moonslav59

Let's hope Renfroe proves us both very wrong!

I see that point, but once you get this far, I don't see it as playing with house money. We deserve to be here, and we are no less deserving of winning than the Astros. They won 3 more games than us, this year while playing 17 more games vs teams under .500. We both have won 6 playoff games, this year. Sure, I'll think we played a good season, even if we lose 20-0 tonight, but I wouldn't word it like "nothing to lose." We have a chance at making the WS tolose, and that is huge! GO SOX!

Oh the humanity!

Plus, the ump has a catcher in the way every pitch. Other sports have their refs' vision blocked from time to time, but not like this. Having umps guess what are strikes is not fun for me.

No games will ever be perfect, and I don't strive for that. I certainly don't strive to have an ump make a bad call just to prove the world or the most wonderful game in the world is not perfect. I hope you don't fail to understand that.

This way they can never hit in back to back DPs!

I will never understand why that would matter to anyone. It's the right call. Watching an ump make a bad call is not entertainment and should never be.

Robo calls for balls and strikes is not replay. Mistakes by refs have always been something all sport leagues have tried to reduce by providing training for refs. This is just assisting them, and it will not take any longer to make the calls. It will speed up teh game, because it will greatly reduce arguing, and batter stepping out of the box to regroup after an horrific call.

Our first 5 hitters have 19 HRs in 10 playoff games, this year. 43 RBIs, too!

This can be nothing like replay and seamless. We don't even have to notice any change. You can even pretend the ump is making the call he is hearing in his invisible earpiece. Win-win!

Renfroe 8th is a significant move. They also had been putting Verdugo up 5th and JD up 6th vs righties for a while, but they flipped them back. I was worried they might go with Vaz, because he seems to be hitting better and not GIDPs like Plawecki (something like 3 in 7 PAs), but I guess Cora believes in Catcher-Pitcher Karma.

You should have opened an open-ended parlay for a bigger payout or just bet on the Sox to with the ALCS after game 5.

The ball strike call can be through a near invisible earpiece. The call should be instantaneous. No headsets. No delays. Just 100% right and timely calls.

This might be what matters most.

That Graveman deal was a real head-scratcher (Joe Smith & Abraham Toro). He was pretty good 19 inning in 2020 (1.232 WHIP), but was doing very well for SEA. He actually dropped off a lot for the Astros after the trade. There was some grumbling, here, after a 6 game stretch shortly after the trade, where he had a 7.71 ERA and .858 OPS Against. His HOU numbers for 2021: 1.391 WHIP in 23 IP. Montero was basically a scrub throw in who has only pitched 6 IP for the Astros. There was talk he'd be DFA'd after the trade. He didn't pitch after AUG 8th. Maton is a career 1.407 WHIP journeyman. He has not done well with HOU since the trade: 1.579 WHIP and 4.97 ERA in 25.1 IP Yimi Garcia has sucked since the trade, but he was pretty good beforehand. 5.48 ERA and 1.078 WHIP in 21.1 IP w HOU, this year. Sox pitchers added at or after the deadline: Robles 3.60/1.360 in 25 IP Davis 4.86/1.500 in 16.2 IP From own system: Sale 3.16/1.336 Brasier 1.50/1.333

Don't spend all your winnings in one place.

I don't want them to. Why do keep taking what I say to mean that? Of course I want us to go up 12-0. My point is, we can and have comeback more than any other team, so it does not seem as important to our team as it did to 29 other teams, but you keep acting like we are doomed, if we go down early. Also, the Astros still win more than half their games, when the opps lead after 1 inning, so going up on them is no guarantee of winning, either. None of these stats are meant to show we have a better chance of winning by falling behind or that I want us to have to come back and win. We win way more games, when we take an early lead. That is an obvious thing. My point is that no team does better at coming from behind, so why is that the one thing you keep harping on?

They weren't meant to reassure us, but it does show that getting a lead on Houston early does ot even give you a better than 50% chance of winning, so how important is that cliche? While winning 1 out of every 3 games you fall behind early or 1 out fo 4 by mid game does not sound all that good or "reassuring," it still is a significant amount of times to come back. MLB.com has us at 47 of our 92 wins were come from behind. I would never count us out, if the game is close.

If you think getting RP'er through free agency is a good idea, here is the record or recent season signings: (I'm not leaving anyone out. This is the complete list of the RP'er getting more than $5M. 2020-2021 $54M/3 Hendriks 71 IP, 0.732 WHIP, 2.54 ERA, $17.5M/2 Treinen 72 IP, 0.982, 1.99 $15.5M/2 T May 63, 1.261. 3.59 $12.5M/2 P Baez 4 IP $11M/1 Rosenthal 0 IP $10.5M/1 B Hand 43. 1.148, 3.59 (was DFA'd) $7M/2 K Giles 0 IP $6.3M/1 A Colome 65 IP, 1.400, 4.15 $6.0M/1 A Bradley 51, 1.431, 3.71 $5.5M/1 K Yates 0 IP $5.0M/1 A Bass 61, 1.288, 3.82 $5.0M/1 J McGee 60, 0.905, 2.72 $5.2M/2 J Wilson 34, 1.412, 5.29 19-20 $40M/3 W Smith (14 IP then 68, 1.095, 3.64) $34M/4 Pomeranz (19 IP then 26, 1.083, 1.62) $24M/3 W Harris (18 & 6 IP. 1.609, 4.56)) $14M/2 C Martin $11M/2 D Hudson $10.5/1 Betances $10M/1 Treinen $9M/2 Stammen $9M/1 Glausman $8M/2 Smith $7.5M/2 Diekman $6.4M/2 Yamaguchi $6M/1 Cishek $5.0M/1 Romo $5.5M/2 J Rodriguez $5.0M/2 P Johnson 18-19 $43M/3 Kimbrel 96IP in 3 yrs, 1.139, 3.67 $39M/3 Britton 99 IP in 3, 1.216, 2.65 $30M/3 Familia 146 IP, 1.555, 4.62 $27M/3 Ottavino $25M/2 A Miller $25M/3 J Kelly $23M/3 D Robertson $18M/2 Herrera $15M/2 Soria $10M/2 J Wilson $9M/1 Cahil $8.5/1 Cody Allen $8M/2 J Chavez $7M/1 D Holland

I know I often sound like a broken record, so I shouldn't cast stones, but I found this interesting stat. The Astros have won 56% of their games when down after the first inning. (We've won 35% or over a third.) When behind... After 2, they've won 38% to our 31%. After 3, 23 to 21%, but then if flips... After 4 innings, we win 26.2% to their 25.5%. After 5 innings, we win 28% to their 23%.

Assuming he has $40M to spend on 5 slots, fill in some names: $19M SP_______ (ERod?) $7M RP _______ (Ottavino?) $6M RP________ (????) $5M RP________ (????) $3M Utility______ (Iggy?)

Exactly, and over 162 games, the Astros won 3 more games than us. In the playoffs, we've both won 6 games. Every AL team has had serious flaws and ups and downs. I've documented all the ups and downs from the Sox, so here's a quick look at some Houston trends... They had 4 months of playing only 2-3 games above .500 and really made the playoffs based on their June>July record (35-17). In April, they won 4 in a row and 6 of 7, then lost 6 in a row and 9 of 10, before flipping again to winning 6 of 7. In May, they lost 3 in a row and 5 of 8 before winning 6 in a row. Later, they lost 4 straight and 6 of 7. Even in their good month of June, where they won 11 straight, they quickly lost 5 of their next 6. They started July off by winning 6 straight, then lost 3 straight and 5 of 7. Later, they won 6 of 7. How did their last 2 months go? They lost 5 of their first 6, won 5 of 6, lost 4 straight, won 3 straight, lost 2, then won 4 straight. they won-lost almost daily it into September before winning 4 of 5 and 8 of 10. Then, they lost 4 straight and 6 of the next 8 games before winning their last 2. They have yo-yo'd like all AL teams.

I've said utility IF is a low priority and Iggy would be great. If we do go big at 2B, I'd get someone who might replace Bogey, if he opt out (Baez or Semien,) but pitching is by far, my top priority.

The sample size is so small for Brasier. I don't think it's all that telling. Sure, I lost some confidence, but he had been lights out for a long time beforehand. We won't "save" Houck for tomorrow, if tomorrow might not ever come. To me, we'll use whoever we think id the best guy to get out who is coming up next. That very well might be Pivetta first, Whitlock second, and maybe Houck is not even needed, but if Cora likes the Houck match-up best, he might be the first one in. I trust Cora to use who is best. I hope we don't have to use all 3. It would be great to only need to use 1 (or none.)

I think a reversal is likely, not just possible. BTW, we won 92 games, this year. 47 were come from behind wins. That's a little more than half. Sure, our odds improve, if we score first or get a big lead, but it is not essential. This team is a "never say die" team. It's an elimination game. I'm sticking with my belief that this team will do what they have done all year: silence their critics. I know, now I sound like I'm locked in on trends continuing.