Trevor Story has signed with the Boston Red Sox

BringBackMo

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
1,315
Again, his contact rate had been right in line with his career average since April 17. Then a couple tough games against Ohtani and Cease.

Expected wOBA on fly balls last 19 games (April 17 on): .392
Actual wOBA on fly balls last 19 games: .129
Expected wOBA on ground balls last 19 games: .314
Actual wOBA on ground balls last 19 games: .224

Is it that hard to be charitable and acknowledge the many factors that affected his play? He signed late, had a short spring, new baby, new bad ball, illness, etc. You're being glib, I get it, but it's driving me crazy that so many posters here are committed to seeing Story's .194/.276/.269 line as his actual true-talent level so they can act like they've been stolen from. Just let the dude play baseball!
Chawson took some heat about a week ago for pointing out that Story was showing signs of turning things around. He was right. (I personally think his posts have been been 25 percent sharper since he brought back the old avatar.)
 

CoffeeNerdness

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2012
8,711
Best part is that he finally looks like he's having fun out there. He was pumped during his home run trot. Team needs to stay light if they want to do some damage.
100%. Having not watched him all that much he kinda gave the first impression of being dry and boring. Loved the fire.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,274
Story on Story

Jackie Bradley Jr., who played with Gomes in 2013 and 2014, said he first found out Gomes had caught the ball when he saw the replay of the home run. Gomes’ decision to celebrate by lifting up his shirt helped Bradley quickly realize who had caught it.

“I hadn’t even had an idea,” Bradley said. “Then I saw the shirt come off and was like, ‘Oh, I know that guy.’ That’s J.G. for you. Good times. Story, who has now hit four home runs in his last two games, never met Gomes before Friday, when the ex-outfielder was hanging out in Boston’s dugout before the game. After Boston’s 7-3 win over the Mariners, Story found out what happened and had Gomes sign the ball for him. Originally, Gomes planned on keeping the ball and have Story sign it. But Story wanted a memento from his first grand slam in a Red Sox uniform.

“He was going to keep it at first but I was like, ‘I think it would be cool if you signed it and I kept it just because it was the first one,’” Story said.

“That’s something special,” he added. “I’ll never forget that.”
https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2022/05/jonny-gomes-caught-trevor-storys-first-red-sox-grand-slam-on-green-monster-then-signed-ball-and-gave-it-to-him-in-clubhouse.html
 

radsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 9, 2009
13,622
I know the timing was different, but it still amazes me that in the same offseason a 31 year old Marcus Semien got 7/175M and a 29 year old Trevor Story got 6/140M.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,274
In the estimable 88-year history of the Wall, according to Baseball-Reference.com, there had been 189 grand slams hit to left or left-center, including 127 by the Red Sox entering Friday. None was remotely comparable to the one that Trevor Story hit off of Seattle ace and reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray in a 7-3 Red Sox victory over the Mariners.
“You feel like you show up to the ballpark every day and see something that you’ve never seen before,” said Red Sox starting pitcher Michael Wacha. “That was [the case] today, for sure.”
In the bottom of the third inning, with the bases loaded and two outs in a scoreless tie, Story fouled off a 1-2 fastball to earn another pitch. Ray tried to sneak a slider by Story. But the scorching Sox second baseman hammered a liner to left-center that just cleared the Wall — his fourth homer in two days, an achievement that Story now shares with exactly one other Red Sox second baseman: Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr, who hit four homers in two games in 1950.
In left field, atop the Green Monster, former Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes was taking in the game. Any reason?

“Watching a game, man,” pronounced Gomes. “I’m a baseball rat. Best seats in America.”
In his post-playing career, Gomes has made a point of coming back to Fenway. Friday marked the fourth or fifth time that he’d sat in the Monster Seats. He dreamed about the possibility of catching a homer, even spending time in the seats during batting practice on Friday to prepare.

When Story ripped his liner to left, Gomes stood in an aisle in the front row of the Monster Seats, just to the right of the light tower. He recognized imagination transforming into reality.

“I was hot on it,” beamed Gomes, who claims to have almost caught Story’s third homer in Thursday night’s game. “Hot bat, hot guy, I was ready for it.”

His gloveless attempt was not flawless. Gomes — beverages conveniently placed on the shelf in front of him — reached down in an attempt to make a barehand grab with two hands. The ball hit his hands and bounced off his right bicep.

“Did not touch the ground. Did not touch the ground,” Gomes insisted, though a video replay cast some doubt on his recollection. “Brief bobble off the right bicep, but it was a full catch.”

Regardless, the ball was in Gomes’s hands. He hoisted it in triumph, and then a man who by his own account is “never at a loss for celebrations” deliriously pulled his shirt over his head.

“As a baseball junkie, as a baseball rat, I’ve literally been begging for that moment since I was 8,” said Gomes, who’d never before caught a ball at a game. “It’s a Red Sox homer, a Red Sox grand slam, but at the end of the day it’s a homer inside a museum. It’s a homer inside of a national monument. It’s legendary baseball history here. It’s like no other.”
Gomes is my spirit animal
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/21/sports/perched-green-monster-former-red-sox-outfielder-jonny-gomes-catches-trevor-storys-grand-slam-ball/
 

OnTheBlack

New Member
Dec 23, 2020
307
That’s amazing. Johnny Gomes is just up there catching a ballgame?! I’ve never even caught a faul ball… here I am watching two signatory pros play catch in a situation most of us never dream of
 

sezwho

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
1,950
Isle of Plum
That’s amazing. Johnny Gomes is just up there catching a ballgame?! I’ve never even caught a faul ball… here I am watching two signatory pros play catch in a situation most of us never dream of
Gomes was interviewed during the next game andsaid he was in town doing some Fenway and other fan events. I think he always insists on sitting on the Monster if he’s not working during the game. Seems like a good choice.
 

The Mort Report

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 5, 2007
6,883
Concord

Archer1979

shazowies
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
7,866
Right Here
I am a little too young to completely remember, but I definitely did not remember Mo being a base stealer, so I looked up his stats. The crazier part of those stretches for him was that his max stolen bases IN A SEASON besides that year was 4. He only had 11 that season, and in the 7 seasons after, had a total of 6. So crazy
Mo had the advantage in that no one really expected him to steal. With that, how would you like to be the guy covering second on the throw from the catcher with Mo barreling down on you? Bad enough if you're charging the mound...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXRDiSOVFs
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,673
Maine
Mo had the advantage in that no one really expected him to steal. With that, how would you like to be the guy covering second on the throw from the catcher with Mo barreling down on you? Bad enough if you're charging the mound...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXRDiSOVFs
No one's the same after a meeting with Mo. Bell's numbers after Mo trucked him: 20 games, 85 PA, .138/.165/.288/.452. And then he was done at age 33.
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2006
7,873
SS Botany Bay
I am a little too young to completely remember, but I definitely did not remember Mo being a base stealer, so I looked up his stats. The crazier part of those stretches for him was that his max stolen bases IN A SEASON besides that year was 4. He only had 11 that season, and in the 7 seasons after, had a total of 6. So crazy
Didn't Remy start jokingly calling Mo the "Speed Dog" after this?
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
It's really great that after playing a huge part in tanking the season in April he's figured out how to hit again. Probably too late to salvage the season, but whatever. Take your victory lap.

They paid this guy $160 million and he didn't show up for six weeks. Wonderful. It also bears noting that he started hitting after the Sox visited his precious home of Texas, which doesn't exactly invalidate my point.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
It's really great that after playing a huge part in tanking the season in April he's figured out how to hit again. Probably too late to salvage the season, but whatever. Take your victory lap.

They paid this guy $160 million and he didn't show up for six weeks. Wonderful. It also bears noting that he started hitting after the Sox visited his precious home of Texas, which doesn't exactly invalidate my point.
Never change, SJH. I especially like the part about how his 1 for 10 performance in Texas turned his season around.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
“Too late to salvage the season” seems absurd. They are like 4 games out of a playoff spot. With 120 or so games left!
They are in 4th place in the division and still below .500 even after a hot streak. Perhaps we should see if they manage to reach .500 first before even thinking about any type of postseason run. Maybe Story can make another trip home first.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
Never change, SJH. I especially like the part about how his 1 for 10 performance in Texas turned his season around.
Dude is batting .226. 1 for 10 isn't even that much of a slump for him. He's got a looooooooong way to go to put up respectable numbers this year, never mind good ones.

My larger point being that a recent hot stretch does not either salvage his season or make up for the signing. He didn't do anything for six solid weeks, and we're not talking just a slump, he was one of the worse hitters the team has ever had. That played a huge part in getting this year off to the worst start since 1966 and it's more than fair to wonder what exactly we're going to get out of him for the next 5 1/2 years.

You can't handwave away the first month of the year.
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
7,877
Boston, MA
Dude is batting .226. 1 for 10 isn't even that much of a slump for him. He's got a looooooooong way to go to put up respectable numbers this year, never mind good ones.
He currently sports a 112 OPS+. It's SLG heavy, but those are still respectable numbers on the season. Yes, he was horrendous for the first six weeks, but there's no need to downplay where he is now.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
He currently sports a 112 OPS+. It's SLG heavy, but those are still respectable numbers on the season. Yes, he was horrendous for the first six weeks, but there's no need to downplay where he is now.
It is SLG heavy and the OBP is 310 which needs to be better. Last year it was 328.

The HRs lately have been great and all but overall his offensive game still needs to improve.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
Pedroia didn't really have a decline phase. He was either healthy and hitting or hurt and not playing at all.
This is true. 112 OPS+ at age 31, 117 at 32, 101 at 33 (hitting .293 / .369 / .392)... and then he had 34 more career plate appearances.
Edit: the 101 at age 33 in 2017 was when he got hurt. Through July he was at .307 / .381 / .411... and then he got hurt and put up .229 / .313 / .300 over a sporadic 80 PAs the rest of the way, then had his final horrible 34 PAs in 2018-2019.
 

chawson

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
4,660
They paid this guy $160 million and he didn't show up for six weeks. Wonderful. It also bears noting that he started hitting after the Sox visited his precious home of Texas, which doesn't exactly invalidate my point.
This seems like something out of a sci-fi/fantasy novel. I must admit I did not see this argument coming. Is there some magical BBQ joint he needs to hit every few weeks to stay productive? Terrific material.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
This seems like something out of a sci-fi/fantasy novel. I must admit I did not see this argument coming. Is there some magical BBQ joint he needs to hit every few weeks to stay productive? Terrific material.
In the offseason Story badly wanted to sign with his hometown Rangers, this was widely reported. His agents then apparently boffed the negotiations with the Rangers so badly (by being overaggressive with the counter-offers) that the Rangers said "screw it" and withdrew all offers from Story, whereupon he signed here. Story then fired his agents for screwing up the negotiations with Texas.

He wanted to play at home. This year he did absolutely nothing except stink at the plate and throw away a game via error until the Sox visited Texas (he took his teammates to a Mavs game IIRC) and then he almost immediately started hitting again after that series. .561 OPS before leaving Texas, 1.572 OPS since leaving Texas.

Sci-fi, fantasy, whatever. He only began contributing after he visited home.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
In the offseason Story badly wanted to sign with his hometown Rangers, this was widely reported. His agents then apparently boffed the negotiations with the Rangers so badly (by being overaggressive with the counter-offers) that the Rangers said "screw it" and withdrew all offers from Story, whereupon he signed here. Story then fired his agents for screwing up the negotiations with Texas.

He wanted to play at home. This year he did absolutely nothing except stink at the plate and throw away a game via error until the Sox visited Texas (he took his teammates to a Mavs game IIRC) and then he almost immediately started hitting again after that series. .561 OPS before leaving Texas, 1.572 OPS since leaving Texas.

Sci-fi, fantasy, whatever. He only began contributing after he visited home.
Can you share a link or two on this? You've mentioned it a couple times.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
Can you share a link or two on this? You've mentioned it a couple times.
Sure.

Story fired agent.

Rosenthal :

According to sources, the Rangers offered Story a guarantee similar to what he received from the Red Sox, but changed directions because of the size of his camp’s counter-offer. The Mariners offered Story a deal at a similar level, but also balked at Excel’s subsequent ask.

I know I've read that he really wanted to go home and play for the Rangers but I'm trying to track that down.
 

Sin Duda

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
814
(B)Austin Texas
This seems like something out of a sci-fi/fantasy novel. I must admit I did not see this argument coming. Is there some magical BBQ joint he needs to hit every few weeks to stay productive? Terrific material.
Franklin's Barbecue in Austin is widely considered the greatest joint on this planet earth, and I would call it magical, but 3.5 hours away from Arlington, so I don't know.
 

sodenj5

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
6,619
CT
In the offseason Story badly wanted to sign with his hometown Rangers, this was widely reported. His agents then apparently boffed the negotiations with the Rangers so badly (by being overaggressive with the counter-offers) that the Rangers said "screw it" and withdrew all offers from Story, whereupon he signed here. Story then fired his agents for screwing up the negotiations with Texas.

He wanted to play at home. This year he did absolutely nothing except stink at the plate and throw away a game via error until the Sox visited Texas (he took his teammates to a Mavs game IIRC) and then he almost immediately started hitting again after that series. .561 OPS before leaving Texas, 1.572 OPS since leaving Texas.

Sci-fi, fantasy, whatever. He only began contributing after he visited home.
I mean if this is what happens every time he swings by Texas, ownership should give him the private jet and let him take one day per month to wrangle cattle or whatever it is he wants to do down there.
 

cornwalls@6

Less observant than others
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2010
6,247
from the wilds of western ma
Dude is batting .226. 1 for 10 isn't even that much of a slump for him. He's got a looooooooong way to go to put up respectable numbers this year, never mind good ones.

My larger point being that a recent hot stretch does not either salvage his season or make up for the signing. He didn't do anything for six solid weeks, and we're not talking just a slump, he was one of the worse hitters the team has ever had. That played a huge part in getting this year off to the worst start since 1966 and it's more than fair to wonder what exactly we're going to get out of him for the next 5 1/2 years.

You can't handwave away the first month of the year.
So, if he rights the ship the rest of the way, and ends up with respectable, or even good numbers at season's end, it's still a disastrous signing? And an indicator that his entire tenure here is going to be a disappointment? After a bad 5-6 weeks, in year one, in a new city/league/environment? Nobody should be doing a victory lap just yet regarding his recent better play, for sure. But your position is equally reactionary and silly.
 

pokey_reese

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 25, 2008
16,247
Boston, MA
Also worth noting that Story is a top-50 player by fWAR right now, in large part because even when he wasn't hitting over the first few weeks of the season he was still playing above-average defense and contributing value on the basepaths. One of the advantages to not being a one-dimensional player is that when you slump in one facet of the game you aren't a total dud.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
12,958
The Paris of the 80s
Story now has a 112 OPS+ which is in line with his career average. I'm not sure citing his AVG/OBP makes sense when the league is putting up all-time lows there. Yea, he's hitting .229. So is the league, but it looks like he's trending upwards.

I don't understand the anger directed at this team on this board by some posters.
 

chawson

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
4,660
In the offseason Story badly wanted to sign with his hometown Rangers, this was widely reported. His agents then apparently boffed the negotiations with the Rangers so badly (by being overaggressive with the counter-offers) that the Rangers said "screw it" and withdrew all offers from Story, whereupon he signed here. Story then fired his agents for screwing up the negotiations with Texas.

He wanted to play at home. This year he did absolutely nothing except stink at the plate and throw away a game via error until the Sox visited Texas (he took his teammates to a Mavs game IIRC) and then he almost immediately started hitting again after that series. .561 OPS before leaving Texas, 1.572 OPS since leaving Texas.

Sci-fi, fantasy, whatever. He only began contributing after he visited home.
I think you’re overstating this quite a lot.

You're right that there were many reports linking Story and the Rangers -- partly because pundits always link star free agents to their hometown teams.

Story of course didn’t dismiss that link. And it's true that the Rangers expressed interest late in the season (hoping Story would play left field). But the closest report I found to support your argument is this one from last summer, when Story said “geography” was a factor in where he’d sign. The writer took that answer and ran with it, but what else is Story going to say? Wouldn’t any free agent say that?

Story also said that playing for a team "with the pieces in place to be a contender" was equally important. I think for your argument to make sense, you’d have to assume that Story is lying about wanting that part -- which is no small lie after spending six seasons on a terrible team -- then faked his enthusiasm all through his Red Sox press conference, and was then forced to say Boston "is where I belong" against his will. It would mean that he so prefers playing LF for a bad Texas team than 2B for the Red Sox that he'd endure a half-decade of infamy in one of the most intense media environments in sports. Wouldn't he have just signed with the Mariners or Twins if that were true?

To believe this fantastical notion, you'd have to consider that the many contributing factors to his April struggles (new baby, new position, new city, new dead ball, short spring training, early April illness, “pressing” after a new FA contract as many do) are unreasonable explanations. But a mere mid-May road trip to Texas is all it took to snap him back into place.
 
Last edited:

moondog80

heart is two sizes two small
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
8,091
You're all overlooking the fact that Story only began contributing after the the Celtics won game 7 in Milwaukee.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
And that leaves aside the fantastical notion that the many contributing factors to his April struggles (new baby, new position, new city, new dead ball, short spring training, early April illness, “pressing” after a new FA contract as many do), are unreasonable explanations in your eyes, but a mere mid-May road trip to Texas is all it took to snap him back into place.
I'm sorry, but when you sign a guy for $160 million you expect him to be able to contribute right away. That's the way these things work. And this wasn't "oh he's not untracked yet but he's still OPSing .700," this was OPSing .561, striking out 4 times and game, costing them a game in Tampa with a silly throwing error and getting the shit booed out of him at home because he wasn't doing anything at all.

I empathize with the real-life struggles of having a new baby but he was an absolute anchor on the team and they may not make the postseason in large part because their big free agent acquisition couldn't get it together until a quarter of the season had passed. That's not acceptable. It wasn't acceptable for Crawford or Panda either. It sounds unfair but that's reality for a guy getting paid to be an impact player: he has to produce right away. I'm absolutely stunned anyone would feel differently.

And fantastical or not he started hitting after he visited home. I don't make the rules here, it's what happened.