Yankees vs red sox

What those same people don’t remember and never will without looking it up is which team had the best farm system that season. Or which front office did the best job of managing the payroll in 2018 so it stayed under Major League Baseball’s luxury-tax threshold. Winning the World Series is all that matters. The Dodgers have won seven consecutive division championships and assembled a player development machine that churns out high-end talent. But they still haven’t won a championship since 1988. The Yankees have done everything right under Brian Cashman, investing in analytics and building up their farm system. But they have one championship in the last 18 seasons. For all the cognoscenti who laud the Athletics for their enlightened frugality, their last World Series was in 1990. The poor Twins have managed to lose 16 postseason games in a row since 2004. But that’s better than the Mariners, who were last in the postseason in 2001. Jamie Moyer, who won … [Read more...] about Now is not the time for Red Sox to trade Mookie Betts

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman isn’t under contract for 2020. There is no evidence that suggests he would leave Los Angeles given how he has helped set up the team for long-term success. But he has yet to agree to a new contract. Team president Stan Kasten expects it to happen. But until Friedman signs a new deal, the Red Sox have to at least investigate the possibilities. He would be a perfect choice. Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim (pronounced HIGH-em) Bloom fits the Sox’ criteria. He’s a rung below Erik Neander in Tampa Bay’s structure but has been influential in putting the roster together. The Rays have won only six fewer regular-season games than the Red Sox over the last two years spending despite roughly $333 million less on payroll. Friedman left the Rays for the Dodgers and instilled financial discipline while remaining successful. Bloom could do the same for the Sox. The Dodgers combine … [Read more...] about Red Sox willing to take their time replacing Dave Dombrowski

Dana LeVangie – who’s been a member of the Red Sox organization for 29 years, including the last seven on the coaching staff – was reassigned from pitching coach to a role in the pro scouting department. Steve Langone, the advance scouting manager, likewise will move to pro scouting. Brian Bannister, who’d served an in-uniform role as assistant pitching coach on top of his duties as VP of pitching development, will no longer be part of the big league coaching staff. Instead, he’ll focus on pitcher development programs, particularly in the minors. Change felt inevitable as the year progressed not necessarily because of the results but perhaps more because of the tension that existed between LeVangie’s traditional approach to game-planning – he drew upon his advance scouting background by consuming video tirelessly in search of holes in opposing hitters’ swings – and the team’s desire to embrace the data-driven model used by … [Read more...] about Why the Red Sox felt their pitching infrastructure needed change

LeVangie just finished his 29th season in the Red Sox organization. He has been a part of all four World Series titles this century, as bullpen catcher (2004), advance scout (2007), bullpen coach (2013), and pitching coach (2018). LeVangie’s credentials as a pitching coach were atypical because he was never a pitcher; but he found success in the role with the Sox. He advocated for the Sox to trade for Nathan Eovaldi last season, and when they did acquire Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays, LeVangie was instrumental in his development. He changed where Eovaldi stood on the pitching rubber, moving him from the (extreme) third base side a few inches toward the middle. The altered pitch lanes were a huge reason Eovaldi had such October success. LeVangie did the same with David Price last season. Price had been on the third base side of the rubber, and LeVangie moved him to the first base side, in addition to overhauling his pitch usage. Rick Porcello has called LeVangie the heart … [Read more...] about Red Sox pitching coach Dana LeVangie will become pro scout

Each team’s 2019 attendance, 2019 won-loss record and gain or decline from 2018: Team 2019 Record Up/down Philadelphia 2,727,421 81-81 569,297 Minnesota 2,294,152 101-61 334,955 San Diego 2,396,399 70-92 227,863 N.Y. Mets 2,442,532 86-76 217,537 Cincinnati 1,808,685 75-87 179,329 Oakland 1,662,211 97-65 134,623 L.A. Dodgers 3,974,309 106-56 116,809 Atlanta 2,655,100 97-65 99,319 St. Louis 3,480,393 91-71 76,806 Milwaukee 2,923,333 89-73 72,458 Chi. White Sox 1,649,775 72 -89 40,958 Boston 2,924,627 84-78 29,052 Pittsburgh 1,491,439 69-93 26,123 Texas 2,132,994 78-84 25,887 Tampa Bay 1,178,735 96-66 23,762 Miami 811,302 57-105 198 L.A. Angels 3,019,012 72-90 -1,204 Colorado 2,993,244 71-91 -22,636 Chicago Cubs 3,094,865 84-78 -86,224 Arizona 2,135,510 85-77 -107,185 Houston 2,857,367 107-55 -123,182 N.Y. Yankees 3,304,404 103-59 -178,451 Kansas City 1,479,659 59-103 -185,448 Cleveland 1,738,642 93-69 -188,059 Baltimore 1,307,807 … [Read more...] about MLB Attendance 2019 vs. 2018