5GoldGlovesOF,75

It's true, and what drives me crazy the most in extra innings when there's a Ghost on 2nd or 3rd and I yell "TOUCH the ball!" It's ok if they don't want to sac bunt, but at least choke up and put a ball on the damn ground, preferably to the right side. I know, easier said than done, but not if athletes with elite hand-eye actually practice it. Bregman did, and we assume Durbin does because he doesn't strike out -- but all pros need to be able to execute a basic function of being a batter. If they want to win...

Because we could watch vicariously and not have to inflate our own organs to the point of failure! I remember seeing a local guy substitute teaching one winter, a few years after he went pro. He was so swollen I hoped he didn't get too close to a bulletin board, lest a thumb tack send him flying through the air into the Nethersphere. Nobody is excited about small ball, but if the Red Sox want to win rings, they'd better get it right this time. Like, why aren't they forcing Rafaela to mix in a sac bunt in Spring Training -- instead of waiting for the freaking playoffs again for him to square around and poke at a sweeper in the dirt of the lefty batter's box again? Arrgh.

But why are there so many in Boston this decade that don't ignite cigars at the fireplace?

Could be partially, since AC played all over the diamond as a utility specialist. If you want a conspiracy, maybe teams like Boston that don't want to spend kajillions on one set position player at each spot anymore like the idea of collecting more affordable moving parts. Back in the day there were also guys like Bert Campaneris and Cesar Tovar who each played all nine positions in one game. Brock Holt may have or at least wanted to, or maybe thought he did after his concussion...

Well, speaking of PEDs... Tatis hasn't been a longball superstar since his suspension. He's still a speedster with 25 HR power, and a really good rightfielder, so that's his niche now in his career.

Edit: "deteriorates at age 64/65/66." Pass the PEDs, man!

Duran is better in CF than LF because left is less forgiving, where there's less room and time, especially when lefty batters slice one oppo. Center playing directly behind the pitcher and looking straight at the batter is the easiest OF position to get a good jump. Duran doesn't have the first-step instincts of JBJ or Ceddanne, but has the wheels and gaps to outrun a lot of his misreads in CF (except for the infamous inside-the-parker he didn't run after). He just doesn't have the arm to make long accurate throws from RF or CF, which is the main reason they play him in LF.

Today on MLB channel, raters had Marte in the Top 10 of all players. If Arizona really wants to trade him, it would have to be for a haul that improves their team (unless it's a Hanley reason -- like for the safety of the employees). If the Red Sox really want him, they'd have to part with several of their most promising guys, like Mayer, Early and Tolle -- all on the cusp of MLB readiness. However, giving up what little offense the Sox have from their group of 15-18 homer hitters (according to Fangraphs) is barely an improvement. Replacing Duran or Abreu for a Marte may not make that much difference... but adding Marte in between those two definitely makes a more potent batting order.

How can anyone still discuss trading Duran; with Romy out, this offense is now without five of its top six OPS batters from last season. The only guy back from that list is Anthony, who everyone hopes is a star before he turns 22. There are a few new guys who might be good, and a handful of other youngsters who'd better improve... JD in the past two years has led the team in total hits, runs, runs batted in, stolen bases, and total bases. Trade Duran for what -- is another club going to give the Red Sox a better middle of the order hitter... someone who's going to help Boston score more runs to get closer to that world championship for this year?

My son plays it in all those classic ballparks. He thinks the Polo Grounds invented pull-hitters. The horses must have hated running out of room down the lines though...

or TC on play-by-play or pregame hype or interviews

Durbin clean-up? AC's doing the best he can for short people... Caleb may have heard of Mel Ott, the first NL batter to reach 500 home runs and the NL career record-holder for 20 years before Willie Mays took the lead in the 1960s. Ott was listed at 5-9, 170 but some descriptions said he was 5-7. The Polo Grounds in New York where the lefty played home games had flag poles 258 feet to right and 279 feet to left (the fence in center was 483 feet from the plate). So it's no surprise that Mel hit 323 of his 511 HRs (63%) at home. But he was still pretty good -- career OPS in 1,367 home games: .979... 1,363 road games: .919.

It's ok, yesterday the president said he has "high hopes for this offense." (hitting the bong again)

I have the same configuring WAR. I can make a W by holding up 3 fingers, and an A with an upside-down peace sign -- but the capital R is impossible.

Twins feed again today. Dan Gladden - ex big leaguer? - announced the starting line-ups: "Batting leadoff, Ramone Anthony."

No, but as soon as the snow melts I am installing chicken wire on my property fence to keep his descendants out and alive; the ladies want to save the bunnies, the farmer wants to save his crops, the dogs just want to save face.

They snuck him under museum security's waist-high electric eye with the green laser beam so he wouldn't set off any alarms. Teams historically give up faster on short infielders. Not to go all Mookie on the board, but some guys prove them wrong. The Sox were able to grab Pedroia with the 65th pick in the draft because he was listed at 5-9 (which the industry accepts as really 5-6 upside down). Joe Morgan listed at 5-7, played for five different teams and rates as one of the greatest second baseman of all-time. Freddie Patek was 5-5 and got traded to the KC Royals, who won three straight division crowns with him at shortstop. Patek was a three-time All-Star who once had a three homer day at Fenway Park. Speaking of 5-5, don't forget Rabbit Maranville, the extremely shortstop who played for five clubs in 23 years of a Hall of Fame career -- 15 in Boston for the Braves (hard for me to forget, at least, since I once got a rug burn on the same diamond, diving for a ball on plastic turf which replaced all the natural grass Rabbit chewed up over the century).

Good to see the new veteran influence (instantly filling Bregman's leadership shoes) rubbing off on his impressionable young countryman. They get to bond even more in the WBC. And Red won't even give Duran an extension pole with a net on the end of it.

An overall interesting post. I've always thought Yankee fans ridiculously bitter viewing every season they don't win it all as a total failure, as if anything else that happens -- first place, postseason series wins, MVPs, Cy Youngs, All-Stars etc. -- is meaningless. Those feats have meaning to a lot of fans, and can be fun times for those rooting for their favorites. I only quoted your line about Fred because I look at it as the opposite -- if by O you mean Optimistic -- because those who are always Pessimistic can't really be disappointed if they're wrong, because that would mean good things actually happened. Pessimists like to set low expectations because then they can possibly be pleasantly surprised. Then again, we could probably do an all-day thread trying to define the difference between those who are pessimistic and we Realists...

I don't think I was there -- but then again, I forgot the whole 1980s... or was that the 90s?

For some reason it always seems harder to predict the future than the past.

"Bregman was not "the big bat" we needed. (Nor was Bichette.)" "Duran might be, though." ME: Bregman and Duran were not the bats we needed to lose, either. The more I mull -- even if this Boston offense is statistically average or above average in the AL, scoring runs against good pitchers is still going to be as painful as ever. We assume our pitching will keep us in most games, so the key to the season will be for Cora to find and employ his best defense as much as possible... even if that sacrifices some offense. Therefore, I'm choosing the under for the 87.5 Ws -- BUT another playoff spot in somebody else's stadium for three Wild Card games. Some weaker all-around teams like KC and Texas may have more wins than the Sox, not because they're better, but only since the mighty AL East contenders all have to play each other 13 times.

Ah, Rock and Roll High School -- which makes me think of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Dunno why... probably the Cars and Phoebe Cates (red bikini's a better image than the latest whiteout).

Sox are probably closely monitoring his recovery and may not deem him ready for games yet (but if they are, they'll never admit it, lest this administration shows some kind of org weakness). In the meantime, IKF is a key guy. Better get used to it -- he may just remind Cora of himself in his playing days: a career utility man who can play all over the infield and give you a positive dWAR. I have no evidence of the AC-IKF connection, but Alex did announce he took him to dinner last week...

Ramoan has a ST batting average! Oppo RBI single!