Cardinals (Fedde) vs Red Sox (Buehler): 4/4/25, 2:10pm

[Nick]

It was a tough pop up for Campbell. I'm just glad he didn't get hurt. 

 

[Nick]

As I've said previously, this team will score runs at Fenway. Pitching will have to get us the wins on the road.

 

 

[dgalehouse]

There are a lot of nervous types in Red Sox Nation. Always waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. I was that way myself before 2004 and the breaking of the curse. I learned to relax after that. It's better for your health. 

[Kimmi]

4 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Nice start, lads.

Very nice opening inning to the homestand.  It was a good win, but this game was way more stressful than it needed to be.

[Kimmi]

3 hours ago, Nick said:

Up 5-0, you just can't walk the leadoff #8 hitter. Saved by Bregman's double play.

There is nothing more irritating.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 hour ago, d-money said:

The starting pitching has to be better. Not impressed with buehler. 

Might become another Kluber signing.

[Kimmi]

1 hour ago, dgalehouse said:

There are a lot of nervous types in Red Sox Nation. Always waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. I was that way myself before 2004 and the breaking of the curse. I learned to relax after that. It's better for your health. 

I need to learn how to relax.  I definitely get too stressed out during games.  LOL

[moonslav59]

Here is how many times each batting slot got on base, today:

1: 2 times (Duran) w SB

2: 4 times (Devers) brought OPS up to 5.24

3: 3 times (Bregman) w 2B

4: 2 times (Casas) w 2B

5: 2 times (Story) w HR & 3 RBI

6: 3 times (Abreu) w HR

7: 3 times (Campbell)w SF, SB and 3 runs scored

8: 4 times (Narvaez) w 2B & 2 RBI

9: 2 times (Rafaela)

[Larry Cook]

Is Criswell the member of the original star trek landing party in the red security shirt, but not realizing what that means?????

[Duran Is The Man]

15 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Is Criswell the member of the original star trek landing party in the red security shirt, but not realizing what that means?????

[Old Red]

20 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

 

It was great to see the 75 team yesterday, and even greater to see Yaz. I know the 75 team didn’t win the WS, or have the great record the 2018 team did, but in the 60+ years I have been watching the Red Sox the 75 team is the best Red Sox team I have seen. Nobody had to run the gauntlet to even get to the WS like the 75 team did facing the 3 time defending WS champion A’s, and sweepIng them in 3 games, and then talking the BIG Red Machine to seven games all without Rice who was injured.

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, Old Red said:

It was great to see the 75 team yesterday, and even greater to see Yaz. I know the 75 team didn’t win the WS, or have the great record the 2018 team did, but in the 60+ years I have been watching the Red Sox the 75 team is the best Red Sox team I have seen. Nobody had to run the gauntlet to even get to the WS like the 75 team did facing the 3 time defending WS champion A’s, and sweepIng them in 3 games, and then talking the BIG Red Machine to seven games all without Rice who was injured.

I'd say that '75 team had the best everyday line-up I've seen. While Tiant, Lee & Wise were a very nice top 3 SP'er core, none were under a 3.95 ERA, that year. Roger Moret has an amazing season, but Reggie Cleveland and Dick Pole helped to knock them down in my rankings. The pen was far from a top Sox pen over the last 50 years or so. Dick Drago (15 svs), Willoughby (8), Seguie (6) and Jim Burton.

In my heart, they will always be #1. My brain says 2018, 2004 and 2007 were better.

[Old Red]

57 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I'd say that '75 team had the best everyday line-up I've seen. While Tiant, Lee & Wise were a very nice top 3 SP'er core, none were under a 3.95 ERA, that year. Roger Moret has an amazing season, but Reggie Cleveland and Dick Pole helped to knock them down in my rankings. The pen was far from a top Sox pen over the last 50 years or so. Dick Drago (15 svs), Willoughby (8), Seguie (6) and Jim Burton.

In my heart, they will always be #1. My brain says 2018, 2004 and 2007 were better.

You make good points, but I take nothing away from the 75 team, because they didn’t win, and like I said before none of the Red Sox teams who ended winning the WS had to face a 3 time defending champion just to get to the WS, and didn’t face a team like the BIG Red Machine after they got there. Rice being out hurt the Red Sox, and he might have made a difference.

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

It was great to see the 75 team yesterday, and even greater to see Yaz. I know the 75 team didn’t win the WS, or have the great record the 2018 team did, but in the 60+ years I have been watching the Red Sox the 75 team is the best Red Sox team I have seen. Nobody had to run the gauntlet to even get to the WS like the 75 team did facing the 3 time defending WS champion A’s, and sweepIng them in 3 games, and then talking the BIG Red Machine to seven games all without Rice who was injured.

I would argue that talent-wise, the 1978 team was the best Red Sox team I ever saw.  

[Old Red]

6 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I would argue that talent-wise, the 1978 team was the best Red Sox team I ever saw.  

Good point, and I wouldn’t argue only to say Yaz, and Tiant were 3 years older. Tiant was better in 75 in that postseason run.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Old Red said:

You make good points, but I take nothing away from the 75 team, because they didn’t win, and like I said before none of the Red Sox teams who ended winning the WS had to face a 3 time defending champion just to get to the WS, and didn’t face a team like the BIG Red Machine after they got there. Rice being out hurt the Red Sox, and he might have made a difference.

No doubt. The Rice injury was huge. To me, the pitching staff was too overmatched by later teams to make it the very best of the best.

Back in '75, the road to the WS championship was very difficult. The A's were still a great team (98 wins.) However, there were only 2 teams to beat. Taking the 108 win Reds to 7 was amazing without Rice.

The 2004 team had to beat the 92 win Angels (swept them),  the 101 win Yankees (4-3) maybe as good a team as the '75 A's and then a 105 win Cards team, who we swept.

The 2007 team swept a 94 win Angels team, then beat a 96 win Indians team in 7 before sweeping the hottest team in perhaps MLB history- the Rockies.

The 2018 team started off beating the 101 win Yankees 3 games to 1, then beat a 103 win Astros team that was near the start of a long stretch of AL dominance, 4 games to 1. The 2018 Dodgers (92-71) fell easily to the Sox in the WS 4 to 1 games.

All 4 teams were great.

[Brock Beauchamp]

On 4/4/2025 at 12:08 PM, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

I know it's only a 6 game sample size, but the cards look better than I expected.

They had the privilege of facing the Twins in April. It will make anybody look good.

[Brock Beauchamp]

What's the weather delay look like in Boston?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I would argue that talent-wise, the 1978 team was the best Red Sox team I ever saw.  

Rain delay research: 1975 Red Sox vs. 1978 Red Sox...

WAR -- 31.9 '75, 24.5 '78... seems odd because bb-ref's top 12 Sox for '78 rocks WAR, but remember, that team had zero bench contributions because Zimmer was afraid to take his foot off the gas... '78 had seven guys at 3.4 WAR or higher -- Rice, Eck, Fisk, Looie, Lynn, Stanley, Torrez... compared to only two in '75 -- Lynn and Evans.

The '78 squad had eight guys qualify for the batting title (502 plate appearances), twice as many as the '75 guys. The '75s had nine with between 100 to 339 PA; '78 had three. The pennant winners were a more complete team. I'd take '75 Cecil Cooper over '78 Boomer Scott, and '75 Denny Doyle over '78 Jerry Remy.

On the mound, '78 had more studs. Eck was better than Rick Wise, Torrez had a better year than Spaceman, Steamer outpitched Moret, and even '78 Tiant doubled the WAR of '75 Tiant... but that was regular season Tiant (his postseason will always give the younger Looie the edge).

On defense, it was most of the same guys -- except at 3B, where Rico Petrocelli in his final year in '75 was still dependable, compared to Butch Hobson, whose bone chips in his elbow led to 43 Es (not a misprint). 

Bottom line: Wins -- 102 '75, 99 '78... yes, I'm counting the postseason -- the most important season -- because '75 got there. '78 didn't, after choking off a big regular season lead, then losing a showdown by one run to the defending champs. '75 didn't choke, but swept the three-time defending champs, and then fell in the final inning of the final game of the World Series by one run to one of the greatest teams of all-time.