jad

devers did not 'take less to stay home.' He took guaranteed money THIS year rather than speculate about what he might have made next year.

So you would pass up $300million guaranteed in hopes of getting 10% more? knowing that one blown out knee would mean you get nothing?

But at least Bergeron didn't get a penalty shot in the overtime, wind up just inside the blue line, and hit a pop-up.

Wow. You hit better when your timing isn't off??? Thank you, Youk. Who would have guessed?

Ha! The last RS game I went to was the day game of a D/N double=header. I assured my friend that if they couldn't play the afternoon game, no worries, they would cancel it. Instead, they cancelled the night game. I sat there in full foul-weather gear for between 5 and 6 hours before the start. The only consolation was that everyone else was more miserable than I was.

Yeah, I see that. But it's a narrow window and we're getting inundated in Maine as they are west and south of Boston. I'm betting against this getting in.

Uh oh. Brasier-ball again.

OMG Youk again, just in case you wanted to know: that this guy has a fastball 95-97 which is faster than say 92-93 which some guys have but you have to consider location too as a pitch outside might be a ball and if you throw four of those and the hitter doesn't swing that's a walk which helps OPS whereas a guy throwing only 92 may have better location and that's important but some of these guys don't always throw strikes enough but some guys in triple-A may have the velocity but not the location and it's important not to throw everything right down the middle because major league hitters can hit that pitch better than AAA players but you have to consider some guys hit inside pitches not all though because some guys like the low ball which means the split is a problem because it's low and breaks down sometimes but a good hitter can keep an eye on it but you know maybe won't swing unless there are two strikes because with two strikes you could strike out but with only 1 or none you really don't have to swing because that's only ball 2 or 3 and it takes four of those to draw a walk but a walk isn't as good as a hit, but it might be because ... I'll be listening to Joe.

Youk in the booth (because you need to know that when the pitch is outside you can hit it but if it's a ball you might let it go unless you can foul it off but that's easier with one strike with two you should be selective and you can't barrel it up but maybe if it's in the zone it's easier and the good hitters like to hit good pitches but walking is good too like if it's 3-1 count you can get ball 4 which you can't do on a 2-1 so you have to consider that but some pitchers are better than others and you might hit well against them unless the sun isn't good which is also a factor but ... [repeat, with variations]) That's why I don't watch. At least during away games I can watch the local feed.

Yup. All Bloom/Henry cared about was that he was cheaper than Bogey.

But just think of how the value of the team would have plummeted had they kept Mookie and Bogey!

Nope. Win games. That's what you get paid to do as athletes. I'd much rather follow a .500 team that is trying to get to .501 than a .300 team bent on losing.

Yup (although his location is at times alarming!)

Chris Sale ... is not a good pitcher.

Yeah, I don't see anything in Casas I would call progress. He seems to me like a poor man's Michael Chavis

I don't know. His competitor was pretty handy with the stick, no?

Gosh. Who would have guessed that I have never heard of Verdugo or Turner? Thanks for straightening this out for me.

Average attendance? dWAR? Yards After Catch? Save percentage? 3-pt. percentage? Wunderlich test?

I think the problem is scheduling. Because so far, and for the rest of the year as well, the RS are scheduled to play the majority of games against teams better than they are! It's just not fair.

Anyone who as been a sox fan since the 50s doesn't need any further conditioning.

Isn't it like the movies? The huge salaries are part of what draws people in. And NO ONE in the audience has ever said: "Well, I would have preferred Brando or DeNiro in that role, but they're too expensive, so let's see what the kid just out of CalArts can do." The entertainment business is not run on the same principles that apply to other businesses. Look at the cash Dan Snyder gets for being a total creep while running his organization into the ground.

Despite his experience handling balls outside of home.

just good enough to keep you from folding.

I liked Bogey. A lot. ... But since I am a fan, not a fantasy-player or a GM, I don't care what his price is.

I spend the winter in LA. Which wasn't habitable this winter either.