Yawkey did that with Mike Higgins in 1961. Even in the 5th grade, I had the sense that was bullshit.
Let's Predict the 2023 Red Sox Season
- Thread starter Rovin Romine
- Start date
End of the TEX series in which they went 1-2.
The Sox are 75-78, 9.5 games out of the WC, with an elimination number of 1.
With 9 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 84 wins and an equally improbable floor of 75 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 79.5 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
LogansDad 95
manny 94
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
pinkhatfan 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
Papo The Snow Tiger 74
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
strek1 0
The Sox are 75-78, 9.5 games out of the WC, with an elimination number of 1.
With 9 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 84 wins and an equally improbable floor of 75 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 79.5 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
The_Dali 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
BravesField 73
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
Last edited:
The Sox are 76-78, 9 games out of the WC, and have been eliminated from post-season play.
With 8 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 84 wins and an equally improbable floor of 76 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 80 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
LogansDad 95
manny 94
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
pinkhatfan 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
Papo The Snow Tiger 74
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
strek1 0
With 8 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 84 wins and an equally improbable floor of 76 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 80 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
Last edited:
The Sox are 76-80, having lost 2 of 3 to the lowly Chicago White Sox.
With 6 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 82 wins (for a .500 record) and a floor of 76 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 79 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
In other news: the next team below us as far as winning percentage goes is the Pirates at 74-82. We began the day tied with the Padres, who are up 8-0 in the 4th v. St. Louis as I type this.
Tankathon has a simulated lottery (with odds) you can click on to see what might happen re: our 2024 draft pick. https://www.tankathon.com/mlb
LogansDad 95
manny 94
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
pinkhatfan 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
Papo The Snow Tiger 74
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
strek1 0
With 6 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 82 wins (for a .500 record) and a floor of 76 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 79 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
In other news: the next team below us as far as winning percentage goes is the Pirates at 74-82. We began the day tied with the Padres, who are up 8-0 in the 4th v. St. Louis as I type this.
Tankathon has a simulated lottery (with odds) you can click on to see what might happen re: our 2024 draft pick. https://www.tankathon.com/mlb
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
Geez, Sox struggling to even get to my pessimistic prediction of 79 wins? No idea how Cora keeps his job…
Well, as long as they had a game against the possible 100 loss CWS, you have to figure it's unlikely to go 0-7 to finish the season.I was wondering when you were going to drop the "equally improbable" part.
As it is now, they've got 2 against TBR and 4 against BAL at BAL. Both might be motivated to play hard for the final games, depending on how the standings shake out.
Down to the 19th best record in the league (or 11th worst if you are a glass empty kind of person). Two games ahead of the 20th best teams- the Tigers and Pirates.
4 games behind the fourth place Yankees with 5 to play.
Sox were 66-58 and six games ahead of the Yankees after sweeping them on August 20th. Since then, they’ve gone 10-23 while the Yankees have gone 19-13.
They’ve lost 15 of 19. 7-16 in September. They were 12-14 last September, 7-19 in 2012, and 7-20 in 2011. So, this September has a chance to be as bad as the two worst I can remember. Yikes.
4 games behind the fourth place Yankees with 5 to play.
Sox were 66-58 and six games ahead of the Yankees after sweeping them on August 20th. Since then, they’ve gone 10-23 while the Yankees have gone 19-13.
They’ve lost 15 of 19. 7-16 in September. They were 12-14 last September, 7-19 in 2012, and 7-20 in 2011. So, this September has a chance to be as bad as the two worst I can remember. Yikes.
I tuned in briefly last night and geez that’s team that’s playing to lose as quickly as possible (with the exceptions of Abreu and Valdez, who are likely showcasing themselves).
The Sox are 76-81.
With 5 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 81 wins (for a .500 record) and a floor of 76 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 78-9 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
In other news: the next teams below us as far as winning percentage goes are in a mini-scrum of 74 wins each: Pirates, Guardians, Tigers. Just above us, with 78 wins lurk the Padres and the Giants. Today's game won't change this dynamic, one way or the other. But it's quite possible the Sox can move several slots in the rankings by the end of the season.
Tankathon has a simulated lottery (with odds) you can click on to see what might happen re: our 2024 draft pick. https://www.tankathon.com/mlb
LogansDad 95
manny 94
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
pinkhatfan 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
Papo The Snow Tiger 74
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
strek1 0
With 5 games left, they have improbable ceiling of 81 wins (for a .500 record) and a floor of 76 wins.
A .500ish campaign for the remainder puts them somewhere close to 78-9 wins. Current favorites for that are in green.
In other news: the next teams below us as far as winning percentage goes are in a mini-scrum of 74 wins each: Pirates, Guardians, Tigers. Just above us, with 78 wins lurk the Padres and the Giants. Today's game won't change this dynamic, one way or the other. But it's quite possible the Sox can move several slots in the rankings by the end of the season.
Tankathon has a simulated lottery (with odds) you can click on to see what might happen re: our 2024 draft pick. https://www.tankathon.com/mlb
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
Even with the flawed/uneven talent of this team, they are playing worse than the worst team in baseball (Oakland.)
This year will make 6 of the last 12 years under .500.
They were only under .500 for 6 of the previous 29 seasons prior to 2012.
Not great.
They were only under .500 for 6 of the previous 29 seasons prior to 2012.
Not great.
Especially frustrating since Houston and Seattle continue to scuffle along, seemingly determined to not make the playoffs.
20-13 versus 10-23 and they would be right there with 86 wins; the Jays, Astros and Mariners have 87, 86 and 85, respectively. In fact, perhaps a game or two ahead given that some of those extra 10 wins would have been against those 3 teams. That would be playing .600 ball, which is not unrealistic for an alleged contender.
IMMENSELY frustrating. What a completely blown opportunity to grab the 3rd Wild Card spot. This team has been playing out the string since that Astros sweep at the end of August. Just gruesome.
It doesn't help that the roster as currently constructed stinks. Even if the AL West trifecta continued to slump, this team is nowhere good enough to take advantage of it. Makes the decision to let go of Bloom that much more understandable.
What frustrates me is that this team was 69-62 heading into that disastrous (and apparently season-ending) series with the Astros. If the team could have just played to that .527 winning percentage over their last 31 games they have ended with 85 wins. Which means they'd have legitimately remained in the WC race until basically today.
I think there's plenty of reason to can Cora too, given this September collapse. I mean the guy has been working with largely the same lineup (save for Cassas) that was winning games in July. And he's finally had the rotation in tact (save for Paxton). And yet they've been worse than ever.
Oh, I know, believe me.
Here's another perspective. Cast your mind back to the half-way point of the 2022 season, July 5th - the 81st game. The Sox had a great season in 2021 going deep into the ALCS. In the off-season, a bunch of talent was onboarded including Story, Wacha, Hill, Strahm, etc.
On July 5th, the Sox were 45-36, the #4 team in the AL. Things looked good, even though there were some injuries. . .
Then injuries really rolled in, and they finished July a game under .500 team. #10 in the AL.
Then, no matter what was tried, they finished even worse at 78-84.
[edit - moved comments to Cora-thread.]
Last edited:
This roster was dog poop from the jump. No pitching. No defense.
Bad teams play well for stretches. It's a mirage.
But over 162 games they get exposed for what they are. This was never going to be an 85-win team. The blame for this season lies squarely on the front office.
Probably not, but I didn't think "Better than 2022" was too much to ask. Remember how epically bad the bullpen was last year? Or how many starting pitchers ended up on the IL? Or JDM mailing it in all year? Or JBJ? Yeah, that should have been the absolute floor this year, and they're not even going to beat that.
Yes, because this pitching staff, especially the starters, was simply not capable of giving us 162 games of playoff caliber performance. Paxton, Houck, Crawford and Bello have all run out of gas down the stretch, and there's no depth behind them.
Bloom bet on the idea that the trade deadline acquisitions were the guys coming off the IL, and that they would provide the team with a boost and perhaps get into the playoffs.
Instead those players came back and generally played poorly and the team promptly went into the tank.
They are going to finish with a losing record (3rd time in 4) and in last place (3rd time in 4) with an enormous payroll and I don't think anyone here finds that remotely acceptable.
I am not disagreeing with the bolded as far as results go, but there's a post hoc issue to be considered. "Mirage" implies there's an absolute and fixed reality that is somehow distorted to seem otherwise. But a pitching staff isn't that. It's dynamic (over the 162 games) and "mirage" implies nothing could have been fixed or changed, that no trades could have been made.
I think things could have been fixed or changed, and that trades could have been made.
The Final Countdown:
The Sox are 76-82.
With 4 games left, they have a ceiling of 80 wins and a floor of 76 wins.
All viable contestants are in green.
In other news, the teams around us by wins:
LogansDad 95
manny 94
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
pinkhatfan 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
Papo The Snow Tiger 74
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
strek1 0
The Sox are 76-82.
With 4 games left, they have a ceiling of 80 wins and a floor of 76 wins.
All viable contestants are in green.
In other news, the teams around us by wins:
Giants: 78
Guardians: 75
Tigers: 74
Pirates: 74
Tankathon has a simulated lottery (with odds) you can click on to see what might happen re: our 2024 draft pick. https://www.tankathon.com/mlbBlizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
I hear what you're saying, but I don't think Bloom's plan was to fix those things. He thought the early season success would continue and it did not. The "mirage" allowed him to think that standing pat would be good enough, especially relative to the cost of trying to add other starters.
If a "mirage" existed, it was no doubt in part because of the easier schedule they faced prior to late August. Once the competition leveled up, the team folded like a cheap suit.
Of course, had the Sox actually beaten much of that easier competition pre-August they'd have been in a better position to weather the tougher schedule.
However, my point is that I don't think Cora should be let off the hook for this collapse. I agree that the roster has significant weaknesses going back to April. And we also played like steaming vomit the past month as well. The manager's gotta own some of that,
Of course, had the Sox actually beaten much of that easier competition pre-August they'd have been in a better position to weather the tougher schedule.
However, my point is that I don't think Cora should be let off the hook for this collapse. I agree that the roster has significant weaknesses going back to April. And we also played like steaming vomit the past month as well. The manager's gotta own some of that,
Too many polls already. Just want it all to end and Cora to be sent to the gallows. (Sorry, channeling medieval ghost stories here in Europe).
Just saw the awful news about Tim Wakefield. Sorry I posted what I did. Hope for the best for Wake and his family
I need 2 wins to beat my Foolish Cousin in our bet as to who got closer. 2 weeks ago this wasn't even a consideration. $50 to the Jimmy Fund from whoever was further off, $50 each if they win 77, halfway in between our guesses
They had that one spell early on that caused me to change my vote to the 80-84 range. That was dumb.
We're agreed generally on these points. My reservation is more narrow: I just don't think you can look at the opening day roster and think "mirage" - it's not like the potential issues with the pitchers were a mystery. And yes, Bloom bears most of the responsibility for the analysis and the choice to stand pat. Cora and the field staff bear some of that responsibility, for example to the extent they weren't able to get starters with lights-out stuff to be even moderately effective the third time through the order.
Bad teams have stretches where they play well. Great teams have long stretches of .500 ball.
With relatively few exceptions (looking at you 2023 A's and Royals) teams will win 60 and lose 60. At some point in the season it is likely they are say 60-55. This does not mean they are a playoff team.
This Red Sox team peaked at 68-60 on August 24th.
The team at that point, as it had all season, lacked the necessary talent to compete. Injuries happen as the season wears on. Yoshida gets hurt and exposed and posts a terrible second half ops of .653.
They went into the season unable to pitch and play defense. This team never had any realistic shot at the wild card though on 8/24 it looked like they may. Alas that is a mirage.
The Final Countdown:
The Sox are 76-83.
With 3 games left, they have a ceiling of 79 wins and a floor of 76 wins.
All viable contestants are in green. (I have not moved that band of red at the bottom up in what seems like forever.)
In other news, the teams around us by wins:
LogansDad 95
manny 94
Blizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
pinkhatfan 85
Sandy Leon Trotsky 84
Skiponzo 84
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Yelling At Clouds 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
teds_head 81
moretsyndrome 81
DeadlySplitter 80
Cantor44 80
Mugsy's Jock 80
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
Papo The Snow Tiger 74
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
strek1 0
The Sox are 76-83.
With 3 games left, they have a ceiling of 79 wins and a floor of 76 wins.
All viable contestants are in green. (I have not moved that band of red at the bottom up in what seems like forever.)
In other news, the teams around us by wins:
Giants: 78
Tigers: 76
Guardians: 75
Pirates: 75
Tankathon has a simulated lottery (with odds) you can click on to see what might happen re: our 2024 draft pick. https://www.tankathon.com/mlbBlizzard of 1978 94
koufax32 93
PrometheusWakefield 93
Rovin Romine 92
Apisith 92
chrisfont9 91
Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat 91
Huck Masterson 91
joe dokes 91
rockchalkredsox 91
brs3 90
pk1627 90
deythur 89
Minneapolis Millers 89
PhabPhour20 89
Sin Duda 89
azsoxpatsfan 89
Daniel_Son 88
nvalvo 88
Amos Otis regrets 88
Heating up in the bullpen 88
BaseballJones 88
The Gray Eagle 88
Lowe Carbo 88
Ale Xander 87
KDAWG 87
YTF 87
thestardawg 87
OCD SS 87
The_Dali 86
gryoung 86
Lose Remerswaal 86
zougwa 86
budcrew08 86
Petagine in a Bottle 86
Cassvt2023 86
JM3 85
simplicio 85
snowmanny 85
FlexFlexerson 85
Sox in the sticks 85
CarolinaBeerGuy 85
Max Power 85
BringBackMo 85
iddoc 85
jwbasham84 84
Yaz4Ever 83
Saints Rest 82
Harry Hooper 82
derekson 81
streeter88 79
Coachster 79
jteders1 79
Curtis Pride 79
Big Papi's Mango Salsa 79
GB5 79
patinorange 78
John Marzano Olympic Hero 77
Yankeessuck4ever 77
Traut 77
tims4wins 76
gibreel 76
BravesField 73
Salem's Lot 72
Merkle's Boner 70
Lose Remerswaal's Foolish Cousin 68
phineas gage 0
Green Monster 0
WV Sox Fan 0
Big props to those remaining, I was informally in the 84 range. This is also a season that reinforces why I only bet in small amounts with friends... I would have put the house on the over here, yikes.
Has the MLB instituted a lottery rather than picking in opposite order of record? When did that happen?
C'mon Tim Duncan!
Too soon?
C'mon Tim Duncan!
Too soon?