Maxbialystock

Very well said!

Big deal, like the Sox losing Eovaldi. Tough break. I am not an Astros hater because, despite the infamy of the sign-stealing, they have built a solid franchise over the years. Sox chances for the WS get even better, which is all the more astonishing given that two weeks ago today they had just lost 2 of 3 at Baltimore after losing 3 straight at Fenway to the Yankees. Two weeks ago today a big bunch of us weren't sure the Sox would make the postseason and/or even wondered if they deserved to. Now, thanks to some brilliant managing by Cora vs. the Nats, whom the Sox swept, but not easily, to get the wild card home field, followed by a great start by Eovaldi to beat Cole and the NYY for the ALDS slot, followed by more brilliant managing combined with great hitting and some gutsy pitching--thanks to all of that--the Sox are now likely favorites to win the ALCS and get to the WS with a team which was not expected to win 90 games this season.

I am frequently wrong, but allow me to quote one of your many off the wall posts in the really official ALCS thread: "Like Millar, I also drink whiskey before starting my job. That 10 key isn't going to sum itself."

In my OP I said go to Yaz's, but today, Oct 14, it seems to have been taken over by those who are no longer interested in the ALCS. So maybe this thread is an option. moonslav and I seem to have independently reached the conclusion that right now the Sox just might have the better pitching. I think Eovaldi is better than McCullers, with or without the reported possible injury. The Astros won one game without McCullers when Valdez started, went 4.1, and gave up 4 runs vs. the Chisox. The Sox took 3 of 4 vs. the Rays with Eovaldi making one good start in game 3 and ERod in game 4. I do think the Astros have a good lineup, but right now the Sox lineup is formidable with Schwarber, Kike, Devers, Bogey, Verdugo, JDM, Renfroe, Vazquez, and Arroyo--and a postseason team OPS of .919 against the Yankees and Rays.

See my OP at the top, I say Yaz's was started first and sent everyone there. That said, Yaz's thread on the ALCS has been taken over by mvp 78 and others who no longer want to discuss the ALCS.

I think I said something like this earlier on this thread when I said that the Sox have a higher team OPS (.919 vs. .803) than the Astros in this postseason--and a lower team ERA (4.13 vs. 4.63). Those numbers of course include the wild card game vs. the Yankees. The specifics are well worth seeing in your format. The Sox are hitting and pitching at their best right now despite the horrible starts by ERod in game 1 and especially Sale in game 2. Thus the importance of having Houck, Pivetta, and Whitlock. If there is a parallel to past Sox WS teams, maybe it's with the 2004 version with that great lineup led by Ortiz and Ramirez, but, Mr. Bloody Sock notwithstanding, not such great pitching. The 2004 postseason Sox team OPS was .827 and team ERA 4.47. As for this ALCS in 2021, I think the Sox just might have the edge in pitching, insane as that sounds. I say this because pitching tends to be more of a constant than hitting.

Good for you, paying real attention in that game. I only glanced at it. Your "all relievers in MLB are vulnerable" is undoubtedly true. Whitlock is our best and gave up a dinger to Rizzo in the wild card game.

No haters on talksox that I've seen/read--but plenty of opinions. I agree Bloom has done an excellent job and that Schwarber and Iglesias were stunningly good acquisitions. Robles too. I hope all 3 will be on next year's Sox.

The Astros dazzled me with how they manhandled the Chicago White Sox. They have a pretty good lineup and pitching. That said, I do believe our current lineup is better. And, surprise, surprise, the ALDS box scores show that the Astros have exactly one good starter, McCullers, whom they used twice for 2 of their 3 wins. We have Eovaldi and three other guys who pitched 4 or more consecutive innings each--Houck, Pivetta, and ERod. So, frankly, I give us the edge in pitching. That said, you gotta play the games, and, when you do, anything can happen.

I've been retired-retired for two years and love it, especially since moving to a one level house near our kids. But I also enjoyed working from age 21 to age 78.

Figuring this out is beyond my capability. That said, what Bloom did to "fix" the rotation last winter actually worked for the first half of this season with the Sox leading the AL East and even the AL. Then there's the Rays who move starters in and out like relievers and seem to get away with it because of their bullpen. In this postseason the Sox rotation, which most of us think is in disarray, has looked better than the Rays rotation. I just looked at the Astros rotation, which, based on the ALDS, has one good starter, McCullers. So right now I'm thinking Bloom should do a reverse-Dombrowski and avoid great starters and instead stay with Sale (who scares me), Eovaldi (ace), Pivetta, Houck, and even ERod, depending on his price and perceived value. I agree with you on the relievers and right now think no closer is worth the money his agent will ask for.

Compared to the Sox vs the Rays, all other Div Series have been boooring

Fine with me.

The Boston Braves and Boston Brewers are 4-4 in the 8th.

I think the Rays were better than the Astros, plus they were the returning AL champs. Plus the Sox so far have had the best postseason hitting (OPS) and pitching (ERA) of all the postseason AL teams. That said, the Astros looked awfully good against the White Sox. I like our lineup more, also the way Cora handles the pitching.

I like Sawamura more than Hernandez or Barnes, but I think Barnes gets in because of what he has done overall for this team, plus he just signed a lucrative 2 year extension.

I can't remember the last time I connected "moral compass" to a player or coach. They are in it for the bucks, period. At every level of coaching, the focus is on getting performance out of the players, which means pushing them hard. Morality is irrelevant even though I have met with one NFL coach whose moral compass is quite good. There are no doubt other coaches like him, but morality is not a prerequisite for coaching success.

Schwarber was/is paid $7M this year with an OPS of .928. I don't see a lifetime contract, but would like him to stick around for awhile because he is demonstrably good for this team's lineup--along with JDM, Bogey, Devers, Dugo, Kike, etc. If Schwarber were Babe Ruth, the Sox would send him on to the Yankees. Schwarber gets extra points for the way he handled that egregious error night before last.

Have we lost sight of 2022 again? After the ALDS, I'm thinking Bloom and his boss are looking forward to 2022 because just returning the current team would be a good start as long as Cora is managing. Today the NY Times had an article saying the Sox in the ALDS disproved the adage--one I myself invoke regularly--that good pitching beats good hitting. The Rays had the best ERA in the AL this year and were rested going into the ALDS, but the Sox hitting--after the game 1 shutout--beat them with some real help from Houck, Pivetta, Eovaldi, ERod, Whitlock, et al. So I'm thinking it would be good to return the current lineup of Schwarber, Kike, Devers, Bogey, Verdugo, JDM, Renfroe, Vazquez, and Arroyo (and Iglesias). moonslav can comment on the feasibility of that. Oh, and, hopefully, the "we must have a great defense" craze will go away. The poster child for "hit first, field now and then" has to be Schwarber. He's great for the lineup and actually OK at 1b, that horrible underhand toss notwithstanding. When he did after making the correct toss next time was classic. The crowd loves it, and so did his teammates. The pitching is more complicated. Sale and Eovaldi will of course return. ERod is a question--let him go to free agency or sign him? I see these guys probably returning: Whitlock, Houck, Pivetta, Brasier, Taylor, Sawamura, Robles, and Barnes because of his extension. Bloom has his work cut out for him, but it helps that Cora is his manager.

Yep. Schwarber with that injury was a bit of a gamble, but one that really paid off. As moonslav says, Dalbec filled in nicely (OPS over .900) at 1b. Hard not to be a Schwarber fan after Sunday's game, in which he made that horrible toss for an error, then took a bow when he made a good toss the next time. The fans loved it, and so did the team.

ERod threw 73% strikes last night, which sure ain't nibbling. He also walked no one. This was a great start given the setting--4th game of the ALDS which the Sox were expected to lose--and that he did not have his good changeup which in the past has been very effective.

Sale pitched 1 inning out of the 49 innings the Sox staff pitched against the Yankees and Rays last week and yesterday. Given the rest days every two games in the ALCS, I'm not sure he is needed that much. That said, I would really love to see him back out on the mound this year because to me he is the consummate professional. Houck basically uses just a fastball and slider, both of which Sale has, so maybe he can be effective in the bullpen.

I agree we want the White Sox, but I think the Sox can beat the Astros because the Rays had a better record and better pitching. Plus the Sox had to play the Yankees 2 days before taking on the Rays.

I'm with you, but must make it very clear I am late climbing on the bandwagon, which was started by Kimmi--yes, Kimmi, in the game 1 gamethread--and moonslav.

Major additions? We don't need no stinkin' major additions. You of all people should recognize that "major additions," as amply demonstrated by the Yankees, can be fool's gold. Meanwhile the Rays, who run away from "major additions," seem to stay competitive. Yes, we beat them, but they put up a heckuva fight, except in game 2 when they blew a 5-2 lead big time. What has happened in the postseason is that the lineup has jelled. Fool that I am, I kind of like the idea of bringing back, in order, Schwarber, Kike, Devers, Bogey, Verdugo, JDM, Renfroe, Vazquez, and Iglesias/Arroyo. And, by the way, please identify those who had a "career year" at bat because I couldn't find any. Dever, Bogey, and JDM are all down from 2018. Vazquez is down from last year. Schwarber only played 1 1/2 months. Kike had a higher OPS in 2018 with the Dodgers. Renfroe's 2.4 WAR this year is identical to 2018 and 2019. Dalbec and Arroyo are newbies. Eovaldi on the mound definitely is having a career year. But Sale? ERod? Pivetta? Richards? Perez? Houck and Whitlock have been great, but are newbies. Barnes, meanwhile, crapped out, as has Ottavino. Brasier was out most of the year. Indeed, it can well be argued that the Sox pitching staff this year amply demonstrated the genius of Alex Cora. Rumor has it Bloom won't trade him.