Maxbialystock

Only Pivetta and Whitlock are out. Bello, Crawford, and Houck are all pitching up a storm. The missing biggies from the lineup are Story, Devers, and Casas in the infield and O'Neill in the outfield. While Story leaves a hole at SS, his bat isn't missed much. Same goes for Devers. Casas' bat is missed, but his DWAR is -0.4.

What cheap? Payroll this year is $180M, 11th highest in MLB. Yoshida, Story, and Jansen all have pretty good contracts. What we can be sure of is that he hates the idea of big/long contracts for starters--and that of course dovetails with your point. The current Sox rotation is pretty much the best in MLB and their (Bello, Pivetta, Crawford, Whitlock, and Houck) combined salaries amount to $14M. Pivetta is out, but expected back in about 10 days. Whitlock sometime in May I think. The investments are primarily in lineup players, Story and Yoshida, who have yet to deliver.

Lack of focus is endemic to MLB if only because the games last forever. That's getting better with the new rules, but lack of focus is still a problem. That said, it's clear a whole bunch of players are able to maintain focus.

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing.

I think Thunder moved to Pittsburgh.

I said that already on the game thread, including the 88 wins. However, I also admitted we still have a lot of ALE games to play and so far the Sox are 0-3.

1. 2020 was a nonseason, period. All kinds of players missed games because of COVID, plus it was a short season, plus basically no fans. So to me what Mookie did in 2020 is irrelevant. 2. The WAR's are the best measure of each season, and Mookie's average WAR--for 5 full seasons-- with the Sox was definitely better than the average of 2021-2023 with the Dodgers. 3. By the way, I do think Mookie is headed for the HOF. He's that good. But it is a rare player who gets an incredible contract because he's already had a bunch of great seasons and then plays even better baseball with the new team. 4. Moreover, a position player, even with a WAR of 10, can only do so much. He's one batter out of 9 and one fielder out of 9. Mookie was fantastic in 2018 (MVP), but that lineup included Beni, JDM, Bogey, Devers, Moreland, et al. And in the outfield he was joined by JBJ and Beni. And on the pitching staff were the good Sale, the good Price, plus ERod,Porcello, Eovaldi, closer Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Wright, et al. 5. So my point is that, had the Sox kept Mookie at whatever cost, he would not have had remotely as good a supporting cast, especially pitching, as he had in 2018. Ironically (if you are a Sox fan), the best team for him to be on was and is the Dodgers. He would have been wasted on the Sox.

I definitely misunderstood you. My point is that moviegoers and music lovers have choices and real baseball fans don't. When your team stinks, you're screwed.

Far from it. Sandoval makes Raffy look trim. At 27 Raffy carries his weight well, even on the base paths. But I fear it makes him injury prone.

I hate to jump back into the Mookie discussion, but can't resist this. If we ignore 2020--which absolutely, positively was a non-season--as we should do, the Dodgers haven't done nearly as much with Mookie as the Sox did. I hasten to add that Mookie's WAR's with the Sox were significantly higher than they have been with the Dodgers, who are paying twice as much for lower value. And that's exactly what would have happened if Mookie had stayed in Boston--twice as much for lower value. In addition, had Mookie stayed, the Sox would still have had no freaking pitching.

Honestly? I think Devers is a good guy. But I would be crazy if I didn't worry about his weight which I think is tied to his now being injury-prone.

That cutter today looked better than last time. Jansen threw it harder and mostly kept it low. Sox now 12-10, which translates to 88 wins in 162 games. I obviously like that projection, but agree completely with anyone who says, "yes, but don't forget the 52 games against AL East teams." So far, the Sox are 0-3 against them. Once again, a great start by our magnificent rotation. I have defended the heck out of Joely. No more.

Nice.

Unbelievable!! Exactly what Jansen did against the Guardians. All cutters except for one slider. And it worked like gangbusters, maybe because the Pirates didn't bother to scout him. As for the "automatic" 3d strike, I agree with the ump. The Pirates batter was right that the pitch was low, but it was also obvious he had absolutely no intention of swinging that bat. He was just there to look at pitches.

We could use a couple of runs because Jansen, he of the "I only throw 91-92 mph cutters and nothing else" school, is closing. He got hit hard, even 2 of the 3 outs were hard hit--last time out.

And for that very reason I love the 3 batter rule. You send that sucker to the mound, you pay for it. No free lunches. If this means Joely joins the dud liberation movement, so be it.

Then we're about the same except that I did play one year of Babe Ruth League before we were sent overseas and basketball became my game. Agree completely about the new rules.

Joely Rodriguez gives every sign of not being a good fit for this semi-inspired Sox team.

Fair enough. Good answer. I have nothing else to do with my Saturdays. When I was 50 years younger my Uncle Ned watched every Sox game. I thought he was absolutely nuts because I couldn't spare the time to watch even one entire game. Going to ballparks--not Fenway, of course--was fun. But on TV when a normal MLB lasted 3 or more hours and had like 10 minutes of real action?

About your note to JH. You're right about restaurants, but dead wrong about baseball fans. We are in fact fanatics. I mean, why else are we watching this game right now and then posting our thoughts about this absolute disaster of a team? Except, of course, every so often even disasters can kind of, sort of not be disasters. Right now this Sox team with about $100M in salary on the IL, resting his knee and/or shoulder, pitching for the Atlantic freaking Braves, or whatever is playing better baseball than the top dollar Sox of 2019.

Whose that grey-haired guy on the mound for the Sox? Last night a 31 year old rookie, and today a 50 year old, but obviously more experienced than the 31 year old.

1. I don't like Dalbec and pretty much never have. 2. But the vibes--or the results, take your pick--from this team right now are awfully good. 3. It starts and darn near ends with the incredible starting pitching, but lately the lineup players, probably because of the magnificent pitching, seem inspired. And just maybe Dalbec is too.

Rod Serling didn't know squat about America's pastime. But, you're right, the Sox rotation this year--just 21 games--is the best I've ever seen in terms of results.

Depends, I think, on whether US Steel becomes a Japanese firm.

Hey, smartass, the solo homers are helping, especially when the pitching is so doggone good-- like right now against the Pirates. You really want to take back last night's win because of the solo homers?