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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    This post sums up my feelings -- and fears, when Bloom was hired -- all along. Even blowhard Kevin Millar has said the same things: it's all about star power. And that includes multi-tool position players combined with ace pitchers. I'm glad owners fired Bloom, but only if it truly signifies the end of the Bloom Era (which was never about the guy whose name will forever mar this period in Sox history). As for Bloom's legacy, I refuse to laud him for doing his job and drafting players who someday may become big leaguers. On draft day, every GM, along with an entire front office staff, crosses off names on a list until it's their turn to pick the best player available. What really defines GMs are players they acquire from other organizations -- and not just signing free agents (if their owners allow it). If Abreu and Valdez become MLB regulars -- for what became a few months of a back-up catcher -- that deal will be known as Bloom's best move.
  2. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    To me, true contenders are built not only to make the playoffs, but to win in the postseason. And that almost always come down to pitching: two starting pitchers can make a big difference -- as long as they're a #1 and #2 -- with a deep bullpen of good set-up men and a lights-out closer. There are exceptions, but usually any deficiencies are exposed. Boston's first three World Series winners this century all had ace starters and automatic closers. The 2018 champs featured three Cy Young starters and a hot rover. The '21 Sox fell short because they had a bad bullpen. But even better arms couldn't sustain a run through October for the current Sox, whose pitiful defense would sabotage even the great pitching staffs of the Baltimore Orioles from 50 years ago... although maybe the best skills of those O's pitchers was to induce batters to constantly hit the ball to all-time defenders Mark Belanger, Paul Blair, and Brooks Robinson (RIP, Human Vacuum Cleaner).
  3. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Bearclaw is wearing all those stick-on tattoos to make it look like he's Houck tonight. But we're not falling for it...
  4. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I think you meant some are beyond approach...
  5. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Dugout conversation after the 1st... Cora to Houck: "Dude, BP was at 5; this is the real game, now." Tanner: "I know. I was serving meatballs because I wanted to see if someone could drill that lazy slug at third for me."
  6. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I've only been watching or playing baseball for half a century, but in almost every game uniformed personnel in dugouts try to steal signs from third base coaches to baserunners, who they try to pick off from the mound or the plate with special plays; they even have a sign of their own for pitch-outs! But not once did any of those players or coaches ever receive such hatred.
  7. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Honestly -- this might be the first time I've ever said this as Sox fan -- there is not one single player on the entire MLB roster or in the entire farm system that I wouldn't include in a trade, let walk in free agency, or just cut and say goodbye. This big league club is so far from contention -- legitimate World Series contention, SamKennedy -- that I'd like to see a new wheeling-dealing GM come in and engineer a multi-team blockbuster trade that cleans house of about 10 players from Boston and totally turns over the line-up and rotation.
  8. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Cora's team broke secret codes? From other teams giving secret codes to deceive opponents? OMG!!!!!!!!!! How can we ever trust any of them ever again? Why, just yesterday a poster on another thread typed, "It is extremely rare for any Major League manager to give a completely honest appraisal..."
  9. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    WHA- ? The Sox just awarded him their Defensive Player of the Year Award for minor leaguers! Don't we need better defenders? And didn't we see enough of Hamilton's D skills in Boston this year? Skilly organization...
  10. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Most people here appreciated the job Cora did this season with what he was given to work with, because very few of us ever thought mediocrity playing out of position to back a mound crew of injured, has-beens or never-has-beens would contend. The magic show he performed with openers when the Sox had the best record in baseball for a month literally kept them from flopping into the depths of other last place teams. In hindsight, AC blew it; it's his fault the Sox won't get a top-5 or 6 draft pick next summer...
  11. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The Sox have actually been fifth-best in the AL East three of the past four years. They are only last in the only division they inhabit. So they only suck in the world in which they exist.
  12. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Have you been talking to the special assistant to the GM in LA? He just said this about something similar that happened in Boston, back in the Bloom Era: "Mookie, they offered him a nice contract and he turned it down. He wanted a number I guess they didn’t feel comfortable with. To lose Mookie and not get anything for him would have been pretty tough." (preceding brought to you by Ron Roenickie, a guy fans neither cheered nor jeered when mouths couldn't move on cardboard cutouts from the stands)
  13. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Yes -- and when he does make it, the Sox definitely need to change the color of their socks on their city connect unis.
  14. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Trout, Soto, Harper did damage in the bigs when they were 19. Devers and Bogaerts made it when they were 20. Anthony will be 20 next May; he was born in 2004... born under a good sign, with a red moon in his eyes. Got himself a bat.
  15. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Some reporters are prone to try to beat others to scoops, though Rosenthal seems to be more right than wrong, with more league-wide sources (the guy gets around)... as opposed to, maybe others in the media who may start rumors hoping they come true (I'm not naming names). Lackey wasn't too happy about fans in 2013 cheering him, after they booed the two previous seasons he actually pitched in Boston (he missed all of '12 w TJS?). Imagine front-runners cheering someone who wins the World Series, after booing him when he had an ERA over-5.00 and led the AL in runs allowed and hit-by-pitches while getting paid $34 million dollars.
  16. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    If we really want legitimate change, the new guy will be allowed to hire his own "cabinet" for the front office. Otherwise, how much veering from the Bloom Era can we expect, when the entire staff -- except for one individual -- that contributed to the assemblage of three last place losers is still in place? The direction just may continue, only with a different name -- the New Guy Era... If so, might as well just call the Brad Pitts Era.
  17. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    A lot of Sox fans and media thought the Lackey signing was finally salvaged when he helped win the 2013 World Series, with one win (and a loss) and a 2.57 ERA. If you agree for that reason alone, then surely trading Lackey for Joe Kelly was also worth it... because Kelly pitched in all five 2018 World Series games: winning one, losing none, with an ERA of 0.00.
  18. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    No, in my fantasy, the GM goes into the season with a healthy starting rotation every year, and doesn't bank the whole season on guys coming off the IL. He also trades for legitimate bullpen help at every deadline -- and not just bank every August/September on waiver wire pick-ups DFAed by other clubs.
  19. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Yup. Duran is not a good fielder. Red Sox need good fielders... to go along with all those new starting pitchers ownership is surely going to sign this winter. And they're not making any trades for rentals that they won't immediately sign longterm. The Bloom Era is over (unless they're still BSing Red Sox Nation -- which is very possible).
  20. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The batting order needs more righthanded pop, especially if it's losing Duvall's 20 HRs. But there aren't a lot of positions for a new guy... except second base? BTV accepts Duran and Walter to SD for Ha-Seong Kim. On a team of superstar salaries, Kim, 27, leads Padres position players with 5.6 WAR, great glove, 17 homers, 36 steals, under contract for one more year at $8M then a mutual option. The Sox need more fundamentally-sound ballplayers like Kim. Maybe SD would like an upgrade in CF over disappointing Trent Grisham's sub-.200 BA and .665 OPS (Duran's '23: .295, .828).
  21. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    As a fan, I could care less about the money invested in payroll. What interests me is watching star ballplayers star for my favorite team. That all-time team from 2018 that carried over into '19 had a lot star power. No team wins it all every year, and the Red Sox never did for the first four decades I followed them... but they always had really good players on usually good teams. Agonizing to me isn't 84 wins and third place. What really sucks is having a losing record and finishing dead last in the division, three out of four years.
  22. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I do. In '19, Mookie led the majors in runs scored. Raffy was second. Devers also led MLB in extra base hits and total bases. Bogaerts was third -- in the bigs -- in XBH, sixth in TB, and led the Sox in Offensive WAR (5th overall). Raffy was also second in the majors in hits, Xander was fourth. The pair of buds were also second and third in doubles, with 54 and 52. Benintendi and Betts were tied for 10th with 40 each. Mookie was also second in the big leagues in times on base. His OPS was .915... but he was only fourth on the club, behind Raffy .916, X .936, and JD Martinez .936 -- who had 36 HRs, 105 RBI and BA .305. The '19 Red Sox missed the playoffs, and maybe the ball was still juiced back then... but for this fan, watching that team was way more fun than the total slopfests we were fed in three of the past four years since.
  23. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Open with a righty who throws gas, so opponents load up their batting order with lefties. Then bring in the Incredible Bulk!
  24. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    OB must be getting paid extra on the side to anoint Story as the savior, because all he talks about is his great D, even while he's in the process of striking out. Even when he got picked off first last night, OB started gushing about how "fun" it's been to watch Story at shortstop -- instead of pointing out how he's fit right into the Sox' clown show on the basepaths. "What a blast."
  25. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    None of 2020-23 was just Bloom's fault, but it all happened on his watch, when he occupied the top position in the front office. For all I know, he's a good guy, as are many of his colleagues in Sox management -- including those who had good reps for years before he was even hired. But unfortunately, those who remain employed by the Red Sox may also have to step aside if Henry and Co. are really intent on changing things. What I'm getting at is the new CBO/GM/JEFE/HONCHO probably needs to be hired from outside the org, and be allowed to bring in his/her own staff to run things. That may also mean a new manager and coaching staff on the field. Otherwise, fans should not expect all that much to change right away... and realize that Bloom's firing was just for show. But not The Show.
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