greg775

When guys are going badly, the lineups look anemic. However this lineup is interesting. Hitters 1 through 6 are on paper pretty good. That's an average to above average 1 thru 6. But 7, 8 and 9? Yuk. So the question is ... how does a lineup with six acceptable to good options and three ridiculous options score 5 or more runs? Well the top six have to produce. I ask oddsmakers ... what are the odds those top six on a bleary day can produce 5 or more runs likely needed to win? Or on a strictly odds basis, is the fact three of the nine hitters strung in a row being lousy automatically means defeat?

Very true about the road. Sox are soooo bad on the road at this early stage of the season. It's horrifying/embarrassing (with the injury caveat always there to consider as a viable excuse).

Baseball has worn me down to where this lifelong Sox fan is also uninvested. I want the Sox to win but a loss no longer ruins my mood/day. Last night while in the car waiting out a hailstorm in a covered parking lot, I watched the end of the Red Sox game. Five pitchers combined for a no hitter. Yawn. Benetti always saying a game was a "thriller" if there's some action at the end of a boring one-run game of lift and pull, work the count and either whiff on a strike three slider, draw a walk or hit a weak pop up after fouling off seven pitches. Knowing no pitcher has a chance to pitch a gem (complete game? LOL) and the boring hitting philosophies of hitters nowadays ... I just take the results as they come. Baseball is boring. Sox habit is hard to break but I'm not invested emotionally any more. That could change I guess as the season heats up, but for me the Sox are no longer "must see TV." Oh for an injury free season, too.

Injuries have totally messed up the team. I'm not worried about the record, I'm concerned injuries "could" totally ruin the rest of this season as well. In the "next man up" scenario I'd still pick regulars and give those new "regulars" the majority of at bats. Work the injured pitchers back in where applicable.

Can't argue with this. But he's a bust IMO only cause of injury. If he coulda stayed healthy somehow with those physical tools I think he'd have been a terror at the plate.

True about not being graceful. But you can't deny the guy hustles his butt off at all times. Very sad. It's pretty obvious he'll never be healthy playing sports. His track record suggests that big body of his implodes/explodes way too often.

This is heartbreaking. Eloy, Robert and so many of our guys who get hurt a lot obviously love the game of baseball. They hustle so hard and get hurt all the time. Just read on Twitter Eloy was crying and Sox players who saw him immediately started crying. I won't say anything dumb about how these guys get hurt all the time, but some of these physical specimins just seem to have body parts that can't handle the sudden movements required in baseball. So sad for Eloy. All the Sox as a team can do is have next man up philosophy moving forward as the team has injury after injury,.

I am out for the rest of the game. I'm speechless right now at bad things are going for the team. I do think a 7-run inning is in the Sox future.

I didn't like stratomatic. I did like All Star baseball with the player discs. Love me some Bill James.

He's been messed up at the plate for one full season and a month now. I don't think he's finished yet. I don't know the guy but to me I think he's just been in a mental funk at the plate a while now. He's been the opposite of hitterish. Sox are who they are. A beat up team physically that has to hope to stay afloat til it gets healthy. If it doesn't get healthy it will have a disappointing season.

I do hate Sabes. Though I was one of Bill James' first fans. Read his awesome ratings of players every year for a decade. Couldn't wait to get the Bill James Abstract right after it available.

Did he get hurt running the bases or hitting? I was reading some old stories about his injury but it didn't say how he did it. I guess for the future the Sox need to be two deep with "stars" cause history suggests our guys are gonna get hurt and be out significant portions of seasons. Sox subs are not very good. Sox need a better 2 deep.

I like your posts generally but anything negative about Eloy is misguided tonight. He came through with the leadoff double and should have scored easily if not for pathetic at bats as Sox hitters appeared to be praying for bases on balls rather than slashing hits against a lousy closer.

Getting rid of Collins and having the replacement be McGuire bothers me. My gut tells me several of the Sox reserves reek.

I know he fouled several off. The result was a catastrophe, a weak infield pop up when Sox needed a sac fly or hit.

And horrific at bat by our backup catcher.

Disappointing last at bat. Swing the bat, sir. Terrible loss. Sox setting the tone early as a crummy road team. My boy Jose with the goat horns.

Eloy either hits a double here or homer. Book it. Believe.

No need to panic. but if Sox lose this is a revolting development on how the Sox suck on the road.

Why Stoney is so great. He's not a homer. Grounder to Abreu, he immediately without hesitation comments how Jose screwed up on running to the bag. If you think all teams' announcers would criticize one of their own players, I say you are very very wrong. And now he's pointing out Jose screwed up again! nice work Stoney.

Why Stoney is so great. He's not a homer. Grounder to Abreu, he immediately without hesitation comments how Jose screwed up on running to the bag. If you think all teams' announcers would criticize one of their own players, I say you are very very wrong.

I don't know about that statement being pertinent to 2022. Look, many (most?) managers yank many (most?) of their starters in the sixth inning and play revolving relievers the rest of the way. I think managers at that point of the game aren't as important as GMs who stocked the team with good or bad relievers. It's Hahn's fault more than TLR if the bullpen implodes in a game IMO. Again, regarding the lousy lineup that one game vs. Cleveland. Managers rest players a ton nowadays and it's frustrating but it's not a Tony disease. Most all of 'em do it. The players seem to like playing for him. That's a plus right there. I'm not a pollyanna. I thought it was ridiculous Leury batting third two games in a row but TLR did give a reason at least. He had his reason. Peace out.

Ugh. That's what I get for posting (what I thought was) a well-reasoned, sane response in a topic about Sox skipper LaRussa. My bad. I can kill the post if u prefer. Sorry if La Russa doesn't bother me at this point in time.

It's scary how many fans on this message board 'hate' or 'don't like' Tony. Outside of this board is the sentiment this ugly regarding the Hall of Fame skipper? I can't imagine tons of Sox fans despise Tony's hiring as much as folks in message board land. Personally I think Tony is fine. Lots of managers do the "rest" thing and sit players way too often. The "rest thing" certainly hasn't helped our injury situation in the Tony era. But I sort of like having Tony at the helm. The man is not a buffoon, folks. His resume suggests excellence, not hyperbole, it just does! I wish people would give TLR a chance til all star break. My problems with baseball managerial decisions involve modern day thinking, more than being frustrated with one manager named LaRussa.

It's good news, but reality is he's likely going to miss more than 3-4 games. He'll be out a week and a half is my prediction. PTATC? Comment?