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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 18, 2024 22:28:38 GMT -5
it is that time, time to turn the leaves back into mulch.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 13, 2024 14:57:09 GMT -5
A player with a high ceiling on defense and a low floor on offense but one whom they've seen enough to know that floor is not as bad as once feared. I still think the jury is out on his offensive upside. A full year here will help more clearly define his projected parameters. Yup. But I think the concerns on offense are overblown..He has, IMO, a lightening bat and seeming good bat to ball. He's done it in the minors with regular play. And, did you see him run on the triple to right? A certified gazelle..such a beautiful, gliding stride. Poetry. I was one of those who was noting despite his suspect offensive tools he was still finding a way to get it done at every level. But the toughest level is the last one so I think it's somewhat wise to temper expectation, this when I recently stated JBJ is a good comp.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 10, 2024 17:38:25 GMT -5
This seems like a no brainer. I feel like his floor is JBJ with much more speed and less power. I’m fine paying for that. Even now… if his OPS is ~.680 with gold glove defense? Done. And I expect improvement. I think JBJ is the best recent Red Sox comparison but as a comp and not as his floor.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 8, 2024 17:39:05 GMT -5
I had figured he was one of the young players being referenced before the season, makes all the sense in the world to lock up a guy that you are certain will provide value on one side of the ball. A player with a high ceiling on defense and a low floor on offense but one whom they've seen enough to know that floor is not as bad as once feared. I still think the jury is out on his offensive upside. A full year here will help more clearly define his projected parameters.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 5, 2024 8:33:54 GMT -5
As was last night. Ullmark has been playing very well lately but Swayman was as well last night. Marchand with his 400 career goal, Heinen netted another one and Pasta creeps toward another 50 goal season. He now need 3 goals in his final five games. We play Florida, Hurricanes again, Pittsburg, Washington fighting for their playoff lives at the moment and finish in Ottowa. Should they beat Florida again, the division is virtually wrapped up as we will be up 6 points with 4 games to go and we'd have the tie breaker too. I think we are going to end up with either the one seed or 2 seed.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 3, 2024 20:49:11 GMT -5
Well, Jaylen started the 4th balling like the best player ever, so I guess he’s fine lol. That and the refs poked the bear, the Koala Bear, in D White. Also the Unicorn showed once again why he is the Unicorn. Fun one to watch during a crappy Winters storm in April.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 2, 2024 19:26:56 GMT -5
Pasta gets knocked down twice then checked again when he's down, he gets up and shoves back toward their player and the Zebras see fit to blow the whistle? FFS.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Apr 2, 2024 17:26:32 GMT -5
I can’t stand Folgers and his holier than thou attitude. And his sidekick is dumb as rocks. So I don’t listen.. It certainly isn't the best part of waking up. And, you couldn't silents Folgers if you tried.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 30, 2024 12:35:37 GMT -5
Yeah, hiring Bill turned out awfully. Do you think Tom Brady had something to do with it or was it all BB? I understand there is a chance PM1999 you may in fact be agreeing with what I'm about to state, but I feel compelled to say my spiel. You can't have one without the other, this debate will go on ad nauseum forever and makes NO sense at all. To many people in the world think you can go for this or you can go for that. That type of thinking is simplistic and child like, it doesn't nor should it be, in most cases one or the other. It can also be both or in some case neither. A lot of choices are not binary they way we are pigeon holed to think it has to be, it can and often is multi-faceted with deeper layers of understanding and nuances that take you beyond that simplistic mindset.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 29, 2024 19:03:00 GMT -5
Opposite field in Safeco. O'Neil is a body builder playing baseball. Don't know how I feel with Martin coming in with a crappy spring training facing the heart of the lineup. Followed by Kenly's small spring training. O'Neil is like a modern day Gabe Kapler.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 28, 2024 20:30:51 GMT -5
With the Cs clinching top spot...thoughts on how they play out the rest of the regular season in terms on lineups/player rests? They need to clinch the top spot in the entire league so they have home court in the finals too. They are up 7 in the loss column that will not be an issue.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 28, 2024 20:27:05 GMT -5
82-80, Pretty good offense much improved defense and a solid to good pen however the Starting Pitching remains the Achilles heal of the team.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 26, 2024 20:13:09 GMT -5
Monty to D-backs - what a damn good off-season for them At least it’s not the Yankees Diamondbacks doing what they need to do so they can contend. I wonder what that feels like?
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 26, 2024 19:58:30 GMT -5
Click the name, which takes you to profile. Then click the little arrow next to the gear on the right. Hit "Block Member" & the unpleasant interactions are a thing of the past. Bless you. Done and Done.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 26, 2024 19:52:50 GMT -5
Bennet gave Lindholm no choice as Bennet challenged his manhood for several minutes before the fight and the ref is right there, and somehow no extra penalty for instigating or roughing. Later they called a phantom slash against Beecher where he made no contact with anyone. It makes no sense but it truly feels like the league has a vendetta against the B's and yes that makes no sense, but still seems true none the less.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 26, 2024 19:29:08 GMT -5
The block function is there for a reason. I am a late convert but a happy customer. How do you do that?
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 25, 2024 21:53:58 GMT -5
When the Celtics have one tough game over the last 22 or so you are like a troll in a cubicle prairie dogging. Otherwise crickets, that sums up your appearances to a T. Read my previous post. Or, better yet, ignore my posts you whiny dweeb. It's time you whining is banned, you are a one trick pony with one bullet in your chamber. You add no value, none.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 25, 2024 21:25:11 GMT -5
I really don't think teams "trade down for a QB" though. As a matter fact, I don't think teams trade down for any player. The idea is (or, at least, s/b) you trade down bc: 1. You don't like who is there at your pick, or 2. There are enough players you DO like at your pick, you feel you can get one of your guys AND pick up extra picks. So the "failings" in trade backs are just as much an endorsement for trading back as they are a deterrent. The teams in those cases, likely weren't certain enough about the success of that player they'd otherwise take at their pick so they traded back, took the QB AND picked up additional assets. It's all about tiering, you give a grade to a player with the understanding no matter how good your system is it still has a plus minus range. If the position of need has a drop off down to the next tier that is something to consider. If you think you could drop back pick up additional assets and still pick up a player on they same tier based on your own tiering and evaluation then obviously it becomes a serious consideration. What WAY to many fans don't realize is that publicly shared drafts rarely overlap teams own systems and with each pick made that gap only widens.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 25, 2024 20:42:51 GMT -5
Truly an impressive performance blowing this lead. When the Celtics have one tough game over the last 22 or so you are like a troll in a cubicle prairie dogging. Otherwise crickets, that sums up your appearances to a T.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 25, 2024 20:33:11 GMT -5
Luke Kornet is a free agent after this year. He’s a system player, in my opinion, but he’s really getting comfortable and good in this system and what is asked of him. I hope the rest of the NBA looks at him the same way and he’s only offered minimum contracts so the Celtics can keep him. Low salary, impact guys are key long term to this team and it’d be nice to have him as a depth big long term if he’s cheap like he is now. I thought he showed several flashes in his previous stint with the team so did the german, name??
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 23, 2024 20:51:41 GMT -5
All season long the refs have been terrible with the hanging on the nets technicals on dunks but at least they've called it both ways, still terrible and breaks the flow of the game and is completely unneccesary.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 23, 2024 20:42:23 GMT -5
Liking Brissett’s game tonight He’s been a solid energy guy this year And he' s pretty athletic too. Made some nice plays tonight too. With this roster is there anyone you don't like? Stevens and Ainge feel like Epstein and Duquette. I just hope the results are the same.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 23, 2024 15:36:39 GMT -5
Great to win the games they should win, and by a lot. Bench really showing what they are made of last year after 70 games - 48-22 on the way to 57 wins. this year after 70 - 56-14. How high will they go? Right now they are closer to 66 than 65 by their current winning percentage. That said they've won 19 of their last 21 and they were absolutely, to me anyway, robbed in the Cleveland game. So they've been trending upwards of their current winning percentage and they only have a dozen left. I'll stick with 65 (range of 63-67) though, being conservative when all things are considered seems appropriate.
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 23, 2024 12:48:43 GMT -5
Do I need to say anything about the refs, or did we all see that BS? To make what to me should be an automatic suspension of the ref was compounded when he called the penalty against Marchand. Like a caught but hurt thief doubling down on his obvious untrue claim of innocence. I'm ashamed for that ref that is how bad that was. It brings the whole league down to employ ass hats like that. And the Flyer throwing potenially career ending knees must be suspended. Marchand a few weeks ago took a cross check to his neck and no call. Does he have to be decapitated to get a call?
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Mar 21, 2024 18:43:33 GMT -5
I know Cora had mentioned a platoon at 2B. Typically that’s a L/R thing, but depending on 1) how long Grissom is out, and 2) how comfortable Rafaela is both at 2B and switching between infield and outfield, there’s a case to be made for a de facto defensive platoon. Sox 2024 Starting Pitchers: Groundball to Fly-ball Ratio in 2023 Bello - 1.94 Houck - 1.92 Whitlock - 1.20 Pivetta - .87 Crawford - .71 No pitcher will be upset with having Rafaela’s defense in center. But the number of plays there will be different on days when it’s say Kutter Crawford out there (a heavy fly ball pitcher), as opposed to someone like Bello (where Rafaela might often get the ball in center merely after it’s squeaked by the second baseman) - and I don’t think it’s insane to speculate Rafaela would be the best non-Story defensive 2B on the roster. (With that said, we’re also talking about a 23 year old rookie here just trying to crack the team - asking him to be constantly moving around while he’s adapting to the big leagues is a big ask.) Ratios can get you in trouble. Crawford last year had a 98 where 100 = average number of balls hit into the air. Bello (starting in June), Pivetta (once he introduced his sweeper) and Houck were 85, 84, and 86 respectively. Whitlock was 101 in 2021-22. So there's likely 2 dead-average starters and a trio of GB types.
The numbers for grounders, 137 Bello, 126 Houck, 102 Whitlock, 79 Crawford, 77 Pivetta.
That's actually encouraging as the defense up the middle should be much better than last year, unfortunately that bar was low. By the end of the 25 season the defense should continue to improve. I still think Casas can improve his defense to at least approach average. Perhaps by that time you end up with only two weak links defensively in Devers and Yoshida, where they end up playing then will be real interesting to see play out. Casas isn't likely moving soon, and we've been saying that with Devers for a while, but I have to wonder how many more years he remains there at the hot corner to lead the league in errors at third base? I also think Yoshida is going to have even a better year than his first half last season. Perhaps after the 25 season Yoshi is traded and Devers moves to DH for the 26 season.
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