SpringfieldFan

My expectation for some time has been that the Sox will go through the playoffs with two regulars sidelined with injuries. It’s just a question of who they will be. I’ve made peace with it.

TLR should have just taken the game off to party with the others and let Yaz player-manage the kids.

And for the nightcap I assume it will be a bunch of assorted beer venders, mascots and players' kids taking the field - and I won't complain.

Nice to see a "business like" celebration as if the division clinch was expected and there is more important work ahead.

Dang, not sure how this can work. It will be time to take him out after his pregame warmup pitches.

They might be fine once the playoffs start but there is reason for concern. This is not a sport like football where you can just storm the field on the big day and win on rage. You have to be focused, respond to nuanced situations, stay within yourself, and generally be in tune with that you need to do. If you get just a bit too hyped up you wind up losing focus and doing things like overthrow pitches, pull off the ball (no, that's never a problem with our hitters), etc. and it doesn't take much. Then if you start to have trouble and don't know how to play within yourself and keep focus you start pressing, and things go south quickly. The flip side is that the playoff environment just heightens your focus and your ability to do what you do well. Example: 2005 Sox.

Ahh back in the days when hitting 98 on the gun was something incredible...

TA’s mistake was cheating. Period.

For what he can provide Leury looks good on paper. I’m just not sure I’m comfortable with TLR doing the paperwork.

I agree as well. As far as the business of baseball goes, this is the thing. They are in it to make money, and that is paid by the fans. They will have a windfall if they have a champion so their decisions are driven by that goal. However, those decisions happen to include what we are seeing these days. I live a few hours away and the only games I can get to are on weekends. I will *NOT* spend my gas, parking, and ticket money on a Sunday game knowing the entertainment is going to be a Sunday lineup. With only Saturday as an option that means I will not make it to as many games, pure and simple. The Sox miss out on the revenue of my attendance, but on the other hand if they get a WS team it will definitely boost my interest. Its a tradeoff.

The problem is simply that baseball is so refined that it takes a ton of games to distill the elite, and that leaves a bunch of poor teams and their fans with a long series of games that mean nothing. Maybe once a team is eliminated or a certain number of games back late in the season, they could be allowed to just make their 40 man a fully active roster, suspend the option rules, and allow trades with other losing teams. Anything to give the fans some interest in their team during that lame duck time.

I grew up with 2 divisions per league, an LCS, and the WS. I wish it were that way again. The original way has merit as well. Those were the days before collective bargaining though, and a team like the Yankees could build a dominant team and win pennants year after year making me wonder how fans of the also rans managed to keep interest through decades of never having even a hope for the postseason. Despite that, it did work well though.

They were 10 games up and still looking ahead to their key players returning from the IL and yet they had to go and mess with the formula just to keep up with everyone else at the deadline. Crimony.

The Sox “needed more”... wasn’t that Tepera? edit: wrong post to reply to. I give up using my phone for this ?

I wouldn’t say we are all schizophrenic and just reversing our takes. More likely there are a couple groups of people each with their own take and as circumstances change one or the other group gets more vocal.

Can you imagine if it were still 154 and straight to the World Series?

Another woman I believe. Don’t know how much is rumor but the FO isn’t the most forthcoming these days it seems. Edit: disregard. Whatever it is or isn’t, gossip ain’t cool. My bad.

Might be a broken something else ?

He’s got a lot of refining still ahead but Cease could well be our #1 ace some day.

First he was getting an extra free day next to an off day to get some extra rest. Then he had a bit of a hurting leg and a slight hammy issue so they would just go day to play it safe and make sure he was 100%. Then it was IL. Now it's no exact timetable on return. None of this were we told as it was happening. If this winds up being marriage infidelity and with the Sox not simply suggesting he had to deal with personal issues... I'm gonna be kinda pissed - at several folks.

Oh well, they are resting up, keeping the powder dry. Just wait - If the Sox win it all we will be able to fondly recall and share with our grandkids the details of what an exciting summer postseason we enjoyed.

And looking ahead to October 7th MLB news: "These guys really stepped up when we needed it and we wouldn't be where we are now without them. The team found its consistency with them and really, it would just be an injustice do deny them the same playoff experience the other guys are getting." -Tony LaRussa regarding concerns about his choice to start Garcia, Goodwin, Mendick and Zavala in tonight's AL Divisional Series opener against the Houston Astros. Is a joke people - a joke!

No, he just started getting good. /sarc

You know I was thinking half jokingly but now maybe a little more seriously, if they maintain their lead the next couple weeks maybe TLR could just pull the team and forfeit the last week and a half. Back in 1981 or so he caught hell for suggesting he would be willing to forfeit a game to get into the playoffs under the quirky split season rules. Ok, there's my entry for most ridiculous post of the year.

Out with the K in with the L.