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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 28, 2021 14:46:04 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 13m Cora says Red Sox aren’t among teams that will go above 85 percent threshold for vaccinations. Cora notes that Triple-A is included in Tier 1, and that’s been a factor in team’s inability to clear 85 percent.
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 12m Red Sox are not in this group. Alex Cora said the Sox did not make any progress this week.
Beyond the competitive disadvantage, Boston has some of the leading hospitals and medical professionals in the world. A bit embarrassing for the Sox.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 28, 2021 16:49:22 GMT -5
Meh. Benni's full year OPS is still only .718, and his OPS since May 6th is .637. Even better, since May 6th, Cordero's OPS is .680. That will never make it into an article in Boston, but it worth noting.
It should be noted that most sane folks would rather have Wally in the line up over Cordero.Sure, but right now, knowing the results, I wouldn't think twice about making that trade again. Even if Cordero and the rest of the prospects don't work out, the money we'd have spent on Benni was spent on Kike, and I'd much rather have Kike.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 29, 2021 3:36:01 GMT -5
Change coming slowly to dugout and clubhouse as Red Sox fail to reach vaccination threshold By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 28, 2021, 9:00 p.m.
A sea change will take place on Saturday at Fenway Park, when capacity restrictions are lifted and fully vaccinated patrons of the ballpark will no longer be required to mask.
But change will be slower to come to the Red Sox dugout and clubhouse this season — if it comes at all. While a majority of Major League Baseball teams now have reached the vaccination thresholds that allow them to relax some of their COVID-19 protocols and restrictions, the Red Sox are not among them.
MLB and the MLB Players Association announced on Friday that 16 of the 30 teams had seen at least 85 percent of their Tier 1 personnel — a group that includes big league and Triple-A players and coaching staff, trainers and medical staff, and a small cadre of front office members — become fully vaccinated. Additionally, three more teams have had at least 85 percent of their Tier 1 personnel receive their final dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with full vaccination status coming in the next two weeks.
“We’re not in that mix,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who is fully vaccinated. “We got closer two weeks ago but then this week we didn’t make any progress. It is what it is.”
Across MLB, 81.2 percent of Tier 1 individuals are considered fully vaccinated, and 84.5 percent of all Tier 1 personnel have received at least their first injection of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cora emphasized that the decisions of Tier 1 personnel in Worcester factor into the team’s ability to reach the 85 percent vaccination threshold. He said that, as was the case with the big league team, there had been no progress in the past week in getting more Tier 1 individuals vaccinated in Triple-A.
Arrival at the 85 percent vaccination milestone comes with certain team benefits, including the removal of masking requirements in the dugout and bullpen, permission to resume team activities such as clubhouse card games, the opportunity to spend time indoors with other vaccinated individuals such as family members on the road, the ability to resume dining indoors at restaurants, and more.
Cora wasn’t overly concerned about the inability to relax protocols at the ballpark. However, he did worry that while Red Sox players have been good about abiding by the COVID-19 rules to this point, players might end up being quarantined for failing to adhere to guidelines in their off-the-field behavior.
“I think [the lack of relaxed protocols] impacts when we leave the stadium,” said Cora. “That worries me a little bit because we, as a group, we cannot take advantage of certain rules, you know, or break the rules in this situation, because we’re not at 85 percent.”
Unvaccinated players are also subject to seven-day quarantine periods if they come in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. By contrast, vaccinated players do not need to enter close contact quarantine unless they become symptomatic.
Cora has remained consistent throughout the spring that vaccination is an individual decision. But on Friday, he wondered aloud how he would feel if a player who hadn’t been vaccinated landed on the COVID-19 restricted list for a week for violating protocols.
“It’ll be very difficult for me and respecting the decision of each individual [if] somebody gets put on quarantine because they broke a rule because he’s not vaccinated,” said Cora. “I always wonder, how are we going to react [if] somebody just decides ... to go to a restaurant or to a spa or go out, and then all of a sudden, that person misses seven days because you have to be put in quarantine because you broke the rules.”
To date, there have been no such incidents for the Red Sox. But with the accelerating reopening of the country, Cora expressed concern that members of the team will be tempted to engage in activities that will remain prohibited for as long as the team remains below the 85 percent vaccination threshold.
“This group has been very disciplined,” said Cora. “But at the same time, Monday’s a holiday. You can feel it. The summer is here. The world is moving forward. And hopefully, you know, we can stay disciplined throughout the process.”
The extent of that discipline will remain elevated so long as the team’s vaccination rate remains unaltered.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 29, 2021 3:49:33 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 29, 2021 3:53:13 GMT -5
MLB commish Rob Manfred 'doesn't love the game,' says former big league pitcher
By Tom Hanslin and Reiter Than You 12 hours ago
Major League Baseball has found itself at a crossroads, with a laundry list of issues -- both on and off the field -- that could easily serve as a brand new verse to Billy Joel's classic hit, "We Didn't Start the Fire."
And according to former major league pitcher Rob Dibble, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred deserves criticism for new and controversial rules designed to speed up pace of play and make the game more appealing to young viewers.
"Rob Manfred... I hammer him on my [radio] show every day," Dibble told the Reiter Than You show on Friday. "This seven-inning doubleheader crap has got to stop, the baserunner on second in extra innings. Although, if you did it in maybe the 11th inning or 12th, I could see it. But not immediately in the 10th inning. You're trying to make a fast-moved, timed event out of an event for 150 years that's never been timed. Baseball doesn't have a clock -- you end it on the last out and the last at-bat. And I think you have a commissioner who doesn't love the game. You need a commissioner who loves the game...
"There's ways around policing the game without changing the rules every five minutes... And now on top of it... [the idea of] moving the mound back a foot. Do you know how many more injuries are going to happen to these kids? Even yesterday, at my 13-year-old's practice, it's a long throw for the infielders to throw across the diamond when they go from a regular Little League field to a big boy field. That is a big throw. Now you're going to tell 13-year-olds you have to move back another foot?
"You're going to destroy these kids, and they're not going to want to play baseball. And I don't blame them. If I'm a parent, and I can choose football, basketball, hockey over baseball so my kid doesn't need to get Tommy John surgery, I would do it in a second."
According to Baseball Reference, the average time of a nine-inning game this season is currently three hours, seven minutes long, which ties a record high.
The entire MLB conversation between Dibble and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @cbssportsradio, and Tom Hanslin @tomhanslin
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 29, 2021 4:05:00 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 10h Most RBI in the American League, 2018-2021:
1. José Abreu (301) 2. J.D. MARTINEZ (299) 3. XANDER BOGAERTS (279) 4. RAFAEL DEVERS (267)
Fewest games to reach 300 RBI with the Red Sox:
1. Vern Stephens – 312 2. Jimmie Foxx – 325 3. Ted Williams – 341 4. David Ortiz – 347 5. Manny Ramirez – 350 6. J.D. Martinez – 398
His 301 RBI since the start of 2018 are tied with Freddie Freeman and José Abreu for most in MLB.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 29, 2021 12:08:17 GMT -5
Sunday baseball notes Jason Varitek is still finding ways for the Red Sox to win By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 29, 2021, 1 hour ago
Jason Varitek’s role with the Red Sox has been difficult to define for a few years now.
He was listed as a “special assistant to the president of baseball operations” in the 2019 media guide but ended up spending most of that season around the major league team, although he wasn’t officially a coach.
In 2020, he was “special assistant/catching coach” and was with the major league team for all 60 games, although again not officially as a coach.
Now he’s a member of the coaching staff as the game-planning coordinator, a new position for the Red Sox.
Throw the titles out. Varitek, 49, is doing what he did for 15 years as a player: supporting the manager by finding ways to win. For years that was Terry Francona. Now it’s Alex Cora.
“It’s great. I love it,” Varitek said during a recent interview while seated in the stands before a game. “As bad as things were last year, I enjoyed it. As tough as 2019 was, I was there for 120 games, and I enjoyed it.
“AC’s been great. He delegates a lot of responsibility, and he engages all his people. It’s a good group of kids, or I should say young men.”
Varitek’s main focus is distilling all the scouting and analytical information that’s available into a package that the catchers and pitchers can best use to their advantage in preparing for games. Related: ‘He’s relentless at what he does.’ Jason Varitek is thriving in first dugout job with Red Sox
As a player, Varitek kept binders of information in his locker with breakdowns of opposing hitters that he could refer to. Now that can all be done in seconds.
“It makes you appreciate the coaches we had — the Brian Butterfields and Gary Tucks — because they did it all with manual labor,” Varitek said.
“You still have to do manual labor to find some of it — nobody can watch videos for me. But it’s easier. The information has always been there since I’ve been playing. Now it comes from the analytics department. Add pro scouting and advance scouting and mix it together and you have one pretty strong circle.”
Christian Vázquez said Varitek works with him throughout the game, discussing pitch sequencing for the next inning and tendencies he has noticed.
Vázquez joked that Varitek has become like a second father.
“We’re always talking,” Vázquez said. “He’s still the captain, right? He’s somebody I trust because of how well he knows the game. He’s been great for us.”
Over the course of the season, Matt Barnes, Garrett Richards, and Garrett Whitlock are among the pitchers who have credited Varitek with a suggestion that made a difference during the game or helped them get over a rough patch.
Varitek also works with Vázquez and backup catcher Kevin Plawecki on their fundamentals. As an organization, the Sox are now teaching their catchers to set up with one knee down to improve their receiving.
That stance also allows catchers to be more fluid moving to block balls.
It was something Varitek worked with minor league catching instructor Chad Epperson to implement starting in spring training.
“I wish that had been around when I was catching,” Varitek said. “I had skepticism at first but there are a lot of advantages.”
Varitek said the stance doesn’t so much help steal strikes as it does keep pitches in the strike zone by not reaching for them. For catchers who have always used the traditional squat, their throwing mechanics have to be adjusted and that takes time.
Having one knee down also is easier on the body. In Vázquez’s case, it could get him more starts this season than he would have gotten otherwise.
“The traditional way is a lot of work,” Varitek said.
Because Varitek has two World Series rings, caught four no-hitters, and was the team’s last captain, his credibility with the players is instantaneous.
Where does this lead next? Bench coach Will Venable seems sure to be a managerial candidate after the season. Varitek is well-positioned to be moved up to bench coach.
Or perhaps he’ll pursue managing.
“That seems to be always the question,” Varitek said. “I love what I’m doing. I don’t know when that will be or if that will be. I enjoy what I’m doing. If that’s something that happens, I’ll be ready for it when that time comes.” ON THE VERGE? Jays will benefit being in Buffalo
Beware the fourth-place Toronto Blue Jays.
After playing 21 home games at their windblown spring training park in Dunedin, Fla., the Jays relocate to their Triple A stadium in Buffalo on Tuesday.
The stability will be welcome.
Toronto entered the weekend only 5½ games out of first place despite having used 13 starting pitchers and getting only four games out of George Springer, their big offseason acquisition.
“I’m really proud of this team with everything we’ve gone through,” manager Charlie Montoyo said. “Everybody has done great at different times.”
The Jays have used the injured list 23 times for 22 players already this season with Cavan Biggio, Rafael Dolis, Robbie Ray, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Ross Stripling among those also missing time.
They also gambled on the health of Kirby Yates, signing him to a $5.5 million contract despite concerns about his elbow. He was lost for the season in spring training.
“There’s been a lot of people hurt in the big leagues, but we’re one of the teams that has had more transactions than any other team,” Montoyo said. “To be where we are with this many guys getting hurt, it’s a big compliment to this club and the players we have.”
Rookie Alek Manoah threw six shutout innings at Yankee Stadium in his debut on Thursday. If the 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound righthander improves what has been a league-average rotation, the Jays will be a threat to the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is building a case for MVP and has been deft at first base after dropping 40 pounds. His turnaround has been dramatic.
Marcus Semien, who moved to second base to accommodate Bo Bichette, has been the team leader they hoped Springer would be.
“They put an emphasis on character, and he’s been terrific,” team broadcaster Buck Martinez said. “He and Bo have been together every day and they work well together on the field.”
Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, a helpful player earlier in his career, has an .899 OPS since the start of last season.
The core members of the team came up together and they’ve weathered being unable to play in Toronto. An older team probably wouldn’t have reacted as well. But the Jays are like a college team, they show up and play.
“No complaints,” Montoyo said.
The Jays need more from left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the hope is Biggio’s worrisome neck injury will clear up while he’s on the injured list. BACK TO TRIPLE A Chavis still needs work
Michael Chavis’s effusive personality makes him a favorite among some Red Sox fans, so it’s understandable why his demotion this past week after 11 games and 33 plate appearances caused some consternation.
But it’s pretty simple. Chavis hit .264 with an .858 OPS and 28 RBIs over his first 38 major league games in 2019. He made a big impact.
His OPS plunged to .699 in the 57 games that followed that season as opposing teams got a look at him and went to a steady diet of high fastballs.
Since 2020, Chavis has hit .223 with a .658 OPS and stuck out in 33 percent of his plate appearances. Related: Red Sox option struggling Michael Chavis back to Triple A Worcester
You want to see a 25-year-old player improve, not regress. The defensive versatility isn’t there, either. The Sox trust him only at first base and second base.
They tried left field last season and that went so poorly it wasn’t revisited in spring training. To be part of a three-man bench, a player needs more than two defensive options.
Manager Alex Cora has placed an emphasis on situational hitting this season. It’s a small sample size, but Chavis was hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position and struck out three times. He also hasn’t shown a good two-strike approach.
First-round picks always get plenty of chances to succeed. But Chavis was taken back in 2014 under Ben Cherington. The current administration isn’t tied to him.
A few other observations about the Red Sox:
▪ Is it time to wonder if Chris Sale will pitch more than a few games this season?
“We believe that he’s going to contribute this year. And I know that he wants that, too,” Cora said on Wednesday.
We believe?
The Sox have been sparing in their updates about Sale going back to when he was first injured in 2019. Part of that is Sale does not want information released. But there’s also not much to report.
He has started throwing off the mound but hasn’t faced hitters. It has been 14 months since Sale had surgery and nearly 22 months since he last appeared in a game.
If Sale is built up as would be typical for a pitcher during spring training — two rounds of live batting practice followed by five or six starts — that would take 35-40 days.
That could mean a late-July return. But given his earlier setbacks and how cautious the Sox are being, August could be more realistic.
▪ Jason Varitek on games now being played in front of bigger crowds: “I’m so glad I don’t hear the white noise anymore. The buzz of the crowd is a beautiful thing, and these guys are better for it. They appreciate it.”
▪ Since the start of the 2017 season, Franchy Cordero has played only 245 games counting the minor leagues. At 26, he’s still an inexperienced player because of all the injuries he’s had.
Now that he’s in Triple A, Cordero will get a chance to play every day and the Sox will see what they have in him.
It may not be much. Cordero has hit .222 with a .678 OPS in 129 major league games. He has size and speed but not much feel for what he’s doing. His swings are awkward and even when he makes a play in the outfield, his steps are unsure as he pursues the ball.
But the Worcester coaches could unlock his talent. ETC. Hill adds chapter to his career
Rich Hill became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Tampa Bay Rays when he faced the Royals on Tuesday at 41 years, 75 days. That was two days older than Wade Boggs in 1999.
Hill went eight innings, allowed two runs on six hits, and struck out a career-best 13 without a walk. The lefthander threw 74 of 99 pitches for strikes, 25 of them swinging.
Hill joined Nolan Ryan (13 times), Randy Johnson, and Gaylord Perry as the only pitchers with 13 strikeouts at that age. Hill and Ryan (three times) were the only ones to do it without a walk.
Unfortunately for Hill, he took the loss as the Rays managed only one run.
“The strike-throwing was off the charts,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He had an electric fastball. I wish he had gotten the win.”
Typically, Hill credited his defense after the game and focused on the run-scoring single he allowed to Salvador Pérez in the sixth inning that decided the game.
“I have to make better pitches. That’s really what it comes down to in that situation,” Hill said. “This isn’t just to come out here and have a fun day at the ballpark. It’s to win baseball games.”
Since making his comeback to the majors in 2015, Hill is 46-24 with a 2.99 ERA over 105 games.
Hill is averaging 88.9 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball but throws it only 44 percent of the time. A curveball opposing hitters can’t barrel up remains his signature pitch.
Hill is the second-oldest player in the majors to Albert Pujols, who has him by 54 days.
“Come to the field and put in the work. Just put in the work every day,” Hill said. “The one thing I pride myself on is to make your lows minimal and stay the course during the season.” Extra bases
The Indians lost Zach Plesac for at least 4-6 weeks with a broken right thumb, the result of what manager Terry Francona said was “aggressively ripping off his shirt” before a game. Plesac and Mike Clevinger were optioned to the alternate site last August after breaking COVID-19 protocols and lying to teammates about what they did. Clevinger was traded to San Diego later that month and you wonder at what point the Indians will decide they’ve had enough of Plesac … Mike Yastrzemski has an .871 OPS in three seasons with the Giants. His defense has been stellar, too. Yastrzemski has four Defensive Runs Saved, the most in the National League. “Fundamentally he’s very sound,” a scout said. “He knows what he can do and what he can’t do.” … Oakland manager Bob Melvin went into the weekend with 797 victories, two shy of moving past Tony La Russa for second in franchise history. There will be no catching Connie Mack, who had 3,582. But at least Melvin will have the most in Oakland until they leave, which is looking increasingly inevitable … The process of electing people to the Baseball Hall of Fame is not perfect, far from it. Some BBWAA members — like the three still-unidentified writers who didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr. — are out of touch and there’s still too much cronyism within the different versions of what used to be known as the Veterans Committee. But baseball is doing pretty well compared to basketball, which somehow has Chris Bosh and Ben Wallace in its next Hall class … For years, the White Sox had a small seating area near a concession stand at Guaranteed Rate Field named after Loretta Micele, who worked for the team for more than six decades selling beer and hotdogs before dying in 2014. But “Loretta’s Lounge” was changed to “La Russa’s Lounge” to honor La Russa, the current manager. La Russa is in the Hall of Fame, has won three World Series, and was voted Manager of the Year four times. Does he really need a seating area in a dingy ballpark named after him? What a terrible message to team employees, too … Simmons University recognized Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman with an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree during its virtual commencement on Friday. Waldman, a Newton native, is a 1968 graduate of Simmons and a baseball trail blazer, having covered the Yankees since the 1990s … Happy birthday to Manny Ramirez, who is 49. He last played in the majors in 2011 but has since either played games or practiced with teams in Australia, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Taiwan. Just this past week he was taking cuts at a field in Miami and at a complex north of Orlando. Ramirez is 15th all time with 555 home runs … Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo is 26. The former first-round pick seems to have found a home after playing for the Giants, Rays, and Indians.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @peteabe.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 30, 2021 12:40:49 GMT -5
MLB Planning To Reinstitute Pitcher Limit On Active Rosters In 2022By Anthony Franco | May 30, 2021 at 11:39am CDT Major League Baseball will again limit teams to carrying thirteen pitchers on the active roster when the 2022 season begins, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. MLB instituted a 13-pitcher limit in February 2020, but the rule has been waived in each of the past two seasons as part of the MLB-MLBPA agreements on COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Interestingly, the 13-pitcher limit may just be the beginning. The league is open to capping the number of hurlers on an active roster at twelve or perhaps eleven further down the line, per Nightengale. Teams have become more aggressive in deploying relievers in recent seasons. Fresher arms have contributed to increased velocity across the board. The league is averaging 93.4 MPH on fastballs, 84.5 MPH on sliders and 79.5 MPH on curveballs this season, per FanGraphs. In 2002- the first year for which FanGraphs has pitch data- those offerings averaged 89.0 MPH, 80.4 MPH and 75.0 MPH, respectively. More frequent reliever usage isn’t the only reason pitch speeds have dramatically accelerated in recent years; teams are also selecting for and training velocity in a more targeted way than ever. Nevertheless, there seems to be merit to the belief that shorter per-game stints for pitchers has some role in the uptick. By limiting the number of relievers a team can carry at any given time, the hope is teams will be compelled to stick with pitchers (predominantly starters) longer in games, thereby leveling off or decreasing the continued improvement in the quality of pitchers’ repertoires. That’s all done in an attempt to curb the strikeouts that have become so prevalent in today’s game. Hitters are punching out in 24.2% of plate appearances this season, a 0.8 point increase relative to last year. Some of that is a result of the return of pitcher hitting in the National League after a 2020 season with a universal DH, but it’s certainly not a new development. The leaguewide strikeout rate has risen every year since 2006, setting a new all-time high each time. (Again using 2002 as a reference point, the strikeout rate is up more than seven points from that year’s 16.8% mark). The lack of balls in play has led to concerns about the quality of the on-field product, with the game more static than ever before. Pitchers’ widespread use of foreign substances on the ball is another potential driver of the uptick in whiffs. Grip enhancers have been shown to increase pitchers’ ability to spin the ball, leading to sharper movement and more swings and misses. MLB has suggested in the past they planned to crack down on foreign substance usage, and Nightengale reports the league has now ordered umpires to be “vigilant” in that effort, with increased enforcement expected in the next two weeks. Earlier this week, umpire Joe West confiscated the cap of Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos based on a belief the righty had applied a foreign substance to the brim. That drew the ire of St. Louis manager Mike Shildt, who called foreign substance use “baseball’s dirty little secret” and argued the decision to single out Gallegos for such a widespread practice was “the wrong time and the wrong arena to expose it” (via Ryan Wormeli of NBC Sports Chicago). With the league now pushing umpires to intervene to limit foreign substance use, it wouldn’t be a surprise if similar situations arose in the coming days. It also seems electronic calling of balls and strikes will be in play in the not too distant future- Nightengale suggests it could be in the majors within three years from now- with a corresponding modification of the rulebook strike zone. “When (the electronic strike zone) comes, it’s really easy to make adjustments in the strike zone,” MLB consultant Theo Epstein tells Nightengale. “We’re trying to optimize contact. So, the way the strike zone used to be a little bit wider and a little bit shorter, which was better for contact. Now, it’s really tall, but narrow. So you can shrink the zone a little bit, especially the upper boundary, which might be better for inducing more contact.’’ Nightengale’s piece is well worth a full read for those interested in the state of the game. Epstein explains his perspective on why the sport has trended the direction it has, offering some hypotheses about ways to incentivize a more traditional, contact-oriented style of play. The former Red Sox and Cubs executive also explains the thought processes behind the experimental rules changes currently being tested at various levels of the minor leagues and in independent ball. here is the linkwww.usatoday.com/in-depth/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2021/05/30/theo-epstein-wants-baseball-back-players-hands/5243855001/?build=native-web_i_p
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2021 8:16:51 GMT -5
Surging Rays in tight race with Red Sox atop AL East Tampa Bay has a one-game lead in the division over Boston.
By NOAH TRISTER, Associated Press May 31, 2021 | 2:47 AM
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It should be obvious by now: You doubt the Tampa Bay Rays at your own risk.
Tampa Bay has won 15 of its last 16 games and leads the AL East heading into Monday’s game against the New York Yankees. The Rays are second in the American League in runs and third in ERA. They’re 19-7 on the road.
Tampa Bay is doing all of this after trading former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to San Diego in the offseason. Snell is struggling out west — he’s 1-2 with a 5.55 ERA — and a couple of the players the Rays received in return have contributed for them. Luis Patiño is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in five appearances, and catcher Francisco Mejía has started 21 games behind the plate.
Of course, it’s another Tampa Bay catcher who has really turned heads. Mike Zunino already has a dozen homers.
The Rays also have the game’s top prospect, per MLB Pipeline: Shortstop Wander Franco seems to have adjusted fine to Triple-A this year. Tampa Bay traded shortstop Willy Adames to Milwaukee on May 21, and J.P. Feyereisen — one of the pitchers the Rays received — already has two saves since the deal.
Tampa Bay has a one-game lead in the division over Boston. The Red Sox also have an impressive road record (16-7) and their run differential of plus-54 is almost equal to Tampa Bay’s plus-61. The Yankees are 4 1/2 games back after being swept in a three-game series at Detroit. But they have a chance to make up ground in a four-game home series against the Rays. Advertisement:
BIG WINNER
Oakland’s Yusmeiro Petit (7-0) is just one win shy of the major league lead, even though he hasn’t started a game this year. All 26 of his appearances have been in relief. Petit has a 3.21 ERA.
TRIVIA TIME
In their franchise history, the Rays have had four players start the All-Star game. Name them.
LINE OF THE WEEK
Oakland’s Chris Bassitt threw his first complete game, a two-hit shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night. He struck out nine with one walk.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK
Houston had a 99.6% chance to beat San Diego in the ninth inning Saturday, according to Statcast. That was with two outs, nobody on and the Astros up 6-3. Then a walk and a double brought Fernando Tatis Jr. up as the tying run, and he went deep to even the game. The Padres ultimately won 11-8 in 12 innings.
HIGHLIGHT
It’s hard to know where to begin with the freakish play from Thursday’s Cubs-Pirates game — one that may go down as one of baseball’s all-time bloopers.
With a man on second, Chicago’s Javier Báez hit a two-out grounder to third. The throw by Erik González pulled first baseman Will Craig a bit off the bag. Rather than run into a tag, Báez retreated toward home, and Craig started chasing him, even though he could have simply stepped on first for the third out.
Craig forced Báez almost all the way back to the plate, but by that time, Willson Contreras — the runner on second — was almost at home. Craig threw to catcher Michael Pérez, but Contreras slid safely into the plate. Advertisement:
Then Báez took off for first, needing to make it there in time for the run to count. Second baseman Adam Frazier had neglected to cover the vacant bag — although in fairness to him, players probably don’t spend much time contemplating where to be on a rundown between first and home. As Frazier scrambled to get there, Pérez threw wildly and Báez somehow ended up on second.
TRIVIA ANSWER
David Price, Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford — all in 2010 — and Corey Dickerson in 2017.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2021 17:01:51 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h Kiké as the first batter of the game for the Red Sox: .314/.333/.429
League average first batter for a team in a game: .243/.310/.407
It's hard.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2021 2:57:12 GMT -5
Cora on return to Houston: 'A lot different' May 31st, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
HOUSTON -- Back in Houston for the first time since he was identified as one of the centerpieces in the Astros’ infamous sign-stealing investigation, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had little choice but to again confront his past prior to Monday’s opener of a four-game series between two top American League contenders.
In 2017, Cora was the bench coach for the Astros when they won what is now viewed as one of the most controversial World Series titles in history.
In ’18, he managed the Red Sox as they took out Houston with three straight wins to close out the Astros in Games 3-5 of the American League Championship Series.
So how did it feel to be back with everything that has happened since January of 2020?
“A lot different,” said Cora. “Obviously not my proudest moments the last 14, 15 months. When we talk about Houston and myself -- the fact that we’re playing good baseball, the story should be the Boston Red Sox against the Houston Astros, two of the best teams in the big leagues. But like I’ve been telling the guys, and you guys can ask them if you want to, but they know. I put myself in this situation, I handle this situation the way I’m going to handle it.”
From the day Cora was rehired to manage the Red Sox last November, he has been accountable.
“I’m not afraid to talk about it, it’s part of who I am,” said Cora. “It’s part of my present. It was part of the past. It’s going to be part of my future. It’s something I’m not proud of, but at the same time, I’ve got a job to do and my job is to manage the Boston Red Sox and hopefully, get back to the World Series.”
Cora didn’t want to get into specifics of how his relationship with players he coached in Houston has evolved since the investigation that led to his suspension from MLB for the 2020 season, but he did cite three close friends he looks forward to reuniting with.
“Carlos [Correa], Martín [Maldonado] and Alex [Cintron] -- they still work for the Astros, they’re good friends. I’m looking forward to seeing them and giving them a big hug,” said Cora. “I haven’t seen them in a while and they’re a big part -- not only of the baseball part of it -- but also on a personal note. Looking forward to seeing them.”
The only specific resentment Cora wished to cite from the fallout was the way former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow targeted him in MLB’s investigation. Luhnow was also suspended for the ’20 season by MLB. Unlike Cora and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, Luhnow has not returned to baseball since his suspension expired.
“I think out of the whole report, the way Jeff talked about myself, just saying, ‘the bench coach’, that really bothered me,” Cora said. “Obviously, I don’t know what was said in the investigation. I know what I said and what I went through, and it is what it is. I got suspended. That’s something that will always be on my resume, and I think at the end, we all made a mistake. We all messed up, and we all are paying the price.”
For Cora, walking back into Minute Maid Park will probably be a mixed bag of emotions for the rest of his career. He said the good memories most likely to come flooding back when he comes to Houston are the ones forged with the Red Sox, not the Astros.
“I remember a grand slam by Jackie Bradley Jr. I remember the catch by [Andrew] Benintendi,” said Cora. “I remember Jackie hitting a home run off [Josh] James. There’s some good memories here [with] the Red Sox.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2021 3:12:24 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2021 3:37:31 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Alex Cora gives cold shoulder to most of Houston Astros organization First time in Houston since scandal broke
) By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: May 31, 2021 at 7:53 p.m. | UPDATED: May 31, 2021 at 8:22 p.m.
Whether or not you’ve forgiven Alex Cora for his morally corrupt decision-making as part of the 2017 Houston Astros, it’s becoming quite clear that he couldn’t care less what the general public thinks.
“The thing is, at this level, this platform, it’s going to be tough forever,” he said Monday afternoon from Minute Maid Park in Houston, his first visit there since the scandal became public knowledge. “Not only when I come here, it can be when I go to other places and there are going to be situations that are going to come up through the season. There are going to be books, there’s going to be stuff that’s going to be said, there are going to be narratives.
“For people to judge me, I understand. There’s nothing I can do. There’s nothing I can do to change the past. What I can do is be myself in the present and keep getting better.”
In other words: Say what you want about me, but I’m moving on.
At this point, nearly 18 months after he lost his job when MLB pinned him as the mastermind of the cheating scandal that rocked the sport, Cora seems tired of apologizing (although he continues to do it and says he will for as long as he’s asked about it).
“The fact that we’re playing good baseball, and the story should be the Boston Red Sox against the Houston Astros, two of the best teams in the big leagues, it helps,” Cora said, taking a small victory lap.
And oh yeah, for the majority of folks in the Astros organization, Cora has something for you, too: an ice-cold shoulder.
He singled out three people — shortstop Carlos Correa, catcher Martin Maldonado and hitting coach Alex Cintron — as three guys he was looking forward to seeing in Houston this week.
That was it.
Not even Alex Bregman, the third baseman Cora once spoke of like he was his own son, was mentioned as someone he wanted to see.
An entire organization full of people he once coached, worked with or looked up to suddenly seemed dead to him, although Cora chose not to get into specifics about which relationships he no longer values.
“I really don’t want to go into that,” he said. “There’s a lot of stuff that happened through the investigation that was tough to swallow, but at the end like I’ve been saying all along, I made a mistake, I went through the process and after that MLB did the right thing. But I’d rather stay away from personal relationships.”
Here’s one further: asked if he had any good memories from Minute Maid Park, where Cora was the bench coach for a team that won the World Series, he had nothing to say about his time in the home dugout.
“I remember a grand slam by Jackie Bradley Jr. in the ’18 American League Championship Series,” Cora said. “I remember the catch by Andrew Benintendi. I remember Jackie hitting a home run off Josh James. There’s some good memories here as the Red Sox.”
Not a single Astros memory, huh?
“No,” he said. “I mean, you asked me if I can come in here and have good memories. I have good memories. Jackie hit a grand slam, we won a playoff series here, we swept them, so that’s good memories.
“I’ve got good friends around, some good stuff that we did in ’17, but right now, as manager of the Red Sox, this is what I remember: when we came here and we swept the Astros. And we went to the World Series.”
The Red Sox actually didn’t sweep in the series; they won in five games. But they did win all three in Houston, where they celebrated on the field in front of Cora’s former boss.
Whatever was said by the players, coaches and team employees who were interviewed by MLB in the investigation last January, the end result was a picture of a bench coach who had an insatiable desire to win, and was willing to break the rules in the process.
Cora has been willing to acknowledge his mistakes every time he’s been asked about the scandal since he was rehired as Red Sox manager. But one thing he won’t do is point fingers or talk about who was loyal to him and who wasn’t.
Well, for the most part.
“I said it before, I think out of the whole report, the way (former Astros general manager Jeff Lunhow) talked about me, just saying, ‘the bench coach,’ that really bothered me,” Cora said. “That really bothered me. Obviously, I don’t know what was said in the investigation. I know what I said.
“What I went through, it is what it is. I got suspended, that’s something that will always be on my resume, and I think at the end, we all made a mistake. We all messed up and we all are paying the price.”
Cora is moving on. His team is good again. He’s getting a lot of credit for it.
As for the Houston Astros: who are they?
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 1, 2021 17:00:13 GMT -5
Nice seeing JBJ with yet another great play in the OF last night and a big walk off hit for the Brew Crew last night...
Go JBJ!
I know it was the right move to let him go, but I really, really wanted him back.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 1, 2021 17:07:37 GMT -5
Even if Mookie were having his typical MVP season, I would take Verdugo at $650K over Mookie at $30M all day long.
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