ALDS rehash and ALCS assessment

[BillyWilliams]

It had a lot more to do with fatigue than motivation. That said, I am sure he knows what happened last year and will be resolute in making up for it. Call it motivation or whatever you like.

 

I don't know if it was fatigue or a bad day or what, but I certainly doubt it was lack of motivation.

[FredLynn]

I don't know if it was fatigue or a bad day or what, but I certainly doubt it was lack of motivation.

 

You can bet he will be even more motivated this year to do well. That is just human nature. If you fail at a task once you will try harder to do it correctly next time. Whether or not it will translate into success is another matter: Houston has a great team.

[moonslav59]

Wanting to and thing you can learn from your mistakes is maybe the single most important lesson in life.

 

I'm hopeful Sale is in just the right frame of mind and that his body is well rested and ready to go.

[Tedballgame]

The Sox have had a great season. They won 108 games in the regular season, the best team in baseball. They smoked the Yankees in the regular season by EIGHT games and they smoked them in the ALDS. Anything from here on out is gravy. They don't have to win the WS for the season to be a success. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them this season.

[S5Dewey]

The Sox have had a great season. They won 108 games in the regular season, the best team in baseball. They smoked the Yankees in the regular season by EIGHT games and they smoked them in the ALDS. Anything from here on out is gravy. They don't have to win the WS for the season to be a success. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them this season.

 

This post deserves a BIG upvote!

[jacksonianmarch]

The Sox have had a great season. They won 108 games in the regular season, the best team in baseball. They smoked the Yankees in the regular season by EIGHT games and they smoked them in the ALDS. Anything from here on out is gravy. They don't have to win the WS for the season to be a success. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them this season.

 

So if the Stros go out and sweep the sox in the ALCS, you'll call this a good season? I doubt that entirely. Your team is squarely within their window. You have to win a title either this year or next or Dombrowski's plans were a failure

[a700hitter]

So if the Stros go out and sweep the sox in the ALCS, you'll call this a good season? I doubt that entirely. Your team is squarely within their window. You have to win a title either this year or next or Dombrowski's plans were a failure

We ain't getting swept so forget that. If we lose in the ALCs, it will have been a successful season. Any season when you win a Division championship is a successful season. Winning 100 games is a successful season. Breaking the franchise single season record for wins is a successful season. Only an idiot wouldn't think that this was a successful season.

[Slasher9]

So if the Stros go out and sweep the sox in the ALCS, you'll call this a good season? I doubt that entirely. Your team is squarely within their window. You have to win a title either this year or next or Dombrowski's plans were a failure

 

Awwwww....remember when you were waxing how the Yankees would win the division???

Awwwww....remember when you were waxing how the Yankees would win the ALDS.??

Lolz.

[FredLynn]

So if the Stros go out and sweep the sox in the ALCS, you'll call this a good season? I doubt that entirely. Your team is squarely within their window. You have to win a title either this year or next or Dombrowski's plans were a failure

 

Yup-IMO its already been a great season. We won a record 108 games and eliminated the Yankees IN YANKEE STADIUM. Priceless are the moments that the Sox marched around your home turf celebrating winning the East then eliminating your team and sent them packing. Sure I hope we can finish the job and win a ring, but as everyone knows the odds of doing that are less than 50/50. Houston is a great team and there is no shame in losing to a great team. That series is a tossup IMO. In no way is this season a failure if we fail to win a ring. Its been a great year, one I am sure you enjoyed watching (especially the four game sweep of the Yankees in August) as much as most of us did.

Edited October 13, 2018 by FredLynn

[dgalehouse]

It seems to me that many fans have still not realized just how good this year's Red Sox are. They are better than the Yanks. They are better than Houston. They are the best in baseball. Yes , it has been a great season, but it would be a disappointment to lose now. They will beat and dethrone the Astros , and it will not be as hard as many think.

[jung]

It seems to me that many fans have still not realized just how good this year's Red Sox are. They are better than the Yanks. They are better than Houston. They are the best in baseball. Yes , it has been a great season, but it would be a disappointment to lose now. They will beat and dethrone the Astros , and it will not be as hard as many think.

 

Even if Sale is the advantage I think he is in games 1 and 5, this is going to be a dog fight. Mookie needs to wake up for one thing. Mookie is the straw that stirs the drink for us.

 

I don't see this as easy under any circumstances. The Yankees were a mirage all year. They were never going anywhere in post season play no matter what they did in the regular season. The Astros aren't any kind of mirage. Thankfully Correa and Gurriel have not really been as potent as they were last year and that has even got Altuve trying to figure out how to fit in this year's Astros batting order. Bregman has been great. But it is still a bit of a hodgepodge order with both Correa and Gurriel performing below last year's standard.

[d-money]

I still would consider the season disappointing if we don’t beat the stros. I think the stros are beatable this year. Correa didn’t have a great series against the Guardians. Still dealing with that back.

 

We need Betts to get going. This offense was the best in baseball this season.

Edited October 13, 2018 by d-money

[a700hitter]

I still would consider the season disappointing if we don’t beat the stros. I think the stros are beatable this year. Correa didn’t have a great series against the Guardians. Still dealing with that back.

 

We need Betts to get going.

Losing is disappointing, but to deem it an unsuccessful season is a whole other thing.

[d-money]

Losing is disappointing, but to deem it an unsuccessful season is a whole other thing.

 

I want more. We are a good team. I feel like we where the best team in baseball this season. Stros had their time. It’s our time. This group has won close to 300 games the last 3 years. Let’s get th ship!!!

[a700hitter]

I want more. We are a good team. I feel like we where the best team in baseball this season.

Of course we want more.

[jung]

I do wonder if we will get mid-season form Sale or this scaled back version. Scaled back Sale is still one heck of a pitcher. Mid-season form Sale is an absolute Monster. We have all been hoping that they have been building Sale to this specific series before unleashing the "Monster" again. We shall see if that is what has been going on or not.

[d-money]

I do wonder if we will get mid-season form Sale or this scaled back version. Scaled back Sale is still one heck of a pitcher. Mid-season form Sale is an absolute Monster. We have all been hoping that they have been building Sale to this specific series before unleashing the "Monster" again. We shall see if that is what has been going on or not.

 

He’s the key in all this and getting timely hitting. We need to set the tone tomorrow to this series.

[Maxbialystock]

I do wonder if we will get mid-season form Sale or this scaled back version. Scaled back Sale is still one heck of a pitcher. Mid-season form Sale is an absolute Monster. We have all been hoping that they have been building Sale to this specific series before unleashing the "Monster" again. We shall see if that is what has been going on or not.

 

Scaled back is likely and not necessarily bad if the slider and changeup are working.

[cp176]

It seems to me that many fans have still not realized just how good this year's Red Sox are. They are better than the Yanks. They are better than Houston. They are the best in baseball. Yes , it has been a great season, but it would be a disappointment to lose now. They will beat and dethrone the Astros , and it will not be as hard as many think.

 

I'm with you here. Of course every Red Sox fan on the planet will be disappointed if we don't win it all but no one who looks at things in a reasonable manner will consider this season in totality a failure if we don't. Of course we want more, of course we want it all but the baseball season is long and we have seen the Sox already accomplish things that i know I never have seen and might not see again. There are too many highlights to even go over. This whole concept of if you don't win it all then you aren't successful is asinine. It is new and just as ridiculous as stuffing robots out there on the field to make calls

[jacksonianmarch]

Yup-IMO its already been a great season. We won a record 108 games and eliminated the Yankees IN YANKEE STADIUM. Priceless are the moments that the Sox marched around your home turf celebrating winning the East then eliminating your team and sent them packing. Sure I hope we can finish the job and win a ring, but as everyone knows the odds of doing that are less than 50/50. Houston is a great team and there is no shame in losing to a great team. That series is a tossup IMO. In no way is this season a failure if we fail to win a ring. Its been a great year, one I am sure you enjoyed watching (especially the four game sweep of the Yankees in August) as much as most of us did.

 

Funny how we have different views of success. We eliminated you guys in epic fashion in 2003, yet not completing the WS run is looked upon as a failure

[Bellhorn04]

Funny how we have different views of success. We eliminated you guys in epic fashion in 2003, yet not completing the WS run is looked upon as a failure

 

But you considered last year a successful season, in spite of losing in the ALCS, didn't you?

 

In this context success isn't black or white. There are degrees of success. And a lot depends on the individual fan's expectations.

[OH FOY]

To me if you got the Highest pay-roll in Major League Baseball, to me if you don't get to World Series, its a failure. Now that's personal. You paid your Talent to get there.

 

By the way I would feel the same way if it was Yankees, Dodgers or Mets.

Edited October 13, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Bellhorn04]

To me if you got the Highest pay-roll in Major League Baseball, to me if you don't get to World Series, its a failure. Now that's personal. You paid your Talent to get there.

 

I understand that view, absolutely.

 

I think if we lose this series but give Houston a tough time it'll still be a successful season. On paper (run differential), Houston is the best team in MLB this year.

[OH FOY]

Bad contracts by Ben, hurt this team in the Payroll though. But if I was a Owner, like the Mets, I would hire him to build my team. But not have too much input in FA. Let him find the young talent, and get some kind of advisor for Free Agents.

Another good quality in Ben, is that he is good at finding talent from other Teams, that they are not too high on. He finds good talent.

Edited October 13, 2018 by OH FOY!

[notin]

Bad contracts by Ben, hurt this team in the Payroll though. But if I was a Owner, like the Mets, I would hire him to build my team. But not have too much input in FA. Let him find the young talent, and get some kind of advisor for Free Agents.

Another good quality in Ben, is that he is good at finding talent from other Teams, that they are not too high on. He finds good talent.

 

ABsolutely.

 

Although I am hesitant to hold free agency against him since most GMs don't do very well there. There aren't many players who continue to be as productive after 30 and I think most free agent contracts don't work out.

 

But absolutely, the Mets should hire him. Although I did officially declare my candidacy for that position on MLBTR...

[cp176]

I'm with you here. Of course every Red Sox fan on the planet will be disappointed if we don't win it all but no one who looks at things in a reasonable manner will consider this season in totality a failure if we don't. Of course we want more, of course we want it all but the baseball season is long and we have seen the Sox already accomplish things that i know I never have seen and might not see again. There are too many highlights to even go over. This whole concept of if you don't win it all then you aren't successful is asinine. It is new and just as ridiculous as stuffing robots out there on the field to make calls

 

I'm really happy that i view things this way. It makes me happier. I hope that I never turn in to someone who has to win it all to be satisfied. It has always been about the chase the hunt for me. Money spent by mega rich people never has meant much to me. it is theirs and they get to spend what they have the way the choose to. This has been a fantastic and mega successful season. I hope that we keep it going!

[cp176]

ABsolutely.

 

Although I am hesitant to hold free agency against him since most GMs don't do very well there. There aren't many players who continue to be as productive after 30 and I think most free agent contracts don't work out.

 

But absolutely, the Mets should hire him. Although I did officially declare my candidacy for that position on MLBTR...

 

 

you better rethink your application for that Mets job notin. They may have a contract clause saying you can't post to Talksox.

[notin]

I understand that view, absolutely.

 

I think if we lose this series but give Houston a tough time it'll still be a successful season. On paper (run differential), Houston is the best team in MLB this year.

 

I've been watching baseball since March of this year, and enjoying the hell out of it all year long. Failing to win the World Series will only make it unenjoyable for one week in October.

 

Win or lose, it's been a fun year to watch this team and that losing the ALCS or the WS can't take away the fun I've already had.. And as a far, that is all I can ask for...

[cp176]

I've been watching baseball since March of this year, and enjoying the hell out of it all year long. Failing to win the World Series will only make it unenjoyable for one week in October.

 

Win or lose, it's been a fun year to watch this team and that losing the ALCS or the WS can't take away the fun I've already had.. And as a far, that is all I can ask for...

 

hey - i actually can say we agree with respect to something notin...

How about that...

[jacksonianmarch]

But you considered last year a successful season, in spite of losing in the ALCS, didn't you?

 

In this context success isn't black or white. There are degrees of success. And a lot depends on the individual fan's expectations.

 

Agreed, it’s about expectations. Last year was enjoyable and a success since it wasn’t expected. This year was not as successful. I’d say the Sox entered the year as World Series contenders, if not favorites. Expectations shouldn’t be an ALCS exit