7/11 Astros @ Boston, 1:35 pm

[moonslav59]

moon feels obligated to give a State of the Sox statement after every game. It's been a thankless task the last few years.

 

Of all the naysayers on this site, this clown chooses me to call out for "bailing" when I never even came close to saying or implying it.

 

(Not that there is anything wrong with bailing, anyway.)

[Old Red]

Of all the naysayers on this site, this clown chooses me to call out for "bailing" when I never even came close to saying or implying it.

 

(Not that there is anything wrong with bailing, anyway.)

To you there is nothing wrong with bailing on the team. You did it in 2022. Sounds pretty fair weather to me. A clown says the phony, and fraud behind the curtain.

[FredLynn]

To you there is nothing wrong with bailing on the team. You did it in 2022. Sounds pretty fair weather to me. A clown says the phony, and fraud behind the curtain.

 

The team sucks right now and doesn’t have the talent to make the playoffs despite the “full throttle” promise by management. There’s nothing to bail on. The ship has already sunk.

[Bellhorn04]

Leave it to Fred to show us how gloom and doom is done.

[FredLynn]

Leave it to Fred to show us how gloom and doom is done.

 

Do you disagree with my post?

[Bellhorn04]

Do you disagree with my post?

 

A little in spirit, but not much in fact. I think they're done too. This pitching meltdown has been even worse than a pessimist would have predicted.

[dgalehouse]

Mood swings are common with baseball fans. They range from gleeful to despair with each game. Sometimes each inning. Staying on an even keel is not something baseball fans are known for. And that's okay. Not a problem. All a part of the game. Hopefully, the players don't fall into that.

[Bellhorn04]

Mood swings are common with baseball fans. They range from gleeful to despair with each game. Sometimes each inning. Staying on an even keel is not something baseball fans are known for. And that's okay. Not a problem. All a part of the game. Hopefully, the players don't fall into that.

 

Well, they're the ones giving up 5-10 runs every game.

 

Kidding, in an admittedly snarky way.

[FredLynn]

A little in spirit, but not much in fact. I think they're done too. This pitching meltdown has been even worse than a pessimist would have predicted.

 

It IS getting old, being non competitive. I think there is a good nucleus of good players but obviously they need a lot more pitching. Probably in two years the team will be able to make the playoffs.

[moonslav59]

It IS getting old, being non competitive. I think there is a good nucleus of good players but obviously they need a lot more pitching. Probably in two years the team will be able to make the playoffs.

 

Second half records:

8-13 this year (53-42 1st half)

30-41 2023 (48-43 1st half)

30-39 2022 (48-45 1st half)

 

[Oscars]

Given the strength of the schedule remaining, and the continuing downward slide of the rotation and bullpen, any reasonable fan would expect the Red Sox not to make the playoffs.

Ah but us fans are not known for being reasonable ! 😉

[moonslav59]

Given the strength of the schedule remaining, and the continuing downward slide of the rotation and bullpen, any reasonable fan would expect the Red Sox not to make the playoffs.

Ah but us fans are not known for being reasonable ! 😉

 

Is there a single poster that has said they expect us to make the playoffs?

 

I'm not sure I heard anyone say that, even before the ASB.

[Oscars]

Is there a single poster that has said they expect us to make the playoffs?

 

I'm not sure I heard anyone say that, even before the ASB.

 

The Red Sox form before the break gave us fans hope, and at that time fangraphs had them at a decent percentage chance to make the playoffs.

Fangraphs still has them at 38% to make the playoffs.

[moonslav59]

The Red Sox form before the break gave us fans hope, and at that time fangraphs had them at a decent percentage chance to make the playoffs.

Fangraphs still has them at 38% to make the playoffs.

 

Yes, and I thought we had a good shot back in early July. I'm just saying I don't think anyone said they thought the would make it, as in even "pretty sure."

[Old Red]

Yes, and I thought we had a good shot back in early July. I'm just saying I don't think anyone said they thought the would make it, as in even "pretty sure."

 

But the BIG question is that you asked more than once is are we having fun yet?

[vegasbob]

Second half records:

8-13 this year (53-42 1st half)

30-41 2023 (48-43 1st half)

30-39 2022 (48-45 1st half)

 

 

That trend is pretty clear and definitive that the team can get to the A-S break well above .500 on adrenaline and good luck, but when the mojo wears off and the arms are dragging it's a downhill sled ride into the season end.

 

Paxton was never going to be a big help or playoff pusher, but when I saw him drop in the first inning, I conceded that this team is snakebit and , in fact, will not avoid their now 3 year fateful slide into oblivion.

 

OTH , 3 games back of Royal and 46 to go, why give it up ? There'll be plenty of September time for that concession speech.

[dgalehouse]

The Royals are upstarts who will probably stumble down the stretch. The West runner-up could be more of a problem for the wild card.

[Duran Is The Man]

That trend is pretty clear and definitive that the team can get to the A-S break well above .500 on adrenaline and good luck, but when the mojo wears off and the arms are dragging it's a downhill sled ride into the season end.

 

Paxton was never going to be a big help or playoff pusher, but when I saw him drop in the first inning, I conceded that this team is snakebit and , in fact, will not avoid their now 3 year fateful slide into oblivion.

 

OTH , 3 games back of Royal and 46 to go, why give it up ? There'll be plenty of September time for that concession speech.

 

and like every winter, Henry and the morons in his front office will sit around like a bunch of buzzards, waiting to see what scraps are left from the winter meetings.

[moonslav59]

That trend is pretty clear and definitive that the team can get to the A-S break well above .500 on adrenaline and good luck, but when the mojo wears off and the arms are dragging it's a downhill sled ride into the season end.

 

Paxton was never going to be a big help or playoff pusher, but when I saw him drop in the first inning, I conceded that this team is snakebit and , in fact, will not avoid their now 3 year fateful slide into oblivion.

 

OTH , 3 games back of Royal and 46 to go, why give it up ? There'll be plenty of September time for that concession speech.

 

A lot can happen in 6 weeks, but it sure looks bleak, now.

 

We do still play many teams just ahead of us, not that it makes anything easier.

 

The Royals guessed right on their pitching choices, last winter, and are being rewarded for it.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

 

The Royals guessed right on their pitching choices, last winter, and are being rewarded for it.

 

Last winter there were so many choices -- and the Red Sox chose... not to choose.

[Bellhorn04]

Last winter there were so many choices -- and the Red Sox chose... not to choose.

 

They did make 2 choices - Sale out, Giolito in.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

They did make 2 choices - Sale out, Giolito in.

 

A negative for a nugatory -- who's the CBO: Ralph Nadir?

 

Day after day, alone on a hill...

[notin]

The Royals are upstarts who will probably stumble down the stretch. The West runner-up could be more of a problem for the wild card.

 

The Royals and the Twins are both basically .500 teams when not playing the White Sox. It wouldn’t surprise me if either or both of them struggled down the stretch and missed the playoffs. The Rays are only 5.5 games out and are one hot streak away from passing Boston and both Central posers….

[Bellhorn04]

The Royals do have a run differential of +96, +43 vs. CHW and +53 vs. other teams.

[moonslav59]

They did make 2 choices - Sale out, Giolito in.

 

The Criswell addition worked better than expected.

[Old Red]

They did make 2 choices - Sale out, Giolito in.

 

But then when Gio went out they did nothing, and then when Whit went out they did nothing until picking up the hitchhiking Paxton.

[notin]

But then when Gio went out they did nothing, and then when Whit went out they did nothing until picking up the hitchhiking Paxton.

 

 

That’s been the issue.

 

They made a few waiver claims - Keller, Horn, Alvarez, Speas - and traded for Wingenter, but these guys didn’t do much, pitching about 35 largely ineffective innings. Horn has shown some ability, and Keller has been tolerable (at best), but the others all faded fast…

[notin]

A lot can happen in 6 weeks, but it sure looks bleak, now.

 

We do still play many teams just ahead of us, not that it makes anything easier.

 

The Royals guessed right on their pitching choices, last winter, and are being rewarded for it.

 

The Royals guessed right ok, but not as well as it initially appears.

 

Lugo has a 2.72 ERA. 0.79 against the White Sox, 3.06 vs everyone else.

 

Wacha has a 3.50ERA. 1.33 vs the White Sox, 4.11 vs everyone else.

 

Lugo has pitched well, but the White Sox have elevated him to an elite pitcher worthy of Cy Young discussion. Wacha looks closer to league average when not facing one of the most incompetent teams in MLB history. Wacha’s ERA+ is 126 overall, but against non- CWS opponents, it’s closer to 105…

Edited August 12, 2024 by notin

[moonslav59]

The Royals guessed right ok, but not as well as it initially appears.

 

Lugo has a 2.72 ERA. 0.79 against the White Sox, 3.06 vs everyone else.

 

Wacha has a 3.50ERA. 1.33 vs the White Sox, 4.11 vs everyone else.

 

Lugo has pitched well, but the White Sox have elevated him to an elite pitcher worthy of Cy Young discussion. Wacha looks closer to league average when not facing one of the most incompetent teams in MLB history. Wacha’s ERA+ is 126 overall, but against non- CWS opponents, it’s closer to 105…

 

Every pitcher's ERA is helped by one team's stats, and 3.06 is pretty damn good.

 

4.11 would be leading the Sox post ASB ERA.

 

They chose well- initially and in hindsight.

 

[Maxbialystock]

The Criswell addition worked better than expected.

 

Criswell's WAR today is 0.0. Giolito's is also 0.0. Sale's is 3.8, and he's the one pitching for the Braves while the Sox pay $17M of his salary. Giolito and Sale were huge misjudgments by Breslow, and Criswell cannot make them go away.

 

Breslow gets credit for bringing in Bailey as the pitching coach, but has been a disaster in finding and/or keeping good arms.

 

Yes, I would prefer that JH spend a lot more on players, especially pitchers. On the other hand, there is a wealth of evidence that his CBO's and others in the front office are clueless on how to spend that money intelligently.

 

Thus do I cite--yet again--the example of David Dombrowski, who has repeatedly demonstrated he knows how to acquire talented players and to produce successful MLB teams--see Miami, Detroit, Boston, and now Philadelphia.

 

However, I also believe that all came crashing down in 2019 when the Sox, still with DD at the helm, had the biggest payroll in MLB, did not even make the postseason, and were in need of a whole lot more cash to keep Mookie out of the clutches of the wealthier Dodgers. They also needed to continue paying Sale and Price big bucks even though both were done, and to find and pay big bucks for their replacements in the Sox rotation.