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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Actually, velocity by itself is over rated. Over 5 years ago Verlander threw 100 mph to rookie Daniel Nava, who went opposite field with a clean, sharp single. Kimbrel gets in trouble when his curve/slider isn't tempting the hitters, but is devastating when he mixes it with his fastball. That said, I'm also a big believer that good location on whatever pitch is very important.
  2. Like that scene in fever pitch when the season tickets are delivered and they open them up and say, "this smells like the year."
  3. Thanks, moonslav.
  4. Of mild interest: espn just polled their "experts" and picked these six teams to win the six divisions: Yankees, Guardians, Astros, Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers. Of the six, only the AL East is expected in any way to be contested (by the Sox of course). They basically say the other five divisions are already sewed up before the season starts. The Sox are easily the top pick for the AL Wild Card. Cora was asked how he thinks the Sox will be this year and answered they already had the best ST record in MLB. Of 30 MLB teams, the Sox in ST were ranked 2d in ERA and 12th in runs scored. Also 29th in stolen bases with 14 (vs. 11 CS). Most doubles, however, with 82.
  5. I agree that the health of both the rotation and lineup are important, but I thought our biggest problem last year was no Ortiz. And even there we still won the same number of games, 93, as in Ortiz's last year. I do like the hitting this year. Also the rotation even though 3 are currently on the DL. I could be wrong, but I think only three hitters--Betts, Martinez, and Devers--need to stay healthy. Beni might be a 4th. As for the rotation, just two--Sale and Price.
  6. This would comport with the other Cora-ism that he likes to use his bench. JBJ practically invented the slump.
  7. King George used that dadgum stamp tax to pay for the semi-worthless British Army in the American colonies. Cheap bastard.
  8. Ah, but it turns out disciplinarian didn't work for the Sox, so in comes Francona's pitching coach, Farrell. And Francona has gone on to real success with the Guardians. I thought Girardi was pretty good, but what do I know? Maybe Boone is the right guy now. I do believe that most managers are hired to be fired. That is, they are more expendable than players.
  9. Pete Abraham is a very handy contributor to talksox--thru people like you.
  10. He's got my vote.
  11. That's what I saw too. Sox turned four DP's yesterday, which helped. I'm not sure how many were in the first five innings but am sure at least 2 were.
  12. I thought so too but he went 5 giving up 2.
  13. Devers hurt knee in hard slide into catcher. Reportedly day to day after being taken out of game.
  14. Devers taken out after hard slide into catcher. Injured?
  15. If I were to pick one source of talksox unease about 2018, it would be this. Last year the Sox pitching was better than the Sox hitting, and this year is likely to be the same. That is a big change in the John Henry era when hitting has been so dominant, and I think it's because of Dombrowski. The point is, we have always had great hitting.
  16. 97 should not be that irrational because the core of this year's team won 93 last year. The biggest difference in the lineup is basically JD Martinez for Moreland with Ramirez going to 1B. Nunez is new, but actually played a lot last year and should not be a big step down from Pedroia at 2B. One presumes Cora is a plus. The rotation is missing 3 right now (Rodriguez, Pom, Wright), but still has 2 of the best in Sale and Price. Plus Porcello, who was great in 2016 and horrible last year. I am not a Pom fan, but his numbers say I'm wrong. ERod has always shown promise. Wright had just the one good partial season, 2016, but showed the knuckler can work. Bullpen should be fine. That said, I too went with 92-95.
  17. The recent past, 2011 thru 2017, offers a cautionary tale about predicting the next season: 2011--90 wins, Francona fired, Epstein leaves, Cherington new GM 2012--69 wins, Valentine fired, Farrell hired 2013--97 wins and the WS 2014--71 wins 2015--78 wins, Cherington fired, Dombrowski hired 2016--93 wins 2017--93 wins, Farrell fired, Cora hired
  18. After 17 votes, center of mass is 95 wins. If we just factor in JD Martinez and his WAR (wins above replacement) last year of 4.2 and compare it to Ramirez's -0.3 WAR last year, that comparison alone accounts for at least 2 more wins in 2018 than in 2017. That's if you buy WAR, which many don't, even though it's a handy rough measure of overall value. What's left out is the effect of the new manager. Will basically the same team as last year play better for Cora? It's possible if the discussion on talksox and some of the commentary have any legitimacy. The other unknown of course is how much other teams have improved or not--about which I am clueless except for Stanton going to the Yankees.
  19. I will. If he was arrested for domestic violence and will have it hanging over his head (no further "incidents") until December 2018, he is scum. Assuming he rejoins the Boston team, I hope Cora uses him regularly as a pinchrunner.
  20. All hail, YOTN.
  21. Well put. You gotta look at the eaches, which I did not do.
  22. Is it a slider or a curve? And I completely agree it's effective--in fact, crucial, for the reason you state. Last year Devers I think hit a dinger off your closer's 103 mph fastball or something like that.
  23. Those are better and what I had in mind, but this dummy couldn't do it. So I'm glad someone else stepped in.
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