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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. I don't mind the tomatoes -- or peppers and eggplant -- because my mom ate them all her life and just turned 90 (take that, Nightshade Tom Brady). And nothing against Arraez -- who the Red Sox could've had for a measly $12 million instead of Dobbins and Yoiker Fajardo, the arms they traded for Contreras (I know, Arraez bats lefty and doesn't have the Fenway pop that Willson hopefully does). Then again, couldn't any line-up of swing-and-missers use a guy who recently won three straight batting crowns and led the NL in total hits twice? He also struck out less in the past four seasons combined than Contreras did last year. For what they cost, Boston could've had both Contreras and Arraez... and before someone asks where would Luis play, I'd say somewhere in the top of the order. You find a place for bats like his. Of course, this was all before Brez dealt for the Durbin Legend.
  2. I asked if anyone knew why Contreras was benched in a world tournament, because as a curious Red Sox fan I know Cora has already stated Willson will be his new clean-up man on a club the team president says is all about winning championships. I could care less what the Cubs think.
  3. Oh woe is me -- I actually paid attention to an international tournament where guys are trying and watched the Red Sox players participating. Quick, now quote me some Spring Training stats... and then post on another thread how Spring Training stats mean nothing.
  4. Venezuela benching Contreras is curious. They're obviously doing well without him, but in some close games where he hasn't even been called on to pinch hit. As a Sox fan it's hard not to notice, especially since management seems to be counting on Willson to be the veteran force in the heart of the order this year -- our one "big bat" that Breslow acquired in a winter where a lot of fans graded him an A for the offseason.
  5. Anyone who's watched the Venezuela games know why WiLLson hasn't played or even pinch hit in almost a week? I don't want to start getting Jack Clark vibes from this guy...
  6. I like your attitude. This tournament has been exactly what I was hoping for to fill the time waiting for the Spring. It's fun to watch ballgames the world cares way more about than Grapefruit or Cactus, and the young Red Sox all had clutch moments and experiences in intense competition that can only bode well.
  7. Merloni is also high on Abreu. Making a trade at this point doesn't just make for a better balanced team, but it makes a better team, period. Maybe they're just being extra cautious with Mayer, but if this is another nagging ish, it deletes the strongest infielder on a club built around pitching. We're not winning a ring with part-time utility guys platooning. Even the front office has to be prepared to shift -- immediately -- if they finally concede the Sox can't rely on a guy who's been injured his entire pro career... while yet to prove he's a big league regular.
  8. Let's get into it: three Red Sox have hit game-winning home runs in the WBC: Yoshida, Abreu and Anthony. Duran has been hitting HRs for a month. So do we take any of this seriously this year? Sure, not all of these WBC pitchers are MLB stars or even big leaguers, but the international competition and stage requires a little more clutch than a Grapefruit contest where guys are trying new grips or stretching their arms out. No one can argue Eaton taking Skubal deep wasn't legit. Unless the two-time Sigh wasn't giving it his all while trying to protect his future free agency... While considering if Boston is going to be more powerful than projected, also wonder this: why has a singles hitter benched Cora's clean-up hitter Contreras in Venezuela's batting order? Now is the time to fortify -- center a trade with Houston around Yoshida and Paredes. Mayer may never stay healthy, and Durbin has had one decent rookie year (though announcers are pushing his D as if the administration is trying to rewrite Bregman from Sox history).
  9. Speaking of Will Smith... wonder if he'll start behind the plate in the WBC Final Four. Nothing against Cal Raleigh (0-for-9, 5 Ks) -- except that he's apparently a germaphobe avoiding handshaking and fist-pumping teammates he's going to have to be in close proximity with in dugouts, clubhouses, bus stations, airports and hotels for the next 8 months... ... but Smith has only caught 72 postseason MLB games compared to Raleigh's 17, and won three world titles. Sure, Cal can hit a lot of homers, but Will's HR in extra innings of 2025's Game Seven won ring bling for every trolley dodger in LA.
  10. Abreu, Anthony and Duran have had huge home runs for their teams, and Whitlock has been lights out on the mound. But we all knew the Red Sox star of the WBC would be Greg Weissert.
  11. It's not impossible that the star in a World Series-winning season is The Rotation. But it's been 20 years since over half a world champion's best regular season players were pitchers. Based on the Top 8 bWAR of annual champs, the 2005 Chicago White Sox were the last to feature 5 of 8 on the mound. That includes their Big Four starters who threw four straight complete games to win the ALCS (after an ALDS sweep of the Red Sox). Since '05, only one other ring winner has had as many as 4 pitchers outright among its top 8 bWARs... you guessed it -- the 2018 Boston Red Sox: Sale, Price, Porcello and Rodriguez. There's no Mookie this year, but there's an Anthony. And there is a JD. But while monitoring the BoSox' trek back to the top, check their bb-reference page often, and the mugshots from left to right --- if at least 4 of the top 8 WARRIORS include the likes of Crochet, Suarez, Gray and Bello, plus even Chapman again, we could be alright...
  12. Don't sell yourself short! Remember, it was Moon research that ranked all MLB starters by WAR way back on October 11 that inspired Breslow's plan for the offseason... after my reply post, of course: "That is a lot of work, and makes me want to trade for Sonny Gray even more now. Plus, sign Cease or Suarez (because Dombro "can't keep them all")."
  13. The longterm contract was the same reason I didn't think anyone would want to trade for Rafaela -- a few years when Moon suggested him as trade bait. At the time, Ceddanne was a guy who posted these stats at age 23: 15 HRs, 75 RBI, 19 SBs... but also, 15 BB, 151 Ks and 10 CS. He looked like someone who could go either way -- and still does for those who freak over average MLB offensive numbers. But now entering his prime and due $43.5 million over the next six seasons, Rafaela doesn't look so overpaid. Unless you think $7 mil per year is too much for the sport's elite defensive centerfielder through age 26-31.
  14. So if a ballplayer is worth no Wins and not a negative WAR, then he's a complete Zero -- the definition of a Replacement Player... (... who I always equated as one of us, walking down the street with a ticket to the ballpark, but stopped by a team official with an offer of a one-night stipend to wear the laundry and stumble around on the diamond because they needed one more guy to field a Nine and not forfeit so they didn't have to refund all the other fans).
  15. That's because Mickey's in Houston right now -- Italy needed to replace injured Teel and called up Gasperini. (sorry for the vowel movement, but I, too, could qualify for that team -- except I can't play catcher -- nor would I wear Columbo's raincoat indoors... but outdoors... remember, the two best times to go fishing are when it's raining and when it's not).
  16. I'm confused about the tiebreaker of "the lowest quotient of runs allowed divided by defensive outs recorded," and welcome any math whiz on the forum to correct me -- because I hope I'm wrong. That tiebreaker could penalize any team that won by a mercy score -- which makes zero sense to me... Ex: two winners allow 4 runs each. Team 1 wins 5-4 in 9 innings. Team 2 wins by mercy, 14-4, in 7. Team 1's quotient of 4 divided by 27 outs is 0.148. Team 2's quotient of 4 divided by 21 outs is 0.190. So Team 2 -- so dominant they only had to play 7 -- gets eliminated because they were better?
  17. Until Goomba Greg swept them off their feet!
  18. I just like the idea of a fast guy who can bunt that pressures the defense to make a perfect throw lest he circle the bases. But all the deceiving Red Sox WBC HR production has hurt Ward's chances of breaking camp in a small ball world.
  19. Too risky to bet on a Win or even a Place, so just blow it all for Show. The third option, the spork in the road, at least it looks like you're trying to get somewhere... But they're just horsing around.
  20. Why are we talking about the camera team at Fox Sports?
  21. This is like the average argument whether the Red Sox' offense is good enough or bad enough. This decade Boston's runs scored per game has fluctuated in between a high of 5.12 in 2021 and 4.54 in 2022 (Schwarber-influenced and immediately post-Schwarber). My dinero is on Duran... despite the fact that Schwarber has hit 201 homers since the Sox let him leave, compared to Duran, Story, Abreu, Rafaela and Yoshida -- who combined to hit 198 HRs in that same span. Now all a deflated Kyle can do is sit and watch, along with the victorious Kyle Teel and his lame hammy. Ok, who here had Goombah Greg Weissert striking out Judge for the last out last night?
  22. Ward has been a little rough on the Beleavers.
  23. And yet, we on this forum -- the benighted knights of the keyboards -- represent Red Sox Nation and thus must stay resolute to never let those who'd rewrite or erase HISTORY... ... no matter if those responsible are convicted, pardoned, promoted or immortalized for their immortal sins on plaque that builds between their fangs, and has bards singing "to dream, the Unflossible Dream..."
  24. Though an exorbitant amount in regular human money, it wasn't quite commensurate with Mookie's market value at the time -- his agent and even his own mother both knew it and reminded him not to bend. The Sox offer to Betts was more than Henry or any Boston owner ever offered a ballplayer before, but it was in the same ballpark as contracts signed by Machado and Harper, and Mookie was just a better all-around player in 2019, especially since he was entering his prime. People can argue all they want now about whether Mookie is still better than Machado and Harper -- he's still got them both in career WAR -- but the real gauge for any franchise is how much are three World Series rings worth?
  25. Obviously not all WBC teams are loaded with MLB ringers. I'm watching Bello carve up Israel this afternoon... oops, just gave up a solo shot to Horowitz (a big leaguer). The thing is, not all WBC players are having great tournaments -- including not all the major leaguers participating. So gotta give credit to the guys who are getting it done. The pitchers aren't trying new grips or stretching out their arms like in the Grapefruit or Cactus Leagues -- everybody's trying to win.
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