Ain't train wrecks so much more fun to talk about?

[Maxbialystock]

Yes, I am talking about the Sox and this season--and more specifically about an obvious trend on the Mike Grace Memorial game threads. Quite simply, the game threads for losses are longer, often much longer, than those for wins. Can you possibly imagine how boring--with a possibility of outright abandonment--talksox would be right now if the Sox were a boring 18-5 instead of the far more delectable 9-14?

[mvp 78]

Nope.

[notin]

Eh.

 

Sometimes people use message boards as a cathartic way of expressing frustrations. If contributing negative messages to a game thread prevents a poster from taking out his frustrations in other ways, like, say, abusing his dog, then I’m all for it.

 

Unless it’s a poodle...

[mvp 78]

Eh.

 

Sometimes people use message boards as a cathartic way of expressing frustrations. If contributing negative messages to a game thread prevents a poster from taking out his frustrations in other ways, like, say, abusing his dog, then I’m all for it.

 

Unless it’s a poodle...

 

Even s***** ass poodles deserve love.

[notin]

Even s***** ass poodles deserve love.

 

Oh you can still love them

[jacksonianmarch]

I absolutely and more cathartic when things are going wrong. I also am superstitious and believe pointing to something good is a great way to make it worse unless I’m entirely confident in its progress continuing

[Maxbialystock]

I absolutely and more cathartic when things are going wrong. I also am superstitious and believe pointing to something good is a great way to make it worse unless I’m entirely confident in its progress continuing

 

Reverse mojo advocate. Coming from a Yankee fan with, what, 27 World Series wins stashed away? We Sox fans come by our pessimism honestly. I lived thru 64 of those 86 years (but was only a fan for 55 of them). And oldtimer and bosoxmal go back further than I.

 

Of course, the John Henry era has kind of changed things, but I personally have found it difficult to give up old habits of dour pessimism. It's never too soon to push the panic button, shout to the world that the sky is falling, etc. Failing that, it also helps to go after individual players, the rotation, the bullpen, the outfield, the salaries, etc.

[Maxbialystock]

Even s***** ass poodles deserve love.

 

Poodles throughout the Red Sox Nation can rejoice at the valuable social service provided by talksox.

[vegasbob]

When even casual observers can see the mistakes (physical and mental) being made and the team is losing big as a result, it's a pretty fair shot to call the player on it. Especially when you saw virtually the same guys win the 119 last year. When professionals fail to pay attention to details, and consistently fail to play up to their proven non small sample career , why be a cheerleader squad ?

 

The 11-4 beatdown of the Tigers was the first game of this year that much resembled last year. Won't happen every night, but that one felt good. Until Barnes floundered but without giving up a run and Thornburg crapped his pants. Given their lead and the team's tough start that was a place to shut the Tigers down and establish something other than DD's ignoring the BP during the off season.

[Maxbialystock]

When even casual observers can see the mistakes (physical and mental) being made and the team is losing big as a result, it's a pretty fair shot to call the player on it. Especially when you saw virtually the same guys win the 119 last year. When professionals fail to pay attention to details, and consistently fail to play up to their proven non small sample career , why be a cheerleader squad ?

 

The 11-4 beatdown of the Tigers was the first game of this year that much resembled last year. Won't happen every night, but that one felt good. Until Barnes floundered but without giving up a run and Thornburg crapped his pants. Given their lead and the team's tough start that was a place to shut the Tigers down and establish something other than DD's ignoring the BP during the off season.

 

My goodness, I completely forgot the sheer pleasure of second guessing DD. Before the fact--the actual season--I was fine with not re-signing Kelly or Kimbrel. Kelly because he was so up and down last year (but super in the postseason)--and now stinks. And Kimbrel because he wants too much money for reliever who won't do windows.

 

The bullpen doesn't look so hot now, but earlier they were pretty good and way, way, way, way, way, way better than our putrid rotation--you know, the guys with the huge salaries.

[vegasbob]

My goodness, I completely forgot the sheer pleasure of second guessing DD. Before the fact--the actual season--I was fine with not re-signing Kelly or Kimbrel. Kelly because he was so up and down last year (but super in the postseason)--and now stinks. And Kimbrel because he wants too much money for reliever who won't do windows.

 

The bullpen doesn't look so hot now, but earlier they were pretty good and way, way, way, way, way, way better than our putrid rotation--you know, the guys with the huge salaries.

 

Personally, I did agree with passing on Joe Kelly who showed big potential earlier but failed to ever become a highly reliable full season power reliever. His showing in LA furthers the point. Kimbrel was not going to be worth choking off the money for others and had his own peculiarities. So those two weren't DD's failure, I think he made the right decisions on them. The fail is more like failing to bring in someone maybe better than Colton Brewer and assuming Tyler Thornburg would make a full recovery and be a stud. Holding on to the injured Brian Johnson and having to babysit the untradable Steven Wright and counting on Hector Velazquez as your #6 starters was a wish and a prayer too. With EO out, the gap widens further until Hernadez and others are fully MLB ready.

 

For all the talk about the 2020 or 2021 "cliff" , I don't doubt and have said before that the WS win bought DD and ownership a grace period (2019) where they could buy a year to further develop some of the AAA'ers (who are now filling some IL gaps) , resign some guys to extensions and still have a credible 95+ win season. The s***** start for whatever reason put a spotlight on the effort to buy time in 2019, while avoiding the luxury tax.

[fxkatt]

I've indulged in a couple worries, but I tell myself I won't be concerned till one-third of the season is in the books. If we are 22-32 in the first third, then I would think uphill battle. But what I find most encouraging is that there's only 4 good teams, I think, in the AL: Boston, NY, Houston, Cleveland. Maybe the team understands this, and isn't much concerned about the current record. I mean what other teams are intimidating? I think these early records are pretty insignificant for these reasons.

 

As to the game thread negativity, a couple of the worse offenders seem to be half-drunk or drunk. They are the pits, but some regular guys still follow their lead and heap venom on their own players. These guys take generalizing the particular to the uttermost extreme--effin off for the sake of effin off. It's not about release at all, but at times is actually violent. If you act this way in words, you do the same in reality.

[notin]

I've indulged in a couple worries, but I tell myself I won't be concerned till one-third of the season is in the books. If we are 22-32 in the first third, then I would think uphill battle. But what I find most encouraging is that there's only 4 good teams, I think, in the AL: Boston, NY, Houston, Cleveland. Maybe the team understands this, and isn't much concerned about the current record. I mean what other teams are intimidating? I think these early records are pretty insignificant for these reasons.

 

As to the game thread negativity, a couple of the worse offenders seem to be half-drunk or drunk. They are the pits, but some regular guys still follow their lead and heap venom on their own players. These guys take generalizing the particular to the uttermost extreme--effin off for the sake of effin off. It's not about release at all, but at times is actually violent. If you act this way in words, you do the same in reality.

 

 

Tampa?

 

They did win 90 games last year and are lead by the 2018 Cy Young Award winner.

 

Seattle won 89 games last year and is off to a very good start...

[harmony]

Tampa?

 

They did win 90 games last year and are lead by the 2018 Cy Young Award winner.

 

Seattle won 89 games last year and is off to a very good start...

Minnesota could surprise this year ... as could the Red Sox in a different direction.

[Bellhorn04]

Minnesota could surprise this year ... as could the Red Sox in a different direction.

 

See, you could have easily stopped after the first part, but no...

[fxkatt]

Tampa?

 

They did win 90 games last year and are lead by the 2018 Cy Young Award winner.

 

Seattle won 89 games last year and is off to a very good start...

 

 

I think that Tampa, Seattle, and Oakland will make waves if they improve themselves at the trade deadline. And one will probably be the 5th team in. But none are intimidating, and Tampa is going to blow out their pitching staff if they stick to that relief format (they may have many replacements in the minors, however)

 

I just don't think the AL is has many challenges. Even a western swing (Houston excepted) is not at all daunting. Remember Texas and California a few years back... tough challenges. Detroit is in a "bridge" year which means cheap vets on one year contracts. Toronto, forget it. A pal went to see the white sox play in April and the inflated attendance was 850 people. Yawn.

 

I think both the players and I want to just jump to the playoffs. Who need the long, perhaps more boring than ever, season.

[Kimmi]

I absolutely and more cathartic when things are going wrong. I also am superstitious and believe pointing to something good is a great way to make it worse unless I’m entirely confident in its progress continuing

 

This is kind of what happened to you last year, no?

 

I am very superstitious when it comes to my Red Sox.

 

It's amazing how what I do can have such a huge effect on the Red Sox.

[Kimmi]

The Red Sox will be in the playoffs.

 

The thing is, it's not going to happen overnight. The team dug itself into a pretty good hole which will take a while to climb out of.

 

Patience.

[Kimmi]

As far as the game threads go, I can't deal with all the negativity.

 

It's the last thing I need when my team is losing.

[Thunder]

I'm not a fan of negativity to begin with, but what really gets me is the complaining that we're winning. During the playoffs last year, most of the people on here just needed to shut up. I get you're nervous, and you really want it that bad, more than some of the players on some occasions, but why are you complaining when we win? It's not how, it's how many. I think we need to remember that sometimes.

[Thunder]

The Red Sox will be in the playoffs.

 

The thing is, it's not going to happen overnight. The team dug itself into a pretty good hole which will take a while to climb out of.

 

Patience.

 

Totally agree. Both pitching and offense is coming around. There was no way that both would remain that inept for the entire season as long as both were healthy

[TylerD]

Yes, I am talking about the Sox and this season--and more specifically about an obvious trend on the Mike Grace Memorial game threads. Quite simply, the game threads for losses are longer, often much longer, than those for wins. Can you possibly imagine how boring--with a possibility of outright abandonment--talksox would be right now if the Sox were a boring 18-5 instead of the far more delectable 9-14?

 

There is definitely more to talk about when the team is struggling that's for sure. When Boston is blowing out opponents and in first place like last year, there really is not much to discuss..... With that said I would still like to see the Sox blowing out teams and in first place lol.