moonslav59

Good one! It sure is nice seeing Jansen looking like Jansen, again. Keep it going!

Crawford vs Ragans (LHP) Let's hope Crawford can get it back together, and we do better vs LHPs than we have much of the season. It was sure nice to win the first 2, but one more would be really great! GO SOX!

BAL, MIN & KCR lost. NYY postponed. Good night for the Sox. WC race 67-47 BAL (0.5 GB NYY for ALE) 63-49 MIN 63-52 KCR 61-51 BOS -0.5 (+1 in loss column on KCR) 58-55 HOU -4.0 57-55 TBR -4.5 AL East NYY - BAL -0.5 BOS -5.5 TBR -9.5 TOR -15.0

That was a very satisfying win. More than just "fun."

He sure looks like the real deal, now. He has swing that is not something I can honestly say I like, but it gets results, and what to criticize? Before long, we'll be hearing Red say he always liked the signing, but just felt we "overpaid."

SAL won 3-2 in 10, but WOW!!! Valera is unbelievable! 4 IP 0 H 0ER 2BB 5K Taylor went 4-5 Woo lost, tonight. EValdez and Dalbec homered. Casas 1-4 w BB Grissom 0-5 POR won 7-0 as I Coffey went 5 IP (5H, 0ER, 0BB and 11Ks!) Binelas homered. Anthony 2-5 Campbell 1-3 w 2BB Teel 1-3 w 2BB Jordan 2-5 w 2B and 5 rbi Ehrhard 1-4 GRE lost 9-4, but E Rod pitched okay. Riemer 2-3 Castro 2-5 Romero 1-3

Gotta like how this team strikes right back, immediately after Bello gave up the lead. Yoshida is really reshaping his image with Sox Nation. I hope he can keep this up. He's been a big boost to the O.

Staring Rafaela at SS in 53 games (52 in CF,) which was out of necessity, at first, at least, has made Cora's OF juggling act easier. Injuries to O'Neill and the platoon aspect or Abreu and Refsnyder helped, too, but once we add Anthony, I think the task becomes too difficult and cumbersome. Players that ar just too good on O and or D will be riding the bench, while we watch our shallow pitching staff cough up game after game..

But, no mention of a "scheduled day off" for Devers, Duran or Rafaela. I'd add O'Neill to the list but his several mini-injuries and illnesses gave him some days off, here and there. Catchers always get more days off, so they don't count. Your point is a good one, though, granted. We only have 3 guys with over 70 games started (non DH) out of 111. Wong is 4th with 70! I liked the idea or "resting Wong" at DH, like they did 5 times. O'Neill and Devers would have more GS'd, if it wasn't for injuries.

I just don't see the "scheduled days off" or hear them called that, this year, by Cora.

Rafaela should be the FT CF'er, next year- a full year before ref's control years run out. The middle IF should take care of itself, unless one of two things happen: 1. Story gets hurt, again. 2. Mayer is not what we hope he is. Our 2B could be fine with Story or Mayer, or with these 3-4 guys fighting it out or platooning 2B: DHam-Romy Grissom-Sogard I kinda like a Mayer at SS and Story at 2B combo, with DHam and Romy as UT. If Grissom beats out Romy, fine.

Indeed. I will say, their 4th place team, DET at 53-60, looked a lot better, early on and is 1 GB the ALW 3rd place team (TEX.) They are the only division with three 63 win teams. The NLW has 3 with 61+. The ALE has 3 with 60+.

No doubt, and one season's results do not tell the whole story.

Good word choices. Persistent works, too.

That sounds like a likely scenario, and maybe Brez pushed the scale back. I was not a big fan of it, last year, and the extra rest sure looked like it did not help our late season play, at all. That being said, I have no beef with Cora.

I really think we have to set things up for 2025 with Rafaela viewed as the FT CF'er, and this is not just about last night's catch. The guy is flat out awesome in CF, and below average at SS on D. I'm okay with going into 2025 with rafaela as the 4th or 5th string SS (or even 2Bman,) but that should be an emergency situation worse than even 2024 was. Beginning with Rafaela in CF, that forces Duran to be the FT LF'er, because his arm is not a Fenway RF arm. That's 2 slots in the OF filled for 2025, right now- in my book. Assuming no O'Neill or O'Neill replacement, that leaves RF and DH to find enough PAs for these guys: L Yoshida (should only DH or platoon DH or be traded) L Abreu (kills RHPs and could use more consistent D in RF) R Refsnyder (should really DH or play Fenway LF or Yankee Stadium RF.) L Anthony (may start 2025 in AAA and "solve the problem" by staying there, but eventually a squeeze will happen. If Refsnyder bolts after 2025, we'll have a very solid OF, but all will be lefties. That may not be a major problem, if they all keep doing so well. but Abreu need to prove he can hit LHPs. Maybe Campbell can play LF by the start 2026, but then how do we play everyone without moving Duran to CF and Rafaela to RF and then what about Anthony. I'll say it again: we are loaded and will be overloaded in the OF. We have serious needs building up our staff and an owner that seems reluctant on spending on top pitchers- large and long. We should trade an LHB OF'er, not named Duran, this winter.

And that guy, Duran is now one hell-of-a defender!

I kinda saw it early, this year: this team seems to have more "heart" or "soul," or whatever you want to call it. "Grit" is another word I have used. For those who think I'm all about data and numbers, I'm not. Nothing about what I just said can be supported by any tangible evidence, but my gut has said this team is different... and i a good way. I like the enthusiasm the youth movement has brought to the table. I like that speed is now a strength on this team. As much as it sucks to see one area of the team struggling mightily, like our rotation has been for over a month, the rest of the team seems to pull up the slack, when needed and put a stop to any prolonged losing stretch. Our depth has carried us for much of the year, and that is even if you don't count Houck as the preseason 6th SP'er. Criswell has been a godsend. We've had rotating pen guys that carried us for significant stretches (Slaten, Bernardino, Kelly and now Booser.) This has been an exciting team to watch, and I expected it to be back in March. We had so many storylines back in March- almost as many as 40. Excitement is not everything: I get that. Missing the playoffs will suck, and our goal should never be to "just not finish last." But, this has been fun, and we are closing in oh the three-quarter mark of the season. GO SOX!

We did our best to help them avoid this.

Seems a bit strange, since our record and games behind almost exactly mirror, last year's, until maybe now.

Is it me, or does Cora seem to be giving less "scheduled" days off, this season?

I'm surprised by the AL Central having the best team in MLB and 2 WC teams, as of now.

I think you posted some other placements, earlier. Do we have a breakdown on every draftee's placement, now?

It will be how the season ends that makes the difference (or not.)

IMO, we'd be wasting a player on the bench and should trade someone to improve the pitching. If we had no high need area, like pitching, then I'm fine with having a very good player on the bench, everyday.