5 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

That whole thing sounded like:

"Oh they crushed you, but I've been watching you and this is why" type situation to lift up his pitchers confidence. Who knows though, still a big Teel fan so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on being wise!

What are you talking about man? The direct quote originated from Bart and it was along these lines:

“KT brought it up. He saw something and once he was able to start calling out pitches as they came, he knew there was some tipping. That’s when he brought it over to me and Davis.”

That is in a completely different universe from what you’re attempting to invent.

You’re just pulling s%*# out of your ass for some reason.

3 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

I will preface my comments by i have no clue if Boston is cheating or not....

So, I agree with most of your logic that teams go through stretches. However, some of what is happening in Boston with their hitters is insane.

You have Dudes mashing and crushing (at the same time) for about a 2 month period who are at best mediocre/average baseball players....

Along with some anomalies like Wilson Contreras having a career year at age 34 (catcher regress at this age, they don't get better....I know he's not catching right now but has most of his career)

They are hitting pitches that have no business be hit let alone being hit hard unless you know it's coming.

Wilyer Abreu hit a pitch from Brazoban last night that was perfectly spotted (99mph fastball sinking to the ground).

Some of the stuff that is going on there makes no sense. I have been an avid baseball fan since mid 80's and have watched teams go on runs (usually led by superstars and aided by role players). The Red sox have no superstars and this is being done by average baseball players at best. Never seen anything like this!

Ok, my last post in this thread.

1. Wilson Contreras hasn't caught a game since 2024. He is now a 1B/DH. He had an 850 OPS as a catcher two years ago. Catching is hard, it beats up your body. Nothing weird about a guy moving from behind the dish and being healthier and stronger and having a big year.

2. The Red Sox are 4th in wRC+ since July 1st at 117. There is nothing historically crazy about a 117 wRC+ over a month. The Minnesota Twins had a 122 wRC+ in June. Were they cheating?

3. No idea why people are so infatuated with a guy hitting a low sinker in the spot Brazoban always throws his sinker. That was a great piece of hitting.

4. Durbin has been worse for the Sox than he was for the Brewers, Monasterio has been basically the same offensive player he was for 60 games last year with the Brewers, Abreu has been basically the exact same player he's always been the years prior, Rafaela was a 24 year old who took a step forward (hardly shocking, look at the Sox!), Yoshida has been better than he was last year, but worse than he was the two years prior, Connor Wong better than last year but worse than the year before.

Where are all these career years? Contreras is having a career year, that's about it.

1 minute ago, Southwest Sider said:

I'll nitpick a little bit on this and say some of their players are actually very good and have been for their careers so far.

Wilyer Abreu 3+ bWAR in 24 and 25.

Ceddanne Rafaela 3 in 24, 4.9 bWAR in 25.

Caleb Durbin 2.7 bWAR in 25

Contreras pretty consistently a 3+ bWAR guy.

I do not disagree with this.

However....

Caleb Durbin- 3.1bWAR so far this year after a negative WAR in 1st month

Rafaela- Currently 5.0 bWAR with 50 games to go

Monasterio- 1.2bWAR this year so far (career 1.9bWAR coming into the season)

Contreras- 4.0bWAR this year so far

Abreu- 4.3 bWAR so far this year

I can keep going. Yes, guys can get better but some of these guys a journeyman players.

Then there is the eye test of dudes being on every pitch and hitting pitches like they know what's coming and where.

Anyway, never seen anything like this....

5 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Ok, my last post in this thread.

1. Wilson Contreras hasn't caught a game since 2024. He is now a 1B/DH. He had an 850 OPS as a catcher two years ago. Catching is hard, it beats up your body. Nothing weird about a guy moving from behind the dish and being healthier and stronger and having a big year.

2. The Red Sox are 4th in wRC+ since July 1st at 117. There is nothing historically crazy about a 117 wRC+ over a month. The Minnesota Twins had a 122 wRC+ in June. Were they cheating?

3. No idea why people are so infatuated with a guy hitting a low sinker in the spot Brazoban always throws his sinker. That was a great piece of hitting.

4. Durbin has been worse for the Sox than he was for the Brewers, Monasterio has been basically the same offensive player he was for 60 games last year with the Brewers, Abreu has been basically the exact same player he's always been the years prior, Rafaela was a 24 year old who took a step forward (hardly shocking, look at the Sox!), Yoshida has been better than he was last year, but worse than he was the two years prior, Connor Wong better than last year but worse than the year before.

Where are all these career years? Contreras is having a career year, that's about it.

Look, I'm not here to argue with you....nor am I saying anyone is cheating. I just find this 2 month run insane. I would disagree with you on career years and some other aspects (look at my previous post where every guy listed has a bWAR much higher then their best career years with 50 games left to play)

So if and when their hot streak slows down, does that mean they just decided to stop cheating or…?

39 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

I will preface my comments by i have no clue if Boston is cheating or not....

So, I agree with most of your logic that teams go through stretches. However, some of what is happening in Boston with their hitters is insane.

You have Dudes mashing and crushing (at the same time) for about a 2 month period who are at best mediocre/average baseball players....

Along with some anomalies like Wilson Contreras having a career year at age 34 (catcher regress at this age, they don't get better....I know he's not catching right now but has most of his career)

They are hitting pitches that have no business be hit let alone being hit hard unless you know it's coming.

Wilyer Abreu hit a pitch from Brazoban last night that was perfectly spotted (99mph fastball sinking to the ground).

Some of the stuff that is going on there makes no sense. I have been an avid baseball fan since mid 80's and have watched teams go on runs (usually led by superstars and aided by role players). The Red sox have no superstars and this is being done by average baseball players at best. Never seen anything like this!

I just don't think its the whole team. However, I was the one who started the Wilson Contreras thread.

His season has given me enough skepticism to turn my eyebrow looking like the Rocks.

48 minutes ago, Southwest Sider said:

I'll nitpick a little bit on this and say some of their players are actually very good and have been for their careers so far.

Wilyer Abreu 3+ bWAR in 24 and 25.

Ceddanne Rafaela 3 in 24, 4.9 bWAR in 25.

Caleb Durbin 2.7 bWAR in 25

Contreras pretty consistently a 3+ bWAR guy.

I would definitely feel like the bad start was further out of character than the hot run.

35 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

Then there is the eye test of dudes being on every pitch and hitting pitches like they know what's coming and where.

This is where I'm at. I doubt they're cheating, but if you told me they were, I wouldn't be surprised. I have no idea what the numbers say, but watching them it's pretty crazy the plate coverage and exit velos they're consistently attaining.

https://x.com/i/status/2085681773350981879

4 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

Or maybe just a janitor

40 minutes ago, kwill said:

I just don't think its the whole team. However, I was the one who started the Wilson Contreras thread.

His season has given me enough skepticism to turn my eyebrow looking like the Rocks.

34 year old catchers, even when catching no longer don't all of a sudden turn in to all world.

Its quite the opposite with wear and tear for catchers

I actually think this could just be a ridiculously extreme case of “hitting is contagious”.

And because of that, I think they cool down at the wrong time (playoff time).

34 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I would definitely feel like the bad start was further out of character than the hot run.

You think a month and a half of 140 win pace is less out of character than sub .500 ball for a team that has averaged 81 wins the past 4 seasons?

6 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

34 year old catchers, even when catching no longer don't all of a sudden turn in to all world.

Its quite the opposite with wear and tear for catchers

True, but he has had big seasons in the past. He did get busted for PEDs in the minors. Perhaps he snuck in cycle this season. 🤣

18 minutes ago, DoUEvenShift said:

Or maybe just a janitor

How do you like them apples?

19 minutes ago, Bonemer, I Hardly Know Her said:

You think a month and a half of 140 win pace is less out of character than sub .500 ball for a team that has averaged 81 wins the past 4 seasons?

You think a playoff pace is in character for a team that has averaged 108 losses a season for the last 3 years?

6 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

You think a playoff pace is in character for a team that has averaged 108 losses a season for the last 3 years?

An 84 win pace?

Also I never commented anything about the White Sox pace

45 minutes ago, DoUEvenShift said:

Or maybe just a janitor

I get it. This is a reference to Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting.

4 minutes ago, Bonemer, I Hardly Know Her said:

An 84 win pace?

Also I never commented anything about the White Sox pace

That is literally the point. Both teams are playing at levels WAAAAY outside of their historic recent norms. We are questioning one of them as cheaters, but not the other.

6 minutes ago, ron883 said:

I get it. This is a reference to Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting.

Can't get anything past you Ron

2 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

That is literally the point. Both teams are playing at levels WAAAAY outside of their historic recent norms. We are questioning one of them as cheaters, but not the other.

The Red Sox are on the biggest hot streak in their 130 year history, on a team thats a solid club but certianly not world beaters. It's a massive outlier. I don't know if they're cheating but its extremely curious.

3 minutes ago, Bonemer, I Hardly Know Her said:

The Red Sox are on the biggest hot streak in their 130 year history, on a team thats a solid club but certianly not world beaters. It's a massive outlier. I don't know if they're cheating but its extremely curious.

How big of an outlier is a team that has lost 324 games in the last 3 years being in a playoff position?