Red Sox (Harrison) vs Rays (Houser): 9/20/25, 7:05pm

[Maxbialystock]

7 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Rafaela has had how many big hits this season? 

He's 4th on the team in rbi's, so he must have had some timely hits.  Also 3d in total bases and runs scored.  Heck, He even has 16 freaking dingers.  Tonight he's 1/3 with 2 runs scored.  Last night he was 4/5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.  Plus--and I guess you just forgot all about it because of your little tantrum--these two games are absolutely crucial to stay in the hunt for the postseason.  Every one of those 5 hits were big.  

 

[Nineintime]

3 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Oops, make that 3 Fred's.

Characterization over reality.  Typical argument when it opposes those making it 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Instead of Game Thread let's dumb it down to Game Fred.🥱

[Jasonbay44]

2 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Look, you’re smart enough to realize that you can’t look at Rafaela in a vacuum. If he was the only black hole-or if there was only one or two more even-and everyone else was an offensive force-that’s fine. But on THIS TEAM we simply can’t afford him. 

Rafaela is the only “black hole” that’s actually provides value and helps the team though. We have a designated hitter that doesn’t even hit at all in Yoshida. We have a below average 1B, we have a career minor leaguer in Eaton taking AB’s.

you are ranting about Rafaela, who was never projected to be a great hitter, being a below average hitter while providing league best defense and at least providing some power and big hits in the 9 hole. He isn’t even top 10 biggest problem with this roster. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, Nineintime said:

Characterization over reality.  Typical argument when it opposes those making it 

Who wrote that for you?

[FredLynn]

1 minute ago, Maxbialystock said:

He's 4th on the team in rbi's, so he must have had some timely hits.  Also 3d in total bases and runs scored.  Heck, He even has 16 freaking dingers.  Tonight he's 1/3 with 2 runs scored.  Last night he was 4/5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.  Plus--and I guess you just forgot all about it because of your little tantrum--these two games are absolutely crucial to stay in the hunt for the postseason.  Every one of those 5 hits were big.  

 

He flails about every night. He’s bound to have some RBIs. If you can’t see how useless he is with a bat I can’t help You. 
As far as “the hunt” goes., it will be over by the end of the week. 

[FredLynn]

2 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Instead of Game Thread let's dumb it down to Game Fred.🥱

There isn’t a dumbed down level you could ever understand 

[Jasonbay44]

A lot of pitches for Chapman 

[Maxbialystock]

17 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

I apologize for calling you stupid. I was being too kind.

SS, you should know you are one of my absolute favorite contributors to talksox.  You possess both insight and wit.  No need to descend to words like that.  

Ballgame!!!!!!!!!!!

[FredLynn]

2 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Rafaela is the only “black hole” that’s actually provides value and helps the team though. We have a designated hitter that doesn’t even hit at all in Yoshida. We have a below average 1B, we have a career minor leaguer in Eaton taking AB’s.

you are ranting about Rafaela, who was never projected to be a great hitter, being a below average hitter while providing league best defense and at least providing some power and big hits in the 9 hole. He isn’t even top 10 biggest problem with this roster. 

He’s part of the problem. So is Yoshida, Lowe, Narvaez, Wong etc. 

[Nineintime]

4 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Who wrote that for you?

I applaud your comprehension.  

[Jasonbay44]

Just now, FredLynn said:

He’s part of the problem. So is Yoshida, Lowe, Narvaez, Wong etc. 

What more could you possibly want from Narvaez? Catcher is a brutal position and he’s well above league average. 

[FredLynn]

Just now, Maxbialystock said:

SS, you should know you are one of my absolute favorite contributors to talksox.  You possess both insight and wit.  No need to descend to words like that.  

Ballgame!!!!!!!!!!!

My preference is to NOT make it personal. But I reserve the right to respond if attacked. 
We don’t need to Go there. It’s what ignore buttons are for.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, Maxbialystock said:

SS, you should know you are one of my absolute favorite contributors to talksox.  You possess both insight and wit.  No need to descend to words like that.  

Ballgame!!!!!!!!!!!

You're right. Plus it's a waste of time.

[FredLynn]

2 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

What more could you possibly want from Narvaez? Catcher is a brutal position and he’s well above league average. 

He was. He’s tailed off. Again-you can’t discuss Narvaez in a vacuum. It depends on who else is on the roster

[vegasbob]

Great and necessary win .

7 to go. Can you win 6 of those ?

[Jasonbay44]

Just now, FredLynn said:

He was. He’s tailed off. Again-you can’t discuss Narvaez in a vacuum. It depends on who whI else is on the roster

No team in the league has 9 good hitters. 

[d-money]

It feels like we  have to go 6-0 against the rays and blue jays before facing the tigers in the end. 

[Jasonbay44]

Basically the logic is “Narvaez and Rafaela are pretty good at what they do in a vacuum, but they suck and I hate them because guys like Yoshida and Lowe suck, so these guys need to hit more!”

[d-money]

Funny thing is we might  help the Yankees by beating the blue jays. Sick . 

[FredLynn]

1 minute ago, Jasonbay44 said:

No team in the league has 9 good hitters. 

IM not asking for a team of all stars. Who on this team is a great hitter? 
Name 2

Absent a couple of mashers everyone else has to perform at least at average or better. 

[FredLynn]

1 minute ago, d-money said:

Funny thing is we might  help the Yankees by beating the blue jays. Sick . 

Not happening 

[Nineintime]

28 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

I apologize for calling you stupid. I was being too kind.

Says the guy who resorted to the easiest adjective in the human language to defend himself 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Basically the logic is “Narvaez and Rafaela are pretty good at what they do in a vacuum, but they suck and I hate them because guys like Yoshida and Lowe suck, so these guys need to hit more!”

That's the kind of logic I hear watching traffic stops on YouTube.

[moonslav59]

Narvaez: ,784 last 21 games is not "tailing off."

The sky was yellow and the sun was blue.

[FredLynn]

2 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Basically the logic is “Narvaez and Rafaela are pretty good at what they do in a vacuum, but they suck and I hate them because guys like Yoshida and Lowe suck, so these guys need to hit more!”

Pretty much. If the other guys were better we could tolerate Narvaez and Rafaela. They aren’t. And we can’t. It’s why we can’t score. 
When we had Manny and Ortiz we could tolerate a couple of black holes. They’re long gone. Breslow did construct the roster properly to be able to accommodate guys like CR.

[Jasonbay44]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

IM not asking for a team of all stars. Who on this team is a great hitter? 
Name 2

Absent a couple of mashers everyone else has to perform at least at average or better. 

Well they had a great hitter but they traded him!

 

I would say Roman Anthony is great hitter but he’s obviously hurt. Bregman when healthy is pretty damn good too. Duran and Abreu are well above average too, not great but some.

 

It’s tough with Anthony and Abreu both hurt. 

[FredLynn]

25 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Narvaez: ,784 last 21 games is not "tailing off."

The sky was yellow and the sun was blue.

Cheery picking

Dont worry we all do it

I don’t have time right now to look at BR but I will later. I believe he started off strong, then tailed off for a long period of time, then picked it up again a bit. 
 

Since the ASB he’s at .183/.617

Like I said, he’s tailed off for the second half. 
I can cherry pick too but my numbers include a longer stretch and are therefore more valid.

[Maxbialystock]

That was one fantastic win.  Quality start, fumble by the bullpen, and a gigantic 9th inning rally.  

Nevertheless, Cleveland took both games from Minnesota, 8-0 and 6-0.  They are now exactly `game behind the Sox and the Tigers.  In their last 10 game the Guardians are 10-0 and the Tigers 2-8.   So we only have to outrun one of those guys.  

[FredLynn]

29 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Well they had a great hitter but they traded him!

 

I would say Roman Anthony is great hitter but he’s obviously hurt. Bregman when healthy is pretty damn good too. Duran and Abreu are well above average too, not great but some.

 

It’s tough with Anthony and Abreu both hurt. 

Yup

We were forced to dump our great hitter because he wasn’t a team player. Anthony may become a great hitter. Abreu is hurt but he’s not a great hitter.. So like I said we really don’t have a great (or even a good) cast of players surrounding Rafaela. It’s why we can’t afford him in the lineup.

We’re stuck with Yoshida and Lowe and other non performing players but Rafaela has options. Send him down to work out his plate discipline and hope that next year Breslow does a better job.