5GoldGlovesOF,75

Is this stat any good: Extra Base Hits 2019-2023 1. Rafael Devers 321 2. Fred Freeman 312 3. Marcus Semien 303 4. Marcus Betts 303 5. Matt Olson 300

(direct quote from Chaim Bloom's ad on the Help Wanted page in the Classified section of the Boston Globe)

This post deserves discussion. In a way, it can be a reflection or indictment of our revolving roster. The front office constantly acquires players -- often relievers -- off waiver wires, and every once in awhile it hits on finding a guy who makes an adjustment to become a contributing member of a big league staff. But there are reasons such players are DFAed. It's like walking into a singles bar and looking twice at a few lookers -- caution: there are always reasons those patrons are available...

I joined this board right after the season in October 2019, specifically looking for a place to share my fear and outrage that Mookie may be traded -- and not play his entire Hall of Fame career for the Red Sox. I replied and disagreed with all the posts from Sox fans who care way too much about market value salaries for MLB players, and those convinced Betts was too small and would break down -- despite playing only great in all six of his seasons in Boston. I agreed with the few posters who said to pay him what he was worth, and I disagree that the Sox got a good return for 12 years of a Hall of Famer -- which I believe was the Dodgers intention from the minute they pursued Mookie. I know all about the barren farm and budget restraints, and how Trout and Ohtani never make the playoffs. But I'm a fan, and I like watching great ballplayers, and also feel a team can win with stars more often than with a roster of average guys on average contracts. Just wondering: if any of Bloom's prospects really do become awesome, what's going to happen when they want to get paid? Will they already be locked up to Braves' deals or have to be dumped for pennies on the dollar or allowed to walk for a draft pick?

But not to greet Mookie. It's raining, so Sam may be on the corner hawking ten-dollar "ponchos" (kitchen trash can size) with Red Sox logos.

Crawdad

And the '23 Red Sox instead have Wong, a decent catcher, and Verdugo, who often looks like an above-average big leaguer, but occasionally causes issues that detract from the best interests of this team succeeding in a team sport. In 2023, that is...

When you type seems, how do we know you're making a reasonable assumption, instead of a spelling mistake? Maybe you really meant the homophone: seams... and your post is a two-seamer, cutting into the hands of righty typists, and away from lefties.

You're right; just because our CBO has never done something in four years doesn't mean it was intentional. Maybe he keeps making mistakes. And maybe when a poster types maybe or may or may not, he's just speculating on a forum of speculation.

Maybe Bloom will go against his plan and actually trade a guy in time for optimal return. He may not have enough job security to pull another Beni deal, waiting years for lower level prospects to make it. As for re-upping Duvall, when has Bloom ever re-signed a player he recruited on a one-year? I've got Martin Perez on the mound, but no position players... Kike was brought back, but his initial contract was for two years.

What are yo-- with Pablo hitting in front of him for a whole season?

Brock Holt to Rob Bradford: "I asked him straight up, 'If the Red Sox offered you what the Dodgers offered you are you staying?' He was like, 'Right now?' I'm like, 'No, back then. Before you got traded.' He's like, 'Oh, I'm staying.' Mookie wanted to stay," Holt said.

Amidst all the Mookie Returns articles is PA's interview at the Globe: “That was my team. Just because I didn’t take an offer didn’t mean I didn’t want to be there. There’s a business component to the game. “We were looking for houses in Boston. We thought it was going to work out. I thought both sides were playing the slow game and it would eventually work out. We were negotiating, that’s what I thought.” Betts said he never gave the Sox any ultimatum or a figure they had to meet. “Normal negotiations, going back and forth,” he said. “Of course I’m going to stand my ground just like you should stand your ground. But I thought we’d keep talking.” Betts was adamant that the Red Sox never offered him a deal worth $300 million over 10 years. “That never happened,” he said. “I know that’s out there and people say what they’ve got to say. But no, they didn’t do that. They didn’t.”

OB told us at the beginning of the telecast they got Bello to bed early last night... didn't say who they was, though

Drafts or bottles?

Co-coach and I have a lot in common. He was Gatorade state player of the year. In that same state, I drank a Gatorade.

A scout watched me pitch in Little League. I think he got a merit badge for building a footbridge across the brook next to the park.

Agree. I don't have a lotta love for pitchers, especially anyone wearing a Red Sox uniform and touching a baseball that isn't about to be actually pitched. Growing up, however, I'll bet even you'd agree that the best players on the field were usually pitchers. All of us, coaches included, loved having our best fielder on the mound, right in the middle of the action. Most of the guys I knew and know would definitely go for that foul pop -- but most never made the majors or even the pros, of course.

He can't throw to a pizza box; he fits right in on the Red Sox staff.

Ok, after claiming you don't care what I think, you wrote a long post with some counterpoints. I agree that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, and that a ballplayer who can hit will always force himself into a line-up -- maybe even into an MLB batting order. But nothing turns off diehard fans and casual spectators more than a big league team full of inconsistencies in the field and on the basepaths, not making routine plays or getting picked off for forgetting how many outs there are in an inning. Such errors are the quickest way to get people to turn off the TV, or at least change the channel.

The IL has over 600 blank lines reserved for the names of big league pitchers every year. Every one of them knows each day is a risk, but it comes with the badge -- just like with policemen, firemen, and 21st century teachers. When pitchers go down, even on other teams, I never post "Good thing we didn't sign or trade for that guy" because they all have shelf lives. When it comes to building a staff, especially a rotation, the best choices are maybe recruit someone who is good now or whose potential is trending up. You can also spend on guys past their primes, and hope they can regain past glory. They may all have good hearts, but they're all likely to turn purple eventually.

Where's Sam Kennedy? Figures, he cut a deal. And it's only fair that all those DFAed relievers that keep getting added then subtracted are spared. It's not their fault...

Every school playground in my town has a backstop and diamond that neighborhood kids can access if they want to. But the only guaranteed time fields are used is at recess, when schools permit kickball, but ban hardball (too dangerous). The point of this initial discussion was that big leaguers -- at least the ones we root for -- look more inept at basic fundamentals that came as second-nature in the past -- and maybe that's because ballplayers once grew up spending more time playing more various forms of baseball (and not necessarily in complete, organized 9-on-9 games in uniform, run by adult coaches... and don't get me wrong, I coached high school for a decade, and now my son's Little League in fall, spring, and summer All-Stars -- and, we also pay for him to play travel ball; the more baseball, the better).

He couldn't throw it -- it was booted... but he tore his hammy.

That sucks. We have a really nice fenced-in ballpark in the middle of a town park that is empty 99% of the time because it cost so much to build. But you can play on it for $150. At more accessible places, I've seen diamonds disappear... twice I've seen neighboring towns take down old backstops and level the field to make room for more soccer. And the local community college deleted baseball from its sports program, demolished the concrete dugouts, ripped up the screens and replaced the infield with solar panels.