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Good point. I forgot about him amongst all the Manny, Hanley, Greenwell, O’Leary, etc of defensive mediocrity the Sox have dropped out in LF. Benintendi was a good outfielder and very likely the only decent defensive left fielder between 1970 and 2025…

Misleading post from Speier. While the Sox have never gone to the postseason after starting 1-5, bear in mind that stat covers numerous postseason format changes that can affect that outcome. For example, the 1996 Red Sox started out 1-5 (actually 0-5) and did miss the postseason. But they also finished with a record of 85-77 that would have tied them with the White Sox for the third wild card under the current postseason format. (The Sox went 6-6 against each other that year; I’m not digging any deeper into tie breaking rules from 30 years ago.) I’m sure if I kept looking into it, I could find another season with a 1-5 start where the Sox finished with over 90 wins, but “failed to make the postseason” because only one team from each league made it that year (meaning prior to 1969) or they finished second in the AL East but there were no wild cards (1970 to 1995). Speier’s statement is very likely true, but not necessarily any sort of harbinger of doom…

Maybe he takes more DH at bats? But really, have the Sox had a decent / serviceable defensive LF since Yaz?

The Sox reportedly offered Bogaerts 6 years $162 mill before he accepted the superior San Diego deal. But the Sox first offfere was a 4 year $90mill extension, deemed insulting by fans. Given that Bogaerts has been a league-average hitter (OPS+ 103) and below average defensive SS since going to San Diego, has he even been worth the 4 years $90mill?

Whats your point?

Actually it’s so he can go to bed earlier and get rid of himself sooner…

0%?

Even Kirk Cousins’ agent is impressed…

So the Yankees are 5-1 because of their use of the challenge system? I’m ok if the Sox want everyone to try the system out. It shouldn’t be for select hitters or pitchers…

Hoss Radbourn is most definitely not the father of Hitchcock!

Really? You can’t rank AL teams from 1-4 based on record?

Cora might want his players getting used to that system. Especially since you only have 2 seconds to make a challenge…

Are we really nitpicking the use of the ABS system now? Maybe, since it’s a new system, everyone was instructed to try it out and be aggressive with their challenges? They’re not going to limit who gets to challenge calls. The Sox want everyone able to do it…

In the American League? Optimistic but I’m on board…

Also - the Sox were a mere 30-40 years removed from their last title! Oh, good times…

And will the game be over by 1:30?

I was watching a game where CB Bucknor was the guest referee….

The main flaw in your theory is starters don’t give max effort. Watch the All Star game and you’ll see starting pitchers are pacing themselves all season. Sure teams value hard throwers, but they don’t develop them. Kids grow up believing 95mph radar gun readings get them drafted in the top fuce, or a free ride at Arizona State. Plenty of kids out there are bringing their own high octane arms to the draft. And even their parents believed it - remember about 10-20years ago, when there was tjis trend where parents would subject their perfectly healthy teenagers to Tommy John surgery because they had this mistaken belief their kids would throw harder? MLB teams aren’t doing that. But some point, MLB pitchers did price themselves $20-30mill per year. And teams actually signed on. But when you’re paying a pitcher that much, he’s not just a roster spot; he’s an investment. And teams will protect their investments. This is probably why Early was allowed to throw more pitches than Crochet. And that Early has potential is why he (and no other pitcher) is allowed to throw 125 pitches anymore. And especially not in March…

Should we stick to fox hunting, dog shows or polo? What did you think about all the hullabaloo in the third chucker? I think it was a lot of shenanigans and tomfoolery, but Reginald thinks the horse was bulimic. Whats your hot take?

He just wants Early to be treated like a Hall of Famer, apparently. Or like Michael Fulmer, whichever comes first…

I love basketball and the NBA. I just hate the Triangle Offense…

Even Homo Erectus used to hear from his grandparents about how much better it was to crawl around on all 4’s, and they’d say things like “You kids today with your opposable thumbs…”

If anything ruined the NBA, it was the universal adaptation of the phenomenally boring Triangle Offense. Three pointers are exciting; passing the ball for 44 seconds, missing a shot, followed by 44 more seconds of passing the ball around? I’d rather watch golf, and I don’t even believe in golf…

Because my dad was still alive and we used to watch games together…

The whole “pitchers are wussies compared to back in the day” is more than just 1980 vs 2025. Yes the Hall of Famers from the 80s and 90s threw lots of innings. Not as many as, say Bob Feller, who frequently topped 280 IP. Of course Feller was a complete wussy compared to Christy Mathewson and Iron Man Joe McGinnity, a pair of Giants’ teammates who would conbine for 700 IP. Of course they were still wimps next to Hoss Radbourn, who would throw 400IP on his own and then punch out a horse. This is an ongoing evolution in MLB….