moonslav59

You do realize top pitching prospects often fail, right? Also, that a major overpay, although it does probably get DD's attention.

I will say I am not for putting your 9th best OBP guy up first, all year long, Only Rafaela has more than 150 PAs and a lower OBP, and I don't want him up first, either. I do question the timing of the swap, as I do those who are saying Story should not be in the line-up, right after his best (or second best) stretch of the season,

I don't doubt it. We'd have to make an offer they could not refuse. It might be one I'd refuse, too.

It's something you live with. One time, I was out walking dog in the streets of Mexico City, and a kid came up and asked if my dog bites, as she reached out to pet him. I said, "Si, si," thinking she asked if it was okay to pet him, You should have seen her arm T-Rex in a flash. I wish I learned Spanish better than I did. I know I tried. I know I was motivated. I just couldn't do it, for the life of me. Now, I teach English and see some people have the same issues I had with Spanish.

You still don't get it. I know what side you on. I'm fine with it. My point was about it being okay or not for a manager to refuse to do what his boss asked him to do. Again, we don't know if he was asked or not, so don't go now claiming I'm calling Cora insubordinate, like you said I did with Devers.

You are currently confused, too.

I took beginning French 3 times in my life. I had to drop it in college, after one semester, because I know I was going to fail. I took beginning Latin for the second semester to meet my graduation criteria. You keep brining up examples of people who did it, and maybe it wasn't easy for some of them, but I do know it is extremely difficult for some adults to learn a new language, myself included, and I had incentive to learn it, too.

No, I did not. Please stop this. I said Cora might be viewed that way, if he was told to ask/tell Devers to play 3B, but refused to do what his bass said, but I did not know if he was told to do so, or not. If he was told to and did not, it's text book insubordination. I'm not sure Devers was ever asked or told to play 1B, other than through the media. If he was never told to do it, it's not insubordination. My position is we don't know. I have said that if they told Devers to and he refused, then it would be insubordination, but as always, you hear what you want to hear or twist what I say into something not true. It's what you do, even after being corrected. I do think he should have volunteered to do whatever is best for the team, like he openly did in SF, and maybe he did in private with the Sox. We don't know jack, so I'm not calling him any names, except a "great hitter."

All true, but we have to keep trying to fix the major issues while playing the best options we have, until it's fixed. I also still think Story might improve enough to be a slight plus at SS or 2B for the next 1.5 to 2.5 seasons. I think that more than I do for DHam, Grissom & Romy combined. That might not be saying much, and I've made the point that we can't be winners with just Bregman and 8 slightly plus everyday players: we need more major plus players, but until we get them, I'll settle for slightly plus over what we are currently seeing at several positions. I'm not for "settling" as a long term plan.

Murphy is a way better back-up catcher than Wong, even as he ages. His bat would be a big plus at DH and when he catched 20-25% of the time. The $15M x 3 is less than Story's $24M x3, so even if we pay ATL $9M x 3, we break even on money and get the bat and depth at C we need. I have no idea if ATL has any interest in Story, even without adding a penny to their 3 year budget. I do think they need a SS, though. (BTW, this trade was notin's idea.)

Yes, that is one reason why you have been around, so much. Still won't admit it wasn't me that called Devers bad names, though- just as expected.

Injury does worry me, but to me, Bregman is a proven star on O and D and helps his teammates be better. Every 4-5 year deal is a big risk.

That's why I said I just hope he comes back next year and maybe a few years afterwards. I'd be willing to go 4-5, just so we get him for the first 2-3 years.

I didn't call it insubordination. Thanks for actually answering my question and saying you are fine with a manager not doing what his boss wants him to do, just because you agree with the position the manager took.

I did say "maybe."

Max, I too hate blaming the GM for injuries, but he did sign a guy he knew was out until August (Sandoval) instead of signing a guy known for being healthy- like Gio- LOL! He signed Buehler, fully knowing his injury history rivaled that of Sale. If only he bounced back like Sale did- LOL! He signed an 80 year old closer (Chapman) and 75 year old set up man (Wilson,) and lo-and-behold, they are the ones staying healthy and doing well- LOL! He knew Casas was a china doll and then traded away Meidroth as a throw in on a trade, but hey, he got lucky with Toro-Romy, when he couldn't get his manager to get Devers to even try 1B. (Not funny, so no LOL.) Other teams have major injuries and players doing way worse than expected: Yankees with Cole and D Williams and the Astros with 5 SP'ers and J Alvarez. We suck at pitching, hitting, defense and baserunning. Even the guys that are supposed to be good at those things have not been as expected. Maybe that is not Brez's fault, but the fact is, we'd suck, even if Bregman, Hendriks, Gio and Houck were healthy all year long.

Don't expect Red to admit he confused me with someone else.... maybe you.

Not everyone's brain is hardwired for language acquisition as easily as the next guy, especially adults. Again, I'm not defending Devers, but the guy doesn't live here. He works here, then goes home. he will likely not retire here, either. He doesn't need to speak English to do his job, and maybe doesn't care about communicating Americans who does not speak Spanish.

Maybe Houck can be great from the pen. Burdi might help, some. Murphy is a wildcard & what if. We need Bregman and Dobbins back and in top form to have any shot. I doubt even that is enough.

Once Bregman returns, maybe we can get ATL to take Story, plus some cash and maybe a guy like Mullins for Murphy and his rather large contract. Murphy could DH when not catching.

I usually disagree with almost every point you make, but I agree with everything here. Nice job TYPM. Keep it up! 😊

This may very well be 100% true, and I can see no evidence to the contrary, but are you okay with a GM wanting his manager to get a player to play another position, and there is evidence that Brez wanted Devers at 1B, and the manager not even asking the player to try it? Some might call it insubordination by Cora. Some might call it cowardice. Some might call it that Cora is just sticking to his convictions and doesn't have to do what his boss wants. Do you fall into any of these categories or one I did not mention? Do you think it's okay that Cora did not try to make happen what his boss wanted to happen? Please try to answer this actual question and not deflect to another issue. To me, this question gets to the meat of Cora's culpability or not, in this whole nasty fiasco.

I came right out and said we don't know if even Brez asked or told Devers to play 1B. My point was only that Devers never even tried on a 1Bman's mitt, then immediately said, "I'll play anywhere they want me to play," once with the SFG. Cora failed to get Devers to play 1B, whether he spoke with him or not. Brez failed to get Devers to play 1B, whether he politely asked him to, begged him to or demanded him to do it, or even if he just laid out what they wanted and left it at that: no ask/no tell. Devers never even practiced at 1B. I'm leaping to no conclusions other than we failed to get him to play 1B, My opinion is that everyone shares in the blame, and I'm not sure who is most to blame, but my gut says the player, because I believe a player should always do what is best for the team and defer to the manager on what specifically that is. I've played a lot of organized sports in my life, and often disagreed with how the coach/manager used me, but I would never dream of saying no to anything asked of me. On the contrary, I'd jump at anything asked of me and do my best to show I can do it well, in hopes he would use me more often or in more meaningful roles.

100% We could easily be winning more games with a better O, better D and better baserunning.

Getting Bregman was perhaps the best thing this organization has done, other than maybe Crochet, since the Nate trade in 2018. He fell in their lap, at the last minute. Okay, maybe they mishandled how they approached Devers and dealt with how he perceived the "broken promises" from the departed GM. While I think plenty of blame can be directed at Brez, Cora & Co for this whole fiasco, the fact is, Devers needed to do the right thing, and he didn't or wouldn't. The vast difference in his statements in BOS vs those made in SF are very telling, to me. Nobody is blameless in this whole long-lasting event.