5GoldGlovesOF,75

I've been watching for just as long and know a lot of observers who find it unacceptable for multi-millionaires not to run 90 feet a couple times a night. Back in '66, I might've said three or four times, but nowadays batters are lucky if they make contact half the time. At least all the old-timers dropped their bats when they did.

Or hit a grounder and jog to first. Note to PR Dept: that's the fans' cue to change the channel. You may want to mention that in the next team meeting about giving up.

Did anyone note the bitter irony when Rizzo bounced that clutch "hit" off Dalbec's glove to put the game away, ensure a NY sweep, and possibly bury the '21 Sox? I was watching with the mute button on, but thought: (if only Bloom had the prospect depth to deal at the deadline)... 1. Rizzo was supposed to be delivering those moments for Boston; and 2. Rizzo would've made that play.

I don't remember Greenwell tantrums, but swearing and teeth-gnashing when he didn't deliver at the plate or on the field. I can relate to those reactions more than nonchalance or worse, grinning derisively when an ump makes a bad call.

Greenie didn't have puffed up muscles in the Michelin Man era, but superior bat speed generated MLB power. I liked him because he got visibly angry when he failed; it's easy to appreciate pros who at least look like they care as much as fans. Line drive hitter, lifetime Red Sox player. Twelve-year career: a negative dWAR but .318/.837, 19 HRs, 99 RBI. Wait, that's Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett... Here's Mike Greenwell: negative dWAR and .303/.831, 17 HRs, 93 RBI. His lefty swing reminded me more of Mattingly: 14 years, .307/.830, 20 HRs, 100 RBI.

You realize that implying qualitative data matters in baseball, too, could cause some posters' heads to explode? Steve Carlton and Tim McCarver say hi. Wait, McCarver wants to say more...

I've agreed with this about Leon for a long time. If JBJ was kept around because his D was that valuable to the pitching staff, imagine how much more having a trustworthy catcher means.

Mata was also the most likely starter to get called up midseason and contribute, like Gil in NY. I still can't believe the White Sox thought it was a good idea to trade Madrigal, a 24-year-old .300 hitter in the bigs for the privilege to pay Kimbrel $16 million in '22 when he's 34 (maybe there's a buyout... but still, talk about going for it now). Gotta wonder how much more Bloom could've gotten from Chicago for the younger Barnes at almost half the salary...

"But they're professionals! So what if the front office didn't celebrate their mid-season accomplishments by supporting them with legitimate reinforcements -- like all the other contenders did -- it shouldn't affect their performance." "It's not like these are young men playing a kid's game... they're not all entitled adolescents who have always been at the top of every level they've played in since Little League, praised and idolized by family, friends, and communities... until now..."

When I think of a dogfight, I imagine relentless, snarling and barking foes tearing into each other... not our beloved, despised Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Bats clubs. Now Tyler Wade steps out of the batter's box to readjust his velcro for the 8th straight pitch this at bat. And Hansel Robles walks back off the mound to look into his cap for the sign indicator with a runner on second and a 3-2 count. Fans bang on the wall down the rightfield foul line to keep each other awake...

The glory of Captain Carl. Only his most devoted fans remember in Game 163 that year when he pulled the best pitcher in baseball for a home run to give the Sox an early lead, and then singled off Gossage to drive in another run in the bottom of the 8th. Then he scored Boston's last run of the season from 2nd to make it 5-4. Some would say each of those feats show times he came through -- if you consider it important to score first in a do-or-die game or produce runs with your team trailing late...

Right; how many times does a batter need to come through... in pressure situations... to be considered "clutch"? Compare Big Papi and ARod. Each had over 1,000 regular season plate appearances in the big leagues. Their stats are very similar in what most observers would consider high leverage situations: Ortiz batted a little better with 2-outs, RISP, .276/.951 to .265/.849; ARod had a miniscule edge in Late & Close, .265 to .256 (same OPS). In tie games, the two big boppers had identical batting averages of .292... I couldn't find postseason stats for these categories -- but does it really matter (maybe that's the point)? If you polled 1,000 diehards who watched their careers -- including Red Sox and Yankee fans -- and asked which guy they'd want up at bat in a "clutch" moment in the playoffs, how many would pick Alex Rodriguez over David Ortiz? Seriously... any?

... at the deadline, while they were in first place, for two younger relievers no one's ever heard of -- who both throw 105 mph vs. Boston the very next week.

Aren't all championship teams that turnover GMs every five years or so the products of many regimes? Jalen Beeks and Santiago Espinal may have been drafted or signed by earlier guys, but it was Dombro who had the initiative to flip them for the MLB's best postseason pitcher and the 2018 World Series MVP. I've never seen one Sox fan regret the loss of Beeks or Espinal. I hope Schwarber turns out to be Bloom's gem acquisition, but nobody hits on all their choices. Crawford, Panda, Cashner and Robles say bye.

...not if he has options remaining. But the guy is going to be 27 in a few weeks. He's played parts of the last half decade in the bigs, with a negative WAR for his career. Does that mean if the union goes on strike and the owners have to hire amateurs to field a team, that Franchy is worth less than the replacement players?

Dombrowski does what a lot of GMs do every year: trade prospects to upgrade their MLB roster and try to win the World Series. But while the grand plans of many GMs fall short, Dombro's moves actually worked in Boston, where he won a ring and was named Baseball America's Executive of the Year for 2018. In the offseason after, he focused on retaining his championship starting pitching, a concept few baseball observers disapproved. Unfortunately in 2019 -- for whatever reasons -- Sale, Eovaldi and Price had injury-marred seasons, while Porcello regressed. Only Rodriguez improved. Dombro also chose not to re-sign relievers Kimbrel and Kelly (which most fans agreed with), but failed to replace them. As the starters faltered, the depleted bullpen became overworked, and the season was lost. So was the GM's job, because his expenditures finally didn't pay off. But there was nothing devious or diabolical in Dave Dombrowski's deals that helped produce the most victorious three years in a row (306 wins) in Boston's hardball history.

Someone with a math degree, a slide ruler or access to a physics website must be able to explain Bogie's dinger; at a Green Monster length of 315 feet, at a height of 37 feet (it landed on the ledge), what is the minimum total distance... after the descending trajectory of the parabola?

Me, too. He's on this Triple A guy, but still needs to adjust to big league stuff. Duran has to raise his hands in his stance; otherwise -- like we've seen for a month now -- by the time he brings his hands up to swing, it's too late against elite velo. Sorry for the batting tips, but we actually teach this basic in Little League.

He doesn't have to homer, but I hope someone after him does, just to see Kyle tippy-toe around like the Babe.

So far, Swarb's SWAR (SWinging Above Replacements) is ZEEROW

Bloom's not cutting guys he just acquired at the deadline. That would be admitting he totally blew it -- not only to the fans, but to the players. Hansel and Davis (i don't even know his first name, but it's not Henry) will both be gone in due time, but as part of a roster turnover in the guise of "going in a different direction".

From 7/2/2021 (as presented, including their bold-faced words) @Red Sox: "Remember your tweets from the first week of the season? We do." Fans reply, August 2021: "Remember your tweet in July -- the month of the trade deadline? We do, too." ps: Bloom, in a radio interview yesterday, actually said: "Twitter is not the real world."

That's the kind of qualitative data that college professors love to pounce on so they can make you rewrite your master's thesis for the hundredth time. It's just their way of paying it backward, getting revenge for their days as lowly grad students.

I remain confused about that, because Bloom's front office publicly celebrated resetting its payroll below tax penalties. I'm also trying not to be offended, a month after they mocked any fans who dared to question the roster construction. I haven't seen any Red Sox tweets lately, at least since the trade deadline.

We hope Sale will be back 100%, Whitlock provides more innings per outing (5? 4?), and a year older Nate and Nick won't regress. But I'm still trying to figure out who that quality SP will be that will magically transform the rotation into an asset that will make the Sox worth "going all in" in '22... to the front office. I just can't see Bloom spending and committing the money and years the market will command to sign any old pitchers. Can anyone even see him making the top bid to lock up Gausman? Me, neither. Based on recent directions, best case scenario may be to convince Noah Syndergaard to ink a short-term pact so Thor can prove himself post-TJ?