hogan873

It will be interesting how businesses react to the CDC's mask mandate update. No business will be able to check each person to see if they have had their shots. If a store or bar or restaurant says vaccinated customers don't need to wear a mask, I would imagine most people will not wear a mask in their establishment, vaccinated or not. I would hope that the vaccinated people will still outnumber the non-vaccinated (especially the anti-vaxxers) and it ultimately won't matter. But we'll get to a point, probably rather soon, when we'll be at a stagnant percentage of fully vaccinated people. Hopefully the percentage will be enough to keep the virus down and outbreaks can be managed. Let's face it (pun intended), we're all tired of wearing masks. The CDC has said you can lose the mask if you're vaccinated. I think most people will stop wearing masks, and we'll start to see businesses drop mask mandates. I'm somewhat torn. I do think as a fully vaccinated person, I have the right to stop wearing my mask as long as where I am doesn't have a mandate. But I think I'll feel...I don't know if guilty is the right word...seeing others wear masks when I'm not. I do think many establishments will keep mask policies in place for a while longer, which makes it easy. Once mandates are dropped (in businesses) and I start to see more and more people not wearing masks, I'll probably shed mine. All this being said, I've liked going damn near 18 months without a cold or the flu or a fever or a stomach virus. I could see mask-wearing being seasonal and plenty of people with masks in flu season. They obviously work.

I think Pfizer and Moderna are similar in efficacy. One shot gives you 75%-80% protection and the second shot gives you 95% protection.

Attaboy Vaughn

Royals have lost their 11th in a row. Remember when folks were excited about their start?

Whew

Under the circumstances, as Hawk said, one of the best you'll ever see.

He heard the hate from the board and turned it into raw power.

I like Lance Lynn.

The Sox had an outfield of Vaughn, Hamilton, and Mendick. Two of the team's best hitters are out for the majority of the season. Yes, the Twins are missing some pieces, but so are the Sox. Guess what, the Sox are doing better in adversity than the Twins. And every damn win needs to be celebrated, especially against AL Central teams.

It's almost like Hendriks goes out there and horses around with the first couple hitters before saying (in an Australian accent), "I better get serious, that's for true!" Another fun game to watch. The offense just looks dialed in with so much confidence. I don't think there's any doubt TA is a big part of that confidence. His swagger and attitude is infectious. It was great to see Vaughn's HR. It was a no-doubter, and there will be many more. Abreu is starting to look like MVPito, both at the plate and in the field. That over the shoulder catch running out into the outfield was spectacular. The guy does everything he can to help his team. A true leader.

Hoyer?

The pitching was handled very well last night. Maybe TLR is shaking off the cobwebs and will be better going forward.

I was a little worried when the Sox went down 3 after some crappy defense and Cease struggling. Grandal's HR was the turning point of the game, I think. Many Sox teams in the past would have folded, especially against the Twins. After Cease's bit of struggling, he calmed down and looked really sharp again. This was very encouraging to see. I do think he has figured something out. It was nice to see Crochet come in and deliver in a pressure situation. The K to end the 6th was awesome, and that slider was absolute filth. If he's going to sit in the upper 90s with his fastball, yesterday's performance is how he needs to use it, along with the offspeed stuff. Offense looked good again. Abreu is heating up, hopefully. Yermin continues to hit the damn ball. And TA is becoming one of the best hitters in baseball. This team is fun to watch.

After 98 inside, that’s unhittable.

Nasty slider!

This is still a better Cease. Last season, that rough 2nd inning would have led to more runs and an early exit.

Hell of a pitch.

Leury has looked better with more consistent playing time. He looks, when playing regularly, like the guy who was a good bench guy over the past few seasons. If it weren't for the Engel and Robert injuries, he wouldn't be getting the playing time and would most likely not be very good. It makes sense to have him be the primary CFer until Engel returns. Eaton and Mendick can hold down RF, and Vaughn is solid in LF. When (hopefully) Engel returns, Mendick and Leury need to stay, and Lamb needs to hit the road.

What a catch by Vaughn!

Game threads are full of hot takes. Everyone knows that.

Our hitters are going to make Keller look like Cy Young.

Swing the damn bat.

Dammit. Looks like Pujols is being signed.

I didn't realize how quickly he went downhill after going to LA. He hasn't been very good for a while. But maybe he knows about the double switch rule...

Even the best managers will lose a game or two with bad decisions/actions/non-actions. But when you have a manger who may or may not be conscious for most games and completely out of touch with how baseball is now played, the bad managing is magnified. I keep thinking of Jimmy Dugan from A League of Their Own, lounging in the dugout scratching his nuts. The bad news here is TLR isn't going to have an epiphany and become an engaged, present, good manager. He'll be dozing and ball-scratching all season while his team goes out there and (hopefully) wins in spite of him.