Perspective, Greed

[dannycater]

This is one of the saddest posts I've ever had to make because I think I'm becoming soft as a fan. I used to be hardcore and typically critical Sox fan of the 1990s, the old Globe "Click The Cans" forum that existed there for years, then turned into the BDC where several of you started and moved over here to this really well-done talksox.com. I'm usually on the B's side (:-) ) talking Bruins. What I learned really hard was what happens when adversity hits as a fan? This happened in game 7 of the B's/Blues Final. The B's were supposed to keep the duckboat parades coming and it should have been our TitleTown #3 in a row--Baseball-Football-Hockey championships. But the mauling Blues, led by ultimate fan in Sox LF, ruined the party. The line of people wanting people gone were endless--fans on the chatboard were wishing for Marchand to be banished for his mistake shift change late in the 1st period, they wanted people's heads on a platter. Well, there really wasn't much you can do. Players were injured, but bottom line even with the best goaltending of the playoffs in Rask, it wasn't meant to be. The Bruins lost 3 of 4 at the Garden. It was tough, very tough to not get that Cup. Everything was set up for that win. Now I fast forward to the 2019 Sox. This is the follow-up of pretty much the Greatest Sox Team In Franchise History..119 total wins with playoffs. Staggering, incredible success that culminated with myself actually getting to sit in the stands at Dodger Stadium and watch Sale and the Sox celebrate a title. It was surreal to be there. And then it dawned on me. We just win and win and win. The Patriots and Sox in particular (with that B's 11 Cup and the Big 3 Celts win sprinkled in). But 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018...it's insane to win that many WS titles in that short of period of time. Then the Pats and the countless Super Bowls with 3 straight SB appearances and 2 SB wins and one ridiculous (think Bruins-Blues) loss when it should have been 3 straight.

 

So what about the '19 Sox? You know what, I'm disappointed the team has woefully underperformed despite complete monster seasons by Xander and Devers, with the best season ever by Vasquez, a pretty good year from JD despite all the cries of he lost his video/batting coach, and then yeoman stat runs by Chavis, Holt. The offense has been mostly pretty damn good. The Bullpen imploded the first few months and the SP has been the Star of the Season as the most consistently poor staff despite Cy Youngs all over the place as the non-Cy is the team's best pitcher--EROD. Cora getting heat for the first time after Camelot last year, and DD getting a lot of the same grief for doing the same non-action things he used to do in Detroit. You know what, what's the point of complaining anymore. We win, we own Championship Central in the USA. We own it. We can brag and we can go on and on about our 2000s titles, many of them as they have been collected. Boston is the Hub of Success. So we suck in 2019, the Sox may not make the postseason--of course this is the franchise that managed to win in '13 between last place finishes...it's as up and down as it gets in SoxLand.

 

But I'm not going to beg for Cora to be fired, DD to be fired, Porcello to be tarred and feathered, Sale to be sent to a shrink, Price to apologize to Eckersley, JD to make clandestine meetings with the Dodgers batting coach, Bradley to be traded for being a generally poor batter despite being the best CF I've ever seen...ever on defense (and I've seen many greats). Betts getting abused because he too had his career year last year (wait til people ask for Xander's head next year when he doesn't live up to '19 stats). I read the threads, I didn't come here much for a long time, especially last year when all we did was win, win, win some more. Had to be the most boring chats ever. "Hey, we have 108 wins!' "

"Yeah, but we should have 117 if not for some stupid bonehead moves!" and then we got to roast Kimbrel, finally something to criticize in the postseason. People cried to re-sign him? WTF? Anyway, I wrote in the titlehead perspective, and now I'm going to address greed. We are greedy f*** fans for sure. We want more, more, more. Well, it doesn't happen every year (ask the Blues, it just happened after nothing becoming a franchise in 67) or ask the Guardians...yikes. We have last year's title to savor and the Pats SB, and B's getting to a 7th game of the Cup Finals. I'm pretty f***ing satisfied to be honest. What the hell, it beats being in last place, 30 games out of contention. We are greedy fans. Period.

 

Carry on, I do not want to dismiss some very intelligent threads by long-time fan Moon and many of you very loyal, passionate fans. I was more passionate and crazy prior to 04, that's for sure. I was bloodthirsty. Well, I'm no longer that. I'm a fat cat from Puss N Boots. I'm content. I root for the B's, Pats and Sox just like everyone else, but I'm not naive. The chances of a major letdown after last year were extremely high. So it happened, and maybe the Sox can still pull out a WC spot. Who knows, but just because the '19 season has been a letdown doesn't mean you blow it all up. No reason to blow it up. Just make some salary moves, and get back to work in 2020. Go Sox!!!

[Bellhorn04]

Good stuff, danny. My perspective is a lot like yours. And I'm very proud of my signature line.

[dannycater]

Good stuff, danny. My perspective is a lot like yours. And I'm very proud of my signature line.

 

Some of the Sox over the years, short-timers but guys who were big stars for brief moments--Bellhorn, Roberts, Foulke, Kapler, Ross, Gomes, Nunez...the little guys who helped make the titles happen.

[Kimmi]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We have become what we always hated about the Yankees - a whiny and entitled fan base.

 

Fans of almost any other franchise would love to be in our shoes.

 

The John Henry era is a great time to be a Red Sox fan.

[Bellhorn04]

Some of the Sox over the years, short-timers but guys who were big stars for brief moments--Bellhorn, Roberts, Foulke, Kapler, Ross, Gomes, Nunez...the little guys who helped make the titles happen.

 

Keith Foulke is a textbook example of how some fans lose perspective.

 

I believe that Foulke basically sacrificed his arm in the 2004 postseason for a championship.

 

But in 2005, when he was pitching badly, there was no mercy for him. (Leading to the infamous/hilarious Johnny from Burger King line.)

[OH FOY]

This is one of the saddest posts I've ever had to make because I think I'm becoming soft as a fan. I used to be hardcore and typically critical Sox fan of the 1990s, the old Globe "Click The Cans" forum that existed there for years, then turned into the BDC where several of you started and moved over here to this really well-done talksox.com. I'm usually on the B's side (:-) ) talking Bruins. What I learned really hard was what happens when adversity hits as a fan? This happened in game 7 of the B's/Blues Final. The B's were supposed to keep the duckboat parades coming and it should have been our TitleTown #3 in a row--Baseball-Football-Hockey championships. But the mauling Blues, led by ultimate fan in Sox LF, ruined the party. The line of people wanting people gone were endless--fans on the chatboard were wishing for Marchand to be banished for his mistake shift change late in the 1st period, they wanted people's heads on a platter. Well, there really wasn't much you can do. Players were injured, but bottom line even with the best goaltending of the playoffs in Rask, it wasn't meant to be. The Bruins lost 3 of 4 at the Garden. It was tough, very tough to not get that Cup. Everything was set up for that win. Now I fast forward to the 2019 Sox. This is the follow-up of pretty much the Greatest Sox Team In Franchise History..119 total wins with playoffs. Staggering, incredible success that culminated with myself actually getting to sit in the stands at Dodger Stadium and watch Sale and the Sox celebrate a title. It was surreal to be there. And then it dawned on me. We just win and win and win. The Patriots and Sox in particular (with that B's 11 Cup and the Big 3 Celts win sprinkled in). But 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018...it's insane to win that many WS titles in that short of period of time. Then the Pats and the countless Super Bowls with 3 straight SB appearances and 2 SB wins and one ridiculous (think Bruins-Blues) loss when it should have been 3 straight.

 

So what about the '19 Sox? You know what, I'm disappointed the team has woefully underperformed despite complete monster seasons by Xander and Devers, with the best season ever by Vasquez, a pretty good year from JD despite all the cries of he lost his video/batting coach, and then yeoman stat runs by Chavis, Holt. The offense has been mostly pretty damn good. The Bullpen imploded the first few months and the SP has been the Star of the Season as the most consistently poor staff despite Cy Youngs all over the place as the non-Cy is the team's best pitcher--EROD. Cora getting heat for the first time after Camelot last year, and DD getting a lot of the same grief for doing the same non-action things he used to do in Detroit. You know what, what's the point of complaining anymore. We win, we own Championship Central in the USA. We own it. We can brag and we can go on and on about our 2000s titles, many of them as they have been collected. Boston is the Hub of Success. So we suck in 2019, the Sox may not make the postseason--of course this is the franchise that managed to win in '13 between last place finishes...it's as up and down as it gets in SoxLand.

 

But I'm not going to beg for Cora to be fired, DD to be fired, Porcello to be tarred and feathered, Sale to be sent to a shrink, Price to apologize to Eckersley, JD to make clandestine meetings with the Dodgers batting coach, Bradley to be traded for being a generally poor batter despite being the best CF I've ever seen...ever on defense (and I've seen many greats). Betts getting abused because he too had his career year last year (wait til people ask for Xander's head next year when he doesn't live up to '19 stats). I read the threads, I didn't come here much for a long time, especially last year when all we did was win, win, win some more. Had to be the most boring chats ever. "Hey, we have 108 wins!' "

"Yeah, but we should have 117 if not for some stupid bonehead moves!" and then we got to roast Kimbrel, finally something to criticize in the postseason. People cried to re-sign him? WTF? Anyway, I wrote in the titlehead perspective, and now I'm going to address greed. We are greedy f*** fans for sure. We want more, more, more. Well, it doesn't happen every year (ask the Blues, it just happened after nothing becoming a franchise in 67) or ask the Guardians...yikes. We have last year's title to savor and the Pats SB, and B's getting to a 7th game of the Cup Finals. I'm pretty f***ing satisfied to be honest. What the hell, it beats being in last place, 30 games out of contention. We are greedy fans. Period.

 

Carry on, I do not want to dismiss some very intelligent threads by long-time fan Moon and many of you very loyal, passionate fans. I was more passionate and crazy prior to 04, that's for sure. I was bloodthirsty. Well, I'm no longer that. I'm a fat cat from Puss N Boots. I'm content. I root for the B's, Pats and Sox just like everyone else, but I'm not naive. The chances of a major letdown after last year were extremely high. So it happened, and maybe the Sox can still pull out a WC spot. Who knows, but just because the '19 season has been a letdown doesn't mean you blow it all up. No reason to blow it up. Just make some salary moves, and get back to work in 2020. Go Sox!!!

 

Just for me, I just don't know what Sox we'll get in 2020, and beyond, because of the Farm. This year's team compare to last years now makes this team a mystery for next season DC.

Go from 108 wins to hopefully 90+ wins, better hope it was a World Series hangover.

Edited August 2, 2019 by OH FOY!

[Kimmi]

Some of the Sox over the years, short-timers but guys who were big stars for brief moments--Bellhorn, Roberts, Foulke, Kapler, Ross, Gomes, Nunez...the little guys who helped make the titles happen.

 

I'm a huge fan of the little guys.

[Kimmi]

Just for me, I just don't know what Sox we'll get in 2020, and beyond, because of the Farm. This year's team compare to last years now makes this team a mystery for next season DC.

 

Did someone say "cliff"?

[Kimmi]

I'm a huge fan of the little guys.

 

The ability to find these little guys - that's what impresses me with a GM.

[jung]

I think the whole think is hysterically funny myself and sooooo typically Red Sox no matter who owns the team.

[illinoisredsox]

Excellent Danny. Your handle tells me you are a contemporary of mine. I think for the younger crowd, they don’t have that experience of failure. They’ve heard about it, but they didn’t live it. Aparicio falling down going around 3rd in 1973 and the Sox falling 1/2 game short to the Tigers because they played one less game due to a strike. Johnson pinch hitting for Willoughby in Game 7 in 75. Bucky “Bleeping” Dent. Game 6 in 86. The list goes on and on.

 

I hoped I would see 1 title in my lifetime; I’ve been blessed with 4. I’d love to see more, but if they don’t happen, it’s okay.

 

In his book Ball Four, Jim Bouton relays a story from early in his career (1962/63) when he went into the Yankee GM’s office to ask for a raise (I think he won 20 the year before) and basically was told no. He was told that he could always count on that World Series check. I don’t ever want to become that entitled but I fear some are.

[Bellhorn04]

The ability to find these little guys - that's what impresses me with a GM.

 

Nothing warms your heart like a little guy WITH A LITTLE SALARY who contributes.

[illinoisredsox]

Keith Foulke is a textbook example of how some fans lose perspective.

 

I believe that Foulke basically sacrificed his arm in the 2004 postseason for a championship.

 

But in 2005, when he was pitching badly, there was no mercy for him. (Leading to the infamous/hilarious Johnny from Burger King line.)

 

 

Somebody opined that it may have happened to Porcello this year with his bullpen duty from last October. No idea if it’s true but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

[illinoisredsox]

That was me LOL

 

You replied too fast, assuring my inability to type with my fat thumbs will stay on in cyberspace forever

[Bellhorn04]

You replied too fast, assuring my inability to type with my fat thumbs will stay on in cyberspace forever

 

Not sure what you're referring to.

[dannycater]

Excellent Danny. Your handle tells me you are a contemporary of mine. I think for the younger crowd, they don’t have that experience of failure. They’ve heard about it, but they didn’t live it. Aparicio falling down going around 3rd in 1973 and the Sox falling 1/2 game short to the Tigers because they played one less game due to a strike. Johnson pinch hitting for Willoughby in Game 7 in 75. Bucky “Bleeping” Dent. Game 6 in 86. The list goes on and on.

 

I hoped I would see 1 title in my lifetime; I’ve been blessed with 4. I’d love to see more, but if they don’t happen, it’s okay.

 

In his book Ball Four, Jim Bouton relays a story from early in his career (1962/63) when he went into the Yankee GM’s office to ask for a raise (I think he won 20 the year before) and basically was told no. He was told that he could always count on that World Series check. I don’t ever want to become that entitled but I fear some are.

 

Even '03 was a monumentally tough defeat (Pedro/Grady). So many epic failures in Baseball history surrounded the Sox and now we got our cake, ate it, and then left AROD's b-day cake to be eaten by the Sox press corps. I nearly broke my brother's TV set in game 6, 86. That was my coronation into the abyss, even though I was crushed in '78 and '75 7th game. I had hope then though, and was wide-eyed. 86 sent me into a tizzy that lasted until 3 games down in '04. I sat there after the 3rd loss thinking "this is just getting ridiculous." So I relaxed, watched game 4 win, and thought what the f***, go Cowboy Up it. When it was 3-2, I really was in Millar mode. You kind of thought this is silly, so finish these f***s. And they did!! Go Sox!!!

[FredLynn]

Excellent Danny. Your handle tells me you are a contemporary of mine. I think for the younger crowd, they don’t have that experience of failure. They’ve heard about it, but they didn’t live it. Aparicio falling down going around 3rd in 1973 and the Sox falling 1/2 game short to the Tigers because they played one less game due to a strike. Johnson pinch hitting for Willoughby in Game 7 in 75. Bucky “Bleeping” Dent. Game 6 in 86. The list goes on and on.

 

I hoped I would see 1 title in my lifetime; I’ve been blessed with 4. I’d love to see more, but if they don’t happen, it’s okay.

 

In his book Ball Four, Jim Bouton relays a story from early in his career (1962/63) when he went into the Yankee GM’s office to ask for a raise (I think he won 20 the year before) and basically was told no. He was told that he could always count on that World Series check. I don’t ever want to become that entitled but I fear some are.

 

I don't mind if we suck for a year or two. Not at all. Its coming. There are no more dynasties in baseball. All I would like to see is an honest effort out there, and too often this season I am not seeing it. Two examples from last night's game: Devers failed to attempt to catch a playable foul ball (he gave up on it) and one of the Rays hits traveled about 15 feet down the first base line because our pitcher and our catcher didn't properly communicate as to who was taking the ground ball. Numerous other examples of playing brain dead baseball and brain dead managing this year exist. THAT is what I find inexcusable about this season.

[dannycater]

Also inexcusable was Lynn's 76 injury-filled campaign.

[notin]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We have become what we always hated about the Yankees - a whiny and entitled fan base.

 

Fans of almost any other franchise would love to be in our shoes.

 

The John Henry era is a great time to be a Red Sox fan.

 

Well I don’t mind not winning and not being competitive as much as I mind the complacency. Trying and failing is acceptable. Idly sitting back and hoping for the same results is not...

[jacksonianmarch]

There is a reason why fans here are shouting for the sox to blow it up. Mostly because mediocrity is punished in the big leagues. This is one of the things the MLBPA and MLB need to work on. There is no punishment for being absolutely horrendous. As a matter of fact, if you suck it hard, you get a great draft pool, a high first pick and an envious INTL FA pool. This allows you to get a premium talent then nab some signability guys picked below their ranking and rebuild rapidly plus the ability to spend money alone and nab two top INTL FAs without even thinking. Teams in the 11-20 range in the draft are in no man's land. Your draft pool is nice, but far below the top 10. Your talent left in the first round is nice, but the big tool guys are gone. Your INTL FA pool is good but not great and if you're in a big market, your INTL FA pool might be just as bad as the team winning in the world series. Team's who deconstruct and add talent from outside the organization then rebuild with high draft picks, high draft pools and high INTL FA caps can turn their organization around.

 

Just look at the Mariners. They won 89 games last year and all that got them was a late draft pick, no playoffs and a team that was badly in need of a financial infusion to stay competitive. Instead of go for it, they sold off anyone with a pulse and turned their farm from #29 (the only farm close to the sox) and they're now brimming with minor league talent. They'll benefit from a high pick in 2020, a high draft pool plus a big IFA pool and they will add more talent. They also have deep pockets, so when Felix and others fall off the docket, they can spend as their talent is getting towards MLB readiness and they can have a long sustained window of greatness. The sox should consider this, but with DD in place, it ain't happening.

 

The sox have a problem. I have stated it for years. You cannot have insane contracts for declining or injured players plus have the core of your team come up for arbitration and FA at the same time and all the while rape your farm and draft like s*** to leave the farm a salted wasteland

[oldtimer]

I have been a fan since the 1940's and I too think we have been blessed with dominant Red Sox teams since the new millenium. We have had a lot of great and good players during that time and we should all appreciate them. That doesn't mean that fans shouldn't express their opinions when things go well or wrong. It is kind of a catharsis to share thoughts with other fans.

 

Right now we have a team with a top of the line offensive capability but one that nevertheless could be improved in that way going forward.

 

The Pitching has been our Achilles Heel this year with 32 runs given up in the last 4 games for instance. I don't think our pitchers blew their arms out pitching in the WS. Clearly what we do have is a number of pitchers getting high salaries (some with long contracts) who are not producing close to their pay level. Price, Sale and Porcello together are getting more money than the entire Rays team which just swept up at home. Those salaries and long term contracts may have won us the world series last season but clearly are an albatross around our necks going forward if they can't produce yet the money we aqre paying to them prevents us from making moves into 2020 and beyond. I don't blame JH for any of this as he has spent more than any other team. I do question DD and whether his approach of taking on these long term contracts and diluting our minor league prospects to such an extent was the best way to go. He can be faulted for the Panda's contract, which will finally be over this season and I am not certain of his involvement in the Pedroia contract, which was a sentimental one and it has turned into another money waster.

 

Our BP also needs to be fixed but our financial situation and lack of trading chips hasn't allowed for us to be a player this year in strengthening our weakness there. Clearly so off season moves will be needed and while I am an advocate of keeping our strong core of young players I do think where we have flexability, we have to open up cap space but moving on from marginal players. The trouble with long term contracts is that they don't allow for flexability.

 

When a team is underperforming, one has to ask if the decision making in the front office, in team management or in team coaching is leading in the right direction. Anyone who raises those questions can do so in a way that is inoffensive and I enjoy reading the opinions of other knowledgeable fans in those areas.

[Kimmi]

Well I don’t mind not winning and not being competitive as much as I mind the complacency. Trying and failing is acceptable. Idly sitting back and hoping for the same results is not...

 

There is not one season since Henry took over that I have entered the season feeling like the Sox had no chance of competing. I have felt like we've had a legitimate contender every year. It hasn't always turned out that way, but really, that's all we can ask of a GM and an owner.

 

I don't think there was complacency on Dombrowski's or Henry's parts.

[notin]

There is not one season since Henry took over that I have entered the season feeling like the Sox had no chance of competing. I have felt like we've had a legitimate contender every year. It hasn't always turned out that way, but really, that's all we can ask of a GM and an owner.

 

I don't think there was complacency on Dombrowski's or Henry's parts.

 

With Henry, I have no idea.

 

With Dombrowski, I have no other explanation. If he didn’t have a long stretch of guiding Detroit into the postseason only to come up short largely due to not addressing pitching depth and ignoring the bullpen, I’d be more inclined to agree. He did steal Price from Tampa one year, but he always seems to list after star players. But he was always slow to adders blatantly weak bullpen. (Sound familiar?)

 

He has the Sox in a tenable position right now. They might struggle to get int the postseason, but they’re on the outside looking in. They have no money to spend. They have no farm to rely on. No pitching to get them there. And Captain Ahab at the helm going full speed ahead despite obvious weaknesses...

[Kimmi]

With Henry, I have no idea.

 

With Dombrowski, I have no other explanation. If he didn’t have a long stretch of guiding Detroit into the postseason only to come up short largely due to not addressing pitching depth and ignoring the bullpen, I’d be more inclined to agree. He did steal Price from Tampa one year, but he always seems to list after star players. But he was always slow to adders blatantly weak bullpen. (Sound familiar?)

 

He has the Sox in a tenable position right now. They might struggle to get int the postseason, but they’re on the outside looking in. They have no money to spend. They have no farm to rely on. No pitching to get them there. And Captain Ahab at the helm going full speed ahead despite obvious weaknesses...

 

I agree that Dombrowski should have added some bullpen depth before the deadline. He addressed, or so we thought, the rotation depth by adding Cashner. We don't know what the cost was for adding a reliever. If it was a cost that would put us over the next threshold, then I'm fine with Dombrowski declining, and I am fine with Henry's unwillingness to add more payroll.

 

As far as what they did during the preseason, I have no issues. You and I will have to disagree on that.

[jacksonianmarch]

There is not one season since Henry took over that I have entered the season feeling like the Sox had no chance of competing. I have felt like we've had a legitimate contender every year. It hasn't always turned out that way, but really, that's all we can ask of a GM and an owner.

 

I don't think there was complacency on Dombrowski's or Henry's parts.

 

The problem with hiring Dombrowski is that you knew you were making a deal with the devil. I think, Kimmi, you were on record as a Cherington defender and have been to some degree a Dombrowski defender as well. DD was brought here with a purpose. You knew the mission was win now and he achieved that mission. You knew the cost was a scorched earth rebuild with players getting paid far beyond their best production. The fans of Cherington wanted to suckle off the teat of Epstein and keep a strong farm system foundation while building a team that could win for a long time and was sustainable. Cherington was pushed into signing Hanley and Pablo and when they bombed, he paid the price for it. DD comes in, sells off everything Cherington worked for and won 3 straight ALE titles and won the 2018 big league title. I think Henry saw the Yankees in a down phase and made the move when he thought the ALE was easy to win. He was right. In doing so, he desecrated his farm and essentially doomed the sox to a long rebuild. You take that if you win the title. Sox fans shouldn't be upset about it. This was the deal Henry made. He took advantage of a weak ALE, made a team that was a juggernaut and won a title. This season may be a world series hangover, but it is rapidly looking like a team with players starting to fall into the down phase or players coming down from career highs that won't be reached again. With every possible depth piece now in other organizations, he has nothing left. The one major critique on DD is that he drafted poorly and development bombed. But for the most part, this is the end of the window. Sox fans cannot lament it. You won 3 ALE titles and a world series. Time to pay the piper

[notin]

I agree that Dombrowski should have added some bullpen depth before the deadline. He addressed, or so we thought, the rotation depth by adding Cashner. We don't know what the cost was for adding a reliever. If it was a cost that would put us over the next threshold, then I'm fine with Dombrowski declining, and I am fine with Henry's unwillingness to add more payroll.

 

As far as what they did during the preseason, I have no issues. You and I will have to disagree on that.

 

I agree Henry with Henry's decision to not add payroll. He gave DD plenty of budget to make a competitive team.

 

And I like that he added Cashner. It hasn't worked out, but at least he did do something.

 

But really, DD has been pretty absent all year. Dozens of pitcher have hit the waiver wire, and DD been absent on all, despite most clearing waivers (which means he certainly had an opportunity). Right now in the AL, two teams have closers that were acquired mid-season as free agents because they both cleared waivers. (Bass in Seattle and Rosenthal in Detroit.) These are minimum wage players to their respective teams. How was DD not involved? But hey, he did add Cody Asche and Chris Owings for reasons no one understands...

[Bellhorn04]

Bring back Cherington as General Manager.

 

Bring back Farrell as Pitching Coach.

 

It would be worth it just to read the posts from 700 Hitter.

[harmony]

I agree Henry with Henry's decision to not add payroll. He gave DD plenty of budget to make a competitive team.

 

And I like that he added Cashner. It hasn't worked out, but at least he did do something.

 

But really, DD has been pretty absent all year. Dozens of pitcher have hit the waiver wire, and DD been absent on all, despite most clearing waivers (which means he certainly had an opportunity). Right now in the AL, two teams have closers that were acquired mid-season as free agents because they both cleared waivers. (Bass in Seattle and Rosenthal in Detroit.) These are minimum wage players to their respective teams. How was DD not involved? But hey, he did add Cody Asche and Chris Owings for reasons no one understands...

Perhaps Dave Dombrowski was in on Trevor Rosenthal and Anthony Bass only to see the righthanded relievers sign elsewhere.

 

Or not.

Edited August 3, 2019 by harmony

[notin]

Perhaps Dave Dombrowski was in on Trevor Rosenthal and Anthony Bass only to see the righthanded relievers sign elsewhere.

 

Or not.

 

And they chose Detroit and Seattle? It’s not like the Sox bullpen is so devoid of opportunities...

[dannycater]

I'll add to my thread that right now is pretty wicked bad for all of us. The team has literally quit before our eyes, the manager doesn't know what to do (and honestly he's had to deal with what kind of adversity as a MLB coach--dealt with great success of Astros, 119 wins last year with Sox, and all he knew before this year was everything he does turns to gold. Now it's actual managing, and it's like Tito in his last season--when the pumpkin is driving the coach, nothing you can do to prepare for the trainwreck). So again, I savor last year, I expected a letdown but not this monumental failure (thought maybe wild card, but not looking good there). I savor all the titles, and know this is the David Price we pay for this. Go Sox!