5GoldGlovesOF,75

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.

Duran fearlessly slammed himself into the Monster to catch a drive by Bogaerts. Gotta give him credit on a play that Anthony's not guaranteed to make. Duran doesn't always make great reads off the bat, but has the speed to sometimes compensate. Roman isn't exactly Jackie Bradley Junior on his jumps either.

I got no dime but I got some time to hear his story

It should be Leadoff.

Duran's so tuff he got rivets in his back.

Yes! and any pitcher who throws an 0-2 pitch anywhere near Ceddanne's bat should be immediately demoted.

Need first thrust home.

listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul

The Red Sox have a cameo in a sequel of Hitchcock's Rear Window. It's called Rear View Mirror, with the Yankees in the front seat. Sam Kennedy swears the Sox' role gets bigger at the end, but the soundtrack is Meatloaf's "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are."

The racist GM who over the phone gave his California scout permission to sign a guy named Green must have been in shock when Pumpsie first arrived in Beantown.

Smells like a slugfest waiting to happen.

Noooo -- let the Red Sox burn theirs in the early innings with no outs and nobody on base on the first pitch of an at bat... ... not late in the game when a challenge could mean the difference in a winning rally, like everyone praised Anthony on Opening Day for in the Sox only win of the year. Instead, let's mock the Yankees for having too many team meetings on how and when to use their challenges. Those idiots are only 5-1 so far.

The words "position" and "Campbell" are Polar Park opposites right now. Arias already has MLB defense. He's similar to Rafaela, when Ceddanne was still in the minors -- Gold Glove hands, but needs to use them to hack less at pitches outside the zone... ... which brings me back to my low point of the season so far: how in the world was a guy who has never shown any knowledge of the strike zone whatsoever allowed to challenge a call on an 0-0 pitch in the 2nd inning? How many Ivy League degrees in Breslow and Bailey's Circus does it take to set some team policies on WHEN to use challenges and WHO is even permitted to contemplate them?

I have a premonition for the near future in baseball: anyone who thinks the ABS challenge system is good for the game now, just wait until Check The Check gets challenged. The proposed over-under angle of the bat is 45 degrees from end of the barrel to knob; diagrams basically show that line to be parallel to the first base foul line for righty batters (for perspective, on the call Bucknor blew last weekend, Trevor Story's bat was still behind him when he checked his swing -- all he did that confused CB was move his hands over the plate). Computers will overturn just about every stupid "he went!" that base umps think they can tell from 90 feet away. Pitchers will go ballistic -- and leagues are prepared to immediately eject any who yell until the new rule is accepted. Check swings will no longer be fake strikes, false Ks will disappear from the diamonds, hitters' counts will thrive, and pitchers will be forced to throw more hittable pitches. Best part for baseball: Offense returns!!!!

Hoss played in the days when ballplayers weren't millionaires (or even hundredaires). They all had to work real jobs for money. Lucky for him he landed an acting part in Bonanza. I got my degree in American Studies from Thespian University.

The 24-25 uncommon denominator... minions? "Bello!"

All I can think of are Boston bullpens since 2018, which were always burnt out by mid-summer because the starters couldn't go deep... ... maybe that's a bad example, because the second's failures were directly connected to the first.

Go Koji. Sox fans deserve to bitch after another crap opening weak. Looie Tiant says, "El beisbol - DAmelo!" (sorry Tiante, I couldn't make an upside down exclamation point) John Lackey says, "Get off my mound!" Dark Knight says... "bad night..."

Thanks, I didn't realize it's based on days in the MLB. So in order to be considered a prospect, a guy has to still be eligible to win Rookie of the Year in the majors. In other words, Sogard and Eaton are no longer prospects, even though they are better bets than Arias this year to play in Boston. I'd also say if any position player on the list makes it to Boston this season it will Braiden Ward at #40... unless Romero rakes and there are so many injuries to infielders in Boston and Woo he gets the call. Ward has one big league skill that can help a team win right now, and a pennant contender might be willing to trade for him, rather than someone like Campbell, who currently has none.

The point is modern ballplayers may be superior athletes compared to old pros from bygone days, but they are not more skilled at all baseball skills. Of course, modern "instructors" might call some of those skills obsolete; the kind who tell a Hall of Famer like Jim Rice not to talk hitting with a prospect. As for batters who'd rather constantly strikeout by two feet rather than cut down their swings to touch the ball, try to get on base. and move runners so maybe their teams can score more runs? I'm not telling them to get off my lawns, but they can stay off my screens.

Today they're more talented -- bigger, stronger, faster than ever -- including the strength to throw faster than ever. But skills are also associated with doing more nuanced baseball deeds, like learning and mastering new pitch grips, which has always been on the list. Rare now are batters who advance baserunners without swinging from the heels... by bunting, hitting behind the runner, choking up with two strikes and cutting down swings to STAY ALIVE (maybe choking up would help stop some whiffers from flailing when they realize they can't reach an outside pitch breaking three balls off the corner). Watching Duran strike out last night on a slider that started at the ankles and burrowed underground is a sign modern hitting is so impossible that big leaguers have to just guess on every pitch.

Early in Boston is still a prospect? But Campbell in Woo is no longer a prospect? And what does that say for his prospects...

Whenever I think of IKF -- already in his 30s, barely a regular in a handful of seasons, ex-Yankee, never won -- as one of Breslow's key additions, I hear in my head: Isiah Kindofa Failure