Maxbialystock

Nope. Good fixes. Also good topics you've raised.

Correct. I usually have the sound off, so any and all blather is fine with me. I hasten to add that those non-baseball interludes are compelling evidence that even NESN and the Red Sox leadership think it's OK to show distractions instead of the games. I have no objections to the Jimmy Fund or to the Sox involvement in it. In fact, I think both are great and should continue. My objection is to their willingness to sublimate the game and the players to the cause. I hasten to add that the Sox would never, ever sacrifice TV commercials so that the blathering could be done between innings.

Well, then, why not include the first half of the season and/or, for that matter, prior seasons. The OP set the parameters of the discussion--from yesterday forward. And his point, which is completely different from yours, is that the comparative schedules (Sox vs Royals and Twins) favor the Sox. Your version is helpful in explaining why post-ASG has not gone so well.

He said by October, but I think now September is likely. Casas is back, and his injury too was caused by doing something every player must do every game--swing the bat at pitches. Story's injury was from diving for a grounder, which is absolutely require of infielders. No question he would improve the defense at 2b or SS, but can he hit?

One key to Bello's success is that he has a pretty darn good changeup, which few, if any, of the Sox pitchers have. In their defense, I consider the changeup to be downright weird and probably very hard to master. But guess who else has an excellent changeup? The guy the Sox dumped off to the Atlanta Braves. I agree with Jasonbay44--the forecast for this afternoon and evening looks very rainy. A day off today would probably help the Sox in the short term, but they are already 2 games fewer than most teams.

Great stats on Devers, who is just another example that the strength of the 2024 Sox is the lineup which Breslow has done very little to improve. O'Neill has been decent at the plate, especially as a righty bat, but can't stay healthy. But just about everybody else was here when Breslow arrived. And that lineup is ranked 4th in MLB in runs scored and 3d in team OPS, thanks to Breslow, DD, and even Cherington. Worcester currently has Anthony, Teel, and Mayer, all of whom could arrive in Boston next season, along with--we can only hope--a healthy Story. You have argued some of the lineup players, including those three at Worcester, could be used as trade bait to improve the pitching, and I now agree. But pitching? The future looks grim--and that's supposed to be Breslow's strength because he was a MLB pitcher.

Steal indeed. That's what the Breslow defenders refuse to acknowledge--that the Braves knew more about Sale than the Sox did--including Breslow, JH, the rest of the front office, and probably even Cora. Sale was also smarter than the Sox because he insisted on at least one more season after this, which the Braves agreed to. The Braves also have an option on a third season in 2026, Meanwhile, Breslow picked up Giolito for $38M for 2 seasons, one of which he's already missed. And people wonder why JH refuses to shell out $150M or more for a really good starter. I do credit Breslow for bringing in Bailey as the pitching coach.

Agree. But also agree that those interviews are a distraction only because the producer insists on showing us the talking heads, including when a play is ongoing and they reduce the game picture so we can still see the talking heads.

Glad to read everyone else has already congratulated you. Both wins are stunningly good, and it is very hard not to give you come credit. Just a reminder. One of my bosses in the Pentagon, later a 2 star, had the same malady. Just keep being you, whom the rest of us delight in knowing.

I find it difficult to look askance at any fan base. I do think the Rays fans are screwed by the worst ballpark in MLB and that the A's have a similar dilemma although it's really Oakland and not the ballpark. I also disagree that, by having 30 MLB teams, the quality of play has been watered down. The fact is that more young men and even boys are playing baseball than ever before.

His move to Maine was the real reason. Boston is basically the capital of New England. And Portland, ME is just 108 miles from Boston. moonslav now lives in Houston, but also has a home in Maine where he goes every summer.

I disagree with your language, but not your point. It is unarguable John Henry has soured on spending big bucks on starting pitchers. David Price and Chris Sale cured him of that. And, frankly, I think he has a point. His latest CBO, Breslow, not only gave away Sale to the Braves, where he is almost a candidate for the Cy Young award this year, but is paying $17M of his salary. And he brought in Giolito for $38M for 2 years, but has yet to get any return on that investment. The fix is to invest in pitching prospects, which I believe Breslow sort of did in this year's draft (except the first pick). Meanwhile, the Sox hitting is right up there--ranked 5th in runs scored and 3d in team OPS--with almost no help from Breslow. Story hasn't panned out, but Devers, Duran, Abreu, et al, sure have. O'Neill has too, except for only playing 80 of 121 games to date. Next year we could see Teel, Mayer, Anthony, and, wait for it, Story. So it sure looks as though the Sox CBO's know how to find and develop hitters/lineup players. I also like moonslav's point that, while the Sox payroll is no longer in the top three, it is also not, repeat, not chump change. Spotrac says it's $189M, ranked 11th. Here are some other payrolls and W-L records this season-- Mets, $316M (#1), 63-59. Braves, $236M (#6), 64-58. Twins, $130M (#19), 69-53 Royals, $119M (#20), 67-55 Orioles, $108M (# 22), 72-51 Guardians, $106M (# 23), 72-50 Rays, $89M (# 28), 60-61.

Ahem. Beauchamps' numbers say differently. The Royals have a tougher schedule from here on out. You can certainly argue they have the better team, but you cannot argue they invested heavily because their payroll, $119M, is $70M less than the Sox $189M and ranked 20th to the Sox 11th. This is an old, old discussion because I have maintained that, while John Henry has definitely backed off of underwriting a payroll among the top 3 in MLB--which he pretty much did from 2003 through 2019--there is some evidence that his biggest problem is the stupidity of his GM's. Everyone agrees Chaim Bloom was a mistake, but right now I have my doubts about Breslow. Thus my comparison of the Royals payroll with the Sox--and the extra $70M Breslow had to improve the Sox. And all we have to do is look at dumping Sale--while paying him $17M while he stars for the Braves--and taking on Giolito, who has yet to earn a dime of the $38M he is getting for 2 seasons. Meanwhile, the strength of the Sox is the lineup which is now ranked 5th in MLB in runs scored and 3d in team OPS. Breslow had very little to do with their success. He did bring in O'Neill (WAR 2.3, 80 games played out of 121 to date), but Duran, Devers, Abreu, Hamilton, Rafaela, Wong, Yoshida, Ref, et al, were because of Bloom, DD, and others. In addition to O'Neill, Breslow brought in Grissom (residue from the Braves/Sale deal), who is currently ensconced at Worcester despite parts of 2 seasons with the Braves.

Well said. I was just looking at exactly the same thing this morning with a completely different expectation. I figured the Sox had the toughest row to hoe because of being in the AL East. But you are right. The Sox are definitely in the hunt, and I like the simplicity of your numbers (combined winning percentages of teams to be played).

The Orioles scored 10 runs and still lost. Thunder strikes again.

Anyone who thinks Thunder's streak is hokum should have stopped watching this game before the 4th inning started. We are now watching a game that defies both common and uncommon sense. The above applies even if the Orioles win tonight.

Criswell gets the K with the bases loaded. A reprieve, albeit a temporary one.

Tie game, thanks to the absolutely abysmal pitching of Criswell.

Well, hang onto your seat because it's going to be a bumpy night.

A fair point. Tricky situation. But the MRI and no doubt medical opinion seem to say it's OK to swing hard and test the damaged/recovered muscles.

This is all news to me, which means I wasn't keeping very good track of the Sale deal. I do remember writing on talksox I thought Chris Sale was the most professional pitcher I'd ever seen. Very focused, so much so he rarely shook off his catcher. Execution for him was everything, and that included getting into good defensive position and playing good defense. He was the polar opposite of ERod. Anyway, great discussion of Sale's motives, contract, etc. To me the story of the Sale deal with the Braves is that they saw his potential and the Sox so-called brain trust did not. And that leads me to the belief that JH is not completely wrong when he distrusts his brain trusts ability to invest wisely in good arms.

Devers' OPS for August is .709, so it's probably a good bet the shoulder is bothering him. In July his OPS was 1.132, in June 1.015, and in May .919.

Sox are 63-57 and trending downward because the pitching stinks. It does not help that the Sox are in the toughest division in MLB and right now are playing the Orioles, who own them.

Second are the Giants with 3.

I like the current system for starting game threads and see nothing wrong with short ones--like the one for last night's loss at Camden Yards. What's kind of unique to Talksox is the disinclination to bring up new topics. In fact, sometimes they are even frowned upon. Thus the very long threads on a realistic assessment of the Sox for the season. In fact, we currently on our 3d for this season.