Snopek

Well they failed that test.

This feels uncomfortably accurate.

Toxic positivity otherwise you’re actively rooting for them to lose.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Minnesota or Cleveland can win the division. One has a solid lineup, the other has solid pitching. I think the Sox are still the team to beat, injuries and all, but all three teams have legit flaws. It’s not like the Sox have shown their dominance over Cleveland in head to head matchups.

What’s the obsession with choosing the division winner in early May?

Minnesota looks like they might be a pile of garbage the same way Abreu and Grandal look like they might be a pile of garbage. It’s early.

Just so I’m understanding correctly, you’re saying the Eloy injury has not impacted the Sox?

Sorry we doubted the depth, Rick.

It really does feel like something that’s increased the past several years. Not sure if it’s social media and/or the “hot take” culture, but it seems people have less interest in nuance these days. You must have a strong, definitive opinion on everything and you must shout it at people ASAP.

Busty? Sure, Mize and Skubal have looked bad, but they each have roughly 50 total IP in the majors. Plenty of time for them to make adjustments and grow. Matt Manning lurks as well. The position player side is indeed ugly, though.

Oh I’m not advocating anything other than patience with him. He needed to work through it and make adjustments, and it appears he has. But the fact is, he had an awful approach for a decent stretch of games. Just like José did. Just like Yoan did (does?). Stringing together some good games does not automatically erase the fact that he had a terrible approach. Just like having a terrible approach does not automatically mean he won’t make adjustments.

Because for awhile there it wasn’t...?

Musgrove was acquired in the Cole trade, so I don’t think they’d have both, but your larger point remains. I’ve been thinking about that alternate timeline Pirates rotation lately. Looking forward to Mitch Keller’s Cy Young candidacy in a couple years when he’s shipped elsewhere.

I’m legit surprised that Lamb isn’t hitting higher in the lineup. That’s where the bar is right now for lineup logic. Good times.

Your severe aversion to pessimistic comments on an Internet message board is quite odd, but I’ll refrain from speculating on whether you’re “crazy or severely damaged” because it’s none of my business.

Madrigal wins the AL batting title rather easily. Eloy homers in his first game back, only to go back on the IL that same day. Dunning outperforms Lynn. Eaton outperforms Springer.

Indeed.

Any of you guys like home runs? I like home runs.

I wish we had one of those word cloud things for this forum. “If,” “could,” “should” and “potential” would be size 8,000 font. Great organizations recognize potential, but don’t rely on it. (Hi, Dodgers.) For a team with World Series aspirations, the criticism of and frustration with the FO is 100% warranted. That said, even though I struggle to see things through the same lens, I truly do appreciate the more optimistic posts on here. While my pessimism/realism often gets the best of me, the optimism helps center me when I teeter a little too far on the negative end of the spectrum. In conclusion, holy sh*t. We have Luis Robert on our team. OUR team.

Agreed. The mock anti-TLR posts that complain about the complainers unprompted sure can derail a thread.

I know the TLR hate exists. We were (I thought) talking specifically about people reacting to TA’s quote in the way you described. I’ve yet to see anyone react that way on this board. Sorry it hasn’t happened for you yet. Oh, and yeah, being critical of TLR/JR + being happy that TA is on board: Not mutually exclusive.

How unsatisfied will you be if no feathers are ruffled? Sure sounds like you’re trying to force the issue here.

My god. This whole narrative is so false it feels willfully ignorant at this point. If you criticize the team, it does NOT have to mean you think they suck. It does NOT have to mean you hate them. It does NOT have to mean you want them to fail to validate your criticisms. But hey, nuances can be complicated. It’s much easier to have the blanket statement that those critical are complainers, whiners and pessimists that will never be happy. You do you.

I guess I’m still struggling to get to that point, but I respect that you have.

100% agree, but there’s something to be said about putting the team in the best position to succeed. (Especially since the window is supposedly finally open.) Do you feel the FO has done that? I certainly don’t.