Maxbialystock

He's being funny. As a Sox fan, I love the season Houck is having, but he is nothing compared to Koufax, even with all the computer data supporting him.

Agree on fastballs, but he did in fact have backspin on the heater. And the curve is reputed to have been the best ever. You are obviously joking about Houck, who is having a great season so far, but who is nothing compared to Koufax. Defenses, sadly, are probably better today than in Koufax's day because of those computer programs which determine the positioning of infielders and outfielders based on hitting data for every batter.

I went from '49 to '04, but with a giant caveat. I only lived in Massachusetts for 6 months when I was born and later, 1953-54, when I was in 8th and 9th grades. Those 16 months made me a fanatic, but for the next 45 years I rarely could even watch a Sox game on TV. When I lived in OK, I was an Astros fan and listened to their games on radio. In PA, a Phillies fan. In VA, an Orioles fan of sorts. In NY, a basketball fan (Knicks when they won their two NBA titles with Bill Bradley, Frasier, Monroe, Debusschere, and Reed). In KS, I went to Royals games. Finally, circa 2001, I got satellite cable and could watch Sox games. So, very frankly, I definitely didn't suffer much during the 86 year drought. However, I also missed every bit of the 1967 season because I was very busy overseas. Same for the 1975 season--and 1986.

You're dead wrong. I've watched both Koufax and Houck pitch and can assure you that, once Koufax was able to command/control his pitches, he was unreal in a way that Houck could never be. His curve dropped like a rock and his fast ball rose like a rocket. Moreover, in his last six seasons he pitched 255, 184, 311, 223, 335, and 323 innings with ERA's (in the same order, 1961-66) of 3.53, 2.54, 1.88, 1.74, 2.04, and 1.73. In those same 6 seasons he pitched, same order, 15, 11, 20, 15, 27, and 27 complete games. Same six seasons, he had 269, 216, 305, 223, 382, and 317 K's. Do I need to remind you that, as recently as last year, there was doubt that Houck could face a batting order a third freaking time? Koufax was 30 years old in his last season, 1966, and quit because the doctors insisted he must. In his last two seasons, 1965 and 1966, Koufax received a cortisone shot and capsaicin-based capsolin rubbed into his shoulder and arm before every game. After each game, he soaked his arm in ice, but with a rubber sleeve to prevent frostbite. For pain he took empirin with codeine every night and sometimes during games. He threw a perfect game on September 8, 1965. He threw 4 no-hitters. He twice struck out 18 in a single game. He was the first NL pitcher in 20 years to post an ERA under 2.00 and he did it 3 times. In 1963 and 1965 he was the World Series MVP.

In high school his primary sport was basketball and led his high school team in scoring his senior year with 16.5 pts per game (2d highest in the league). He played in an exhibition game against the NY Knicks and (at 6'2") twice dunked against Harry Gallatin, the Knicks star. The Dodgers GM, Buzzie Bavasi, treated his star pitcher like spit. After a magnificent 1963 season, Koufax asked for a raise to $75K, which was a lot, but Bavasi leaked that he asked for $90K, which was a lie.

You're dead wrong. I've watched both Koufax and Houck pitch and can assure you that, once Koufax was able to command/control his pitches, he was unreal in a way that Houck could never be. His curve dropped like a rock and his fast ball rose like a rocket. Moreover, in his last six seasons he pitched 255, 184, 311, 223, 335, and 323 innings with ERA's (in the same order, 1961-66) of 3.53, 2.54, 1.88, 1.74, 2.04, and 1.73. In those same 6 seasons he pitched, same order, 15, 11, 20, 15, 27, and 27 complete games. Same six seasons, he had 269, 216, 305, 223, 382, and 317 K's. Do I need to remind you that, as recently as last year, there was doubt that Houck could face a batting order a third freaking time? Koufax was 30 years old in his last season, 1966, and quit because the doctors insisted he must. In his last two seasons, 1965 and 1966, Koufax received a cortisone shot and capsaicin-based capsolin rubbed into his shoulder and arm before every game. After each game, he soaked his arm in ice, but with a rubber sleeve to prevent frostbite. For pain he took empirin with codeine every night and sometimes during games. He threw a perfect game on September 8, 1965. He threw 4 no-hitters. He twice struck out 18 in a single game. He was the first NL pitcher in 20 years to post an ERA under 2.00 and he did it 3 times. In 1963 and 1965 he was the World Series MVP.

I think you mean, "It's spending that makes the time right." And I'm not sure I agree. To me spending is first and foremost a gamble, especially if the contract is for 5 or more years. The contracts for David Price and Chris Sale were absolute failures. My guess is that Story will be too--pretty much on a par with the Yankees contract for Ellsbury. As bad as Story's injuries have been, he also has yet to hit the ball with any regularity. Yoshida so far has failed. Meanwhile, however, the combination of Bello, Pivetta, Crawford, Houck, and Criswell has been terrific and at bargain basement prices. Same goes for Duran, Abreu, Wong, Rafaela, McGuire, O'Neill, Refsnyder, Casas, Hamilton, Gonzalez, Bernardino, Kelly, Slaten, Booser, and Weissert. Devers is no bargain, but his OPS of .925 is nothing to sneeze at. And who are the non-bargains on the 2024 Sox? Mainly the guys on the IL and/or playing for someone else but paid by the Sox: Story, Giolito, Sale, Whitlock, Yoshida, and Turner.

Grissom is off the hook. Aranda of the Rays went back to 1b on a grounder to Grissom, which he completely mishandled, but still had plenty of time to get Aranda out.

Actually, I think Wong could catch a knuckleballer.

The guy I'm thinking of is Daniel Nava. He stayed on 2d when the next Sox batter bounced one off the RF wall. And don't forget knuckleballer Wright who pinch-ran, slid back to 2b (I think on a throw) and injured himself badly enough to go on the 60 day IL.

I can wait. The guy went on the 60 day IL just from swinging a freaking bat. I think he's due for TammyJohn surgery.

Great game, great run by the Sox, but up ahead looms armageddon. The Sox have to go back to dreaded Fenway Park, where dreams are demolished.

I've been thinking exactly the same thing. The players are OK. The pitching is not bad. But SPLENDIDSPLINTER is on a roll.

Meh. The worst I ever saw by a Sox baserunner was the guy on 2d base who stayed on 2d base when the Sox hitter hit one of the wall in RF. Absolutely true. First he took a lead, but then he decided the ball was caught or about to be, so he slid back into 2b like he was returning to the womb.

Great, great line, moon. What I love is the 2d straight game of coming from behind--to say nothing of 5 runs or more in 4 straight games. If this hitting keeps up, the worthless, no good, underpaid, low down yankee (northerners) Sox just might be climbing back into the AL East race.

Cora knows. Boy, does Cora know. 5-3 Sox in the 5th and the Rays are on their 3d pitcher.

4-3 Sox on a nice opposite field single by Ref.

I've always wondered why the Rays don't let the outfielders come in for those mound conferences.

Abreu gets lucky. Now let's see if Wong can capitalize. He does!! Sweet single and 2 more runs in. Grissom, our fearless one, scored all the way from 3d base.

Lefty Lovelady up against Duran and Abreu.

Back to back BB's by a Rays pitcher. Catastrophe. Grissom is the worst baserunner in the entire history of the sport. And he might have been helped by the Sox 1b coach.

Did I just use reverse mojo on Pepiot? Hamilton got the BB, and now there's a mob scene at the mound. When Bello walks a guy, everyone shrugs and says, "normale."

Pepiot is outpitching Bello because his command is way, way, way better.

Maybe tonight Cora doesn't know best. Ref has the only Sox hit in 4 innings.

Completely agree. The jewelry is thoroughly unprofessional. And you can bet the players union is insisting it is a basic human right.