5GoldGlovesOF,75

Boston may need to focus on All-Star batters who will be free agents in 2028 and trade for them next offseason before their contracts expire. Mid-market clubs that expect to lose such good ballplayers to free agency should be willing to make a deal for pitching prospects. Wait -- which one are we again?

Speaking of dinosaurs, when I was a kid, a check swing only became a swinging strike if a batter "broke his wrists" -- which means turned the top hand down (like we all were taught to hit line drives) and the bottom hand up. Hard to believe a guy could stop his swing and turn his torso so the bat crossed the entire plate and it was still called a ball. For evidence, watch any classic World Series games on MLB channel from the 1960s that they show in the winter. I'm not advocating to go back to that, but I swear to the Church of Baseball that a check swing is absolutely not a strike if the batter flares a nostril (so sick of catchers saying "Check-check-check" like they're trying to leave every diner before they finish their cup of coffee). With pitchers on every team throwing 100 mph, MLB knows it needs to do something to help offense. So watch how many batters get new life, longer counts and hittable pitches when Check-the-Check is gone. The pros will never have to juice their balls again.

Another good detailed post. I can just add from my own failings, a sharp 2-seamer was the hardest pitch to hit, and the best bet to break my bat (this is a righty batter talking about a righty pitcher). I honestly don't know what the big league broadcasts are calling a sinker these days, because a lot of those pitches wind up at the top of the zone -- where 4-seamers typically travel. Unless the sinker is dropped from a dirigible.

Of all the batters Miz was making mizerable, Duran looked like he just decided to swing at everything and hope a pitch would hit his bat. None of his swings and misses were at pitches even in the zone. Today AC had mercy on OB, so we wouldn' have to hear: DrOhan fans DUran.

He looked surprised on second after his game-winning double -- not because he hit it, but probably because he got an 0-2 meatball instead of a sweeper in the dirt. Good for Story; he didn't miss it or foul it back or pop it up trying to kill it. He did what a pro is supposed to do. Set an example for younger players to play to their strengths... ... like Milwaukee convincing Hamilton to use his speed to contribute on offense -- and not try to pull balls in the air and whiff: Fatse, Driveline and analyticals not good enough to make the majors.

I'm in for 100% robots calling balls and strikes, with no challenges -- and most importantly, that includes eradicating the most obnoxious calls in baseball: Check The Check swings. If the MLB and fans want complete computer accuracy on balls and strikes, they also deserve a calibrated angle that constitutes whether or not a batter actually checks his swing -- a definition, by the way, that has never been officially stated in any rule book. It's a complete joke that the most inconsistent call this century is repeatedly left to the indiscretion of umps 90 feet away who use whatever parameters they each decide to determine when a hitter moves his hands, flinches an eyebrow or wiggles his knob. The Miz throws 100 mph every pitch and umps get to penalize someone for trying to prepare to be on time?

The Red Sox made the playoffs last season because of pitching -- an overall good starting rotation and a lights-out backend of the bullpen. Here's another reason: they signed -- some would still say overpaid -- a veteran leader who was so well-respected that younger players viewed him as a player/coach. Now? They might still have good pitching this season, because there's too much talent on the staff for them all to suck all year. But they lost their everyday leader and mentor on the diamond, in the dugout, batting cage and clubhouse. There's no more Alex Bregman. As for fans who are so happy the front office didn't overpay for AB again, don't bother citing stats... but what exactly do you think they would say a sinking ship without a rudder is worth these days?

"Tessie" by Dropkick Murphys. Wait-- is that even on vinyl?

We can never say the defense is inconsistent again.

This being the REAListic thread -- it's all facets of the game. You know it's bad when Cora pinch-ran Rafaela for Yoshida in the 9th the other day, and the first thing I thought of wasn't "Wheels on the bases" but "Don't Get Picked Off!" Sure enough... Ceddanne was duped into being the last out. If the Sox can just go 24 games over .500 the rest of the season, they can still win 90. I just have to remind myself I'm never as bad as my bad posts.

Putting the Wally head on Contreras after his homer in the 9th made a bigger mockery of this team. I'm surprised Contreras didn't throw the head out of the dugout -- notice when he was barking at the entire Brewers team, not one Red Sox was backing him up... they looked like they didn't want to go near him. His new teammates either don't care to fight his battles or fear him as a lunatic who might turn on them (that wasn't meant as a political statement, i swear). The only way to save the season is to sacrifice the Wally head to the baseball gods. Bring it out to the mound pregame with an Old Hickory and beat it senseless. If that's too violent, fill it with m-80s and let Weissert light the fuse. In the very least, have Anthony shoot off a roman candle from inside the head. Any other Kill Wally Head ideas are welcome on this forum!

Cora will never bench his team leader. And flipping him with the callow second baseman is too disrespectful to the grizzled veteran. We're going to have to wait for an official injury, but you can bet the trainers are on high alert: "the first time you see Story rub an elbow or use ice or hot gel in the clubhouse, report it immediately to the IL office!"

SS is an entirely other issue, and it has nothing to do with Story's slow start with the bat. But come on -- we've all seen him: even when he makes clean plays, he has to take three running steps towards first before he throws to reach it in the air. If this big league team is sincerely all about what they're touting as their biggest strength -- RUN PREVENTION -- then we know the change on the diamond that ultimately has to be made.

Because he struck out Judge in the WBC. He was Italia's main man on the mound. I watched as many games as I could and remember thinking: Weissert is either better than ever or going to be burned out when the season starts. Now we know. And consider this: if Weissert doesn't come into 3 games and immediately give up game-changing bombs, the Sox may be 5-4 instead of 2-7, their worst start ever.

Ok, that actually did happen last June, but let's deeply consider the possibilities now: Do you or any other lucid Red Sox fan really believe that THIS ownership in THIS decade would actually welcome someone else's malcontent under contract for three hundred million dollars?!?! Would Henry light a cigar if Breslow even dealt four players for an overfed, long-haired leaping gnome? Spill the wine, take that pearl.

To me, when a CBO or GM or owner or Mouthpiece Liar Named Sam states specific intentions to improve a team and then not only doesn't deliver, but pivots to a lesser plan and leaves the roster incomplete, those people deserve any criticism when they fall flat on their faces. And I don't wish them ill will -- except when I'm fed their bull once again while they try to sneak behind me and pick my pockets. In that case, fans like us -- like me -- who foot their bill, deserve to serve any outrage we desire, whether it's rational or just from raw emotion. The front office can eat it. I'm just so sick and damn tired of being lied to, over and over again, this entire decade.

With the ground? His uni is pretty dirty.

Sorry to ruin your ruminations. You just can't stand it when someone posts something you're apost to. Let's look at some other threads that we can pick on.

But... we don't have the Password to bat righty and replace Ref and Romy. IKF... IKANT

Cora's in charge so that means he doesn't ever have to admit he made a mistake or apologize! But he can just fire his top of the order and tell the press he's reassigning them to important new jobs he just invented like Secretary of the Bat Rack and Official Dugout Hotfoot Fuse-Lighter.

WHA- none of the fans in my house look forward to watching star ballplayers -- but we can't wait to rush to Fenway or the living room TV to see if empty jerseys can scratch out a few runs. 2026 Red Sox aren't just last in the standings; they're LAST in batting average with runners in scoring position. AGAIN. Breslow should never open his mouth. "We need to get a power hitter," he said last winter before he traded the system's minor league home run leader for a pitcher now on the IL. And then he let Bregman leave. Let's go Red Sox, pinch hit for your NUMBER THREE batter! Pray the career utility man dribbles one that an infielder will bobble so we can tie the score!

Not like he's facing the 2007 Red Sox... ... or even the 2027 Red Sox...

Most concerning to Red Sox fans -- and most depressing as a season preview -- was the bottom of the 8th. Down a run, but 1st and 3rd with no outs in a frame everyone knew was do or die with Mason Miller warming for the 9th: In that situation, any team would be thrilled to have its 2-3-4 batters up. But not Boston! ... mainly, because the manager insists on batting his two worst strikeout machines -- Story and Duran (first and second in Ks last year) in two key spots in the batting order. Story, who once again leads all MLB shortstops in whiffs, was the guy I wanted Cora to pinch hit for. Nope: K. And then with the team desperate for anyone to make contact, the batter who slugged the most home runs in ST/WBC for the Sox, Jarren Duran, was pinch hit for by a benchwarmer throw-in from the Durbin trade. In the biggest moment of the game to that point, the skipper doesn't even have faith in his own Number Three hitter. Monasterio put up a good fight and touched the ball, but hit a DP comebacker to the pitcher that the second baseman dropped... or the Red Sox would've only scored one run yesterday. But there's still time to reshuffle baseball cards on the rowboat without a paddle... before fans revolt and toss them into the harbor.

Benintendi was decent, unless you're one of those who scoff at expert observers and Rawlings analysts who used regular season metrics to nominate him as a Gold Glove Award finalist multiple times. And Manny was always serviceable to opposing batters.

Non-contact highlight: Contreras' challenge that he was so convinced was Ball Four he headed to 1st before the ruling. Ballplayers don't need to be cocky to be good, but they have to be deliberate. Cora's Red Sox need less deliberation and more guys to be deliberate.