5GoldGlovesOF,75

I've coached Little League, high school and college, and even 10-year olds understand when we tell them, "You can't hit what you don't see." But guys pull their heads all the time when they overswing trying to pull home runs (they also "step in the bucket" when they pull their whole bodies out of the box). If you run video on all Raffy's swings from this weekend, and stop at the point where he misses, I'll bet his head is already turned toward first base. But on his last swing in his last at bat yesterday -- when he hit a foul to the left side -- his head was right down over the plate, with eyes looking in the vicinity of contact. That's hope... One simple strategy is called Shoulder To Shoulder: batter's stance starts with chin on front shoulder, and he practices keeping it in the same spot during his swing, which should end with chin on back shoulder. It's all designed to keep the head still -- which is always the goal to keep your eyes on the ball. Maybe his shoulder is too sore or there's just some impingement preventing him from staying contained?

The '23 to '24 heart of the order replaced Justin Turner with Tyler O'Neill -- whose K-rate was basically twice as bad: 33.6% to 17.6%. Verdugo wasn't a whiffer -- 15.4% in '23 -- and he was traded before last year, too. Five guys fanned at least 110 times in '23, while six did in '24, but that included four outfielders as opposed to just Adam Duvall. Casas missed 100 games, but he and his subs still struck out more than he alone did in '23. It goes on. This new offense, even if they add the energy of Anthony and Mayer, will still be hacking and flailing. Maybe they can market a a new line of Golden Sombreros in different colors and sell them instead of batting helmets.

Ironically, Campbell bought into organizational advice on how to improve, and worked on the changes so diligently that he made the majors in one year. Maybe it just takes old dogs longer to learn new tricks. It worked in 2018 when JD Martinez helped younger guys improve, and in '21 when Schwarber did the same. Hopefully, Bregman can make a similar impact and impart different perspectives. Meanwhile, an offense that strikes out as much as the Red Sox has major issues, and is doomed to lose many frustrating games.

If the Red Sox could just play in Mexico vs. pitchers not good enough for the majors, they'd score at least 10 runs a game.

At least the Sox didn't trade him for "a future All-Star," according to the other team's GM. Can we really blame this Small Suckitude Start all on Raffy? After four games on the road vs. a good team, Boston leads the American League in Strikeouts, but more importantly, in Left On Base. The Red Sox are batting .146 with Runners In Scoring Position (6-for-41). Two guys each have two of those hits, Abreu (2-for-3) and Campbell (2-for-4). Devers is 0-for-4 with two walks with RISP. That means everyone else is 2-for-30... on an offense some of us have called overrated since last year.

Unless your fiancee finds out.

Raffy's last at bat was at least promising, and not just because he walked -- instead of whiffed to end the game. With two outs In the 9th inning of Game Four, and the tying and winning runs on base, Devers' best swing of his weekend might have been the 3-2 foul to left, because for those watching carefully, his head was right down on the ball the whole swing... and not pulling off, like on just about every strikeout. Even if sore shoulders are a factor (which I don't believe, considering he was trying to launch pitches to the Oklahoma on every swing) it can't hurt his shoulders more if he shortens up and goes oppo. He can still do this.

At his age, with damaged shoulder/s, this may be as good as it gets. Saying "This is who I am" isn't a lie right now, but swinging from the heels no matter what the count isn't who Raffy used to be. The best hitters make constant adjustments during their careers. When Yaz was in his 20s, supple muscles allowed him to hold his bat six feet above his head and still catch up to fastballs thrown off 15-inch mounds. But as he aged he tried a million different stances and swings to compensate for broken down body parts, just to compete... and he still contributed into his 40s.

No proof here, but speculation: Refsnyder keeps his mouth shut no matter his game usage, because he is already regarded by the org as a future coach.

Merloni said it in Mexico on NESN, but didn't quote Cora.

Like I said, on the bench as a non-starter. But if Yoshida starts blasting extra-base hits, he could force his way back into the line-up, at least at part-time LF or DH. I don't think Devers stays healthy. Even after half a year of shoulder issues (including, apparently this winter) he was still swinging from his heels at pitches out of the strike zone and whiffing three times in a row. On Day One. Does any fan feel he has changed a bit? Forget about adjusting to DH; how about adjusting as a professional hitter -- did he shorten up with two strikes and try to line a pitch to the left side even once? As to who Yoshida could replace on the current roster, do the Sox really need to carry eight relievers? The last guy is always on the Woo train, anyway. Also, if Refsnyder isn't going to platoon with Abreu or even pinch-hit for him, then he becomes expendable. The problem is if Anthony totally rakes in Triple A -- which he already did last summer -- Breslow has to make room in the starting outfield for baseball's Number One position prospect. Trading Yoshida doesn't do that; it's got to be one of yesterday's outfielders we saw in Texas.

I can't give up on a big league hitter in his prime who has averaged .285 and .775 in two seasons. Let Yoshida fully heal and if he has more extra base power, keep him in the majors -- even if it's in the dugout. True contenders can use a quality bat that can come off the bench and make better contact than anyone else on the roster. It's not like Boston is overloaded with talented hitters who don't strike out...

My father had a salmon on his forearm. He would've been glad to get sent to Canada -- that's where he ran into his idol, Ted Williams, when they were both fishing on the Miramichi River. They talked flies, but none that could reach the red seat.

Gimme a W for Wilyer Man made a fool out of them

Regarding Abreu, is it possible losing all that weight from being ill made his bat speed quicker than ever... I'm not campaigning for Secretary of Health, but there's literally no more front porch to clear before making contact. Also, was Rafaela in an 0-and-2 count again every time he stepped up to the plate, or was it just me? Wait... it wasn't me -- I sat in a recliner the whole game.

He turned an acrobatic DP, started nicely by forum whipping boy Casas.

That was a good game even before Abreu's 9th inning gamer. Crochet was clearly outpitched by Eovaldi, who didn't leave his fastball up in the zone every inning, and had a cutter that hugged the knees... but somehow they each gave up two runs apiece. The biggest difference already is that the Sox infield defense made them look like contenders today. And Cora listened to me every time he made a pitching change... Biggest gripe (won't mention the 13 Ks by Boston batters) is that after an entire Spring Training of enjoyable, CLEAN televised games, fricking NESN has to go pollute my screen with that stupid BOX outlining a fake strike zone at the same spot for every batter, whether he's a giraffe or a slug. And as usual, the umps down the lines were brutally inconsistent on check-the-checks. But baseball is back!

He's too young! He's just a kid! He's... playing a game.

Pete must think Crochet is a Really Hard-throwing Pitcher.

That's it -- when reporters asked Sam about being uninformed, he pretended they said uniformed, so he could promote the green shirts. He's working in the wrong city...

They sure showed him -- by instead giving more to a one-dimensional future DH.

What's so controversial about green jerseys? The Sox already sell plenty of green caps. At least green shirts are better than yellow -- and some fans buy those, too.

Seem to recall the best braintrust in Sox history had so much faith in their pitching depth at the end of 2011 that if they finished tied for a postseason berth -- and had to win a one-game playoff -- they were ready to acquire 100-year old starter Bruce Chen (staying fresh eating plantains and guavas). More 2025 optimism: if things ever get that bad from injury epidemics or suckitude, Breslow and Bailey will both suit back up to throw some innings -- this franchise is done with bargain bins, baby!

Then I won't paste the link to the horrifying youtube vid of him entirely serving up walk-off or game-tying HRs, but I will say this: about 75% of them were off sliders. PT Breslow and Bailey Circus take note...

It's always a time for optimism before the first pitch of the year, but why does anyone think Chapman will regain his status as closer for a contender -- four years after his last All-Star season? Since then, he's been at his best as a set-up man. Chapman looked great in Spring Training, but this will be his fifth team in the past four years. There's a reason none of the previous four made any attempt to bring him back. So here's my optimism for 2025: after the still-early months that have Red Sox fans riding a roller coaster (the kind that induces more than agita), the team will become a contender when the bullpen transitions to Justin Slaten as closer. Then Breslow will really go for it, by trading for another reliever who is actually good this year -- and not someone who used to be...