June Twenty-Fourth Red Sox @ Guardians

[moonslav59]

The tough 5 week stretch begins, but as always, one game at a time, guys!

 

I started the thread early, because I'm hitting the road on my way to Maine and Sox Nation.

 

TOR is at MIL.

 

NYY & HOU duke it out in NYC.

 

Rays host the Pirates, while MIN hosts COL.

 

I'll say it, again, one game at a time, guys!

 

[moonslav59]

It's going to be nice seeing Tito up close, again. He's done a great job with this team, as expected.

 

It really sucked the way things ended with the Sox, but considering that situation, I still feel it needed to happen.

 

I'm glad he landed in a good situation, for him, and he's proving why he was one of the best, if not the very best, Sox manager in history.

 

Let's hope his efforts don't pay off in the next few games, but this should be a great series.

 

Looks like Pivetta vs Quantrill.

 

Some other projected match-ups are...

 

Verlander (HOU) vs Severino (NYY)

 

Keller (PIT) vs Springs (TBR)

 

Manoah (TOR) vs Houser (MIL)

 

As always...

 

One game at a time!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

It's going to be nice seeing Tito up close, again. He's done a great job with this team, as expected.

 

 

Something I've been thinking for awhile, especially now that Cleveland is in first place: the AL MVP is Jose Ramirez. Devers has two other star hitters protecting him, and Judge has the Bronx Bombers, the greatest team in the history of this year. Ramirez has Steven Kwan (actually, the shortstop Gimenez is a pretty good player, too).

 

But it's not like MVP voters don't already know the value of Ramirez: Top 6 or better MVP finisher in four of the past five years. We just never hear him discussed in the same breath with Trout, Betts, and all the young NL studs. The Yankee website named MLB.com -- which features daily updates on top NY prospects -- hardly even knows how to spell Gardeeyans.

[Maxbialystock]

Something I've been thinking for awhile, especially now that Cleveland is in first place: the AL MVP is Jose Ramirez. Devers has two other star hitters protecting him, and Judge has the Bronx Bombers, the greatest team in the history of this year. Ramirez has Steven Kwan (actually, the shortstop Gimenez is a pretty good player, too).

 

But it's not like MVP voters don't already know the value of Ramirez: Top 6 or better MVP finisher in four of the past five years. We just never hear him discussed in the same breath with Trout, Betts, and all the young NL studs. The Yankee website named MLB.com -- which features daily updates on top NY prospects -- hardly even knows how to spell Gardeeyans.

 

Cleveland sure got their money's worth out of him. Indeed, he just signed for 7 years and $142M--pretty small potatoes--and for that same reason small news value. Trout, Betts, Harper, et al, get the press/commentary/coverage because of the money and maybe because of being in bigger cities. Aaron Judge gets plenty of coverage because he's a Yankee.

 

Funny thing, and I could be wrong, but I think Mookie Betts is getting a lot more coverage as a Dodger than he got back in Boston, where he had better years than he's had @ LA. Big city, huge contract.

[Maxbialystock]

It's going to be nice seeing Tito up close, again. He's done a great job with this team, as expected.

 

It really sucked the way things ended with the Sox, but considering that situation, I still feel it needed to happen.

 

I'm glad he landed in a good situation, for him, and he's proving why he was one of the best, if not the very best, Sox manager in history.

 

Let's hope his efforts don't pay off in the next few games, but this should be a great series.

 

Looks like Pivetta vs Quantrill.

 

Some other projected match-ups are...

 

Verlander (HOU) vs Severino (NYY)

 

Keller (PIT) vs Springs (TBR)

 

Manoah (TOR) vs Houser (MIL)

 

As always...

 

One game at a time!

 

Francona is an interesting guy. Very good amateur player, first round pick, but less great as a pro--then clearly terrific as a coach and manager, especially at Boston and Cleveland.

 

Definite health issues, especially related to the heart going back to at least 2002--causing him to miss most of 2020 and the last two months of last season. He's been hospitalized from chest pains and clogged arteries, had a pulmonary embolism, blood clots, circulation issues, catheter ablation (for irregular heartbeat), and blood clotting again in 2020. He's 63.

 

He and his wife apparently raised four terrific kids: 2 daughters graduated from UNC, 1 son from Pennsylvania (Ivy League) and the other from the US Naval Academy. He and his wife were married for 30 years and then divorced circa 2012, after he spent most of the 2011 season (when the Sox fired him) living in a hotel. Last year he received criticism for defending one of his coaches (Callaway) who was subsequently banned from MLB for lewd behavior (harassment) which occurred over 5 years and with 3 teams. Francona apparently defended Callaway to the irate husband of one of the women Callaway harassed.

 

Just as you say, Francona, now the longest-serving MLB manager with the same ball club, is a very good manager who has kept the Guardians/Guardians competitive despite low payrolls.

[moonslav59]

Cleveland sure got their money's worth out of him. Indeed, he just signed for 7 years and $142M--pretty small potatoes--and for that same reason small news value. Trout, Betts, Harper, et al, get the press/commentary/coverage because of the money and maybe because of being in bigger cities. Aaron Judge gets plenty of coverage because he's a Yankee.

 

Funny thing, and I could be wrong, but I think Mookie Betts is getting a lot more coverage as a Dodger than he got back in Boston, where he had better years than he's had @ LA. Big city, huge contract.

 

It sure looks like a great team deal, but there is still a long way to go.

 

I'd be thrilled if Bogey agreed to a deal like this.

[JDavis76]

Cleveland sure got their money's worth out of him. Indeed, he just signed for 7 years and $142M--pretty small potatoes--and for that same reason small news value. Trout, Betts, Harper, et al, get the press/commentary/coverage because of the money and maybe because of being in bigger cities. Aaron Judge gets plenty of coverage because he's a Yankee.

 

Funny thing, and I could be wrong, but I think Mookie Betts is getting a lot more coverage as a Dodger than he got back in Boston, where he had better years than he's had @ LA. Big city, huge contract.

 

Well, LA is a big city while boston is a 2nd rate, backwater little town.

[moonslav59]

Well, LA is a big city while boston is a 2nd rate, backwater little town.

 

Yup- troll.

 

[JDavis76]

Yup- troll.

 

 

Yes, you certainly do troll from time to time. Glad you are finally owning up to it.

[Bellhorn04]

Yes, you certainly do troll from time to time. Glad you are finally owning up to it.

 

Posting unprovoked insults about the city of Boston is pure trolling.

[JDavis76]

Posting unprovoked insults about the city of Boston is pure trolling.

 

Thanks, I'll get back to you when your opinion actually matters to me.

[Bellhorn04]

Thanks, I'll get back to you when your opinion actually matters to me.

 

But it's OK for you to keep spouting complaints about moon's posts over and over, calling them moonslop etc., right?

 

Seems like you jumped out of bed this morning on a mission to step up your troll game and get banned again.

[JDavis76]

But it's OK for you to keep spouting complaints about moon's posts over and over, calling them moonslop etc., right?

 

Seems like you jumped out of bed this morning on a mission to step up your troll game and get banned again.

 

And that is somehow different than your complaints about my posts?

[Bellhorn04]

And that is somehow different than your complaints about my posts?

 

Um, yeah, I complained when you called Boston a "2nd rate, backwater little town" for no reason. But now you're going to play innocent. It's all in your little troll playbook.

[JDavis76]

Um, yeah, I complained when you called Boston a "2nd rate, backwater little town" for no reason. But now you're going to play innocent. It's all in your little troll playbook.

 

Well, boston is a 2nd rate, back water little town. But that doesn't change the fact that a complaint is a complaint......

[Bellhorn04]

Well, boston is a 2nd rate, back water little town. But that doesn't change the fact that a complaint is a complaint......

 

Yeah right. Now you're gonna try to tell us that all complaints are created equal. You think you're smart. But "last I checked", to use one of your classic lines, smart people don't get banned for trolling.

[mvp 78]

Will everyone who is talking to the piss baby please stop quoting him? Thank you.

[Bellhorn04]

Will everyone who is talking to the piss baby please stop quoting him? Thank you.

 

Sorry man, that's an inherent defect of the Ignore feature.

[JDavis76]

Yeah right. Now you're gonna try to tell us that all complaints are created equal. You think you're smart. But "last I checked", to use one of your classic lines, smart people don't get banned for trolling.

 

I haven't been banned, bellhop.

[JDavis76]

Will everyone who is talking to the piss baby please stop quoting him? Thank you.

 

Sounds like you need a pizza, a puppy and a safe place.

[Bellhorn04]

I haven't been banned, bellhop.

 

Yeah, you called me that when you were Billy Williams here, too. I was waiting for it.

[Bellhorn04]

The troll is out of control. Can we get him banned again, please?

[JDavis76]

Yeah, you called me that when you were Billy Williams here, too. I was waiting for it.

 

He was a pretty good ballplayer.

[JDavis76]

The troll is out of control. Can we get him banned again, please?

 

Banned for what, you attacking me??!!

[Bellhorn04]

He was a pretty good ballplayer.

 

But you were a pretty bad troll.

[JDavis76]

But you were a pretty bad troll.

 

And you are a weak asshat, so what's your point?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

This should be a fun series between two AL contenders who have been playing pretty good baseball this month; Boston and Cleveland have the third and fourth-best run differential in the league. Pivetta vs. Quantrill; Winckowski vs. Bieber; Hill vs. Civale. Prediction: one of these games expected to be a pitchers' duel will be a slugfest, while a pitcher with the worse stats will beat a guy with better numbers.

[moonslav59]

This should be a fun series between two AL contenders who have been playing pretty good baseball this month; Boston and Cleveland have the third and fourth-best run differential in the league. Pivetta vs. Quantrill; Winckowski vs. Bieber; Hill vs. Civale. Prediction: one of these games expected to be a pitchers' duel will be a slugfest, while a pitcher with the worse stats will beat a guy with better numbers.

 

Sounds about right.

[moonslav59]

And you are a weak asshat, so what's your point?

 

Like your trying to get banned, now.

 

Lol

[JDavis76]

Like your trying to get banned, now.

 

Lol

 

*you're