5GoldGlovesOF,75

Four-seamer, two-seamer, splitter, cutter, sinker, slider, change-up -- 7 for sure... someone probably has a curve that hits 90, but I'm not going to say "sweeper" which is just a new nickname for any breaking ball that talking heads can't agree is a curve, slider or change.

Absolutely, if KC was swinging -- who knows, he might have even put the ball in play. Toro kept the bat on his shoulder. But he got a good look at the camera giving all of us at home a bad look at him looking.

On Sunday when the Sox had the bases loaded, no outs, and the go-ahead run at the plate -- only to strikeout three straight times -- I'm not going to say I was pining for the return of Kristian Campbell (who did blast one to the berm in Worcester earlier in the afternoon). But the last two losses, and seemingly every loss, always expose the longball power that was never replaced at the trade deadline. Toro's pinch-K looking was predictable, but two other summer stars got themselves out: Ceddanne, who reverted to a skinny, righty Raffy hacking at balls two feet above the zone, and Anthony, who probably felt like he couldn't take a 3-2 pitch on the inside corner lest a grouchy ump rookied the young whippersnapper. We knew there were going to be Ls like this, after no bats were recruited at the deadline. Campbell's bat speed, and the quickness he's shown around 1B, are signs he's ready to get back soon and contribute down the stretch. He may not surpass Toro, but which one would you bet on: a guy who's bounced around AAA for parts of six seasons, or the batter who hit better than every other player in the minor leagues in the past calendar year?

Tolle could've had a scoreless top of the 1st if Romero didn't boot an easy DP grounder. Later in the frame, Thompson made a shoestring catch in center that one ump ruled as an out, before another wrong ump overruled (clearly a catch on three TV replays). But two HRs -- the first a grand slam that was so gone none of the outfielders moved a muscle. The second homer Tolle was cool enough not to look at (mimicking his outfielders on the salami). Two hits were by guys who already made the majors... After the 1st, Tolle threw five scoreless innings.

I like this better than having Hammy strike out on foul bunts. When guys with wheels from the lefty box -- presumably a prerequisite to making the majors for lefthanded-hitting sprinters -- can't put one down in fair territory, it sure makes it easier to hate bunting.

Mayer's uncertainty to play necessitates more Romy at 2B. We all know we want Ceddanne in center for the stretch run as much as possible -- even if that causes a seven-player platoon for six spots in the batting order: LF-CF-RF-DH-2B-1B... Anthony-Duran-Rafaela-Abreu-Yoshida-Romy-Toro... puff huff poooffff. Everyone would get one day off a week -- from the starting line-up, that is. Many of them would probably be used off the bench to pinch hit later in the game, anyway.

Campbell's athletic and 6' 3. With his power potential, he could make an ideal first baseman. Maybe his rise was too quick, along with the presence of Casas, that the Red Sox didn't try KC there sooner.

Bill "Spaceman" Lee for PAPI? Granted, it was decades before he became BIG (he was only three at the time of the trade).

But if you sing it, and hear it in the woods, it's an echo.

Imagine that shifty Cora: in addition to all the obligations managing his big league team, he still found time two years ago to force Red Sox minor league evaluators to promote Anthony from low A to high A, despite a .228 batting average. I'm sure Anthony's promotion had nothing to do with Boston's analytical experts looking at Roman's pitch selection, exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barreling atom balls. It's also obvious why Cora kept batting Anthony in the top third of the order with a low batting average his first month this summer -- and it has nothing to do with his team-leading On Base Percentage (as opposed to dropping guys like Duran, Rafaela and Campbell when they slumped in their MLB call-up seasons): AC favors Italian food!

Yup, those Ks were always JD's kryptonite, but at least he admitted his plan was to always try to hit the ball in the air. He never wanted to just hit a line drive, because in his words, "Big deal, a single."

NESN's guest announcers the other night were extolling the virtues of Yoshida's running style. Not the fastest, but technically perfect.

When the Sox gave Devers that contract, it's possible not even they expected if Raffy turned into a selfish diva that they could find another team to take on his entire remaining contract. But at least they got some pitching back, including Harrison, only recently baseball's top southpaw starting prospect... and now, indirectly, May (for Tibbs) -- ironically, one of the arms with potential Chaim Bloom should have insisted on receiving in the Mookie deal.

Of course it's not easy. Hitting a pitched baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. You made a good point about having less than half a split second to decide whether to swing or not. It's not like Little Leaguers who are taught to be ready to hit every pitch by thinking, "Yes, yes, yes- no!" MLB batters have the best hand-eye coordination in sports, but modern velo and spin barely let them prepare with, "Ye- na!" That's why I loathe check-the-check as the worst change in big league baseball in the past 50 years. Batters HAVE to start early if they want a prayer of being on time. Is any human really getting fooled when modern pitchers throw five different pitches in the mid-90s? The one thing I look forward to with the impeding automated strike zone is some kind of computerized ruling on what actually constitutes a legitimate swing. And finally, there is no such thing as a batter "ambushing" a pitcher. If I step in the box with a bat in my hands, it's my job to use it. There's absolutely nothing sneaky about hitting a first-pitch fastball down the middle -- especially since it just may be the best pitch to barrel in the entire at bat.

Buehler can be up and down inconsistent the rest of the way, but he's still a guy you give the ball to in a postseason start. He's proven, battle-tested, and pitching for another contract. He's not Schilling pitching on one leg, but he won't back down, nor never make excuses. Jack Nicholson told Tom Cruise in court you want him on that wall.

Good points by drewski about the trajectory of inflated contracts. The second thing I predicted about Mookie -- besides leading baseball in WAR and rings for his first half decade after leaving Boston -- is that the Red Sox would soon sign someone who was not as good for more money... than they were willing to pay to a homegrown fan favorite first ballot Hall of Famer. They did, and his name was Raffy.

The biggest difference is the Red Sox' perceptions of the two players from the get-go. Mookie was athletic but undersized, so wasn't drafted until the 5th round and the #172 pick. Roman had the size but still lasted until the 2nd round at pick #72. Both rocketed through the Boston system, but when Betts had early success in the majors, the Sox chose to wait and see about trying to lock him up. In his first full season he earned 6 WAR at age 22. It should be said right here that none of the Sox' current extended core have reached 6 WAR at any age... (though Crochet should, and maybe Ceddanne, if they stay healthy the rest of the season). Boston loved a bargain with young Mookie, but at 23 he posted 9.8 WAR and finished 2nd for AL MVP -- and it was too late. His agent knew what he was worth, his mother knew what he worth, and he knew he should be paid like one of the top stars in the entire industry. Everyone did. When the Sox offered Mookie $100 million, he knew he was worth $200 million. Later, when the Sox offered $200 million, he knew he was worth $300 million. Then he won MVP and the World Series, and led MLB with 10.7 WAR. When they finally offered him $300 mil, he was a better player than Bryce Harper, who signed with Philly for $330 mil. Betts only just wanted market value, which was always at the top of the market when he was a Red Sox. They blew it, over and over again. They just made sure they wouldn't this time with Roman Anthony.

Which also needs to be considered when evaluating lefty relievers (even though they face some righty hitters, too, with the 3-batter minimum). WAR disfavors relievers because they pitch a lot less innings and record fewer outs than starters. But is WAR per IP even legit, with all the leverage innings, closing... and what about the value of a good starter who sets the tone with a scoreless 1st -- or maybe the most underrated feat in frames 1 through 9: the shutdown inning after a pitcher's teammates just scored.

The two-strike approach has been around forever, though most big leaguers have ignored it all century in pursuit of longball paychecks: choke up, get closer to the plate, shorten up your swing, and put the damn ball in play. This should be more relevant than ever, with Ghost runners and bunt haters. And whatever you do, don't bat an eyelash or the battery will check the check, so all egomaniacs wearing blue down the baselines can have their 15 seconds of air-punching fame (notice announcers don't even pretend those calls are "swings" any more... it's just, "George Wendt!")

I've been a big critic of swing and miss this whole decade, but am encouraged that it's obvious the Red Sox have made positive adjustments in the past month plus. And it doesn't take much to envision guys like Story or Rafaela whiffing less if they stop chasing pitches that land in the dirt of the lefty batter's box. Those aren't strikes if they don't swing, and they couldn't reach them with a meter stick fitted with a decimeter extension (sorry to decimate fans of metrics).

Do you say that because basing it on games might be deceptive, if a guy only pinch-hits or pinch-runs once? Wondering -- would a better gauge of a position player's per game value be WAR per 3 or 4 plate appearances (to reflect participation in full games)?

If WAR is an accumulation of overall contributions in all aspects, does this breakdown just show the isolated batting that is calculated towards WAR? Or is it overall offensive contribution, which includes stolen bases and who knows what else -- since there is never any formula with all specific factors listed for baseball's secret sauce... ... though I once heard Big Mac's special sauce was Thousand Islands dressing (McDonald's, not McGwire's).

glad you didn't say only God knows... that pic last winter of Henry smoking a cigar by the fireplace seemed eerily like a final scene from an episode of Twilight Zone or Night Gallery, or the last panel from a story in House of Mystery.

He has two home runs. A rookie for the A's doubled that in one game. I'd say Roman did alright for himself.

Just be glad they held onto Username, brother of the Password.