There’s a metaphor there somewhere.30 games over .500 on July 4th is quite a nice accomplishment. The 1978 team might have done it against NY had it not rained in Boston forty years ago.
There’s a metaphor there somewhere.30 games over .500 on July 4th is quite a nice accomplishment. The 1978 team might have done it against NY had it not rained in Boston forty years ago.
Spahn and Sain and be careful what you pray for...There’s a metaphor there somewhere.
Yeah that rainout was the first game.of the massacre in September. The Yanks were in total disarray on the fourth, about to can Billy Martin.Spahn and Sain and be careful what you pray for...
You're comparing my comparison?I know. I was commenting on glasspusher’s comparison.
The winning pitcher on July 3, 1978 was none other than Dennis Eckersley.
No, commenting. All words that begin with co aren’t alike. I’m in an essentially baseball-less continent right now. Eerie.You're comparing my comparison?
The 2011 comp kind of reinforces the point, though. After 88 games in 2011, we were 53-35. We're 6 games better than that pace right now, which means that even if our record the rest of the way is the same as that team's--including the September swoon--we'll win 96 games.Anyway, since 2011, I kind of hate the “if we win x games and lose y” projections. Showalter is finally at the bottom though.
Didn't mean toNo, commenting. All words that begin with co aren’t alike. I’m in an essentially baseball-less continent right now. Eerie.
Anyway, since 2011, I kind of hate the “if we win x games and lose y” projections. Showalter is finally at the bottom though.
Don't you mean Metafourth?There’s a metaphor there somewhere.
In his time with the Redsox, Pearce has 5 less total bases than Blake Swihart does. Kind of remarkable.Steve Pearce had a big game today.
He's now gotten into six games with the Red Sox, starting 3, and he's 7/18 with 4 2b, 3 R, and 2 RBI. That's a .388/.388/.611 slash line.
Seems like a much better fit for a bench 1B/COF spot than Hanley would have been.
Wonder if Swihart will get his wish and get traded as part of a package at the deadline. He is not likely to get regular ABs in the foreseeable future unless there is an injury. His trade value must be pretty low.In his time with the Redsox, Pearce has 5 less total bases than Blake Swihart does. Kind of remarkable.
Unless there's a specific need for his roster spot, he's not going anywhere. He's the third of three catchers on the 40-man roster. That's all the depth they have at the spot and they aren't about to just give that up without a good reason. It's not as though his presence has hurt the team in any way so far either so what is the rush to get rid of him?If no other team bites.... he needs to just be released. This is stupid
Do you believe the team has any obligation to either play him or trade him? He was once a prospect, but with the current situation he has no chance to improve which negatively affects his ability to get a good contract someday.Unless there's a specific need for his roster spot, he's not going anywhere. He's the third of three catchers on the 40-man roster. That's all the depth they have at the spot and they aren't about to just give that up without a good reason. It's not as though his presence has hurt the team in any way so far either so what is the rush to get rid of him?
Your last sentence perfectly summarizes everything that precedes it. I'll give you points for that!If no other team bites.... he needs to just be released. This is stupid
Tzu Wei Lin, even if he does hit from the wrong side. Swihart has no right wasting a roster spot. He's not a major league player. This is a guy who has had all of one season with an ISO over .130. He is a noodle bat with no real position.Your last sentence perfectly summarizes everything that precedes it. I'll give you points for that!
Snark aside, right now, who would you give Swihart's roster spot to?
The team has zero obligation to play him or to trade him. They don't nor should they give a shit about his ability to get a good contract someday. Their only obligation to him is that his paycheck clears every week (or two weeks or however often they do it).Do you believe the team has any obligation to either play him or trade him? He was once a prospect, but with the current situation he has no chance to improve which negatively affects his ability to get a good contract someday.
Here's the thing...how often would Lin be playing if he were the 25th man instead of Swihart? More often than Swihart does? Less? What sort of impact would that have had to date and going forward for the next seven weeks? One more team win? Two?Tzu Wei Lin, even if he does hit from the wrong side. Swihart has no right wasting a roster spot. He's not a major league player. This is a guy who has had all of one season with an ISO over .130. He is a noodle bat with no real position.
edit: Is Mike Ohlman that terrible with the glove? Or that much worse than Swihart? I doubt it.
If you think Lin should be getting consistent at bats, that's a fair argument. The thing is, even a mop up pitcher would give the Redsox more value than Blake Swihart. He offers nothing at best, negative value at worst. He is just wasting a roster spot. Go with 13 pitchers and call up Buttrey or Scott. Anything is better than Swihart. And now that Pearce is on the team, Swihart is even more useless.Here's the thing...how often would Lin be playing if he were the 25th man instead of Swihart? More often than Swihart does? Less? What sort of impact would that have had to date and going forward for the next seven weeks? One more team win? Two?
That Lin has options means he is best served playing regularly in Pawtucket rather than wasting away on the bench in Boston. Especially if he's, at best, #3 on the depth chart for every position he could fill on the big league team.
None.Do you believe the team has any obligation to either play him or trade him? He was once a prospect, but with the current situation he has no chance to improve which negatively affects his ability to get a good contract someday.
Leon is their best organizational catcher right now for better or worse. Swihart has started one game there this year. If he was a better defensive catcher or pitchers liked throwing to him, we would see him more often. It's not as simple as looking at offense. He would need to be better than Leon at other things too and it's not clear he has any better defensive skills.If they keep him on the roster another seven weeks of baseball, the Sox have effectively bought another year with Swihart. We’ll have all winter to debate this, but to me it seems very likely Swihart gets handed the backup gig next year over León in his third year of arbitration. Given the Sox payroll crunch and the sunstantial downturn in catchers’ offense leaguewide, it makes very little sense to pay León $3 million.
AL catchers this year are hitting a combined .223/.291/.365. Last year, they hit .242/.310/.406. The difference between Blake and Sandy’s projections to hit that new mark isn’t worth $2-3 million.
You’re right, “very likely” is intense. I have no idea what they’ll do. I’m mostly observing that the task of having to “hide” Swihart on the 25-man is nearly done. The reward, meager though it may be, is that he’s a cheap option with upside for next year’s team. He’s certainly no more a trade candidate than he was last winter.Leon is their best organizational catcher right now for better or worse. Swihart has started one game there this year. If he was a better defensive catcher or pitchers liked throwing to him, we would see him more often. It's not as simple as looking at offense. He would need to be better than Leon at other things too and it's not clear he has any better defensive skills.
I don't know how you make the leap that he is "very likely" to return when there is no evidence.
Unless there's a specific need for his roster spot, he's not going anywhere. He's the third of three catchers on the 40-man roster. That's all the depth they have at the spot and they aren't about to just give that up without a good reason. It's not as though his presence has hurt the team in any way so far either so what is the rush to get rid of him?
I like the way @Red(s)HawksFan said it.Looks like we we get to see the wisdom of keeping Blake on the roster since with Christian's injury, Blake is now the back up catcher. Good thing we did not release him or we would really be up the creek without a paddle.
September is going to be brutal though, with series against Atlanta, Houston, and Cleveland as well as two against the Yanks.Sorry if posted elsewhere. The Sox have a great post ASG schedule. Other than a three game trip to Chicago, every game is in the Eastern time zone.
Iirc correctly, the Sox basically won that division in about a week and a half off sweeping AL East teams that September.They had a pretty brutal September schedule in 2013, and that worked out okay.
And look at the run differential. Not even close.A game late on my comparison table, but 7 wins more than any other recent season:
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The Sox have an 11.5 game lead over the A's for the 2nd WC spot. It's pretty much a lock.Hate to be a negative Nellie, but we haven’t won anything yet. Look at the 2003 Giants, or of course, the 1986 or the 2003 Red Sox. 1978 and 1949 Red Sox too.
I was thinking at least making it to the World Series. I mean, your statement is akin to saying the Patriots will make the playoffs.The Sox have an 11.5 game lead over the A's for the 2nd WC spot. It's pretty much a lock.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed regardless of how good a team is doing at this point in the season. I'm just enjoying the ride.Hate to be a negative Nellie, but we haven’t won anything yet. Look at the 2003 Giants, or of course, the 1986 or the 2003 Red Sox. 1978 and 1949 Red Sox too.