Jack Parkman

The only thing failure does is lead me into a deep dark hole. This isn't therapy, so let's stop now. There's no feeling I hate more than to get excited about something and then get let down.

It's not worth going through the process if there's not a high probability of reaching your goal. I get enjoyment out of reaching my goals. If I don't reach my goal, then the entire process was a waste of time, energy and effort, and should have been spent doing something else.

I don't only care about winning the world series this year, I care about being in position to maximize the window.

You know what's worse? Getting excited and then getting swept in the first round.

You call it negativity, I call it being realistic. I sat through the 2007 and 2013 seasons and that takes some real commitment and just liking baseball.

It's not negativity, it's tempered expectations. I want to see evidence of team superiority first. If it wasn't for the team record against >.500 teams I'd be completely bought in. During the regular season they have to check all of the boxes for me to get excited. Even in 2005 I didn't expect that team to win a playoff round. I thought Boston was going to smash their brains in.

Because we've gotten to the point in the season where you can't draw any conclusions about the strength of the team vs the rest of baseball until the playoffs. They're good enough to make the playoffs, fine.

Bingo. My "negativity" kind of comes from being more of a big picture thinker. I've been a bit deflated as a Sox fan since Robert got hurt.

I still have fun when the Sox win, yeah. I went to the game Tuesday and had a blast.

My brain tells me that there is no reason to get excited until they prove they're good in the playoffs. Baseball is a little different in that it is the most exclusive playoff pool in sports, but yeah even if they lose in the ALCS or something I can still get hyped next year. I like to put all of the data points together and come to a conclusion. To me, there isn't enough evidence to say they're a title contender yet. Data, Data, Data.

I really want to get excited about this team, but my brain tells me to wait until they make an ALCS appearance at the very least first.

^^^^^^

I do not expect them to be at full strength until next year.

Not necessarily, as the 3 bats coming back and lighting it up would change things. However I'm not counting on it happening like so many others. I still will be watching through the playoffs but my expectations are pretty muted. I still enjoy watching Sox baseball even when they suck. Sports are more enjoyable to me when there are zero expectations and I just enjoy the ride.

Don't get me wrong, The Sox have talent but their true talent level in a competitive division is fighting for the 2nd WC Spot in the AL rather than winning a division. Anything can happen in the playoffs but I think the talent gap between the Sox and the rest of the AL playoff field is just too high.

I'll be surprised if they win more than one game in the playoffs. I'd feel differently if the majority of the pensmen weren't gascans. I could buy them being good when their 3 bats return if it was only the offense that was failing against good teams but the entire team is failing against playoff quality competition.

What's their run differential against the teams they've played that will be in the playoffs? Their run differential is inflated by the shitty ALC.

What's their run differential against teams over .500? I'd bet it's negative. They're 18-27 against teams over .500 and 2-11 on the road. They're not even competitive. It isn't just one series. They're beating up on shitty teams. So?

I don't think that those guys will be themselves until next year. Too many people assume that Eloy/Robert/Grandal are going to come in and pick up right where they left off. It's not like Eloy and Robert are even lighting up the minors during their rehab stints.

What this series is telling us is that the Sox are only a playoff team because the rest of the ALC isn't trying and the Twins pitching staff collapsed. What I keep seeing is that the Sox are not playoff caliber in any aspect of the game. Their offense isn't good enough, their SP are bum slayers and their bullpen is terrible outside of Hendriks/Kopech and sometimes Crochet, who is very hit or miss. I don't think that Eloy/Robert/Grandal will save them either.

It was 16-24 at the ASB and they've gone 2-3 since.

Some people are just waiting for Rodon's arm to fall off.

What an awful sports night.

I think we're getting into an area where SP are getting fatigued because of the short season last year. There's a reason why a lot of teams are doing tandem stuff right now.

He doesn't have anything at all tonight.