Post by bostonredsoxgm on Jun 18, 2010 23:45:31 GMT -5
The Red Sox are making a race of it. One good, or lucky, stretch of games can make a huge difference.
Equally important: the Morrie Rath era is officially here. And his ratings have already dropped. His presence on the field may have all the lasting impact of the real-life Morrie Rath era. A couple years as a super defensive near-regular and a few footnotes from Bill James, and he’s gone again.
Rath is one of three call-ups in the Sox lineup. Roger Peckinpaugh is the new starting shortstop. Freddy Parent’s wax dummy hasn’t been finding its way around the basepaths very well this season. 188 batting average, 489 OPS. Mario Mendoza has someone to taunt.
Parent deserves a more dignified exit. Almost nine full seasons as the regular SS for the Sox, including four years with an OPS of about 750. He’d make the Fenway Hall of Fame, if only Fenway Park existed.
Chick Gandil is the new Sox 1B against lefties. Excellent defense and a strong platoon bat make up for his real-life reputation as one of the more criminal sports figures of the deadball era. In another OOTP league I’m in I had Sandy Koufax, until he went down with a career ending injury in his early 30s. Tough loss, but uncanny how it paralleled real life. I’d applaud to see OOTP pull Gandil and his cronies from the league in 1919 – maybe for a massive steroids scandal. If Gandil continues to bat 312 from now ‘til then, I’ll be happy enough.
All three of the rookies, including Rath, are hitting at least 290, and all with an OPS of 700+. That’s a big reason why the Sox are winning again.
Taken another way, the streak doesn’t owe much to trade acquisition Charlie Case. Yes, he’s 2-0 as a Red Sock, but that’s not really his fault. Not with a Boston ERA of 3.71. The final score of his two wins: 8-7 and 6-4.
The Sox GM is already wondering whether Nig Perrine was too much to give up for Case’s fizzling comet tail of brilliance. Perrine was leading the Sox in HRs at the time he left, with only 232 at bats. Oh well, trades make for fun news. And if Perrine continues to smash home runs every 55 at bats as a Red, more extraordinary deadball power to him.
The Sox are going to keep shoving Case onto the mound – the GM firmly believes that OOTP favors those who are more active, and make roster moves with confidence. And he remains a little more confident in Charlie than the rest of the revolving rump of the rotation. The Sox have five pitchers with at least 4 starts this season and a 3+ ERA. Case will get the opportunity to make it a Half-Dozen of D’oh, within a week.
And yes, the overall Sox ERA remains the worst in the PBA. Tom Fisher is 23-11 with a 2.11 ERA. Free agent pickup Ed Siever is 10-11, 2.34 ERA. It’s time to go to three starters. Or maybe two starters and a cardboard cutout of Koufax.
Best of luck to the Highlanders and A’s over the final few weeks, as long as it means less luck than the Sox are currently experiencing.
And congrats to all the big players this year – especially the Naps for their significant step up, and the Cardinals for building such a powerhouse. A four year draft of Collins, Speaker, Baker – what happened to that guy, though? For one thing, he’s African American in my OOTP photo database – and Easterly makes a great core. Something for all the Babe Ruth sweepstakers to think about. Heck, the Sox could be in the running by that time – when will it be, 1913? 1914? Whatever, the GM isn’t seriously planning on making a significant play for the #1 pick until the Second World War – Joe Garagiola would look great in a Sox uniform.
Equally important: the Morrie Rath era is officially here. And his ratings have already dropped. His presence on the field may have all the lasting impact of the real-life Morrie Rath era. A couple years as a super defensive near-regular and a few footnotes from Bill James, and he’s gone again.
Rath is one of three call-ups in the Sox lineup. Roger Peckinpaugh is the new starting shortstop. Freddy Parent’s wax dummy hasn’t been finding its way around the basepaths very well this season. 188 batting average, 489 OPS. Mario Mendoza has someone to taunt.
Parent deserves a more dignified exit. Almost nine full seasons as the regular SS for the Sox, including four years with an OPS of about 750. He’d make the Fenway Hall of Fame, if only Fenway Park existed.
Chick Gandil is the new Sox 1B against lefties. Excellent defense and a strong platoon bat make up for his real-life reputation as one of the more criminal sports figures of the deadball era. In another OOTP league I’m in I had Sandy Koufax, until he went down with a career ending injury in his early 30s. Tough loss, but uncanny how it paralleled real life. I’d applaud to see OOTP pull Gandil and his cronies from the league in 1919 – maybe for a massive steroids scandal. If Gandil continues to bat 312 from now ‘til then, I’ll be happy enough.
All three of the rookies, including Rath, are hitting at least 290, and all with an OPS of 700+. That’s a big reason why the Sox are winning again.
Taken another way, the streak doesn’t owe much to trade acquisition Charlie Case. Yes, he’s 2-0 as a Red Sock, but that’s not really his fault. Not with a Boston ERA of 3.71. The final score of his two wins: 8-7 and 6-4.
The Sox GM is already wondering whether Nig Perrine was too much to give up for Case’s fizzling comet tail of brilliance. Perrine was leading the Sox in HRs at the time he left, with only 232 at bats. Oh well, trades make for fun news. And if Perrine continues to smash home runs every 55 at bats as a Red, more extraordinary deadball power to him.
The Sox are going to keep shoving Case onto the mound – the GM firmly believes that OOTP favors those who are more active, and make roster moves with confidence. And he remains a little more confident in Charlie than the rest of the revolving rump of the rotation. The Sox have five pitchers with at least 4 starts this season and a 3+ ERA. Case will get the opportunity to make it a Half-Dozen of D’oh, within a week.
And yes, the overall Sox ERA remains the worst in the PBA. Tom Fisher is 23-11 with a 2.11 ERA. Free agent pickup Ed Siever is 10-11, 2.34 ERA. It’s time to go to three starters. Or maybe two starters and a cardboard cutout of Koufax.
Best of luck to the Highlanders and A’s over the final few weeks, as long as it means less luck than the Sox are currently experiencing.
And congrats to all the big players this year – especially the Naps for their significant step up, and the Cardinals for building such a powerhouse. A four year draft of Collins, Speaker, Baker – what happened to that guy, though? For one thing, he’s African American in my OOTP photo database – and Easterly makes a great core. Something for all the Babe Ruth sweepstakers to think about. Heck, the Sox could be in the running by that time – when will it be, 1913? 1914? Whatever, the GM isn’t seriously planning on making a significant play for the #1 pick until the Second World War – Joe Garagiola would look great in a Sox uniform.