Don't you have to get behind them?

[Thunder]

I loved what Sale did in Chicago, and it did not tear the team apart, at all.

 

I agree now, in hind sight. Without a lot of context and without knowing a lot about him, it came across to me like he was putting his own interests ahead of the team's. I'm referring specifically to the cutting of the alternate jerseys. From an outsider's perspective, that sounds really alarming if you don't know the whole story, which I did not at the time. I was a little leery when we traded for him, especially since I liked Moncada, despite his growing K rate the year before

[moonslav59]

I agree now, in hind sight. Without a lot of context and without knowing a lot about him, it came across to me like he was putting his own interests ahead of the team's. I'm referring specifically to the cutting of the alternate jerseys. From an outsider's perspective, that sounds really alarming if you don't know the whole story, which I did not at the time. I was a little leery when we traded for him, especially since I liked Moncada, despite his growing K rate the year before

 

Yes, I was talking about the jersey's but there was also the case where he came to a player's aid.

 

When I first heard the story, I thought it was kind of funny. I figured he'd not be loved by management, but it didn't seem like a clubhouse issue between players or players and coaches.

[a700hitter]

With an arm like Sale’s, I don’t care if no one likes him, just hand him the ball and send him to the mound.

[Jasonbay44]

I'm a huge fan of defense, especially at SS, but Bogey is such a great hitter, I'm fine with him staying there.

 

Devers is probably my favorite player, now that JBJ is gone. I'm always open to trading anyone, if the return is right, but Devers is about last on my trade list.

 

I still think he has shown signs he can be a plus on defense, but if he is sketchy, this year, and Dalbec does well, I could see just flipping them, but I'm basing that on the belief that Dalbec is a plus defender at 3B. I don't know that, for sure.

 

This season has a lot if intrigue.

 

My three favorite players were Mookie Betts, John Wall and Antonio Brown. None of them play for my favorite team anymore and all got traded. I still like all three of those guys but I have decided to no longer have a favorite player after that happened lol.

[moonslav59]

My three favorite players were Mookie Betts, John Wall and Antonio Brown. None of them play for my favorite team anymore and all got traded. I still like all three of those guys but I have decided to no longer have a favorite player after that happened lol.

 

I'm kinda feeling that way, too.

 

I really like Devers, a lot, but I'm not sure anyone is my favorite player, anymore.

 

I grew to love baseball when the Seattle pilots moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers. I lived almost in the shadow of old County Stadium and remember going to Brewer games at a dollar a bleacher ticket.

 

Tommy Harper quickly became my favorite player as he became one of the first 30-30 players in MLB with me watching & cheering.

 

My family moved to Portland,Maine, and my first real friend was a huge Sox fan, so when Tommy was traded to the Sox, shortly after our move, I decided to switch to being a Sox fan. (I'm still aPacker and Bucks fan.) I've never looked back.

 

I'm not sure I had one favorite player after Harper retired. There were so many players I loved- Lynn, Tiant, Burleson, Aparichio, Lee, Rice, Evans, Rico & Fisk were but a few, and the team's management bungled and traded most away. There were some tough times for many young Sox fans, in those days.

 

I've always loved defense, especially at SS and CF, and when JBJ came into the Sox system, I was excited. Maybe I fell for the hype, but the guy was magical on defense. What was not to love? (Oh yeah, he sucked on O out of the gate.)

 

He slumped a lot and had some red hot streaks, and I found myself defending him against a lot of attacks- maybe as much or more than anybody. I've caught some flack for pointing out his drop off on defense, and maybe I have overblown the drop. I still really respect JBJ and would love him to be in our CF for 2021 and maybe even 2022, but I thought he'd cost way too much.

 

Perhaps, he will become affordable and I can squeeze a year or two more years out of him as my fave.

 

I don't usually pick the best player as my fave. The Bucks won a ring while I was in Milwaukee, but Lew Alcindor (Jabbar) was not my favorite player, now was the big O or Lucius Allen. It was Bobby Dandridge.

 

My favorite Packer player was not Bart Star or Ray Nitschke, but Lionel Aldridge and later, MacArther Lane.

 

[kenmeister]

Ooh this is a fun thread idea. My favorite player transition has been ...

 

Wade Boggs

Mo Vaughn

Nomar Garciaparra

David Ortiz

Xander Bogaerts

 

I liked JBJ a lot that one year he hit like Willie Mays from August on, and I think the year later he had that hit streak, but he never put all that potential together in one killer year.

[TylerD]

It's hard to know, for sure, how much we got better, and better than worst can still be pretty bad, but I like what we have, this year.

 

I don't think we are a top contender, but I think we are good enough to make the last WC slot and have enough potential to put it all together and surprise people.

 

2013-like surprise? Doubtful, but who knows?

 

GO Sox!

 

This

 

Until the season gets going, we are a question mark

 

I will say this, I think we have enough players to make us a very good offensive team. Wil we be as good as last year when we had the number 3 offense. Maybe not, but I do think we will be good. It’s the pitching that is the huge question mark! As good as the bats were last year it couldn’t over come the pitching we had. That is key.

 

None the less, go Sox!!

[mvp 78]

Ooh this is a fun thread idea. My favorite player transition has been ...

 

Wade Boggs

Mo Vaughn

Nomar Garciaparra

David Ortiz

Xander Bogaerts

 

I liked JBJ a lot that one year he hit like Willie Mays from August on, and I think the year later he had that hit streak, but he never put all that potential together in one killer year.

 

Jim Rice

Mo Vaughn

Pedro

Devers

 

There were substantial gaps between all 4 players where I didn't have a favorite active player. Really, when Pedro did his final media interview during the 04 playoffs and inferred he didn't know where he'd be in 05, I realized that having a favorite player is just next to impossible these days.

[Bellhorn04]

Really, when Pedro did his final media interview during the 04 playoffs and inferred he didn't know where he'd be in 05, I realized that having a favorite player is just next to impossible these days.

 

When you're a Red Sox fan, you can't even get too attached to the head of baseball ops!

[mvp 78]

When you're a Red Sox fan, you can't even get too attached to the head of baseball ops!

 

They don't even get their own baseball cards!

[kenmeister]

Jim Rice

Mo Vaughn

Pedro

Devers

 

There were substantial gaps between all 4 players where I didn't have a favorite active player. Really, when Pedro did his final media interview during the 04 playoffs and inferred he didn't know where he'd be in 05, I realized that having a favorite player is just next to impossible these days.

 

Rice's golden years are just before I started watching. When I started watching, he was sadly a double play machine. Pedro was a close second to Nomar for me, but he was injured a lot. I wish I could have gone to a game where he was smoking, but the Pedro games I went to he was done after 5 innings.

[moonslav59]

Rice's golden years are just before I started watching. When I started watching, he was sadly a double play machine. Pedro was a close second to Nomar for me, but he was injured a lot. I wish I could have gone to a game where he was smoking, but the Pedro games I went to he was done after 5 innings.

 

When Pedro & Nomar played together, Pedro pitched over 185 innings plus in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. He also pitched 217 innings in 2005.

 

Only in 2001 did Pedro drop to 117 IP.

 

He was a horse, until he went to the Mets, and even gave them a 217 inning season, year one.

[notin]

Rice's golden years are just before I started watching. When I started watching, he was sadly a double play machine. Pedro was a close second to Nomar for me, but he was injured a lot. I wish I could have gone to a game where he was smoking, but the Pedro games I went to he was done after 5 innings.

 

Rice did play up until 1989, and he was third in MVP balloting as late as 1986.

[kenmeister]

Rice did play up until 1989, and he was third in MVP balloting as late as 1986.

 

I started paying the Red Sox some attention in 1986, but I didn't start watching games regularly until 1988.

[moonslav59]

I started paying the Red Sox some attention in 1986, but I didn't start watching games regularly until 1988.

 

This doesn't explain the Pedro always being injured statement.

 

1998 33 GS 217 IP

1999 31 GS 213 IP

2000 29 GS 217 IP

2001 18 GS 117 IP

2002 30 GS 199 IP

2003 29 GS 187 IP

2004 33 GS 217 IP

 

He may not have led the league in IP, any year, but putting in over 29 starts and 199 in 6 of 7 years with the Sox is hardly being injured a lot.

 

He was 25th in GS'd from 1998-2004.

 

He was 15th in IP'd in those 7 Sox years.

 

[jad]

Jenson, Jerry Casales, George Scott, Rice, Schiraldi, JBJ, Devers

[kenmeister]

This doesn't explain the Pedro always being injured statement.

 

1998 33 GS 217 IP

1999 31 GS 213 IP

2000 29 GS 217 IP

2001 18 GS 117 IP

2002 30 GS 199 IP

2003 29 GS 187 IP

2004 33 GS 217 IP

 

He may not have led the league in IP, any year, but putting in over 29 starts and 199 in 6 of 7 years with the Sox is hardly being injured a lot.

 

He was 25th in GS'd from 1998-2004.

 

He was 15th in IP'd in those 7 Sox years.

 

 

Sorry that was explaining Jim Rice.

 

The subject was around favorite player, and my feelings on that subject were colored by the games I actually went to moreso than watched on tv or read about in the paper in the late 90s and early 2000s. A coworker was a season ticket holder, and I'd buy 7-10 games worth a year in that period from him. I think I went to 3 Pedro games in all, and in each one he was playing through injury and wasn't very effective. There were 2-3 more that he was supposed to be the starter in but didn't appear. That's what I meant by always injured - I meant it in a very subjective sense. I realize it was just my bad luck to never catch Pedro at his best. Contrast that with Nomar, who I got to watch have some sizzling games. I even saw Juan Pena dominate lol.

 

Sadly I don't go to games anymore. Maybe I can turn that around this year.

 

PS: I did get to see the "mother's day miracle" against Baltimore... and I think the last game I saw in that time period they scored 20+ runs against a Marlins team that would win it all that year.

Edited February 28, 2021 by kenmeister