 24, 2021 17:12:21 GMT -5
Re 1986, the Sox odds of winning the ALCS, when you factor in the players involved, were ten times as worse as the Mets for winning the WS. We were playing with house money the whole time.
Gedman was the Sox last out in game 5, facing a LHR, and literally the only way the game could possibly continue was for him to get hit by a pitch. He was in the midst of a K streak vs. them.
Gary Lucas had gone 1383 consecutive batters without hitting anyone. He hit Gedman with the first pitch.
And (mirroring McNamara in game 6), Gene Mauch could have won the game easily in the bottom of the 9th by pinch-hitting if he were aware of Steve Crawford's huge platoon splits ... and the guy was a sidearmer!
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 24, 2021 17:12:44 GMT -5
What's the weather situation? Does it look like things are clearing out, or are we expecting delays? Here in central NJ it's been sunny all day. 16% chance of rain from cloudy skies.
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Post by soxfansince67 on Sept 24, 2021 17:24:53 GMT -5
been waiting for this series so much the last 48 hrs. Significant late Sept baseball. Playing MFY at Fenway. What a treat!
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Post by Guidas on Sept 24, 2021 17:28:54 GMT -5
Hernandez 8 Schwarber 3 Bogaerts 6 Devers 5 Martinez DH Verdugo 7 Renfroe 9 Vazquez 2 Iglesias 4 Once again, Sox holding out their best player.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Sept 24, 2021 17:31:42 GMT -5
Hernandez 8 Schwarber 3 Bogaerts 6 Devers 5 Martinez DH Verdugo 7 Renfroe 9 Vazquez 2 Iglesias 4 Once again, Sox holding out their best player. Apparently Dalbec is not their best player versus premium velocity.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Sept 24, 2021 17:41:35 GMT -5
Hernandez 8 Schwarber 3 Bogaerts 6 Devers 5 Martinez DH Verdugo 7 Renfroe 9 Vazquez 2 Iglesias 4 Once again, Sox holding out their best player. I think a lot of this is pitching matchup. He’ll be there to prey on one of their sorry relievers in a key spot in the later innings
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Post by soxfansince67 on Sept 24, 2021 17:48:13 GMT -5
Once again, Sox holding out their best player. I think a lot of this is pitching matchup. He’ll be there to prey on one of their sorry relievers in a key spot in the later innings my view...at this point I trust Cora!
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Post by incandenza on Sept 24, 2021 17:48:29 GMT -5
Once again, Sox holding out their best player. I think a lot of this is pitching matchup. He’ll be there to prey on one of their sorry relievers in a key spot in the later innings Though I've noticed he's been lousy as a pinch hitter: 1-6 with 1 single and 4 Ks. That's obviously a tiny sample but it's also very bad.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Sept 24, 2021 17:55:56 GMT -5
I think a lot of this is pitching matchup. He’ll be there to prey on one of their sorry relievers in a key spot in the later innings Though I've noticed he's been lousy as a pinch hitter: 1-6 with 1 single and 4 Ks. That's obviously a tiny sample but it's also very bad. Most relievers are hard throwers so that probably explains it. You'd think Dalbec should PH against Chapman but can he catch up to 100 MPH velocity?
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Post by julyanmorley on Sept 24, 2021 17:59:31 GMT -5
I have no idea who Cora would pick to PH for Chapman - Plawecki or Dalbec.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Sept 24, 2021 18:12:57 GMT -5
I think a lot of this is pitching matchup. He’ll be there to prey on one of their sorry relievers in a key spot in the later innings Though I've noticed he's been lousy as a pinch hitter: 1-6 with 1 single and 4 Ks. That's obviously a tiny sample but it's also very bad. Probably mostly happened when he wasn’t funky bob
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Sept 24, 2021 18:13:09 GMT -5
Let’s go Piss Sox!
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Post by julyanmorley on Sept 24, 2021 18:15:32 GMT -5
The worst case scenario tonight is the Red Sox are a lock to make the playoffs and they stop wearing these jerseys.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Sept 24, 2021 18:16:27 GMT -5
Hey Speier let’s put that graphic away until Judge isn’t at the plate
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Post by aznpopsical on Sept 24, 2021 18:17:45 GMT -5
welp, eovaldi is not stepping up to the plate so far
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Sept 24, 2021 18:19:01 GMT -5
Not the way to set the tone. Itll be 3-0 or 4-0 by the time the inning is over.
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