moonslav59

I'm glad you have started to admit some things about your shortcomings. It's the first step to all recovery programs.

It does seem to hurt more when you get outbid by the Rays, and then the guy goes on to be exactly what we needed. On the flip side, I'm glad HOU outbid us for Abreu.

It's really been a yo-yo year, and it's hard to get a read on this team. They seem to have energy and grit, but fall so flat, sometimes, that I have to wonder if this will be an ongoing trend. It's interesting that 10 of the 15 AL teams have winning records, while the last WC slot in the NL would go to either MIA or PHI at 20-21. The ALE and ALW both have 4 of 5 teams with winning records. In the NL, 2 divisions have 2 winning teams and the NLE is like the ALC, both having just one winning team. We are a quarter of the way through a long season, and there is plenty of time for teams to make serious moves, in either direction. I'm still optimistic about our chances, but certainly less than I was a week ago. The bright spot is that we might finally have 3 SP'ers we look forward to starting. The dark spot is we have no clue on who to go with for the other 2 slots, and not the pen is starting to crack.

Houston has now passed us in the WC standings. I mentioned a few days ago, how I was in more fear of the two teams behind us (NYY & HOU) than he 2 in front (TOR & BAL), and now we have 2 of those 4 to pass to win a WC slot. +3 BAL +1 TOR - NYY -1.0 HOU -1.5 BOS -1.5 LAA -2.0 SEA Now, we are letting SEA into the mix. It's time to knock them down a notch or two. This is the time we need to win, as the ALE teams are playing each other, a lot, and one will lose on those nights.

Grapes of Wrath is more like it.

No, I'm not taking your bait. Read into that however you wish. But, as always, you are wrong about my reasons for not responding. Now that Swi is gone and Stork only shows up after a bad stretch, you have become the Master-Baiter.

Why does it take so long for the Sox to see the obvious? I realize some choices have to be made out of necessity, but now we seem to have a glut of SP'er- most mediocre, at best, so what's the issue? Starting Whitlock might end up leading to the same conclusion as Houck, but maybe he deserves a start or two more. Sale, Bello and Paxton all deserve another start or more. It comes down to Whitlock, Pivetta, Crawford, Houck and maybe at some point, later on, Winck or Drohan. To me, Houck is last on this list, not because he's the worst pitcher, but because he'd be damn good in the pen, and we can't keep hoping he can go more than 3 IP. I'm not sure who is second to last, but it might end up being Whitlock for the same reason or out of concerns over his health and workload. That leaves Pivetta and Crawford as the #4 and #5, once the Whitlock situation becomes clearer, IMO.

I'm not sure they expected Kluber to be our #2, athough naming him the opening day starter shows otherwise. Whitlock was not ready on opening day, and I think most of us felt he projected to being better than Kluber by season's end.

I'm not going to go into all the mistruths you have told for years and then repeated when called out, in the interest of saving the board from our squabbling. IMO, you are one of the most one-sided posters on this site, and to feign showing all sides of the story and "the whole truth," quite frankly has me in stitches.

Is that the "whole truth?"

It seems so obvious- like DFA'ing Brasier (and next Bleier.)

You do a good job convincing yourself you tell the whole truth.

I'm not sure if we'd have even one more win had we not had Brasier or Bleier, but I want to think we would have several more.

Or, get the last 9 outs.

It's the only way to get through 6 IP without seeing the "third time through."

Mr. Human Element: "Man, that Casas guy sure has been in a big slump. Mr. Stat Geek: "But, he's our hottest hitter over the last 2 weeks with an OPS over 1.000!" Mr. Human Element: "I don't use those fancy metrics." Mr. Stat Geek: "Well, he does have a .345 BA in those 2 weeks." Mr. Human Element: "Well, they must be weak hits, because my eyes are telling me something different."

Many of the trades made a while back were thought to be near busts, busts or total busts, before the prospect portion of the trades started to come to fruition. Many are still in the minors, but they seem to look more promising. Some do not look any more promising or are out of our farm system. Here is a look at just some of the players and how they are doing. Betts for Verdugo Having his career year), Downs (DFA'd) and Wong (of to a very impressive start in 2023.) Workman (fizzled) and Hembree (frazzled) for Pivetta (having his worst season with the Sox after 2.3 decent seasons) and Seabold (bye-bye.) M Moreland (kinda over the hill) for Potts (gone) & Rosario (gone) Kevin Pillar for Jacob Wallace (traded for Wyatt Mills.) Benintendi for Cordero (DFA'd), Winckowski (off to a good start), FValdez & GGambrell (not impressive-still in system) and Luis de la Rosa (off to a nice start with Salem.) Renfroe for JBJ (DFA'd), Binelas (not doing well) and David Hamilton (off to a very good start in '23.) Vazquez (2 month rental and .585 OPS w HOU) for E Valdez (doing well for the Sox) and W Abreu (heating up and was supposed to be the best one of the two.) Diekman (was DFA'd by CWS) for McGuire (.798 OPS in first 60 games w BOS) Groome for Hosmer + $$$ (gone) and Ferguson (.390 OBP w 18 SBs with GRE/ last year .366 OBP and 61 SBs in HOU system) and Rosier (.801 OPS w POR w 18 SBs.)

You might convince yourself you see and tell "the whole story." BTW, the whole truth is there is no such thing as a jinx, and I never put any game in the win column before it was over, even if there was such a thing as a jinx, but the whole truth is some believe in jinx.

No doubt, and when every single small sample size shows bad numbers with McGuire, it does take away some from the smallness of the position taken. I will add that 4 of our SP'ers have not pitched to McGuire, this year, it kind of skews the data. No Houck No Whitlock No Paxton No Crawford as a starter Kluber has one start with Wong. Bello only has 5 starts. There is so much imbalance, it's really all about 2 pitchers: Pivetta and Sale. I'm not saying the numbers don't worry me: they do! I'm hoping this was just "the adjustment period," and it's time to show what we got.

Glass half full vs Old Red.

Not even close. It's always been about large enough sample sizes with the same pitchers, which are rare for 2 catchers. Do try to keep up. My post was directed towards the fickleness of small sample sizes.

Can you explain this? Crawford: 1.26 with McGuire (.412 OPSA) 6.35 with Wong (.854 OPSA) Winck to lesser extent: 1.86 w McGuire 3.00 w Wong I think these two probably saw Wong in the minors. Want more small sample size wonders? Whitlock 0.00 w Wong in 2022 6.19 w Wong in 2023 Should we pull Wong, when Jansen comes in? 0.00 w McGuire 7.71 w McGuire Oh, the wonders of small sample sizes.

He literally looked like a guy they grabbed off the street- an everyday, working class kinda guy. He had his brief moment of fame, well maybe not real brief, but like most mortals, he came back down to earth with the rest of us plebians.

No problem on trying to find whatever works.

It seems strange just how many of our pitchers are so far below their career marks and recent 2-3 year marks. I do think new battery mates plays a role, but it can't be everything. Tough schedule, pitch clock, cold weather? Those can only bring you so far. It's hard to pinpoint why this is happening, but I can't bring myself to think Vaz and Plawecki would have made a big impact. Kluber: Age? 35 3.83 ERA 36 4.34 ERA 37 6.41 ERA Pivetta: Reverting back to Philly Pivetta? 5.50 w Philly 4.55 last 2 years w BOS 6.23 in 2023 Whitlock: Injury/finding groove? 2.73 2021-2022 6.19 2023 Houck: Injury? Shifting roles? 3.02 ('20-'22) 5.26 2023 Career: 2.68 RP/3.81 SP