Maxbialystock

Amen. Game starts @ 6:35.

Plus Cora doing all he can to expose the weaknesses of Smith and Cooper--by playing them.

Here's what Sox Prospects says about Kavadas: "Potential emergency bench bat. Ceiling of platoon bench bat. Does not project to add much value defensively or on the bases. . . Considerable swing-and-miss in his game, which as been exposed to a more singificant degree in the upper minors . . . holes in his swing."

Thanks for starting the game thread. Decent lineup. O'Neill out another game, but Ref this year hits righties better. And Abreu, Rafaela, and Duran are the best outfield. Hamilton and Grissom both hit righties better than Gonzalez.

Agree they are "consistent" as in consistently bad. As I've said before, I think the main reason is then inexperience of most of the lineup. Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, Wong, Casas, Hamilton, and Grissom are all in their first or second seasons in MLB. McGuire and Gonzalez have more seasons than 2, but neither has been a regular. And the same applies to Refsnyder as an outfielder. O'Neill played 6 seasons for the Cardinals, but most of them were as a backup. He was fantastic 3 years ago with 141 games, OPS .912, and 34 dingers, but has tapered off since then. So the one bonafide regular in this lineup is Rafael Devers, who is in his 7th straight season as the Sox starting third baseman.

And that's the real point. Why this endless discussion of 1b when it's one of 9 positions, not including pitchers, of which every MLB team has 13?

Very fitting. A brilliant basketball player and, more than that, a stutterer who overcame it at age 28. An anti-Vietnam protester when he was a star for UCLA, whose coach, John Wooden, didn't appreciate protests. Yet Walton learned much from Wooden and was a lifelong friend after he graduated. Long after UCLA, Walton backed up Robert Parish with the Celtics, which brought still another NBA title in 1986. Later, Parish asked Walton to be his inductee when he was admitted to the HOF. I must confess I was never a fan of the Grateful Dead and still less a fan of Bill Walton's announcing.

ok, ok.

I almost like Dalbec right now, but I can't disagree with anything you've said.

Thanks for saying that about Dalbec. But I really like your theoretical roster for next year.

Since you posted this twice, a response is due. Sox payroll is $182M, 11th biggest. But then you have to subtract $17M they are paying Sale to pitch for Atlanta, $7M to Turner, who's also gone, $22.5M for Story who's missed the season, ditto $18M for Giolito, $19M for Yoshida who is out for an indeterminate period and who couldn't hit before then, and $3.5M for Whitlock, who's missing 5/6 of the season. Subtract that $87M, and you have a $95M payroll, of which $29M goes to Devers, and $16M. Both are having good seasons, but that leaves just $50M to pay for 12 of the Sox 13 pitches and 12 of the Sox 13 position players. By my reckoning, they should have a losing record.

Orioles walk the bases full, after which Gonzalez miraculously triples to bring all 3 home. But, with no one out, the next batters can't bring Gonzalez home. Rafaela and Duran both K. A thought about starting/playing both Cooper and Smith today. Both stink, but that's the point. Cora plays them so his GM/CBO can see how bad these guys are.

In 2019 the Sox had the highest payroll in MLB and didn't make the playoffs with an 84-78 record. The year before, with basically the same players, they had the best season in Sox history, which was the 4th WS win in the John Henry era (2002-2024 and counting) after the 86 year WS drought. So I think it's fair to say that JH understood the value of paying for talent. But 2019 was the perfect example of how expensive talent, especially pitching, doesn't necessarily deliver. That's being repeated again this year. Top payroll, $307M, belongs to the Mets, who are 22-30. 3d is the Astros, $249M, who are 24-29, and 5th are the Rangers, $233M, who are 25-29. The Sox @ $182 will be 27-27 when this game is over. Meanwhile, worth noting are the Orioles, 26th biggest payroll, $100M, who will be 34-18 after this game, the Guardians 25th biggest payroll, $101M, with a 36-17 record, the Brewers 22d payroll, $107M, with a 30-22 record, and the Royals 20th payroll, $116M, with a 34-20 record. Back to Mookie, whose Dodgers payroll is 7th, $229M. They are currently 33-22, , which would put them behind the Orioles and their 26th payroll, $100M, and also behind the Royals, 34-20, and their 20th payroll, $116M.

Very good point. The Sox are losing, 11-0, because of the home plate ump. I sure hope Cora, the brain trust, and JH take this very serious issue to the Commissioner--who probably hasn't had a good laugh recently.

Meh. 1 stinking run. Today's Sox are useless: lousy pitching, lousy hitting, and lousy fielding.

Actually, they can. Today it's a slaughter because Criswell is off and the Sox simply can't hit with men in scoring position.

7-0 Orioles. That's the usual limit for a starter, but Criswell gets extra punishment today. Plus no one on base with the sac fly.

With the bases loaded, the Sox K twice. With the bases loaded, the Orioles double. It's that simple.

I despise Cooper and Smith, and both are in the lineup today. Meanwhile, with assistance from Grissom, Criswell has loaded the bases with no one out.

Criswell isn't pitching great, but he's OK. The lineup, on the other hand, stinks yet again. I do like moonslav's analysis of who is and who isn't in the Sox lineup today. Whoops, there goes another double for the Orioles. Any bets on whether Mountcastle scores?

Bases loaded with 1 out. Smith K's. Then Rafaela K's on 3 pitches. Les incompetents.

Two singles to start the 4th. Then a horrible bunt--as per usual by the Sox--to get Devers going to 3b. What's that line from Home Alone? "Les incompetents."

Orioles get the leadoff double, move the runner to 3b on grounder to the right side, then bring him home on a fly ball. Professional hitting. Also something the Sox don't do enough of.

I can't watch the game, so did not know it was a possible/likely GIDP grounder.

Second double for the Orioles. None for the Sox although some outs were hard hit.