10/1 A Full Circle Mea Culpa or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Offseason

[LogansDad]

I started this shitfest of a season, I may as well end it, and I know it's early, but fuck the rules, nothing matters at this point.

I enjoyed this team for much of the season, basically all the way up until July, and even some of August. But the end result of this team is broken, and it's time to put them to sleep.

To anyone I offended with my vicious, mean, and undying optimism at the start of the season: I'm sorry. Not really, but it's the thought that counts. I will be back next spring, and as excited as ever, though maybe not if Alex Cora is, indeed, back.

This team was fun at times. This team was an absolute blast in July. Then it all fell apart. Alas, thus is life. Can't win the World Series every year, even if a lot of people seem to think they should. I did not enjoy watching this team in September.

Whatever. Post if you like. Or don't.

Fuck the Yankes.

 

[Ale Xander]

Also fuck the Yanks and the Yankees

 

[LogansDad]

Also fuck the Yanks and the Yankees

It wouldn't be one of my game threads without an important part of it being a typo.

 

[Ale Xander]

It wouldn't be one of my game threads without an important part of it being a typo.

I think it’s good luck for next year

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

I would very much like this to be a tribute to Alex Cora's extreme mediocrity as he manages his final game for the Sox.

 

[derekson]

I started this shitfest of a season, I may as well end it, and I know it's early, but fuck the rules, nothing matters at this point.

Channeling Cora?

 

[AB in DC]

and I know it's early, but

My neighborhood held their annual Octoberfest today.
And the nearby pumpkin patch, which always opens on October 1st, actually opened yesterday.

 

[DeadlySplitter]

From 69-61 to 77-84. Awesome.

 

[Curt S Loew]

Missed opportunity for a "Thank you, Alex Cora" thread title.

I will once again have this game on the small screen. Miniature Red Sox are somewhat less annoying.

Wait Til Next Year!

 

[absintheofmalaise]

I started this shitfest of a season, I may as well end it, and I know it's early, but fuck the rules, nothing matters at this point.

I enjoyed this team for much of the season, basically all the way up until July, and even some of August. But the end result of this team is broken, and it's time to put them to sleep.

To anyone I offended with my vicious, mean, and undying optimism at the start of the season: I'm sorry. Not really, but it's the thought that counts. I will be back next spring, and as excited as ever, though maybe not if Alex Cora is, indeed, back.

This team was fun at times. This team was an absolute blast in July. Then it all fell apart. Alas, thus is life. Can't win the World Series every year, even if a lot of people seem to think they should. I did not enjoy watching this team in September.

Whatever. Post if you like. Or don't.

Fuck the Yankes.

Namaste!

 

[joe dokes]

 

[Reggie's Racquet]

Just a terrible, unlikable, undisciplined team that never failed to disappoint.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Duplicate.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

We will be told later today that it is designed to break your heart. I will miss it around Thanksgiving, but frankly watching this team make outs repeatedly with men in scoring position has grown so tedious and soul sucking, that it won’t break my heart at all to get a little bit of a break. Baseball in September has made me angry. I am going to look forward to a Yankee free playoffs, hockey and basketball.

It’s not going to break my heart at all today. None of the things that sustain you in a shit year were there this year. Counting starts to your ace. Counting at bats until your slugger. Leather flashing wizardry. JBJ pulling HRs back. Hustle. Aggressive baserunning. Counting outs until your eight inning shut down guy can come in. Platooning your lefty to burn the other team’s best pinch hitter and getting him out in the sixth. I always find something to love about the Red Sox, even when they are behind in the standings.

There is none of that. I guess seeing Casas, Rafaela and Abreu has been mildly sustaining. Masa’s first half. Martin. That’s it. If you told me they could play another month, I’d say no thanks. Good riddance. Not breaking my heart at all. Work on your shit and see you in March.

 

[pk1627]

I’m of the opinion that if you’re going to fail in baseball, do it full out. This team delivered on that concept.

I am still stunned that they failed to get a pitcher (or 3) at the deadline. A month later the staff was out of gas. These are professional baseball people?

Fun season for 5 months.

 

[mikeford]

Thank god the Yankees are down here in the fucking mud with us.

Fuck the Orioles, Asstros and the Rays. I will pull for any other team over these 3 bottom feeding franchises.

 

[Rovin Romine]

I started this shitfest of a season, I may as well end it, and I know it's early, but fuck the rules, nothing matters at this point.

I enjoyed this team for much of the season, basically all the way up until July, and even some of August. But the end result of this team is broken, and it's time to put them to sleep.

To anyone I offended with my vicious, mean, and undying optimism at the start of the season: I'm sorry. Not really, but it's the thought that counts. I will be back next spring, and as excited as ever, though maybe not if Alex Cora is, indeed, back.

This team was fun at times. This team was an absolute blast in July. Then it all fell apart. Alas, thus is life. Can't win the World Series every year, even if a lot of people seem to think they should. I did not enjoy watching this team in September.

Whatever. Post if you like. Or don't.

Fuck the Yankes.

And yet. . .today gives us a chance to shine in October.

 

[LynnRice75]

Game 162
Last game for the Red Sox, and I feel a pang
of sadness recalling the way we all sprang
into this new season with joy as we sang
the praises of players upon whom we’d hang
all our hopes, and though I will not harangue
and claim I was thrilled with the ying and the yang
of .500 ball or with the sturm und drang
of September’s fall, I will sure miss this gang
of players and posters, and long for the clang
of truck doors in Spring ‘cause it bites like a fang,
to lose what you love, and with no verse or slang
that can to capture this feeling, I’ll just say “dang”
as it ends in a whimper and not a bang.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Yoshida's last walk was September 12. When will his next one be?
Today, in October?
March?
April?
May?

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Yoshida's last walk was September 12. When will his next one be?
Today, in October?
March?
April?
May?

Crazy. Almost incomprehensible. 48 ABs. 12 hits in those ABs, though, so I guess you can’t count those against him. But holy guacamole.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Game 162
Last game for the Red Sox, and I feel a pang
of sadness recalling the way we all sprang
into this new season with joy as we sang
the praises of players upon whom we’d hang
all our hopes, and though I will not harangue
and claim I was thrilled with the ying and the yang
of .500 ball or with the sturm und drang
of September’s fall, I will sure miss this gang
of players and posters, and long for the clang
of truck doors in Spring ‘cause it bites like a fang,
to lose what you love, and with no verse or slang
that can to capture this feeling, I’ll just say “dang”
as it ends in a whimper and not a bang.

Thanks for a great year, LR.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Game 162
Last game for the Red Sox, and I feel a pang
of sadness recalling the way we all sprang
into this new season with joy as we sang
the praises of players upon whom we’d hang
all our hopes, and though I will not harangue
and claim I was thrilled with the ying and the yang
of .500 ball or with the sturm und drang
of September’s fall, I will sure miss this gang
of players and posters, and long for the clang
of truck doors in Spring ‘cause it bites like a fang,
to lose what you love, and with no verse or slang
that can to capture this feeling, I’ll just say “dang”
as it ends in a whimper and not a bang.

You are going to create a thread in the Game Thread forum where all of these can live on ... right?

 

[E5 Yaz]

I would very much like this to be a tribute to Alex Cora's extreme mediocrity as he manages his final game for the Sox.

And is named GM?

 

[Papo The Snow Tiger]

"Till death do us part........
These are very trying times to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox, but you know what, we still keep tuning in. I'm reminded of my Aunt Mary. She was also a big Sox fan, and she'd call me just to talk about the state of the team. She was 95 years old, in tough shape and on her way out in the summer of 2013. She passed that August, and at her funeral her daughter, my cousin, told me she was at the hospital with her the night before. My cousin told me that when she told her the Sox won that night Aunt Mary smiled. She was a fan until the very end, and so are all of us.

How long until Truck Day?

 

[E5 Yaz]

1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF
2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
3. Justin Turner (R) DH
4. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF
5. Trevor Story (R) SS
6. Wilyer Abreu (L) CF
7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
8. Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B
9. Connor Wong (R) C

 

[brandonchristensen]

Game 162
Last game for the Red Sox, and I feel a pang
of sadness recalling the way we all sprang
into this new season with joy as we sang
the praises of players upon whom we’d hang
all our hopes, and though I will not harangue
and claim I was thrilled with the ying and the yang
of .500 ball or with the sturm und drang
of September’s fall, I will sure miss this gang
of players and posters, and long for the clang
of truck doors in Spring ‘cause it bites like a fang,
to lose what you love, and with no verse or slang
that can to capture this feeling, I’ll just say “dang”
as it ends in a whimper and not a bang.

Thanks for your efforts. You may now rest.

 

[Rovin Romine]

You are going to create a thread in the Game Thread forum where all of these can live on ... right?

Collecting them all might be a fun off-season project.

The poems truly were one of the better things about the game threads (and the site generally) during the 2023 season.

 

[LogansDad]

Game 162
Last game for the Red Sox, and I feel a pang
of sadness recalling the way we all sprang
into this new season with joy as we sang
the praises of players upon whom we’d hang
all our hopes, and though I will not harangue
and claim I was thrilled with the ying and the yang
of .500 ball or with the sturm und drang
of September’s fall, I will sure miss this gang
of players and posters, and long for the clang
of truck doors in Spring ‘cause it bites like a fang,
to lose what you love, and with no verse or slang
that can to capture this feeling, I’ll just say “dang”
as it ends in a whimper and not a bang.

I probably should have let you start this thread. Just add it to the list of things I was wrong about.

Thank you for making the season, and especially the last month, bearable.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Yoshida's last walk was September 12.

In fairness, he was probably just distracted by the excitement of hearing he might get to practice in front of the Green Monster next spring training.

 

[Fishy1]

In fairness, he was probably just distracted by the excitement of hearing he might get to practice in front of the Green Monster next spring training.

Also, he took ball four last night and the ump rung him up!

There I go damning with faint praise again...

 

[Brohamer of the Gods]

From 69-61 to 77-84. Awesome.

This is what kills me about this year. At 130 games, we all knew that this wasn't going to be the year, or even a playoff year. But we were looking at a team on pace to make a 7-9 game improvement, and had a number of young players prove themselves as being capable MLB players. There were definitely things that needed to be addressed in the office season, but you could see a core to build around.

Then September happened, and it has sucked whatever joy and sense of progress that the season has provided.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Yoshida's last walk was September 12. When will his next one be?
Today, in October?
March?
April?
May?

He got three hits last night, but I guess you think a walk is better than a hit.

 

[Rovin Romine]

For those of you who go straight to the game threads - very sad news in the last 20 min or so that Tim Wakefield has passed away.

 

[Deweys New Stance]

Win this one for Wake.

 

[MonstahsInLeft]

OMG they just announced Wake in the stadium! I hadn’t heard yet!

Awful, Awful

 

[donutogre]

Win this one for Wake.

And then get ready to put 49 up in the outfield on opening day.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Youk is choking up on the broadcast. Devastating.

 

[JOBU]

This is absolutely brutal

 

[mauidano]

Youk is bringing the water to my eyes.

Too young, too fast and why does God take the good ones so soon?

 

[Just a bit outside]

Not that it matters but I hope Houck throws a knuckleball on the first pitch.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

He got three hits last night, but I guess you think a walk is better than a hit.

I guess I think it's awful to walk only 7 times in his last 61 games, 242 PAs.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Today of all days, why don't we all voluntarily consider pumping the brakes a little re: our fellow posters?

 

[BostonFanInCanesLand]

I started this shitfest of a season, I may as well end it, and I know it's early, but fuck the rules, nothing matters at this point.

I enjoyed this team for much of the season, basically all the way up until July, and even some of August. But the end result of this team is broken, and it's time to put them to sleep.

To anyone I offended with my vicious, mean, and undying optimism at the start of the season: I'm sorry. Not really, but it's the thought that counts. I will be back next spring, and as excited as ever, though maybe not if Alex Cora is, indeed, back.

This team was fun at times. This team was an absolute blast in July. Then it all fell apart. Alas, thus is life. Can't win the World Series every year, even if a lot of people seem to think they should. I did not enjoy watching this team in September.

Whatever. Post if you like. Or don't.

Fuck the Yankes.

Any day when the Sox play is a good day. The season’s been frustrating so it’s best to draw it to a close. But I feel the relentless optimism building for next year already.

 

[InsideTheParker]

So I guess this ump likes the inside pitch on lefties and doesn't see the outside pitch as well. I don't see how Masa could have hit that pitch.

 

[mauidano]

Why stop now with the same stupid fucking excuses for Yoshida DOB? I am so FUCKING tired of it.

Today it's "he can't find good Japanese food in Boston"? Give me a fucking break.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Why stop now with the same stupid fucking excuses for Yoshida DOB? I am so FUCKING tired of it.

Today it's "he can't find good Japanese food in Boston"? Give me a fucking break.

Yes, that's stupid. But I don't think Masa needs to have excuses. He's had a decent year in a totally new situation.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Hey, Tanner, the ump doesn't like the right side of the plate for a strike.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

I wasn't planning on watching the game today, but I feel I have to now.

 

[Deweys New Stance]

Today of all days, why don't we all voluntarily consider pumping the brakes a little re: our fellow posters?

Very well put.

To add to what I wrote above, they’re a mediocre team playing out the string in a meaningless finale, but it would be nice to see some fight today in memory of a great person who selflessly gave his all for this franchise.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Today of all days, why don't we all voluntarily consider pumping the brakes a little re: our fellow posters?

I fully support this.