Maxbialystock
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Everything posted by Maxbialystock
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Meh. I agree the Sox have tended to prefer hitters over fielding in CF, but I think it's a little early to condemn Rafaela in his 2d full season. I offer two thoughts on the lack of plate discipline. First and foremost, right now he is hitting up a storm while lacking it. Second, we can only assume it will improve. And who wouldn't want a terrific centerfielder whose cumulative DWAR after 1 1/2 seasons is 3.5. Jackie Bradley's over 9 seasons was 9.9.
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Buehler was never on my radar screen. But I remember Pivetta well and didn't mind his departure.
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Of course not. Those 98 games were won in a 154 game season. I'm just agreeing one pitcher can make a huge difference in the playoffs.
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My bad. Good point about the pitching program. Historically, the Sox have relied heavily on acquiring starters from other teams.
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So would we all. But were you saying that before Pivetta left and after Buehler was signed?
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I agree. But this fan will be delighted if these Sox make the postseason.
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Absolutely, positively in the playoffs. Just ask the Dodgers who finally beat the Yankees in the 1955 WS with Johnny Podres starting and winning 2 games. In the regular season Podres had been 9-10. He was 23. Later Sandy Koufax was big. So was Bob Gibson for the Cardinals.
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I'm one of the unsophisticates. All I know is the Sox payroll this season is 12th in MLB whereas formerly (2018 and 2019) it was 1st. On the other hand, it's hard to complain about acquisitions Crochet, Chapman, Bregman, and Narvaez. Plus, now, Giolito, Dobbins, and maybe, possibly Buehler. Plus Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony being brought up from Worcester. Plus Gonzalez. Some real tests are right around the corner with the Rays, @ Cubs, @ Phillies, and Dodgers.
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We all like Crochet a ton, but I think you're overstating his value. He is one of 13 pitchers, doesn't hit, and pitches every 5th game. The Sox have won 11 of the games he has pitched in and 48 overall.
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Pivetta's MLB career ERA is 4.60. In 4 seasons with the Sox his ERA's were 4.53,k 4.56, 4.04, and 4.14. Credit to the Padres for signing him--this year his ERA is 3.07--but I find it hard to fault the Sox. You're dead right about Giolito, who to me was a big joke until he got going this season.
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A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II
Maxbialystock replied to moonslav59's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
Last year shows how hard it is these days to predict the Sox. I like this Sox team, which should get even better when Bregman, Dobbins, and Yoshida rejoin. But between now and the July 31 deadline the Sox play the Rays, @ the Cubs, @ the Phillies, the Dodgers, and @ the Twins. And let's not forget the AL East is still the toughest Division in MLB. -
He never should have let Story go.
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Great discussion of a variety of perspectives--thanks, everyone. I loved Devers as the DH, the perfect slot for him. He played every game and had an OPS of .905 with the Sox. Unlike most of the rest of you, I never saw him as a whiny malingerer. On the other hand, I honestly don't think he is missed much--nor did the Giants get a season-changer, at least not yet. DH is now a handy spot to use Anthony, Ref, and others. Without Devers and Bregman both, the Sox have been scoring 5.7 runs per game for 20 games. The publicity generated is another story because from the outset the Giants were credited with genius and the Sox with imbecility. Right now--and this is more hope than certitude--I see a pretty good Sox team emerging with good hitting, good defense, a decent rotation, and an up and down bullpen. Up ahead, from now to the trade deadline on July 31, the Sox play 13 games against tough teams: Rays, @Cubs, @Phillies, and Dodgers. @ Minnesota could also be tough. That will be a great test of just how good these 2025 Sox are--and inform Bregman about what deals he should make.
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Could not agree more.
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Wow. I did not know that. Does this mean that Breslow was right on both Gonzalez and Narvaez?
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Just gotta find something bad about a 10-2 win, a complete game by Bello, and 5 straight wins. You remind me of a scene on the Mary Tyler Show when some of them had been involved in putting on a play/show, which was criticized by a newspaper critic. Murray tells Mary and others that the critic pans everything, including Richard Burton in Hamlet when they came to Minneapolis. "You mean he didn't like Richard Burton?" he was asked. "He didn't even like the play."
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It took some pressure off of Duran. Eaton's OPS, season to date, is .333. What you don't know about managing a game and a team would fill volumes. And why the blatant animosity toward Cora?
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Freeland has pitched 8 of the 19 quality starts by the Rockies and tonight was 1 out from his 9th quality start. I thought he had excellent breaking stuff which he mixed well with this fastball.
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With a score of 10-0, who needs a hot-hitting catcher. Wong just might have been of some value to Bello who is pitching in the 8th freaking inning.
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.650 vs lefties. Others against lefties: Gonzalez 1.206, Ref .956, Eaton .856, Rafaela .823, Story .759, Toro .637, Anthony .639, Duran .580,
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😄 If only.
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Ellsbury had some pretty good seasons, especially 2011, with the Sox. Not so with the Yankees. JBJ cost a lot less and earned more WAR points with Boston than Jacoby did with the Yankees. This season I thought and said that Devers was great in the DH slot, where his OPS was .905 and he didn't miss a game. However, I didn't mind the "trade" with the Giants because the Sox still have a bunch of good bats and should get better when Bregman and Yoshida return. Since the trade, the Sox have a 10-9 record and SF 9-10--but it's early.
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It's a great story for them because of all the angles. Plus they can keep writing about how the Sox are doing, how the Giants are doing, and how Devers is doing. With the Sox his OPS was .905. With the Giants .735. Giants with Raffy are 9-10. Sox without Raffy (and Bregman) are 10-9.
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A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II
Maxbialystock replied to moonslav59's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
Narvaez has started 63 games. There are 12 other catchers who have started 60 or more games this season. Narvaez has started 63/92 games, which is 68% or a little over 2/3 of the Sox games. 2/3 of 162 games is 110 games. His OPS in July is .801 and in June was .761. So I'm not sure where your numbers are coming from. -
1. Granted, the past. But Rafaela and Story's improvements occurred over the entirety of June and early July. Anthony is already the real deal. Since June 16 the Sox have been without both Bregman and Devers and have scored 104 runs in 19 games, over 5 runs per game. 2. The "bad defense" includes Rafaela, Bregman/Mayer, Abreu, Narvaez, Hamilton, and Story--who are above average at CF, 3b, RF, C, and CF. Anthony and Wong both have positive DWAR's of +0.3. 3. Right about Buehler, but at least he's trying. Crochet, Bello, and Giolito have 11, 7, and 8 quality starts. 4. Casey Stengal with the Mets: "doesn't anyone here know how to play this game?" 5. Good catch. But it's still a positive sign. The Rockies are nuttin' and drew 32,441 last night. 6. We both agree the next month and a half will tell us a lot more.
