SoxHop

I do hope Pablo shows up looking good and has his mojo back and is average at least next year. But I almost hope he shows up looking like he didn't put in the work and can't play. This board will be pure comedy for weeks on end.

Wait.... I thought I was saying there is more to a playoff win other than chance, and that there is a gray middle ground, and that the coach has something to do with it, other than the flower game of she loves me, she loves me not. And yea, there are some major and minor stuff that you can lump into a "who knows" category, but the coach either calls it right or doesn't. That is the coaches read on how to handle that. And..... f you about the strawman thing....... seriously, I'm not even blaming him which I've written before you ass. I think Farrell did a great job this year getting us to the playoffs. I realize playoffs are a crap shoot. But if I had to say we ready for the playoffs we absolutely weren't for some reason or another. Want to take this in another directions, how do you now know Farrell wasn't chasing some reporter tail during the last two weeks after night after night doing body tequila shots......... YOU DON"T KNOW, I know as much as you do. All we have is the results. Tell me again he did a great job managing the team during the playoffs.....

So, humans all deal with stress the exact same way? And the playoffs are just a game of pinball. I'd like to hear what some of the players that stepped up to the mound and pitched in playoff ball have to say about that.

Well, how ever Farrell handled it, it went completely wrong. Maybe he handled it perfectly and prevented three blowouts. Maybe he handled it perfectly and we got what we got. I think you have to speculate a bit, and not leave it to the wind that things could have been better or different. I think the team playing better won. I don't think a manager could have changed the course of the series other than a game or two. But, we were pretty listless...... in fact I don't think I saw that team play that way all year.

So what about playoff experience? That would seem to be much about nothing too then? Haven't you all seen those sports movies where the good person but lesser of the two teams is losing big at the half, and then the coach gives a super motivating speech during the half time break instilling confidence in the lessor team and they come back in the second half and win. I guess you all think that is theatrics huh?

I'm going to say this again. I had a blast watching this team this season. We had journey men pop out of no way and just wreck it with Wright and Leon. We had sophomores step up, we had highs and lows and it won us the ALE. I really had a great time taking this season for a ride.............. it was fun....... so now is the time to pimp the ride for next season. I don't know why I'm saying this, and it hurts me. But I think we need a big power bat in the lineup to replace Papi. I would hate to spend big on it, but I think it is crucial. As if any team isn't thinking strengthen bullpen. But hearing Smith is going to be out a good chunk of time during 2017, that hurts. Get Koji back for a year, and one more guy. Another solid front line starter would be nice. We have a good package to do so. A blockbuster could be in the works too. Again it pains me to say it, but trading for pitching is never a bad idea in my mind. Adding another TOR starter that can put in the innings and we could sacrifice any position player including Betts and be ok. But just don't trade Betts. The catcher situation I think is the most interesting. Third base can be Pablo or whoever or a work in progress or a snazzy deal. The catcher issue seems the most volatile to me.

A manager, needs to set the tone and I believe they have, or some have, the ability to do that. That's not to say that a great manager will miss the mark and not set the tone correctly sometimes, and the other way for a poor manager. The tone wasn't set for this playoff. Do you all think Farrell is sitting at home thinking how he managed the playoff run perfectly and how he wouldn't change a thing and that it's all the players fault? He swung and wiffed. He's obviously did a pretty good job this year setting the tone and getting this team to the playoffs, but the proof is in the pudding at the end. How much sway does a manager have or home field advantage have, I'm not sure. Maybe only a few percentage points per game. But it went horribly wrong the last 10 games. He's the captain and steers the boat. We hit an ice burg.

Nope...... I'm not buying it. People put it in overdrive in pressure situations. Or they don't. And we just fell flat after the "we have a spot in the playoff" party. I don't think it is a huge sway, but it may have come in to factor in at least one game in the series, and then who knows what would have happened. I played serious competitive tee ball quite a bit in my life time when I was about 10. There are coaches that can lift you up, and there are coaches that can't. There is something there to that. We dropped off the planet as soon as we looked to clench. I bet you Farrell learned a bunch the hard way this post season...... Also..... in tee ball I liked playing in certain parks. They just fit me. I knew the hole from the pitchers mound where I landed, I knew where to step when I released. It was just more comfortable. And there were some parks I visited where the other team just looked more comfortable. They were already ahead of me in the game. There's the whole saying about playoff experience.......... I think there is home field advantage experience too. It might be slight, but it might have stopped a 3 game sweep in my mind.

I think he just makes the cut. That 11 game run was magnificent...... he did do that.......

If I was to bet my life, or life savings, or bet it all, I would wan't the absolute best chance of winning. Playoffs are like that. Home field advantage may only be a couple of percentage points, having your team prepped for the playoffs may only be a couple of percentage point advantage. Having your team play loose and ready for the playoffs may only be a couple of percentage point advantage to winning a series. I didn't see any of that done this year. We still may have lost with all those percentage points going our way. But after seeing the results, I am swayed to think something went wrong.

I'm with you on this. If there is one thing a manager needs to do it is to get the team prepared and mentally prepared for a tough stretch. We seemed to clench, or be almost inevitably clenching, and the wheels came off. We had our gun in our holster before the first shot. The manager has some sway in peaking too early or peaking at the right time and getting his players up for a big game. He has some blame to this, but it isn't extensive and I'll take him back again next year unless we can get someone better. He gets a D- from me as far as getting his team ready for the playoffs. They looked and played tight....

The only time I've ever felt about a player was when I was way young and the Boomer left the Sox............ this means more to me.......... boy am I sad right now.......

This season was a ton of fun to be a part of. Good times on here too...

I didn't think the Sox would be in first place in the ALE at the end of the regular season, I thought they were going to be behind Toronto. I thought they had a chance, but I think no team has a better than %50 chance of doing so. This season has been incredible fun. The playoffs are a crap shoot. So, there is no way this season could end badly in my mind.

So we probably will have relievers getting ready on the very first sight of trouble from Buchholtz........... it might be even before that. All hands on deck for this one for sure........ How do you manage the bullpen on this next game?

CAN WE STOP TALKING ABOUT LESTER!!!!!!!!!!! He's gone.

My favorite post of the day. Win the next two at home....... then see what happens. Hopefully we got the post season play jitters out of our system.

Where are you from? You must have been a Sox fan for a while.

grrrrrrrrr............

This doesn't even look like the team we have watched all season.

I liked that 4 pitch walk. I hope that means something.

We're in big trouble now.

I love how Hanley motions for Hernandez should go on the blocked ball......... he would have been out by a mile......... Hanley thinks you should run on anything...

Right on!!!!!

I guess I was 100 percent wrong.