The Official 2021 ALCS Thread

[Bellhorn04]

It's been up for over 6 months you quitter.

 

Strictly for clarification, the 8-1 line has only been up since we won the Wild Card game.

[moonslav59]

Yankees in the playoffs over the last decade:

 

No World Series Entries

2 ALCS entries- lost both to HOU in '17 and '19

 

W-L records:

0-4 DET

1-4 BOS

5-9 HOU

2-3 TBR

 

4-0 MN

1-0 OAK

5-2 CLE

3-2 BAL

[vegasbob]

Strictly for clarification, the 8-1 line has only been up since we won the Wild Card game.

 

In a different context, the 8-1 line would be good odds with only 4 teams remaining. About a month ago, mid September, I was able to get 15-1 in Las Vegas on the Red Sox to win the AL championship. I'm only 4 wins away. The joke is that the NYY'ers were at much shorter odds and would have been a waste of money now.

[moonslav59]

As much as it saddens me to see Bobby Dee at oh for 10 in the post season, my jaw drops when I look over the OPS numbers:

 

1.266 Kike (What a great signing- one of only two multiyear deals, last winter)

1.200 JD (Rumors of his loss of bat speed were just that- rumors.)

1.085 Bogey (Gotta wonder if that IL stint helped heal his wrist.)

1.041 Schwarber (Everything we'd hoped he'd be- ok, except on D.)

1.017 Devers (If he can do this one-handed & blind-folded...)

1.000 Shaw (He's done a lot in such few PAs for us.)

.913 Verdugo (I was beginning to wonder if '19-'20 was a dream.)

.882 Vaz (Saving all this for the playoffs- GENIUS!)

.750 Plawecki (Eovaldi's private caddy keeping the CERA talk relevant.)

.741 Renfroe (This wouldn't look so bad, if it wasn't for the GIDPs!)

.579 Arroyo (Keeping the defense real at 2B after Iggy's departure.)

.000 Dalbec (He's working on losing even a platoon.)

 

The pitching is not too bad, either:

4.2 IP of scoreless pitching by Taylor, Barnes, Ottavino, Davis & Richards

2.08 Whitlock in 4.1 IP (All year, this guy has carried us.)

2.57 Houck in 7.0 (The 2 kids giving us 11.1 IP of 2.38 combined!)

2.61 Big Nate in 10.1 (Talk about carrying us...)

3.12 Pivetta in 8.2 (Seemingly out of nowhere, but has shown this B4.)

5.40 ERod in 6.2 (His bounce back start was the best of our playoffs.)

6.75 Brasier in 2.2 (Faith has been tested but is not gone.)

6.75 Robles in 2.2 (Same as Brasier)

45.00 Sale in 1 IP (Gotta think he can improve on this. LOL)

 

[a700hitter]

Bobby D will go deep in the ALCS a couple of time if he gets some PT.

[YastrzemskI]

Looks like Nathan has started chirping a little bit.. not sure I agree with doing this sort of thing. Why give an opponent any potential motivation/bulletin board material.. however, it makes it fun for fans.

 

https://nesn.com/2021/10/nathan-eovaldi-didnt-mince-words-about-feelings-toward-astros/

[moonslav59]

Looks like Nathan has started chirping a little bit.. not sure I agree with doing this sort of thing. Why give an opponent any potential motivation/bulletin board material.. however, it makes it fun for fans.

 

https://nesn.com/2021/10/nathan-eovaldi-didnt-mince-words-about-feelings-toward-astros/

 

Weird thing to say.

 

Rumor was the Astros were the other team trying to sign Eovaldi after 2018. (He was born in Houston.)

 

He's a FA after 2022. Did he just take away a possible bidder?

[YastrzemskI]

Weird thing to say.

 

Rumor was the Astros were the other team trying to sign Eovaldi after 2018. (He was born in Houston.)

 

He's a FA after 2022. Did he just take away a possible bidder?

 

Should be a heck of a series Moon. Cheating or not, you have to be a complete fool not to see what a great team the Astros are and have been for five years running now. I feel that we can stay with anyone after eliminating the Rays. Some say we’re overachieving others say that they expected this all along. Who cares. Just win baby.. as we like to say because it never gets old.

[moonslav59]

A couple interesting moves by Cora got some talk, but not as much as I expected.

 

He put Schwarber up first and Kike second, and bam!

 

He moved Verdugo to the 5 slot and JD to 6th, and bam!

 

He's used a pen that looked like they were in shambles a few weeks and all the way back a couple months, and somehow made every call to the pen work out masterfully.

 

(In hindsight, of course. We all know some of the posters here were actually right, and Cora just got lucky.)

 

Another tip of the cap to Cora for not being afraid to step out of the box and shake things up.

[moonslav59]

Should be a heck of a series Moon. Cheating or not, you have to be a complete fool not to see what a great team the Astros are and have been for five years running now. I feel that we can stay with anyone after eliminating the Rays. Some say we’re overachieving others say that they expected this all along. Who cares. Just win baby.. as we like to say because it never gets old.

 

I'm liking our chances more and more as time goes by.

 

Some complained this team wasn't as good as the team from the first half. I said it then and will say it again: this team is better than that team and better- right now- than we've ever been in 2021.

 

Yes, just win, baby.

 

One game at a time.

 

Keep the mojo risin'.

 

And all the other appropriate cliches.

 

[YastrzemskI]

A couple interesting moves by Cora got some talk, but not as much as I expected.

 

He put Schwarber up first and Kike second, and bam!

 

He moved Verdugo to the 5 slot and JD to 6th, and bam!

 

He's used a pen that looked like they were in shambles a few weeks and all the way back a couple months, and somehow made every call to the pen work out masterfully.

 

(In hindsight, of course. We all know some of the posters here were actually right, and Cora just got lucky.)

 

Another tip of the cap to Cora for not being afraid to step out of the box and shake things up.

 

Cora goes for the throat every time in every post season series.. and he does it casually with an air of confidence.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Last offday before ALCS... and acknowledging the Sox wouldn't be here if the Mookie trade went down differently, the way some of us (me) wanted it:

 

... if the Dodgers gave us pitching prospect Josiah Gray, then who would've Devers homered off of in Washington to break up a scoreless tie in Houck's perfect half-game?

 

... if LA gave up Gray instead of Verdugo, then which leftfielder would be leading Boston in postseason RBIs right now?

 

... if San Diego made the Betts deal instead, and the Padres gave us pitching prospect Luis Patino, then who would've Vazquez walked off in Game 3 of the ALDS?

 

... with Mookie in SD, giving the Giants an easier path to the World Series -- and Mike Yaz playing for a ring in Fenway -- who would his grandpa root for?

[mvp 78]

Looks like Nathan has started chirping a little bit.. not sure I agree with doing this sort of thing. Why give an opponent any potential motivation/bulletin board material.. however, it makes it fun for fans.

 

https://nesn.com/2021/10/nathan-eovaldi-didnt-mince-words-about-feelings-toward-astros/

 

“I don’t necessarily hate any team, but they’re not high up on my list,” Eovaldi said

 

I can't believe the audacity of Eovaldi right now.

[moonslav59]

Heard on the HOU radio, this morning...

 

538 has HOU at 61% winners

 

Fangraphs has BOS 50.1%

[notin]

“I don’t necessarily hate any team, but they’re not high up on my list,” Eovaldi said

 

I can't believe the audacity of Eovaldi right now.

 

I know!! Next thing you know, he’ll be talking about how indifferent he is about them! The nerve!!

[mvp 78]

HOU radio is wrong:

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/red-sox-and-astros-tangle-with-ghosts-in-the-alcs/

 

Astros: 50.0004%

Red Sox: 49.9996%

[notin]

Last offday before ALCS... and acknowledging the Sox wouldn't be here if the Mookie trade went down differently, the way some of us (me) wanted it:

 

... if the Dodgers gave us pitching prospect Josiah Gray, then who would've Devers homered off of in Washington to break up a scoreless tie in Houck's perfect half-game?

 

... if LA gave up Gray instead of Verdugo, then which leftfielder would be leading Boston in postseason RBIs right now?

 

... if San Diego made the Betts deal instead, and the Padres gave us pitching prospect Luis Patino, then who would've Vazquez walked off in Game 3 of the ALDS?

 

... with Mookie in SD, giving the Giants an easier path to the World Series -- and Mike Yaz playing for a ring in Fenway -- who would his grandpa root for?

 

Not us. Blood is thicker than laundry detergent…

[mvp 78]

538 has HOU at 61% winners

 

Also, let's get a f*** NATE SILVER going in the chat.

[notin]

Also, let's get a f*** NATE SILVER going in the chat.

 

 

His former employer does have the Sox as very slight favorites…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Tomase, who picked the Rays in three in the ALDS, now says the Sox can definitely beat the Stros. His thinking is that both teams can bash, and the hottest hitters will win, since neither team's starting pitching is guaranteed to be a positive factor (especially if McCullers isn't 100 percent).

 

Maybe fans should be prepared for a potential scenario where Boston gets cremated in at least two games... and still wins the pennant. What was the score of Game 3 in the '04 ALCS when New York went up three games to none?

[mvp 78]

Tomase, who picked the Rays in three in the ALDS, now says the Sox can definitely beat the Stros. His thinking is that both teams can bash, and the hottest hitters will win, since neither team's starting pitching is guaranteed to be a positive factor (especially if McCullers isn't 100 percent).

 

Maybe fans should be prepared for a potential scenario where Boston gets cremated in at least two games... and still wins the pennant. What was the score of Game 3 in the '04 ALCS when New York went up three games to none?

 

Tomase is the dirt worst. I'd rather hang out with CHB than that slime ball.

[notin]

Tomase, who picked the Rays in three in the ALDS, now says the Sox can definitely beat the Stros. His thinking is that both teams can bash, and the hottest hitters will win, since neither team's starting pitching is guaranteed to be a positive factor (especially if McCullers isn't 100 percent).

 

Maybe fans should be prepared for a potential scenario where Boston gets cremated in at least two games... and still wins the pennant. What was the score of Game 3 in the '04 ALCS when New York went up three games to none?

 

325-7

[notin]

Tomase is the dirt worst. I'd rather hang out with CHB than that slime ball.

 

I'll take Tomase over Gerry Callahan or Tony Massarotti...

[Bellhorn04]

I'll take Tomase over Gerry Callahan or Tony Massarotti...

 

The dregs.

[mvp 78]

I'll take Tomase over Gerry Callahan or Tony Massarotti...

 

Massarotti > CHB > Tomase > Callahan

 

I'd be more likely to run over Callahan with my car.

[mvp 78]

325-7

 

I have no memory of Game 1 and 2. None. That's how bad Game 3 was.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

325-7

 

Don't let us win four out of seven.

[Bellhorn04]

Don't let us win four out of seven.

 

Greatest moment of braggadocio in sports history.

[mvp 78]

Don't let us win four out of seven.

 

Cowboy up was a reference to Wade Boggs getting injured while taking off his cowboy boots.

[mvp 78]

Greatest moment of braggadocio in sports history.

 

Like Millar, I also drink whiskey before starting my job. That 10 key isn't going to sum itself.