This is the best Red Sox team...ever.

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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All it took to get this board from “best team ever” to “OMG they’re gonna choke and I’m scared!” Was one three game losing streak.
actually 2
in 8 days

when there's only been one the rest of the season.

Not saying they're not gonna win the WS this year, but they're not the best ever. At least, not yet.
 

AB in DC

OG Football Writing
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Jul 10, 2002
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The Sox finish the season series 11-8 against the Rays, which in any other division might be an 88-90 win team. I'll take it.
 

Salem's Lot

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Jul 15, 2005
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actually 2
in 8 days

when there's only been one the rest of the season.

Not saying they're not gonna win the WS this year, but they're not the best ever. At least, not yet.
I forgot about the Rays game before the Cleveland series. I think the Red Sox are just catching Tampa when they’re playing very well right now, and these last 4 losses to them say more about how well they’re playing as opposed to some major problem with the Red Sox. Their pitching is legit. And the positive thing is that New York gets them 4 more times right before their last series with the Red Sox.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
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I forgot about the Rays game before the Cleveland series. I think the Red Sox are just catching Tampa when they’re playing very well right now, and these last 4 losses to them say more about how well they’re playing as opposed to some major problem with the Red Sox. Their pitching is legit. And the positive thing is that New York gets them 4 more times right before their last series with the Red Sox.
That's the hope.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
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Dec 4, 2009
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I forgot about the Rays game before the Cleveland series. I think the Red Sox are just catching Tampa when they’re playing very well right now, and these last 4 losses to them say more about how well they’re playing as opposed to some major problem with the Red Sox. Their pitching is legit. And the positive thing is that New York gets them 4 more times right before their last series with the Red Sox.
Post ASB TB has the 9th best Pitching ERA in MLB (not just the AL), the 10th fewest runs allowed, the 4th most K's, and the 5th lowest .BAA...

TB is a good team, who would be in the playoffs had they been in any other division..

This isn't the devil rays of old
 

Sampo Gida

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Aug 7, 2010
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The Sox finish the season series 11-8 against the Rays, which in any other division might be an 88-90 win team. I'll take it.
We went 6-1 against them when they started out 3-12. Since then the Rays have went 67-49 (93 W pace) and we went 5-7 in H2H competition

Basically, against 500+ teams (excluding the 3-12 Rays) we are 27-26 . Not bad but probably not best team ever material.

22-15 against the lowly Orioles, white Sox Royals and Marlins. We do have 12 games left against cup cakes (Mets, White Sox, Orioles, Marlins) and 4 against the Post sell Jays whom we handled well pre sell (9-3), so we should be ok. 15 games against playoff teams though
 

jon abbey

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BOS and NY have both (IMO) been pushing each other to additional wins all season but somehow making both fan bases feel worse about their teams than they should in doing so. NY has only had one 104+ win team since 1963, a 21-11 finish would make this edition the second, but still almost certainly not enough to win the division.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

posts way less than 18% useful shit
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Nov 17, 2010
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I think you meant to say “this thread shpould be locked”. ;)
Delayed juju is the worst kind of juju.

The Sox went 10-1 in the 11 games after this thread got created. Next your going to tell me the Varitek/Arod fight was the catalyst for the 2004 title run.

People are weird.
 

drbretto

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Apr 10, 2009
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Even with the epic mega slump, they're at a 105 win pace since this thread started.

I think it'll be ok. When there's a 10+ game lead on the second place team and a month to go, two things seem likely to happen. You become a target for teams that only have the regular season to proove what they've got, and you have a team full pf people who start to relax because they don't need to beat the world every day to get to the next step.

They're allowed a little slump. They're still going to break the team record. Breaking the world record was never really that likely, it was just nice that it was in the conversation.
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
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Jul 10, 2007
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The wrong side of the bridge....
It's not time to panic yet, but let's face it: the Sox have used up the cushion they bought themselves in the Yankee sweep, and it's now a race again.

The first task is to stop the bleeding. Both teams are playing extremely weak competition this week, then go on to play much tougher opponents in the week after Labor Day. The Sox need to keep pace, at worst. It seems pretty urgent that the bats wake up against the vulnerable Miami and Chicago pitching staffs before going on to face the much more formidable Atlanta and Houston rotations.
 

uncannymanny

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Jan 12, 2007
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We knew the Yankees had an easier schedule through this stretch. We knew this. That’s what a big lead does, keeps you out front during a slump.

They didn’t play well over the last week, but outside of the Trop they were competitive in every loss that wasn’t in Tampa. Good riddance to that place and that team for the rest of the season.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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We knew the Yankees had an easier schedule through this stretch. We knew this. That’s what a big lead does, keeps you out front during a slump.

They didn’t play well over the last week, but outside of the Trop they were competitive in every loss that wasn’t in Tampa. Good riddance to that place and that team for the rest of the season.
This is it. The "slump" has come against two teams with records above .500 (.552 combined to be exact), one of which is in the midst of an 8-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Yankees have gained 4.5 games this week beating up on the Jays, Marlins, and Orioles, who have a combined .382 win percentage this year. Seems like exactly the kind of ebb and flow you should expect over the course of the season and exactly why sweeping the Yankees head to head was so important.

Now if the Sox continue to lose ground this week playing against the Marlins at home and then at the White Sox, then it might be reasonable to start the panic parade.
 

normstalls

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I think the starting pitching injuries (and additional stress on the bullpen because of the injuries) is catching up with them... Getting Sale and ERod healthy would/will help a ton! 60% of their rotation right now consists of fringe MLB pitchers.
 

Al Zarilla

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It continues to be a schedule edge for the Yankees this week though as the Sox have two games at home against the Marlins and then four at the White Sox, who have been playing pretty well, 7-3, albeit against the Central Division (no Cleve.). Yankees are at home all week (White Sox for 3 and Tigers for 4).
 

The Filthy One

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I think the starting pitching injuries (and additional stress on the bullpen because of the injuries) is catching up with them... Getting Sale and ERod healthy would/will help a ton! 60% of their rotation right now consists of fringe MLB pitchers.
Absolutely. They also have Mookie posting an .538 OPS and Benintendi a .602 OPS over the last 14 days. It's tough to score runs when your 1 and 2 hitters are hitting like backup catchers.
 

Wake49

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I think the starting pitching injuries (and additional stress on the bullpen because of the injuries) is catching up with them... Getting Sale and ERod healthy would/will help a ton! 60% of their rotation right now consists of fringe MLB pitchers.
What’s their status, BTW?
 

normstalls

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Sale is playing catch today for the first time since his latest shutdown and ERod is slated to pitch tonight (targeting 6 ip I believe) for Pawtucket. Sale's shoulder feels 'Like Paul Bunyan's ox' according to him.

edit - Portland, not Pawtucket. My mistake
 
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Red(s)HawksFan

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What’s their status, BTW?
Sale is supposed to start a throwing program today, no set schedule for a return. Rodriguez is starting for the Paw Sox tonight, which lines him up to pitch for the big club on regular rest on Saturday, which happens to be September 1 when they can add him to the roster without having to send someone down in exchange.
 

phenweigh

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Despite the recent slump and the AL East race tightening like so many SoSH sphincters, the 2018 Red Sox still have an amazing record through 132 games.
upload_2018-8-27_12-17-55.png

upload_2018-8-27_12-20-1.png

My prediction ... when Mookie comes out of his slump, which should be soon, the entire team will get hot again.
 

Rasputin

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Not here
actually 2
in 8 days

when there's only been one the rest of the season.

Not saying they're not gonna win the WS this year, but they're not the best ever. At least, not yet.
The 2013 Red Sox had a stretch where they went 2-9 with three three-game losing streaks in the span of 11 days.
 

Dahabenzapple2

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Jun 20, 2011
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Despite the recent slump and the AL East race tightening like so many SoSH sphincters, the 2018 Red Sox still have an amazing record through 132 games.
View attachment 22805

View attachment 22806

My prediction ... when Mookie comes out of his slump, which should be soon, the entire team will get hot again.
all about Mookie, IMO

He needs to break out and break out quick

also Beni needs to get his stroke and especially his power stroke back - 2 HR in close to 200 AB's, I think
 

Rasputin

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In May though, right? That team was nails in late August and September.
I'm not really sure I care. There's enough time left for Sale and Rodriguez to come back and get four starts under their belts before the post season. That means there's oodles of time for the hitters to come around. If we're playing like this headed into the last series of the year, sure I'm at least concerned, but not with a month left.
 

Curtis Pride

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Jul 25, 2005
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Watertown, MA
Teams left to surpass (as of 8/30):
1901-03 (as Boston Americans)
-- 1904 - 95
1905-07 (as Boston Americans)
1908-11
-- 1912 - 105
1913-14
-- 1915 - 101
1916-41
-- 1942 - 93
1943-45
-- 1946 - 104
1947
-- 1948 - 96
-- 1949 - 96
-- 1950 - 94
1951-74
-- 1975 - 95
1976
-- 1977 - 97
-- 1978 - 99
1979-85
-- 1986 - 95
1987-98
-- 1999 - 94
2000-01
-- 2002 - 93
-- 2003 - 95
-- 2004 - 98
-- 2005 - 95
2006
-- 2007 - 96
-- 2008 - 95
-- 2009 - 95
2010-12
-- 2013 - 97
2014-15
-- 2016 - 93
-- 2017 - 93
 
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sheamonu

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Nov 11, 2004
1,342
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When, in April, things got off to a hot start (and particularly the starting pitching was so impressive) I did a quick calculation and figured that a team would have to average about 17 wins a month to get to 100 (actually that would be 102 but I was originally told there would be no math on the exam). While the Red Sox exceeded that amount comfortably in every full month thus far, if we look back at the disaster that is August we can see that the team has only recorded, um, 18 wins this month. With one day left. So, never mind then.

Greatest ever? There are so many ways of measuring that. Wins are one. Championships are, of course, another. "Influence" is yet a third, which means that it will forever be next to impossible to dethrone the 1967 team using that measure. And there are others, even more amorphous in nature ("likeability" anyone?). But, for ticking all the boxes for aspects of, you know, being "good at baseball" this team seems to have more answers than any I can think of. That includes the things we haven't ordinarily seen like intelligent base stealing, multiple hitters with the ability to extend at bats (two of the biggest home runs of the year came after more than a dozen pitches in the AB - that's soul crushing to a pitcher), strong home/away splits, and (unlike the second place team in the division) the ability to withstand injuries to key players. I don't see any bad juju with this thread - keep it open, it seems to be working.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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When, in April, things got off to a hot start (and particularly the starting pitching was so impressive) I did a quick calculation and figured that a team would have to average about 17 wins a month to get to 100 (actually that would be 102 but I was originally told there would be no math on the exam). While the Red Sox exceeded that amount comfortably in every full month thus far, if we look back at the disaster that is August we can see that the team has only recorded, um, 18 wins this month. With one day left. So, never mind then.
Really, the "disaster" was only a week long. From Sunday the 19th through Sunday the 26th, they went 2-6. They were 13-2 in August prior to that and they're 3-0 since. Regardless of what happens tonight, they're going to exit August with a bigger divisional lead than they started the month with. So yeah, never mind. :)
 

Kevin Youkulele

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Jul 12, 2006
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Really, the "disaster" was only a week long. From Sunday the 19th through Sunday the 26th, they went 2-6. They were 13-2 in August prior to that and they're 3-0 since. Regardless of what happens tonight, they're going to exit August with a bigger divisional lead than they started the month with. So yeah, never mind. :)
It felt awful because we've been so incredibly privileged to watch them perform at an extraordinarily high level for almost the entire season.

If you could go back three years and tell yourself that you'd be complaining in 2018 about a month in which, at their worst, the team was 15-8, your younger self would laugh at you.

When you're used to the best, mere above-average play* looks like garbage.

*: in the sense of a 3-week moving window.
 

uk_sox_fan

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Nov 11, 2006
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Apropos of nothing I went back and looked at how many wins the Patriots have posted in their last 162 regular season games.
125 - dating back to the last two games of 2007's perfect season!
They were 109-53 for the 162 games previous to those as well!
 

sean1562

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Sep 17, 2011
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A rotation of Price/Porcello/Eovaldi/Johnson/Velazquez is just not all that good. Price/ERod/Porcello/Eovaldi/Wright is much better. Sale/Price/ERod/Porcello/Eovaldi is a WS caliber rotation. ERod is better than any starter on the Yanks but Severino when he is on. The Yanks still have what struggling Severino/Tanaka/Sabathia/Happ/Lynn? And that rotation isn't getting any reinforcements.

Judge probably isn't seeing action until late September at the earliest, Sanchez has been pretty pedestrian this year, and Chapman probably isnt coming back this season. I am a bit disappointed that Andujar has turned into what we were hoping Devers would be this year, but I imagine he will cool off a bit. Going into September 3rd we have a 7.5 game lead in the Division(over the team with the second best record in baseball). While this team isn't the "best team ever" it is indisputably a great one, and I am confident that that we will see that in September.
 

millionthcustomer

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Dec 21, 2003
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Here's an updated list (as of 9/4) of the past Red Sox teams' win totals that the 2018 team has surpassed or tied (new entries in blue):

1901-1903
1904
1905-1911
1913-14
1916-1918* (won WS)
1919-41
1942
1943-45
1947
1950
1951-1966
1967 (AL Champs)
1971-74
1975 (AL Champs)
1979

1980
1981* (strike-shortened season)
1982-85
1986 (AL Champs)
1987-97
1998
1999

2000-01
2002-03
2005

2006
2008-09
2010-12
2014-15
2016-2017

There are only ten (10) teams left to surpass:

1912
1915
1946
1948-49
1977-78
2004
2007
2013
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
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Jul 10, 2007
18,783
The wrong side of the bridge....
In terms of the job left to do, they surpass:

the 2007 team if they go 2-21
the 1948-49 teams in wins if they go 2-21; in WPCT if they go 6-17
the 1977 and 2013 teams if they go 3-20
the 2004 team if they go 4-19
the 1978 team if they go 5-18
the 1915 team in wins if they go 7-16; in WPCT if they go 14-9
the 1946 team in wins if they go 10-13; in WPCT if they go 15-8
the 1912 team in wins if they go 11-12

They can surpass the 1912 team in winning percentage, and become the undisputed GOAT Sox team, by going 17-6 the rest of the way -- a tall order given that 14 of those remaining 23 games are against likely playoff teams.
 

joyofsox

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They need to go at least 11-4 over the next 15 games to set a new franchise record for wins in 154 games (# of games played by the 1912 team)
 

rlsb

New Member
Aug 2, 2010
1,373
17-6 over the final 23 will ensure best winning percentage. 112-50 .6913 over .6908.
 

Curtis Pride

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Jul 25, 2005
1,374
Watertown, MA
Teams left to surpass (as of 9/4):
1901-11
-- 1912 - 105
1913-14
-- 1915 - 101
1916-45
-- 1946 - 104
1947
-- 1948 - 96
-- 1949 - 96
1951-76
-- 1977 - 97
-- 1978 - 99
1979-2003
-- 2004 - 98
2005-06
-- 2007 - 96
2008-12
-- 2013 - 97
2014-17

If they win today, there will be only five Red Sox seasons with more wins than this year's team. We're approaching rarefied territory now.
 

Al Zarilla

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Dec 8, 2005
58,874
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Scoreboard watching as a Red Sox fan has gotten really simple this year. What are the Yankees doing. Period. OK, there is a magic number of 13 with the Astros for homefield in the ALCS if it came to us and them. That's a thing. Usually, it's the Yankees and maybe Baltimore and Toronto as well in contention for the East, and some other teams in the Central and/or West to worry about for home field. This year, it's come down to a really simple thing pretty early.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
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Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Scoreboard watching as a Red Sox fan has gotten really simple this year. What are the Yankees doing. Period. OK, there is a magic number of 13 with the Astros for homefield in the ALCS if it came to us and them. That's a thing. Usually, it's the Yankees and maybe Baltimore and Toronto as well in contention for the East, and some other teams in the Central and/or West to worry about for home field. This year, it's come down to a really simple thing pretty early.
Magic number of 3 to clinch a playoff spot over Seattle too. Pretty much a formality.
 

Timduhda

New Member
Feb 14, 2015
15
Magic number of 3 to clinch a playoff spot over Seattle too. Pretty much a formality.
Remember, last year the Dodgers were running away with their division and went on a 11 game losing streak. They finally won a game and clinched on 9/11. The point of this? While it’s “pretty much a formality”, nothing is easy in this game.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Remember, last year the Dodgers were running away with their division and went on a 11 game losing streak. They finally won a game and clinched on 9/11. The point of this? While it’s “pretty much a formality”, nothing is easy in this game.
Chicken and beer.
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
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Jul 19, 2005
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Remember, last year the Dodgers were running away with their division and went on a 11 game losing streak. They finally won a game and clinched on 9/11. The point of this? While it’s “pretty much a formality”, nothing is easy in this game.
Speaking of those crazy '17 Dodgers: our three-game slide from Aug 19-21 vs. TB and Cleveland put us three games behind their historic pace through 127 games.

'17 LAD 91-36 (—)
'18 BOS 88-39 (3 GB)

Since then, even with all the injuries, the bullpen struggles, the weird offensive swoons, and the lame sweep in Tampa with the ugly blowouts and uglier uniforms, the Sox have picked up eight games on them:

'18 BOS 97-44 (—)
'17 LAD 92-49 (5 GB)

Yep, 9-5 definitely beats 1-13. And the Dodgers closed that season a pretty meh 12-9, so we have a decent chance to put them even farther in the rear-view mirror.