ohiosoxfan

I think a rotation of Sale, Eovaldi, Price and Porcello might work, with Cora ready with a quick hook if anybody falters. Hope Kimbrell can get it together for the ALCS. His ALDS ERA must be about 10.0.

I am also guessing the Cy Young is Kluber's to lose. NE Ohio is really pumped up about him and the Guardians, especially with the Browns laying a big egg.

The 2017 AL playoffs is looking eerily similar to the 2016 version. Once again, the Red Sox are looking like boys against men. Also once again, our two top starters suddenly resemble batting practice pitchers. Last year, Porcello won the Cy Young in spite of a terrible playoff start against the Guardians. This year, Sale may have throw away his chance of a Cy Young with his "September Swoon" and a bad outing against the Astros. Is it true that the Red Sox all along were a mediocre team that Farrell held together with duct tape and baling wire? Being out here in Ohio, I look at the job Francona has done with the Guardians. On paper, they are not light years better than the Red Sox. However, they have a never-say-die attitude and they are really never out of any game they play (witness being 5 runs down to the Yankees and winning). That used to be the Red Sox several years ago, coincidentally while Francona was manager. Can a manager win games by himself? No. But he can instill a positive spirit in his team that can pay off in the win column. Will firing Farrell turn around the Red Sox? Maybe not. But, as I have heard many owners of losing teams say after firing the manager, you can't fire the team.

I haven't read all 186 previous pages, so I may be repeating something mentioned earlier. That said, I feel the Red Sox need a big power hitter. They lost that puzzle piece when Big Papi retired and I don't see a replacement for him. There have been suggestions that the Sox trade for Giacarlo Stanton in the off season. That would be an adequate, albeit expensive, alternative. I have checked the Red Sox farm system and I really don't see a power hitter there. I feel a clean up/DH player is a strong need and I hope Dombrowski does something along those lines.

I am 74 years old and a lifelong Red Sox fan. My Granddad took me to my first game at Fenway when I was 10 years old. I was born in East Boston, moved to Winthrop when I was 7, and graduated from Northeastern. Spent two years in the Army (1967-1969) and moved west for my job (last stop was Akron, Ohio where I worked for General Tire). It was difficult being a Red Sox fan in Ohio, especially during the years when the Guardians were a bad team. My boss at GT was a Yankee fan, so we had a lot of friendly disagreements. I look forward to discussing the Sox with people who share my lifelong love for the team.