How Good Can This Sox Team Be?

[Bellhorn04]

Today the Sox stand at 64-29 with a .688 record. They have 69 games left. 69 games x .688 = 47.472. Rounding down to 47-22, that projects to 111-51. I agree with Bellhorn, I'll take it.

 

I'm talking about the 11, not the 111.

[mvp 78]

As we all know, the playoffs are largely a crap shoot. That said, the thing that correlates best with postseason wins is regular season wins, not HFA, not experience, not momentum, etc. It shouldn't be a surprise that the team with the best record in the regular season is more likely to win in the postseason, but even that advantage is very slight.

 

The Yanks also won their division by 13.5 games and had won 4 of the previous 5 WS. It's not that surprising that the Yanks beat the Mariners that year. If not for a Mariano implosion, the Yanks would've made it 5 out of 6 years.

[bosoxmal]

Bottom line---FF and Cora have put together the best Red Sox team ever.Yjink Bogaerts and his pop fyl hits ti RF, Look at him now. ThinkBetts with hi bat waving and taking strike one. Think second base where a perrevial all star is not even missed because tw the shoes get filled everyday, Think catcher where a VG fielding catcher will not be missed. (take the No 1 catcher off other teams and you're in trouble. (good examples all over baseball).

 

Even the pitching is as good as we have ever had! When the season got under way, we could bet that the WORLD SERIES would be won by either the Red Sox or the Yankees, Only MAJOR injuries can keep that from being the Sox.

 

The Foxx, Doerr, Cronin teams were funto watch, but thi this team can field and run as well as hit.

[mvp 78]

Bottom line---FF and Cora have put together the best Red Sox team ever.Yjink Bogaerts and his pop fyl hits ti RF, Look at him now. ThinkBetts with hi bat waving and taking strike one. Think second base where a perrevial all star is not even missed because tw the shoes get filled everyday, Think catcher where a VG fielding catcher will not be missed. (take the No 1 catcher off other teams and you're in trouble. (good examples all over baseball).

 

Even the pitching is as good as we have ever had! When the season got under way, we could bet that the WORLD SERIES would be won by either the Red Sox or the Yankees, Only MAJOR injuries can keep that from being the Sox.

 

The Foxx, Doerr, Cronin teams were funto watch, but thi this team can field and run as well as hit.

 

If you think it's the best team ever, I'll have to take your word for it.

 

I loved the 2003 and 2004 teams with peak Manny and Papi, but you've seen far more than I probably ever will.

[Bellhorn04]

The 1978 team was arguably the best Red Sox team ever roster-wise. Hall of Famers and near-Hall of Famers coming out of its ears.

[Kimmi]

The Yanks also won their division by 13.5 games and had won 4 of the previous 5 WS. It's not that surprising that the Yanks beat the Mariners that year. If not for a Mariano implosion, the Yanks would've made it 5 out of 6 years.

 

That was one of the best WS ever.

 

Also, the Yankees are the luckiest team ever.

[Jack Flap]

Today the Sox stand at 64-29 with a .688 record. They have 69 games left. 69 games x .688 = 47.472. Rounding down to 47-22, that projects to 111-51. I agree with Bellhorn, I'll take it.

 

Looking at it a different way, even a fall to a pedestrian .525 winning percentage the rest of the way still puts us at 100 wins. Pretty incredible.

[Bellhorn04]

That was one of the best WS ever.

 

Also, the Yankees are the luckiest team ever.

 

Yep, 40+ lucky World Series appearances.

[Kimmi]

If you think it's the best team ever, I'll have to take your word for it.

 

I loved the 2003 and 2004 teams with peak Manny and Papi, but you've seen far more than I probably ever will.

 

I haven't seen as much as many people here either, but I'd have to say 2003 was the best team I've seen.

[mvp 78]

The 1978 team was arguably the best Red Sox team ever roster-wise. Hall of Famers and near-Hall of Famers coming out of its ears.

 

Sox potential future HOFers:

 

2018:

 

Betts, Beni, JD, Sale, Price, Kimbrel, Xander?

 

1978:

 

Eck, Tiant, Fisk, Yaz, Rice, Evans, Lynn? Anyone else seen as a potential HOF guy if all things broke right on the 1978 squad?

[Kimmi]

Yep, 40+ lucky World Series appearances.

 

Work with me here Bell.

[Bellhorn04]

Sox potential future HOFers:

 

2018:

 

Betts, Beni, JD, Sale, Price, Kimbrel, Xander?

 

1978:

 

Eck, Tiant, Fisk, Yaz, Rice, Evans, Lynn? Anyone else seen as a potential HOF guy if all things broke right on the 1978 squad?

 

That covers it. At a glance there were also some others who ended their careers with over 20 bWAR: Scott, Torrez, Spaceman, Stanley.

[mvp 78]

That covers it. At a glance there were also some others who ended their careers with over 20 bWAR: Scott, Torrez, Spaceman, Stanley.

 

Of those guys, I only saw the Steamer play and let's just say I wasn't a big fan of him as a little kid.

2:30 was burned into my childhood brain.

[Maxbialystock]

Only 2 things matter: winning the division and winning it all.

 

Exactly right. With a 3.5 game lead, the division is looking better, but a long way from over.

 

Postseason right now looks like a toss up. We are even with the Astros head to head and I think 4-5 vs. the Yankees. In the 2013 postseason, Lester and Lackey were pretty important--plus Uehara of course. Despite the 2017 debacle, I think Sale will be an ace this year, but don't see a great #2.

[kenmeister]

I haven't seen as much as many people here either, but I'd have to say 2003 was the best team I've seen.

 

I'm actually going to have to go with the 2007 Red Sox team. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lowell, Ortiz, Ramirez, Varitek, Drew, Youkillis as the hitting stars; Daisuke, Beckett, Schilling, Wakefield, Lester, Papelbon, Okajima, and Timlin as the pitching stars. Such an incredible mix of veterans near the end of the road having one last great season (Wakefield, Schilling, Lowell, Ramirez, Timlin), guys in their prime (Ortiz, Youkillis, Beckett), and upcoming stars (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lester, Papelbon, Okajima). Somehow they were down 3 games to 1 against the Guardians, but I don't think anyone was ever worried.

 

Their final 7 games of 2007:

7-1 (W-Josh Beckett)

12-2 (W-Curt Schilling)

11-2 (W-Daiskuke Matsuzaka)

13-1 (W-Josh Beckett)

2-1 (W-Curt Schilling)

10-5 (W-Daiskuke Matsuzaka)

4-3 (W-Jon Lester)

Edited July 11, 2018 by kenmeister

[Kimmi]

I'm actually going to have to go with the 2007 Red Sox team. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lowell, Ortiz, Ramirez, Varitek, Drew, Youkillis as the hitting stars; Daisuke, Beckett, Schilling, Wakefield, Lester, Papelbon, Okajima, and Timlin as the pitching stars. Such an incredible mix of veterans near the end of the road having one last great season (Wakefield, Schilling, Lowell, Ramirez, Timlin), guys in their prime (Ortiz, Youkillis, Beckett), and upcoming stars (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lester, Papelbon, Okajima). Somehow they were down 3 games to 1 against the Guardians, but I don't think anyone was ever worried.

 

Their final 7 games of 2007:

7-1 (W-Josh Beckett)

12-2 (W-Curt Schilling)

11-2 (W-Daiskuke Matsuzaka)

13-1 (W-Josh Beckett)

2-1 (W-Curt Schilling)

10-5 (W-Daiskuke Matsuzaka)

4-3 (W-Jon Lester)

 

I can't really argue with that. I was thinking more of the offense from 2003, and Pedro.

[bosoxmal]

If you think it's the best team ever, I'll have to take your word for it.

 

I loved the 2003 and 2004 teams with peak Manny and Papi, but you've seen far more than I probably ever will.

 

It's a very tough call if you have only stats to go by. The 1941 team had 3 plyers with more than 100 RBi (incl Jim Tabor) and 2 others with 90. Hoever, Williams was the only one with more than 20 HRs. Tabor played handball with the LF wall! Williams .406 lead the way, but Foxx, Cronin and Doerr were also still active andall stars on their own.

 

The thing that, I think, that makes this a "better" team is in the speed, defense and versitality that this team has. That and the incredable performances by Betts and JD. Guess I gotta go 2018!

[bosoxmal]

Of course why shouldn't Tabor come up with 100+ RBI? He hit behind TW! Who was either strolling the bases or standing on one every tiem you looked up!

[a700hitter]

Of course why shouldn't Tabor come up with 100+ RBI? He hit behind TW! Who was either strolling the bases or standing on one every tiem you looked up!

Did Teddy Ballgame make Tabor better or was that just a myth?

[Natick to NC]

Sox potential future HOFers:

 

2018:

 

Betts, Beni, JD, Sale, Price, Kimbrel, Xander?

 

1978:

 

Eck, Tiant, Fisk, Yaz, Rice, Evans, Lynn? Anyone else seen as a potential HOF guy if all things broke right on the 1978 squad?

 

Betts and maybe Sale on that list with fingers crossed for JD

[sk7326]

Sox potential future HOFers:

 

2018:

 

Betts, Beni, JD, Sale, Price, Kimbrel, Xander?

 

1978:

 

Eck, Tiant, Fisk, Yaz, Rice, Evans, Lynn? Anyone else seen as a potential HOF guy if all things broke right on the 1978 squad?

 

That is fair. The 2018 team really is kind of what everyone in 1975 thought the 1976-77 Red Sox would be ... taking the mantle from the Orioles as the dominant AL East team for years to come.

[cp176]

The 1978 team was arguably the best Red Sox team ever roster-wise. Hall of Famers and near-Hall of Famers coming out of its ears.

 

I've been reading through and even though some of the guys on that 1978 team would never be considered for the HOF, they were really so very very good. Rick Burleson(the rooster) - Jerry Remy - George Scott (even though by then he had seen better days) and probably have to even mention Hobson. What an incredible lineup they sent out day after day.

[moonslav59]

How good can this team be?

 

This good is my response.

[cp176]

How good can this team be?

 

This good is my response.

 

You are right. Trying to compare teams and athletes from different eras is impossible to do really. I believe that it is a generational type of thing. Some of us have had a real opportunity to see so many great great players from multiple decades. We all have our personal opinions about how the best would fare today.

One of the things that I have noticed is that when people talk about the impact Chris Sale has made on this team, they quite often make mention of Pedro's greatness which of course was legit. What I say with all due respect to the people who shudder at the thought of anyone using steroids, when Roger appeared on the scene for this franchise, it was like something we had never seen before. A literally dominating, big bodied type of kid. Every time he took the mound in his early days for sure, you just had the feeling that a no no was right around the corner. I would never say that he was the best but in his prime he was as good as anyone that I have been in a Red Sox uniform. Maybe the numbers don't support that opinion but he changed the landscape for the Sox.

[dgalehouse]

There are too many variables to fairly compare teams from different eras. These Red Sox are currently the best team in baseball. That should be sufficient , although you would never know it from reading some of the comments.

[Bellhorn04]

Frankly it's still way too early to get excited. The Yankees still represent a formidable threat to us winning the division, especially if they add major pieces before the deadline.

[cp176]

There are too many variables to fairly compare teams from different eras. These Red Sox are currently the best team in baseball. That should be sufficient , although you would never know it from reading some of the comments.

 

Of course it is sufficient. I don't see too many people here being hung up on it. At the same time remembering these greats and sharing things that we actually experienced is a fun activity. I've got great memories from the early 60's to the present and some here got me beat. I like the sharing.

[cp176]

Frankly it's still way too early to get excited. The Yankees still represent a formidable threat to us winning the division, especially if they add major pieces before the deadline.

 

 

ditto for 1978 - Let's see - how many were we up on the the fourth of July?

[Spudboy]

Of course it is sufficient. I don't see too many people here being hung up on it. At the same time remembering these greats and sharing things that we actually experienced is a fun activity. I've got great memories from the early 60's to the present and some here got me beat. I like the sharing.

 

Let's not forget the Incredible Dream.

[SoxnCycles]

Nope, wouldn't want to forget that!