The 2025 postseason, post-Red Sox

[Bellhorn04]

13 hours ago, d-money said:

Am i the only one rooting for the blue jays? I think they have a better shot than the mariners against the dodgers. Hope they win tomorrow. 

No, you're not.  

[moonslav59]

Kirby vs Bieber.

Go M's!!!

[notin]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

No, you're not.  

But he might be the only American rooting for the Blue Jays…

[Kimmi]

17 hours ago, d-money said:

Am i the only one rooting for the blue jays? I think they have a better shot than the mariners against the dodgers. Hope they win tomorrow. 

I'd like to see the Mariners get to the World Series, only because they've never been there, but I'm good with the Blue Jays winning too.  I agree with you in thinking that the Jays have a better shot at beating the Dodgers.

I'm excited for Game 7 tonight.  I hope it's a close game.  The series has been a good one, but the individual games really haven't been that close, except for Game 1.

Go American League!

[Kimmi]

9 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

You guys are just fanists, taking fanist views. Just because you pay good money to go to Red Sox games or watch them on screens, why do you deserve a legitimate contender? 

When you go to a restaurant, do you expect good food? Isn't the atmosphere enough? If you buy a new car, does it have to take you where you want to go? Can't you just sit in it, look good, and hum "Sweet Caroline" while doing the wave...

You don't have to spend like the Dodgers to have a legitimate contender.  I know I'm in the minority, but the Dodgers current spending, and the monster contracts given to superstar players really turns me off to the business side of baseball.  I'm not saying the Red Sox should go cheap, but honestly, I prefer the Rays philosophy over the Dodgers.

When Friedman first went to the Dodgers, I was a huge fan.  Not so much anymore.

[Kimmi]

4 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

No, you're not.  

We love those crazy Canadians!

[Duran Is The Man]

1 hour ago, Kimmi said:

I'd like to see the Mariners get to the World Series, only because they've never been there, but I'm good with the Blue Jays winning too.  I agree with you in thinking that the Jays have a better shot at beating the Dodgers.

I'm excited for Game 7 tonight.  I hope it's a close game.  The series has been a good one, but the individual games really haven't been that close, except for Game 1.

Go American League!

my thoughts exactly! great minds and all that.

[moonslav59]

Springer is the man.

[jad]

11 hours ago, Kimmi said:

You don't have to spend like the Dodgers to have a legitimate contender.  I know I'm in the minority, but the Dodgers current spending, and the monster contracts given to superstar players really turns me off to the business side of baseball.  I'm not saying the Red Sox should go cheap, but honestly, I prefer the Rays philosophy over the Dodgers.

When Friedman first went to the Dodgers, I was a huge fan.  Not so much anymore.

Under McCourt, the Dodgers were MISERABLE and if you bothered to go (not many people did), you would see fans leaving and arriving at the same time (around the 5th inning).  It was a crappy product.  Then they spent money and got players like Betts (remember him?) and Ohtani, and now the place is packed, and they're selling gear all over the world.  You prefer the Rays business model?

[Bellhorn04]

16 hours ago, notin said:

But he might be the only American rooting for the Blue Jays…

One reason I have a soft spot for the Jays is that they have generally always played the Yankees tough.  

I still remember that doubleheader on September 20, 1978, when the Jays almost swept a pair from the Yanks to do us a huge favor but the damn Yanks pulled the second one out in the ninth... 😉

[Bellhorn04]

9 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Springer is the man.

What a moment.  

Biggest home runs in Jays history - in chronological order:

1) Alomar 1992

2) Carter 1993 

3) Springer 2025

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, jad said:

Under McCourt, the Dodgers were MISERABLE and if you bothered to go (not many people did), you would see fans leaving and arriving at the same time (around the 5th inning).  It was a crappy product.  Then they spent money and got players like Betts (remember him?) and Ohtani, and now the place is packed, and they're selling gear all over the world.  You prefer the Rays business model?

Everybody is going to have their own take on this one.  I have some grudging admiration for the Dodgers in how they have spent on their team.  But there does come a point when it gets to be too much, and unfortunately a lot of teams will be pointing to the Dodgers as the reason the game needs a hard cap, and the dispute over this could wipe out the 2027 season based on what we're hearing.  

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Springer is the man.

When he became a free agent he was the perfect replacement for Betts. 

The Blue Jays signed Springer for 6 years at $150 million -- or less than half of the money Boston didn't have to pay Mookie. When the Sox didn't go after Springer, a local guy to logically recruit who grew up in Connecticut and starred at UConn, it was a portent for fans.

George hasn't been a Hall of Famer in Toronto, but his 162-game averages over five seasons are something the Red Sox haven't seen from any player in that same half decade: 103 runs, 30 homers, 84 RBI, .804 OPS...

... mainly because the Sox have only had one position player for the past half decade: Jarren Duran.

[notin]

3 hours ago, jad said:

Under McCourt, the Dodgers were MISERABLE and if you bothered to go (not many people did), you would see fans leaving and arriving at the same time (around the 5th inning).  It was a crappy product.  Then they spent money and got players like Betts (remember him?) and Ohtani, and now the place is packed, and they're selling gear all over the world.  You prefer the Rays business model?

McCourt owned the Dodgers from 2004 until 2012.  In that stretch they won 3 pennants, made 4 postseason appearances and reached the NLCS three times.  All in an era with fewer wild card teams.

Is that the new definition of miserable?  A couple dozen other teams would like that kind of misery.

Such a “crappy product”…

[moonslav59]

31 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

When he became a free agent he was the perfect replacement for Betts. 

The Blue Jays signed Springer for 6 years at $150 million -- or less than half of the money Boston didn't have to pay Mookie. When the Sox didn't go after Springer, a local guy to logically recruit who grew up in Connecticut and starred at UConn, it was a portent for fans.

George hasn't been a Hall of Famer in Toronto, but his 162-game averages over five seasons are something the Red Sox haven't seen from any player in that same half decade: 103 runs, 30 homers, 84 RBI, .804 OPS...

... mainly because the Sox have only had one position player for the past half decade: Jarren Duran.

Good points, but they held off on any $150M/6 deals until the Story one, a couple years later.

[notin]

42 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

When he became a free agent he was the perfect replacement for Betts. 

The Blue Jays signed Springer for 6 years at $150 million -- or less than half of the money Boston didn't have to pay Mookie. When the Sox didn't go after Springer, a local guy to logically recruit who grew up in Connecticut and starred at UConn, it was a portent for fans.

George hasn't been a Hall of Famer in Toronto, but his 162-game averages over five seasons are something the Red Sox haven't seen from any player in that same half decade: 103 runs, 30 homers, 84 RBI, .804 OPS...

... mainly because the Sox have only had one position player for the past half decade: Jarren Duran.

Perfect replacement for Betts?

In his first 4 years in Toronto, Springer was worth 9.6 bWAR.  In his last 4 years in Boston, Betts was worth 34.2 bWAR.

A quarter of the player for half the money isn’t a perfect replacement…

[mvp 78]

2 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Everybody is going to have their own take on this one.  I have some grudging admiration for the Dodgers in how they have spent on their team.  But there does come a point when it gets to be too much, and unfortunately a lot of teams will be pointing to the Dodgers as the reason the game needs a hard cap, and the dispute over this could wipe out the 2027 season based on what we're hearing.  

JH could spend the same on his ballclub. He CHOOSES not to. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

6 minutes ago, notin said:

Perfect replacement for Betts?

In his first 4 years in Toronto, Springer was worth 9.6 bWAR.  In his last 4 years in Boston, Betts was worth 34.2 bWAR.

A quarter of the player for half the money isn’t a perfect replacement…

You know what I meant, so spare me the stats because you're in the mood to argue.

No one can be another Mookie, but the Sox chose not to pay him his true market value and had all those savings to at least invest in the next best ballplayer available. 

Springer was a Silver Slugger All-Star OUTFIELDER with a World Series MVP in his prime at age 30, and chances would've come home to New England if it was 20 years earlier when Henry was all in.

The BIG MARKET Red Sox needed to replace star power and still do.

 

[mvp 78]

38 minutes ago, notin said:

McCourt owned the Dodgers from 2004 until 2012.  In that stretch they won 3 pennants, made 4 postseason appearances and reached the NLCS three times.  All in an era with fewer wild card teams.

Is that the new definition of miserable?  A couple dozen other teams would like that kind of misery.

Such a “crappy product”…

The McCourts get separated because Jamie is cheating with her bodyguard in fall of 2009. 12 months later, the post-nuptial agreement is invalidated by a judge. McCourt runs out of money and is unable to make payroll. MLB seized control from McCourt in April 2011. Great ownership, really. 

"I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the Club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership." - Bud Selig

Maybe the McCourts shouldn't have used the Dodgers as their personal credit card to fund their lavish lifestyle? 

[mvp 78]

Thank you to former Sox Prospect Eduard Bazardo for giving back to the AL East. Re2pect! 

[notin]

38 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

You know what I meant, so spare me the stats because you're in the mood to argue.

No one can be another Mookie, but the Sox chose not to pay him his true market value and had all those savings to at least invest in the next best ballplayer available. 

Springer was a Silver Slugger All-Star OUTFIELDER with a World Series MVP in his prime at age 30, and chances would've come home to New England if it was 20 years earlier when Henry was all in.

The BIG MARKET Red Sox needed to replace star power and still do.

 

“Star power” shouldn’t mean “expensive players that used to be really good.”

Springer hadn’t been the 5-6 bWAR player in Toronto that he was in Houston.  He’s been a good player, but his 14.4 bWAR in 5 years isn’t dramatically different that the 6.6 bWAR Wilyer Abreu has posted in just two.

Do fans want good players or pricey players with big names and pasts they can no longer replicate?

[notin]

35 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The McCourts get separated because Jamie is cheating with her bodyguard in fall of 2009. 12 months later, the post-nuptial agreement is invalidated by a judge. McCourt runs out of money and is unable to make payroll. MLB seized control from McCourt in April 2011. Great ownership, really. 

"I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the Club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership." - Bud Selig

Maybe the McCourts shouldn't have used the Dodgers as their personal credit card to fund their lavish lifestyle? 

The last 3 years of McCourt ownership were not good, but during their tenure with the team, “crappy product” and “misery” ignores a lot of the successes that franchise had.  No one said they were terrific people…

[notin]

35 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Thank you to former Sox Prospect Eduard Bazardo for giving back to the AL East. Re2pect! 

Given who was coming up, I found myself yelling “bring in Munoz!”  Lukes isnt so frightening but with Vlad just two hitters away? 

Bazardo has been up and down too often this postseason.  Was he saving Munoz to face Varsho, Clement, and Barger in the 9th?

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Thank you to former Sox Prospect Eduard Bazardo for giving back to the AL East. Re2pect! 

Yeah, I wonder if any Mariners fans are griping about the pitching moves last night.

[notin]

21 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah, I wonder if any Mariners fans are griping about the pitching moves last night.

Harmony is at home sticking pins in a little Dan  Wilson doll*
 

*Available for $24.99 at the Voodoo Hut on the T-Mobil park mezzanine…

[mvp 78]

58 minutes ago, notin said:

The last 3 years of McCourt ownership were not good, but during their tenure with the team, “crappy product” and “misery” ignores a lot of the successes that franchise had.  No one said they were terrific people…

Living out there at the time, everyone despised that ownership group even before it all fell apart. The Grady Little years were largely wasted by Ned Colletti. Things were relatively exciting for a brief period when Torre was the manager and Mannywood hit.

[mvp 78]

26 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah, I wonder if any Mariners fans are griping about the pitching moves last night.

*Just happy to be there.

The guttural scream heard during the Bryan Woo interview last night was great. 

[Bellhorn04]

7 minutes ago, notin said:

Harmony is at home sticking pins in a little Dan  Wilson doll*
 

*Available for $24.99 at the Voodoo Hut on the T-Mobil park mezzanine…

Poor Harmony.  I do feel his pain.  The Sox have done the same to their fans more than twice.  

[harmony]

48 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah, I wonder if any Mariners fans are griping about the pitching moves last night.

Fans in every sport are always second-guessing.

This Seattle fan entered the season with high expectations but the competitive window should not be closing.

[notin]

23 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Living out there at the time, everyone despised that ownership group even before it all fell apart. The Grady Little years were largely wasted by Ned Colletti. Things were relatively exciting for a brief period when Torre was the manager and Mannywood hit.

I have to defer to you on the level of management hatred, but unless you’re Bob Kraft during the Patriots run or Steinbrenner in the late 1990’s, isnt every front office hated by someone?  I remember seeing posts about how Epstein ruined the Red Sox DURING THE 2007 POSTSEASON RUN!