moonslav59

I do think one reason we held onto 5 OF/DHs was to cover for a possible sophomore slump by Anthony. Mayer was not handed the job, and we added IKF, Durbin & Monasterio over the winter as coverage. Campbell was handed the FT job, last spring, and we had very little behind him, but there was some hope for a DHam-Romy platoon. We started this season with Tolle & Early in AAA.

Agreed, but nor really unprecedented. The 2019 team had super high expectations and started out 11-17. 2020 was historic, and we started out 10-20. 2022 has some high promise after 2021, and we started out 10-19. 2024 started out okay, but then we had a 4-11 stretch in early May to go from 18-13 to 22-24.

soxprospects.com is one of my favorite websites. They do a pretty good job providing information on the team's prospects. Of course, they get some rankings wrong, but they are pretty accurate most of the time. Here is a look at their top 5 prospects from 2003 to today. I took the liberty of selecting the best 5 from their Spring, Summer and Fall rankings. Any lower ranked prospects that did well were added in parenthesis. (Highest ranking that year provided) Sometimes I left our prospects who graduated that year or soon afterwards, if I listed them in previous years. 2003: 2 Lester, 1 Youkilis, 2 HRam, 1 Freddie Sanchez, 4 Shoppach (D Murphy & Jorge de la Rosa) 2004: 1 Lester, 3 Pedey, 1 Youkilis, 1 HRam, 5 Papelbon (B Moss) 2005: 3 Pedey, 1 Papelbon, 1HRam, 3 Anibal Sanchez, 4 Abe Alvarez (Buchholz & Lowrie) 2006: 1 Papelbon, 1 Ellsbury, 4 Pedey, 2 C Hansen, 5 B Cox (Masterson & Cla Meredith) 2007: 1 Buchholz, 1 Ellsbury, 4 Pedey, 4 Masterson, 3 Bowden (D Bard, Doubront & Reddick) 2008: 1 Buchholz, 1 Masterson, 1 Lars Anderson, 3 Lowrie, 3 Reddick (Middlebrooks & Casey Kelly) 2009: 1 Anderson, 1 C Kelly, 2 Bowden, 2 Reddick, 3 D Bard (Tazawa, Westmoreland, Fife, Alex Wilson) (Pretty crappy farm.) 2010: 1 Kelly, 2 Reddick, 2 Anderson, 3 Kalish, 4 Rizzo, 5 Iggy (Workman) 2011: 2 Iggy, 1. Kalish, 1 Middy, 2 Ranaudo, 3 Doubront (Barnes) 2012: 1 Bogey, 1 Middy, 2 Barnes, 3 Iggy, 4 JBJ 2013: 1 Bogey, 2 JBJ 3 Barnes, 3 Webster, 4 Owens (Betts & Margot) 2014: 1 Betts, 5 ERod, 1 Swihart, 3 Margot, 4 Cecchini (Vazquez, Devers, Kopech, T Shaw) 2015: 3 Devers, 1 ERod, 1 Moncada, 5 Beni, 4 Margot (Dubon) 2016: 2 Devers, 1 Moncada, 3 Beni, 5 Kopech, 3 Espinoza) 2017: 1 Devers, 4 Houck, 1 Groome, 2 Chavis, S Travis (Beeks) 2018: 3 Houck, 2 Casas, 4 Dalbec, 1 Chavis, 2. Mata (Duran) 2019: 5 Houck, 3 Duran, 2 Dalbec, 1 Casas & Chavis (Bello) 2020: 4 Duran, 1 Casas, 2 Downs, 3 Mata, 5 Jimenez (Song & Yorke) 2021: 4 Whitlock, 5 Houck, 3 Duran, 2 Mayer, 1 Casas (Bello) 2022: 3 Rafaela, 1 Casas, 4 Rafaela, 3 Bello, 3 Yorke (Anthony, Abreu) 2023: 1 Anthony, 1 Mayer, 3 Teel, 4 Rafaela, 2 Bleis (Dobbins) 2023: 1 Anthony, 1 Mayer, 3 Rafaela, 3 Teel, 2 Bleis (Abreu) 2024: 1 Anthony, 2 Campbell, 2 Mayer, 3 Teel, 5 Montgomery (Meidroth, Tolle, Early, Fitts, Valera) 2025: 1 Anthony, 1 Tolle, 2 Mayer, 2 KC, 2 Arias (Early, Perales, Sandlin) 2026: 1 Tolle, 2 Arias, 3 Early, 4 Witherspoon, 5 Valera (Eyanson, Gonzales) Graduates still on the Sox: 2021 Whitlock & Houck 2022: Duran, Crawford, Bello & Wong 2023: Casas & Kelly 2024: Abreu, Rafaela & Slaten 2025: Anthony, Mayer & Campbell

I know what the word suspect means and that it rhymes with prospect. Apparently, someone graduates from prospect to suspect when they meet your criteria. To say Story is not "suspect" is about as wildly absurd as you have ever been, and that's saying a lot. Words don't mean what only you want them to mean. Thinking they do is epic cluelessness.

Story is not suspect because you say so? His health has been suspect for 3+ years. His bat has been suspect due to his inflated COL home splits. His defense has been suspect since 2025. His arm from before that. So, do you hear the "prospects are coming" and conclude we are more sure than you they will be great? That we expect they will be great year 1 and two? You know, when Betts, Bogey and Bradley were prospects, we heard a lot of hype, and some took a year or two to find their groove. There are other times some prospects get hyped and flop, but rarely have we had 3 like now and like the 3 Bees from the mid 2010's. I don't get why you keep having to bring up the fact that some fans get excited about having good looking young players in the pipeline. It's almost always better than having nothing.

Overanalyzing again, I see. LMAO. What's funny is that I didnt even have a different opinion than you, so if I was wrong, so were you. You crack me up! I'm sure your street corner buddies all agree with you.

If I told you Story be batting 2nd because its a SSS, that might be viewed as defending him batting 2nd.. I don't think I said it, and you claiming I did makes me doubt it even more.

Nobody is denying the rookies have not helped.

Your issue with hype seems obsessive. I think we all expected a learning curve and understood the chances of flopping or under performing expectations is always possible, as it is with a 28 vet with a .850+ OPS for 3 straight years. Every player is suspect to some degree, but you are hyperfocused on highly-regarded prospects for some reason. You might criticize vets for not meeting expectations, but never call them "suspects." Is it your cute word play on rhyme? Prospect>>> Suspect

He's not at bat this very moment.

He's 2 for 6 vs LHPs, with his only HR. (Talk about SSS.)

It's hard to argue that more practice would not have helped, but the guy lacks even the basic fundamentals, so I just can't believe they thought he would not be awful, as Joe suggested. Hell, EValdez might have been better, and they knew he sucked, too. (Note: he got a longer look.)

You didnt say letting Renfroe go was a mistake. You aren't the only one never admitting a mistke.

Yes, I doubt it. I simply can't imagine me ever defending batting Story in a top 4 slot. If it's anything like you saying I said Duran up first was a "stupid idea," then yes I doubt anything and everything you say about another's position.

I never said Duran batting first was a "stupid idea." You go on an on about me saying you "hated Cora," but why is okay for you to invent complete lies about my positions? Why is someone agreeing with you add more weight to your position? When I say Anthony has a .350 OBP in the one slot, I'm just offering a reason to MAYBE not make a switch. It's not saying Duran up first is "stupid." I may not think it's good idea, but the idea has some merit.

Tell that to man who is never wrong.

Yes, I did and still am/will. He's going to be a hell of a player. I never claimed he would certainly be great in 2025. You act like only prospects are "suspect." Newsflash: everyone is, including devers, Bichette, Bregman, Alonso and...

He has a way of wording things that allows claiming being right, no matter what happens, or he just changes the meanings of words to make it corrrect.

I doubt it, although I do claim SSS often, even if I don't like the choice made. I often mentioned Contreras 2nd and Abreu 4th, but that messed up Cora's obsession with L-R-L-R...

.350 from the leadoff man is better than 2 HRs from Duran.

If he had hit .775+, he very well might have been the DH. He may have been the DH, if Cora woulda talked devers into 1B.

That's a much better strategy than utilityman.

Again, I'm not arguing it made sense, but the guy sucks on D. I've been saying he should be the DH, but someone as athletic as KC always brings out the hope that he can "learn a position." I'm not sure that is true for everybody. He should have been moved off SS earlier: do you agree? Should they have given him 1500+ innings at 2B, and how long do you stick with this, if he still sucks after 800-100 innings? (Not that I'm sure he would have.)

Congrats: this is the 50th time you've said this.

I don't recall anybody defending tory up 2nd. I do remember a guy raving about his RBI totals. Was it thew same guy who went years talking about letting Renfroe's 100 RBis go?