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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Right after the brawl, my Yankee fan cousin -- two years older than me -- called on the phone and actually said, "I can't believe Pedro Martinez picked a fight with Don Zimmer!" My reply was calm: "What the f*** were you watching?"
  2. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    That was when my 10-year old, who has all his brain cells and remembers everything, said, "Typical Rays' hit vs. Boston." It got me thinking of the many times Red Sox batters have been thrown out by half a step, especially on swinging bunts when almost every opposing pitcher makes an off-balance Gold Glove throw. Conclusion: the Sox just aren't that fast.
  3. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Always. Right after Bucky. And then they show Pedro throwing down Zimmer (but never say it was self-defense).
  4. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    We tried listening to the Sox radio announcers, but they were too far ahead of the TV delay, so we just hit the mute button. I've actually watched the end of a lot of games that way this year, especially with the Sox trailing, to avoid OB's contrivances.
  5. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    But this time, if Houck has a perfect game through five innings in a postseason elimination game, I'd love to see Cora go out to the mound, then look over at Cash, then look up to where Bloom is sitting, and fist-pump the kid and go back and sit down in the dugout.
  6. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Geez, thanks for the concerns, guys. I'm ok, and just made a bad joke about ESPN and Fox by not naming them directly when calling them "Yankee" channels (which, anyone watching their constant ARod/Judge/Bucky features may possibly agree with). I'm actually content with anything that happens the rest of the postseason -- since the underdogs knocked off the overrateds in the WC.
  7. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Cora should be planning to use his current top four relievers tonight to tie this up: Braiser, Houck, Robles, Whitlock -- not necessarily in that order (had to include the same phrase I used when I called for these four before the WC card; not that I'm stupidstitious or anything). If Sale and Co. can stop the Rays' rampaging rookies, and Nate can neutralize and nail down another Sunday, might AC start Houck in Game Four? I know that may be asking a lot from a rookie pitcher -- right, Kevin Cash?
  8. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Their GM has deftly collected a sufficient amount of power bats from both side of the plate, and also an uncanny array of .250 guys skilled at beating out one-stitch infield grounders to key rallies in every game vs. the Red Sox this year.
  9. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Doesn't matter; if Tampa goes on to win it all this year, for the next 43 years of meaningful games vs. the Red Sox, the Yankees TV channels will run replays of Arozarena stealing home... over and over and over again. Even if Boston wins the next four rings.
  10. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Disagree: Arozarena and Franco are more dynamic players than any Red Socks. Keep them off the bases and deal with the rest of Tampa's .250 hitters who will hit a few homers, and always some bleeder that brings in a run because the batter hustled to beat the throw to first. Boston outhit Tampa but had zero bases on balls (the opposite of the Sox' WC game), and also ripped hard outs. Hopefully, some of those will find gaps, like the line drive Franco hit that Arozarena scored from first on. The visitors have no one who can run like Randy, but have plenty of batters who can work walks (like when the ump blew two calls in his last AB). Things could change quickly if Sale can shut them down.
  11. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Alright -- my final prediction -- even if the Rays continue to come through again and again at the plate like only their below-average hitters who lead the AL in Ks can do: at least ONE of the TWO games in FLA will be winnable for the visitors... because at least ONE of the TWO rookie starters for Tampa just won't be on, be it nerves, overthrowing or overRedBulling. Boston's veteran batters with rings will hit and score... and then it will come down to the bullpens. If the Sox can grab one of these dome games, they'll feel pretty good going back up to Fenway with their ace on Sunday.
  12. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    He led the staff in victories! After a lost Covid season! He won two of our last three must-wins on the same weekend a week ago! We got this.
  13. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    They strike out the most, so make less contact... which is probably a good thing against the Sox F-fense.
  14. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The Rays never hit their ceiling in away games. I tellya; I got a million of 'em.
  15. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Right -- poor hitters that make less contact than everyone else will keep scoring the most runs because... they must be clutch. So... if this Tampa Way continues right through the postseason and adds another banner to title town, does it end all debate about, what: below-average feet racing into above-average feats... 111 times (is that a large enough sample size)? Or does anyone else here feel a market correction is about due? Or will it turn out that opponents actually pitched to Franco, because he's only a 20-year old rookie? The heavily-favored Rays sure seem to be counting a lot on rookies.
  16. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    No fans either (according to football-only talk shows). We crack us up.
  17. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I don't know if the Red Sox will hit enough off Tampa's staff for an upset, but I doubt the Rays will hit enough vs. the best clubs in the big leagues to go all the way. The Rays are worse hitters than all but one team in the tournament, the Brewers. Tampa's OPS is behind Houston, Boston, Chicago, SF, LA and Atlanta. Tampa's batting average is also lower than those same six clubs. Rays' batters also strike out more than all postseason teams. They were second in runs to Houston, but scored less in the second half (even with Franco full-time).
  18. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I just heard AJ Hinch talking about this topic on MLB radio. His point was that whenever a manager's decision fails, all second-guessers assume that the alternative would have succeeded -- and not only is that impossible to know for sure, but unlikely to happen based on the info driving the change... which is why it was made in the first place. Hinch mentioned the smartest in-game managers as Cash, Counsell, "and AC up in Boston."
  19. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    From what I just read from John Tomase, the Rays are better in every facet of the game and won't lose a single game in this series. And yet, while considering how many Red Sox veteran players have World Series rings compared to the Rays -- I count 10 to ZERO -- I'm wondering: how many teams in history were ever such an overconfident favorite that it could start rookie pitchers in the first two games of a postseason series... and neither one of them had a nervous breakdown or at least faltered on the mound?
  20. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Lowe has a little higher overall WAR, and a little lower negative dWAR. He hit 5 homers vs. Boston, so I'm sure they'll have a plan to keep him in the yard. Arozarena can be a force on the bases and is more of a threat to hurt the Sox in different ways.
  21. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
  22. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The Rays have tight D and legions of 95 mph arms, but the Red Sox can win this short series if pitchers focus on Tampa's two elite players: Franco and Arozarena. Don't let those two beat you; the rest of the Rays batters that led the AL in Ks but who always seemed to come through are simply overdue for a market correction this postseason. Research of Tampa's four main power guys -- Lowe, Zunino, Cruz and Meadows -- shows that all are virtually worse hitters in the following categories (listed by bb-ref as "Clutch"): Late & Close, RISP w/ 2 outs, and Tie Games. Other regulars like Diaz, Wendle, Margot and KK are .240-.250 guys and nothing special. But Wander Franco is... .395 in Late & Close, .423 RISP w/ 2 outs, over 1.000 OPS in both... 3.5 WAR in half a season... vs. Boston in 16 G: 15 R, 16 RBI. Dang yo. Randy Arozarena led the Rays in Ks, but also in hits and OBP. He's a 20-20 man who ripped 10 longballs in last year's playoffs. Cora and the staff must have a plan to attack these two game-changers...
  23. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Final WC words on Boston's elimination of New York, rigor mortis version: for Yankee fans making excuses, complaining how Stanton's two shots off the Monster would've been homers in any other park... ... Red Sox fans' immediate and forever-after responses should be: 1) Stanton's actual HR past the Pesky pole wouldn't have been out in most parks (while Plawecki's double off the bullpen was gone in the Stadium); and 2). if the Wall wasn't there in '78, no one would have ever heard of Bucky Dent... Yaz was drifting back to catch the pop-up and just ran out of room.
  24. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I'm not trying to be too old school here, but batting average means as much to me as OPS when it comes to actually hitting with men on base. Of course I see the value in extra base hits clearing the bases, and I'm not faulting anyone for keeping a rally going by taking a walk. But there's also value in comparing batting averages when a guy actually puts the ball in play. Is Joey Gallo a better "hitter" than Kike, because he has a better OPS, .808 to .786? Gallo batted .199, Hernandez .250. In about the same amount of at bats, Gallo has over a hundred more strikeouts. Kike has 40 less walks, but 28 more hits. The old adage "walks are as good as hits" is a fallacy, because baserunners can only move up one bag on bases on balls. But a lot of guys can go first to third or second to home on singles.
  25. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Nate struck out Stanton in his second at bat on a high fastball; this was how the Sox got him out in the first half of the season. I was surprised/disappointed that catchers didn't target the same area his last two trips. Instead, Stanton got lower pitches he could extend on... maybe Braiser and Whitlock just missed their spots.
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