Bregman signs with the Cubs

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

It feels like we had more stars in the '70s, with less results.

Other teams had more than "more stars," too.

Look at that Reds team!

The Yanks of the mid to late 70's.

[moonslav59]

6 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

He's had one half of a good season for his entire career. Not sure what to expect of him going forward. 

I'm curious why some recent short sample sizes mean a lot to you but others are highly questionable. I'm not busting your you-know-what, but we gave up Early for this guy, and counting his first few years is often not a good way to judge how good someone is.

I'm not saying I have no doubts on Mead. I had some with early, too. His 75 OPS+ before 2026 is scary, but it was just 445 ABs. His 285 PAs in 2026 is not far away from the total (142 OPS+.) The guy could have hit .200 over the 160 B difference and still have a very nice OPS+.

He's no Schwarber. I doubt he'll be KMarte. He should, however, be a major boost over the .673 OPS we had this year at 2B. I'm also hopeful AR will greatly improve our .627 Catcher OPS. If we can gain 100 points at both positions, it's the same as upgrading one slot by 200 points. Like DH from .761 to .961.

[notin]

4 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

True, since those years were decades before the All-Star Game was invented (though a lot of ringer teams barnstormed every offseason).

He also said "HOFers and near-HOFers." All those champs you listed had rosters full of guys who were near-HOFers...

... depending on where they sat in the dugout, they were always near Cy Young, Tris Speaker or George Herman Ruth.

Rosters full of near HOFers?

1903 had two Hall of Famers (Cy Young, Jimmy Collins) and no one I’d consider a “near HOFer”.  I suppose some might argue Buck Freeman, but calling him a near HOFer is like calling Milwaukee “near Boston”.

1912 was a little better.  Speaker and Hooper for HOF. Near HOFer certainly with Smoky Joe Wood.  I could argue against the largely mediocre Eddie Cicotte as being close, but he went and got himself banned anyway, rendering his (lack of) qualifications moot.

Ruth came along in 1914.

But really, nearly every Sox team ever has had at least one HOF or near HOF talent.  Heck they had a Hall of Famer playing LF every year from 1939 to 1989.  
 

Even the lowly 2020 team had Devers as their best bet.  And he certainly could go, but if he misses I think at minimum he qualifies as a “near HOF”.   And this 2026 team has a lot of players with TBD in their future, but also a surefire lock in Aroldis Chapman. 
 

I am not sure what the record is for Hall of Famers on one Sox team, but I think it’s 4 in 1978 with Rice, Fisk, Yaz and Eckersley.  It should be five with the egregious omission of Dwight Evans…

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Rosters full of near HOFers?

1903 had two Hall of Famers (Cy Young, Jimmy Collins) and no one I’d consider a “near HOFer”.  I suppose some might argue Buck Freeman, but calling him a near HOFer is like calling Milwaukee “near Boston”.

1912 was a little better.  Speaker and Hooper for HOF. Near HOFer certainly with Smoky Joe Wood.  I could argue against the largely mediocre Eddie Cicotte as being close, but he went and got himself banned anyway, rendering his (lack of) qualifications moot.

Ruth came along in 1914.

But really, nearly every Sox team ever has had at least one HOF or near HOF talent.  Heck they had a Hall of Famer playing LF every year from 1939 to 1989.  
 

Even the lowly 2020 team had Devers as their best bet.  And he certainly could go, but if he misses I think at minimum he qualifies as a “near HOF”.   And this 2026 team has a lot of players with TBD in their future, but also a surefire lock in Aroldis Chapman. 
 

I am not sure what the record is for Hall of Famers on one Sox team, but I think it’s 4 in 1978 with Rice, Fisk, Yaz and Eckersley.  It should be five with the egregious omission of Dwight Evans…

4 in 1973: Aparicio, Cepeda, Fisk and Yaz

4 in 1974: Marichal, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

3 in 1975: Rice, Fisk and Yaz

4 in 1976-1977: Jenkins, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

4 in 1978-1979: Eckersley, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

5 in 1980: Tony Perez, Eckersley, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

12 hours ago, notin said:

I am not sure what the record is for Hall of Famers on one Sox team, but I think it’s 4 in 1978 with Rice, Fisk, Yaz and Eckersley.  It should be five with the egregious omission of Dwight Evans…

If you were sitting in that dugout or working in the clubhouse, then you'd also be near Luis Tiant.

If we're talking players who made the Red Sox Hall of Fame, then besides Dewey and Looie there are six more from the '78ers: Remy, Burleson, Lynn, Scott, Lee and Stanley.

That's 12 teammates honored forevermore from one ill-fated 99-win club.

The greatest manager in the history of that season in Boston baseball also got voted in (but not by his players).

[NHNative]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

4 in 1973: Aparicio, Cepeda, Fisk and Yaz

4 in 1974: Marichal, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

3 in 1975: Rice, Fisk and Yaz

4 in 1976-1977: Jenkins, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

4 in 1978-1979: Eckersley, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

5 in 1980: Tony Perez, Eckersley, Rice, Fisk and Yaz

 

Where is Rico?

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, NHNative said:

Where is Rico?

Not in the HOF.

Neither is Dewey or Tiant.

[NHNative]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Not in the HOF.

Neither is Dewey or Tiant.

No?

Yes, Rico Petrocelli is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and important players in Boston Red Sox history. A two-time All-Star and Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee (1997), he played his entire 13-year Major League career (1965–1976) for the franchise. 

[NHNative]

1 minute ago, NHNative said:

No?

Yes, Rico Petrocelli is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and important players in Boston Red Sox history. A two-time All-Star and Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee (1997), he played his entire 13-year Major League career (1965–1976) for the franchise. 

Sorry--he was never elected. Shame.

[mvp 78]

14 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I'm curious why some recent short sample sizes mean a lot to you but others are highly questionable.

He doubled his barrel rate. He doubled his bb rate. Maybe he has turned the corner in his career, but I just can't count on it. He needs to show that he can do it again before I'm fully onboard. His exit velo and bat speed is mediocre. He clearly made the most out of his AB's. We'll see. 

[Bellhorn04]

13 hours ago, notin said:

Rosters full of near HOFers?

1903 had two Hall of Famers (Cy Young, Jimmy Collins) and no one I’d consider a “near HOFer”.  I suppose some might argue Buck Freeman, but calling him a near HOFer is like calling Milwaukee “near Boston”.

1912 was a little better.  Speaker and Hooper for HOF. Near HOFer certainly with Smoky Joe Wood.  I could argue against the largely mediocre Eddie Cicotte as being close, but he went and got himself banned anyway, rendering his (lack of) qualifications moot.

Ruth came along in 1914.

But really, nearly every Sox team ever has had at least one HOF or near HOF talent.  Heck they had a Hall of Famer playing LF every year from 1939 to 1989.  
 

Even the lowly 2020 team had Devers as their best bet.  And he certainly could go, but if he misses I think at minimum he qualifies as a “near HOF”.   And this 2026 team has a lot of players with TBD in their future, but also a surefire lock in Aroldis Chapman. 
 

I am not sure what the record is for Hall of Famers on one Sox team, but I think it’s 4 in 1978 with Rice, Fisk, Yaz and Eckersley.  It should be five with the egregious omission of Dwight Evans…

Tiant was pretty good too.  

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Tiant was pretty good too.  

The 1978 team did win 99 games for a reason. 

[drewski6]

59 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He doubled his barrel rate. He doubled his bb rate. Maybe he has turned the corner in his career, but I just can't count on it. He needs to show that he can do it again before I'm fully onboard. His exit velo and bat speed is mediocre. He clearly made the most out of his AB's. We'll see. 

He's an option for 2b/ss (with potential using the DH spot to accommodate a third MI "starter"). But so is Story, Arias, Romy G, Sogard, Monasterio, Siegler, any potential offseason aquisition.

I agree with wait and see.  This year kind of has me backtracking on the "quality over quantity" approach because we see "quality" turn to crap or get hurt, and we see guys who were supposed to be extreme depth come up and play well (at least in spurts).

I am a big fan of keeping options, having versatility, and navigating.....vs picking 9 starters, 4 bench guys and everyone else is trade bait.

Similarly, it is why I agree and like when you point out the value of having minor league options, and yes, we prob do need some 40 man AAA SP depth next year for similar reasons.

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

He's an option for 2b/ss (with potential using the DH spot to accommodate a third MI "starter"). But so is Story, Arias, Romy G, Sogard, Monasterio, Siegler, any potential offseason aquisition.

I agree with wait and see.  This year kind of has me backtracking on the "quality over quantity" approach because we see "quality" turn to crap or get hurt, and we see guys who were supposed to be extreme depth come up and play well (at least in spurts).

I am a big fan of keeping options, having versatility, and navigating.....vs picking 9 starters, 4 bench guys and everyone else is trade bait.

Similarly, it is why I agree and like when you point out the value of having minor league options, and yes, we prob do need some 40 man AAA SP depth next year for similar reasons.

He's not an option for SS and he's considered to be a below average 2B for a team that prioritizes defense. IMO, he can play a few positions (2b/3b), but mainly in a reserve role. In a perfect world, he's the everyday DH and has an OPS matching last year's total. 

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, NHNative said:

No?

Yes, Rico Petrocelli is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and important players in Boston Red Sox history. A two-time All-Star and Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee (1997), he played his entire 13-year Major League career (1965–1976) for the franchise. 

No. He's not on the MLB HOF.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

He doubled his barrel rate. He doubled his bb rate. Maybe he has turned the corner in his career, but I just can't count on it. He needs to show that he can do it again before I'm fully onboard. His exit velo and bat speed is mediocre. He clearly made the most out of his AB's. We'll see. 

But why does recency matter for some but not him.

Recently, you have been giving very small recent sample sizes to back up your opinions- many much smaller than Mead's last 300+ PAs

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

But why does recency matter for some but not him.

Recently, you have been giving very small recent sample sizes to back up your opinions- many much smaller than Mead's last 300+ PAs

We can use recency for Mead if you'd like. 

AUG/SEPT: 0 PA