vilehoopster

This is 100% correct. Like talking about getting Machado and Harper, they were never, Soto is never going to happen.

I would debate that Vaughn, with what he is already doing with so few at bats and so little experience is more likely, I would say much more likely, to be a top 3 to 5 hitter of all time. Again, over the NEXT ten years, not last few years for my comparison.

Soto is younger but has 1925 major league ABs. But Vaughn has only 690 major league ABs and basically nil for minor league experience, but for this year, their stats are comparable. Vaughn in 40 less ABs has more RBIs and much higher BA but Soto has more homers and a higher OPS. Give Vaughn the experience of 1900 ABs and we’ll see what his OPS is then.

Starting next year, I would bet that if you look and compare stats over the next ten years (again starting with the 2023 season on thru 2032) I would bet big bucks that Vaughn has a higher OPS, more RBIs, and a clearly better BA. I am confident that Vaughn is going to be that good.

How is Anderson so bone headed on the bases, just amazing. Remember last week or so he was picked off 1st base twice on back to back nights. One was like just now where he wasn’t paying attention and stumbled off the base. I don’t get it.

Agree with the Play Harrison part of this %1000. Of all the stupid, senseless things TLR does, his obsession with playing Leary so much is the most baffling to me. Doesn’t he see Leary’s stats? Wasn’t he at the game last to see how well Harrison played and how his bat is coming around? Harrison is a better defender at 2nd? Has any one of the other coaches asked Tony what is his deal with continually playing Leary. It makes no sense. So frustrating.

Can we stop this ridiculous statement that a bad outfielder is a danger to the other defenders on the field. It’s stupid and it’s stated on here continually as if it were a fact. A slow defender or one who takes bad reads on balls is no less or more likely to call for a ball, nor is he less likely to hear a player calling him off, like the Eloy and Robert bobble head last week. Again, repeated on here continually and it’s silly and a silly argument.

Righty or lefty pitching, I don’t care. Play Burger and sit Moncada’s ass down. I’ve said it here over and over: Moncada doesn’t care. There is no more clear evidence it this than Monacada running the Sox into that killer triple play. He had NO idea of the situation at all, not mentally into the game at all. Don’t come on here and complain about Burger’s defense. Like Vaughn’s D in the outfield, detractors greatly exaggerate Burger’s bad D. I can think of three games this year Burger has directly won with his bat. I can’t think of a game that Moncada won with his glove. If you talk about Burger losing games with his glove, we’ll compare that to the game Moncada lost two nights ago with his clueless (I don’t give a shit) base running. Plus Sox need home runs, that’s Burger light years over Moncada. Play Burger, and equally important, sit Moncada.

What is the rule here? If Engel would have stayed at 2nd and tagged, it’s pretty obvious Moncada would have passed him or, at least, ran into him. It looked like Engel wanted to tag but saw Moncada coming. If Engel had stayed at 2nd and Moncada passed or made contact, wouldn’t they both have been out? Didn’t Engel have to run or both out? Again what is the rule if a baseruuner passes or bumps into the runner a base ahead of him?

Anyone sane. Anyone would be better. When he was hired I though it would either be great or a disaster, but I never saw this level of a disaster. LaRussa has totally lost it. His moves are day after day indefensible. Sitting Sosa two games and then batting him lead off???? Sitting Anderson today??? And EVERY GAME is like this: crazy ass lineups and in game decisions. For all the Sox injuries and other problems, I absolutely believe if the Sox had started the season with anyone else in baseball other then LaRussa managing, anyone in the majors or minors, they would have 5 to 10 more wins. I’m telling you, many, possibly a majority of this Sox team is at the “why give a shit?” level and just earning pay checks now and it’s because a crazy fuck is captain of the ship and they know it, and they know they can’t do a damn thing about it. They have quit on him and the team and are just going thru the motions.

I think this 1000% true. I think the majority of the team is at the point of why even bother with this insane idiot in control. I think a large percentage of the team has become so disheartened and dissatisfied by his bizarre moves and lineups that they are just going through the motions. The Sox team had to show up this morning knowing they needed to play well and win today. And to show up for a must-win game and see Anderson sitting, how do you think you would feel if you were a professional player filled with pride. You know a ton of them had to be thinking, “WTF, what else can this crazy old Fuck do to stick it up our asses?” And this sort of shit happens game after game after game. If it pisses us off, how do you think it makes them feel? I think many of them have just given up, are now playing to get paid and hope LaRussa is gone next year.

Making moves or not making moves: none of that will matter as long as LaRussa is manager. I think a large percentage of the team has become so disheartened and dissatisfied by his bizarre moves and lineups that they are just going through the motions. The Sox team had to show up this morning knowing they needed to play well and win today. And to show up for a must-win game and see Anderson sitting. You know a ton of them had to be thinking, “WTF, what else can this crazy old Fuck do to stick it up our ass?” So staying the same or making a move will not matter as long as LaRussa stays manager.

I can’t believe you’re still on the Conforto bandwagon, after the hidden injury thing? I don’t get that at all Also, can we quit with the Vaughn is a danger to hurt himself playing outfield because he was a 1st baseman in college. He doesn’t dive after anymore balls than Engel or Robert. That he is a danger himself and other defenders is brought up here all the time and accepted as if it’s true, but it’s completely stupid. He’s no more or less likely to hurt himself and others because he’s slower than other RF. Because he’s slower, is he less likely to call off other outfielders or not hear other outfielder call him off. It’s silly. Let ask you a question: Let’s go to all major league teams and offer them Vaughn or Conforto in RF next year but the player can only play RF. How many do you think would pick Vaughn? ALL OF THEM because righter/ lefty whatever, being slow of foot, they all would want that bat. So can we stop this silly idea that Vaughn is a danger in RF and that his defense is so bad that it isn’t more than adequately made up by his bat.

Isn’t Stoney, if you read between the lines, saying unload Eloy. That’s what I get from, “The key is knowing who’s who.”

Wow, that follow up comment by Stoney sure seems to imply a lot about Eloy and his work ethic, and none of it complementary.

I don’t get batting Moncada 5th. Abreu hit 2 out yesterday. With Moncada hitting behind him, will he see a strike tonight that is not a mistake? Shit like this I don’t get. It just seems so basic to understanding lineups.

I agree with others, this is not LaRussa’s fault.

That was some loud boos for Leary as he walked to the dugout, Keuchel loud. Were the boos for Leary or the manager who has him batting lead off?

10 hits in 74 at bats is not a slump. More telling is that he only has two walks, again, two walks! He’s not looking at pitches; he’s not battling through at bats, he’s not trying to make pitchers work, he’s just hacking away. That’s not a slump; that’s “I don’t give a shit.”

I agree that TLR has been a problem and needs to go. With that said, to blame Moncada’s and Grandal’s horrific nonproduction on the manager is ridiculous. It’s hard to exaggerate how bad they both look at the plate. That is completely on those two players. Someone said it on here, don’t remember who, Moncada can’t get his at bats over fast enough for him. He goes up just taking a few cuts so he can get back to the dugout. He’s so obviously not even trying. How can coaches and management stand to watch that and not say or do anything?

Agree 100%. Probably 3B so I don’t have to watch Moncada bat.

But that he is a 2 homer per year guy who needs to hit. 320 to have any value nobody saw coming. I'm sorry, but I have to come after this comment. Really? Madrigal would have to hit .320 to have any value, really? On this Sox team, right now, he'd "have to hit .320 to have any value"? Madrigal hit in the .290 range while with the Sox. I looked it up: he's a career .293 hitter. That wouldn't have any value on the Sox now? The Sox have one 2nd baseman batting .167 and the other is batting .190!! A 2nd baseman batting .290 would have not value?? Jesus Christ, just having a guy who can put the bat on the ball consistently would help this Sox team a ton! To actually have a guy who could bring a runner home from from 3rd with less than 2 outs consistently, are you really saying that would have no value to the Sox right now, because they have no one in the order like that right now.

There’s plenty of reasons to be upset with LaRussa as manager. He makes mistakes all the time that I think (we all think) hurt the Sox’s chances to win. But this is a bullshit attack. To attack him for his political beliefs, which he explained why he believes it, is wrong. Many, many people believe as he does. I agree with what Kapler said and is doing, but I will absolutely defend TLR’s right to his opinion. Complain about his not pinch hitting for someone, or his lineups, or his batting orders. There’s plenty there to get upset about. But he has the right to his political beliefs and opinions. I know, as he falls apart, why don’t you start another thread on how stupid the Sox were for not resigning Rodon for 44 million.

As I read so many people complain about how things went wrong and continue to go wrong, I get a little tired of people on here saying that Hahn was a complete idiot for this move or that move or for signing this player. What drives me a little crazy is that I have to believe a ton of those people pitching the biggest fit, were totally for those moves when they happened, but seem to have conveniently forgotten that. Let's give some examples. Grandal: When Grandal became available as a free agent, poster after poster was on here was saying how the Sox need to grab him, how great his defense was, how great his framing is and how much with his framing he would help our pitchers. "He's the best catcher in baseball"; that kind of stuff. When the Sox signed him, people on here were losing it in their happiness. "What a great signing." There was a clear majority of people who thought Grandal would bring all that to the Sox and posting it on this board. Now, all I read is what an idiot Hahn was for signing this aging, falling-apart veteran who is terrible defensively. It is so clearly hypocritical for these same posters, and there has to be a lot of them now, who are bashing Hahn for doing something they agreed with at the time. Kimbrel: After the Sox signed him, I came on here wondering if it was a good move. I would guess, at least, 90% of the posters were ecstatic about that trade. Some wondered with we really wanted to trade young talent for an older, unreliable reliever. A few were against it. But 90% of the posters were creaming their pants, "This is such a great move." "The window is open now. We're going for it." Just poster after poster, after poster thinking this was the best move ever. After reading all that, I got really excited about the trade too. Yet, now everyone on here claims that Hahn was a moron for making this move. Again, the revisionist history is hard to take. How many people on here were stating that the Sox needed to unload Abreu and not sign him three or so years ago? "Trade him, trade him while he still has value." It wasn't a strong majority, but there was a majority that wanted to not sign him. What happened? He won the MVP the next year. No one admits they're wrong on that one. More recently, Tons and tons of posters on here were repeatedly saying that Hahn was letting the organization down and "we need him for the window" screaming that Hahn NEEDED to sign Conforto. How did that one turn out? Are those people who were so wrong on that one, are they the same people on here saying that Hahn is an idiot and needs to be fired. I would bet that a lot of them are. So here is an example of Hahn doing the right thing by not making a move, a move that many, many posters wanted him to make. Yet again, Hahn was correct, but those same posters, without admitting they were wrong, continue to demand that Hahn be fired. I understand the examples I'm giving are completely typical of fans in general and of forum posters in particular, but still, the absolute certainty that some posters express on this board that this move or that move was wrong long after it happened, when they for that move before it happened or when it happened, that is really tough to take at times.

The Sox do have options; that’s what’s so maddening. Reylo has been very good as a long reliever. He can start. VV has been up and down, but even when bad, he’s waaaay less bad than Keuchel, and VV has throw a couple good games. Go with Martin; give him another start. Anyone of those guys is better than throwing away a game starting Keuchel.