04/20/24
July 08, 2014
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
You get a feel for just how good the Red Sox are if I tell you I swapped over to Celtics/ Pacers last night.
posted by yerfatma at 12:08 PM on July 08, 2014
2011 : 90-72 2012 : 69-93 2013 : 97-65 2014 : 39-50
I wonder if there's ever been another team so wildly up-and-down as the Red Sox over the last 3+ years. (I could probably be more vague if I tried, but I'm willing to say "grum" 3 times in the mirror, if that'll help)
posted by littleLebowski at 01:18 PM on July 08, 2014
posted by NoMich at 01:57 PM on July 08, 2014
*poof*
The St. Louis Cardinals from 1985 to 1989 were:
101 wins
79 wins
95 wins
76 wins
Their "highs" were higher than the Red Sox, but their "lows" weren't as low.
If the Red Sox really are a 70 win team at the end of the season, that'll definitely be the biggest 4-year swings I've seen.
*poof
posted by grum@work at 02:07 PM on July 08, 2014
I remember that the 1966 Sox were pretty bad, finishing down near the cellar before embarking on the impossible path to glory in 67. Them and the Yankees ran neck and neck for that coveted bottom spot.
Also, I think that in the NL, the worst teams in 66 were the Cubs and Mets, who then staged their equally improbable epic divisional war in 69.
posted by beaverboard at 02:18 PM on July 08, 2014
I wonder if there's ever been another team so wildly up-and-down as the Red Sox over the last 3+ years. (I could probably be more vague if I tried, but I'm willing to say "grum" 3 times in the mirror, if that'll help)
The Marlins come to mind:
1995: 67-76, 22.5 GB 1996: 80-82, 16 GB 1997: 92-70, 9 GB, World Series Champion 1998: 54-108, 52 GB (granted, this was after the team firesale) 1999: 64-98, 39 GB
After the 2003 WS win, they were mostly consistent in their performance, never being in danger of being too good or too bad and finding a humble home in mediocrity.
posted by Bonkers at 03:20 PM on July 08, 2014
Bill Speros, writer of the Obnoxious Boston Fan blog, posted in today's Boston Globe, shows that the club has had a nearly exact .500 record over its last 500 games. That span includes the late-season collapse in 2011, the disaster of 2012, last year's unexpected World Series win, and this year's rather putrid start.
By the way, yerfatma, old movies on Turner Classic Movies have become my refuge from Red Sox (so-called) baseball.
posted by Howard_T at 04:21 PM on July 08, 2014
The Red Sox just need to sign Johnny Damon:
Johnny Damon: 'Ready' for comeback
"When you feel you can still outhit at least half the league and you don't get that call, it's rough," Damon told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday.
posted by justgary at 05:48 PM on July 08, 2014
old movies on Turner Classic Movies have become my refuge from Red Sox (so-called) baseball
Have to take some time off as it was my solution to overnight feedings and getting the baby sleeping over the winter. My wife and I watched Lawrence of Arabia over the course of four nights. I did set up some Michael Caine with mercenaries in North Africa during WWII to tape yesterday, so I may get back on the horse.
Not on TCM (Amazon Prime), but we also watched The Friends of Eddie Coyle and loved it. Great Boston scenes including a torn-down stadium I had to ask my dad about, cool story and the most That Guys I've ever seen in a movie, including the trainer from Slapshot! as a bank robber.
posted by yerfatma at 10:59 AM on July 09, 2014
In honor of the NBA Summer League, an article from a few years ago explaining it: "it's worthless to watch summer-league basketball in hopes of seeing how good someone like Kevin Durant is going to be in the pros. If you'd like to see how good Durant would be if he played in a freakishly competitive game at the Y, however, you've come to the right place."