Maxbialystock

No, he was simply wrong. Thunder is the guy who early on--March--saw the 90 or more wins and the ALE. When Slasher 9 said so it was September and I did not check the date of his entry. I remain in awe of those who foresaw this outcome because I sure didn't. Had I voted, it would have been for 85-89 and then only in a wildly optimistic moment. My pessimism is derived from 53 years of fandom before the end of the 86 years of the curse. The upside is I enjoy the good moments that much more, and we are having them right now as we write.

I tend to focus primarily on observable facts. First, the catchers have had problems catching the knuckler--irrefutable. Over time this should level out, but let's not forget that Varitek almost never caught Wakefield. Second, the knuckler by its very nature is hard for any pitcher to command. Thus does Wright have that fastball (85 mph?) and that big curve which is usually outside the strike zone. Statistically for this season Wright's numbers overall look pretty good in terms of ERA, quality starts, etc. I just get irritated that those 10 unearned runs in June simply don't count in pitcher statistics but did on the scoreboard. Like everyone else, I would like to see Wright back next spring when he is a good bet to be in the rotation next season. I would not try to use him in the playoffs this year, however, for the reasons stated. If Wright was indeed our third best starter, how then explain the Sox great success in August and especially September without him? I would offer three explanations: the hitting, which is the best in MLB this year even then good pitching can shut us down; the bullpen, which blossomed in September and contributes mightily to the 11 game streak; the turnarounds by ERod and Buchholz. And, since all of the brickbats have been directed at Farrell for sending poor Wright out into no-man's land, maybe it's worth giving the manager a little credit for pulling together a team that was without benefit of this world-beating knuckleballer.

I think the Orioles get the other wild card slot, but I ain't much at predicting. I don't like the Orioles one darn bit, but I'm kind of rooting for them in this case to give the AL East bragging rights for having three teams in the playoffs. A cursory check of the Sox schedule for the season says we are 2-4 against Detroit, all games after the All-Star Break. My guess is that Toronto gets to the ALDS and will not be an easy out.

Hats off to Youk of the Nation and Slasher 9 for both predicting the Sox would do well this year and win at least the AL East. I would have made no such prediction, I'm certain. Spring training 2016 from here looks more like 6 years ago than 6 months. No way did I see the great hitting, the rotation coming around, the bullpen, etc. I could maybe see 85 wins, but only with effort. Maybe it's better that way. Low expectations add to the enjoyment of a really good season and especially the ongoing winning streak--in September, yet.

Never shot a sniper rifle, but was pretty decent out to 350M with an M1, predecessor to the M14 which was predecessor to the M16, when I shot expert over 50 years ago.

Call it idiocy or anything you like. The simple fact is that since then the Sox have flourished, which is inarguable. On August 11, not long after the disaster of losing Wright, they were 61-52. Today they are 92-64, which means they have basically gone 31-12 without Wright compared to 61-52, give or take, with Wright. All I'm saying is you can have Wright and I'll take the 31-12, the 11 game winning streak, a 5.5 game lead in the AL East and tied with the Rangers for the best record in the AL. I also continue to believe Wright is a wuss.

Actually, it might be possible to do both. Tomorrow is a day off for everyone, and right now the Sox are 5.5 up on the Jays, 1.5 up on the Guardians, and tied with the Rangers for the best record in the AL. No one in the rotation is overworked, and probably no one in the bullpen. That leaves the lineup. Betts has the most games, and Bogaerts the second most. Tuesday is Price against a Yankees starter still unnamed. It is possible to rest both in that game and go with Holt at SS and maybe Young in RF with Benintendi in LF and JBJ back in CF. I'm not sure HanRam needs more than tomorrow off, and I'm guessing that applies to Pedey as well. And let's not forget that the last regular season game is Sunday, Oct 2 and that Thursday, October 6, is the earliest the Sox will have a playoff game against the wild card, the Guardians, or the Rangers. All in all, I'm a little worried about this team getting too much rest, as crazy as that sounds. They have thrived on playing without days off and with lots of road games, including Boston one day, Cleveland, the next, and Baltimore the next after that. I think the Sox just played 2 that time in Baltimore and went on to another city.

My points aren't dead wrong, in fact they are right. They just don't conform to your version of what happened. Fact: Wright was up and down, especially if you take into account those unearned runs. You keep ignoring the 6.23 ERA in July, but it's real, and the accident happened about a week later. Fact: the Sox have done great without him, including an 11 game winning streak now ongoing. You can try all you want to ignore it but it is a fact. Fact: his injury was the result of taking too big a lead--for him--and then having to dive back to 2B, something plenty of 32 year old men and women, not playing professional baseball at any level, do with ease. Guys in the 50's and 60's run the bases and slide without injury. And what happens if Wright pitches in a NL ballpark and has to bat? He intentionally strikes out every time for fear of injuring himself? Sure, I don't mind saying Wright probably shouldn't have been sent out there to pinch run, poor baby that he is. But it sure as heck didn't hurt the team, which has only gotten better and better without him. What I was his age and on a faculty (assistant professor), I played softball, full court basketball, and flag football--for fun and with a bunch of other guys roughly the same age although a few were younger. It would seem knuckleballers are hothouse flowers with apparently no exercise regimen. At this point, one wonders if Wright runs in the outfield with the other pitchers.

Agree Vazquez had a good game today, which is good for the team as a whole. As I said earlier, I prefer Leon/Vazquez over Hanigan, Holaday, SWihart, whoever.

First, I strongly endorse your reference to his selfish fat ass. That said, I'm sure Farrell won't "give" Sandoval anything, but I don't mind the possibility that not so fat ass just might be able to contribute. Right now the Sox actually have three thirdbasemen on the current roster--Shaw, Holt, and Hill--so it's hard to believe Farrell will add a fourth or even keep three without a very good reason.

Aren't you jumping the gun just a tad or don't you think the bullpen for the 2016 playoffs--take a look at the thread title--is important?

nada

11 straight wins that started September 15, for crying out loud! That's the middle of September and these 11 games basically transformed this regular season for the AL East. The Sox for example, were 31-28 before the streak and are now 42-28, easily the best record in the AL East. They were 81-64 overall and are now 92-64 and likely tied with the Rangers for the best record in the AL. Good thing the FO didn't trade Pedroia as one of us kept insisting for half the season. He is the one playing with a ton of heart and desire and setting the example for the youngsters.

He's played a 152 games to Bogaerts 150, Bradley's 148, and Pedroia's 148.

True, but the criticism of using Wright to pinch run with the resulting injury should not be considered in isolation. Wright himself has some culpability for taking that "big" lead and then hurting himself trying to get back. And it is simply a fact that the Sox have not been hurt all that bad by the absence of Wright. He was not irreplaceable. Far from it. Right now it would make all kinds of sense, no matter how healthy he might be, not to be use him in the playoffs. He definitely has control issues. Almost as bad, our catchers have a problem catching the knuckler.

JBJ could definitely use a 2 day break. The Sox have 2 hot bats right now--Ortiz and Ramirez.

In all honesty I have to admit the criticism is deserved, but it is also in my opinion way, way out of proportion to the actual effect on the team. The critics act as thought Wright was the team's best starter, the indispensable part of the rotation who could always be counted on to shut down the other team's best hitters. And that just ain't so. Yes, in his last start, Aug 5, he went 9 and gave up 0 runs in LA, a great outing. But his ERA for July was 6.23, which by my reckoning is pretty bad. Oh, yes, in June his ERA was 1.26, but that was thanks to not counting those unearned runs cause by the difficulty in catching that knuckler. He actually gave up 16 runs in June vs. the 6 earned ones. Then there's the whole thing in injuring himself trying to get back to 2B. Had he raced around 3B and hurt himself sliding home, I would be a little more willing to slam Farrell. As it is, I think Wright is some kind of hot house flower who already, at age 32, has said he is simply unable to pitch in a NL park for risk that he might end up on base and hurt himself again. I like Wright the same as I liked Wakefield. He's low cost and could be around for a while and could contribute. But I also like the fact that this team has steadily improved without him. They sure as heck don't miss his 6.26 ERA in July or those 10 unearned runs in June. And I sure as heck would not bring him back for the playoffs--way too risky.

A very good point. Kimmi is dead wrong for once. The pitching has been an absolute disaster without Wright and proven that Buchholz should have been DFA'd, that Price is a bust, etc, etc. Without Wright the Sox have barely hung onto a 5 game lead in the AL East and the second best record in the AL. If Farrell had not made that fatal mistake of pinch running with Wright, the Sox would already have 110, maybe 120 wins. I usually defend Farrell, but not on this boneheaded move. Thanks to that one stupid decision, this season stinks all over and I have no idea why Farrell is still managing.

Just an amazing, amazing streak. 10 in a row in September in the middle of a tight pennant race. My goodness gracious. A new hero tonight in Pedroia who heretofore was just getting mostly singles but a lot of them. Suddenly in one hellacious at bat he kept fouling off those changeups before finally golfing another one into the left center field seats. Not brilliant defense, but also no errors. Once again a short game thread because talksox seems to thrive on losses and chances to gripe. Not buying the Saturday night excuse because this, by God, is the 10th win in a row. A couple of obvious points about the 10 in a row. First and foremost, the bullpen has been terrific and it has been used a lot but not too much because the September callup gives Farrell at least 10 arms, most of them pretty good. Tonight was a perfect example--he used 4 in the 7th inning. The hitting during the streak has been unusually consistent--never more than 7 runs, but only 2 runs just once, last night, when Pomeranz astounded one and all by going 5 and giving up just 1 run. FArrell used 5 relievers to get thru the final 4 innings. The rotation has been good, but not great during the streak--so too the defense. While I give the players, as always, the lion's share of the credit, I have to say Farrell seems to have them in a good frame of mind. I wouldn't say his use of the bullpen has been brilliant, but it's for sure he has not hesitated to use it a lot for the simple reason it has been deep and pretty darn reliable during the streak. Would it surprise anyone to learn that Ortiz has 13 rbi's in the 10 game streak? That Ramirez had 12? When you throw in Pedroia's grand slam tonight it's clear the over 30 crowd ain't exactly over the hill. Experience is good to have in September.

That had to have been one of the all time great at bats by Pedroia. I think we need Mr. Trade Pedroia to come out here for an encore and to tell us he could not be happier to have been so, so wrong.

Nice response. Moreover, I agree. I'm tired of Holoday and Hanigan.

Just at this moment I am rooting for the Yankees and Sabathia at Toronto--0-0 after 6 1/2.

I just looked at the numbers for this year and am pretty sure I'm right.

Kimmi, I hear you and certainly respect your research and opinion. But I remain a doubter for the simple reason that in 2014 with Vazquez the pitching stunk and this year without him it has gotten steadily better. In other words I think framing pitches is overrated. I would also point out that we were assured he had a great throw to 2B, but the fact is that Sandy nails a higher percentage of baserunners.

I have no insights into Moncada's personality and was just pointing out why his mind might drift a little. He is the quintessence of inexperience, yet he's already been paid a king's ransom and moved directly to MLB despite the 18 month gap and no AAA and indeed very little experience at 3B --a position Farrell seemed prepared to hand over to him. Who knows? Maybe benching him woke him up. But me, I'm skeptical. Plus I'm pretty sure that, as fast as he is, he won't try to steal a base, which is one reason to keep him as the pinch runner. For at least the first five years he was on the active roster, Buchholz was the fastest runner on the team. They even used him now and then as a pinch runner, but soon gave it up because he was completely clueless out there. Moncada isn't that bad, but his inexperience will affect his ability to optimize his undeniable speed.