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Post by Kimmi on Jul 27, 2023 5:27:20 GMT -5
I hate rain delays and rainouts. The good news for me is that since I'm not working, I was able to stay up and watch the whole game. Not working as in retired, I hope? Ha. Not quite. Not working as in being on summer vacation. Still in the grind.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 27, 2023 5:29:19 GMT -5
6 games at SF & Seattle. I'd love to see a split out of that. Which also takes us past the trade deadline. It'll be an interesting week coming up. I'll be satisfied with a split, but I'm really hoping we can win at least 2 of 3 in each series. I'll be glad when the deadline has passed.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:06:41 GMT -5
'Offense breeds energy': Red Sox rally late in thriller Boston scores five unanswered runs in its final three innings to sweep Atlanta 12:39 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Three runs in the hole is usually nothing on a warm, summer night at Fenway Park. But on Wednesday, with the Red Sox facing the nasty offerings of Spencer Strider, it felt like something.
Until it wasn’t.
The surging Sox turned the tables on Strider, and then Atlanta’s bullpen, pulling out a 5-3 victory over the Braves in one of the most thrilling games of the season at Fenway Park.
It was also the largest crowd (37,457) at Fenway since Aug. 20, 2019. It was the fourth win in a row for the Red Sox, pushing their record to 15-5 since June 30 -- the best in MLB over that span.
“The fans were into it,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “So it was fun -- it was a fun night for us.”
As the Red Sox head west, they are 1 1/2 games back for the third American League Wild Card spot, and perhaps more surprisingly, just seven games back in the AL East.
On June 30, Boston was 15 games back in the division.
“I’ve got to give credit to those guys in that clubhouse,” said Cora. “You know, they're grinding, they’re playing hard, they’re doing everything possible to make it interesting.”
The story early on Wednesday was a tremendous duel between young-gun starters, who are both 24 years old.
Emerging Red Sox righty Brayan Bello matched zeros with All-Star Strider for the first five innings.
When Bello made one very unfortunate mistake in the top of the sixth, a 95.4 mph sinker right down the middle, Ozzie Albies crushed it into the visiting bullpen for a three-run homer.
Then came the turning point.
With the Sox down, Rafael Devers went golfing against Strider in the bottom of the sixth. He lifted an 86.6 mph slider practically out of the dirt and mauled it into the seats in right at an exit velocity of 105 mph and a projected distance of 404 feet. According to Statcast, the pitch was 1.06 feet off the ground, the third-lowest pitch hit for a homer in MLB this year.
It was just one run, but psychologically, it gave the Red Sox some life against a pitcher who had thoroughly shut them down.
“One hundred percent,” said Red Sox infielder Justin Turner. “It was pretty flat in the dugout the first five innings and I've said it plenty of times, offense breeds energy and there wasn't a whole lot of offense in the first five innings.”
As for Devers, when he swatted his 25th homer of the season, it looked like he was preparing for an upcoming tee time.
“No, no, I’m very bad at playing golf,” Devers said. “I think that’s just my natural swing and I’m glad that today the ball went out.”
The second shot of life came off the bat of red-hot rookie Triston Casas, who unloaded for a solo shot to center off Strider with one out in the bottom of the seventh that sparked the completion of the comeback.
With two outs and Strider out of the game, Turner lofted a two-run double off the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox the lead.
“He’s a veteran hitter, he’s one of the better hitters in the game,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “When I looked up there, I saw it was second and third and him up there, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s probably the last guy I want to see up there quite honestly.’ Because he’s been through the wars, and nothing fazes him and he’s such a good hitter.”
When it looked like the Braves had a chance to tie the game or take the lead back in the top of the eighth, Alex Verdugo raced into deep right field and crashed into the fence to make a tremendous catch against Austin Riley.
“He's the best defensive right fielder in the big leagues,” said Cora. “I know he's scuffling offensively, but defensively, he's been great for us. He's taking chances and we're very happy with the way he's been playing defense.”
Meanwhile, the Red Sox were set for a happy cross-country trip after their big win, with the dress code of pajamas for a flight that figured to get them to San Francisco in the wee hours of the morning.
“It’s always good momentum when you win the series,” said Cora. “It's a long flight. And I know the guys are gonna have fun, hopefully they don't lose too much money playing cards and just be ready to play a tough team in San Fran. They're really good.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:10:59 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Reliever Llovera acquired from Giants 2:34 AM ADT LATEST NEWS
July 26: RHP Mauricio Llovera acquired from Giants Just as the Sox were getting set to board a plane to San Francisco, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom acquired reliever Llovera from the Giants in exchange for Minor League righty Marques Johnson. To make room for Llovera on the 40-man roster, right-hander Kaleb Ort was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Llovera, 27, does not have Minor League options, making it likely he will join the Red Sox this weekend against his former team. The righty had a 1.69 ERA in five games for San Francisco this season -- all in relief. The right-hander has also recorded a 3.92 ERA (9 ER/20.2 IP), 1.06 WHIP and .211 opponent batting average (16-for-76) with six walks and 24 strikeouts in 17 games (two starts) for Triple-A Sacramento this year.
July 26: SS Trevor Story rips two hits in Triple-A debut After starting his Minor League rehab assignment by playing three games for Double-A Portland, Story moved up to Worcester on Wednesday and went 2-for-3 with a double. The Sox are keeping it open-ended on how long Story's rehab assignment will go, but he could return to the club in early August. Story is coming back from an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow. He will start at shortstop for Boston once he is activated.
C Reese McGuire (right oblique strain) Expected return: August McGuire started his first Minor League rehab assignment on July 26 at Triple-A Worcester. He went 0-for-3 and caught for Corey Kluber, who is also coming back from an injury. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said McGuire will need to catch nine innings before the club activates him. (Last updated: July 26)
RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: August Kluber struggled in his second Minor League rehab appearance on July 26. Pitching for Triple-A Worcester, he gave up three hits and three runs over two innings while walking one, striking out two and throwing 46 pitches. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Kluber will pitch at least once more in the Minors before getting activated. (Last updated: July 26)
RHP Garrett Whitlock (right elbow inflammation) Expected return: August or September Whitlock threw his first bullpen session on July 26, and it went well. He will have to repeat that exercise a couple more times, then throw batting practice once or twice before he can embark on a Minor League rehab assignment. The length of Whitlock's rehab assignment will depend on if the Red Sox choose to bring him back as a reliever or a starter. Whitlock has been used exclusively as a starter this season, going 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA. (Last updated: July 26)
RHP Tanner Houck (facial fracture) Expected return: August at earliest Houck is turning a corner and threw his first bullpen session on July 25. He initiated his throwing program on July 11. The Red Sox are pleased with his progress but haven't decided yet what role he will pitch in when he returns. (Last updated: July 26)
LHP Chris Sale (stress reaction in left shoulder blade) Expected return: August Sale is making strong progress and is expected to start a Minor League rehab assignment on Aug. 1. He threw an "up and down" bullpen session on July 24, marking the third time he's been off the mound in the last week. Sale's next step is throwing a live batting practice session at Triple-A Worcester on July 27. (Last updated: July 26)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:14:55 GMT -5
Justin Turner’s go-ahead double helps Red Sox erase 3-run deficit to win
Updated: Jul. 26, 2023, 9:52 p.m.|Published: Jul. 26, 2023, 9:44 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Justin Turner’s two-run RBI double off the Green Monster in the seventh gave Boston a 4-3 lead. The Red Sox won 5-3 over the Braves at Fenway Park on Wednesday to sweep the two-game series 2-0.
Triston Casas, Rafael Devers and Adam Duvall each blasted solo homers as Boston took the season series 3-1 against Atlanta. Casas reached in all four of his plate appearances.
Turner also made a terrific play on Sean Murphy’s 80.8 mph ground ball up the middle for the first out of the second inning. He ranged to the shortstop side of the second base bag and made a running, off-balanced throw to Casas to throw out Murphy. See it here.
He turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the second after Marcell Ozuna reached on a fielding error by Devers. He also was part of a 6-4-3 double play to end the fourth inning when Murphy grounded to shortstop.
The 38-year-old Turner was making his third start this season at second base. He previously hadn’t started a game at second since 2015 and he entered Wednesday with negative-22 defensive runs saved in 980 ⅓ innings there.
Kenley Jansen had runners at the corners with one out in the ninth. But Connor Wong caught pinch runner Forrest Wall trying to steal second for the second out. Kenley Jansen then finished it off with a strikeout.
Brayan Bello and Spencer Strider, the two talented 24-year-old righties, dueled through five scoreless innings before Ozzie Albies’ three-run homer off Bello in the sixth made it 3-0 Atlanta.
Strider, who’s known for his upper-90s fastball and plus slider, entered with an MLB-leading 189 strikeouts in 116 ⅔ innings. That’s an incredible 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
Boston finally got to Strider in the sixth inning when Devers homered 404 feet to right field, cutting it to 3-1. He connected on a slider.
Casas also crushed a slider from Strider in the seventh inning, sending it 410 feet to center field to cut it to 3-2. Turner put Boston ahead with his two-run double later that inning.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:16:14 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Rafael Devers on ‘bad pitch’ homer: ‘I’m very bad playing golf’
Updated: Jul. 26, 2023, 11:06 p.m.|Published: Jul. 26, 2023, 10:56 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Rafael Devers swung well below the strike zone to connect on an 86.6 mph slider from Braves All-Star starter Spencer Strider.
Devers sent it 404 feet to right field for a home run that cut Atlanta’s lead to 3-1 in the sixth. The Red Sox went on to rally for a 5-3 comeback victory at Fenway Park on Wednesday.
“I try to always be aggressive,” Devers said through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez. “And there’s sometimes I get to hit the ball out of the ballpark with a bad pitch and today was one of those nights.”
Devers went golfing. The MLB.com’s Ian Browne noted on Twitter that the pitch was 1.06 feet off the ground, the third-lowest pitch hit for a home run in 2023.
“I’m very bad playing golf,” Devers said. “So I think that’s just my natural swing and I’m glad that today the ball went out.”
This was arguably Boston’s best win of the season, erasing a 3-0 deficit late against Strider and against a Braves team that owns MLB’s best record (64-36).
Strider, who’s known for his upper-90s fastball and plus slider, entered with an MLB-leading 189 strikeouts in 116 ⅔ innings. That’s an incredible 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
“For us to come back and win today, it’s very huge for us,” Devers said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:17:50 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Justin Turner takes ‘advantage of that short, big green thing’
Updated: Jul. 27, 2023, 12:26 a.m.|Published: Jul. 27, 2023, 12:23 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Justin Turner had faced Braves reliever Pierce Johnson seven times before. He was 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts against him entering their seventh-inning matchup Wednesday.
Turner connected on an 89.7 mph slider from Johnson and belted a go-ahead two-run double to left field. The Red Sox rallied for a 5-3 comeback win over Atlanta here at Fenway Park.
“One luxury about hitting in front of Raffy (Rafael Devers) is I don’t think they want to get to him,” Turner said. “I’ve faced Johnson a lot. I know he throws (with) a lot of spin. So I was looking for something up in the zone and got a slider that was probably actually a little further out over the plate than I wanted it. But I was able to get it up into the air to the pull side and take advantage of that short, big green thing out in left.”
Turner of course is referring to the Green Monster, which is tall in height (37 feet, 2 inches) but short in distance from home plate (310 feet). He has used it to his advantage this season and has his slash line up to .289/.359/.481/.840 in 98 games. He is batting .311/.372/.476/.848 with 20 extra-base hits (seven homers, 13 doubles) at Fenway.
The 38-year-old had an all-around strong game. Turner started at second base and made a terrific play on Sean Murphy’s 80.8 mph ground ball up the middle for the first out of the second inning. He ranged to the shortstop side of the second base bag and made a running, off-balanced throw to Casas to throw out Murphy. See it here.
“Well, tonight went a little better than the other day,” said Turner who made two ugly plays at second base Saturday but both were ruled hits. “So yeah, just going out there and playing loose and enjoying it. And I’m not trying to expect too much from myself.”
He turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the second after Marcell Ozuna reached on a fielding error by Devers. He also was part of a 6-4-3 double play to end the fourth inning when Murphy grounded to shortstop.
The 38-year-old Turner was making his third start this season at second base. He previously hadn’t started a game at second since 2015 and he entered Wednesday with negative-22 defensive runs saved in 980 ⅓ innings there.
“We’re not too worried about it because I think we put our guys in a position that they’re going to make plays,” manager Alex Cora said. “And he works at it. My biggest worry is how he’s going to handle it physically. I checked on him this morning and he’s like, ‘I’m good to go.’ We went with our best offensive lineup and we needed each one of those at-bats.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:25:51 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h Most wins vs. >.500 teams 41 Baltimore 40 Boston 38 NY Yankees 38 Atlanta 35 Tampa Bay 35 Texas 34 Toronto
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 6:34:52 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK ‘More refreshed’ Alex Verdugo back in Red Sox lineup after taking two games to ‘disconnect’ By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated July 26, 2023, 7:51 p.m.
After a two-game absence, Alex Verdugo returned to the Red Sox lineup on Wednesday night, batting sixth against the Braves in a 5-3 victory.
“Just disconnect him from the equation. He’s been struggling for a while,” manager Alex Cora said. “Just a few days and see how he reacts to it. Sometimes it’s better to watch the game from the dugout.”
Verdugo was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts but stole two hits from the Braves with catches in right field.
Verdugo had a .900 OPS through his first 36 games. He has a .693 OPS since with only two home runs. After hitting in the top third of the order for much of the season, he has hit mostly fifth or sixth in recent weeks.
“I feel a little more refreshed. More clear-minded,” Verdugo said. “I was pressing. I need to go out there and just play and have fun again. Be a baseball player and have fun and not try to do too much.”
Verdugo has consistently put the ball in play but only with occasional power. His average exit velocity (89.2 miles per hour) and hard-hit percentage (38.9) are below league average, particularly against off-speed pitches.
“If you break down my swing, I’ve gotten away from my strengths,” Verdugo said. “I’m not trying to make it more than that. I just need to be better.”
Watching from the dugout, Verdugo has been impressed by the energy on the field.
“Constant motion, putting pressure on the other team. A lot of good at-bats,” he said. “There are great at-bats with runners in scoring position.” Story up to Triple A
Trevor Story was 2 for 3 with a double and played five innings at shortstop for Worcester against Rochester at Polar Park. He also was hit by a pitch.
It was Story’s first game in Triple A after playing the first three games of his rehabilitation assignment for Double A Portland. He is 4 for 11 in his comeback from elbow surgery.
Story is scheduled to be in the lineup as Worcester’s designated hitter on Thursday.
Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 and struck out twice while catching five innings. It was his first rehab game as he returns from oblique strain.
Cora said the Sox would want to see McGuire catch nine innings before considering bringing him back.
Corey Kluber allowed three runs over two innings as he started his rehab assignment. He walked Rochester’s No. 9 hitter, onetime prized Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs. Derek Hill singled and Travis Blankenhorn drove a cutter over the wall in right-center.
Kluber has been out since June 21 with what the team labeled shoulder inflammation. Cora said Kluber would pitch in relief once he returns. Pitcher acquired
The Red Sox obtained righthander Mauricio Llovera from the Giants for Single A righthander Marques Johnson.
Llovera, 24, was designated for assignment on Sunday. He has 29 games of major league experience, posting a 6.14 ERA.
Llovera, who had a 3.92 ERA in 17 games for Triple A Sacramento, will go on the 40-man roster. Kaleb Ort was moved to the 60-day IL to create a roster spot.
Johnson, 23, was an 11th-round draft pick last season. He was 2-2 with a 6.55 ERA in 28 games for Salem. Up for discussion
Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock are building arm strength in preparation for rehab assignments. The next step will be to determine how they will be used once they’re ready for the majors.
“We need starters. Somebody has to start,” Cora said.
At least one of them will be built up to work as a starter. The nature of their injuries will be part of the discussion. Whitlock had a bone bruise in his elbow, while Houck was hit in the face by a line drive.
That should get Houck back first.
“His arm should be fine. There are no worries there,” Cora said.
Chris Sale remains on track to throw a session of live batting practice in Worcester on Thursday. Giants next
The Sox are off Thursday and start a three-game series at San Francisco on Friday. The Sox have not played at Oracle Park since 2016, when they split a two-game set.
Kutter Crawford and James Paxton are scheduled for the first two games, with a bullpen game on Sunday. Crawford got his work in early Wednesday and flew to San Francisco ahead of the team.
The Giants have not set their rotation. Not forgotten
The nameplate was taken off his locker, but Kiké Hernández still had three bags of equipment in the clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon. It will be shipped to him. As the Sox prepared for the game, the Dodgers-Blue Jays game was on television. Hernández was 2 for 4 for Los Angeles while playing second base in an 8-1 loss . . . The Sox signed 33-year-old infielder Eddy Alvarez to a minor league contract and assigned him to Worcester. Alvarez had 50 games of major league experience from 2020-22. He hit .283 with an .870 OPS over 63 games for Triple A Nashville before being released earlier this month after he opted out of his contract. Alvarez is best known for earning a silver medal in speedskating in the 2014 Olympics and a silver in baseball with Team USA in 2020 . . . Along with their wives, Chris Martin, Nick Pivetta, and Justin Turner visited Boston Children’s Hospital before the game to distribute toys, games, and other gifts to patients as part of the team’s Christmas in July fundraiser. The event was started by Mitch and Susannah Moreland in 2018.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2023 9:31:45 GMT -5
Red Sox rookie becoming ‘one of the best offensive 1B in the big leagues’
Updated: Jul. 27, 2023, 9:06 a.m.|Published: Jul. 27, 2023, 8:57 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Red Sox 23-year-old rookie Triston Casas reached base in all four of his plate appearances Wednesday. He homered, singled and walked twice.
His homer went 410 feet with a 104.9 mph exit velocity to center field in the seventh inning against Braves All-Star starter Spencer Strider. He helped the Red Sox to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Braves at Fenway Park. Boston swept the two-game series and won the four-game season series 3-1 over Atlanta.
“He’s going to keep doing that because he controls the strike zone,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s not swinging at bad pitches. He’s on time with the fastball, which is the most important thing.”
Casas continues to do damage on fastballs. He lined a 97.8 mph fastball from Strider for an opposite-field single to left for Boston’s first hit in the third inning. On Sunday, he crushed a 95.2 mph four-seam fastball from three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer for a 428-foot, 107.7 mph home run to center field. His homer against Strider on Wednesday came on an 86.8 mph slider .
“He’s been able to hit offspeed pitches in the air,” Cora added. “So if you look at the numbers, he’s up to .250 or whatever. You see the homers, you see the RBIs, the on-base percentage, the OPS. He’s becoming one of the best offensive first basemen in the big leagues.”
Casas had a bad April with just 10 hits in 92 plate appearances. But he has improved drastically each month. He’s now batting .253 with a .360 on-base percentage, .477 slugging percentage, .836 OPS, 15 homers, 14 doubles, 45 runs, 38 RBIs, 48 walks and 84 strikeouts in 89 games.
He’s batting .333 with a .431 on-base percentage, .636 slugging percentage, 1.066 OPS, nine homers, eight doubles, two triples, 22 runs, 22 RBIs, 22 walks and 33 strikeouts in 40 games (151 plate appearances) since June 3.
He’s 15-for-32 (.469) with six homers, one triple, 11 runs, 11 RBIs, eight walks and eight strikeouts in 11 games since returning from the All-Star break.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 28, 2023 11:29:49 GMT -5
Not working as in retired, I hope? Ha. Not quite. Not working as in being on summer vacation. Still in the grind. LOL! It worries me when I don't make these connections. My wife works in the system, but she's working this summer, so it doesn't dawn on me that everyone else has off. If you don't me asking (assuming you are a teacher), what subject do you teach?
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 30, 2023 7:36:41 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h Most wins vs. >.500 teams 41 Baltimore 40 Boston 38 NY Yankees 38 Atlanta 35 Tampa Bay 35 Texas 34 Toronto If the Sox can get into the playoffs, they'll have just about as good a shot of winning as any other team. Even though the correlation is still not very strong, the best predictor of postseason wins is regular season wins. Winning % against winning teams and Pythagorean W-L are slightly better better predictors. The key is to make in. I must also point out once again that Baltimore's Pythagorean W-L is 56-48, seven games worse than their actual record. They've been lucky in one run games.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 30, 2023 7:46:07 GMT -5
LOL! It worries me when I don't make these connections. My wife works in the system, but she's working this summer, so it doesn't dawn on me that everyone else has off. If you don't me asking (assuming you are a teacher), what subject do you teach? No worries. While my ego tells me that you guys should remember all the details of my life that I've shared, I know that your worlds do not revolve around me. LOL Yes, I'm a teacher. I teach math, currently calculus and geometry, though that is subject to change from year to year. I have never worked during the summer - I need the time off the recharge.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 30, 2023 12:44:14 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h Most wins vs. >.500 teams 41 Baltimore 40 Boston 38 NY Yankees 38 Atlanta 35 Tampa Bay 35 Texas 34 Toronto If the Sox can get into the playoffs, they'll have just about as good a shot of winning as any other team. Even though the correlation is still not very strong, the best predictor of postseason wins is regular season wins. Winning % against winning teams and Pythagorean W-L are slightly better better predictors. The key is to make in. I must also point out once again that Baltimore's Pythagorean W-L is 56-48, seven games worse than their actual record. They've been lucky in one run games. That's also selection bias. The reason why the ALE teams have the most wins vs > .500 teams is because they play the most games vs teams > .500.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 30, 2023 13:25:17 GMT -5
LOL! It worries me when I don't make these connections. My wife works in the system, but she's working this summer, so it doesn't dawn on me that everyone else has off. If you don't me asking (assuming you are a teacher), what subject do you teach? No worries. While my ego tells me that you guys should remember all the details of my life that I've shared, I know that your worlds do not revolve around me. LOL Yes, I'm a teacher. I teach math, currently calculus and geometry, though that is subject to change from year to year. I have never worked during the summer - I need the time off the recharge. It's more like I have no idea what day it is. Anyway, that's about what my sister does. We were all pretty good in math, but my sister was more on the prodigy path.
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