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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    Last year the Sox scored 100 more runs than the second best offense in the AL, so, even without Ortiz, I expect the Sox to do better than "top 3-4 offense." For counting purposes, I assume Moreland, not Ramirez, is Ortiz's replacement in the lineup. That's a pretty big drop-off. Sports Illustrated used to have a stat called "runs produced." It was runs scored + rbi's - home runs. Last year Ortiz "produced" 168 runs for the Sox and Moreland 88 for the Rangers. Even if they can't make up for those 80 runs between 168 and 88, the Sox would still have the best offense in the AL--maybe. I think the Guardians, who were second in scoring in 2016, picked up Encarcion. On the other hand, I expect Sandoval and Benintendi to be pretty good plus-ups. Pedroia might go down a little, but Bogaerts should go up. I will be more than happy if Betts and Bradley are about the same as in 2016 even though both are young and could improve. Leon will still be Leon, but Vazquez should be better than he was last year at the plate. Ramirez 2017 should be on a par with Ramirez 2016.
  2. Maxbialystock
    I wanted to keep Ellsbury, but not for the money he wanted and got from the Yankees, who overpaid because of the departure of Cano and Ellsbury's very misleading but spectacular 2011 season. No doubt they thought the short porch in RF would also help. I also wasn't that much of a Bradley fan in 2015 but agreed with the Sox decision to keep giving him shots with the big club--which finally paid off I think in August when he caught fire at the plate. The giant irony of the 2016 season is that the defensive stalwart JBJ came much, much closer to Ellsbury's 2011 offensive stats than Ellsbury did.
  3. Maxbialystock
    Good win, good game overall. Porcello was excellent over 6 innings, then the error by Sandoval to kick off the 7th, which hurt along with Barnes ineptitude. Good plays in the outfield--Bradley in the triangle and Benintendi over the shoulder. Clearly, too, this lineup can hit although I have serious doubts about Moreland and would never bet him 5th, but what the heck. Kimbrel gave up the double off the monster and hit someone with his infamous knuckle curve, but otherwise looked very good for the save.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Kimbrel's in a groove, just like in spring training.
  5. Maxbialystock
    Can Moreland hit lefties? I ask because he doesn't seem to hit righties too well, say I after one game.
  6. Maxbialystock
    I'm not quite seeing gold glove at 1B. He had two short hops--by Bogaerts and Sandoval-- and couldn't grab either one. The latter cost an unearned run.
  7. Maxbialystock
    Watching on my ipad at the office, but joined the game late. Porcello has looked pretty darn good to me. And that rally was fantastic. Right out of Earl Weaver's book--rely on good pitching and the 3 run dinger.
  8. Maxbialystock
    What a grab and what a tough place to make it! Way to go, JBJ!
  9. Maxbialystock
    My screen says 57 degrees in Fenway. Not bad for April 3.
  10. Maxbialystock
    Nice shot by Sandoval, but also a nice grab.
  11. Maxbialystock
    Sox have 1 hits and have struck out twice?
  12. Maxbialystock
    I don't know about that. I watched him once this spring and noticed he pitches quickly and throws strikes, which means he will never fit in with this pitching staff.
  13. Maxbialystock
    Pomeranz still does not impress. JBJ should bat 9th or 10th if his ST trend persists. Overall, however, hitting looks good again this year. Rotation should be good. Bullpen to me remains a question. Last year the Sox got hot only in September when the bullpen was hot. Last year somebody quoted I think Whitey Herzog who said the difference between a good manager and a bad manager is a great bullpen. Didn't the Cubs and Guardians both have good bullpens?
  14. Maxbialystock
    You're said something like that before. I just don't see 3 catchers on the 25 man roster, and I also don't see Swihart as an outfielder.
  15. Maxbialystock
    Based on what I've seen this spring, I just hope he makes the 25 man roster and completely agree with you that it would make sense to trade Holt.
  16. Maxbialystock
    I've only watched a few spring training games but have been lucky and seen most of the key guys--especially Sandoval. He still looks heavy to me but is clearly lighter. More than that, yesterday (or Saturday) I saw him start a DP from well behind the bag at 3B with a perfect throw to Pedroia. Plus he is hitting and seems reasonably mobile. If he can keep his weight down and keep playing this way, I think he is the answer at 3B.
  17. Maxbialystock
    Excuse me, but didn't Benintendi actually play 34 games in LF last year and wasn't his WAR .7? Is fangraphs predicting he will have trouble with the curve or something? 1.7 seems low.
  18. Maxbialystock
    Interesting.
  19. Maxbialystock
    You know of course that Lou Boudreau created to a shift against Ted Williams, who was very much a pull hitter. He didn't bunt, but did tinker with hitting to LF. I think in the end he pretty much stayed with pulling the ball and relying on line drives finding holes in the defense. I think today's shifts are probably better designed and based on real hitting patterns, so the bunt the possible fix.
  20. Maxbialystock
    Very sensible, but how do the Sox manage three catchers? My memory of last year is that Swihart had the job at the end of spring training and promptly lost it within 30 days of the regular season beginning, largely because the pitchers didn't like him. And that's why, completely out of the blue, they moved him to LF. It looks to me--as superficial as I no doubt am--as though we have one catcher who can hit, and two who can field and call games, but no one who can do both. Am i wrong?
  21. Maxbialystock
    Agree with the naysayers. WBC is a joke.
  22. Maxbialystock
    Anyone who says DH is the issue has got a point because Ortiz is irreplaceable. You can't count H.Ramirez as the replacement because his bat was in the lineup last year. Me, I count Moreland as Ortiz's replacement, clearly a step down. However, I think Benintendi's left bat will mitigate the loss of Ortiz. So I went with the bullpen as the biggest concern. Last year it wasn't much good until September. Our returning closer is somewhat erratic. We lost some others who were pretty good last September/October.
  23. Maxbialystock
    VFW = Veterans of Foreign Wars.
  24. Maxbialystock
    Why no mention of CERA in all these catcher comparisons?
  25. Maxbialystock
    Now it's official. The home team lost 6 of this year's 7 WS games. More to the point, Cleveland swept the Sox in the ALDS for the simple reason they were better.
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