FoxForce2

It's only three games, but this Harrison guy looks like a pretty good baseball player. From the reaction on the board when he was picked up, I was thinking we'd fallen into a ditch somewhere. Today - good team win. The Sox are going to need this over the next 4-6 weeks - and then some.

I had to Google that.

If I were the A's I'd be interested in Vaughn too.

TA = a fresh set of premium iridium no-gap plugs.

Good catching can make average pitching ---- good.

So what is the current thinking regarding baseball players going the hypertrophy route in mass building?

Maybe he needs to make his point with a little more precision instead of relying on innuendo. ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER - does he speak it? Or is it just a Flock Of Flamingos? Cue Samuel Jackson --- Pulp Fiction. I like those Big Kahuna Burgers too.

Whoa! Wow! Pretty blatant. I guess Minoso, Allen and Frank Thomas et al weren't quite the right skin tone. If you're being sarcastic, maybe you need to do the /s thing.

I don't know that TA is terrible at leadoff, but Moncada has the higher OBP and runs well. IF TA could get over his aversion to walks without sacrificing his bat-ball talent he'd be a better leadoff batter.

Exactly. Burger needs to shine at MLB level to build his rep. Most clubs are going to have their doubts about him until he puts the injury issues to rest. But yes, as long as Moncada has the position locked Burger would have a better shot at starting (at 3rd) elsewhere.

What will be 'fun' is when Burger comes out with his hair on fire in April and then gets slotted down when Moncada comes out cool and starts as usual.

I hate the idea of seeing Burger at 2nd. A 2b-man needs good and consistent lateral mobility, something that is at the least questionable in Burger's case. And then there is the pivot on the 6-4-3. I'm a Burger fan, but the idea of him at 2b gets an eyeroll from me.

Whatever happened with Sale wasn't simply a Boston issue. Have a look at Sale's numbers in Chicago after Aug 15 in each season. Sliders coming out of the 'inverted W', even if a less than dramatic 'W', are a well documented strain producing problem.

That's interesting and worth a fan's looking into. References? Maybe Chris Sale didn't get the memo.

I recall 3-4 years ago when the pitchers were so far ahead of the hitters that MLB was considering moving the mound back and even lowering it. It didn't take long for that to change. Major league sliders are the bane of many modern pitchers. Four seams can be pitched with at least some lessening of arm strain/distress, sliders - not nearly so much.

But how many of those 'who will' -- can? And for how long?

Are you counting on the Sox getting rid of TLR midseason?

Maybe it is crazy, but TLR has made clear that he's going to be using Grandal as a DH quite a lot when he isn't catching. Grandal is a first class batter and, while a great framer, is an average catcher with a poor arm. Catching is tough. The dings, scrapes, crouchings etc take a toll and the Yogi Berra's and Yadi Molina's are few and far between, I'd much rather have Yaz in the lineup than have him 'resting' on the IL.

I don't think Grandal needs to be catching more than 90 games in a season. DH him the other 50-60 games. The more he catches/crouches the more likely he is to go to the IL and not be available at all. I've argued that the Sox need a #2 catcher moreso than a backup. I don't know whether or not the new guy fits the bill.

The coasting is over.

You all are going to give this guy a complex - in addition to the one he probably already has.

Considering how erratic the outfield was, the Sox needed to at least lock down the infield on ground balls. By just about every metric, Cesar should have fit the bill. However, besides the drop off at the plate he looked as if he were mailing it in at 2nd. It was strange - if nothing else, he should have been motivated by playing on a contender and having the stage to showcase his abilities to teams he actually wanted to be on. That trade alone painted the Sox into a corner, the paint of which hasn't dried yet.

You're a lot smarter about this stuff than I am. Right now we have so many 'we'll sees' going on that it's difficult to see the path ahead.

This is arthroscopic surgery right? Minor surgery or not, do you really expect Lynn back in full form before the AS break? Or even after. Color me pessimistic on this one.

Four weeks no throwing which translates to six -eight weeks no pitching. OK, got it.