Tag Archives: Red Sox

It’s Time To Appoint Xander Bogaerts As Captain Of The Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox in 2018 are a machine. It seems as if they can do no wrong, even though some may point out there are (few) vulnerabilities in this team. However, there is one thing missing from this team, and has been since David Ortiz’s departure. The Red Sox are missing a true voice of leadership. Who could fill the void – Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, or another candidate?

The Red Sox are running rampant on opposing teams. They are young, athletic, and their talent is proving to be almost unmatched every time they step on the diamond. Their inevitable trip into the postseason is backed by having two of the best players in baseball, and a record that is currently seven wins better than the defending World Series champions. A certain presence has always been absent since David Ortiz left and even though the Sox replaced the power presence with JD Martinez, something is still missing. A clubhouse leader is almost as important as anything else; think of it as a 10th position, at times.

Tek: The Last Captain

The last official captain for the Red Sox was the beloved Jason Varitek, who spent his entire career with the club and won two World Series titles in the process. He proudly donned the “C” over his heart on his jersey from the historic 2004 season until his retirement in 2011. He was one of three captains in baseball at the time of the appointment, along with Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko. This is a tradition that Red Sox nation would love to see continued, and this is the perfect time to do exactly that.

Courtesy of the Boston Herald

Looking Ahead

Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are the faces of the team today. This is a new generation of players that will be around for a long time – an untouched core that has been through nearly everything together, comparable to the “Core Four” the Yankees had years ago. Even then, Derek Jeter was appointed captain and took this extra role about as serious as he did his shortstop post.

The shortstop position is seen as the captain of the infield, even by MLB itself. It is the most athletically demanding position and the most pivotal when it comes to calling plays or defensive shifts. Now, I understand that Jason Varitek was a catcher and the catcher may take the role of calling plays or shifts as well. However, with the platoon of Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon and (as of late) Blake Swihart, there is too much inconsistency in appearances. The captain of the team needs to be someone on the field every game, as long as they are healthy.

Why Not Dustin?

This leads us down another rabbit hole: many people will be saying “Well the team has Dustin Pedroia!” Not so fast, buddy. Dustin Pedroia is the longest tenured player on the Red Sox roster currently, true. However, he has downplayed this role multiple times. Dustin has the mentality of the team having more than one voice, and leading together towards success. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this mentality, but it can’t last forever. This team will eventually go through rough patches, being this season or after. Having a multitude of voices without one to settle the clubhouse could be worrisome.

Dustin Pedroia has even pointed to Xander being the one to bring up the clubhouse’s spirits most of the time.

“I was sitting in the [batting] cage by myself and I was hurting, and Bogey comes in — he’s the happiest kid ever — and he said, ‘Hey, what’s wrong?'” Pedroia said. “I’m like, ‘Man, Bogey, I don’t know if I can. I mean, I’m going to be fine to play, but I hope they throw it right down the middle. You know what I mean? And he goes, ‘Oh man, you’re gonna be fine.’ And I go, ‘Bogey, see that’s what I’m talking about. There are some days when I come in and I need you and we all need each other. So it’s OK to be that guy. Let it come out.’

Bogaerts is the Perfect Candidate

Xander Bogaerts came up late in the 2013 regular season before helping the team win a World Series. He was a breath of fresh air for a team that needed some young, refreshing talent. As far as this core goes, he was second only to Jackie Bradley to come up in the same season. Xander has more of a liking in Boston and a “been there, done that” identity with this club. He’s won a championship, lost in the playoffs, made pivotal plays, and has been on the wrong side of success. As quick as Xander has turned into a young veteran of the club, it’s time to reward him. Being that he is still only 25 years old with 5 years of experience under his belt, he is very relatable to his young teammates.

Mookie, Benintendi and the others can learn a lot about what it’s like to play in a World Series game. Xander is the perfect candidate to impart that knowledge.

@ELJGON

Xander Bogaerts Versus The Second Half Slump

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Xander Bogaerts occupies a peculiar space in Red Sox fans’ consciousness. On one hand, he’s an All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger award winner, and World Series champion. On the other hand, he’s never quite lived up to the lofty expectations that were placed on his shoulders as a top prospect and precocious rookie in 2013. He has shown he can hit, but hasn’t put together the mix of power, batting average, and plate discipline he teased early on…at least not all in one season. Bogaerts’ defense has improved steadily (a testament to how hard he’s worked). However, he’s at best a league average-to-above-average defender at a premium position.

As a result, Bogaerts faded into the background while teammates like Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi (and contemporaries Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa) have surged past him.

Bogaerts has been doomed to a series of “good but not great” and ultimately unsatisfying seasons. What’s one obvious reason? He has a propensity for a good old-fashioned second half swoon. Based on his performance at the plate since July 15th, Bogaerts looks like he’s headed down that path again.

Bogaerts’ Past Struggles

Bogaerts has tailed off before. The X Man has slashed .268/.325/.393 in 1263 career plate appearances in the second half of the season. That’s a far cry from his career first half numbers. Bogaerts has hit .291/.351/.443 in 1796 plate appearances prior to the break.

It doesn’t help matters that when Bogaerts struggles, his ABs look extra rough due to his high leg kick and wrist-heavy swing. When the Aruba native isn’t feeling it, it’s hard to ignore.

Traditionally, this has been the month where his numbers take a substantial nose dive. Bogaerts has only mustered a .237 batting average and a .629 OPS in August over the course of his career. Explanations can be made for a few of these swoons on a season by season basis. For example, you could argue that he hit the rookie wall in 2014. It was clear last season that a hand injury suffered in early-July hampered the Red Sox shortstop for the rest of the year.

Excuses or not, the trend is clear. And it doesn’t seem to be heading in the right direction anytime soon.

More of The Same

The second half woes have made their way into 2018. Bogaerts started the season hot. He had 21 hits in his first 51 ABs this season, 11 of which were extra base knocks. Then, from May 1st up until the All-Star break, he slashed a respectable (if not eye-popping) .259/.340/.494. His 13 HR in 67 games over that span is a 33 HR pace per 162 games.

Since the break, X has struggled to get started. Despite collecting hits in each of his last three games, he’s hitting just .216/.305/.333 over the last 15 contests. He also hasn’t homered since July 15th. Granted, slumps happen, and 59 PA isn’t what we’d call a large sample size. However, this isn’t an isolated incident, meaning we can draw more truth from those plate appearances than in a vaccuum.

Ultimately, this might all be a moot point. Betts and JD Martinez might just keep raking through the fall and continue taking turns carrying an otherwise potent offense.

Should either of Boston’s anchors falter for an extended period, or enter an ill-timed slump during the postseason, the onus will fall on the Sox’s second tier of stars to keep the line moving and pick up the slack.

Will Bogaerts finally be the guy to do it for a stretch run?

It’s a question that Red Sox fans have been waiting to answer (and one of the few questions remaining for this team). Time will tell if Bogaerts is up to the challenge.

Red Sox Run Away With The American League East

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The New Boston Massacre

The Boston Red Sox have run away with the American League East. After the come-from-behind victory last night over the New York Yankees, the Red Sox have a commanding 9.5 game lead in the division. The Yankees have lots of injuries and the Red Sox took advantage of it with a four-game sweep. Even with Chris Sale missing his start on Thursday, the Red Sox still got the bats going in a 15-7 win. On Friday and Saturday, the Red Sox would win 4-1. Craig Kimbrel ran into a little trouble in the ninth inning on Saturday. But he sealed the win and the Yankees left the bases loaded in the ninth inning. Then, Andrew Benintendi knocked the game-winner in the tenth inning on Sunday to complete the four-game sweep.

Aaron Boone Is A Bad Manager

The Red Sox have been criticized all season for how they can beat bad teams and lose to the good ones. However, the Yankees are struggling with injuries and haven’t been good against the bad teams. Between J.A. Happ and Aaron Judge, the team needs help ASAP. Aaron Judge is a big piece to the Yankee lineup and it’s clear his bat is missed. Aaron Boone isn’t that great either and it’s showing.

Alex Cora is faced with injuries as well, but he has overcome them. Dustin Pedroia, Chris Sale, and Ian Kinsler are on the DL. Yet, the Red Sox still find a way to win games. He even had Mookie Betts play Friday night at second base and he made a nice stop.

Dave Dombrowski, who’s been criticized for not getting bullpen help, sure is winning right now. The Red Sox picked up Nathan Eovaldi and Ian Kinsler; both have been great so far. The Red Sox should really have the division in their pocket now and be able to breeze through October.

Down on the Farm 7/28-8/3 (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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*Every weekend, I will update you on weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are posted. Also, I will have a prospect of the week section at the end.

Down on the Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

The Sox started off the week with a 6-5 win over Charlotte. Adam Lind hit his ninth home run, then Josh D Smith gave four runs in five innings. On Sunday, they lost by a score of 8-0. The offense was stifled and William Cuevas gave up five earned runs over four innings. Pawtucket lost by a score of 11-10 on Monday. Rusney Castillo hit a home run and drove in three runs, but a throwing error by Ivan de Jesus in the 13th allowed Syracuse to walk it off. On Tuesday, the Sox lost by a score of 3-2.

Adam Lind hit a home run, but Josh A Smith gave up three runs over six innings. They won on Wednesday by the score of 8-1. Tzu Wei Lin drove in two runs and Chandler Shepherd gave up one run over 6.1 innings. On Thursday, they were walked off by a score of 5-4. Sam Travis had three hits and a run but Matthew Gorst blew the save and Syracuse walked it off in the 12th. Pawtucket closed out the week with a 7-4 win. Brandon Phillips hit a walk-off three-run home run and Robby Scott picked up the win in an inning of relief.

Down on the Farm- Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs started off the week with a 3-2 loss. The offense was stagnant and Josh Taylor gave up the game-winning single in the ninth. Then, Portland lost again on Sunday by a score of 4-1. Josh Ockimey went deep, but Mike Shawaryn gave up two earned runs in six innings. They had an off day on Monday and lost by a score of 7-6 on Tuesday. Danny Mars drove in two runs and Teddy Stankiewicz gave up five runs over seven innings. Portland was postponed on Wednesday and Friday and swept a doubleheader on Thursday. After all, Matthew Kent and Kyle Hart got the victories in the day-night doubleheader.

Down on the Farm- Salem Red Sox

The Sox started off the week with a 7-2 win on Saturday. Brett Netzer drove in three runs and Tanner Houck gave up one run over six innings. On Sunday they won by a score of 5-2. Downs and Madera went yard, even though Darwinzon Hernandez gave up two runs over five innings. Salem was off on Monday and they won by a score of 8-1 on Tuesday. The offense was frustrated and Kevin McAvoy gave up four runs in five innings. They lost on Wednesday by a score of 4-2. Dalbec knocked in a run but Joan Martinez gave two runs over one inning. The game was stopped in the sixth, and they were postponed on Thursday and Friday because of rain.

Down on the Farm- Lowell Spinners

On Saturday Lowell lost by a score of 3-1. The offense got blanked coupled with Politi giving up two runs over 2.1 innings. They lost by a score of 7-1 on Sunday. The offense was quiet again, also Ahearn gave up five runs over three innings. On Monday they lost by a score of 4-2. Cottam and Romanski knocked in a run apiece and Pantoja gave up three runs over five innings. Lowell beat Hudson Valley by the score of 8-0 on Tuesday.

LeGrant and Duran went deep, additionally, Haworth gave up no runs over five innings. On Wednesday, they won by a score of 8-2. Granberg drove in three runs, and Gomez threw three scoreless innings to pick up the win. They closed out the week on Thursday with a 5-3 win. Berroa knocked in two runs and Bazardo gave up two runs in 5.2 innings. They got postponed on Friday.

Prospects of the Week

There were a few notable promotions in the past week

First baseman Josh Ockimey to Pawtucket and Lind opts out

Mike Shawaryn to Pawtucket, strikes out a lot, but also walks a lot.

Then, Bobby Dalbec to Portland, has great power and walks a lot.

Finally, Durbin Feltman to Salem- many scouts say he could be in the bigs this year, has a 100 MPH fastball a and a great slider

The Red Sox Are On The Verge Of Ending The Yankees Season

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The Yankees came into Boston with a chance to close the gap in the A.L East. Instead, the Sox have stomped on the throat of the Yankees. For the second straight day, the Sox’ starting pitching shoved the bats down the throats of Yankees hitters. Boston now has a commanding 8.5 game lead heading into Sunday’s finale against New York. With the Yankees coming apart at the seams, it’s now time for the Sox to wrap up the division once and for all.

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David Price Has To Step Up

Everyone knows how much of a disaster David Price has been in Boston. None the less, the pressure falls on the shoulders of the soft left-hander. The Red Sox have absolutely dominated the Yankees in all assets of the game. Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi both had excellent starts against the “potent” New York lineup. Porcello ignited Fenway Park on Friday night with a complete game one-hitter, retiring twenty-one straight Yankees. Eovaldi followed up Porcello’s excellent outing with an equally dominant performance going eight strong shutout innings. This sets Price up perfectly heading into Sunday Night baseball.

The Yankees hitters cannot seem to get out of their own way at the moment. With Judge hurt and Sanchez on the DL, Price is primed to finally have success against the Yankees as a member of the Red Sox. Price needs to show up and perform because he could wrap up the A.L East. Sweeping the Bronx Bombers out of Fenway without Chris Sale starting a single game would be astronomical for the moral of the Red Sox. Let’s watch and see if Price can give the Sox anything in a big spot.

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Boston Hitters Must Stay Sharp

After the beatdown the Sox gave New York the past three days, it would be easy to take the Yankees lightly. No matter the outcome of the finale on Sunday, the Red Sox weekend is a success; but still, the Sox have to show up and put the pinstripes down once and for all. With Tanaka on the hill, the Sox lineup has to come out of the gates hot. If they can get a lead on New York, then its all but over. This once prominent Yankees team is now on the verge of spiraling into their fourth straight loss. Time to send New York packing with their hopes of a championship crushed.

Down On The Farm- 7/21-7/27 (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be updating you on weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) as well as the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are posted. Also, there will be a prospect of the week section at the end.

Down On The Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

The Sox started off the week on Saturday with a 5-4 loss. Castillo got three hits, but Josh A Smith picked up the loss over three innings of relief. They lost again on Sunday by the score of 4-3. Mike Miller drove in two runs, but Josh D Smith gave up the winning run in the tenth. Pawtucket had the day off on Monday and won 6-3 on Tuesday. Dan Butler went deep and William Cuevas got the win by giving up two runs in 6.2 innings.

They lost on Wednesday, 3-1. The offense was stagnant and Rodriguez Jr gave up two runs in two innings. The Sox lost again on Thursday by the score 6-4. Tavarez hit a home run but Robby Scott gave up two runs in the tenth. They closed out the week on Friday with a 6-1 win over the Knights. Castillo knocked in three runs and Chandler Shepherd gave up one run in five innings.

Down On The Farm- Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs started off the week with a 4-1 loss on Saturday. The offense was stifled and Kyle Hart gave up one run over seven innings. They did not play on Sunday and they won 6-0 on Monday. Jantzen White went deep and Jiminez threw 5.2 scoreless innings. Portland won again on Tuesday, 1-0. Michael Chavis drove in the only run and Shawaryn threw seven scoreless innings. The Sea Dogs lost on Wednesday, 8-7, in ten innings. Chavis, Tendler, and Betts all went deep but Weems gave up five runs in two innings of relief. They lost again on Thursday by the score of 8-1. McGrath gave up two runs in four innings and the offense was frustrated. They closed out the week on Friday with a 5-1 win over Trenton. De la Guerra drove in two runs and Gorst gave up no runs in four innings.

Down On The Farm- Salem Red Sox

Salem started off the week with a 7-3 loss. Baldwin knocked in two runs, but McAvoy gave up four runs in 3.1 innings. The Sox lost again on Sunday by the score of 5-0. The offense got blanked and Thompson allowed four runs in five innings. They picked up the win on Monday by a score of 3-1. Downs hit a home run and Houck gave up zero earned runs in six innings. On Tuesday, Salem lost by the score of 8-6. Downs drove in three runs and Oliver gave up two runs in 1.2 innings.

The Red Sox lost on Wednesday, 8-4. Bobby Dalbec drove in two runs and Gonzalez allowed four runs in 3.2 innings. On Thursday, they lost again by a score of 5-4. Procyshen gave up two runs and Bryan Mata gave up one run in an inning. He got pulled after one inning, but it wasn’t not trade related. Salem closed out the week on Friday with a 6-5 loss. Thompson gave up five runs in six innings while Dalbeck knocked in three runs.

Down On The Farm- Lowell Spinners

Lowell started off the week with a 3-2 loss. The offense could not do anything and Haworth picked up the loss by giving up one run in 3.1 innings of relief. On Sunday, they went 0-2 in a doubleheader. The offense was quiet, scoring a combined two runs in the games. The Spinners did not play on Monday and won 5-3 on Tuesday. Duran drove in two runs and Ahearn gave up zero runs in three innings of relief. On Wednesday, Lowell lost by a score of 10-8. Dearden knocked in three runs and Biondic gave up three runs in 1.2 innings. The Spinners lost 5-2 on Thursday. The offense was stagnant and Politi gave up four runs in the ninth, blowing the save. Lowell closed out the week with a 9-3 loss. LeGrant knocked in a run but Machamer gave up six runs in 1.2 innings.

Prospect Of The Week- Darwinzon Hernandez

Seventh-ranked prospect in the system

Pitcher for Salem

3.99 ERA this year

Lefty, age 21

Brian Johnson Is Better Suited For Rotation

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Despite Drew Pomeranz struggles this season, Alex Cora said he would remain in the starting rotation. Following the acquisition of right-hander Nathan Eovaldi from Tampa Bay, this presumably leaves Brian Johnson without a spot in the rotation. If the Red Sox follow through with those plans, they will be making a serious mistake.

Minor League Career

Brian Johnson came through the system as a starting pitcher following a two-way career in college. He made 103 appearances during his minor league career, all starts. Not once, ever, did he pitch out of the bullpen during his professional career until this season. He made one start for the Red Sox in 2015 and five starts in 2017 in addition to his 103 minor league starts.

During Johnson’s time in the minor leagues, he won 32 games against 26 losses. More importantly, he pitched to a stellar 2.69 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Opponents batted just .216 against Johnson. This wasn’t just beating up on the low minors, as Johnson was 10-2 with a 1.75 ERA in AA Portland. In AAA, Johnson still posted a very good 3.18 ERA. Minor league success does not mean success in the big leagues, but it shows his success as a starting pitcher.

Brian Johnson enjoyed great success as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues.

Headed to the Bullpen

After six seasons of exclusively pitching as a starter, the Red Sox put Johnson in their bullpen to begin the season. This was the right move to make as they didn’t have room in their starting rotation. Johnson was out of minor league options so he had to be on the club or would be open to waivers. The bullpen did not agree with Johnson, however, which really isn’t a surprise. Johnson is not the type of pitcher who typically succeeds in relief; he doesn’t throw hard, he isn’t deceptive, and doesn’t have a funky delivery from the left side. His stuff isn’t going to play up out of the pen.

Johnson made 21 appearances out of the bullpen, totaling 30 innings pitched. His ERA was much too high for a starter, let alone a reliever at 5.10. He was relegated to mop-up roles, and deservedly so. He put lots of men on base, posting a 1.47 WHIP. The only thing he did better as a reliever was striking out a few more batters.

A Spot Opens Up

Brian Johnson got his chance to start again due to injuries in the Red Sox rotation, and he took advantage. Over six starts, Johnson has thrown 30 innings – the exact same amount of innings he has thrown in relief. While working up his arm strength, Johnson has pitched to a 1.80 ERA over his 30 innings starting. His WHIP, although not great, is much lower at 1.33. He sports a 5.10 ERA relieving, but a 1.80 ERA starting, both in 30 innings. The guy is just built to start. I’m not saying he will post a 1.80 ERA for the rest of the season if starting, but he will pitch better there than in relief.

Johnson’s best outing yet was his last one, pitching 5.2 shutout innings against the Twins. The start before he allowed two runs, but neither was earned over five innings. He’s getting stronger the more they stretch his arm out.

Drew Pomeranz

Drew Pomeranz, on the other hand, has an ERA of 6.91 this season as a starter. Why is he pitching again? Yes, he was very good last year, but he has not been the same pitcher. Throwing a fastball in the upper-80’s, it practically screams “hit me” when he misses his spot. Pomeranz only has one outing all year in which he allowed less than three runs. Over his last five starts, Pomeranz is 0-3 with an unsightly 8.57 ERA. Opponents have a slash line of .330/.425/.560/.985 during that time against him. Basically, the average hitter against him is turned into an MVP candidate lately.

Unlike Johnson, Pomeranz has success as a reliever, especially at the Major League level. He didn’t pan out as a starter at first and was moved to the bullpen in 2014. He didn’t have to worry about pitching longer and his stuff played up. In 10 relief appearances that season, Pomeranz had a 1.62 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. The next season, Pomeranz pitched to a 2.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 44 relief appearances. Compare this to his 4.63 ERA and 1.30 WHIP as a starting pitcher that season and it is clear Pomeranz has had much more success in the bullpen, by and large.

Maybe something isn’t right with Pomeranz and he won’t be effective anywhere, but that certainly doesn’t mean the Red Sox should be trotting him back out to the mound every five days to get lit up. Try him in the bullpen, where he has been effective before and see how he does.

It makes no sense to throw a guy pitching well like Johnson back in the bullpen, especially when he has had zero professional success in that role and when Pomeranz is stinking up the mound.

Featured picture from FanRag Sports

Blake Swihart’s Time Is Now

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This is Blake Swihart‘s moment. Granted, it’s a moment that has been 4+ seasons in the making, but it’s here nonetheless. As soon as starting catcher Christian Vazquez headed to the DL with a broken pinkie on July 8th, Red Sox nation turned their eyes to a former top prospect who had fallen on some difficult times.

If Swihart is able to deliver on his initial promise, he could be a difference maker both in the present and the future. If not, it will likely be an end to one of the more frustrating (and strange) Red Sox careers in recent memory.

A Long, Strange Trip

This crossroads has been a long time coming. Swihart was ranked #1 among all Red Sox farmhands by SoxProspects.com as late as April 9, 2015. He headed up a then-stacked minor league system that included names like Yoan Moncada, Henry Owens, Rafael Devers, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Michael Kopech. Swihart made his first start on May 2, and proceeded to slash .274/.319/.392 in 308 PA with below average defense behind the dish.

In 2016, Swihart appeared in only 16 games after defensive issues led to his relinquishing of the starting catcher position to Vazquez. Then-manager John Farrell gave him some run in left field, where he almost immediately suffered a broken ankle. That injury sidelined Swihart for the remainder of the ’16 campaign, and much of 2017 as well. In 71 games at the minor league level last season, Swihart only managed to muster a .210/.291/.306 slash.

This season, Swihart was tried out in the infield during spring training, due to lingering discomfort from that same ankle injury. While he made the 25 man roster in a utility role, he spent much of the early part of the season riding the pine. Things got bad enough that Swihart’s agent requested a trade. However, other teams weren’t exactly lining up for a failed catcher with a sub-.200 batting average.

Now Swihart is sharing catching duties with Sandy Leon, a roundabout way back to where his major league story began.

Red Sox Catching: Not Great!

Swihart’s return behind the plate comes at a time when the Sox are looking for answers there. Since 2014, Red Sox catchers have slashed only .244/.300/.351. They are 28th in RC+, and 26th in fWAR. This season, Red Sox catchers have posted a 56 wRC+ and a -0.5 fWAR (both 29th in the bigs).

Vazquez and Leon have handled the bulk of the work at that spot for the Sox this year. Neither have an OPS over .650. Leon has also managed to post a 26.7 K%, which is only matched in it’s mediocrity by Vazquez’s .087 ISO.

Granted, catcher isn’t considered a premium offensive position. But for a team with World Series aspirations, those numbers qualify as a black hole.

Swihart Heating Up?

To be fair to Leon and Vazquez, Swihart hasn’t lit the world on fire either. He’s only mustered a .218/.288/.287 line in 111 PA this season. His ISO (.069) is even lower than Vazquez’s, and he’s striking out at almost the same rate as Leon.

However, there have been signs of life. In 23 PA since Vazquez’s injury, Swihart has reached base 10 times. If you extend that window out to June 26, he’s hitting .407/.484/.593. Over that same span, Leon is batting only .218/.283/.382. These are all tiny sample sizes, and drawing lasting conclusions from them can be dangerous. But, there’s evidence that we could be (finally) closing in on a Swihart breakthrough.

Swihart was 1-3 with a walk on Friday night vs. the Twins. His defense was unspectacular, but not detrimental.

At this point, “unspectacular but not detrimental” is all the Red Sox need from their catchers. It’ll be worth seeing whether their former top prospect can provide more than that.

Ted Williams Documentary Is a Smashing Hit

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American Masters aired a documentary on PBS Monday night to chronicle the life of Ted Williams. The film didn’t introduce any revelations, but they did have new color footage of Ted Williams homering in his final at-bat. Even without bringing anything new to light, the documentary was definitely worth a watch. Scanning film on one of the best hitters of all time and hearing people talk about him will never grow boring.

Playing Days

Ted Williams famously hit .406 in 1941, his third season in the big leagues. The film discussed the famous story of his refusal to sit out the final day of the season. Going into that final day, his average would have finished at .400 if rounded up. Given the option to sit and take the .400, Williams opted to play and proceeded to go 6-8 on the doubleheader, raising his average to .406.

Another famous story, which will never grow old, was when Williams returned from Korea. After not having held a bat in 456 days, Williams took batting practice at Fenway Park upon his return. After a couple line drives, Williams started launching home run after home run. At one point, he homered on 13 consecutive swings. When he returned to the playing field, Williams batted .407 and hit 13 home runs in only 91 at-bats. His OPS was an astounding 1.410. All of this was accomplished after just coming back from fighting a war.

The Final At Bat – In Color

Williams played injured in 1959 and had the only poor season of his career. Not wanting to end his career like that, Williams was determined to come back. When Tom Yawkey offered him the same pay, Williams rejected it and said he hadn’t earned it with his play, insisting on a pay cut. Can you imagine any modern player arguing for a pay cut? Williams proceeded to have an excellent season in 1960, on way to his best HR/AB ratio of his career. In his final major league game, the weather was cold and dreary and the balls weren’t traveling well. Williams had two deep fly outs in the game that likely would have cleared the fence on a warmer, dryer day. In his final at-bat, he rocked a homer. This documentary aired never before seen color footage of that home run.

Lasting Legacy

Williams was a proponent of hitting fly balls and being selective at the plate. The modern “fly ball revolution,” as it’s been termed, can be traced back to Ted Williams. Wade Boggs was interviewed in the film and gave an interesting ode to Teddy Ballgame. Boggs was struggling his senior season. He then read Ted Williams book, “The Science of Hitting.” After reading that book, Boggs batted .485 the rest of the season and was drafted by the Red Sox.

When Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966, he included in his speech notes about great Negro League players and why he hoped to see them join him in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The people at the Hall of Fame saw these notes ahead of time and asked him not to read them when he spoke. However, Williams didn’t listen. He championed the great Negro League players during his induction speech and within a few years, some of them were elected.

Ted Williams giving his Hall of Fame speech in 1966.

Personal Life

The documentary covered what a difficult person Williams was to live with. He didn’t treat his wives very well, he wasn’t a tenderly parent, and he mostly did his own thing. However, it also showed what a good person he could be. The most touching part of the film was the stories of visiting sick kids at the hospital. Teddy Ballgame refused to allow the press acknowledge his presence at these visits, which speaks to his true character. Williams always donated generously to the Jimmy Fund and visited the sick children. There was one story in particular that stood out; one day when visiting a sick child, the child gripped Ted’s finger and wouldn’t let go. Instead of forcing himself away, Williams had a nurse pull up a cot for him and he stayed by the child’s side, letting the child hold his finger until he fell asleep.

Working off of that, Williams would often go to fellow retired ballplayers, asking for donations to the Jimmy Fund. If one happened to be down on their luck, Williams would ask that they just write a ten dollar check. Once he had the check, Williams would take the account numbers from the check and have $1000 deposited into their account.

An Odd Interview

There was a peculiar moment caught on camera with Ted Williams’ daughter, Cindy. An interview with her on many topics was included in several instances of the film. She always looked into the camera, answering questions and telling stories. However, when asked about and then discussing Ted Williams “wanting” to be frozen, she never looked at the camera. The whole time she spoke, she gazed downward at the table and at her hands. It certainly gave one pause. Could there be an untold story here?

Overall Grade

The documentary was as enlightening as it was entertaining. While much of the famed folklore was recounted, some interesting glances into Williams’ personal psychic were also allowed. For any Red Sox fan, it’s a must-see. For any baseball fans, it’s a must see. Once again, the story of the greatest hitter who ever lived has been brought back to life.

Final Grade: 4.5/5 stars

Dave Dombrowski Has Done a Great Job

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On August 18th, 2015 Dave Dombrowski was announced as President of Baseball Operations for the Red Sox. The Red Sox had a 52-66 record, dead last in the AL East. Ever since then, they won two straight division titles and are on pace for a record-breaking season. However, Dombrowski gets a lot of hate, and here is why he does not deserve it.

The Farm System

The biggest gripe with Dombrowski is that he has sold off to many assets, depleting the farm system. When he took over the Red Sox had one of the best farm systems in baseball, now they have one of the worst. Dombrowski has made a lot of trades, and also held on to some valuable players. In 2015, the Red Sox top prospects were Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers, Brian Johnson, Andrew Benintendi and Michael Kopech. Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech were traded for Chris Sale, and Devers, Johnson, and Benintendi are on the big league club right now. He also has signed David Price and J.D. Martinez and traded for Craig Kimbrel.

How It Has Turned Out

The Chris Sale trade has turned out very well for the Red Sox. He has started both all-star games as a Red Sox, was a runner-up for Cy young in 2017 and favorite to win it this year. Moncada has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .231 with twelve home runs this year. Kopech has not been in the big leagues yet, and he has a 4.29 ERA this year in Triple-A Charlotte. Andrew Benintendi was called up in August of 2016 and has not disappointed since.

He is hitting .303 this year, has 14 home runs and 59 RBI’s, and a great left fielder defensively. Dombrowski could have traded him at multiple different points, but he was smart enough not to and it has worked out. Rafael Devers was called up in the middle of last year, started off hot, and has been decent this year. He has fourteen home runs but is hitting .239 and struggles in defensively. He is only 21 years old and Dombrowski was smart not to trade him given his upside.

Brian Johnson has been an important role player for the Red Sox this year. He can come out the bullpen and do well in a spot start. The David Price signing has not worked as many hoped. Has he lived up to his contract? No. But is he a proven great pitcher capable of pitching in big games? Yes. The Craig Kimbrel trade has been a steal. Manuel Margot has been decent as a Padre, but Kimbrel has been the best or one of the best closers in the MLB since the trade. JD Martinez has been a monster in his first season, hitting 29 home runs and being the power hitter they lacked in 2017.

The Bottom Line for Dombrowski

Dave Dombrowksi has not been perfect as President of baseball operations, but he has done a very good job. He has depleted the farm system, but the trades he made, or trades he chose not to make have worked out for the most part. Could you imagine a team with no Sale, Price, Kimbrel, or some of the key young pieces traded? Well, if Dave Dombrowski was not hired, that may be where the team would be at.