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Haven’t you ever read “Hichhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? To paraphrase, the universe will sort itself out, but the biggest issue with time travel is grammar. When it comes to altering timelines, Douglas Adams trumps Robert Zemeckis...

Stop being so defensive. Your point was the best Sox outfields have always had a RF capable of playing CF. Dwight Evans was a RF on what has to be considered one of, if not the best, outfields in this team's history, with Rice-Lynn-Evans. Hopefully you can agree Evans never established himself as a capable CF and his defensive abilities out there are at the very least, in question. Right? His defensive abilities in RF are without question - one of the best ever to play the position in MLB. So beyond this season where Betts has shown himself to be play RF and CF well above average, I wonder what other Sox outfields you are referring to. I am not so sure I can think of any other great Sox outfields where the RF was a even a capable CF, unless you were referring to Ramirez-Damon-Nixon, which was a good OF, but certainly no Rice-Lynn-Evans. Maybe Gomes/Nava-Ellsbury-Victorino? Certainly Victornio was an excellent CF before playing RF in Boston. But I would be very hesitant to rank taht among the best outfields on thjis team. Although they did win a ring, which shouldn''t be ignored. But I'm not really sure what outfields you were referring to...

In this alternate reality, did 2007 and 2013 not happen?

Ottavino was good, with the exception of giving a free-swinger a hittable pitch on an 0-2 count. I wouldn't fault him for giving up a SB to a track star. And he was nearly victimized by catcher's interference, which is not his fault, either. But he got out of the rest of that jam very well...

That's Three-Time Defending Annoying Little Brothers to you. Now get in the Wild Card back seat where you belong...

Why no "Body Parts" list on the Fun with Baseball Names thread?

And I have more faith in that happening than I have in getting a similar hot stretch from Hembree or Workman or Thornburg or Pomeranz or Cuevas or Johnson or (insert mediocre Sox reliever name here). The only issue with Kelly is the potential for a high ceiling also comes with potential for a low floor. But all of these relievers have potential for a low floor...

Yes, but also the 1st inning. The 8th inning shot (and his 9th inning game-winning HR against the Angels in game one of the 2008 ALDS) were his best clutch moments. But people really do like grand slams. And Drew is really remembered for nothing else, despite being an amazing post-season player for the Sox. As you might remember fro BDC, I have always been an ardent Drew supporter...

It is easier to look at the better team and see their advantages. But the Astros did lose 59 times this year, and if they run into a hot Kluber/Bauer/Carrasco (all well-rested after a long ago clinch), this could easily be a short October for them Kluber is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Astros in 2 starts and has been an outstanding post-season pitcher when not overworked. They may have to face him twice...

Technically, the Cubs/Brewers and Rockies/Dodgers games were regular season games, not playoffs. (This is a big deal, because neither were elimination games despite having considerable stakes.) There's only been one post-season game played so far this year...

I agree Armas was a weak CF, which was probably why Oakland never used him there. But just because Dewey was a better option doesn't mean Evans would have been a good CF. And really, the Rice-Lynn-Evans outfield (Lynn, not Armas) has to be among the best outfields in recent Sox history. In fact, other than Lewis-Speaker-Hooper and this current trio, what other Sox outfields are in the running?

It depends on who they go in place of. While Kelly has had his stryuggles, it's not like you can't say the same thing about a lot of pitchers in the Sox pen this year. Or is the idea that Kelly has struggled and was a disappointment, so the Sox need to take someone for whom we had lower expectations?

The point wasn't that Drew's slam wasn't important. But rather that his eighth inning 2 run home run to bring the score to 7-6 and his ninth inning game-winning hit were more important than that slam...

I have always felt that was his best post-season work, as opposed to the 2007 ALCS grand slam in a blow out game...

But it will always take a back seat to the Mets losing a 7 1/2 game lead with 17 games to play and, of course, the horrific collapse of the 2011 Red Sox. The 2006 Cardinals nearly added themselves to that list, but righted the ship at the very end and went on to win the World Series...

I have to think game 5 of that series, which was an elimination game for the Sox, was about the most exciting post-season comeback I have ever seen. The Sox were down 3 games to 1 and trailed 7-0 in the seventh inning and managed to take that series all the way to game seven...

He did it very infrequently (32 games, 17 starts in his career). It looks like the 8 games he played CF in 1976 was the most, and Bobby Darwin played RF in most of those...

Sure, there were two good reasons to move Evans to CF. 1. Tony 2. Armas

And the Cubs had sole possession of the best record in the NL after 160 games and wound up playing for the Wild Card and potential one game elimination....

Think Evans could play a capable CF? He played out there, but for a very limited amount...

I thought it was funny that the only NL playoff team not in a one-game playoff was the team with the worst record of the five...

Many a buffet owner has tried...

Exactly. Who pegged the Brewers for home field throughout the NL playoffs? This is a team that was 5 games out in early September. Anything can happen at this point...

There are two ways to look at that "long time." 1. It's been 4 weeks. 2. It;s been 7.2 innings pitched. So while the calendar says it has been a long time, the IP sample size really doesn't...

Cubs, Guardians, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Royals, Brewers, Twins, and Mets off the top of my head. Not all will be willing to pay for Kimbrel, but certainly some can afford him. And there is always a team or two willing to move their closer to a set up role and upgrade the position...