A Realistic View at 2016

[iortiz]

We let up 7 hits and 8 walks in 4 and a third innings to start the game, but allowed only 3 runs!

 

Owens' trade mark.

 

Somehow this kid always finds a way to get out of jams.

 

Watching him pitch is so stressful.

[mvp 78]

Not sure we'll have to watch him for much longer.

[SinceYaz]

It's a little like watching Dice-K ... Clay was the same the night before but he did settle down.

 

I have to give JF a nod, he didn't wait until the game was out of hand before he replaced Owens.

 

Another nod to RRJr for the last 2 innings.

[cp176]

Image from http://www.notesfromaztlan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ted-Williams.jpg.

 

The red makes him pop. It's compressed on here, hence the lower picture quality. The original has the catcher & the ump. Simple google search for Ted Williams pics.

 

Always been my favorite baseball picture. I was 9 and got a chance to see him in his last year.

[cp176]

It's a little like watching Dice-K ... Clay was the same the night before but he did settle down.

 

I have to give JF a nod, he didn't wait until the game was out of hand before he replaced Owens.

 

Another nod to RRJr for the last 2 innings.

 

It's a good bet that Owens will be heading back to AAA but there is something there. If he could just find that strike zone a little more often. Don't see him ever being top of rotation but it is possible that he could help out.

[SinceYaz]

It's a good bet that Owens will be heading back to AAA but there is something there. If he could just find that strike zone a little more often. Don't see him ever being top of rotation but it is possible that he could help out.

 

Sonny Seibert not Jim Lonborg, maybe ....

[cp176]

Sonny Seibert not Jim Lonborg, maybe ....

 

oh baby - if Sonny Seibert, Ray Culp, or even Jose Santiago came through that clubhouse door, we would be riding high tide!

You're right - Owens ain't no Lonborg.

[Slasher9]

We let up 7 hits and 8 walks in 4 and a third innings to start the game, but allowed only 3 runs!

 

that is an amazing feat.

[Bellhorn04]

that is an amazing feat.

 

Very lucky indeed. Wouldn't want to try to do it again.

[Jack Flap]

I'm sold on the offense and the 'pen so far...if the rotation can get its act together (looking at you Price, Buch, and soon E-Rod), I think this could be a dangerous team.

[Kingface]

I think this team as already dangerous Flap. They just took 2-3 from one of the best teams so far in the AL. It's early obviously but our season was over halfway through June last year!

 

Right now my biggest concern is getting Mookie on track. He is falling into a habit of starting slow and that's not a great thing for the 'table setter' of the team.

 

Xander is probably my favorite player right now.....but I really would love to see more power from him. What happened to his power?!?!

[S5Dewey]

that is an amazing feat.

 

It came just a few days from being a second Mother's Day Miracle.

[Emp9]

It's a little like watching Dice-K ... Clay was the same the night before but he did settle down.

 

I have to give JF a nod, he didn't wait until the game was out of hand before he replaced Owens.

 

Another nod to RRJr for the last 2 innings.

 

Ross Jr reaching back and repeatedly hitting 95mph and catching enough of the plate w/ a rising FB ... Man, he seems unstoppable. We got Smith back now having already done his job a few nights before. Me happy

[Slasher9]

it will all come down to the dreaded "health" with this team. if we stay healthy we are LEGIT.

E-rod has 1 more rehab start this weekend and then he is back to the Show.

 

on another note - as annoyed as i was with the Ortiz announced "retirement tour" i am encouraged by his performance thus far. you would think he is playing for a contract the way he is mashing. the dude is the BEST.

[Dojji]

I think this team as already dangerous Flap. They just took 2-3 from one of the best teams so far in the AL. It's early obviously but our season was over halfway through June last year!

 

Right now my biggest concern is getting Mookie on track. He is falling into a habit of starting slow and that's not a great thing for the 'table setter' of the team.

 

Xander is probably my favorite player right now.....but I really would love to see more power from him. What happened to his power?!?!

 

Bogaerts is fine. He's hit 11 XBH already on the young season. It's just that only 1 of them was a HR. I'll take the kind of OBP and defense bogaerts offers plus gap power, if that's all he wants to show this year, but I think the homers will come eventually.

[Emp9]

G

Before the season started, many were pointing out all this team's weaknesses then projecting doom. I tried to show that the vast majority of teams, especially in the AL had way more weaknesses or "question marks" than we did. I thought our offense was pretty balanced, and so far the numbers are showing this to be the case. Thde whole "we can't handle 2 or more blackholes" is not materializing (so far).

 

Players on the top 10 OPS teams with a .705+ OPS and 85+ PAs:

 

8 Pirates (all above .769)

8 Red Sox (.786 team OPS)

7 Mets

7 D'backs

6 Cards

6 Giants

6 Marlins

4 Cubs

3 Orioles

 

Boston is 9th in HRs, but leading in every other AL offensive category. Some by a lot. The MLB league average in OPS is .722. AL .712/NL .733.

1) Col .821

2) STL .816

3) Bos .799

4) Pit .797

5) ChiC .789

Boston is one of the only two AL teams in the top 10 in OPS w/ Bal 8th .766

 

Around the 20 game mark, Boston had ranked the best AL defense, not sure where they stand right now this second, but i haven't seen any red flags for me to question that yet either, so I'll go with it.

[Slasher9]

Bogaerts is fine. He's hit 11 XBH already on the young season. It's just that only 1 of them was a HR. I'll take the kind of OBP and defense bogaerts offers plus gap power, if that's all he wants to show this year, but I think the homers will come eventually.

 

agree 100%.

[Kingface]

Bogaerts is fine. He's hit 11 XBH already on the young season. It's just that only 1 of them was a HR. I'll take the kind of OBP and defense bogaerts offers plus gap power, if that's all he wants to show this year, but I think the homers will come eventually.

 

Oh don't get me wrong.....like I said, Bogaerts is pretty much my favorite player and he's having a great start to the season. I just am wondering where the power has gone. When he was in the minors one of his biggest hit tools was his power. He was known as our best power hitting potential prospect. I'm just shocked that he doesn't have more dingers playing in a park that is pretty much designed for a player like him. I'm sure it will come though.

[Jack Flap]

I think the power will come eventually as well...for the moment I'm just really enjoying the player he's turned into, even though it's rather different from the player we thought he was going to be.

 

A very good defensive SS who hits for a high average with a strong OBP, a lot of doubles, and good speed? That profile alone should make him a regular All-Star attendee for a long time. And if his expected ever shows up in games? ....dude, I've got chills.

[mvp 78]

Oh don't get me wrong.....like I said, Bogaerts is pretty much my favorite player and he's having a great start to the season. I just am wondering where the power has gone. When he was in the minors one of his biggest hit tools was his power. He was known as our best power hitting potential prospect. I'm just shocked that he doesn't have more dingers playing in a park that is pretty much designed for a player like him. I'm sure it will come though.

 

He likes to go oppo when given the opportunity. If he was pull heavy, his average would be down and his hr's up. I don't need him to hit 25 hr's now that he is an above average SS.

[devildavid]

I think this team as already dangerous Flap. They just took 2-3 from one of the best teams so far in the AL. It's early obviously but our season was over halfway through June last year!

 

Right now my biggest concern is getting Mookie on track. He is falling into a habit of starting slow and that's not a great thing for the 'table setter' of the team.

 

Xander is probably my favorite player right now.....but I really would love to see more power from him. What happened to his power?!?!

 

Thanks for noticing the problem with Mookie. Not worried one bit about Xander's lack of power. He is hitting great and has worked hard to become a good fielder. He is a complete player.

[Spudboy]

oh baby - if Sonny Seibert, Ray Culp, or even Jose Santiago came through that clubhouse door, we would be riding high tide!

You're right - Owens ain't no Lonborg.

 

Ah the good old days!!!!

 

One of my favorite games that I attended was the big show down between Sonny Siebert and Vida Blue. There was about a two hour rain delay ( i didn't care as I was dry and snug under the right field grandstands ) and the A's fianlly prevailed.

 

I think it was Joe Rudy who decided to mock bat and steal 3 bases sliding on the tarp in a downpour. That was funny as hell. He had on a warm-up jacket stuffed with towels or something so he looked like Pablo. Sliding like a beached whale.

 

That was great stuff.

 

Edit: I just tried to find more info on that game. The Sox won. Hmm. It was May 28, 1971.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Spudboy

[Dojji]

I don't know if Joe Rudy did or didn't do that, but I know Rick Dempsey did.

[cp176]

Ah the good old days!!!!

 

One of my favorite games that I attended was the big show down between Sonny Siebert and Vida Blue. There was about a two hour rain delay ( i didn't care as I was dry and snug under the right field grandstands ) and the A's fianlly prevailed.

 

I think it was Joe Rudy who decided to mock bat and steal 3 bases sliding on the tarp in a downpour. That was funny as hell. He had on a warm-up jacket stuffed with towels or something so he looked like Pablo. Sliding like a beached whale.

 

That was great stuff.

 

We almost had Joe Rudie in a Red Sos uniform

[cp176]

I don't know if Joe Rudy did or didn't do that, but I know Rick Dempsey did.

 

Dempsey was an original and a natural performer. Always great during a rain delay.

[SinceYaz]

Ross Jr reaching back and repeatedly hitting 95mph and catching enough of the plate w/ a rising FB ... Man, he seems unstoppable. We got Smith back now having already done his job a few nights before. Me happy

 

It is a great situation, a lot of good stuff in the pen right now! DD has certainly changed that environment. If he had a pen like this one with those Detroit teams he would have likely had several WS rings. They had the bats and the front line starters....

 

I guess he learned his lesson. Good for us.

[SinceYaz]

Ah the good old days!!!!

 

One of my favorite games that I attended was the big show down between Sonny Siebert and Vida Blue. There was about a two hour rain delay ( i didn't care as I was dry and snug under the right field grandstands ) and the A's fianlly prevailed.

 

I think it was Joe Rudy who decided to mock bat and steal 3 bases sliding on the tarp in a downpour. That was funny as hell. He had on a warm-up jacket stuffed with towels or something so he looked like Pablo. Sliding like a beached whale.

 

That was great stuff.

 

Never was there for a rain delay so missed the shenanigans. Those were the days, though, when I did get to Fenway a few times each summer. Pop would pay a buck a head and we'd sit in the RF bleachers. The best days were always the ones when he'd walk in the door and say, "Who wants to go to Fenway?" Sometimes he would have just finished driving in from Bridgeport and we lived in Rochester, NH. I'd hurry and call a few friends, Mom would make a big sack of PBNJ's and we'd head right back out the door. Usually missed the first inning, but those were terrific days.

 

These aren't too shabby...

[SinceYaz]

I think the power will come eventually as well...for the moment I'm just really enjoying the player he's turned into, even though it's rather different from the player we thought he was going to be.

 

A very good defensive SS who hits for a high average with a strong OBP, a lot of doubles, and good speed? That profile alone should make him a regular All-Star attendee for a long time. And if his expected ever shows up in games? ....dude, I've got chills.

 

 

 

Couldn't have said it better! Agree with both of you, Kingface & you ... and several others here. Bogie is something to watch. He seems to do things with so little effort. Mookie has whiffed a lot early. seems to me, but I think he'll be fine. His plate appearance statistics rose in the 2nd half last season. With .300 (or near) hitters running the next 5 batters behind him ... he doesn't have to worry about things yet.

[Spudboy]

I don't know if Joe Rudy did or didn't do that, but I know Rick Dempsey did.

 

I was there that night. I don't remember who it was although I believe it was the A's left fielder and was f***ing hysterical. The crowd loved it.

[Spudboy]

Never was there for a rain delay so missed the shenanigans. Those were the days, though, when I did get to Fenway a few times each summer. Pop would pay a buck a head and we'd sit in the RF bleachers. The best days were always the ones when he'd walk in the door and say, "Who wants to go to Fenway?" Sometimes he would have just finished driving in from Bridgeport and we lived in Rochester, NH. I'd hurry and call a few friends, Mom would make a big sack of PBNJ's and we'd head right back out the door. Usually missed the first inning, but those were terrific days.

 

These aren't too shabby...

 

Great stuff.

 

I had the benefit of growing up in Newton, Ma so I just hopped onto a trolley or a bus from Newton Corner and was in Kenmore Square in about 30 minutes. In those days the Sox were not selling out much. I would pay $1.00 to enter the center field bleachers. After the 3rd inning, the Fenway staff would allow me to pay $.75 to enter the right field grandstands for the remainder of the game. I was allowed to sit anywhere in the park as long as the actual ticket holder did not show up.

 

Mostly I tried to hang around the visitors bullpen before and just after the game started. I used to smoke cigars with the O's 20 game winners. This, when I was 14 or so.

 

I mowed lawns and did odd jobs all summer long so I could attend as many games as possible. I usually took in about 40 or so each season.