TedWilliams101

Amazing day for Boston, so happy for Big Papi! But every voter who left Bonds or Clemens off their ballet should get kicked out of voting for life. Do they not recognize that keeping out two of the greatest players of all time diminishes the legitimacy of the Hall?

I get all that and I'm certainly not on the owners side. The lack of a cap also doesn't help. I can't imagine being a KC fan knowing that all the good players you draft will walk because you can't match what the big market teams can pay. It makes the whole idea of fair competition a joke. As for contracts, you are right sometimes it works out with drafted players they way overperform their rookie contract, but that doesn't Help all FA signings that turn into Pablo, etc. It also doesn't help when you can't adjust after a few years. Take Porcello for example, he should have been given option to take a pay cut or be cut going into last year with how awful he was the previous two years. Or Pedroia who is eating up a ton of $ to be off the roster. What about the Sale situation. His contract could turn into a disaster and there's nothing we can do. Its easier for a big market team like the Sox to survive a few bad big contracts, but smaller markets can't survive it. When Chris Davis happens to a smaller market team, it can be disastrous. Of course if they went to a cap, the guaranteed contracts could become absolute disasters for some teams. I just want parity and the best players on the field. Salaries shouldn't factor into playing time, yet we all know it does. You never see the $30 million aging slugger end up on the bench to the better player... You should. I was always a baseball fan first and foremost, but watching how sports like the NFL operates with a cap, contracts, etc, it makes the MLB less and less interesting to watch. MLB is dying outside of the big markets, I wonder why...

We are probably looking at 9 games played over 4+ seasons for $56 million. I hate guaranteed contracts. They should have moved on from him 2 years ago.

I'd gladly trade 2020 for less power for the players union. In fact, I'd be willing to lose multiple seasons if we could get a salary cap, do something about the teams that don't spend any $ at all, and stop giving out long guaranteed contracts. I dream of a day when guys like Panda, Price, and Pedroia can get cut for minimal cap penalty. I hate how teams get handcuffed by contracts and refuse to move on. It's frustrating as all hell. Almost as frustrating as all these stars that end up costing teams $100 million on the backend of their careers when they can barely walk. As much as I want Mookie back, the last 3-5 of his deal just won't be worth it...

I disagree. How is it any different now after that 1 game playoff? It's not. The only difference is that instead of deciding the 1 wildcard team over who was the 4th best over 162, its now a coin flip with the 4th and 5th. Yes, it makes it that much more important to win the division so you can avoid that coinflip (my point), but doesnt change anything with how far a WC team can go in the playoffs or the frequency they get to the series.

I wonder how much of this season is due to a lack of focus and sense of urgency (rather than IP). All ST it was 'oh it was a long postseason' and when the season started poorly Cora kept repeating 'we won the series last year guys'. Watching it you just cant help but think some guys are still on cruise control and maybe some just dont really care about winning... Maybe it doesnt have an effect, but its a bad optic. Every season is different. Winning last year doesnt mean sh*t and everytime you hear the excuse it just makes me shake my head. I think Cora even said something with respect to BB... isnt working out too well now Cora...

Playing for a wildcard spot is a dumb gamble IMO. Baseball is too random to rely on 1 game. I hated that they changed the format, it should be 1 wildcard team or you play at least best of 3. IMO relying on the Wildcard might as well be a hail marry... Id get it if they had a small payroll and knew it wouldnt make a difference, but when they already have a ton invested and every competitor improved over the offseason, even if they won the wildcard game, any team they face will be better than them... I dont see this team going anywhere. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything outside of Sale, went right last season. They shouldnt have expected another season where everyone improves, everyone is healthy, the bullpen magically becomes good, ...

s***, Mookie would have had that easy

Come on, it's a fair critique. With him, other than his injury/wearing out issues, it's really the only part of his game that could be better. He's been one the best pitchers in the game for the last 6 years. No one is debating that. I just really love guys like Roy Halladay who are happy pitching to contact when they seem to end up in the 8th inning every start.

It's the one issue i have with big strike-out pitchers. You certainly can't complain about averaging 5-6 innings when you usually are leading the league in ERA, but I imagine he could go a lot deeper if he didn't nibble so much. 9 batters faced, 3 3-ball counts, 4 2-ball counts.

yeah, they dont need bullpen help...

2 down!!!!!

2 outs left!

I would have gone Eovaldi with that 100MPH FB and balls of titanium.

3 OUTS! 3OUTS! Let's do this!!

True, I forgot about that. It's pretty amazing how much moving NFL teams have done through the years compared to other sports.

Yeah, the turnaround of this bullpen has been unbelievable. I to thought the pen could be what does them in. I never imagined the pen could be THIS good. Everyone they turn to (other than f*cking Kimbrel) has been unhitable. Unreal.

Haha, yeah, I actually forgot for a minute the chargers Moved.

To be fair, I still think of the Rams as St. Louis. Relocated teams take a long time to build a fan base.

Again! Yeah, it should be Pierce and Price as co MVPs!

Can they do co-MVPs? I think they both deserve it. We don't win yesterday and maybe not today without Pierce's big hits.

Unless Price get's into trouble or has to work hard in the 8th, I let him try to finish this one out in the 9th. The pen is spent and I don't trust Kimbrel (and he's pitched a ton and looked out of gas last night) and Kelly, while pitching well, has also been used a LOT the last few games.

Bogie is completely lost.

Bad break there.

If it comes down to who to pay down the road... I'm going Mookie/Boogie/Benni/etc over Sale. Sale just can't stay healthy. You pay big bugs for an Ace specifically for the playoffs. It doesn't matter if they can't stay healthy come September and October. Maybe you gamble if he can finish strong next year, but if he has struggles again down the stretch next year... I'm letting him walk. Sorry off topic, was just on my mind with Price starting instead of Sale. It's been all hands on deck with this pitching staff except Sale. I get it's Cora being safe with him, but still... it's the World Series...