Dodgers (Kershaw) vs Red Sox (Crochet): 7/26/25, 7:15pm

[FredLynn]

7 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

3 excellent outs by Whitlock, 3 scary outs by Chapman.

Terrific win!.  After the 1st inning, I figured the Sox would lose easily, but didn't get the chance to say so.

Anthony struck out 4 times last night and had a double, a single, and 2 BB's today.  

Gotcha.  You are rooting for the Sox.  

Sox got a shot tomorrow.  I know it's Buehler, but the Dodgers starter, May, has an ERA of 7.00 on the road.  

I always root for the Flops. I always want what’s best for the team. Usually that’s winning but sometimes it’s best if they lose.

[Maxbialystock]

14 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Betts necklace weighs as much as he does.

I know.   I am hard pressed to think of another sport, mens or womens, in which either gender routinely wears gold necklaces.  

[Maxbialystock]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

I always root for the Flops. I always want what’s best for the team. Usually that’s winning but sometimes it’s best if they lose.

I don't believe in "it's best if they lose."  

[moonslav59]

15Ks by Sox pitchers!

Wow!

Nice game.

[moonslav59]

26 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

I always root for the Flops. I always want what’s best for the team. Usually that’s winning but sometimes it’s best if they lose.

I respect all you say, Fred. I really do, but that 3-4 years away mantra is tough to not think you've gone too far.

[FredLynn]

15 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I respect all you say, Fred. I really do, but that 3-4 years away mantra is tough to not think you've gone too far.

It was an exaggeration. Realistically-probably 2027. Not next year. We still have holes to fill. 

[FredLynn]

43 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

I don't believe in "it's best if they lose."  

Getting better draft picks is better for the team. And to do that you have to have the worst record possible. That means tanking when indicated.

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

It was an exaggeration. Realistically-probably 2027. Not next year. We still have holes to fill. 

All teams have holes to fill, and at least 20 have more than we do.

We have a solid core of young to very young players, with mostly low cost salaries and several years of control. Even our weakest everyday positions have some hopes:

1B: Casas, Campbell-Romy

2B: Mayer, Campbell-Romy (Assuming Bregman returns)

We will need to fill the Chapman, Wilson & Gio holes, but we should have the money, and 4-5 holes is not as bad as you seem to think it is.

How many holes will the Yanks, Astors, Tigers and Jays have, this winter? (4-5 minimum.)

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

All teams have holes to fill, and at least 20 have more than we do.

We have a solid core of young to very young players, with mostly low cost salaries and several years of control. Even our weakest everyday positions have some hopes:

1B: Casas, Campbell-Romy

2B: Mayer, Campbell-Romy (Assuming Bregman returns)

We will need to fill the Chapman, Wilson & Gio holes, but we should have the money, and 4-5 holes is not as bad as you seem to think it is.

How many holes will the Yanks, Astors, Tigers and Jays have, this winter? (4-5 minimum.)

We will need a reliable #2 SP, a RH bat , especially if Bregman leaves, a decent backup catcher etc. I don’t keep track of what our competition needs but I don’t think we can fill these holes in one offseason despite our young core.

[jad]

Losing to get better draft picks is the worst thing to happen in pro sports and could be easily fixed, simply by using. lottery for the draft and not rewarding teams for failure.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

In the last at bat of the game, it looked like Mookie had a necklace break -- he removed it from his neck and stuck it in his back pocket. Was it the famous bat-and-ball necklace he's been wearing en route to his Hall of Fame career since 2018? Will this be a turning point in his career? Were any Sox fans unhappy Chapman struck him out?

[moonslav59]

7 hours ago, FredLynn said:

We will need a reliable #2 SP, a RH bat , especially if Bregman leaves, a decent backup catcher etc. I don’t keep track of what our competition needs but I don’t think we can fill these holes in one offseason despite our young core.

1. Other top teams have more than 3 holes.

2. If we cant fill 3 big holes and a back-up catcher (You missed closer), while losing the Devers contract, all I can say is "Wow!"

3. Last offseason, we filled over 6 big holes, not counting some filled by prospects:

Ace: Crochet

3B & RHB: Bregman

Closer: Chapman

Catcher: Narvaez (was supposed to be the back-up)

LHP/Set Up man: Wilson

#2/3 SP: Buehler (has not worked out well, so far)

(We also signed Sandoval & Toro.)

We lose a lot of contracts, this winter. Your outlook is overly bleak.

[Bellhorn04]

39 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

1. Other top teams have more than 3 holes.

2. If we cant fill 3 big holes and a back-up catcher (You missed closer), while losing the Devers contract, all I can say is "Wow!"

3. Last offseason, we filled over 6 big holes, not counting some filled by prospects:

Ace: Crochet

3B & RHB: Bregman

Closer: Chapman

Catcher: Narvaez (was supposed to be the back-up)

LHP/Set Up man: Wilson

#2/3 SP: Buehler (has not worked out well, so far)

(We also signed Sandoval & Toro.)

We lose a lot of contracts, this winter. Your outlook is overly bleak.

Fred's philosophy is that you can't lose by being negative.  You're either proven right or you're pleasantly surprised.

[dannycater]

2 hours ago, jad said:

Losing to get better draft picks is the worst thing to happen in pro sports and could be easily fixed, simply by using. lottery for the draft and not rewarding teams for failure.

As a hard-core B's fan, couldn't agree more. 

[dannycater]

So again, in this win, Crochet holds the fort like an ace after rough beginning. This is what true aces do...and often like I said--you get rewarded for being that guy. Offense seems to want to do things for that guy or at least do enough to earn a win. 

[dannycater]

"Roman Anthony, who was 4 when Kershaw made his major league debut in 2008, followed with a double to center field that gave the Sox a two-run lead."

That's why baseball is such a great game..factoids that make you go, you got to be kidding me. Rich Hill and Venus Williams playing in sports events after long layoffs the same day--both at age 45. Love sports trivia. 

[Maxbialystock]

36 minutes ago, dannycater said:

"Roman Anthony, who was 4 when Kershaw made his major league debut in 2008, followed with a double to center field that gave the Sox a two-run lead."

That's why baseball is such a great game..factoids that make you go, you got to be kidding me. Rich Hill and Venus Williams playing in sports events after long layoffs the same day--both at age 45. Love sports trivia. 

Great stuff.  Thanks.  

[Jasonbay44]

12 hours ago, FredLynn said:

Getting better draft picks is better for the team. And to do that you have to have the worst record possible. That means tanking when indicated.

So you root for the team to lose to get a higher pick in the one major sport where half the first round busts or doesn’t see the majors for years and has almost no immediate impact? That’s insanely dumb. 

[FredLynn]

50 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

So you root for the team to lose to get a higher pick in the one major sport where half the first round busts or doesn’t see the majors for years and has almost no immediate impact? That’s insanely dumb. 

Overall the higher the pick the better the chance that the pick will materialize into a useful player. That’s why there is an order in the draft. The more talented players get picked first, in general. 
Whats insane is that it seems some people don’t understand that concept.

[Jasonbay44]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

Overall the higher the pick the better the chance that the pick will materialize into a useful player. That’s why there is an order in the draft. The more talented players get picked first, in general. 
Whats insane is that it seems some people don’t understand that concept.

In order to get higher picks you have to be generationally bad with how bad some teams tank. Even if you get #1 pick it’s far from a guarantee the player is a star or even a decent contributor. Since 2000 the #1 overall picks have been extremely hit or miss. A lot of the best players in the league were drafted late first or not even first round at all. Baseball players have an extremely high bust rate and tanking for a high pick isn’t guaranteed to have the impact it does in the NBA or NFL, where one NBA player can turn a franchise around or a star QB can set a team up for a decade. 
 

Rooting for that sounds absolutely miserable, but have fun I guess. 

[FredLynn]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

1. Other top teams have more than 3 holes.

2. If we cant fill 3 big holes and a back-up catcher (You missed closer), while losing the Devers contract, all I can say is "Wow!"

3. Last offseason, we filled over 6 big holes, not counting some filled by prospects:

Ace: Crochet

3B & RHB: Bregman

Closer: Chapman

Catcher: Narvaez (was supposed to be the back-up)

LHP/Set Up man: Wilson

#2/3 SP: Buehler (has not worked out well, so far)

(We also signed Sandoval & Toro.)

We lose a lot of contracts, this winter. Your outlook is overly bleak.

Think it’s overly bleak?

Check the standings.

[FredLynn]

1 minute ago, Jasonbay44 said:

In order to get higher picks you have to be generationally bad with how bad some teams tank. Even if you get #1 pick it’s far from a guarantee the player is a star or even a decent contributor. Since 2000 the #1 overall picks have been extremely hit or miss. A lot of the best players in the league were drafted late first or not even first round at all. Baseball players have an extremely high bust rate and tanking for a high pick isn’t guaranteed to have the impact it does in the NBA or NFL, where one NBA player can turn a franchise around or a star QB can set a team up for a decade. 
 

Rooting for that sounds absolutely miserable, but have fun I guess. 

The goal is to compete for a ring. Generally the higher the draft pick the more talented the player. That’s why higher picks get drafted higher than lower picks. I’d rather the Flops pick higher than lower if there’s not much of a chance the team can compete for a ring. 
Wouldn’t you?

[Jasonbay44]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

The goal is to compete for a ring. Generally the higher the draft pick the more talented the player. That’s why higher picks get drafted higher than lower picks. I’d rather the Flops pick higher than lower if there’s not much of a chance the team can compete for a ring. 
Wouldn’t you?

No. I’m a Washington Wizards fan and they are absolutely horrendous every year and routinely draft busts: it’s a horrible product to watch. The Red Sox can still draft good players while putting out a good product. I don’t want to watch them suck ass and be a joke to maybe get a high draft pick for a HS kid. 

imagine being a pirates fan and watching one of worst rosters ever and getting the #1 overall pick to be rewarded with… Henry Davis. 

[FredLynn]

Just now, Jasonbay44 said:

No. I’m a Washington Wizards fan and they are absolutely horrendous every year and routinely draft busts: it’s a horrible product to watch. The Red Sox can still draft good players while putting out a good product. I don’t want to watch them suck ass and be a joke to maybe get a high draft pick for a HS kid. 

imagine being a pirates fan and watching one of worst rosters ever and getting the #1 overall pick to be rewarded with… Henry Davis. 

Would you agree that IN GENERAL the higher the draft pick the better the chance that the player will be productive?

[Jasonbay44]

2 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Would you agree that IN GENERAL the higher the draft pick the better the chance that the player will be productive?

Obviously, but it’s not something im ever looking at when watching the Sox. The draft is mostly a crapshoot anyway.

You really want them to lose to draft a HS kid who could MAYBE make an impact in 4 years? 

[Soxlover]

11 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Think it’s overly bleak?

Check the standings.

I do everyday. We have the same win total as the preseason AL favorite- the Yanks.

[Jasonbay44]

Orioles have been picking extremely high for a decade. I’m sure their fans are thrilled with what they watched and the end product! 

[Soxlover]

To me, selling would be about improving the 2026 and beyond roster. Better draft picks is minor.

[FredLynn]

11 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Obviously, but it’s not something im ever looking at when watching the Sox. The draft is mostly a crapshoot anyway.

You really want them to lose to draft a HS kid who could MAYBE make an impact in 4 years? 

If the team is going to have as a likely ceiling of sneaking into the last playoff spot vs finishing lower in the standings and likely (but not certainly) selecting a more talented player who will improve the chances of being competitive for many years I’d forego the prospect of mediocrity in perpetuity for a more promising future. Delayed gratification and all….mediocrity sucks.

[FredLynn]

17 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Orioles have been picking extremely high for a decade. I’m sure their fans are thrilled with what they watched and the end product! 

Obviously you have to make good draft choices. The fact of the matter is that draft picked 1-5 are more likely to be high level contributors than draft picks 150-155. I’d rather suck for a few years than enjoy success than being mediocre in perpetuity.