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Blogs from our Community

Charlie Hoke

Too Late for the Baseball Hall of Fame

It’s Hall of Fame weekend, but many deserving players are still unrecognized. For some it is too late. Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant has the unfortunate record for  the most Hall of fame ballots without election at 15 BBWA ballots and 7 Veteran and Era Committee ballots. Luis Tiant died in 2024 without receiving this honor. Many players have died before they are elected to the Hall of Fame.  While posthumous election is a remarkable tribute, is it not better to get recognition with
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Don’t Forget Your Sox

Zach Neto to Boston? How the Red Sox could make a splash at the trade deadline

Could we see Angel’s shortstop Zach Neto in a Red Sox uniform by the August 3rd trade deadline? The idea is not as far-fetched as you may think.      It’s no secret that the Boston Red Sox are interested in the young power-hitting shortstop Zach Neto, as they had conversations with the Angels about trading for him last winter. Unfortunately, the talks didn’t progress.    Flash forward to this season, the Red Sox currently find themselves needing a shortstop.   
Chris Venegas

Chris Venegas in Red Sox

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Don’t Forget Your Sox

The Red Hot Red Sox! My thoughts on the Red Sox heading into the All-Star break

Just a month ago, it looked like the Red Sox season might be over. They were 28-39 on June 12th,  4th place in the A.L. East, and had one of the worst-ranked offenses in the league. They ranked 28th in runs scored, 30th in home runs, 15th in batting average, and in the bottom 3 in slugging percentage and OPS.  Now, in what has truly been a roller coaster of a season for the Boston Red Sox, they find themselves sitting at 46-48, .05 games back of the third wild card spot, having just won 9 g
Charlie Hoke

“He’ll win us six games off the bench.”

Manager Don Zimmer was so enthusiastic about Bob Bailey, naming him the first player to make the club during Spring Training and saying "He'll win us 6 games off the bench" before the start of the season. Rob Refsnyder was the Red Sox's primary right-handed batter against left-handed pitchers for 4 years and after leaving in free agency was a consensus great pickup for the Mariners in the off season. Both Bailey and Refsnyder bat right-handed and predominantly face left-handed pitchers
Don’t Forget Your Sox

Red Sox Offensive Woes Continue

After being defeated 6-1 at Fenway, the Red Sox are now 0-30 in games where they trail by 3 runs or more. The offense continues to be inconsistent and, at times, brutally awful. 13 runners were left on base tonight as the Sox went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. An ongoing theme this season for these Boston Red Sox: the lack of power, clutch hits, and the ability to score runs. Their current offensive rankings are 29th in home runs(59), 29th in runs scored(279), 29th in RBI(268), and
Charlie Hoke

Finding a Professional Hitter

The Red Sox are looking for that one missing piece, a right-handed batter. Can one player be the difference between getting into the post-season and not? In previous Red Sox World Series years, one added batter may have made all the difference. Will it now? In 1986, the Red Sox got Dave Henderson from the Mariners.  In ALCS game 5, down 3 games to 1 and facing elimination, Henderson’s 2 out 2 run homer in the top of the 9th of game 5 tied the game and won it with a sacrifice fly in the
Charlie Hoke

Will firing Cora jumpstart the Red Sox?

Alex Cora joins a list of previously successful Red Sox managers who have been let go during a season. Relieving a manager can energize a team to post-season success, or it can demotivate them and lead to many years of meandering. What does history show? Dick Williams after a successful World Series run in 1967 was fired in 1969 with a record of 82-71 with the Red Sox ending in 3rd place. It took 8 years before the Red Sox again appeared in the post-season in 1975. Darrell J
Charlie Hoke

Roger LaFrancois, .400 hitter and the last of his kind

With a .400 season and a career batting average of .400, you'd think that Roger LaFrancois would have an all-star career, but he was one of the last of his kind, a rostered bullpen catcher. Teams used to carry a third catcher, whose main job was to work in the bullpen. This was a rostered player whose job was to warm up pitchers before they went into the game. Typically, a bullpen catcher was experienced and had a lot of knowledge to share with younger players. However, in the 1980’s,
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Jakob Kazlauskas

Jake Bennett Emerging as Key Left-Handed Option for Red Sox Bullpen

The Boston Red Sox may have something developing in Triple-A, and his name is Jake Bennett. The left-handed prospect, currently with the Worcester Red Sox, is off to an impressive start and quickly making a case to be considered for a call-up. Through his first two appearances, Bennett holds a 1-1 record over 8 innings pitched, striking out 9 batters while posting a 0.63 WHIP and a 0.00 ERA. Those numbers immediately stand out, but it’s the way he’s generating those res
Charlie Hoke

Will Alex Verdugo go to the dogs?

How much does erstwhile Red Sox Alex Verdugo have left in the tank? He hasn't played since last summer in 2025. Despite signing a minor league with the Padres this spring, he has yet to play a minor league game. With a -0.3 (Wins above Replacement) WAR in 56 games with the Braves in 2025, Verdugo has declined from a 2.6 WAR high with the Red Sox in 2023. So will he get a chance to play on the Padres minor league jersey of the year winning team, the El Paso Chihuahuas or will
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Jakob Kazlauskas

Red Sox Series 2 at Houston Astros

The Boston Red Sox wrapped up a frustrating opening stretch with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros, falling to 1–5 on the season and 0–2 in series play. Boston is now one of just three teams in the league sitting at 1–5, a clear sign of how difficult this start has been. Across all three games, the Red Sox showed flashes of potential, but the overall numbers from the weekend highlight major issues on both sides of the ball. Game 1 set the tone in
Ken Matias

Red Sox continue their 5-game loosing streak

CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 28: Trevor Story #10, Alex Cora the manager of the Boston Red Sox and umpire CB Bucknor have a discussion about a strike out by Story in the 8th inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds during the game at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) The Boston Red Sox are sitting at 1-5 on the season and have lost 5 straight games for the first time in 2026. Boston has not won since Opening Day last Thu
Charlie Hoke

Avoiding Arbitration

Under current MLB labor bargaining rules, teams generally have control of players until a player has accrued more than 6 years of MLB service. This ensures that teams have a reasonable amount of time to benefit from developing a player in their organization. Players who excel can enter arbitration after 3 years and sometimes after two years if they qualify under the "Super Two" rule of being in the top 22% of service time.  Arbitration can be an adversarial process where the player submits
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Ken Matias

Red Sox pitchers Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suárez 1-2 punch in 2026

Red Sox starting pitchers Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suárez will start the 2026 season as the 1st and 2nd pitchers in the Boston rotation assuming both stay healthy. Crochet is coming off an incredible 1st season in a Red Sox uniform. He went 18-5 with 2.59 ERA and had 255 K’s in 2025 which led the league in strikeouts. For new addition in 2026 with Suárez he can be durable right behind Crochet in the rotation. Both pitchers are lefties and has the chance to be one of the best top two 1-2 combin
Ken Matias

Roman Anthony first World Baseball Classic

Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony made his first World Baseball Classic appearance with Team USAA on Friday night. Team USA won against Team Brazil 15-5 in their first game of the Classic. Anthony went 2-4 with 2 RBI’s in his first ever game with Team USA. Anthony only 21-years-old has impressed since being called-up in June 2025 with Boston. He was named an injury replacement in the World Baseball Classic after Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll suffered an injury during Spring Train
Charlie Hoke

Expansion and Realignment

How will a future expansion and realignment with 32  MLB impact the Red Sox? Two new teams bringing the total to 32 teams aligned in 8 divisions of four in two leagues will allow 4 division winners and 3 wild cards to play in the post-season. This is an increase of one additional playoff team from the current 3 divisions of 5 teams anointing one division winner and 3 wild cards in the current structure. The Red Sox would likely be in a division with the Yankees, but the 2 other te
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Charlie Hoke

Missing out or a Saving Grace

Missing out getting free agents Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber may be disappointing at first but a long-term saving grace for the Red Sox. Pete Alonso opted out of a 2-year $54 million contract with the Mets to sign a 5-year $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles as he enters his age 31 year. Entering free agency, Kyle Schwarber elected to stay with the Phillies on a 5-year $150 million contract entering his age 33 year. From Baseball-Reference.com, the most similar play
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Charlie Hoke

Keeping the Playoff Window Open

Returning to the post season for the first time since 2021, the 2025 Sox ended the year losing the American League Wild Card Series to the Yankees. Is the playoff window still opening? With a strong base of young players: Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Garrett Crochet, Carlos Narvaez, Brayan Bello, Kristian Campbell, the Sox are well positioned for the future, but veteran talent is thin with only Trevor Story, Jarred Duran, Lucas Giolito,  Masataka Yoshida and Aroldis Chapma
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Charlie Hoke

Small Decision, Big Impact

Small decisions had big impacts in the 2025 World Series. What if one choice had gone the other way? Hobbling from a late regular season knee injury, Bo Bichette played gamely throughout the Series for Toronto and was pinch ran for late in games and often replaced by Isiah Kiner-Falefah, a former gold glover for base running and defensive ability. In the third inning of Game 7, Bo Bichette hit a 3-run homer off of Shohei Ohtani to give Toronto an early lead. In the final
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Battle Your Tail Off

Check Out Franchise Ball, The FREE Baseball Simulator

The Red Sox's season has concluded, but do you need your next baseball fix over the long winter? Fans who follow the Red Sox know the thrill of building a team from the ground up — from scouting promising talent to developing all-stars. But what if you could experience that same excitement firsthand, managing every detail of your own franchise? That’s where Franchise Ball steps up to the plate. It’s a free online baseball simulation game that lets you become the general manager of your own
Brock Beauchamp

Brock Beauchamp in Promotions

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Charlie Hoke

The pressure of being a star

When you're the perennial All-Star and lauded as the team's superstar, you may feel you need to do it all. October 2, 1978, down by a run in the tiebreaker game to see who would go on to the ALCS, the Red Sox had two men on with Carl Yastrzemski at the plate [1] with 2 outs facing Rich Gossage. Gossage's first pitch was low for the ball. The second pitch was popped up as Yaz could not hold up his swing and Yankees 3rd Baseman Graig Nettles caught the box for the final out. Le
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Charlie Hoke

Choosing the lesser of two evils and the three batter rule

Do you put the go-ahead run on base and walk a dangerous hitter to load the bases or do you pitch to him? In game 7 of the 2025 ALCS, the Mariners with a two-run lead, faced a decision with 1 out, runners on 2nd and 3rd and George Springer at the plate.  With 22 previous post-season home runs and 2 more during the 2025 ALCS, Springer a right handed hitter was facing Eduard Bazardo who had not lost a game for the Mariners all season, yet Bazardo had thrown 15 pitches over 2 innings the
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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Charlie Hoke

A MasterClass in holding leads - Eduard Bazardo

Eduard Bazardo, one of 4 remaining ex-Sox players and the only pitcher on still contending teams, will have a chance to play in the 2025 World Series. He plays a vital role for the 2025 Seattle Mariners coming out of the bullpen to preserve leads [1].  Signed as an international free agent in 2014 at the age of 19, Bazardo steadily rose through the minor leagues peaking as the 19th best prospect on the Sox and appeared poised to join the Sox in the majors but a lat injury on May 19, 2021 la
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in MLB

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