hogan873

How did a thread about McCann being a finalist for starting the all star game devolve into yet another thread about how the Sox missed out on Machado and Harper? Back to topic: I think we all knew Sanchez would get the most votes, but it's still disappointing. McCann should still make the all star game; he definitely deserves it.

Who comes up? Palka? Mendick? A pitcher?

And bring back Ozzie. And find Alex Rios and break his legs so he'll never even think about playing baseball again.

Our first mistake was thinking that anything other than popularity matters for All Stars. If it wasn't for the new format, McCann would have been the first loser in the race for playing in the all star game. New format is better, but it still stinks that it's all left up to the fans. I mean, shit, all three of the Cubs outfielders were selected to move on to the second round. Moncada and Anderson weren't even close to advancing.

I haven't had many interactions with players. One of the best, however, was Buehrle before a Sox game back in 2002 or 2003. He was doing a TV interview in the dugout before the game while a bunch of fans (myself included) hovered over the dugout. When we was done he took the time to sign everyone's ball, hat, ticket, etc. Seems to be a genuinely nice guy. My wife, kids, and I met Ozzie at a Joliet Slammers game a few years ago. His son was playing for the opposing team. Needless to say, there was a constant train of fans walking by asking for pictures and autographs. He was quite nice when we asked for a picture with the kids. He just asked that we wait until the half inning was over (his son was batting). Carlton Fisk spends a lot of time at the youth baseball park where my son plays. His grandson plays there, and we'll see him around the park. Many people said not to approach him because he doesn't like being hassled. I've spoken to him a few times ("Hi", "How you doing?"), and he's always been very nice.

Colome finally blew a save to prove he's not perfect but then shut the BoSox down in the 9th and got the win. Great at-bat by Abreu in the 9th before destroying a ball over the monster. McCann continues to play like an all star. Lopez didn't have a terrible outing. Nice win that looked like a certain loss.

Abreu: Hits game-winning HR SoxTalk: Great job, Jose. You suck!

Did not see that coming. With the at-bat lasting forever, I was betting on a wild swing at a bad pitch for a K.

Makes a lot of sense...so likely won't happen. Definitely think it's past time to DFA Alonso. I'd like to see Mendick up to fill in while Anderson is out. And fun bad Palka would be nice.

Funny reading the comments about these professional athletes that push themselves day in and day out being divas when they get hurt. Most of us would have been flopping around like a fish on a hook or lying on the field like we were dead. I'm sure Tim's injury hurt (ankle sprains are painful), and there was some obvious concern that it could have been something worse. Glad to hear it's not serious. He'll miss some time, but it could have been a lot worse.

I've agreed with you about Abreu being better than he's given credit for. But, dude, you cannot compare Abreu to Machado and say Jose is as good or better. Ignore the money for a second and look at the total package. Abreu plays a mediocre first base, which is not a "premium" position. Machado plays a very good (some would argue elite) third base, which is a much more premium and difficult position to play (read: valuable). The offense production of the two is similar at first glance, but Machado is still the better offensive player according to the not-so advanced stats of OPS and slugging. Start looking at advanced stats, and the difference is more evident. Now, let's go ahead and talk money. Sure, Machado is getting paid a lot of money. Many could, and probably do, argue that he's overpaid. Maybe he is, maybe not. Keep in mind, though, that he's getting paid on a long term contract. He's 26, and will be in his prime for several years. Abreu is past his prime, even though I believe he'll continue to be a productive part of an offense for a couple more years. So, I would say that, regardless of basic stats and the "eye test", Machado is a much more valuable player. Worth the money? To the Padres, I'm sure he is. And many of us would be happy to have the Sox be paying him $30M for what he's doing. Is Abreu worth the money? Sure, this year. I'd still sign him for another year or two for $12M per, but as a bridge to Vaughn and primarily as a DH.

We were all hoping for some moderate improvements from Moncada this year, but I'm very pleasantly surprised at how much he has improved. I do think that part of it is the move to 3rd. Maybe he feels more comfortable there or just feels like it's a better fit. Regardless, he's impressive at the plate. The HR from the right yesterday was nice to see. He's a very exciting player to watch.

Face it, Greg. There are Abreu haters on this board that will never change their mind regardless of facts, data, and pleadings presented to them. It doesn't matter, especially considering we have absolutely no say in whether he stays or goes. All indications are that the Sox like him, and I would expect him to be around for at least one more year to allow Vaughn to get here. Personally, I'd be fine with 2-3 more years. He still delivers offensively and would be a great mentor for Vaughn; he's already shown to be a great mentor and leader. He's on pace to hit 30+ HRs and drive in over 100 runs. His BA is lower than it has been historically, but he's been streaky this year. I still expect him to hit .260+. I get checking advanced stats, but living by advanced stats alone and ignoring traditional ones is no way to value a player.

Eloy homering against the Cubs at Wrigley was great, especially considering where he came from. I can't imagine the number of Cubs fans that watched that with a tear in their eyes. Nova was surprisingly good. The lead-off HR looked like it was going to be a bad day, but he settled down and pretty much shut the Cubs down. I was surprised by the early exit, but it worked out with the bullpen once again shutting things down. Great game. Let's go for the sweep tonight.

To a point, I think advanced stats are ruining baseball. To a point. I can understand a team (those making the decisions) scouring over stats and making the best moves based on what the stats are telling them. That makes sense. But when fans will scour the advanced stats to find a reason to say a player is terrible when all the basic stats say otherwise...that's a different story. My point about Jose was that there is no one in the Sox system that will produce as he is right now and should produce for a couple more years. There's not a lot of guys out there the Sox could sign or trade for that could produce like Jose is producing; not for less money, that is. He's on pace to lead the team in HRs and RBIs, and he's a leader on and off the field. He's made it clear he wants to play here. If the Sox can sign him for another 2 years at $12M per or so, he'd be worth it.

Yeah, this makes sense. Too many people have been drilled by foul balls recently.

There's really no evidence that things are going to get real ugly soon. He's hitting for more power this year and is bringing his average back up closer to where we'd expect it to be. I think it's safe to have the guy around for another 2 years, especially considering the young talent coming into the fold.

I agree that he's well liked by the fans in general. On this board, though, there's a lot of dislike towards him.

I don't think I've ever seen so much distaste for a player by a group of fans. Let me rephrase that: I haven't seen this much distaste for a good player. I think we can all agree that Jose is not great defensively, and he's not going to get better. But he still hits the crap out baseballs. He's averaged 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs a year. He's on pace to hit 35 HRs and drive in 110 runs. He's leading the league in RBIs. No one else on the team is on pace to provide as much offense. And then there's the value he has as a leader on and off the field. He's definitely worth keeping around for another year or two. I think we've seen enough to know that we can't count on prospects to step in and do what he does. Joes is a perfect guy to transition this team to where it could and should be over the next couple years. Obviously there's no need to overpay. But with his apparent desire to stay here, I don't see why the Sox shouldn't sign him for another 2 years, maybe $10M per.

You can be the most hyperbolic poster sometimes. Sox cannot win the division with the current team. They need at least two more decent to good starting pitchers and another bat or two. They are entertaining now, especially the young guys. They have a chance to win the division and more starting next year, but they need to make some moves. A couple smart "selling" trades at the deadline could help the future.

That baseball was obliterated. Unbelievable power.

Alonso out of the lineup again.

No, he is not being forced to play Yonder. If anything, the opposite would be more realistic. The Sox front office will not tell Renteria to play Yonder every day regardless of his performance if they do not want his option to vest. He just had a few games off for "mental respite". Read between the lines, and you'll see the Sox controlling his plate appearances. And the money isn't a concern. He was traded for, not signed, and the Sox will end up doing one of three things: Try to trade him, release him before the end of the season, or limit his plate appearances.

Cole, Martinez, Castellanos, Grandal, Rendon. Grandal may not be the target he once was due to McCann's performance. Martinez or Castellanos would add a good bat to the lineup, but wouldn't do a lot for defense. Rendon should be a target, but then a question of where he (and others) would play comes up. Good problem to have, though. Cole should be a primary target. This team needs another quality SP.

It's very frustrating to watch him pitch. He obviously has great stuff, and he's shown some flashes of brilliance. But he's very inconsistent and leaves way too many pitches up to be destroyed. He seems to pitch well for 2-3 innings and them implodes spectacularly. I think he needs to keep pitching at the ML level, but I wouldn't mind seeing a shorter leash. He's young and has potential. Let's hope he can make the necessary adjustments like Giolito did.