illinoisredsox

In the end, there there’s a huge difference between the two, but the sheer number of games magnifies small differences in success. The number of wins you used is about 3 wins per month over the season. What was it they said in Bull Durham. One hit a week is the difference between the mediocre .250 hitter and a HOF .300 hitter.

It’s a culture that’s been instilled over the past several seasons. The kids who came up in the early to mid teens were surrounded by an organization (owner, executives, managers and coaches, and older players) who were used to and committed to winning. Ownership abandoned that when they fired Dombrowski, the player leaders moved on and despite lip service, they were not replaced. They couldn’t even get a semiexperienced front office type to interview when they fired Bloom (what was Breslow, the 11th or 12th guy they contacted? Basically, you have Devers from those years, and I think we can all agree he is not a leader. Not his fault, some people aren’t (I am not one, for example). These current young players haven’t had the same culture the kids from a decade ago did. They caught lightening in 21, but most of those guys are gone as well. There is a lesson/hope to be taken from the Tigers. On August 10th last year, they were 55-63 and weren’t looking all that great. They finished the season 86-76 (going 31-13 over the last quarter of the season), grabbed the 3rd Wild Card and won a playoff series. They learned to win and haven’t stopped. This Red Sox team hasn’t learned to win. We can hope the light goes on like it did for the Tigers last year.The AL East is weak, which helps some. I hoped that the Abreu/Rafaela play might change their psyche a little, but same old same old after that. And I fully acknowledge the light might not go on, but we can hope.

Who walked the leadoff guy in the ninth? Who is totally unable to hold a runner anywhere near 1st base?

If he sends Rafaela, they walk either Devers or Bregman. As for Wong’s error, the hit scores the runner who stole second. It let him trot home, not sprint home. Still, Wong has played himself out of the starting position IMO. Barring injury, he’ll likely be catching one game in five at least in the near future.

My personal opinion is everyone here is part of the “unenlightened masses”. None of us sees stuff day to day up close. We just think we know what’s going on.

Anthony isn’t going to be brought up as a 4th outfielder; they aren’t going to start his clock for that. He’ll be up if someone gets hurt and he’ll play almost every day.

You still trying for that diplomatic job with the State Department?

Nobody worth getting is available at this point of the season. Trades of decent players happen in July, not May.

How many have you been to? How many have you been to that no longer exist? I’ve got a bunch of those: Yankee Stadium (original) Shea Stadium Exhibition Stadium (Toronto) Municipal Stadium (Cleveland) Comiskey Park (original) County Stadium (Milwaukee) Busch Stadium (middle version) Astrodome

I’ll guess at a few 14 C 12 1B, SS 2 RF, DH

Like Casas?

At my age, they’re all kids. My dream ended when Julio Franco retired.

Doubt he’d be doing that now; he had 2 huge years in Colorado, the last in 2019, but otherwise wasn’t anything that special with the Rockies. He always struck out a ton.

Lefties are making better contact against Ragans than the righties tonight. Have to admit, this kid’s got stuff; need to somehow get his pitch count up and hope for the best against a good KC pen.

Tomorrow’s game, which on paper should be a 3-2 type will probably be 11-10.

Who’s been pretty good tonight. Big zone, but consistent.

Walt’s a hell of a poet; as a reliever, meh.😀

Double play ball if Wong knocks that WP down.

Do you use Chapman for a second inning? If not, who comes in?

I thought Devers was out in real time. Nice job by Duran with 2 strikes.

Can’t because a much tougher thing to do in baseball than pinch hit against a guy like Chapman.

KC has made several good defensive plays tonight.

Agreed, but Wong still probably strikes out, rendering it moot.

Did they force Schwarber to? i can’t remember.

He’s been much too good with the bat to send down. Yeah, he’s in a slump right now, but sending down your current clean up hitter? If he has to learn to play 1st, then it’s going to be is Boston, and you live with the defensive ups and downs that that entails. I think they’ve finally decided to leave him at second instead of bouncing him around. I’d leave him there and figure something else out.