A Realistic View of 2024: Part II

[notin]

Any plaudits coming from you, oh Deity, are more special than making the catch I made to get the Dal-Rich Rebels the Texas state championship at the Pepsi Games in 1988. Still have the ball !

 

And I still have my vinyl copy of Ziggy Stardust. I don't have a record player, but I still have the album...

[dgalehouse]

Comparing athletes from different eras is a very iffy task. There are too many variables and changes , both pro and con. But we can all have our own opinions.

[Maxbialystock]

Comparing athletes from different eras is a very iffy task. There are too many variables and changes , both pro and con. But we can all have our own opinions.

 

I could not agree more. It's not just the different eras, it's that every player is a unique individual.

[Maxbialystock]

Posters shouldn't have to start every post with "In my opinion" -- but shouldn't assume theirs is gospel, either.

 

But you're right, no one can know what you see, even sitting next to you, because you might turn your head and miss a play (busy looking in the stands, the way Mantle did in Ball Four).

 

Thus, Ben Intendi was the best defensive Sox leftfielder since Yaz. Beni > Rice, Greenwell, O'Leary, Manny, Bay, Nava, Gomes, Crawford, Hanley, Holt and Dugie. Is that ever a grim list...

 

In my opinion, yours are pretty good--but not always. Your comments on Sox leftfielders are spot on although you neglected to mention why so many were so bad. The green monster was and is the great equalizer. Putting a great outfielder in LF at Fenway is a waste.

 

I gave JBJ the edge only because I saw him in action many times. But I absolutely do not count myself as an expert on center fielders.

 

Except, of course, for Willie Mays. When he spoke at his HOF ceremony, he said he never saw a better player (than himself). I'm inclined to agree with him.

[dgalehouse]

Centerfielders are expected to be good to very good to great defenders. That's why they are out there. Who is the best ? Take your pick. With the Red Sox, JBJ is my pick.

[Maxbialystock]

Farrell might be a bit underappreciated. He lead the Sox to more AL East titles than any other manager in team history, including Francona (who, IMO, is the clear best given he actually lead the Sox during some serious prime powerhouse Yankee seasons).

 

But if Dombrowski gets praised or winning 3 AL East titles, Farrell should be as well...

 

Farrell was fired after the 2017 season in which the Sox won the AL East but again bombed in the ALDS. No one hired him after he left the Sox--except as a scout. That's a pretty big demotion.

 

Francona was fired after the 2011 season--actually, I think his contract wasn't renewed--but went on to great success with the Guardians. Farrell lasted 8 seasons with the Sox and about 11 with the Guardians. That's a good manager.

 

JH fired Grady Little after the 2003 season and especially the ALCS. He had just one season as Sox manager. Later he managed the Dodgers, also for one season. Now he's a "senior advisor" with the Pirates.

 

Cora's in his 6th season with the Sox. I think he's good and will stay with the Sox, but who knows? Managers are hired to be fired--with some exceptions.

[Bellhorn04]

JH fired Grady Little after the 2003 season and especially the ALCS. He had just one season as Sox manager. Later he managed the Dodgers, also for one season. Now he's a "senior advisor" with the Pirates.

 

Sorry Max but I have to charge you 2 errors on one play. Little was with the Sox and Dodgers for 2 seasons apiece.

[Maxbialystock]

Back to Realistic View of 2024, Part II.

 

I have no realistic view of this season. None. I'm thrilled with the 5-2 record and the terrific pitching, best right now in MLB. Defense is good. Baserunning's good. Cora's good.

 

Hitting sucks, but will hopefully get better. If it does, this could be an unbelievable season after finishing last in the AL East (best Div in MLB, however) the last two.

[Bellhorn04]

The one issue that hangs over this team is lack of depth in both the rotation and the offense. We saw what it looked like when Devers was out 2 games.

[Old Red]

Sorry Max but I have to charge you 2 errors on one play. Little was with the Sox and Dodgers for 2 seasons apiece.

 

Grady won 93, and 95 games for the Red Sox, and then Tito took over in 2004.

[mvp 78]

2013 could not have turned out better.

 

And in 2017, Farrell was taken out of the post-season by the Cheatin' Astros. Not fair to hold that against him.

 

That only leaves 2016 as a cahnce for improvement.

 

Farrell did have a huge advantage that the 2016 and 2017 teams won the AL East with only 93 wins, and the division almost never goes to a team with that low of a win total. (I believe the 2015 Blue Jays were the only other team to take the East with so few wins since the league split into 3 divisions, suggesting Farrell might have been managing the Sox at the weakest point in division history.)

 

If you replace Farrell with Cora, Cora knows about the Astros cheating ways in 2017 and beats them.

[mvp 78]

Maximum points awarded not only for the David Bowie reference, but also for using the clear best Bowie album to make that reference....

 

Ziggy Stardust? I guess we are continuing on with overrated...

 

His best album is Station to Station.

[Maxbialystock]

Sorry Max but I have to charge you 2 errors on one play. Little was with the Sox and Dodgers for 2 seasons apiece.

 

Right you are! I have a reading deficiency. Two years in Boston and two in LA do not change my opinion. Grady Little was not MLB managerial material. Word is that the players liked him.

[notin]

If you replace Farrell with Cora, Cora knows about the Astros cheating ways in 2017 and beats them.

 

If Cora was on the Sox in 2017, the Astros might not have been cheating...

[mvp 78]

If Cora was on the Sox in 2017, the Astros might not have been cheating...

 

I don't care about the cheating. If Cora is on the Sox in 2017, the Sox are probably able to overcome the dastardly Astros.

[notin]

I don't care about the cheating. If Cora is on the Sox in 2017, the Sox are probably able to overcome the dastardly Astros.

 

If the Astros weren’t cheating that may also be true.

 

Any specifics on how Farrell mismanaged that series or what Cora does differently?

[mvp 78]

If the Astros weren’t cheating that may also be true.

 

Any specifics on how Farrell mismanaged that series or what Cora does differently?

 

I don’t want to go back to a game by game analysis. Nobody else on here would do it.

[Maxbialystock]

If the Astros weren’t cheating that may also be true.

 

Any specifics on how Farrell mismanaged that series or what Cora does differently?

 

It's common knowledge, so no need to go into specifics. Verily, it is written: when a team loses, it's always because of something the manager did or failed to do or both.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

In my opinion, yours are pretty good--but not always. Your comments on Sox leftfielders are spot on although you neglected to mention why so many were so bad. The green monster was and is the great equalizer. Putting a great outfielder in LF at Fenway is a waste.

 

I gave JBJ the edge only because I saw him in action many times. But I absolutely do not count myself as an expert on center fielders.

 

Except, of course, for Willie Mays. When he spoke at his HOF ceremony, he said he never saw a better player (than himself). I'm inclined to agree with him.

 

You make a good point. But these guys still had to play LF half the season in other ballparks, too. It really is uncanny how many Red Soxers over the decades have earned a negative dWAR in left. I also meant to add Yoshida and Blake Swihart (where he didn't turn into the next Posey).

 

Speaking of Mays, in his bio some peers said he was so good at D he could've been an All-Star shortstop if he wanted. What in the name of Mookie were they thinking?

[moonslav59]

Since 2003, we've only had 7 players with over 1,000 innings in LF. (13 had over 500 innings.)

 

DRS

23 Beni

15 Verdugo

12 Nava

9 Holt (670 innings)

3 J Bay

3 Ellsbury (540)

2 JD M (670)

0 Crawford

-1 Gomes

-4 Young (740)

-4 Yoshi (710)

-14 HRam (750)

-67 Manny

 

Since 1964 only 11 players have over 1000 innings in LF. Highest FLG%:

.998 J Bay

.992 Cordero

.988 Nava

.987 O'Leary

.986 Crawford

.985 Yaz

.984 Harper

.984 Beni

.982 Verdugo

.981 Rice

.980 Manny

.980 Gomes

 

 

 

[Maxbialystock]

You make a good point. But these guys still had to play LF half the season in other ballparks, too. It really is uncanny how many Red Soxers over the decades have earned a negative dWAR in left. I also meant to add Yoshida and Blake Swihart (where he didn't turn into the next Posey).

 

Speaking of Mays, in his bio some peers said he was so good at D he could've been an All-Star shortstop if he wanted. What in the name of Mookie were they thinking?

 

My points are so-so, but I like yours--that all Sox LF's had to play half their games in other ballparks. I forgot that.

 

Nevertheless, the beauty of the Green Monster is that it justifies playing guys there who are great hitters, but not so great on defense.

 

Now, amazingly, it's Duran, the speed merchant, and he's starting to hit. Rafaela has CF covered, and O'Neill is the right guy for RF.

[Nick]

O Neill had been excellent addition. It's all about staying healthy for him.

 

Duran O'Neill and Rafaela should be much improved defensively compared to 2023 group.

Edited April 6, 2024 by Nick

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The first-place Red Sox already clinched a winning record on this season-opening road trip. If they can just go .500 the rest of the year, they'll finish with a winning record.

 

If Story goes on the IL again for a long time, it's not the end of the world. His defense can be replaced, as good-fielding pro shortstops abound in baseball, and his bat was mediocre. But ownership has no desire for additional spending -- even to reinforce this spirited group of overachievers. They had no desire to acquire a real shortstop last year nor legit starting pitchers this winter, so foegedaboudit.

 

Better prepare for Pablo Reyes and more Romy Gonzalez types. Eddie Alvarez looked pretty slick in Florida. Hamilton is not an option. Hopefully, they don't move Rafaela to the infield and lose the improvements in CF (the ball he dropped looked like he just got lazy, bringing his glove down to his throwing hand instead of the other way around).

 

And forget about "rushing" top prospect Marcelo Mayer up to Boston... even though Henry Davis, the guy the industry thought Mayer would be drafted ahead of at #1 overall, is the starting catcher for the first-place Pirates in the NL. With so many shortstop prospects in the org, wouldn't it be great if Brez and Co. auditioned the top glovemen at all levels to help the best pitching staff in baseball: Franklin, Marvin, Nazzan, come on up, boys!

[Bellhorn04]

One of the most underrated important catches for the Sox, with 20/20 hindsight, was by Trot Nixon off Matsui in Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS. I don't expect most people to even remember it.

 

The catch by Nixon came on a sinking liner by Matsui with the Yankees leading 4-2 in the 6th inning, bases loaded, 2 outs. It was Pedro's 111th pitch of the outing. It was Tito's Grady Little moment, but Nixon's catch saved him.

Edited April 6, 2024 by Bellhorn04

[mvp 78]

I think we may see Rafaela to SS. He’s a better defender than the other guys in AAA.

 

O’Neilll to CF and Abreu to RF.

[notin]

I don’t want to go back to a game by game analysis. Nobody else on here would do it.

 

I would have accepted an overly broad answer. Pretty much anything more specific than “managed better”…

[notin]

I think we may see Rafaela to SS. He’s a better defender than the other guys in AAA.

 

O’Neilll to CF and Abreu to RF.

 

More likely Duran to CF. Cora has never really shied away from that…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The catch by Nixon came on a sinking liner by Matsui with the Yankees leading 4-2 in the 6th inning, bases loaded, 2 outs. It was Pedro's 111th pitch out of the outing. It was Tito's Grady Little moment, but Nixon's catch saved him.

 

My Yankee fan cousin still talks about that play as the turning point; not the Tony Clark long foul... but I still remember another diehard Yankee disappointed when Clark didn't walk off the Series. Yankee fans were so conditioned to always win in the end that they expected it.

 

Yankee fans also love to blame not going to the World Series the past 15 years on Astros' garbage cans. Red Sox fans never cry about losing the playoffs to Houston in '17 -- mainly because they beat them the next year and won rings with Cora, and paid consequences for their own crimes against humanity -- of which Houston, Boston and New York, among others, were widely reported to have committed.

[notin]

I think we may see Rafaela to SS. He’s a better defender than the other guys in AAA.

 

O’Neilll to CF and Abreu to RF.

 

I agree on Rafaela making a short stop at shortstop. I suspect O’Neill-Duran-Abreu in the OF.

 

Next week Vaughn Grissom might return. Does Cora think he’s the best option as a stopgap shortstop?

[mvp 78]

I agree on Rafaela making a short stop at shortstop. I suspect O’Neill-Duran-Abreu in the OF.

 

Next week Vaughn Grissom might return. Does Cora think he’s the best option as a stopgap shortstop?

 

I hope not. He’s awful at SS. Probably needs to play all of April in AAA too.