moonslav59

He did, for sure, and there were other that played similar and varying roles- all important.

Agreed. It also wouldn't be fair to the ghost of Ted Williams to now make it illegal. It would be like the NCAA making dunking the ball illegal just because a big black guy was going to dominate the game, oh wait...

It's a priority not a commitment. My guess is we don't bring JBJ back and try to stay under the line while seeing if we can win. By the deadline, we decide to sell-off or maybe go over the line and make one final run at it, depending on how well or poorly we are doing. My own personal view is to just decide to reset and trade JBJ, JD and Betts with the idea that we make a strong push to bring Betts back as a FA after 2020.

I was best at basketball but enjoyed football, baseball and softball more. I played volleyball and racquetball a lot- not much soccer. When young, I played hockey on an ice pond 3 houses down from my home. I dabbled in tennis but like team sports more. Never golfed. I got into bridge in my mid forties and became the fastest ever to become a Bronze Life Master in the State of Maine. (I only play online, now.) Nice to see we have many things in common.

Were fans booing LeMahieu, Ottavino or Boone?

So, you were only 4 deep?

What happened to all that pen depth?

All I can say is "WOW!"

I totally agree. While many players have said similar things like, "We'll take one game at a time," Millar's attitude was genuine bravado. He was relaxed and confident, and it rubbed off on others. There were others on that team that contributed to the chemistry needed to pull off that type of comeback vs a damn good team. It was just the right mix. Even Manny's playful child-like attitude along with calm intensity helped.

Well Sale and Price made all their starts, until they didn't. Here are Sale's games started totals since 2012: 29 30 26 31 32 32 27 25 (2019) Price since 2010: 31 34 31 27 34 32 35 16 30 22 (2019) Starts from 2010 to 2016 (7 seasons): 224 Price 210 Porcello (Sale 207 in his previous 7 seasons before 2019) 2010-2018 (9 seasons): 276 Porcello 265 Price That's about one more start per year. Porcello is now reaching the age where Price began to miss starts.

I'm not sure it really matters much, if the guy you are starting is likely to be yanked early. I guess one could argue a true pen game is when the starter will be yanked early, even if he is doing well. Here is our W-L records with our non top 5 starters (I guess we did worse than I thought): GS Pitcher team records (pitcher ERA as a starter) 8 Velazquez 5-3 6.75 (22 IP) 7 Johnson 3-4 5.09 (23 IP) 6 Cashner 1-5 8.01 (30.1) 5 Chacin 2-3 7.90 (13.2) 3 Weber 2-1 7.94 (11.1) 3 Lakins 0-3 0.00 (5.2) 2 J Smith 0-2 9.82 (7.1) 1 J Taylor 0-1 0.00 (1.0) 1 D Hern 0-1 9.00 (3 IP) 1 Poyner 0-1 0.00 (2 IP) The bottom 5 were the obvious "BP games" and we went 0-8 in those starts, despiye some good efforst by some of the "starters". Interesting to note that the two guys we brought in from outside the organization went 3-8 with an ERA just under 8.00. The team went 8-7 in Velazquez and Johnson starts combined. (10-8 adding Weber) Note: we were 7-5 in Eovaldi's 12 starts. We were 18-14 in Porcello's starts. 25-19 Eovaldi+ Porcello .568 10-8 Johnson, Velazquez & Weber) .556 Basically, a 1% better chance of winning with our #4 & #5 slot starters over our #6-8's.

Here's a look at the biggest RP'er signings in recent years: '15-'16 $7.75M x 4 Darren O'Day 177 IP/1.05 WHIP/2.80 ERA $8.3M x 3 J Soria 190 IP/ 1.26/ 3.40 $7.3M x 3 R Madson 170 IP/ 1.02/ 2.55 $6.0M x 3 T Sipp 135 IP/ 1.32/ 3.99 $6.1M x 2 Clippard 134 IP/ 1.19/ 3.22 $6.0M x 2 Bastardo 125 IP/ 1.26/ 3.82 $5.75M x 2 C Young 212 IP/ 1.33/ 4.37 (1/2 SP'er) '16-'17 $17.2M x 5 Chapman 159 IP/1.10/2.61 (2 seasons left) $16.0M x 5 Jansen 203 IP/0.93/ 2.66 ( 2 left) $15.5M x 4 Melancon 136 IP/1.42/ 3.70 (1 left) $7.63M x 4 B Cecil 100 IP/1.47/ 4.86 (1 left) '17-'18 $17M x 3 Wade Davis 108 IP/1.38/ 5.92 (1 yr left) $9.0M x 3 Bryan Shaw 127 IP/1.55/ 5.61 (1 left) $9.0M x 3 Jake McGee 93 IP/ 1.44/ 5.54 (1 left) $10.5M x 2 B Morrow 74 IP/ 0.98/ 1.82 $9.0M x 2 T Hunter 69 IP/ 1.18/3.50 $8.5M x 2 J Nicasio 89 IP/ 1.52/ 5.34 $8.4M x 2 A Reed 56 IP/1.43/ 4.50 $8.0M x 2 P Neshek 42 IP/ 1.25/ 3.61 $14M x 1 G Holland 46 IP/ 1.62/ 4.66 '18-'19 $14.3M x 3 Kimbrel 21 IP/1.60/ 6.53 (2 yrs left) $13.0M x 3 Britton 61 IP/ 1.14/ 1.91 (2) $10M x 3 Familia 60 IP/ 1.73/ 5.70 (2) $9.0M x 3 Ottavino 66 IP/ 1.31/ 1.90 (2) $12.5M x 2 A Miller 55 IP/ 1.32/ 4.45 (1) $11.5M x 2 D Robertson 7 IP/ 2.10/ 5.40 (1) $9.0M x 2 Herrera 51 IP/ 1.62/ 6.14 (1) $7.5M x 2 J Soria 68 IP/1.03/ 4.24 (1) $8.5M x 1 C Allen 23 IP/ 1.91/ 6.26

I wasn't really thinking of his starts as pen games, but I guess we knew he'd likely be yanked after 1-3 innings. Either way, we won a lot of games that our 5th starter or pen started.

I remember feeling so dejected after the third loss. That 2003 team was something special, and I felt they'd show it in 2004. They shocked me and the world! I'm not sure, if I've ever been happier than after that final out in the World Series.

I was kind of surprised how well we did in BP games, especially since everybody was saying our pen sucked.

I have had OCD since childhood. I used to channel it towards scoring every Sox game over the radio or TV and mulling over stats and data. That being said, I played sports every waking hour I was free from school, sleeping or eating. We used to shovel my driveway to play basketball in winter. We'd have to bring the ball inside and run hot water over it, because the cold made it go flat. The dirt and grime on the ball literally wore all my finger prints off my chapped fingers- no joke. I used to take medicine for the OCD, but I stopped many years ago. I still have tendencies to get caught up in data, but I channeled some into my work and into my biggest two passions: the Red Sox and contract bridge. I tried out for the University of Notre Dame baseball team and made the first cut, but I never really had a chance as a walk-on. I player inter-hall sports at ND, which was very high level- lots of all state players. The football was in pads. We won the football championship my freshman year (I was a WR & DB.) and my senior year (I was the QB and DB.) The pick-up basketball games at The Rock, often included guys like Orlando Wooldrige and football players that we all state in high school basketball. We also won the basketball championship my freshman year, and I was our high scorer in the final game. I was a fierce competitor, and maybe that comes out here, at times, when I feel challenged or put down. I don't think I fit into any one category. I am certainly a "stat geek," but not in a way maybe most people think about them. I've played the game to know enough about team chemistry and all the intangibles and nuances that go into winning or losing.

I think this year's injury to Sale was different from last's. I'm not sure, if that's good or bad. If he needs surgery, let's get it over with, now, so he'll be back that much sooner. Who knows? Price? He pitched 7 innings one- in the middle of APRIL! Then, they restricted his innings and pitches. Something happened, yet no surgery. Who knows? Eovaldi did end the year pitching, and maybe Sale or Price would have, too, had we been in the race, but he didn't look anywhere near like the October 2018 Eovaldi. Who knows? We have 3 big question marks. Probably, the odds are 1-2 do well in 2020. If it's two, we might be in contention. If it's one, likely not. If it's all 3, we may win it all, assuming no big drop-offs from others.

Too subjective for me to answer. I couldn't find anything on Baseball Reference or fangraphs.

54.574%

I'm thinking that if the Dodgers would pay $400M x 10 for Betts, they wouldn't want to give up talent in trade, too. Just sign him the next winter.

I think people will be surprised how much he gets from somebody... maybe us.

Stat geeks use data to support their claims. Non stat geeks use anecdotal evidence or personal observations to support their claims. Both side believe they are right and have evidence to support their positions. Both sides come across as righteous and maybe some as know-it-alls. Both sides are trying to "educate" the other side, and it "hits home" when someone criticizes whatever side you are on. Here's an example: someone claims, "JBJ is in an awful slump." I reply, "he has an .830 OPS over the last week and is at .800 over the last month." Yes, in my mind, I'm thinking, "That's an end to this debate," and maybe I'm wrong for thinking that way. Maybe the guy has 10 cheap hits and has K'd 40% of the time. I can see how someone would think I'm being a smug stat geek, but I don't see it that way. We can flip the script to the other side and find an equal examples of smugness from those who disavow stats or don't use them as much. They've "played the game" or "coached the game." Some appear to assume every stat geek never played the game or understand any nuances of the game or what goes on in a player's head or in the dugout of clubhouse. Maybe, the assumption is all stat geeks were nerds who never played sports. Who knows. It bugs me. It bugs you. I'm not sure either of us mean to bug the others, but it clearly happens. (Okay, some hear seem to intentionally bug others.) I don't think either side is worse than the others, and I recognize both sides doing the same thing, and I'm guilty myself, at times.

We'd be a contender with a mix at 5th starter if 2 out of Sale, Price & Eovaldi are at "top form," because I'm assuming ERod will be the same. That would be 3 solid starters. That's all you need to compete. We'd have made the playoffs, this year, if 2 had done as hoped for.

2 out of 3 at top form would make us contenders. We may wait to the deadline before deciding to trade pieces.

I'm thinking 6 years- tops. More likely 4-5.