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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Bradley wasn't the fastest, but no one I ever saw play centerfield got a better jump consistently. It's also what makes Rafaela comparable. When he saved the game for Winckowski, Ceddanne immediately noted it was because of the jump he got on the ball before he ran it down. That's what makes him legit; this guy isn't outrunning misjudgments, like some other fast outfielders... The best season I ever saw in CF was Lynn in '75, when spectacular catches seemed to come in the clutch all year long. He wasn't just voted AL MVP because of his bat.
  2. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I know -- if only the Red Sox could've started off 2-5 instead of 5-2, then they'd be ranked higher in ESPN's first POWER RANKINGS, like the Phils, Astros, Ms, Rays and Jays... ... five teams with losing records ranked most powerful than #13 Boston. Like, what's the use of even writing such a stupid article.
  3. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    So: one vote for Memorial Day, another for Halloween. I'll take the 4th... but my team has to be at least .500 and within a few games of a wild card spot. Keep the summer interesting. Put it this way -- if a club is dead last in April, May and June, it's not "still early." But if they somehow trade for four decent outfielders with pop by the end of July -- and all four go on tears to transform the line-up (like the '21 Braves) -- then by the end of August it's ok to say, "it's not too late." "Still early" is usually reserved for underachievers -- or helplessly hopeful standings deniers. When ballplayers are playing well enough to win more than they lose, it's unreasonable to expect them to suddenly suck. It is fair to reserve judgment until they beat some favorites, though. But never say, "They're actually not good; they're just playing good" ... cuz that's bad gramma.
  4. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Snowing in New England today. But even if not, climate change regularly brings windy, rainy nights in the 40s through most of April now. If MLB is smart, they schedule East Coast teams out West (or in domes) at the start of every season... ... speaking-of, yes, it's one trip. But it's evident Boston is improved, if just under the spell of Bailey. I always shook my head in past years when the team sucked and posters insisted "it's still early" in April, May -- "it's only Memorial Day" --, June -- "it's not even officially summer" --, July "it's not even the All-Star Break... wait til the deadline" ... "The season's only half over..." Players and management have to use those stock lines, but fans see the truth. The Red Sox may not be contenders or not even a .500 team this year, but they've been winning now for two months. So here's a serious question for the board: When is it no longer "still early?"
  5. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    According to Brez all winter, Mayer is one of his Three Prayers. Meanwhile, the handsome Griz is already a darling of NESN's dancing Red Sox player promotions. I'm so confused!
  6. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    This brings up Mayer -- if he knocks the cover off the ball and shows he's ready for promotion this summer, what position does he play? Story and his contract are Boston's for three more years after this one...
  7. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    We know the Sox best prospects are stockpiled in Double A to start the season. But the Orioles' future lurks in Triple A. International League stats: Romy Gonzalez leads Worcester with 5 hits... down in Norfolk, Baltimore has five guys with 10 hits or more.
  8. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Lots to praise, not a lot to complain about. Pitching is obviously a lot better than anyone expected -- best staff ERA and FIP in MLB, second in WHIP, most Ks in AL! Rotation may regress vs. better clubs, but Jansen's back may loosen up with warmer weather. Defense is improved, as expected -- maybe as good as it can be: second in AL in Defensive Efficiency. Bats are weak, so far (as a few of us expected): below-average in runs/game and OPS, second in AL in Ks, 4 home runs (one less than Mookie Betts). Some will get hotter, others will cool off. Grissom not here yet... As always, Cora is doing the best with what he has -- but for the first week, anyway, it is working.
  9. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    More whiffing and less slugging (compared to '23) is a problem that will definitely hurt when Boston plays better teams. But this is the team that was built. We certainly expect Casas to re-emerge, and hope Grissom can contribute, but the batting order feels incomplete. Story -- .303 career at Coors, .238 everywhere else -- will help, but he's not a #3 hitter in a good line-up... In terms of strategy, the Earl Weaver pennant plan to ride pitching, defense and three-run homers is at risk.
  10. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    A couple of others: Espinal was an All-Star in Toronto, now in Cincy; Dubon was a multi-purpose Gold Glover last year in Houston -- both are 29, in their primes, and bench pieces or platoon guys. The first was swapped for Steve Pearce, 2018 World Series MVP... the second for Tyler Thornburg (and later from Milwaukee to SF for Pomeranz). Win some, lose some. If you don't trade anyone and your name is Chaim, you get fired.
  11. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    You had to bring up the shortstop currently leading the majors in hits, runs, homers, RBI, BB, Slugging and OPS? Speier's book recounted that after being drafted, Mookie held out for a signing bonus of $750K (I think) and prepared to go to college, when at the last minute Epstein told his staff, "Give it to him."
  12. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The Romdawg is now batting clean-up for the WooSox Opening Day. Just watched the entire Woo team introduced on the foul line -- not many significant prospects, except maybe Fitts, like in years past. But nearly every guy is a depth piece for the big club, and names that fans are familiar with from just this past month in Florida. That has to be by design.
  13. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    They used little leather finger gloves for stagecoach drivers, which a lot of guys did for jobs in the offseason on the Oregon Trail. Those gloves also came in handy for decking outlaws in black cowboy hats -- at least in John Wayne movies. But those A's probably had an excuse for their Es, since players left gloves on the field at the end of innings before they went to bat -- and the other side spiked the gloves to put holes in them, every chance they got.
  14. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I'm just glad nobody here called me sober.
  15. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    ... and that includes in the entire system right now. Houck's 6'5, has hit 98 mph, and has always had a righty-Sale slider. He was even a first-round pick -- as a pitcher!!!
  16. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    ... which isn't a factor this year, since the staff doesn't walk anyone or give up many hits anymore... or even plunk batters (a Sox specialty the past four years, even when they were good in '21).
  17. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I look at it more as a continuation of good play -- which to me makes more sense to aspire to than going through the motions in ST and then trying to push a button all of sudden when it counts. And of course in ST some pitchers are trying new pitchers, batters trying new swings, and fielders transitioning to new positions. But isn't it better that the Sox rotation found new success in preparation as a springboard for the actual season? Or as one poster put it, when Giolito went down: " The Sox still have five or six promising candidates for the starting rotation... I don't care if a guy gives me innings if he's serving up longballs. Now other pitchers will get an opportunity in those 180 innings... and maybe one of them will actually be good." ... or five?
  18. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The top 4 teams from Spring Training so far: Dodgers and Tigers are first place, Orioles the greatest second-place team ever... and the Red Sox. Combined real record: 15-5. Glad they could all sustain those good vibes and solid play since February that obviously don't mean nothing and never matter...
  19. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    "Sweeper, sweeper, sweeper," said the guinea pigs.
  20. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Pitchers are bigger, stronger, faster than ever -- and who knows, maybe that's why there are more modern injuries, from such superhuman force blowing out elbows and shoulders. On the same hand, Little Leaguers were always cautioned (or banned, back in the day) from throwing curves at a young age... It does make sense there's less torque abuse nowadays for offspeed soft-tossers. But 40 years ago? In the words of Steve Stone, on throwing over 50% curveballs in winning the 1980 Cy Young: "I knew it would ruin my arm. But one year of 25–7 is worth five of 15–15."
  21. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Why are you pessimistic? Or trying to provoke posters?
  22. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    ONE walk from the four starters -- throwing mostly offspeed pitches, as directed by the Bailey Blueprints (fast facts: Boston has thrown the least amount of four-seam fastballs so far; San Francisco's staff threw the least amount of four-seamers last year). ... wondering: how long will elbow tendons and ligaments last, snapping off slews of sweepers, sliders, curves, change-ups and two-seamers?
  23. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The best pitching acquisitions this year may just be Breslow and Bailey. Just saw a chart that shows the Sox' pitchers last in the bigs in throwing four-seam fastballs so far (10.9%). Boston may not have a lot of guys pushing 100 mph, but the choices of pitches are a strategy. The club throwing the most four-seamers (41.8%) is the Angels-- last in the AL in ERA -- whose pitching hasn't been a strength since probably the days of KRod (Frankie Five-Fingers Tanana says hi).
  24. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The Seattle series featured the top pitching staff in baseball in Runs Against per game 2.50 and WHIP 0.821... ... not the Mariners', but the one from BOSTON -- Red Sox pitchers also lead the American League in strikeouts.
  25. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    1. I wasn't being sarcastic because through the first inning today -- when Miller Ked the side -- the Red Sox were statistically off to the worst start at striking out in history. Their own announcers announced it. But since then, thanks to Whitlock and now Weissert, the Mariners are now worse. 2. I assume you are being sarcastic about Cora, a guy I have always defended on this forum -- especially when it comes to being scapegoated for the most overrated "scandal" in pro baseball... while all the actual ballplayers who got hits that year got zero penalties.
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