Boston Down Under

  Although the Red Sox made the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season, it is impossible to excuse the gaping holes in the team's construction, the most prominent being the lack of a true every day first basemen and the lack of a real power hitter. Shortstop Trevor Story led the team in home runs with 25, a lackluster amount for a team leader, putting him tied for 50th most in the MLB. When it came to everyday first basemen, the team did not fare any better. Journeyman Abraham Toro led the first in appearances at first base, with 68, although he hit .239, with a .659 OPS and was designated for assignment on August 21 and finished the season in the Red Sox AAA affiliate.  Possible free agents. The Red Sox have been linked through rumors to power hitter Kyle Schwarber, who spent the second half of the 2021 season with the club, contributing to the team's surprise playoff push. Although Schwarber serves primarily as a DH and is not known for defense, he did make 10 app...

  When it comes to superheroes, there is perhaps no character more iconic than Superman, the trunk-wearing kryptonian hero of Metropolis. It's been 12 years since Superman's last solo outing with Zack Snyder’s polarizing Man of Steel. Man of Steel was the first film to give us a darker look at Superman, a character who has been rather colorful and full of hope in his past incarnations. This film also garnered attention for statements made by director James Gunn, about immigrant themes.  Superman directed by James Gunn, stars David Corenswet as the titular hero, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as antagonist Lex Luthor. The supporting cast also includes Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced, as a trio known as the Justice Gang.  The film opens on a badly beaten and bloody Superman, who has just suffered his first defeat in his three years of crime fighting. Right off of the bat, the colors in the suit pop out in a very comic book way agai...

 Just after the midpoint of the season the Red Sox find themselves 2 games under 500. While it's been a disappointing season it hasn't been terrible and it's not a lost season. To me without a doubt one of the brightest spots this season has been rookie catcher, Carlos  Narváez.  Narváez has been hitting .268 with a .780 OPS, but the real gem lies in his defense,  Narváez has posted a caught stealing above average of 6, ranking in the 100th percentile.  Narváez blocks above average rank in the 98th percentile with 10, and his framing is in the 91st percentile. If it weren't for Mariner's catcher, Cal Raleigh, having an absolutely absurd start to the season with a 1.031 OPS and 32 bombs,  Narváez would almost certainly be in the conversation for AL starting catcher in the All-Star game.     I think Ceddanne Rafaela has also been among the brightest spots this season. With 12 outs above average, putting him in the 99th percentile, Rafaela has been d...

  The Rafael Devers trade makes no sense . By HB The Rafael Devers trade makes no sense. Full stop. With Marcelo Mayer up and Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro performing significantly above average there was no reason to have Devers play the field. Any issues surrounding Devers playing either first or third, on a practical level have been resolved. This was a power trip of a move from the ownership and the GM. After the 2018 World Series, we were sort of given the expectation that we would not be able to pay all three of our stars, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, which is not something that should be coming from a team of the Red Sox stature. Nevertheless, Rafael Devers was all the fanbase was left with from the 2018 World Series and now he is gone. For what? AN injured pitcher with a 6 ERA and another pitcher with a 4 ERA who was just assigned to AAA.  What makes even less sense about this trade is the timing. Coming off of a sweep of the first place New York Y...

  Romy González is a Key Piece of the Boston Red Sox. By HB January of 2024 the Red Sox claimed Romy González off of waivers after he was Designated for Assignment by the Chicago White Sox, who would go on to lose a record setting 121 games. Signing the 27-year-old González who had slashed .222/.239/.361 across 239 plate appearances in his three seasons with the White Sox, would go onto be one of the most underrated moves the Red Sox would make in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. And no, it is not just because my cat is named after him. González’s 2024 season with the Red Sox saw a rise in his exit velocity, launch angle, batting average and slugging. González posted a .723 OPS, a .138-point increase from his .585 in 2023 with the White Sox. Although González’s ops+ sat at 100, making him an exactly average hitter, his 90th percentile speed led him to 11 stolen bases on 14 attempts and his defensive versatility allowed him to play seven positions across the field, for a team which had s...

     Where do the Patriots go with Mac Jones?     At this point in time, the answer to that question is looking like nowhere.  It would be quite adequate to say the previous two games have been a disaster for the Mac Jones led Patriots. The team has been outscored 72-3, with very little going right on the offensive side of the ball. Jones has posted a 0-4 touchdown to interception as well ratio as well as only 260 yards passing yards to show to show for the two games. Two of the four interceptions were returned for touchdowns as well as another fumble early in the game against the Cowboys. Jones has also been benched twice in these last two games with back-up quarterback Bailey Zappe taking his place. Jones's play is met with boos and skepticism from New England fans, and it begs the question; How much longer will Mac Jones be the Patriots starting quarterback? Zappe has proven that he may not be a much better option than Jones, although his 2-0 record in s...