Countdown to Playoffs - 2019 edition

[Slasher9]

I still play softball and did today for 4 hours of sun filled competition. Yes, its lower level but as I approach 79, .

 

Love this!!!! Atta boy OT!

[moonslav59]

I am still a fan and will probably watch for interest sake. I still play softball and did today for 4 hours of sun filled competition. Yes, its lower level but as I approach 79, its about my speed. I see the same blunders (base running, wild throws, not hitting behind the runner, etc) that can be seen by MLers. Perhaps just a little more pronounced. Once a fan its hard to see giving it up. A lot of the kids playing today are the age of my grandsons.

 

I just turned 60 and quit softball about 10 years ago. First play of the season, I was at SS and went back for an easy high pop-up, slipped on the grass and aggravated an old knee injury.

 

I was without insurance, then, and luckily it healed by itself a few months later.

 

I commend you, brother.

[oldtimer]

I just turned 60 and quit softball about 10 years ago. First play of the season, I was at SS and went back for an easy high pop-up, slipped on the grass and aggravated an old knee injury.

 

I was without insurance, then, and luckily it healed by itself a few months later.

 

I commend you, brother.

 

I've been lucky, playing for nearly 10 years without a serious injury. I worked until nearly 70 so had no time for softball as my job took me far and wide on a regular basis. I hear some pro baseball player do some intrmural softball for fun in the off season.

[jung]

Thread title: Countdown to Playoffs - 2019 edition

 

Playoffs!......PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!

 

I should add that one thing our younger fans will have to get used to if they have not yet this century.....nobody but nobody folds up like a lawn chair like our Boston Red Sox. They are a prideful bunch, not a proud team. That is mainly our fault and the fault of the Sox PR department that proclaims them Baseball Gods as soon as they put on the Red Hose. We fawn over them like nesting chicks that need our nurturing every minute. Have as long as I have been a Sox fan.

 

I was glad to see some boos come up from the Fenway crowd end of the last home-stand. They deserve to be booed. Might do them some good.

Edited August 13, 2019 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

I should add that one thing our younger fans will have to get used to if they have not yet this century.....nobody but nobody folds up like a lawn chair like our Boston Red Sox. They are a prideful bunch, not a proud team. That is mainly our fault and the fault of the Sox PR department that proclaims them Baseball Gods as soon as they put on the Red Hose. We fawn over them like nesting chicks that need our nurturing every minute. Have as long as I have been a Sox fan.

 

What does the Sox PR department do that other teams' PR department don't do?

 

They don't call it PR for nothing. It's to promote fan interest and generate revenue. What do you expect?

[jung]

What does the Sox PR department do that other teams' PR department don't do?

 

They don't call it PR for nothing. It's to promote fan interest and generate revenue. What do you expect?

 

Other baseball PR departments don't anoint their young, have not proved a darned thing yet baseball talent Baseball Gods until their is some reason to do so. Do they promote them? Yes. Do they elevate them to the levels that the Sox PR department does with a panting fanbase just dying to believe it. "He is so cute....I just want to hug him. Don't you?"

 

Frankly I don't care who is most to blame. Tom Yawkey is most to blame if you want to know as he started this "tradition" of pampering and coddling. But there is simply no ignoring the record. Nobody folds up like a cheap lawn chair and starts polishing its golf clubs faster and with more gusto than the Boston Red Sox.

 

I will say that guys like Rafi and Sam have had to earn their way because they don't have those GQ cover good looks that drives the PR department to new heights of hyperbole.

Edited August 13, 2019 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

Other baseball PR departments don't anoint their young, have not proved a darned thing yet baseball talent Baseball Gods until their is some reason to do so. Do they promote them? Yes. Do they elevate them to the levels that the Sox PR department does with a panting fanbase just dying to believe it. "He is so cute....I just want to hug him. Don't you?"

 

Frankly I don't care who is most to blame. Tom Yawkey is most to blame if you want to know as he started this "tradition" of pampering and coddling. But there is simply no ignoring the record. Nobody folds up like a cheap lawn chair and starts polishing its golf clubs faster and with more gusto than the Boston Red Sox.

 

I will say that guys like Rafi and Sam have had to earn their way because they don't have those GQ cover good looks that drives the PR department to new heights of hyperbole.

 

So you're talking about who-Benintendi?

 

He's been one of the few bright lights in this miserable stretch. (.900 OPS in July, .904 OPS in August)

[notin]

Other baseball PR departments don't anoint their young, have not proved a darned thing yet baseball talent Baseball Gods until their is some reason to do so. Do they promote them? Yes. Do they elevate them to the levels that the Sox PR department does with a panting fanbase just dying to believe it. "He is so cute....I just want to hug him. Don't you?"

 

 

Clearly you are unfamiliar with the PR department of the Chicago White Sox...

[Slasher9]

Other baseball PR departments don't anoint their young, have not proved a darned thing yet baseball talent Baseball Gods until their is some reason to do so. Do they promote them? Yes. Do they elevate them to the levels that the Sox PR department does with a panting fanbase just dying to believe it. "He is so cute....I just want to hug him. Don't you?"

 

obviously you do not remember the "Yankees Universe" promotion starring none other than Joba Chamberlain......

[notin]

obviously you do not remember the "Yankees Universe" promotion starring none other than Joba Chamberlain......

 

Has any player in MLB history ever been more overhyped than Joba the Hut?

[S5Dewey]

Has any player in MLB history ever been more overhyped than Joba the Hut?

 

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for gnats.

[jung]

obviously you do not remember the "Yankees Universe" promotion starring none other than Joba Chamberlain......

 

Fine...but comparing Chamberlain with the coddling and pampering that has gone on here since Tom Yankey simply won't wash.

 

And our intense PR effort for many of these players is just part of the coddling and pampering and it plays into the eventual prideful bunch that folds like a lawn chair we often end up with.

 

How often do the Yankmees fold like a lawn chair?

[Bellhorn04]

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for gnats.

 

I almost felt sorry for him that night. Almost.

[S5Dewey]

I almost felt sorry for him that night. Almost.

 

I know. It felt so wrong to be enjoying that...but at the same time.... so right.

[notin]

Fine...but comparing Chamberlain with the coddling and pampering that has gone on here since Tom Yankey simply won't wash.

 

And our intense PR effort for many of these players is just part of the coddling and pampering and it plays into the eventual prideful bunch that folds like a lawn chair we often end up with.

 

How often do the Yankmees fold like a lawn chair?

 

Yawkey passsed away a long time ago (1976). I moved out of Massachusetts in 2000 and at that time, the Sox NEVER ran promotions about minor league talent. This is a team that completely ignored the last Hall of Famer to come up through their system (Wade Boggs) and didn’t even move him to MLB until they had an injury to a utility player.

 

So I have no idea what you’re referring to. Can you please provide some specifics?

[dannycater]

Countdown to PostSeason: Mookie At the Lanes

[Bellhorn04]

Countdown to PostSeason: Mookie At the Lanes

 

I dunno, with a $250 million plus payday on the horizon for Mookie, he might want to think twice about all the torque bowling must put on his wrist...

[dannycater]

Actually, the balls are made today (and last many years) so that you can throw naturally and it will curve on its own.

[notin]

I dunno, with a $250 million plus payday on the horizon for Mookie, he might want to think twice about all the torque bowling must put on his wrist...

 

Maybe he’ll start candlepin bowling since he is in Boston...

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I know that Williams used to practice his swing while standing in LF; perhaps Betts will start practicing his bowling delivery in RF.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Chavis has been put on the 10 day IL(shoulder). Weber has been optioned back to Pawtucket. Larkins and Marco have been called up.

[notin]

Chavis has been put on the 10 day IL(shoulder). Weber has been optioned back to Pawtucket. Larkins and Marco have been called up.

 

And oft-injured Steve Pearce was mercifully put to sleep...

[Slasher9]

I am seeing many posts in other threads where it seems a lot of people have completely thrown in the towel on this season.

so I am wondering - who believes we still have a chance to win the division?

i do not.

who believes we still have a chance to make the playin game?

i do.

 

at this point i am very much against "bringing up the kids" to see what they got.

2 reasons: A. we are still in the hunt. only 2 teams to leapfrog. forget bringing up the kids - we shouldnt even be having "rest days" for our regulars.

and #2. we dont really have any "kids" that are exciting to bring up. there is no one...literally NO ONE in AAA currently being "blocked".

please stop with the "bring up the kids now" nonsense. that is what september is for if we are completely out of the running.

the 20 game win streak starts RIGHT NOW.

[notin]

I am seeing many posts in other threads where it seems a lot of people have completely thrown in the towel on this season.

so I am wondering - who believes we still have a chance to win the division?

i do not.

who believes we still have a chance to make the playin game?

i do.

 

at this point i am very much against "bringing up the kids" to see what they got.

2 reasons: A. we are still in the hunt. only 2 teams to leapfrog. forget bringing up the kids - we shouldnt even be having "rest days" for our regulars.

and #2. we dont really have any "kids" that are exciting to bring up. there is no one...literally NO ONE in AAA currently being "blocked".

please stop with the "bring up the kids now" nonsense. that is what september is for if we are completely out of the running.

the 20 game win streak starts RIGHT NOW.

 

I’ve white flagged both, so at best I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised if they make a WC game.

 

I am in favor of seeing any of the borderline kids like Johnson, Travis, Hernandez, etc. have a future. It’s not like the MLB starters have been giving this team a chance anyway...

[oldtimer]

I am seeing many posts in other threads where it seems a lot of people have completely thrown in the towel on this season.

so I am wondering - who believes we still have a chance to win the division?

i do not.

who believes we still have a chance to make the playin game?

i do.

 

at this point i am very much against "bringing up the kids" to see what they got.

2 reasons: A. we are still in the hunt. only 2 teams to leapfrog. forget bringing up the kids - we shouldnt even be having "rest days" for our regulars.

and #2. we dont really have any "kids" that are exciting to bring up. there is no one...literally NO ONE in AAA currently being "blocked".

please stop with the "bring up the kids now" nonsense. that is what september is for if we are completely out of the running.

the 20 game win streak starts RIGHT NOW.

 

We don't have the starting pitching to win 3 straight, let alone 20 straight. It is delussional to see us winning enough to overtake a 7.5 game deficit.

 

I am in agreement with not giving arbitrary rest days when a player isn't hurt. Substituting Owings for Betts in the lineup probably lost a game the other day and games were precious at the time. Now, I am running out the white flag so the smart approach is to prepare for 2020 and beyond.

 

The sooner we get a look at players in competition the better. We have Marco Hernandez and DHern both to look at. Travis would benefit from more exposure. I have given up on Johnson and Velazquez, and any other minor league pitcher will probably have to await Sept. Duran and Dalbec are probably Sept call ups that might find a place on the team in 2020 or 2021 so also deserve a look.

[notin]

We don't have the starting pitching to win 3 straight, let alone 20 straight. It is delussional to see us winning enough to overtake a 7.5 game deficit.

 

I am in agreement with not giving arbitrary rest days when a player isn't hurt. Substituting Owings for Betts in the lineup probably lost a game the other day and games were precious at the time. Now, I am running out the white flag so the smart approach is to prepare for 2020 and beyond.

 

The sooner we get a look at players in competition the better. We have Marco Hernandez and DHern both to look at. Travis would benefit from more exposure. I have given up on Johnson and Velazquez, and any other minor league pitcher will probably have to await Sept. Duran and Dalbec are probably Sept call ups that might find a place on the team in 2020 or 2021 so also deserve a look.

 

Duran isn’t getting called up this year.

 

I could see Dalbec once the Sox DFA 1/4 of Dombrowski’s mid season acquisitions in Chris Owings.

 

The Sox also have former Mariners’ flotsam Joey Curletta (.698 OPS in Portland) in the 40 man roster. If they DFA him, they can bring up Duran...

[Slasher9]

you both mention travis and marco. i consider both of them as "regulars" now. why on earth marco was ever sent down to begin with is just stupid. there is no white flag with either of them in the lineup IMO. Mitch is always 1 swing away from DL and chavis is on the IL.

[oldtimer]

you both mention travis and marco. i consider both of them as "regulars" now. why on earth marco was ever sent down to begin with is just stupid. there is no white flag with either of them in the lineup IMO. Mitch is always 1 swing away from DL and chavis is on the IL.

 

Marco was sent down because he could be. The mystery was why Owings was brought up and inserted as lead off hitter when Marco was available. Credit Cora with that one.

[Bellhorn04]

Marco was sent down because he could be. The mystery was why Owings was brought up and inserted as lead off hitter when Marco was available. Credit Cora with that one.

 

Apparently Marco had to stay down one more day because of the 10 day rule.

[oldtimer]

Here we are at 64 and 59 with 39 games to play and one of those is to finish. We are 7 games behind Oakland in the loss column, 8 behind Tampa Bay and 10 behind Cleveland. For the optimists, keep on hopiing against hope. Its not matematically impossible yet but highly improbable that we catch two teams.