FoxForce2

You've got to make Grienke come into the strike zone. He'll eat a batter alive with all that low outside the zone junk.

Now if Jose can lay off low diving shit...

Brantley is a first class batter and a quality outfielder. It is a letdown in not seeing him in a Sox uniform.

Do you really think JR and KW are going to go for something like that? p.s. Aren't the Sox in the 'private sector'?

BoSox showing OurSox how it's done - on the road - a game down - in the Playoffs.

Or... trade him back to the Cubs... eat half his salary... and get Heuer back. would the Brewers or Cards want him? Cincy?

Not sure if serious. Picking up his option is something of a gamble. Sure someone will grab him, but how much salary will the Sox have to eat? Plus we're going to need a quality prospect in the deal.

Yeeeee Hahhhhhhh! A run!

Tucker hitting #7 is pretty crazy. He might be the most productive hitter in that lineup.

I'm zooming and still not seeing a legend through Firefox. Whatever... The entire notion of blacking out non-soldout games is a futile attempt at drawing attendance. I'd argue that maximizing media coverage will *increase* attendance over the long term.

Without a legend this map doesn't relate much relevant info. Are New Mexico and Utah Out of the picture? What's up with Seattle or Maine?

Smart pickoff moves, holding the runners and the infielders playing tough and smart around the bags will all help, but Yaz and Collins just aren't going to be throwing out steal attempts consistently - and the Astros know it.

Evidently, a market site that is advanced enough to post a simple copy-paste of an addy without mixing it up with a following link. Shift-Return works just fine as a divider on most sites.

For some unknown reason the Forbes team valuations are not linking properly in the above. In any case - the Sox are definitively a mid-market outfit. https://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/

The Rays bats were white hot tonight. It doesn't look like they're going to give the Yankees a pass.

You're right! I had to go back and look at it. Showalter had a good hitting team but not many Palmer/McNally/Cuellar/Dobsons on the mound. My case against Machado still stands. Beat Houston!

If you say so. Yeah the $320 million/10 year man has really led the Padres to some great things this year. And that with Tatis in the lineup. Machado is an albatross to any but the highest budget team - and even the Dodgers didn't pursue him once they got a sample of his game. Gotta love that OPS+ and glove though...

With the exception of 2-3 too many punts in Sep, the Sox have handled tempo, timing and injury rest spaces pretty well over the last half. Getting the momentum and chemistry right here at the end is looking like a smooth ramp-up. Even with the obvious concerns: Lynn's knee, Rodon's loss of velocity, Jimenez' stance/address challenges, this team looks as well prepped for the post season as any. Hopefully, Robert (and the staff), doesn't get too tricksey with his approach and just continues doing what he does best. Just watching La Pantera go out there and have some real fun would be a joy to behold.

I saw what you did there, or at least I think I did.

I guess we have differing opinions regarding what a "very good" team is. I don't recall the O's being much in the way of a serious contender in Machado's time there. One can probably relate this to Trout and the Angles, but I just don't see the parallels. Can you imagine the winningest team in the AL, the Rays, even considering bringing in a guy like this? No Machado!

Machado is a bazillion dollar prima dona that has zero experience playing in a winning organization. He's the kind of guy that will rack up >his< numbers with little to no regard re: the success of his team. To improve the team for next year, the Sox need pretty much anybody but a Machado type. You can get two significant assets for the cost of this guy. IMO - not even worth considering - a non-starter.

Preseason, with Robert and Eloy healthy, I was thinking we had a shot to beat Pecota and get 90, contending for a Division title. What a crooked path this has been.