tray

I have seen any number of occasions where a manager seeks clarification of a major league rule after a call by an umpire. Not knowing the technicalities or application (especially of a ridiculous new rule) was not a big deal, especially since it had no impact on the game and is a rare situation that will probably never present itself again while the absurd 10th inning ghost runner rule is still in place. To unfamiliarity with that "rule" was understandable and forgivable . Those who want to extract another pound of flesh from LaRussa, go ahead. Don't stop now boys. Meanwhile, more self-flagellation by Sox fans after a tough loss. Woe-is-me, the Sox have been bad since before you were born.. OMG, you know, they could not compete with those Yankee dynasties, they lost to the Dodgers in '59 and were eliminated by the O's in the '83 ALCS. There are now 30 teams in mlb that are competing for a championship. Sox Math that equates to one WS championship every 30 years. However, that is not what to expect when you have teams like the Yankees and Dodgers. so maybe once in your lifetime should be what to expect, and we won in 2005, so probably sit back, strap it down and enjoy watching the games. Unless you find that b1tching incessantly about management and ownership is enjoyable or really want to see the Sox fail and the Cubs take over town. Then keep grinding away.

It didn't make any difference to the outcome of the game who was running. Maybe Abreu collides at the plate and is out for the season if he runs. Good decision then? This topic is all about trying to hang Tony on a fucking technicality about a new (foolhardy) rule. The same people who have hated Tony from the outset are steeped in false outrage about what amounted to absolutely NOTHING. Get over it and move on to the next little outrage.

Starting a player on second with no outs in the 10th makes no sense, and I believe it will be changed. There are other ways to shorten a tie game that do not involve fanciful logic like putting a ghost runner (like a guy who struck out in the 9th) on second base to start the 10th inning. That is absurd. I don't care who you put on second.

Tony is an attorney and HOF Manager with multiple WS rings. He knows "the rules of major League baseball." My reaction is that the new extra inning rule including its technical aspects should be scrapped in its entirety. The focus should be on why this absurd change to the classic rules of baseball has been implemented and why the league has not really done much to promote and explain these rules. Let's see in the 10th each team gets to start a guy on second with no outs, that has to be the last guy to make an out in the last inning, but if you double switch... Ridiculous.

"There's just zero way in hell I wouldn't have had the bunt order on up there, even with two strikes. " You can make that call either way. The way the Sox hit into double plays (Like Vaughn did in a key situation in that game) taking a shot at stealing to stay out of the DP makes some sense, especially since Leury was hitting the ball on the ground in previous ABs,

Accusing Tony ( who is also an attorney) of being lax and not reading rules is pretty lame. What makes this false outrage so transparent is that it didn't make a bit of difference in the game. LaRussa critics gloss over the obvious in the pursuit of their little agenda - face it, the Sox were beaten soundly by Gray who dominated them. You can't win many games when you only get 2 hits over 10 innings. If you could somehow have Casey Stengel, Billy, Martin, Sparky Anderson and Earl Weaver on the bench you are almost certainly going to lose every game like that and it is obvious that the Sox are going to lose a lot more games if they don't score some runs. Vaughn needs to start hitting the ball out of the park instead of striking out and hitting into double plays in key situations. Not sure there is a better alternative to him being out there until Engel gets back.

LOL.

OK, let's play the blame game.. The Sox got 2 hits in 10 innings. LOL. Vaughn 0-3 with a strike-out and a key grounder into double play to kill a potential rally. Why did Tony even start Vaughn against a tough pitcher like Gray? Vaughn has been over-matched against top pitching.

Maybe Eloy and Robert would not have been injured if there was a different Ownership group. Maybe fans would not complain about their frustration after every single loss and try to blame the owner and manager.

Ridiculous.

No, but it had an impact on LaRussa Hater Derangement Syndrome. I liked the attempted steal. no runner on 3rd base would have gone home unless the throw went into CF which it didn't. Sox lost because this line-up could not hit, A key missed opportunity when Vaughn grounded into a double play and way too many strike-outs. We just got beat by a better team today.

Five doesn't matter, but Six does. Kopech will be in the mix before long, maybe just after the All Star break.

Good line-up considering the circumstances

I feel like Keuchel is going to be the 5th starter in the not too distant future with Cease and Rodon surging. Then we get Kopech in the 5th spot later this season, so..

I can't stand Keuchel. I'd love to see him traded.

I would like to see the Sox try to get rid of the Aussie vulgarian before the trade deadline. Just get a team to take over his contract and maybe throw in an outfield prospect.

Money isn't going to replace Eloy and Robert and the bullpen has been horrible. It is a hard thing to face up to but realistically, this season is toast. Maybe some silver linings on the dark clouds of 2021: Vaughn, Collins and Mercedes get a lot of at bats in the majors to prove whether they can hit consistently. Pressure is off Kopech to start until he has built up arm strength. Continue to develop Crochet on the fly including some pre-game infield practice. Assess the value of Rodon, Cease, Giolito and others to determine who might get extended, for how much and who might be tradeable. Allow Tony to manage these young players (respectfully) while looking for another Manager for next season. And for the rest of us - enjoy watching the games without worrying who wins., Relax and maybe spend time in more useful pursuits over the summer.

checkmate.

Is Yoelqui Céspedes healthy? If so, call him up and tell him to put his shoes on, he 's comin' to the Big Show to play CF.

Gotta stay in the best shape possible, warm up properly, and in Eloy's case, use better judgment and don't dive and jump for balls when your body is vulnerable to injury. That is all hindsight now though, It's ovah for a while now. Time to regroup and plan for next season.

Len Kasper may be rethinking his career move to the South side about now. LaRussa is another one that came here for the shot at the WS. KC has to be pumped and the Indians have to be feeling like they can win the division. Bieber and Plesac are genuine top of rotation starters and their bullpen has been lights out.

Eloy and Robert might prove to be less than what they were when they return next season and Vaughn might prove to be less than he was cracked up to be. If things head South in the standings (which we might see happen after the next two series with KC) it might be worth considering another tear down/rebuild plan because this season is toast and the time window has been shattered. Moncada, Collins, Vaughn, Madrigal Grandal, Yermin and several guys on our pitching staff could bring back a haul of prospects. Then shoot for a new time window beginning 3-5 years from now. JR and TLaR would not get one last championship if the Sox rebuild but fairy tale ending do not always come true. It's over boys.

The outfield shortage (lack of depth) is a separate issue that existed even before Eloy was injured. Not sure what there is to discuss about Robert's injury or Eloy's injury. Timetable to return?

Even before we lost Roberts to the IL, the Sox were not a lock to win the Division or even to make the play-offs. Did you watch all the games against the Angels and Indians ? Our bullpen has let numerous leads slip away,. Almost every one of them has been touched up except Kopech, who is slated to become a starter. Vaughn is a fan favorite and is constantly talked up by Stone and Benny. I'm not sold on him becoming an All-Star. He looks adequate in LF because he catches fly balls hit withing 15 feet of where he stands, and then just shags everything else after it hits the ground. I want to see Vaughn in every game to see how he fares in LF and at the plate. I also want to see if Collins can hit like he did in Spring Training. He looks much better defensively though. Mercedes looks like a good answer at DH moving forward. Again, he needs to continue to prove himself. Trading any part of the Cuban core - Abreu, Eloy, Moncada, Robert should not be an option, at least not for the foreseeable future. They are the core that could compete for a championship if all else goes well. With two of them out, I think the Division is a long shot. Maybe use this season as a proving ground for a few of the young players and pitchers, strap it down, enjoy the show and wait until next year for the team to win the Division . That may become obvious well before the All Star break.

. One would hope that our pitching staff would be strong enough to keep us in contention while Eloy and Robert rehabilitate.