A Realistic View at 2018: Part II

[Hitch]

Yeah Price was immense. Bringing in Kimbrel is... a...well...an interesting decision.

[moonslav59]

Price pitches 6 innings and goes the 3 balls just one.

 

Here we have Kimbrel throw 4 straight Balls.

[Hitch]

World Series baby!!!

 

So happy for Price!

[notin]

Trivia time

 

Name the 6 players on the 2018 Red Sox who played on the team in 2013...

Edited October 19, 2018 by notin

[Bellhorn04]

Wow, you could hardly draw up a script any more perfect than that!

 

We won this one just like Earl Weaver said you win games: 'Pitching and 3 run homers.'

[Bellhorn04]

Trivia time

 

Name the 5 players on the 2018 Red Sox who played on the team in 2013...

 

Not looking it up...Bogaerts, Workman, Pedroia, Bradley...

[notin]

Wow, you could hardly draw up a script any more perfect than that!

 

We won this one just like Earl Weaver said you win games: 'Pitching and 3 run homers.'

 

The quote is “pitching, defense, and 3-run homers.”

 

It still fits..,

[notin]

Not looking it up...Bogaerts, Workman, Pedroia, Bradley...

 

All 4 are correct. Two more...

[moonslav59]

All 4 are correct. Two more...

 

Holt is one.

[harmony]

Not looking it up...Bogaerts, Workman, Pedroia, Bradley...

Holt and Wright for six?

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2013.shtml

[moonslav59]

Was Wright in the bigs back then?

[Slasher9]

All 4 are correct. Two more...

Kelly holt

[Slasher9]

Kelly holt

 

Kelly was on the cardinals tho

[Bellhorn04]

Here's an observation you won't read anywhere else.

 

There were 2 separate stories about so-called 'trolling' by Red Sox opponents this postseason.

 

Aaron Judge played 'New York, New York'. So New York times 2. Then the Red Sox win the next two.

 

Alex Bregland played a video of 3 home runs. Then the Red Sox win the next three.

 

Kind of a weird mathematical progression going on there.

[harmony]

Was Wright in the bigs back then?

Steven Wright pitched 13.1 innings for the Red Sox in 2013 but did not make a postseason appearance:

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=wrighst01&t=p&year=2013

 

That year Wright made one start in a 15-10 Red Sox win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park:

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU201308060.shtml

Edited October 19, 2018 by harmony

[Bellhorn04]

Nathan Eovaldi - have the Red Sox made a more successful deadline pickup in their history? I'm thinking no.

[moonslav59]

Just think of what we can get by trading JBJ this winter!

[moonslav59]

Nathan Eovaldi - have the Red Sox made a more successful deadline pickup in their history? I'm thinking no.

 

Great point. Certainly the Eovaldi-Pearce duo must be the best two.

 

Here are some players I remember...

 

Jake Peavy? NOT!

 

Orlando Cabrera? Was key to breaking the curse, but...

 

(Cabrera-Roberts might be second to Eovaldi-Pearce)

 

[Bellhorn04]

Great point. Certainly the Eovaldi-Pearce duo must be the best two.

 

Here are some players I remember...

 

Jake Peavy? NOT!

 

Orlando Cabrera? Was key to breaking the curse, but...

 

(Cabrera-Roberts might be second to Eovaldi-Pearce)

 

 

Yeah, Cabrera and Roberts were great pickups too.

[harmony]

Just think of what we can get by trading JBJ this winter!

Perhaps versatile nearly 26-year-old Texas infielder Jurickson Profar, who this year posted 2.9 fWAR in 146 games to Jackie Bradley Jr.'s 2.8 fWAR in 144 games. Like Bradley, who turns 29 in April, Profar has his third and fourth arbitration seasons remaining although Profar has a projected 2019 salary of only $3.4 million to Bradley's projected $7.9 million.

 

Of course the Texas Rangers already have a surplus of lefthand-hitting outfielders.

 

[moonslav59]

Perhaps versatile nearly 26-year-old Texas infielder Jurickson Profar, who this year posted 2.9 fWAR in 146 games to Jackie Bradley Jr.'s 2.8 fWAR in 144 games. Like Bradley, who turns 29 in April, Profar has his third and fourth arbitration seasons remaining although Profar has a projected 2019 salary of only $3.4 million to Bradley's projected $7.9 million.

 

Of course the Texas Rangers already have a surplus of lefthand-hitting outfielders.

 

 

I hope your smiley face shows you knew I was kidding.

 

I wouldn't trade JBJ for a lot of players you can pull up with higher WARs.

 

JBJ has arrived! Past WAR numbers will be shattered going forward.

 

The tough start to the season may be a blessing come arb time.

[harmony]

I hope your smiley face shows you knew I was kidding.

 

I wouldn't trade JBJ for a lot of players you can pull up with higher WARs.

 

JBJ has arrived! Past WAR numbers will be shattered going forward.

 

The tough start to the season may be a blessing come arb time.

Jackie Bradley Jr. joins Alcides Escobar and Delmon Young* as past winners of the MVP award in the American League Championship Series.

 

I hold Bradley in high regard but an impressive five-game postseason series (preceded by a less-impressive four-game postseason series) won't have a great impact on his value.

 

* and Marty Barrett!

Edited October 19, 2018 by harmony

[notin]

Nathan Eovaldi - have the Red Sox made a more successful deadline pickup in their history? I'm thinking no.

 

I have a Dave Henderson on line 2 for you...

[oldtimer]

So, any changes for the WS roster? Is anyone injured? Do we see different needs? Has performance suggested possible changes?

 

It is hard to see a lot of positive changes that could be made to improve things. Here are my possibles:

 

1. Workman based on his perfformance and lack of use. Do we have a pitcher that might be a better fit? I can't see a clear improvement.

 

2. Swihart never saw the light of day, but is a versatile athlete who has some hitting ability. Lin is an alternative but not really better.

 

3. Nunez got a lot of PT but don't know the status of his ankle, hamstring, knee issues. I assume the days off will allow him to recover.

 

We may well just stand pat.

2.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

The world got to see just how good our outfield defense is and they didn't even get to see our best defensive OF make a circus play in CF. Price out dueling Verlander in October. This is what makes sports so great, you just never know what's going to happen.

 

Huge call goes our way, Matt Barnes suddenly turns into Dennis Eckersley. It just felt throughout this series that this is just our year.

[cp176]

The world got to see just how good our outfield defense is and they didn't even get to see our best defensive OF make a circus play in CF. Price out dueling Verlander in October. This is what makes sports so great, you just never know what's going to happen.

 

Huge call goes our way, Matt Barnes suddenly turns into Dennis Eckersley. It just felt throughout this series that this is just our year.

 

I think that they have embraced that idea that some people have had about them - that they are the underdogs. Whatever it takes. A group like this really doesn't come along very often at all. Many years from now people will be talking about this group being the team they are. No one looking for any extra attention. They just want to play the game. The only real drama has been the drama created by the media.

[moonslav59]

So, any changes for the WS roster? Is anyone injured? Do we see different needs? Has performance suggested possible changes?

 

It is hard to see a lot of positive changes that could be made to improve things. Here are my possibles:

 

1. Workman based on his perfformance and lack of use. Do we have a pitcher that might be a better fit? I can't see a clear improvement.

 

2. Swihart never saw the light of day, but is a versatile athlete who has some hitting ability. Lin is an alternative but not really better.

 

3. Nunez got a lot of PT but don't know the status of his ankle, hamstring, knee issues. I assume the days off will allow him to recover.

 

We may well just stand pat.

2.

 

Although Swihart was never used, having him on the bench allows Cora to freely use and move others around. Had we needed to PH for Leon late last night, Swihart may have gotten his chance.

 

With Vaz hitting very well, now. Swihart may not play in the WS, except in a mop-up capacity, if it arises.

 

Lin would offer a nice defensive replacement at 3B and PR'ing opportunities.

 

Unless someone is hurt more than expected, I think we stay the same.

[Slasher9]

stand pat.

[Bellhorn04]

I have a Dave Henderson on line 2 for you...

 

I mis-spoke there. What I should have said was 'deadline pickup of a pitcher'.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

I think that they have embraced that idea that some people have had about them - that they are the underdogs. Whatever it takes. A group like this really doesn't come along very often at all. Many years from now people will be talking about this group being the team they are. No one looking for any extra attention. They just want to play the game. The only real drama has been the drama created by the media.

 

 

Meh, I don't see any media driven drama. The bullpen was criticized because there was every reason to criticize them. I was really glad to see the old Kimbrell last night. I'm not sure you can win a WS with an iffy closer.