The Optimism Thread

[mvp 78]

@Jared_Carrabis: Here's where Xander Bogaerts ranks in the MLB since May 17: .406 AVG (2nd), .468 OBP (3rd), .696 SLG (8th), 1.163 OPS (5th). #RedSox

[redsoxfan3]

The only optimism I have is that Bogaerts is hitting great, Napoli comes back tomorrow, Holt has been hitting well, and we hopefully get a healthy Victorino at the end of June or in early July.

[MJantomaso]

Stephen Drew got a hit last night.

[Bellhorn04]

Nava got on base 4 times last night. Good times are just around the corner.

[Behindenemylines]

With two wild cards there is always hope. If the wheels fall off though I want to see the youth play a lot the rest of 2014 to see what we have.

[Spudboy]

Nava got on base 4 times last night. Good times are just around the corner.

 

I think that he should be back in left field most of the time. I don't think that his 2013 hitting was a fluke. He has problems with his swing. That is a correctable fault.

[seabeachfred]

the past does not help the present at all

 

pessimist!!!!!!!!!

[gojohn99]

Holt's still hitting... that's all I got

[jd98]

Mookie Betts getting called up today. Red Sox play .650 ball the rest of the way. Sox win the World Series when Mookie hits a ground ball that goes between the legs of Adrian Gonzalez.

[Spudboy]

Mookie Betts getting called up today. Red Sox play .650 ball the rest of the way. Sox win the World Series when Mookie hits a ground ball that goes between the legs of Adrian Gonzalez.

 

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!1!!

[win red sox]

It's pretty exciting with Betts being called up, by sept 1, it's probable that the sox have 5 rookie's in the everyday lineup (XB,JBJ,Vasquez,Cecchini,Holt) and 3-4 pitchers in the rotation(Workman,RDLR,Webster,Ranuado). The future is bright.

[jacksonianmarch]

The sox should have a high draft pick next yr

[gojohn99]

It's Mookie time!

[Station 13]

The sox should have a high draft pick next yr

 

draft picks is a crapshoot.

 

If they want to make the most out of their situation, package Lester + Koji for a blue chipper.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Station 13

[SoxFanForsyth]

Posted this in the GT but probably more suited for here.

 

Don't worry about how many games you have to win, what winning percentage you have to have to get there, or anything like that.

 

Plain and simple - you're 6 games out of the AL East (in the L column) with 81 games left to play. You've got an absolute cake walk schedule coming up (vs CHC, v BAL, v CWS, @HOU). You've got 13 (!!!) games left against the Blue Jays. You play the Yankees and the Orioles 6 times each in September.

 

All we ask is that you get yourself in a position to make those games worth something.

 

Blind optimism? Sure. But thats what Mookie Betts does.

[MJantomaso]

It's pretty exciting with Betts being called up, by sept 1, it's probable that the sox have 5 rookie's in the everyday lineup (XB,JBJ,Vasquez,Cecchini,Holt) and 3-4 pitchers in the rotation(Workman,RDLR,Webster,Ranuado). The future is bright.

 

RDLR was sent down to make room for Betts. Very dumb move imo.

[sk7326]

RDLR was sent down to make room for Betts. Very dumb move imo.

 

Easy enough to undo - let's see what happens. 6 games back - the run prevention has been largely good. Lot of bad luck so far. There is hope.

[seabeachfred]

Easy enough to undo - let's see what happens. 6 games back - the run prevention has been largely good. Lot of bad luck so far. There is hope.

 

I'm not doing cartwheels sk but this is the best I've felt this season. Taking the Yankees two of three in their backyard after losing the first game of the series is an indicator that we may not be dead. Let's see if we can keep this going. We are not really that far behind anymore, but we have to keep winning series after series for the next month. Then, who knows?

[SoxFanForsyth]

I'm not doing cartwheels sk but this is the best I've felt this season. Taking the Yankees two of three in their backyard after losing the first game of the series is an indicator that we may not be dead. Let's see if we can keep this going. We are not really that far behind anymore, but we have to keep winning series after series for the next month. Then, who knows?

 

The schedule certainly favors the Sox before going into the ASB.

 

3 v CHC, 3 v BAL, 4 v CWS, 3 @ HOU. If the Sox want to make a move, they've got to go 10-3 over these next 4 series.

 

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, who are reeling a little, have 2 vs MIL (one of the best teams in baseball) and then go on a west coast trip to play the Angels and A's, both of whom are very good teams, before closing out with the Rays.

 

The Sox are only 6 back (5 back in the L column) right now, and I can absolutely envision a scenario where they are only 1.5 or 2.5 games out by the time the ASB hits.

 

If they're going to make a move, it's going to be now. It's a damn shame that they didn't have the balls to go with Rubby over Peavy, because this team is hands down better with RDLR in the rotation than Peavy.

[a700hitter]

The schedule certainly favors the Sox before going into the ASB.

 

3 v CHC, 3 v BAL, 4 v CWS, 3 @ HOU. If the Sox want to make a move, they've got to go 10-3 over these next 4 series.

 

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, who are reeling a little, have 2 vs MIL (one of the best teams in baseball) and then go on a west coast trip to play the Angels and A's, both of whom are very good teams, before closing out with the Rays.

 

The Sox are only 6 back (5 back in the L column) right now, and I can absolutely envision a scenario where they are only 1.5 or 2.5 games out by the time the ASB hits.

 

If they're going to make a move, it's going to be now. It's a damn shame that they didn't have the balls to go with Rubby over Peavy, because this team is hands down better with RDLR in the rotation than Peavy.

Keeping Peavy in the rotation is a dumb move.

[Palodios]

The schedule certainly favors the Sox before going into the ASB.

 

3 v CHC, 3 v BAL, 4 v CWS, 3 @ HOU. If the Sox want to make a move, they've got to go 10-3 over these next 4 series.

 

Bud Norris just hit the DL, so even the Orioles may be vulnerable and have to throw out a lessor arm into that series.

[gojohn99]

I agree this is the time for the Sox to make their move and surge forward. I don't understand sending Rubby De La Rosa down either, but he'll probably be up again soon.

[yankthis]

Keeping Peavy in the rotation is a dumb move.

 

Yeah he's not exactly the ace of spades these days, but would anybody be really be talking him down like this if he got a fair bit of run support along the way?

[Spudboy]

Yeah he's not exactly the ace of spades these days, but would anybody be really be talking him down like this if he got a fair bit of run support along the way?

 

 

The honest answer is .....maybe.

 

If the Sox were scoring over 5 runs a game they would stand a decent chance of surviving a Peavy start and prevailing.

 

Still, he pitches like a #5 now and would continue to lose many of his starts.

 

He is an expensive and unproductive part of the rotation when two young pitchers appear to be blooming into starters that are superior to him.

 

Sell him off at the deadline, please..

[Behindenemylines]

Getting swept by the Cubs shows that this team is not playing baseball in October. Its a shame because this is a very winnable AL East. Hopefully, the Sox play over the next few weeks will make it easier for the FO to determine whether they are buyers or sellers.

[sk7326]

The youth movement was something they should have looked at coming out of camp. What Bradley has shown (and to a lesser extent Vasquez) is that they can field the hell out of their position. They can contribute in terms of run prevention while the hitting part got figured out. It would have been nice for him to have the extra 100 or so PAs the team frittered away on Sizemore. Betts is a surprise clearly, nobody expected the monumental leap he made this year - and he is still being a little overpromoted.

 

I see on rebuild threads that the kids is waving the white flag. I don't see that all - I see the kids as the only reasonable path to winning THIS season too. Assuming Victorino is not going to return to his downballot MVP status of last year, the kids have the ability to improve with reps to a much higher degree than the veterans they have been running out, especially in the outfield. The rest of July is very reasonable, and there is a run to be had here. The East is still a mess, but the Red Sox have a chance to make enough noise in the next two weeks to still potentially be buyers. I am not saying it's likely - but it's not crazy either.

[reYoukilis]

The youth movement was something they should have looked at coming out of camp. What Bradley has shown (and to a lesser extent Vasquez) is that they can field the hell out of their position. They can contribute in terms of run prevention while the hitting part got figured out. It would have been nice for him to have the extra 100 or so PAs the team frittered away on Sizemore. Betts is a surprise clearly, nobody expected the monumental leap he made this year - and he is still being a little overpromoted.

 

I see on rebuild threads that the kids is waving the white flag. I don't see that all - I see the kids as the only reasonable path to winning THIS season too. Assuming Victorino is not going to return to his downballot MVP status of last year, the kids have the ability to improve with reps to a much higher degree than the veterans they have been running out, especially in the outfield. The rest of July is very reasonable, and there is a run to be had here. The East is still a mess, but the Red Sox have a chance to make enough noise in the next two weeks to still potentially be buyers. I am not saying it's likely - but it's not crazy either.

Im just going to wait and see. Im tired of my hopes yo-yo'ing.

[Behindenemylines]

The youth movement will make the rest of the season more interesting. Plus you can take an inventory of what you have and what you need for 2015. If they make a run that would be great, but if they don't I want to see the young Sox.

[sk7326]

Jonah Keri provides some optimism http://grantland.com/features/mlb-the-30-red-sox-yankees-blue-jays-orioles-al-east/

[gojohn99]

A great sweep of KC, now a stretch of road games at Toronto and Tampa, then home games with Toronto and NY. They can make up some ground here.