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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    Blaaaaaa! Bradley was/is a superb centerfielder. Dalbec so far is a liability on defense while playing the easiest position. If he can hit 40 dingers, he will play, but right now his overall WAR of -1.0 is actually hurting the Sox. That said, he did have that much-needed 3 run dinger to beat the Orioles, and he has shown potential last year with the Sox and in prior years in college and the minors.
  2. Maxbialystock
    You're the Coliseum, the Louver Museum, a melody from a symphony by Strauss, a Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare's sonnet, Mickey Mouse, the Nile, the Tower of Pisa, the smile on the Mona Lisa
  3. Maxbialystock
    I figured this season would be sub-.500. I remember the years when the June swoon was normale, but not since JH took over.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Brice had a decent April (8 games, ERA 3.52) and a disastrous May (2 appearances. ERA 27). If memory serves, earlier this year the White Sox put a position player on the mound late in a game they had no hope of winning. That is Brice's niche.
  5. Maxbialystock
    A brilliant innovation, and by that I mean T-ball. It's a godsend for pre-Little League, but hitters of all ages can benefit from it. And it's so, so simple.
  6. Maxbialystock
    Any time a pitcher is replaced, it's useful to consider the offensive side of things. Last night the Sox were legitimately held to 1 run, so my thought is that, if not Perez, then certainly someone from the bullpen was going to cough up the 2d and winning run for the Orioles. All managers take to the high wire when deciding to keep or replace the pitcher on the mound. I have my own prejudices about when or whether--and will sound off when they are violated--but I agree Cora has done a good job and no manager can be right every time. And this rant, once again. The software programs in those computers are slowly but surely eating away at a manager's self-confidence and/or, depending on his boss, willingness to make a tough call on a given pitcher or pitchers. I cite the recent (2019?) postseason example of the manager who pulled his starter, who was pitching brilliantly, the game of a lifetime, after 6 innings because the computer and he decided before the game started that 6 innings was that pitcher's limit. GIGO and MEGO. That team lost the game when the bullpen was called in.
  7. Maxbialystock
    Thanks, moonslav, for the nice 4 game run which was much needed. Tonight the better pitching won, simple as that. A's and Angels at Fenway likely to be tough, but that's OK. You only get to stay in first place the old-fashioned way. You earn it.
  8. Maxbialystock
    Given my expectations that Eovaldi is due for a burnout or something, that ERod just got thru an entire missed season thanks heart problems from COVID 19, etc, I'm ecstatic about the rotation--except for the pressure their shortish starts put on the bullpen.
  9. Maxbialystock
    Who gave you right, the privilege, to inject some cautionary notes? I know the title of the thread is "a realistic view," but that's just moonslav's standard discussion ploy and not to be taken seriously when the Sox are on a winning streak. Think spring, the darling buds of May, everything's coming up roses, and career years for some of our guys.
  10. Maxbialystock
    I have never understood the value of "power rankings" when we have the won-lost percentages and the standings. I'm serious. At the end of the season and two teams are tied for spot in the playoffs, MLB doesn't go to power rankings for the tiebreaker. They go by W-L records between the teams, within their division or league, etc. Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing, and power rankings are silly.
  11. Maxbialystock
    Gotta go with Perez and the win because this year I think he is better than Lopez, who got hammered by the Sox a month ago. He has been better since then, but with a tight rein. He's gone 5 innings in 1 of 6 starts. Thanks mostly to Sox hitting, the Sox have the best record in MLB and the best road record, 12-4. It also helps that key players--the rotation, Barnes, and the Sox "big five" (JDM, Bogie, Rafi, Elena's grandson, and Vazquez)--have stayed healthy. Hernandez and Arroyo are on the IL, but neither absence is calamitous. Agree with moonslav that June and July will be tough. All that said, this has so far been one heckuva season. Credit to the players, of course, but also Chaim and Alex. What was that Kenny Rogers song? You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. Also know when to mix your metaphors.
  12. Maxbialystock
    You've said this before, but this time recognized that any standard, while somewhat arbitrary, is better than none. Your sliding scale makes sense, but requires memorizing the 5 parts. Plus I think one of the key measures of a "quality" start should be 6 innings. The Sox have played just 21.6% of the season, and commentators are talking about overuse of the bullpen even though the Sox have 9 bullpen pitchers because their rotation averages 5 innings per start. If 4 scoreless innings becomes the standard, the Sox should consider bringing back Swihart so they can go with 10 position players and 15 (or is it 16) pitchers.
  13. Maxbialystock
    Well worth the $35M he's getting this year. Smart investment by the Dodgers. Getting Mookie Betts pretty much guarantees them WS success for years to come.
  14. Maxbialystock
    As do we all, but right now I'm relishing the four while rooting for the Nationals, Astros, and A's.
  15. Maxbialystock
    The WEEI radio announcers are a tad flaky. I think it was in the 4th when they said Pivetta was pitching very efficiently, but then they noticed he had already thrown 64 pitches, so backed off. Neither said that both things were true. Pivetta needed 30+ pitches to get thru the first inning, but then got very efficient, which is why he could go 6 (and 103 pitches).
  16. Maxbialystock
    Another save for Barnes. Like clockwork. Nice 6 innings by Pivetta, a quality start by any measure. 4 straight for the Sox and moonslav59. Camden Yards again tomorrow night
  17. Maxbialystock
    Agree with moonslav59 and iortiz. Well said.
  18. Maxbialystock
    Not so much at my age.
  19. Maxbialystock
    JD likes playing in the outfield and has a good arm, but limited range. Before the DH, there were lots of guys like him.
  20. Maxbialystock
    Overall, I like keeping players, especially good ones like Mookie. But I broke that habit with Ellsbury, who was so great early on and even stole 3d and home on the same passed ball. But he kept missing games until 2011 when he had a career season, after which the Yankees gave him $140M+ for 7 years. Good riddance, I thought. I didn't like losing Manny, but also thought he wanted too much. Mookie was definitely a keeper until I saw the probable cost of keeping him. I also liked dumping Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez in 2012 and Price in 2019. I guess I just don't think any player is worth more than $25M a year although Harper might be. Not because he's that good because he isn't, but because he seems to have boosted the Phillies attendance significantly. Not so Mookie with the Dodgers or Trout with the Angels.
  21. Maxbialystock
    You ready to start today's game thread or are you using your own special formula?
  22. Maxbialystock
    It's "telling" because you like where the Sox are and that ERod is sort of back after his health took a nosedive last year. Last night I loved the result, but not how he struggled and how he was helped by the boneheaded baserunning by Mullins in the 1st, to say nothing of the 4 unearned runs in the 4th.
  23. Maxbialystock
    Congrats to moonslav59 on the back to back wins. Please, please keep it up. Richards today: 21.2 innings and 6 ER's in his last 4 starts (@ Texas, @ NY Mets, Toronto, @ Minnesota). ERA of 2.55 by my calculations
  24. Maxbialystock
    Yep. I think the book has affected other Sox players as well. The "book" sound erudite, bookish, but in fact it's just a freaking computer. It is my hope, my fervent wish that over time players adapt and learn how to reduce what is becoming the complete domination of MLB by computers. Actually, I know for a fact that college teams, using volunteers majoring in computer science, rely on computer programs to position players, pitch to hitters, etc. Next up: Little League Baseball. What did Vince Lombardi say? "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
  25. Maxbialystock
    Yankee Stadium was "the house that Ruth built," so of course it was going to be friendly to the Babe. Also Gehrig. To me Fenway Park is probably the most photogenic ballpark in MLB and "friendly" to no one, player or fan.
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