5GoldGlovesOF,75

Per Abrams: Sox led the majors so far in 20 thousand dollar free agent signings with 10 (mostly arms).

I'm in -- we need a fast guy who can double his average every night by laying one down to beat the shift and shift the shift...

Manfred's already challenging that one...

One topic worth discussing: if the season is shot, what aspect of the game could ever possibly generate national interest again in the MLB? It can't be another artificially-contrived home run race like McGwire-vs-Sosa (plus, we're already over-saturated with a HR/K culture). Here are some feats that might help -- and could only be earned with considerable talent (especially beating constant shifts): a batter approaching a .400 average or 56-game hitting streak. Another would be a phenom pitcher who throws back-to-back no-hitters... imagine the excitement and coverage going into his next start??? Anyone think of any others?

I think both sides -- at least leaders on both sides -- assume that fans will always come back, whenever that is. And they're right, at least in regards to the history of baseball strikes and work stoppages. I know this isn't our childrens' fathers' MLB, but the pro game evolved into a niche spectator sport long ago; the first postseason night game was half a century ago -- and some of the kids back then who couldn't or didn't stay up late enough... were us. And we're still here. MLB is losing fans this year, but baseball isn't doomed. The game will always be a popular participation sport for kids growing up, and many of those will remain fans or replace us dying dinosaurs. The majors will never dominate American interest like it once did, but since its peak in the 1950s the population has more than doubled, and there will still be plenty of fans -- otherwise, why would big networks still shell out billions to broadcast? Baseball will be back. It just sucks right now for guys and gals like us.

Sox evaluators had to figure Sale was shot, and I think that made all the other moves easier: declining a declining Porcello and doing whatever it took to move Price (before it was too late), which conveniently freed them of the Betts dilemma -- as in, keep the face of the franchise for one more year, watch him walk away, and get nothing back. I also think the brass kept the two starting pitchers they thought had the most value going forward: ERod and yes, Eovaldi -- who looked in March like a candidate for a full season of dominance... but now, after a long shutdown and accelerated opening, may be a candidate for an early IL. I don't think middle-age pitchers anywhere will fare well in this truncated, constipated MLB season/tournament; they're off their long-established routines... never mind a long pandemic delay, you don't see many veterans going back on the mound after a long rain delay. The prediction here is that the MLB hills and summer news will be dominated by a few young arms we've barely heard of before. Prepare for the youth to reclaim the game -- Vida Blue, Mark The Bird Fidrych, Fernandomania, save us from money talks and ******** walks!

This can't be possible, can it? The MLB's flagship franchise? The Astros' "mastermind" never worked for the Yankees... unless, could it be, was he a secret double agent?

Stealing is just part of sports: stealing bases, stealing the basketball, stealing the puck, stealing a soccer ball, intercepting a football... In baseball, there's always subterfuge. Base-stealing helps the offense, and a smart defense seeks to prevent it by being prepared and knowing when attempts may occur. So players and coaches try to steal signs for stealing, as well as strategies like bunts and hit-and-runs. They watch sequences of hand signals, look for repeated patterns, try to crack codes. The offense tries the same, studying batteries, as well as managers and coaches in dugouts (and even middle infielders opening and closing their mouths before every pitch). Of course such schemes and maneuvering include studying video, before and after games -- and during, once it became available. They're not allowed eye-in-the-sky coaches stationed above the action in press boxes like in football, but they'll take what they can get. Most of us here are Red Sox fans, but let's be honest: do any of us really think there was just one rogue video guy breaking unrealistic "rules"? The lack of uproar around the MLB regarding Manfred's Boston report shows nobody really cares, and for a reason... But when a cocky player like Bregman tweets braggadocio, pimps HRs and carries his bat to first base, people want to take him and his mates down.

Stealing signs on both offense and defense has always been ingrained in the culture of baseball. It's not only condoned, but encouraged by the management of every team, from at least the high school level on up. The MLB brought this on itself by installing video for live in-game use in every clubhouse. That's as practical as handing the keys to your house to burglars and saying, "You can take whatever you want, as long as you promise not to touch the jewelry box full of gold and silver on the dresser."

I predict in the future -- as wounds heal, confessions are heard and memoirs are published -- public opinion of Cora and the "scandal" will shift. Especially when real crimes by athletes are bound to be committed that dominate the news. Maybe OJ will even find the killers. In concept, what the entire Houston organization did was an extension of what many -- probably most, if not all -- MLB analytics departments did, are doing, or will do: and that is, seek to find an edge... in a sport where stealing signs has always been an accepted part of the game. What was different about the Astros' system -- and that is definitely a pun -- is 1. They were caught on video, 2. They won, and 3. The MLB was forced to make an example of them... mainly because of the national story that basically rubbed their success in the faces of other teams who weren't as good at succeeding.

In their eyes, the Sox basically benefitted from the cancelled high school season, as it wiped out most of Nick Yorke's senior year and kept him off other teams' radar. I might be still skeptical of Bloom's judgement, assuming he made the final call -- even though Boston scouts closely followed the kid since the DD days. But what sold me are quotes about Yorke from the head coach of one of the top college programs around -- Tim Corbin of Vanderbilt: "We really recruited that kid. I thought he was the best hitter in high school baseball."

His words confirm what I've suspected from the start: they're all part of the same hypocrisy. I bet a lot Astros have made peace with AC over texts or Zooms during quarantine, and wouldn't be surprised if some even play for him again when he's back managing. Houston is one club that will definitely benefit with no fans in the stands, booing and screaming all summer. When they're visitors though, they may still have to read fake signs held by cardboard faces positioned in the box seats.

That was the scenario with Benintendi. He hit .276 as a college freshman, then exploded as a sophomore, hitting 100 points higher and leading the US in home runs as the national player of the year; suddenly, he was the #7 pick overall.

When I said "future" needs, I wasn't talking about now -- like Pedroia's done and we need a second baseman. As we all know, many good prospects are shifted to other positions in the pros (growing up, they all seem to play shortstop when they aren't pitching). I was thinking more about projections that Yorke could become a star hitter; we can always use one of those, especially after losing Mookie and soon, JD. Betts is a one-of-a-kind, but one report compares Yorke to Youk... for a #17 slot, I'll take a three-time MLB All-Star with a career .861 OPS.

I like the idea that the Sox took Yorke after taking the time to really get to know him as an all-in baseball guy -- and that in Bloom's regime, personality often compares with, and complements talent. As a fan, I never liked draft decisions made by just choosing "the next best available player"; future club needs, franchise needs and the entertainment product are always factors with us...

I know, but his confidence from building up his arm strength with an extended throwing program in Japan (including a lot of throwing in between starts) evolved into frustration with the limitations put on him by the Sox. I think Boston made a mistake in forcing him to change from what made him a legend in Japan; it wasn't the majors, but making 250 throws a day is still 250 throws... even if the ball was slightly lighter.

Once again, paranoia contradicts. Here's the definition of liberal: "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values." When it changes to a capital L, it's: "Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law." Many people are concerned about tolerance, reform and equality, and in favor of discarding traditions steeped in shame and injustice. Labeling groups perpetuates racism.

He drove a few viewers crazy (or bored) with constantly nibbling away from bats, but what bugged me more was how the Red Sox mismanaged him with the American "book" that begins and ends with pitch counts. Dice-K came with the rep -- reputation and repetition -- of throwing hundreds of pitches a day, in game and in between. But once he got here, they changed his successful training regime, and often yanked him from games, when -- to him -- he was just getting warmed up. I know they had their investment to protect, but this wasn't some young starter whose arm Billy Martin would blow out on the old A's staff. Plus, he was likable enough, compared to sourpuss big money "aces" like Lackey and Price.

This makes for a great debate: the Sox suckiest soldier of fortune (theirs)... and misfortune (ours). Panda wins by default since we're still paying him (with a 5 Mil buyout). But stats are close -- Crawford OBP .292, Sandoval .286. Yes, those are On Base Averages, not Batting Averages. Carl was somehow a positive WAR here at 0.9, Pablo a negative -1.6. Cue the value of a few stolen bases vs. a few stolen calories, but both swiped fans' time watching them. Crawford may have been more disappointing because coming in he seemed to have more respect from Sox he tortured while a Ray. Expectations weren't maybe quite as high for Big Panda after he broke a belt bending over for a grounder in spring training.

Players already get guaranteed salaries from agreed-upon contracts even if they're injured all season or have a bad year. Business owners own businesses to make profits, and if they don't they make changes. One may be the same that a lot of businesses are unfortunately facing these days.

Totally agree. Never saw a Red Sox batter in so many 0-2 counts. I thought he needed to get his eyes checked, because it looked like he couldn't see the ball... like that soft liner he slid past that ended the season.

Crawford "allegedly" choking?

Yeah, baseball! Nothing better than reading and writing about baseball on a baseball forum.

That's not a season, that's a tournament... or basically qualifying rounds for seeding the brackets. It's hard to envision, but intriguing -- how do managers and coaches approach traditional "stretching out" of starting pitchers, or any bullpen rest, early injury tweaks, slumps? No more long season means you do chase wins because it can never be still early...

If the MLB continues to kill itself, there will still be baseball. We eventually might see a possible return of teams in minor league towns and cities the MLB is trying to eliminate (similar to the "Battered Bastards" on Netflix). Would true fans of the game pay less to watch live, pretty good baseball in their own towns? If the hot dogs and beer prices are reasonable...