5GoldGlovesOF,75

George knew what he was doing by always stockpiling starting pitchers, and he was also right on targeting big game "warriors" -- like he knew he was in trouble when Epstein (not Cashmen) landed Schilling. Some posters love to argue against acquiring pitchers who are "injury-prone" or "IL risks" -- but nowadays, are any not? Has arm history EVER slowed down Nathan Eovaldi on a big stage in October?

This may actually defend those who welcome "anyone but Bloom" to run the Red Sox. Henry could've picked any poster on talksox as CBO four years ago, and -- nothing personal -- there's a good chance Boston would have finished dead last in the AL East at least 75% of the time. Well, except maybe Jax -- who would've made sure the Yankees were World Series favorites every single season. Uh, wait a minute...

Doesn't matter; the next GM will get canned four years from now.

2020 And this was a poorly constructed team 2021 And this was a well constructed team 2022 And this was a poorly constructed team 2023 And this was a poorly constructed team Of course, these are only opinions, which somebody reminds us of every day we bask in the glory of typing speculations and assumptions. Some posters even pass on misinformation, with smarmy, "So you're sayings..." (even when you're clearly not saying). Meanwhile, there will always be those who defend the baseball acumen of a guy who studied Classics at Yale over a diamond lifer who spent parts of six different decades either playing or managing in the big leagues. According to the media, a few critics of John Henry have even refused interviews to run his club because "he fired Bloom for doing what he was hired to do." Do they really believe Henry told Bloom to cut payroll, restock the farm, and build the MLB roster bad enough to suck 75% of the time?

... or trading "prospects" for big leaguers. Remember this summer, it was Cora who said something like, "Building up the minors is important, but the majors is what matters most."

Cora will quite possibly have more of a say in how the Sox build the roster he has to make work. That has to be a better situation than what Bloom gave him the past couple years. No matter what one's opinion of Cora's performance in the dugout, a guy with his boots on the ground knows more about the needs of his team -- and which players are candidates from other clubs to target to fill those holes.

The average fan only cares about won-loss records and the standings. We don't grade on a curve. Prospective home-buyers researching school systems might look at test scores, but pleas from low-performing districts of limited budgets and historical mismanagement will only cause a run in the other direction.

There are basic facts in a profession driven by Won-Loss Records: If a team loses more than it wins, it is a loser. Finishing in last place -- no matter how many clubs are in the division or how good they are -- is still last place. The last one. A last place loser is a failure. Circumstances that lead to it can vary, but there is no doubt that losing and last place is a season of failure. Every time it happens again, excuses become more inexcusable.

The Red Sox' weatherlytics dept. attributes Braiser's success to LA's smog gravitating his pitches, as opposed to Boston, where it rained for four straight months and his grips slipped. But Kennedy promises they're looking to interview new meteorologists who can teach pitchers to throw more meteors.

Proof that mid-market clubs don't have enough interns to masquerade as posters on other clubs' fan forums.

Red Sox fans are still misinterpreting this. When building a roster, money will not be a factor.

At Last Call, Chaim grabbed a half-finished beer from someone else's vacated table... Henry hired him on the spot.

... and not one employee of the other 28 franchises ever omitted data from their taxes nor drove over 55 mph. One guy did confess to doing a double-take at a crosswalk once -- but only after she turned out to be a co-worker of his wife's friend.

Moncada was once Baseball America's Number One prospect -- and he was traded for a skinny southpaw, who was also extended (soooooo extended he snapped the tendons and ligaments in his shoulder, his elbow, and the patience of Red Sox Nation).

But no freaking trumpets! Where is your sense of joy and jubiliation... Scherzer and Verlander tried to start a booktalk club, and all the younger players thought they meant to compare gambling sites and parlay odds.

His character from Moneyball was always lurking. Maybe Bloom copiously studied the book and movie before his interview and totally told him what he wanted to hear. "That's it -- no more interviews! (I'm tired...) "

... but it almost never does. The Mets spend kajillions, but everyone kinda knew they were cooked even before the season when Diaz blew out his knee in the WBC.

'23 AL averages per 600 PA: 19 HR 69 RBI .247 BA .317 OBP/.411 Slug/.728 OPS Without pro-rating every guy on the roster (the Sox had three with 600 PA), there were four with at least 19 HRs, three with 69 RBI, but seven who hit .247 or better, and got on base and had a higher-than-average OPS... the skillfull seven: Casas, Devers, Duvall, Duran, Turner, Yoshida, Verdugo. The first five had at least .800 OPS, including three who qualified: Casas, Devers and Turner. The first two guys can certainly improve, and hopefully, so can Masa. JT is probably a goner, and may not be replaced from outside the org -- if the bulk of spending is appropriately on pitching. Moon asked if a few new studs at the top of the rotation, added to most of the returning roster, is enough to win. Depends on... winning what? Another handful of games to nab a wild card? Maybe... depending on the progress of younger players. Improving the pitching of a last-place loser more than likely makes them an average team. Enough to win it all? Very doubtful, unless you're assuming Martin and Jansen at a year closer to 40 will not regress nor get injured, and automatically repeat their '23 successes.

Let it be known, in 2023, in the greatest division in the history of never, the only AL East team with a winning record in October was the Boston Red Sox. October 2023 W-L Boston 1-0 Tampa 1-2 New York 0-1 Toronto 0-3 Baltimore 0-4 We're Number None!

The Shamwow guy can't hit or catch, and the angry band shouter always gets picked off base. Wolly Bully is just another DH.

Not doing enough at the deadline had a lot to do with the team only winning 78 by the end of those years... ... on the field, in the dugout, in the bullpen, in the clubhouse. Red Sox W-L '22/23 March-July 107-102 August-Oct: 49-66

Howard Hughes of MLB: designs and flies a twin-engine around the world in his prime... becomes a total recluse later in life.

I don't necessarily agree. The Astros are always favorites precisely because of their title experience. The Rangers are doing it with postseason vets like Eovaldi and Seager, while the Orioles chose to just roll with all inexperienced young guys -- and they paid for it by not paying for it. The Rays and Jays were done in by sloppy D, which almost makes it ok the Sox didn't squeak in and get exposed on the national stage and laughed right off our TVs.

It all depends on whether the "new" direction will actually be new, or just status quo with a different talking head tip-toeing through the tulips. If a new, decisive GM comes in and swaps assets for younger talent -- discernible to even our senile eyeballs -- than my take is the average Red Sox -- so sick of what they've been seeing -- will be on board... ... looking forward to legitimate sustainable improvement.

Nobody's job is safe. It's not like the Sox are loaded with five-tool stars. Who is even a three-tool tool: Verdugo can catch and throw, mostly hit (despite a season-ending slump)... not much speed or power. Story (catch, run, sometimes hit w power)? We got a lotta dual-tools... or is that duel-tools... eating Square Peg pizza sitting on round stools.