South Side Hit Men

I was under the impression Grandal moved to this stance due to his injury. Any word on whether this will be soon? https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20210424/soxs-grandal-adjusts-after-changing-catchers-stance-due-to-knee-injury Really want to go to automated strikes next season. I believe Grandal will improve defensively by being able to focus on the other defensive aspects of the position when pitch framing is no longer a priority.

No @soxfan49 today? Hope Jose gets some rest and the Sox can take two of three with him out. Hoping Eaton can play tomorrow to keep Garcia and Hamilton from both being in the lineup. Go Sox!

Andrew Vaughn is getting a little sumpin' in the upper left hand corner of Ryan's tweet. Good for him, he deserves it, and the number 99! "Wild Thing" indeed!!!

Thank you, appreciate your confirmation of what I suspected (positional adjustments). bWAR appeals more to the math side of my thought process. I wish Baseball Reference would incorporate similar/same defensive metrics, including pitch framing for catchers, though hopefully that becomes moot with automated strike zones. Or do we say mute on SoxTalk.

Would someone explain how Fangraphs calculates a positive 2021 0.2 fWAR for Madrigal (as of now), when both his Offensive (-2.0, only Leury is lower) and Defensive (-0.6) ratings are both negative? When I looked at the glossary, positional adjustment is the primary factor I see which may be the reason. Also, how does Abreu have a negative defensive rating (-1.0)? Is he being dinged for his positional adjustment (Mercedes is -3.9 as DH), whereas Grandal’s fWAR are goosed upwards (high number of games caught X positional adjustment)? I’m more familiar with bWAR, and their oWAR + dWAR = bWAR are much more in sync. Use fWAR here because that seems to be the common source here. Thanks in advance.

Both plays weren’t smart (bunting or running home), though the first was intentional with time to think and the later an in the moment decision which possibly was sparked by the former. I don’t see Moncada pressing and trying to score with no outs in that situation. With one out, a strikeout or popout for Grandal leaves him at 3rd with two out. Speculation on my part, but logically it makes more sense why a runner would try to score with one out, but be more cautious with no outs. Too bad COVID restrictions continue to limit reporter access to the clubhouse, as Moncada could have explained his thought process.

Yermin is the stomach growl.

Of the 34 substitutions of hitters this season, only eight were for pinch hit (the rest either defense or to pinch run). Of those eight, one was to get Moncada out in a blow out (Mendick pinch hit), a second had Leury pinch hit early in the year for Andrew Vaughn. Tony just doesn't believe in pinch hitting for his weak hitters late in ballgames when it matters, at least to start this season. In a game were strikeouts are plenty (reducing the chances defensive substitutions matter) and offense is at a premium, Tony prioritizes bunting, defensive substitutions and pinch running.

Rob Manfred hands Nick Castellanos an 80 game suspension for breaking COVID protocols when he fist bumped the Reds fan. MLB also issues a permanent ban and filed a civil suit against the fan for assaulting Nick Castellanos.

Thank you for bringing in Wade Gas Can Davis you ass clown.

Len and DJ said Yoan ran through the stop sign.

I'm just hoping Tony doesn't pull a double switch to start the inning at second base.

It's still a dumb move, this isn't the 1980s.

Lazy ass Moncada. Fuck you Steve Stone.

Tony's substitutions are primarily for two of the best hitters, Vaughn and Mercedes. 2021 Substitutions: Vaughn 12 Lamb 5 Mercedes 4 Grandal & Mendick 2 Nine other players 1

Like the fact the top of the order will face Wade Fucking Davis.

Like Mendick PH here.

Elite.

The Starters have been the problem this series. Lucas and Rodon gave up 9 runs.

Fosters pitched fine this month, scoreless. Stats still inflated by Tony’s asleep at the wheel game.

Perhaps Tony will learn to not pit him in to start a new inning before he retires.

Yes, four days ahead of his once every ten day routine. He usually gets motivated to swing after screwing up behind the plate.

Yes, could have stayed in if he didn’t throw the pickoff away. Still a sailor effort today.

Nice getting out of the jam. Now get more runs.

James Fegan @JRFegan Tony La Russa said an announcement on a rehab assignment for Adam Engel should come pretty soon Adam Eaton is back in the No. 2 slot today. Against RHP, La Russa said that will remain the most used option