5GoldGlovesOF,75

T... thanks for the compliments on the missus (an amazing "person")... unlucky (or lucky) for you she's too busy this year to teach another online course in Allied Health at UConn.

I've played a lot of left field in my years. In a split second, you just react -- there's really no time to think do-or-die, game-on-the-line, even season-on-the-line (an Astros' win ties the series, with Verlander and Game Five in Houston looming next)... ... but that's exactly what was at stake on Bregman's liner. That's why I consider Benintendi's catch the most important in Red Sox history (during my lifetime). Instead, we get the Verlander commercial: "good-things-come-in-threes" -- right before and after Devers flips his 3-run jack to the Crawford Boxes to win the pennant.

That was bad enough -- Kimbrel had me drinking a growler a game (my brother-in-law is a brewer; still essential!). But the game that had me hyperventilating was Game 4 in the ALCS vs Houston: Kimbrel opened the 8th, Sox up 8-5. What could go wrong? First batter -- Kemp rips one down the RF line -- luckily, Mookie makes a perfect throw to nail him at second (Bogie slaptag on the helmet). But then... Kimbrel hits Bregman, Springer doubles, Altuve grounds out to SS, run scores 8-6. It gets worse. Houston 9th vs. Kimbrel: with one out, Reddick walks, Correa walks, McCann elevates... and just misses a walk-off, caught by Betts. Then Kemp walks to load 'em up. Bregman swings at the first pitch, a soft sinking liner -- BENI!!!!!! Kimbrel got credit for the save...

Notice how the subtitle of Verducci's article said "slowing down the game" was the reason for Manfred's crackdown on sign-stealing? Nowhere in the title or subtitle is the word "cheaters". "About six teams last year were commonly understood to have installed in-house cameras in centerfield that were trained on opposing catchers’ signs, according to one general manager. Several other teams were under heavy suspicion. The sign stealing forced most teams to adopt multiple sets of signs even with the bases empty. Those signs were changed often, even within at-bats, which slowed the pace of play." I have no evidence, but would have to imagine that all analytics departments constantly analyze game video, and that trying to decipher signs would be a regular function of the office (and those that don't, would not be doing a thorough job to get an edge). That said, this article is from a year ago -- a year later than the allegations against the Red Sox state. Even so, MLB has spent too much time and money investigating the Sox, so I expect harsh penalties to at least justify that time and money. This isn't, after all, Project Bluebook or the Warren Commission. Or... is it?

Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard! At least they made good beer (but hoppy).

Alex Speier in today's Boston Globe wrote an informative piece looking at how once-elite pitchers performed after TJ. I think the best model Sox fans can hope for is John Smoltz (which is ironic, since he was so brutal in Boston at the end of his career). But Smoltz is one guy who was great before and eventually after surgery: "Smoltz was squarely in the middle of a Hall of Fame career when he blew out his elbow at age 32 in spring training of 2000. Just over 13 months later, he returned to the Braves rotation, but struggled to a 5.76 ERA in that role. After a month on the sidelines, he returned as a reliever, a role in which he excelled over the next 3½ years (ages 34-37 seasons) before a return to the rotation at age 38. Certainly, the Sox hope Sale’s future lies in the rotation, but the impact Smoltz made out of the bullpen in the four seasons that followed his surgery was considerable, with two All-Star berths and a top-three Cy Young finish. In that vein, Smoltz offers evidence of how a great pitcher can remain elite after Tommy John surgery in his 30s, even as the initial decision to move him to the bullpen in 2001 points to the physical challenges of a return to a starting role." Smoltz eventually transitioned back into a starter, with three more very good years at ages 38 through 40. Another power pitcher -- Yu Darvish, now age 33 -- was named by Speier as being inconsistent. Others mentioned in the article with success after TJ were more pitch to bad-contact guys like Carpenter, Hudson and Wainwright.

It already is, now that there's a possibility that Sale doesn't even pitch for Boston until 2022. We have no idea how his elbow responds with a grafted tendon from his wrist (or somewhere else), but even without surgery it was unreasonable to expect Sale's continued dominance as a workhorse through his 30s. He was already breaking down by the end of the last few seasons with various issues. Like I said, of course we all want him back as a starter (the more innings pitched, the more batters retired, the higher the WAR value)... but at his salary, is just any level of effectiveness acceptable? As fans, we may have to accept that shorter stints -- whether as closer, opener or set-up man -- may be the only way we'll ever see an elite Chris Sale again. Even if a team is mediocre, a great reliever can help boost its status: taking the pressure off the rest of the bullpen, and also allowing starters to pitch with confidence.

Lackey post-TJ: age 34-38, avg. W-L 12-11, 3.57 ERA, 193 IP. I think the best Lackey post-surgery stat that Red Sox fans would be happy to see with Sale is this: postseason games started -- 11... 5 wins, 2 losses, 2 rings.

Dennis Eckersly became a full-time closer at age 33, and pitched until he was 43. In that time he saved an average of 34 games per year, pitched in 58 games a year -- and here's the key: had an average of 61 innings pitched per year. In his first five seasons exclusively as a reliever -- through age 37 -- Eck was a four-time All-Star with four Top 6 finishes in the Cy Young and MVP, each of which he won once. Boston players and fans cheered when sore-armed Chris Sale strutted out of the bullpen to strikeout the last three batters of the 2018 World Series. Of course we'd all like to see him do that for seven innings per game again like in his prime, but closing (or opening or power-relieving) may be the only way he can ever again become elite...

Detect a pattern? Shutdown for seven months, then can't throw a bullpen without pain... good thing the Sox wasted another 10 days just to make absolutely certain his elbow still hurt. More likely, all involved just agreed this was the optimum time, considering the possibility there won't be a season this season... ... but don't expect to see Sale back in action until 2022, depending on when he has surgery -- right now, sore elbows aren't really a priority in the medical world. I know a guy who recently blew out his ACL and docs won't even schedule his reconstructive op yet.

I'll run that report from a news agency based in France by all my Chinese students still living in forced quarantine, some 1,000 kilometers in opposite directions from Wuhan...

I have been in weekly contact with students in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Qingdao for over a year. They have all been in their apartments since January and don't yet know when they'll be allowed out.

I didn't mean to hijack, I was just referring to the ESPN article of assembling a team you'd want for one big game. For me, such a lineup wouldn't necessarily include the best career players, but the guys who could usually be counted on to perform when it really mattered; for example, Jeter instead of ARod (or if you go back to the 80s, Dave Stewart over Roger).

Game Seven NLCS, bottom of the 9th, trailing 3-1, bases loaded, two outs, pennant on the line... bat on shoulder

My students in China are still under apartment arrest -- but are hopeful they'll be allowed out and back into school buildings in April. That will be 10 weeks minimum they will have been sheltered in place, but without any choice, enforced by a communist military regime. Meanwhile, U.S. citizens are strongly advised to "enjoy your living rooms". Even if people here did stay home -- which they won't unless ordered back inside by National Guardsmen -- we're looking at half a baseball season by the time players ramp back up and are ready to rock. I like the idea of playing July-August for seeding for one entire 30-team tourney... set to played in September and October. This way every team is in it, every team has a shot, and everybody is still alive in the fall. Half the cities that usually have no choice but to focus on football may have renewed interest in baseball. It's radical, but so is this calendar year. And a perfect excuse to try something new and different to generate interest.

You can be sure Papi is my DH for one game with the universe at stake. Beltran was also a great postseason player... but taking that third-strike curve from Wainwright to end the Mets' season will also follow him (more in lore, I surmise, than stealing signs with a system devised by the Houston analytics dept).

The premise of ESPN's article was supposed to be a team put together if you needed to win one game. In other words, not just the greatest players all-time, but the best under pressure in an elimination game. In such a scenario, I'd have to go with Schilling over Pedro. No matter his politics (something we can all avoid discussing on a baseball forum), Big Schil's postseason stats are hard to top: 11-2 W-L, 2.23 ERA, 0.968 WHIP vs. Pedro 6-4, 3.46, 1.080. The other modern choice or if we add a lefty to the staff is MadBum 8-3, 2.11, 0.899. Depending on how far back you want to go, there's always Koufax -- whose only postseason numbers are from the World Series: 4-3, but 0.95 and 0.825.

I get the example of the Nationals that people bring up. But there are also a lot of factors that are different from the Sox' situation, besides the fact that Betts is a better all-around player and helps impact wins in more ways than Harper; among them are that the Nats had a future star replacement already in their outfield in Soto (plus, other young talent like Robles) -- Boston's call-up last summer was Gorkys Hernandez. Then Washington used the Harper savings to sign probably the top free agent pitcher in Corbin (he's not Cole, but the Yanks still went hard after him, and he was the victor in the game that won the World Series). Meanwhile, the Sox used their new financial flexibility to land Colin McHugh. I know... all the good guys were gone by then, but the class of '21 doesn't look promising, either, for prime-time pitchers... Trevor Bow-wow? Anyway, Mookie is gone, and I doubt the Sox even make him a legit offer next winter, so we may have to wait a few years for the acquired prospects to make it and then use the monetary resources to fill in around them. Maybe by then Noah Song will be ready for the Show -- he's not losing much developmental time this year after all.

Bloom instantly looks better today -- imagine if he decided to keep Mookie for one last season that wasn't? And I admit I was one fan who preferred one more year of Mookie... Now, instead of negative-1, we get plus-15 of Wong and Co.

I don't expect the MLB to open until at least June. That brings up a lot of questions, like how long will it take pitchers to get ready again, and then how do owners make up all that lost revenue? I'm thinking something radical, like a half-season regular sked for seeding of a round-robin tourney where everyone competes for the ring. That's if there are enough teams healthy enough to play. If there is a season, at least this format guarantees the Sox get back to the playoffs...

Fellow posters: I am not a doctor nor a scientist, just a lowly educator. But if I can give any advice, it would be to prepare to stay home -- not just for two weeks, like some "authorities" warned earlier this week, but for two months. I tutor several students online in China, where they have been basically under house arrest for eight weeks already. Their public schools have gone entirely online, with some kids taking courses on devices from 8 am to 5 pm (10 min breaks, plus lunch). Most of them live in high rise apartments -- 28th floor, 34th floor, etc. -- where the only time they've been outside in months is to get some fresh air on a small balcony. This is not media hype or fake news, but reality.

I agree; it's ideally fast guys who don't have to pace themselves and can air it out. Braiser's best pitch is his fastball, though the Sox are also considering Brewer -- known for curveball, but who is suddenly throwing harder now -- according to RR... R-squared? ...2 R R2 D2... R2 Declawed... R2 Detoothed... R2 Me, too

Maybe Sale's docs can re-evaluate Alex after another 10 to 14 meals compared to six months ago. That transition from Pacific halibut to Atlantic flounder can be traumatic -- though I'm sure some poster will generalize all flatfish as mere "bottom-feeders". My grampa used to call them fluke.

Not bad, but we just have no idea yet how Verdugo -- and his back -- are going to respond to Boston and the AL East... because according to that media maven David Price, the opposite coasts contain such opposite atmospheres (laid-back LA vs. uptight, unlaid-front? Beantown). Ideally, Verdugo becomes both physically and mentally able to embrace the challenge and use Fenway to develop his potential into a gap-to-gap star hitter. No one can ever totally replace Mookie or make fans forget him, but I'd love it if Alex could make me forget to regret trading Mookie Betts. As for the batting order, I know there are stats that supposedly show the myths of hitting in specific spots, but if I'm the manager, I want to make sure my best hitter who can do the most damage always gets an at bat in the first inning... thus, I vote for Devers to hit second or third.

Sale may be looking at the Pedroia case where even Dustin has second-guessed the decision to have an op that basically ended his career. TJ may be over 40 years old, but it's still radical, and every surgery entails risks. Who knows, maybe docs are telling Sale that his elongated ligaments and tendons aren't ideal for the procedure. We can be sure that the Red Sox are considering all options to see if he'll be able to contribute, whether as an opener, closer or in-betweener... though, one label that seems unlikely is "workhorse".