5GoldGlovesOF,75

We represent dislike-minded Red Sox fans all over the Nation.

I never used the W or L words. But we have to admire LA's resiliency, especially with the obvious Manfred mandates to umpires to do everything they can to give viewers a long look at this big market match-up...

Spot on. Big market teams have the resources to always cut their losses and never stop upgrading. The Dodgers are thriving in the World Series without one pitch from their two leaders at the top of the rotation in victories and games started, and without their closer with the most saves. LA's staff is leaning on two guys coming off injuries, another picked up at the trade deadline, and a deep pen... but they're all at least decent or better. They make their own luck.

"One more year!" Let's slap together new rosters of has-beens and never-weres every winter, and just... get through... one more year... Again -- and aga -- and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............

They could rent MSG and piss off NYC... damn, it's booked.

Can't you see the true strategy in this investment? He was just at Dodger Stadium, sitting with Fried to watch Flaherty. The latter two are free agents this winter. Breslow is a genius. He's bringing the old high school rotation back together. As an incentive, Henry just has to sell all his Fenway property and move the club to California. There's a vacancy at the old Oakland Mausoleum -- where pitchers love its acres of foul territory.

This postseason we're seeing several good starting pitchers who may be looking for a new place -- if the price is right... .... so that may exclude Fenway Park, if the front office recent hiring of a former Rays' player evaluator means more of the Tampa Bay WAY.

We're not crazy, we're just a little criswell.

To those posters who are about to type how grateful they are to John Henry for bringing them World Series winners over half-a-decade or more ago, I say this: I loved my first wife and have no regrets over the relationship we once had. But it sure didn't end well. Do they ever?

Just think of all the Kluber we could sign for that!

Why would you ever want to pinch-hit for the worst batter of that October, a hobbling-wounded guy whose legs were so shot he couldn't push off either to drive the ball? And why would anyone want to take crippled Buckner out of the heart of the order, batting third behind Boggs (best hitter in baseball) and Barrett (.400 in the postseason)? And why on earth would a manager use his team home run leader to pinch hit in a big spot? Even though only five players in the league socked more than Baylor's 31 HRs, he hadn't cranked a clutch longball since the 9th inning in Game 5 of the ALCS...

Orlando Cabrera turning to the crowd and holding up four fingers on one hand and an empty fist on the other.

Especially students, because Fenway has special discounts for them.

He made the majors at the end of '72, was the fourth outfielder in '73, and '74 was Evans' first season as a fulltimer (>500 PA) at age 22. At the same time, the Red Sox also had the following youngsters breaking into the lineup: Rick Burleson 23, Cecil Cooper 24, and Juan Beniquez 24. Rice 21, and Lynn 22 were also called up that final month to get a taste. Fisk was already the regular catcher at 26 (though injured most of the year). This isn't all nostalgia... maybe a parallel of bountiful farm harvests for the next few seasons?

I'm taking the optimistic stance: the best thing will be that Campbell is so dominant in Spring Training, he not only wins the starting job, but becomes AL Rookie of the Year (and with the MLB reward pick, the Red Sox draft a future starting pitcher from a D1 school!)... ... meanwhile, Roman Anthony also has a great rookie season, and doesn't get hit by a bone-breaking pitch right before the postseason (like Jim Rice in 1975).

We don't even have inadequate pitching depth... ... but that may not change if John Henry watches the Dodgers use an opener in a couple days and win the World Series.

Sale's 2024 was unpredictable, because after half a decade, he finally had a healthy, great season. Sale's 2024 was predictable, because just when it looked like his team could count on him, he got injured again. If the Red Sox kept him, they probably make the postseason... and get bounced almost before the playoffs begin when their ace can't start Game 1. And the board would be full of Unrealistic 2025 threads speculating a rotation led by Chris Sale...

As much as it sucks for Sox fans that the Yankees -- and some former Boston heroes -- are back in the World Series, it's great for MLB overall and hardball fans all over the world. Seeing half the top 10 stars in the game battling on the big stage is what TV viewers, networks and advertisers want most (imagine the ratings if -- instead of NY-LA -- we had Cleveland vs. Milwaukee?). And it might not be so bad for Red Sox fans, if a team with high-priced star power wins it all. Maybe that form of get-what-you-pay-for will convince John Henry that he's still a billionaire who can legitimately compete with other rich owners if he changes his mind to go back to the good old days... if he wants.

I don't feel dumbfounded as much as just dumb, wasting all summer watching an entire team of swing-and-miss, and believing dumb stats that say a bunch of whiffers have such a good offense. Any Sox fan who watched this batting order with runners on third, or even ghosts on second, knows that pitching, defense, and baserunning aren't the only problems.

Trading Casas this winter may actually be selling high. For a power hitter, such a core injury -- that is either brought on by or aggravated from swinging too hard -- doesn't seem to be easy to fix or prevent from recurring. Maybe ever. Maybe it continues to plague him next season, and then the Red Sox will be forced to sell low. Fans will just have to trust Boston's medical team and the decision to try to extend Casas... or deal this still-valuable chip, and replace him.

But no expensive take-out from Starbucks. They brew a big pot of generic ground Stop & Shop brand. And everyone has to drink it black, so they don't waste the budget on cream and sugar.

'13 is the only group with a certain Hall of Famer; '06 has three borderlines (including two on the mound); '16 has by far the most overhyped: two guys rated #1 overalls by various sites, the first "next Pedro" and another who supposedly threw 105 mph... plus, a $300 million-dollar man... ... so right now, the current group is most closest to the '16s

Hey, Turkey Stearnes had a higher lifetime batting average than Ted Williams! You can look it up...

Orioles' starting pitchers at the top of their rotation on the 101-win 2023 AL East champs (w games started): Gibson 33, Kremer 32, Bradish 30. 2024 O's: Gibson gone, Kremer 24, Bradish 8. The same type of regression could afflict Crawford 33, Houck 30, Bello 30... with Pivetta 26, probably gone. Getting Burnes saved Baltimore -- at least as far as keeping them a playoff team. Who knows what will happen if the Red Sox keep diddling and dabbling in the market of mediocrity... ... we do.

Did any Baltimore spend last offseason pondering arb-eligible players they could add to round out their roster? Nope, the Orioles pulled off a major blockbuster trade for Corbin Burnes, a #1 bonafide ace starting pitcher. The O's won 101 games in 2023, but still spent from their deep prospect capital to acquire a top-of-the-rotation starter. Good thing, too, since none of the three pitchers who started at least 30 games in '23 were around or healthy enough to duplicate that -- and only Burnes started over 30, and led the club in innings pitched, ERA+, FIP, WHIP, WINS as the AL's starting pitcher in the '24 All-Star Game. Do the Red Sox need to sign Corbin Burnes? Not specifically -- but they do need to sign or trade for a NUMBER ONE... even if it's someone Brez and Bailey target, tweak and elevate to that slot by March (like Lugo last year for the Royals, who were more "interested" in him than Boston). To really compete with the Yankees and Orioles for the foreseeable future, the Red Sox need BOTH Fried and Crochet, southpaws to combat young lefty batters like Soto, Henderson and Holliday - stars who will be around for a long time. The White Sox will take the best package offered for Crochet. I'd part with Duran, 28 (two years older than Soto) before Casas, 25 in January, or any of the top prospects, who are all 22 or younger.