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Saturday, August 04, 2018

WaPo: The 2018 Red Sox bring to mind the ’17 Dodgers, but can they write a different ending?

The two best regular-season teams of the past half-century remain the 2001 Mariners, who went 116-46, and the 1998 Yankees, who went 114-48. But only one of them is in the discussion as the best team in modern history.

...

Many factors could go into the discussion of whether a team can be called the best ever — including win-loss record, run-differential and even the number of future Hall of Famers on a roster — but unless the Red Sox win their final game, and lock down another World Series title, they will be just another would-be contender that wasn’t quite great enough.

ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick Posted: August 04, 2018 at 11:42 AM | 12 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: baseball history, red sox

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1. Walt Davis Posted: August 04, 2018 at 11:11 PM (#5721189)

Back in the JDM debates, I suggested the Red Sox would probably need JDM to hang with the Yanks. It seems I underestimated the Sox. What can I say, it's the first time I've ever been wrong but it was bound to happen eventually.

2. BDC

Posted: August 05, 2018 at 09:14 AM (#5721213)

I do see where, after lighting up the scoreboard in April and May, Mitch Moreland hit .261 in June and .186 in July. The Sox have been playing some guy named Pearce – not Guy Pearce, just some guy – and he's batting .357, but in competition with Moreland, Pearce is bound to come down with an oblique strain or something.

Pearce is 35, has been in the majors for 12 years, the last six of them in the American League, and I have never heard of him till now. It is impossible to keep up with this sport.

3. Chris Fluit Posted: August 05, 2018 at 09:23 AM (#5721215)

Come on! Pearce has played for all five teams in the AL East. That's kind of awesome.

As an Orioles fan, I've been aware of Pearce since he joined the O's in 2012. He's a cromulent bench bat/righty platoon who can play corner outfield or first base. He's only played in 100 games once in his career (2014 with Baltimore) and often gets traded mid-season when his team falls out of contention (he went from Toronto to Boston on June 28 this year).

4. SoSH U at work Posted: August 05, 2018 at 09:29 AM (#5721216)

Pearce is 35, has been in the majors for 12 years, the last six of them in the American League, and I have never heard of him till now. It is impossible to keep up with this sport.

He was 9th in the AL in WAR among position players in 2014 in one of those true out-of-nowhere seasons.

5. Pat Rapper's Delight (as quoted on MLB Network) Posted: August 05, 2018 at 11:09 AM (#5721229)

Pearce has played for all five teams in the AL East. That's kind of awesome.

And he shares my last name, which is even more awesome. I was even going to be named Steve because Mom wanted that name for me, but then Dad won out not long before I was born so I was named after him instead.

6. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: August 05, 2018 at 11:26 AM (#5721233)

The 2014 Orioles won the AL East by 12 games, and Pearce's 157 OPS+ led his team by 20 points, and his 5.9 WAR (in only 102 games) was also tops.

To show you just how under the radar Pearce has been for much of his career, he's switched teams seven times, and yet in only two cases were other players involved. Mostly he's been acquired on waivers or been released and then signed as a free agent. His total salary for his 12 year career has averaged less than $2,000,000 a season.

7. Howie Menckel Posted: August 05, 2018 at 12:51 PM (#5721253)

per Post 5

"Dad Pearce" - I guess it has a certain ring to it

8. Tom Nawrocki Posted: August 05, 2018 at 01:40 PM (#5721269)

I do see where, after lighting up the scoreboard in April and May, Mitch Moreland hit .261 in June and .186 in July.

That's "All-Star Mitch Moreland," thank you very much.

At this point, Moreland isn't even likely to have his career year. But still, once again next year, many many people will consider first-two-months stats to be the only barometer for an All-Star berth.

9. SoSH U at work Posted: August 05, 2018 at 01:49 PM (#5721273)

That's "All-Star Mitch Moreland," thank you very much.

In his defense, finding legit all-stars from the pile of crap that is AL first basemen isn't exactly easy. There are only two AL first basemen having better years than him, and one of them you've possibly never heard of.

10. BDC

Posted: August 05, 2018 at 03:09 PM (#5721311)

one of them you've possibly never heard of

Matt Olson? I saw him play twice, week before last, and I've still never heard of him.

I am in the odd position of only following one sport and increasingly being unaware of any of the people who play it. Maybe this is a function of age. Not only do the years go faster, but entire baseball careers elapse before you're aware of them. It was Vladimir Guerrero Night at the Ballpark last night, and I kept thinking, Vladimir Guerrero, Expos, right? he might be good some day.

11. Pat Rapper's Delight (as quoted on MLB Network) Posted: August 05, 2018 at 03:20 PM (#5721314)

"Dad Pearce"

Get it right. It's Dad Pearce, Jr.

12. dlf Posted: August 05, 2018 at 03:30 PM (#5721320)

#10 - What gets me is when I clearly remember the father's career, then the son comes along, has a reasonably long one himself, and is already gone. How dare Brian McRae and Preston Wilson be gone already?!?!

Edit: watching a game a few days ago with my 9 year old nephew when the cameras had a shot of Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies; the two players plus the nephew collectively didn't add up to my age. Ouch.

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Saturday, August 04, 2018

WaPo: The 2018 Red Sox bring to mind the ’17 Dodgers, but can they write a different ending?

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