Maxbialystock

I beg to differ. The genius of March Madness is single game elimination. And the problem with the 162 game schedule--which I am fine with--is that it magnifies small differences. A team winning 50% of their games is mathematically almost as good as team winning 60%, but in the standings they are 16 games apart--a huge, insurmountable difference. So the postseason is often a crap shoot even with 5 and 7 game series. The rationale for a 5 game or 7 game series in the postseason is money, pure and simple.

I find that last line fascinating in view of your continual support for Pom and regular trotting out of his 2017 and even 2016 stats. What has changed your mind? Do you think he is injured? I have no issues with your Wright assertions. I do think the knuckler can be a fragile thing, but also think good command of a fast ball and/or curve isn't always readily at hand. See Chris Sale last year.

I love disagreeing with S5Dewey, but on this one I emphatically agree because I think this trend reflects the other trend to go for dingers first, last, and always. Yes, you score as much, but to me the entertainment value is less. I like the action of a struck ball in play--an out, a single, a double, a triple, a great defensive play, a GIDP, whatever. K's can be cool, but don't lead to involvement by other players. Same goes for dingers, which can of course be fantastic, but also don't lead to involvement, action, etc. Scoring does decide who wins and who loses, but the fun part is how you get those runs and/or prevent them. On another thread we discussed whether MLB should outlaw those shifts, which are definitely preventing hits and encouraged teams/players to go fr the fences, which to me is a lesser game. So right now I kind of like the notion of limiting how much you can shift because I resent how statisticians and sabermetrics can take over our national pastime.

You're an FNG, so a word to the wise. Just because the thread title has Mookie's name in it does not mean it's about some rightfielder named Betts. You watch: if Mookie returns on Saturday, this thread will continue.

Two lefties tonight--just like last night. I don't see Beeks having ERod's success, but hope our guys are hitting and that Beeks only gives up 3 or 4 runs in at least 5 innings--no mean feat in his first MLB start.

Agree on Johnson--he can start. Definitely agree on ERod, who this year seems to have an especially good repertoire and actually is tied with Porcello for the second best WAR, 1.8, on the pitching staff. He still needs a lot pitches to go on average 5 1/2 innings, but he is also 7-1. He was better in May, ERA 3.18, than in April, 4.78, and is likely to be even better in June, 1.59 ERA in one start. To me ERod and Wright are evidence that the Sox just might have the best five starters on a single team in MLB. Our ace Sale is not as good as others aces so far, but the average performance of those five is pretty darn good and likely to get better.

As I just told A700hitter, I have done my share of griping this year (of all years when things have gone so well).

Meh. I happen to gripe quite a bit myself. See my posts on Pomeranz, also on Hanley, Wright, JBJ, Nunez, Holt, and Porcello. Maybe more. And I did all of that this season when the Sox have been going great guns.

I honestly don't think the Sox need Beeks to start tonight because by my reckoning the Sox currently have six viable starters--Sale, Porcello, Price, ERod, Wright, and Velazquez--on the roster right now. Nevertheless, I do like this decision because it keeps Velazquez handy for long relief now that Wright is starting--and it gives the Sox a look at someone who just maybe can do the job. Oh, and it also gets Sale another day of rest, which could prove useful.

Guilty as charged, except for one thing. I am fine with Swihart on the active roster precisely because he brings some versatility--especially as a 3d catcher even though he hasn't been used there--and some hitting (and switch-hitting) potential. My harangue, if such it is, is based on my complete support for the way Cora is managing this team right now. He seems to me to be pushing all that right buttons, and that includes who he puts in the lineup on any given day. And lately his biggest problem is dealing with the absence of Mookie Betts, a legit contender (if he can stay healthy) for AL MVP this year. To date the Sox are 11-4 without Mookie in the lineup or in 2 cases when he was taken out after 1 at bat or none. To me that 11-4, small sample size though it is, suggests that not only has Cora managed things very well, but also that the Sox actually have pretty good depth despite the complaints on talksox that they don't. So, yes, Swihart is a good guy to have on the active roster. But I am more than fine with him sitting on the bench if that is what Cora thinks will help the team win.

Could not agree more with you and mvp78. We gotta have something to gripe about. Devers is definitely a work in progress, but the potential is obvious, Cora sends him out there every day, and the Sox keep winning.

I think Cora has a lot more flexibility—depth—with the rotation than Farrell did last year. Sale is still the ace, but not so indispensable as last year.

Agree with "serviceable" with regard to JDM in the outfield. Beni, JBJ, and Betts make him look a tad slow because they are so quick out there, but he handles himself well in LF or even RF. Interesting that he played LF last night so Travis could be the DH (against a lefty starter). Buster Olney has an article on espn about how managers over the past 10 years have used fewer "small ball" tactics--pitchouts, SB's , bunts, hit and run, etc because of statistics/sabermetrics. Perhaps the movie Moneyball was prophetic. Last year the Sox were dead last or close to it in home runs in MLB. This year they are 2d with 92. NYY have 98. Guardians have 89. Benintendi is getting virtually no notice outside of Boston, but now (age 23--24 next month) has an OPS of .922 and is 4th in the AL in RBI's and 6th in runs scored and 2d in triples. jacksonianmarch will love this: Judge has more dingers, 17 to 10, and a higher OPS, .967, but otherwise Benintendi is pretty close or better in rbi's, runs, doubles, average, etc. and has half as many K's. Judge is two years older than Benintendi.

Looks like another nice win--4 straight--this time with ERod going 5.2 and 1 run. These days Cora seems to have the magic touch with the pen, both bringing guys in and leaving them in. I missed the first part because of an event had to attend, but got the game via my cell and the mlb.com app and picking up WEEI on my car radio via blue tooth. This time I was very happy with the announcing. Plus the first 4 run rally had just begun when I tuned in. assuming the win, this team will shortly be 10-4 in games Mookie either didn't play in or only had 1 at bat and was removed. The Sox currently have easily the 2d best offense in MLB and it is virtually unnoticed. The rotation, now with Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod, and Wright may not be all aces, but has to be close to the best rotation in MLB except for maybe the Astros. And of course the best record in MLB--also pretty much unnoticed except by Sox and Yankees fans. So I have to wonder out loud--yet again--why so many talksoxers are clamoring to get Swihart into the lineup, more at bats, etc, etc. Seriously, it seems to me that one of the reasons--certainly not the most important one--why the Sox have done so well this season is that they have used Swihart sparingly, and this especially applies to the catcher position. Anyway, congratulations to SoxHop for a four game winning streak. Yankees are keeping up however with a 3 ran rally in the 13th for a likely win.

Beni, Bogie, JD, Moreland, Nunez, Travis, Devers, Vazquez, JBJ

The Swihart bit was facetiousness run amuck. Sorry. All else was sincere, but you did it better.

Don't forget what a great catcher Swihart is as well. Hard to believe Cora keeps using Leon and Vazquez who are both too short, too slow, too whatever to be MLB quality. Swihart is also a great DH, corner outfielder and corner infielder. He can do it all. 50 lousy plate appearances is just criminal.

My realistic view on June 6 (74 years after D-Day) is that, after last night's bravura start by Wright and great catching by Vazquez, the rotation and overall pitching are in pretty good shape--team ERA 3.56, which should get better. And the hitting is better than it should be with Mookie out. Guys are rising to the occasion. If Wright had started game 1 at Houston instead of worthless Pom, the Sox take 3 of 4. Without Mookie. I'm a big Pedroia fan, but he isn't missed--yet. Especially with lefty/righty Holt/Nunez available. Best of all, Swihart is still on the roster. What a gem they picked way back in 2011. This guy can do everything--catcher, infielder, outfielder, you name it. Cora just needs to play him regularly.

New format is fine if lengthy (for the bucks of course). To remind: a .600 team has had a great season, winning 97 games. A .500 team has had a so-so to lousy season and won just 81 games and would finish 16 games--think of that, 16 games!!!!--behind the .600 team. But guess what? In a 7 game series that difference of 10% (.600 vs. .500) doesn't mean much. It's more about matchups, rotations (first three starters, really), etc. Somewhere in the movie Bull Durham, the Kevin Costner character talks about The Show and what it takes to stay there. He says the difference between a .300 hitter, who will definitely stay, and a .250 hitter, who might not, is just 1 hit a week. And he cites examples: a grounder with eyes, a little pop or flare, etc. Just one more of those each week and your life changes magically. My point is the MLB season is incredibly long and magnifies small differences and especially differences in winning percentages. So to me there is nothing wrong with a team that won 100 games facing a team that won 80 games because in reality they probably aren't that far apart. And that difference grows even smaller if the 80 win team actually has just two very good starters and maybe three good arms in the bullpen. Something like that did in fact happen to the Sox in 2013 when the Sox ERA was 2.59 in the postseason and our team OPS was, wait for it, .664. Lester had five starts with an ERA of 1.56, and Lackey had four with an ERA of 2.77. Buchholz and Peavy started 7 games between them with 1 quality start. Uehara pitched 13.2 innings and had 7 saves with an ERA of .66. Of course, that Sox team actually won 97 games in the regular season, not 80, but the point is there I think. In the postseason good pitching can make a huge difference.

If you would bother to read just this thread, you would have ample evidence of the Swihart fan club, which did in fact attempt to take over a thread about Wright. The beauty of last night's game to me is that it put a huge crimp in the "Swihart should, Swihart must" be our catcher because--I'm speculating here--he's taller and looks nicer than Vazquez/Leon and in 2015 was our starting catcher for half the season and showed tremendous potential as a catcher and as a hitter. Now, the story goes, he is getting the short end of the stick because of our idiotic manager/GM/President. Wright was indeed great last night and hopefully is a permanent replacement for Pomeranz who has stunk this year. And part of that success was the short, dumpy, not so pretty Vazquez, who gave up no passed balls and no wild pitches in 7 innings of catching Wright, whose knuckler was definitely jumping. I say again, Vazquez was masterful doing something Swihart is incapable of doing--see his 16 passed balls while catching Wright in 2015--just as Swihart isn't as good a rightfielder/hitter as Betts, a leftfielder/hitter as Beni, etc, etc.

I too am surprised at how rabid the Swihart fan club is and how angry they are at the FO and, indirectly, at Cora for not playing Swihart more. It's like we're back in the 1930's and the WPA and just finding people work--on a MLB club that only has the best record in MLB. Seriously, folks, what's going on with the Swihart adulation? Keep in mind that the Sox are now 9-4 in games Mookie Betts has missed. That's huge--and a little lucky. And it completely overshadows the trials and tribulations of little orphan Swihartie.

SoxHop going for new record in starting next game thread--good. Three straight wins--even better. ERod looked very good his last time out. He has good stuff and excels when his command is also good.

With just the right catcher of course.

I’m close to,that category and was sure he would not come back. Very happy to be wrong. Finally, with a skilled catcher, he looked pretty darn good tonight with the bonus effect of sending Pom to the outhouse.

Sox now 9-4 without Mookie (including one game when he left after 1 at bat).