SoxSport

I see Sveum got fired by the the Cubs. Epstein's buddy, and the guy Cherington wanted to hire last year. So the hiring of Valentine turned out to be a savior for the Red Sox. They didn't have to fire Sveum to get Farrell this year--something Cherington would have found tough to do. In fact, maybe they would have kept Sveum if they had a reasonable year in'12, instead of a disaster, and then where would the Sox be now? Hard to see them on top without Farrell and his coaches. Plus some of those FA signings which might not have happened without a disastrous season. The fortunes of fate.

Doubront's situation is a reminder that there are still some prima donna attitudes left on the Red Sox from the country club Francona days. Most players in this situation would carry a pail of water in the playoffs if asked. Heck, there's a ton of money at the end of the rainbow. The stakes are high. You do whatever you can to get there--as part of the team. It really isn't a question of "I start better than I relieve". It's a question of we need a pitcher who can come in and shut down the other team because the starter just doesn't have it today. We need starters in reserve. How about that kind of a pitch, Farrell? This reliever////starter division is carried to excess on the Red Sox. I see the Globe is semi-promoting Tito as MOY. Farrell obviously is the clear choice--best AL record, tied for best record in Baseball. Team finished last, last year. The Guardians didn't even win their division. Plus it's hard to tell what the big change with Tito is in Cleveland. Is it Tito?, his bench coach Alomar?, or having Brad Mills back as a coach? Or is it the FO pushing the right buttons? Tito undoubtedly has learned a few lessons which I suspect are not in his book.

They can go all the way if their starters can pitch well. Bullpen, too. It's all about the pitching in these short series.That's why I don't like Cleveland. The As are dangerous. So is TB. The Tigers have issues: Miggy's health, Verlander's form. The Dodgers will be tough with Kershaw and Greinke.

Everybody seems to be overpaying for everybody. In case you haven't noticed.

2nd game in a row they've gotten a big lead, and bullpen couldn't hold it. Hope that isn't a bad omen.

Tazawa hasn't been reliable for awhile. Can't trust him in hi leverage situations. Dempster should get a shot at setup.

I see the Globe is predicting Ellsbury at $20-21 million now that Pence has been extended for $18mil. But Pence is a middle of the order hitter. I wouldn't give Ellsbury that kind of money--he's not a big run producer. Plus they have Bradley waiting in the wings, who could be better. Ells is worth Bourne money--maybe $15 mil. I can see them signing Abreu for this kind of money, letting Ells go, and starting JBJ in CF. The kid has more power than Ells--5 tool potential.

Way too early to be pigeon-holing Middlebrooks.

They've had a great year--so far. You got to be good--and lucky.

Like Pence. Can't figure why Phillies didn't re-sign him.

They will say no to Tanaka. He said no to them at least once.

Ha. The As have had trouble beating the Mariners all year.

Home field, now best record in Baseball with 1 win. Farrell MOY. That bench coach Lovello deserves something. That pitching coach Nieves, too. So I turn on MLB channel, and guess what game is on? Yankees-Astros. Screw NY.

Seattle is leading the season series 10-8? against Oakland. They play the As tough, and have the advantage of playing at home. Though their manager taking a powder doesn't help.

The manager and the coaches had a lot to do with it, as well as the depth they built up spending $170 million. They were unlucky with two closers, but very lucky with another. Luck is always an important factor for any team having a successful season. Things happen you don't expect. Good things and bad things. They haven't won this thing yet, but they are finishing strong with maybe the best record in Baseball, and hopefully home field right thru the World Series. A terrific opportunity to match '04 and '07. Carpe Diem.

Salty could be a top notch catcher if he could improve his defense the way he has improved his hitting. But he has limited quickness behind the plate because of his size, and he doesn't frame the corners enough.

They have to decide whether to overpay for Ells (and they will have to overpay, with Boras), or to go with Bradley. That's why it's important to get Bradley some PT--to get his confidence established. And to see what he can do. He is getting some CF time right now. Near term, Bradley and Vic can be used interchangeably in CF and RF, so Ells is not unexpendable. I'd like to see a guy leading off with speed who can get more walks. And less injury prone. Salaries should be measured in games played, not season length.

I think what they do for next year will be determined by how effective they are in the playoffs. If they win it all, I wouldn't expect any big changes. They are smart if they keep the chemistry that clicked this year. One mistake GMs often make in all sports is to upset the winning chemistry the next year. Ainge of the Celtics did that not re-signing Posey after winning in '07. The guy was a critical 6th man off the bench who wasn't replaced. You have to look at look at your players, decide who is playing an important role, and keep them to retain your chemistry. I think there will be changes in the rotation next year. Dempster will be replaced, maybe Doubront with a prospect or two waiting in the wings. Plus they have to decide on Bogaerts vs Drew, Bradley and retaining Salty for his hitting and determination.

I'd like to see Bradley get some experience in the post season. They will need him to back up Vic and Ellsbury who are not immune to injury. Those guys can go down at any time, and aren't really replaceable for speed and defense except for Bradley. I guess the rabbit Berry can be used, but he's primarily the pinch runner when they need a stolen base. I see Dempster was used in the 9th last night. You figure he might be used in the setup or closer role in the playoffs if needed--especially replacing Tazawa.

Middlebrooks is a perplexing hitter. That HR to RF was a nice piece of hitting. Going with a pretty tough pitch. Yet he seems to have trouble with consistency. Maybe it's just sophomore jinx that affects a lot of young players. You have to constantly make adjustments to keep up with the pitchers. He is showing signs he can be a pretty good hitter.

As lost again. Great opportunity if they can win this one. 2 up with 3 to go might do it.

The Globe article today says, "Do the Red Sox need home field advantage?" The answer is in the won-loss data during the season. The Red Sox won 2 out of 3 games at home, 1 out of 2 games on the road. The As home-road record is almost identical: 2 of 3 at home, 1 of 2 on the road. The few remaining games won't change that. The answer is the home field advantage will probably be the difference to getting to the World Series--where the AL has home field this year. Home field teams have been winning the WS lately. The other factor is what teams are hot right now. The As have had the best September: 16-5, Guardians 2nd 15-6, Red Sox 3rd 14-6. Pretty close. Getting the best record is critical. They are currently 1.5 games ahead of the As. 5 games left for the Sox, 6 games for the As. All on the road. The Red Sox wind up in Baltimore for the final 3--a chance to knock the Os out of the playoffs--like the Os did a couple years ago to them. Think there's an incentive?

They have a lot of flexibility with Ells, Vic, Bradley, Nava and Gomes. Gomes and Carp are role guys off the bench in LF and 1B. Carp may see more time at 1B next year. Nava is a .300 hitter. Bradley you figure as a backup for Ells and Vic, who get hurt frequently. Bradley can play any OF position--an advantage over Gomes and Nava.

I didn't say he was "ready to take over CF." I said this was not a choice between Bradley and Ells in CF. Bradley came up as a left fielder. He can probably play any OF position--one of his strengths. He came up noted for his speed and defense. It isn't "either or" with Bradley-Ells. That would be a mistake. I'm sure they understand that. He can play either corner OF position. His overall stats are misleading. Pre all-star game, he hit .155 (OPS .568), post all-star .258 (.743 OPS). The latter, mainly on Sept recall. He's improving and will probably get better next year. His AAA numbers were similar to Bogaerts.

Dempster is in the BP--maybe his best role at this point in his career. Doubront had a good game yesterday, so he is in reserve as a starter/ early reliever. Morales seems to be peaking. Tazawa is the only questionmark in the BP. He is on the decline, and probably should be replaced in the setup role. I wonder where Bradley fits post season? He has been playing well enough--showing some power. Early in the season, he was valued for his defense and speed. They have a lot of guys ahead of him in the OF, including the rabbit Berry? who is valuable off the bench. They need to keep him in reserve in case of injury. Middlebrooks vs Bogaerts at 3b is another interesting situation. Bogaerts is the better hitter right now. In addition, he might be better than Drew at SS against LHP, though Drew is at his high point in the season hitting-wise. It looks like they might even bring him back next year. Farrell needs to go with the guys who are sharp right now. Forget loyalty and sentimentality. The teams that win in the playoffs are the hottest teams right now--not the teams with the best records over the season.