Recent content by WenZink

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    RIP Bill Russell

    As a white kid growing up in an all-white suburb of Boston in the 1960s, my only connection to Black America was through sports. Two great sportsmen, Muhammed Ali and Bill Russell, taught me so much more than just boxing and basketball. My favorite Russell quote -- When asked who was the best...
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    Is Alex Cora...

    There weren't many talking heads on radio in the late 60s. "The Sports Huddle" with Andelman, Witkin and McCarthy was a Sunday night show that premiered in the Spring of '69. Guy Maniela had yet to come to WBZ (I think). The only occasional show was "Voice of Sports" moderated by the "very...
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    Is Alex Cora...

    Wow... slept on the couch and Jenny didn't mind?! What a cool lady. No wonder Wil married her. :)
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    Is Alex Cora...

    Strange how John Farrell has been put in the trash-can, just above Bobby V. At his best, he was "John Wayne" getting the most out of a veteran pitching staff in 2013, as well as extracting the last valuable parts of the careers of Victorino and Napoli. His dumping Middlebrooks and Salty for...
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    Is Alex Cora...

    The fact that Francona was able to last 8 years in a city of high expectations and 5 million second-guessers, makes him #1. Dick Williams was the perfect guy to shake up a team that had become near-comatose for years. But after 1967, he wore out his welcome with his over-the-top abrasiveness...
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    +1 I remember it well. Of course if Walker had played his usual crappy defense, he would have spared us the agony of the Boone walk off.
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    yes, Just because he thought the state was bigger in game 7 with the Sox in Yankee Stadium and wit the Sox on the verge of breaking an 80+ year jinx vs the Yankees. No one ever considered Williamson to be a clutch performer. He was a hard-thrower, but prone to wildness. The Sox got him at the...
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    But 2 of those 3 BB came 10 days earlier in Game 5 of the ALDS, when he came in to start the 9th inning to preserve a 1-run lead and close out the series. Grady had to pull him after 2 batters and go with DLowe. Not exactly a performance to instill a manager's confidence in a player that had...
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    Yup. Off by an inning. So scales tip more against Grady. But, right or wrong, I never felt Grady had full confidence in Williamson. After a crappy year (mostly with Cin) he had a good September but was still prone to giving up walks. The old Yankee Stadium was incredibly intimidating and...
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    John Henry's reaction was/is not the same as Theo Epstein's reaction. If Pedro had gotten out of the inning (instead of a Posada broken bat bloop that tied the game), Henry would have thought Grady to be a hero, while Theo would have considered Grady to be a bit lucky. Theo was able to use...
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    At that point in the game it would have come down to either Workman or Embree. Cora had boxed himself in by using Barnes to get just the last out in the 7th. But Kimbrel had been dog-shT the prior 6 weeks of the season, so planning on getting TWO innings out of him was clearly insane. If we...
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    Worst In Game Pitching Decision In Red Sox History

    I rarely post, but had to comment on this one. The absolute worst was in Game 5 of the 2018 ALCS, when Cora tried to get two innings out of a wilting Kimbrel. With the Sox leading 8-6, Kimbrel loads the bases with 3 walks, then gets a sinking liner to left and Benintendi makes a sliding catch...
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    Best Red Sox Closer: Nominees

    Dick Radatz His stats from 1962-64 are unbelievable. You had to see him pitch to believe them. I am just old enough to have seen him. Sox were a crappy team, but the deal was that whenever a starter had to come out with the game tied or Sox in front, it was time for Radatz. And it didn't...
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    Biggest Sox Prospect Busts by Position

    The biggest prospect bust, in my Sox lifetime, was Tony Horton. Going into Spring Training of 1964, the "Tony" that was judged to have the best chance of making the club was Horton and not Conigliaro. Both Tony's had outstanding seasons in their first year of pro ball, but Tony C's was in the...
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    Rename the Red Sox AAA Team!

    IMO the most famous person to come out of Worcester was Abbie Hoffman. In honor of the anti-war protester, how about the Worcester Yippies? And while I'm suggesting dated references, the team mascot could be "Pigasus" -- the kiddies would be delighted.
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