35thstreetswarm

Today and yesterday—two of the more enjoyable games I’ve ever attended. Let’s use this as a launching pad for a nice run.

I was there. What an awesome game. Thinking back to so many crosstown series over the year, I feel fortunate to be in a position to watch this team dominate. I don’t know if that win was sufficiently narrative-furthering to satisfy the connoisseurs, but a day spent high fiving Sox fans at Wrigley Field is always a top day in my book.

Was at game—great atmosphere, awesome day, awesome win. Missed game thread, but 15 pages means good day.

You’re in for a rough couple years. God love you though. You’re going for it!

So am I, though not looking forward to watching every Eloy/Robert defensive play, at-bat, and baserunning episode with abject terror ?

Yes! I look forward to Cease having a dominant stretch. Like I said when you told everyone they were fools for even dreaming the Sox might trade for Craig Kimbrel, you are a hell of a contra-indicator.

The problem with Jerry is that while he may be able to turn tuppence into a Crown, he possesses neither the stick-to-itiveness, gumption, nor derring-do to be considered a sportsman -- or dare I say gentleman -- of even the meagerest order! To to the contrary, I've found his manner in polite company to be boorish, churlish and quite irregular. Now fetch my carriage lest I become unduly exercised.

Why isn’t 2021 an option?

Tired: RagahRagah debate school Wired: AffluentSportsmanBot

How on earth can Seby be vaulted over Collins so quickly? I don't buy it. The guy was a non-prospect a couple weeks ago. Has he really done enough in a handful of games to fundamentally change that and displace a first-round pick with a great eye (even if he has driven us crazy)?

Well thank god that didn't happen, and perhaps another reason to be happy about the Kimbrel deal. And as for the Rays being willing to trade so much for a reliever: it is odd. Maybe we're finally seeing them act more like a normal winning team (and less like an ultra "progressive" prospect mill) since they have rarely had a clearer path to the WS, especially fresh off a WS appearance last year. But above all, this shows we had a seat at the table with our big boy pants, like, pulled down I guess with our brass balls on the table with our big swinging dong also swinging or whatever.

Yep. Reminds me of when many of us were rightly skeptical of the various unimpressive season projections that had the Sox as a .500 team.

Who said winning 2 of 3 is “conclusive as to which team is superior over the other”? If people are saying that with confidence it probably has more to do with, you know, the 9-game lead.

I don’t see the point in complaining about Goodwin. Whining about a backup for not playing like a starter is like whining about a fifth starter for not being an ace. He’s a bench player who’s been super valuable in his role and saving our asses through devastating injuries. Thank god for Goodwin, and Billy for that matter.

Tipping point: September 25, 2019. Vanishing point: July 30, 2021.

Wait, why a spot starter? Don’t we have anybody on normal rest? Or are we skipping Rodon in the rotation or something?

Yep. Nailed it. ?

I don’t agree, but more importantly what is it with your constant use of this weird phrase, old sport? Are you posting from inside an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel?

Ditto. I was pissed when our offense was dead and it looked like we were going to waste a gifted 5 fluky Seby Zavala runs and just go down with a whimper. But when the offense came alive and battled back…man, it was so exciting it barely felt like a loss. Would probably feel differently if i watched on tv but my son and I had such a blast (and scored the YoYo bobble head!) that I’m feeling ok. Chance to win the series today, and if our offense can get hot again with Eloy coming back I feel great.

To be fair, the shit show isn’t really our attempts to fill RF, it’s our attempts to fill RF —while filling CF, plus (sometimes) LF, plus 2b— because of injuries. With our full roster (ie Eloy and Robert back, and now 2b filled) Engel (or likely a platoon) slots in nicely at RF, providing stellar defense, speed and a little pop. I mean I’d love an all-star talent at every position but it’s not strictly necessary. You could argue that with our lineup a new RF is more of a luxury than a back-end reliever. But I agree with your overall point.

Russell was a big one, he was supposed to be part of the core and we all know what happened

Why do you keep saying Soler “followed” the core 4? As I already mentioned, he was one of the earliest prospects. He debuted a year before Contreras and Bryant.

To steal a joke from the Athletic comments: “I just drove by Wrigley and they were hanging a “Spirit Halloween” banner on it”

It is kind of crazy how the bottom fell out despite their keeping the “core” intact. A lot of casual fans (and plenty of not-so-casual fans) assumed at the beginning of the window that you could just project contention as long as Bryant, Rizzo, Contreras, Baez stayed healthy. It was conventional wisdom back in 2016 that since these guys all “hit,” and were so young, that you could pencil them into the playoffs for a decade. Well, they stayed basically healthy and it wasn’t enough. Just goes to show you how much more there is to sustaining success in baseball. A little scary, and a reminder to make the most of the good years because they might not return again. More importantly, F the Cubs.