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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    The manager? Really? Just about every position player has been out for one reason or another, and the rotation more than the lineup. In fact, ERod, Wright, and Pom (this is actually good in my opinion) are all on the DL right now. Our bullpen has lately been downright scary--to Sox fans, not opposing hitters. And you're going to single out the manager as the one guy who can fix all that by judicious choices on who pitches and when? I'm not saying Cora is perfect. I was furious when he left Wright in to give up 10 runs, but the Sox won that game. I was mostly OK with leaving Price in when he gave up I think 8 runs, and we lost that game. But overall I think he has made some pretty good decisions all season long and despite those injuries and the slumps and the inconsistencies among the pitchers. If we don't measure up against the Yankee is the remaining games, I think it will mostly be because of the pitching and especially the rotation. Last 3 at Yankee Stadium, Sale was terrific and Price and I think ERod stunk. That's also what killed us in the last two ALDS's.
  2. Maxbialystock
    I like any baseball movie and certainly Amy Adams and usually Clint, but I thought the central idea was a stretch. Remember, her father put her with a family when she was like 6, so presumably most of her baseball knowledge came from those early years. Now, suddenly, at age 30 and after going to college and law school and becoming a very good litigator, she has great insights and instincts about baseball prospects? I believe at the end of the movie Clint's character says she's ready to be a GM right now. Also, Clint can hear a guy's swing and can tell he has trouble with the curve?
  3. Maxbialystock
    I do think results of a decision should count, but in this case I thought he should have left Porcello in even though he gave up 8 runs and the Sox lost. I also thought he was dead wrong to leave Wright in to give up 10 runs in a game the Sox won.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Actually, a very good flick. He seems to take a minimalist approach to directing, but he is very, very good at it. And most of the time he does that while also acting in those movies. He's OK and sometimes good as an actor.
  5. Maxbialystock
    So do I. Mookie actually has a pretty good arm and great range in right field. My guess is it's a better fit than 2b.
  6. Maxbialystock
    There was a time in his life when he was the ultimate cool guy, especially after The Wild Ones in which he rode a motorcyle and led a gang.
  7. Maxbialystock
    I was there for your "once upon a time" and agree they did play hard and did try to win just to show they could. It was in an ASG that Carl Hubbell struck out Murderer's Row and later when Ted Williams hit a key home run and ecstatically ran around the bases. But I'm not so sure they aren't still playing at a pretty high level. Granted, the aces who start no longer go 3 innings: last night Scherzer went 2 and Sale 1. But you better believe they were trying to get guys out and going with good stuff. Thus did Chris Sale throw 101 mph for the first time since 2010. And you cannot convince me that hitters weren't trying to hit. Far from it. That leaves defense and baserunning. I believe they are eager to make great defensive plays, but might be just a tad cautious about running into walls or the baseline stands to make a grab, which is fine with me. As for baserunning, they do slide when it's called for, etc. but maybe don't risk a steal as much. My point is it is still very good baseball.
  8. Maxbialystock
    Frances McDormand is an interesting choice for the one cool woman. Terrific actress. Versatile (Mississippi Burning, Fargo, Laurel Canyon, Three Billboards in someplace, Missouri--plus comedies), married to one of the Coen brothers. But I'm guessing splendidsplinter was thinking of how she out-Clint'd Clint in Fargo by nailing the kidnappers by herself (she's a cop) while very pregnant (including morning sickness).
  9. Maxbialystock
    Here's what I don't get about those who hate the ASG. I'm watching it right now and everyone out there is really trying. The NFL Pro Bowl and especially the NBA All-Star game are pretty much shams because nobody wants to play hard or rough. The NBA All-Star game is very much an exhibition, much like the Harlem Globetrotters with virtually no defense. It helps that a big part of baseball is the contest between pitcher and batter.
  10. Maxbialystock
    Definitely true.
  11. Maxbialystock
    We can all complain about some particular player or aspect of the team--which is not perfect--but it's pretty darn hard not to be thrilled with the pre-ASG record. Were the Sox to stay at .694 for the whole season, they would win 112 games. Those also-ran Yankees 4 1/2 games back? If they stay at .653, they will win 105-106 games. Astros at .646 would win 104-105 games. So all three teams are having great seasons. The question is, which ones can keep it up?
  12. Maxbialystock
    Now that the 86 year drought has ended and the Sox have actually won two more WS since 2004, yours is a sensible position. And it is helped by the fact that several teams--lately, 10--now get to the postseason when before it was just two. If you grew up as a fan during "before it was just two" era, you might think winning that one and only Series was the big deal. Interestingly, I gather that John Henry prefers to go for the gold, or how else do you explain firing a manager who won the AL East division his final two years? And, yes, I am aware that the vast majority of talksoxers were very much in favor of canning Farrell after last year if not earlier.
  13. Maxbialystock
    This is an unimportant item, but I gotta say it about Sox pitchers. At least two starters--Pomeranz (thankfully on the DL) and ERod are very slow to cover 1b on grounders to the right. ERod's sprained ankle Saturday was entirely because he was late getting to 1B. Sale, on the other hand, is great getting to 1B and fielding his position. On the radio the other night, one of the announcers reported that Sandy Leon told him (or another reporter) than Sale had not shaken off a single sign the entire season. Pomeranz, on the other hand, always seems to have an endless debate going on in his head about what pitch to throw next--if any at all. Consequently, he clearly is not ready to field his position once the ball is released. ERod trends that way but isn't as bad. There may be others.
  14. Maxbialystock
    Great win that I wasn't so sure would be a win.
  15. Maxbialystock
    All this talk about ancient pitchers sure seems off the topic--who should the Sox trade for--but several have already made the case that, while a lefty reliever or something would certainly help, DD can be a little cautious, not only because the Sox right now have the best record and best hitting in MLB, but also because the Sox don't have a lot of money to spend and stay below the luxury tax. So, once again, thanks to MVP 78 for starting this and OH FOY! for educating us on the Left Arm of God, Sandy Koufax, who would make every starting pitcher in today look like a candy ass. And Sandy wasn't even that tough--Gibson was the tough one. Oh, and I basically missed the Pedro Martinez era with the Sox because I didn't get Sox on satellite until about 2004. I do think that in his prime he was very good, even great. And different.
  16. Maxbialystock
    I saw that movie too: Left Hand of God, starring Bogart and Gene Tierney, about a phony priest who does good in a Chinese village. Lee J Cobb plays the bad guy Chinese War Lord who ain't so bad at the end. It was based on a novel by William Jarrett, same guy who wrote the novel Lilies of the Field that also became a movie (Sidney Poitier vs. a bunch of nuns). Left Arm of God also works because I think Koufax was a pretty devout Jew.
  17. Maxbialystock
    I ain't buying superstar yet. Too young. Still struggles against lefty pitchers. But I agree with almost everything in the OP. Last year was Beni's sophomore slump year, and in it he was 2d on the Sox in total bases, 2d in runs scored, 4th in rbi's, 4th in dingers, 2d in SB's, etc. He is very close to being the proverbial five tool player: hits, hits with power, runs the bases, fields, and throws. He does not actually have a great arm. As Dojji correctly points out, Beni also shows up ready to play every darn day. He is the complete anti-JD Drew.
  18. Maxbialystock
    Thanks. Great, great article that does indeed capture the greatness of Sandy Koufax exactly as I remember him. I like that one line from Yogi Berra, who only faced him in the World Series of course: after seeing Koufax pitch, he understood why he won 25 games, but he couldn't understand how he lost 5 games. But the description of what constitutes a great curve is the best. Or maybe it's how in his mid-forties pitching batting practice for the Dodgers during the post season he was asked to throw his famous curve and no one on that postseason Dodgers team could hit it. Lasorda finally had to go out and ask him to knock it off because he didn't want his hitters losing confidence.
  19. Maxbialystock
    Agree completely. I favor Koufax, but both were way better than Curt.
  20. Maxbialystock
    I'm with splendidsplitter: well done and thanks. Koufax, whom I did see pitch once in Philly, deserves the top spot. Gibson was great, no question, but a little mean for my taste--he loved brushback pitches even more when they hit someone. I hasten to add that was actually not that abnormal in his era. He was incredibly competitive. My memory of Koufax is that he was not quite so competitive--at least in terms of brushback pitches--but in his prime had great stuff, especially his fastball and curve. He was elected to the Hall of Fame at age 36, the youngest ever because arthritis made him quit at age 30/31. In his three Cy Young (unanimously selected) years of 1963, 1965, and 1966, he started 40, 41, and 41 games and pitched 20, 27, and 27 complete games. 1966 was also his final year. Until you put up his postseason stats (all World Series of course), I did not know he was so great in the postseason.
  21. Maxbialystock
    Well done, Youk, on Natick to NC. I did not read his political comments, but have myself tried to admonish him gently about his zeal in attacking players on game threads. You also commented that game threads can get rough during losses. True. Of the 11 game threads I've just started, this is by far the longest and the only loss. I have decided this serves the useful purpose of venting, but even on threads on games lost there can still be many good insights. Like "yanks suck!@!"
  22. Maxbialystock
    A fair question. I don't think it was personal, but was tactical. Pearce is hot, and the Sox are a tad short on bats right now. That 5 inning 4th by the Sox was semi-miraculous and needed errors, failure to leave foot on the base at 2d, etc and a magnificent at bat by Betts. When Pearce was hit, he was batting cleanup and the Jays had 2-0 lead and Happ was looking tough. Plus it was a fast ball that didn't even hit the deck and came from a guy who had pretty good command in that game. Oh, and when you hit them low like that your chances of getting them out of the game are that much better. I could very well be wrong, but I am very suspicious.
  23. Maxbialystock
    I was livid when Cora left Wright in, but will not quarrel much about last night. Usual rule for starters is 7 runs. Porcello is an experienced starter having a good year until now with most wins on the team. And we all know by now the bullpen is not exactly a strength. They gave up 5 last night.
  24. Maxbialystock
    Meh. I liked starting these threads, but know the team and Cora did all the work. I was really torqued at Porcello last night, but today am working on putting it behind me. Price bounced back. So can Porcello. And this is a good team with a good manager. I think for the most part the hitting kept the streak going, and I do have some concerns about the pitching--both the rotation and bullpen--but the Sox are still on top by 3.5 games and other teams have their bad games too. Oh, and I still think Happ injured Pearce intentionally because his command was so good until he nailed Pearce's foot in the middle of the batters box. On the fly, no hop, and 95 mph.
  25. Maxbialystock
    I said JDM, but give Cora a lot of credit.
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