Recent content by David Laurila

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    Your top "forgot he was a Red Sox"

    Gene Michael is arguably the most obscure Red Sox player in recent generations. He was on the roster throughout April 1976 and never appeared in a game. I imagine most everyone who'd been aware of his presence on the team has long forgotten, as his stat pages don't show 'Boston."
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    Fenway to be fully cashless, among other changes for 2022

    Interesting. From my experience, there are almost always more sellers than buyers. Obviously a matter of timing.
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    2021 BBHoF Ballot

    I wrote about my Hall of Fame picks yesterday, and predictably have received a fair amount of criticism for my choices. (Comes with the territory for any ballot, so I'm cool with that.) Some difficult decisions for what I think are fairly-obvious reasons, and this is what I settled on...
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    2021 BBHoF Ballot

    First, it's obviously an honor to have a HoF vote. As for Bonds/Clemens/Schilling, I'm honestly not decided at this point in time. I've gone back and forth on the steroid-era issue countless times, and where I finally land will have a huge impact on what my ballot looks like. I'm what you'd call...
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    Revisiting the Xander-at-shortstop debate

    Most everyone here remembers the speculation that Xander Bogaerts wouldn't stick at shortstop, and that his future was as a third baseman. All these years later he's still at short, albeit with perennially below-average defensive metrics. Given that his bat would allow him to play anywhere, has...
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    MVP of 2004 Postseason

    Ortiz has a good argument, but I'm going with Derek Lowe. His ALCS Game 7 vs NYY is arguably the most-clutch pitching performance in franchise history, and he followed that up with seven scoreless innings in the World Series clincher. Lowe probably belongs in the Red Sox Hall of Fame for that...
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    A conversation with Reggie Jefferson

    Apologies up front for linking my own work, but this interview is right in the SoSH wheelhouse. Reggie shared some good memories, and some interesting observations, in this conversation. (Oh, and this works far better with the correct link.)...
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    Best Red Sox Closer: Nominees

    Richard Raymond Radatz. Averaged 4.6 bWAR, 25 saves, and 135 innings in his four full seasons. By comparison, Koji Uehara averaged 1.8 bWAR, 20 saves, and 57 innings in his four seasons.
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    FanGraphs is in Financial Trouble

    Speaking as someone who has a vested interest -- I'd like to keep my job -- FG could definitely use the support. If monetary contributions aren't a viable option for you, something as simple as reading articles helps. Clicks matter. For those of you solely interested in Red Sox-related content...
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    Rick Miller and his Red Sox tenure

    Apologies up front for posting a link to one of my interviews -- something I very rarely do -- but this strikes me as a worthy exception. It's safe to say that Rick Miller has mixed feelings about his Red Sox beginnings, as well as a sour taste for how things ended...
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    Who was the most disliked Red Sox player acquisition ever? AT THE TIME OF ACQUISITION

    In his first year with the Red Sox, Jack Clark led the team in home runs, walks, RBIs, and SLG. He was second to Boggs in OPS, and he had an OPS+ of 127. While his numbers were "putrid" in his second and final season, he actually hit pretty well upon coming to Boston.
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    Who will be the next manager?

    Matt Quatraro, currently the bench coach in Tampa, will be a strong candidate if/when a new, non-interim manager is hired.
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    Cora in line for major suspension?

    Well-earned reputation as media-unfriendly. Hard to see that working out in Boston market.
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    Nick Cafardo dies at 62

    I don't post much here anymore, but what SJH wrote needs to be commended. There are different ways to write about baseball -- different styles and perspectives -- and what some fans prefer, others don't. People in the game really do matter. Nick was a good man.
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    Porcello wins the Cy Young

    I think "gave his team chance to win" is a meaningful, albeit hard-to-quantify, measurement. With that in mind: Verlander allowed two-or-fewer runs in 23 of his 33 starts. Kluber did so in 18 of 32, Sale in 17 of 32, Porcello in 15 of 33. Of the four, Verlander had the fewest outings in which...
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