6/12 Phils @ SOX 7:10PM ET

[moonslav59]

I know Devers' OBS is around .930 at this point in the season, which is excellent. I'd like to know what his OBS is with men on base?

 

.348 OBP before tonight.

 

.863 OPS

[Maxbialystock]

Wally Pipp, the starting 1st baseman for the Yankems, got injured and was replaced by Lou Gehrig. Wally never played 1st base for the Yankems again. I don't think that's gonna happen to Casas.

 

I would agree but for one tiny fact--he missed 2 months from simply swinging a bat, which he just might want to do again. The doctors will or already have declared him to be well, but I'd like to see from proof.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

.348 OBP before tonight.

 

.863 OPS

 

Thanks, MOON. His RBI definitely don't reflect those impressive numbers.

[Maxbialystock]

We should have never doubted the power of .500 with this team!

 

It is something, isn't it? Tomorrow night for the series, Houck vs. Nola.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I would agree but for one tiny fact--he missed 2 months from simply swinging a bat, which he just might want to do again. The doctors will or already have declared him to be well, but I'd like to see from proof.

 

I agree about your concern. The point of my post was that the players who have replaced Casas have been, for lack of a better word, terrible. No Gehrig's in that bunch.

Edited June 13, 2024 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

It is something, isn't it? Tomorrow night for the series, Houck vs. Nola.

 

On thing's for sure, if there's a game tomorrow night, no rain out or cicada attacks, there won't be a split.

[Duran Is The Man]

I see your disinterest and raise you my disinterest, which I believe is more than your disinterest.

 

well....i call on your disinterest because i'm even more disinterested than you could ever imagine. they could be playing the NBA finals in my backyard and i'd pull the shades.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Is 'DFA'd' a euphemism for being fired? IOW, instead of your boss saying you're fired, wouldn't it be kinder for him to say you've been DFA'd?

 

"Honey I'm home. Don't get angry, but I've just been DFA'd from my job."

"That's OK, as long as you weren't fired."

Edited June 13, 2024 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

well....i call on your disinterest because i'm even more disinterested than you could ever imagine. they could be playing the NBA finals in my backyard and i'd pull the shades.

 

Now that's extremely disinterested. Btw, if they did play the NBA finals in your backyard, you could make some solid cash on ticket sales. What would you say is the seating capacity in your backyard?

Edited June 13, 2024 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[Old Red]

AND THE CELTICS ROLL! 1 win from the Championship. LETS GO CELTICS!

[Duran Is The Man]

Now that's extremely disinterested. Btw, if they did play the NBA finals in your backyard, you could make some solid cash on ticket sales. What would you say is the seating capacity in your backyard?

 

i've got 17 acres of lakefront. i'd say i've got room for a couple hundred thousand if you stack 'em just right.

[d-money]

AND THE CELTICS ROLL! 1 win from the Championship. LETS GO CELTICS!

 

Nice . It helps with another s***** red sox season.

[vegasbob]

i've got 17 acres of lakefront. i'd say i've got room for a couple hundred thousand if you stack 'em just right.

 

How about parking ? Buses too, don't forget, helo landing pad.

[Duran Is The Man]

How about parking ? Buses too, don't forget, helo landing pad.

 

plenty of room out on the highway.

[moonslav59]

Nearing mid-June, the Sox are playing Dalbec and Westbrook as part of their starting infield . SMH

 

Our starting SS (Story) and 2Bman (Grissom) are on the IL.

 

Westbrook has started 2 games, this year and once since June 4th.

[Old Red]

This team has been more Worcester North than the Red Sox this year with all the injuries, and sit at 500. Glass half full, or half empty, but as I’ve said all along the quality of baseball teams is down for the most part all across the league, which has a long way to go in helping with that 500 record.

[Bellhorn04]

This team has been more Worcester North than the Red Sox this year with all the injuries, and sit at 500. Glass half full, or half empty, but as I’ve said all along the quality of baseball teams is down for the most part all across the league, which has a long way to go in helping with that 500 record.

 

There's just no possible way to substantiate that.

[Dipre]

And the ballad of David Hamilton continues.

[Old Red]

There's just no possible way to substantiate that.

 

Just my belief. Just look at the division. Both Tampa, and Toronto are nowhere near what they have been the last two years, and if this Red Sox team had played the last two years they wouldn’t be anywhere near a 500 record today. I know you guys want to believe otherwise, but I’ll stick with my opinion.

[Bellhorn04]

Just my belief. Just look at the division. Both Tampa, and Toronto are nowhere near what they have been the last two years, and if this Red Sox team had played the last two years they wouldn’t be anywhere near a 500 record today. I know you guys want to believe otherwise, but I’ll stick with my opinion.

 

You're more than entitled to your opinion, and no one is going to change it. But I just can't see any logic in the idea that the quality of play has gotten worse. Some teams have improved, some have gone backward, but that's the way it's always been. And the average record is still .500.

[mvp 78]

Just my belief. Just look at the division. Both Tampa, and Toronto are nowhere near what they have been the last two years, and if this Red Sox team had played the last two years they wouldn’t be anywhere near a 500 record today. I know you guys want to believe otherwise, but I’ll stick with my opinion.

 

This just means this division is worse, not that all of baseball is worse.

[Old Red]

You're more than entitled to your opinion, and no one is going to change it. But I just can't see any logic in the idea that the quality of play has gotten worse. Some teams have improved, some have gone backward, but that's the way it's always been. And the average record is still .500.

 

In most ANY other year this Worcester North Red Sox team would not have a 500 record today in my opinion. I don’t see any logic to say it would.

[mvp 78]

In most ANY other year this Worcester North Red Sox team would not have a 500 record today in my opinion. I don’t see any logic to say it would.

 

Worcester North 2015: 78-84

Worcester North 2023: 78-84

 

Those two teams were basically running the same types of players out there and were about .500 for most of the season.

[Old Red]

Worcester North 2015: 78-84

Worcester North 2023: 78-84

 

Those two teams were basically running the same types of players out there and were about .500 for most of the season.

 

The Red Sox did not play 1 inning this year with their regular lineup. How many players on the Red Sox 26 would be even on the team today let alone playing. DHam is one of them. They have been more Worcester North this year than the past two years.

[mvp 78]

The Red Sox did not play 1 inning this year with their regular lineup. How many players on the Red Sox 26 would be even on the team today let alone playing. DHam is one of them. They have been more Worcester North this year than the past two years.

 

You consider Grissom to be a vital part of the regular lineup now?

 

Opening Day:

Duran

Devers

Story

Casas

O'Neilll

Masa

Rafaela

Valdez

Wong

[mvp 78]

Must be some sort of Vaughn Grissom LOVER...

[Bellhorn04]

Put it this way, the only logical way the quality of baseball would be worse in 2024 than in 2023 is if a pile of stars retired after 2023.

[moonslav59]

Put it this way, the only logical way the quality of baseball would be worse in 2024 than in 2023 is if a pile of stars retired after 2023.

 

The influx of good to great young players does not appear to have slowed, and with all the new foreign players on most of the leader boards, it's hard to think MLB is getting watered down.

 

This year, alone, we have seen Imanaga, Yamo and a few others bringing serious game to MLB.

 

The ALE has gotten worse, and there seems to be a lot of parity between the top 5 and worst 5 in MLB, but that does not mean MLB is worse or better than before.

 

The middle 20 teams are currently within 10 games of each other. More amazingly, the worst of the middle teams are:

21. WSH 2019 WS CHamps

22. AZ was in WS, last fall

23. TBR .530+ winning % *6 wins) for six straight years (99 wins in '23)

24. HOU WS winner in '22 & reached ALCS 7 straight seasons!

25. NYM top spending team in MLB

 

[moonslav59]

2024 Rookies fWAR

 

Top 40

2.1 Yamo, Joey Ortiz, C Cowser

1.9 Imanaga

1.9 L Gil

 

Top 70 Pitching/Top 140 Everyday

1.6 Abreu

1.4 M Busch & Jacob Young

1.3 G Stone

1.2 Ben Brown, Mason Miller, Jared Jones, Masyn Winn

1.1 J Slaten

1.0 D Hamilton, M Parker & Case Smith

0.9 Skenes in just 6 GS

[Maxbialystock]

This team has been more Worcester North than the Red Sox this year with all the injuries, and sit at 500. Glass half full, or half empty, but as I’ve said all along the quality of baseball teams is down for the most part all across the league, which has a long way to go in helping with that 500 record.

 

That's baseball. The Red Sox just split 4 games with the White Sox, whose winning percentage, .246, is the worst in MLB, but right now they have a fair chance to win a 3 game series vs the Phillies, who have the best winning percentage, .687, in the NL.

 

Worcester North applies primarily to the lineup, not the pitching staff. And it deserves that name because of the list of players on the IL. The Sox have played 68 games, but $22.5M/year SS Story has played 8 games, $18M starter Giolito 0 games, $3.5M starter Whitlock 4 games, and $18.6M DH Yoshida 25 games. Then there are promising youngsters like Casas, who injured himself swinging the bat--go figure that one out--and has played just 22 games and now won't play until July. Also Abreu, a standout in RF whose WAR, 1.9, is the same as Devers, who is missing 2 weeks because he tripped going down the dugout stairs. You can't make this stuff up.

 

Despite all of the above--and don't forget to note the Sox lead MLB in errors--the pitching staff has been semi-incredible and the Sox team ERA is 5th best in MLB--without Giolito or Whitlock and with Criswell filling in for Whitlock. And that's with opening day starter Bello sporting an ERA of 4.78 (the team ERA is 3.42).

 

Back to Worcester North. Of the seven best WAR's in the Sox lineup, five--Duran 3.4, Abreu 1.9, Wong, 1.6, Hamilton 1.4, and Rafaela, 0.8--played at Worcester as recently as 2022 or even 2023. I could add Casas as the 6th, but right now there's some doubt about when he will return and whether he will be able to swing the bat well enough to hit the way he has been. And let's not forget the talent currently in both Portland and Worcester.

 

If good Casas returns in July and we throw in Devers, O'Neill, and Refsnyder--all of whom are hitting well--that's 9 pretty good players for the lineup.

 

Also this insane footnote. Last year in 43 games Story's WAR was 0.8 and his OPS was .566. This year Hamilton's WAR is 1.4 in 43 games and his OPS is .820. And we wonder why John Henry has soured on paying big bucks--long term big bucks--for anyone? And don't get me on the topic of Sale vs Giolito, both of whose salaries, $17M and $39M, the Sox are paying even though Sale is pitching for the Braves.