Some Things I Think I Think: Red Sox' managerial seat not hot enough for a change
*Red Sox' chief baseball officer Craig Breslow gave Alex Cora a vote of confidence Saturday in Atlanta, but really, that was just a confirmation of the obvious: Cora, for any number of reasons, isn't going anywhere.
Let's start with his contract, which was agreed to last July and kicked in at the start of this season. If the Red Sox terminated him now, they'd owe him about $20 million. The Red Sox have eaten bigger contracts in the past, but they're not about to walk away from a manager less than three months into a three-year deal.
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Also, while three major league managers have already been fired (Baltimore, Colorado and Pittsburgh) since the season began, increasingly, teams are loathe to make in-season changes. Baseball is not an effort sport the way basketball and hockey are. Sometimes, changing coaches in the NBA or NHL can reinvigorate a team that has tuned out a coach and the installation of a new coach can improve effort and intensity. That doesn't apply to baseball.
Even if it did, the Red Sox would have to find a replacement internally, since rival teams are not about to allow them to poach anyone from their staffs in the middle of the year. There's no logical replacement on the current Red Sox staff, with the possible exception of Ramon Vazquez, who is a close friend of Cora's and who views the game in much the same way.
Finally, ownership and upper management remain enamored with Cora. They remember 2018 and how Cora won a World Series in his first season managing at any level. Even if after Cora was suspended by MLB for his involvement in the 2017 Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, they're squarely backed his return in 2021 and were rewarded with a trip to the ALCS in his first year back in the dugout.
They view Cora as the right man for the job and the right ambassador for the team, and are not about to have their minds changed over the course of 60 games — however disappointing those have been.
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It's easy to take issue with some in-game decisions — just as long as you remember that the same can be said of 29 other big league managers, a fact that some fans conveniently forget.
The frustration on the part of the fan base is both palpable and understandable. After three straight seasons out of the postseason and without a winning record, fans were led to believe that this year would be different. Instead it's been more of the same.
When that happens, it's natural to question the job security of the manager.
But not in this case. Cora is here to stay.
*The Stefon Diggs situation shouldn't be altogether surprising. We know little about what went on on that boat or what Diggs was consuming and sharing with others. But at the very least, he was guilty of some poor judgement.
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The last thing Mike Vrabel wanted was a distraction, but really, is anyone surprised?
It's just one more example of the pattern of diva-like behavior by a star NFL wide receiver. What is it with that position, anyway? Imagine if, say, center fielders in baseball had that same reputation, and people just shrugged and said: 'Well, what did you expect? The guy's a center fielder!"
Either way, it's inauspicious start to Diggs' time in Foxboro.
*In the end, it won't matter how long the Bruins took to hire a coach; it will be more about who rather than when.
And if the decision is to go with Marco Sturm or Jay Leach, who have built strong reputations as both AHL head coaches and NHL assistants, that's fine, too. But here's hoping that Sturm or Leach aren't hired chiefly because they had ties to the organization.
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*Say this for Brad Stevens: The Celtics' GM isn't afraid to think big.
As the Celtics transition to a season with their best player, Stevens seems to be investigating every option available, from landing a lottery pick to contemplating a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Anything and everything is on the table for the Celtics. And for a team intent on winning, that's how it always should be.
*Wasn't familiar with Rich Waltz, who handled play-by-play for the Red Sox-Braves on Apple+ TV, and I was left wondering how familiar Waltz is with baseball.
When his on-air partner David Ross casually noted that he was once teammates with Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, a surprised Waltz asked: 'When did you catch him?'
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Um, the 2016 Cubs, Rich? Won a World Series for the first time in 108 years, in a thrilling seven-game series in 2016? Is any of this ringing a bell? It was in all the papers.
*When players make their major league debuts for the Red Sox, Cora has a habit of saying: 'He's a big leaguer now and nobody can take that away from him.'
And I guess my question is: Who, exactly, would be trying to 'take that away from him?'
*Weeks after the Celtics elimination by the Knicks, too many fans are unable to admit that their team's second-round exit was not a matter of bad luck or even injuries. With or without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics had no business losing to the Knicks.
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*There was some consternation that Rick Tocchet wasn't interested in the Bruins' job, citing the organization's coaching turnover in the last little while and (at the time) Don Sweeney's contractual uncertainty.
Both are fair points.
But when did Tocchet become Scotty Bowman? Recall that this past year, he oversaw a team in Vancouver where the franchise's two top players — Elias Petterson and J.T. Miller — literally didn't speak to one another, creating a divided dressing room that helped tank the season.
*How long again until Season 4 of The Bear starts up again?
*Edmonton over Florida in seven games for the Stanley Cup. But what do I know?
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*Congrats to Mike Glavine and his Northeastern Huskies for their terrific baseball season.
*I'm guessing TV networks are less than thrilled with the prospect of a NBA Finals pitting Indiana (the league's 22nd media market) against Oklahoma City (ranked No. 28).
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CBS News
4 minutes ago
- CBS News
New building proposed by Boston Red Sox ownership would overlook Fenway Park's Green Monster
A new building is being proposed next to Fenway Park that would be very noticeable to Boston Red Sox fans taking in a game at the ballpark. The Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Red Sox, has unveiled renderings for an office/retail building at 55 Lansdowne St., which is between the ballpark and the Mass Pike. Construction could start in 2026. Renderings show that the brick building, which stands 129 feet tall, would be clearly visible above the 37-foot Green Monster. A spokesperson for the project acknowledged that the new building could block views of the iconic Citgo sign for some inside Fenway. "Views from certain angles will change with the addition of this building," the spokesperson said. The proposed new office building behind Fenway Park Morris Adjmi Architects + JAKLITSCH / GARDNER ARCHITECTS + Gensler But at a public planning department meeting on Monday, Yanni Tsipis with WS Development said the building will fit "really beautifully and contextually in with the streetscape, the Fenway Park ecosystem." "It could have been a lot taller than this," Tsipis said. "We didn't think that was the right approach." Developers say their priorities for the new development include putting "people and bicycles first," respecting and preserving history and "avoid becoming a sports theme park." The Red Sox and Fenway Sports Groups would move their office space to the new building, freeing up space in the ballpark that could be used to improve the fan experience. Genevieve Day with The Fenway Alliance said at the meeting that the proposal looks like a "huge improvement" over the parking garage that currently sits there. "It really looks like one of those buildings that has always been there," she said. "It almost looks like a warehouse building that you are repurposing." A ground view of the 55 Lansdowne St. project near Fenway Park. Morris Adjmi Architects + JAKLITSCH / GARDNER ARCHITECTS + Gensler Fenway Sports Group also owns the air rights over that section of the Mass Pike, and there are plans to build a walkway over the turnpike that would connect Lansdowne Street with Kenmore Square.
New York Times
33 minutes ago
- New York Times
White Sox All-Quarter Century Team, the South Siders' best since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming MLB All-Quarter Century Teams, selected by Jayson Stark and Tyler Kepner and our readers. In addition, some of our writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement Well, the last quarter century of White Sox baseball has certainly been eventful, hasn't it? The 2000s began with a surprise division title just three years after the infamous 'White Flag Trade.' Five years later, the franchise reached its apex with a World Series championship. Yadda yadda yadda, in 2024, the White Sox went 41-121 and eclipsed the 1962 New York Mets as the worst team in modern baseball history. It's been a long way down. You could basically put the 2005 team on this list and Sox fans would be satiated, but in the end, I included only four of its position players, the ace of the pitching staff and the closer. I tried to balance longevity with impact, and in one case, I picked a guy mostly for vibes (and two big defensive plays in the World Series). Feel free to argue among yourselves in the comments, but if you look at the team's most common players by position page on Baseball Reference, you'll get a picture of why the Sox made the playoffs only five times since 2000. Signing Pierzynski was one of GM Kenny Williams' finest decisions. He was perfect for this team and this town and no one personified that era of Sox baseball like Pierzynski, who was both brash and good. Mark Buehrle famously said he never shook him off. Pierzynski's two most famous moments of his eight years with the team were running to first on a dropped third strike with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS, a heads-up play that helped propel the Sox to a win; and getting punched by Cubs catcher Michael Barrett in 2006, setting off a benches-clearing brawl. But later that season, when the crosstown series returned to Wrigley Field, he hit a three-run homer to give the Sox the lead in the ninth that led to some Cubs fans showering the outfield with garbage. Those kinds of moments are why Sox fans still wear his jerseys to games. They called him 'The King' for a reason. Konerko, who played on the South Side from 1999 through 2014, was the captain of the White Sox, an erudite student of hitting with a caustic dry wit. He hit 408 of his 439 career homers for the Sox in the 2000s while putting up a .280/.356/.490 slash line. He could go into slumps, but he was otherwise the steady presence for a rocky franchise. Advertisement Everyone thought he'd leave after 2005 for free agency riches, but he pulled a smooth negotiating maneuver when he saved the final-out ball from the World Series and presented it to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf at the parade. When Konerko finally retired in 2014, he immediately got a statue and a retired number. In two-plus seasons of the 2000s, Durham put up 10.8 bWAR for the Sox. He hit 52 homers in that span (Durham is the franchise leader for homers as a second baseman) and was an All-Star in the team's surprising run to the AL Central title in 2000. There aren't a lot of other candidates, really. Tadahito Iguchi was a 30-year-old rookie in 2005 and helped spark the 'Ozzie Ball' Sox to the World Series, but he had a 5.3 WAR in two-plus seasons. Gordon Beckham should've been the guy, but wasn't. Yoán Moncada didn't stick at second long enough. Chris Getz started one season at second base and is now the GM. From 2009 through 2023, the White Sox got consistent production from Alexei Ramirez and Tim Anderson at shortstop. Anderson personified the team's short-lived 'Change the Game' era, winning a batting title in 2019 and making a pair of All-Star Games in 2021 and 2022. His bat-flipping charisma made him a star and his homer into the corn in the 'Field of Dreams' game got the Sox a nod for the 25 best games of the quarter century. Ramirez, who started at shortstop from 2009 through 2015, put up 23.5 bWAR and hit 109 homers in his eight seasons (including one at second base) for the Sox. He finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2008 and made an All-Star team in 2014. But this is a subjective exercise and I'm going with my gut. This team needs Juan Uribe, the Winnie the Pooh-shaped shortstop who brought vibes like no one else. Advertisement 'He remains one of my favorite guys to ever put on a White Sox uniform,' Williams told me in 2016. 'He's a prince of a guy and if you get a chance to know him, he's one of the funniest guys you'll ever know.' More importantly, he made one of the iconic plays of the Sox World Series run, catching a foul ball in the stands for the second out in the ninth before helping finish off the 1-0 clincher in Game 4 with a ridiculous snag and throw to first. You wish you loved your kids as much as Hawk Harrelson loved Joe Crede. (I can only hear his name in Harrelson's bellowing voice.) Crede was only a full-time starter for the Sox from 2003 through 2008, but it seems like he was there forever, a quiet guy on a loud team. His best offensive season actually came in 2006, when the Sox failed to get back to the playoffs, but he'll forever be remembered for his walk-off hit in Game 2 of the '05 ALCS. Crede was up with two outs in a tie game just after Pierzynski reached first on the dropped third strike and hit an 0-2 pitch from Kelvim Escobar for a double to left, scoring pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna. That tied the series at 1-1, and the Sox didn't lose again in the playoffs. Crede had a .949 OPS in the 2005 playoffs with four homers and 11 RBIs. The Hawkeroo will toast to this pick. Carlos Quentin had the best single season of any left fielder in the 2000s with a 5.3 WAR in 2008 (and that's with missing the last month of the season). Scott Podsednik was the straw that stirred the Sox's drink in 2005. But it's the guy who was traded for Podsednik — in the deal that got used as an example of the 'culture change' that Ozzie Guillen wanted — who wins this honor based on actual production. (Yes, I know I used the opposite argument for Uribe.) Because from 2000-04, Lee had a .287/.344/.493 slash line, hitting 136 homers and driving in 468 runs. He was really good, if not the right person for Guillen's lineup at the time. When Theo Epstein traded Eloy Jiménez to the Sox, he comped him to 'El Caballo,' but the oft-injured Jiménez never came close to capturing Lee's production. Advertisement But I should point out that while Podsednik's value was only immeasurable in the 2005 regular season, he really raked in the playoffs with six extra-base hits, including two homers. He slugged .551 in the postseason as compared to .349 during the season. Aaron Rowand is the sentimental favorite, but even though he's having a nightmarish season, Robert is still the pick. He's a five-tool player, even if only three of those tools are showing up right now. He showed signs of stardom in his first four seasons and I have to think the woeful state of the team has had an effect on him. While the team was falling apart in 2023, Robert played 145 games and put up a 5.3 bWAR with 38 homers and an .857 OPS. But he was bad last year in the Sox's historically awful season and he's been even worse in 2025 as the team tries to peddle him for prospects. It's a shame he hasn't produced more in a Sox uniform. You want to know something depressing? Adam Eaton had a better bWAR (16.2) in four seasons with the Sox than Robert does (14.4) in five-plus seasons. Shoot, maybe Eaton should've won this honor? From 2000-04, Ordoñez made three of his four All-Star Games as a Sox (he made two more with Detroit) and put up a .313/.376/.550 slash line with 139 homers and 510 RBIs. He was a star and another White Sox inductee into the Hall of Very Good. The Sox let Ordońez go after the 2004 season and he signed a five-year, $75 million deal with Detroit that included two option years, one of which was picked up for $18 million. Nineteen years later, the Sox finally gave their own five-year, $75 million deal to a free agent outfielder. (Don't ask.) Jermaine Dye, the Sox's World Series MVP, finishes second here. You have Jim Thome, who hit 134 homers, had 369 RBIs and put up a .933 OPS in 529 games in three-plus seasons with the Sox — and also hit the solo homer in the 1-0 2008 division tiebreaker win over the Twins at The Cell — and of course you have Frank Thomas (more on him below). There's also, uh, Adam Dunn. Advertisement But while he never played more than 39 games at DH, Abreu obviously deserves to be on this team for his production over nine years in Chicago. Abreu, the regular first baseman from 2014 through 2022, made three All-Star teams, won Rookie of the Year in 2014 and the AL MVP in the shortened 2020 season. He put up 31.3 bWAR and hit 243 homers and 863 RBIs for the Sox. I'm actually surprised there aren't more pictures of him around the ballpark. When does he get his statue? You can't do an All-Sox team without Frank Thomas, the franchise's all-time best hitter. From 2000-05, after his Hall of Fame peak, he still hit 147 homers and drove in 425 runs in 588 games and he barely played in 2001 and 2005. In that last year, he started the season rehabbing from an offseason ankle surgery and then was lost to foot surgery in late July. Still, he somehow managed 12 homers in just 105 at-bats. He wasn't on the playoff roster, which was a shame, but he still enjoyed the World Series run. The next year in Oakland, he finished fourth in AL MVP voting en route to a first-ballot Hall of Fame nod. He's currently selling an eponymous vodka and appearing in those cringey Nugenix commercials. One thing the White Sox did in this era was produce pitchers. Somewhere Don Cooper is smiling. Our starting five has four left-handers. We're leaving out Lucas Giolito, José Contreras (who was basically the best pitcher in baseball from the second half of 2005 through the first half of 2006), Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland, among others. Buehrle was one of the most effective (and efficient) pitchers of his era and one of the all-time best Sox starters (48.9 bWAR, 161 wins, 3.83 ERA, nearly 2,500 innings in 12 seasons), which is why he's still getting Hall of Fame votes and a statue at The Rate this summer. Sale was the franchise's best draft pick since Thomas. He went 74-50 with an even 3.00 ERA in 228 games (148 starts) for the Sox, striking out 1,244 in 1,110 innings. He was in the top six of Cy Young Award voting for his last five seasons with the Sox, making the All-Star team each time. His trade to Boston after the 2016 season started the team's ill-fated rebuild — and it was obvious then and now that the Sox's failure to build around him and Quintana was an organizational failure. He should be Cooperstown-bound with a strong finish to his career. Advertisement You don't have to say 'What about Danks?' because he made the list. The lefty is just behind Sale in career strikeouts for the franchise. Quintana had 21.2 WAR in six seasons before being dealt in a crosstown blockbuster to the Cubs for Cease, who finished second for the AL Cy Young in 2022. Cease, the lone right-hander, had a 3.83 ERA and 792 strikeouts in 658 innings for the Sox. He pitched in 346 games with the Sox and 209 of them came between 2000-02. Foulke had a 2.74 ERA and 87 saves, striking out 224 in 246 2/3 innings. He wasn't a setup guy, but he'll do just fine. Who else? Jenks is second all-time in saves in Sox history at 173 (Bobby Thigpen is first with 201) and he had 334 strikeouts in 341 2/3 innings. The best closers have what the kids today call 'aura' and Jenks was thick with it. After coming up during the 2005 season as a golden ticket of a waiver claim, Jenks started pumping triple-digit fastballs in an era where that wasn't commonplace. In the post-Jordan era of Chicago sports, I'd put Jenks, despite being a heavyset dude with a goatee, among the most electric athletes we had, right up there with Javy Báez, Patrick Kane and Derrick Rose. He was like a folk hero. As you might've read, Jenks is currently battling stomach cancer in Portugal. Da Pope. The Sox fan formerly known as Robert Prevost sneaks past Donn Pall for the honor. Last year, the Sox had the milkshake as the distraction for an awful season. This season, it's the pope. I love that the White Sox, the team perennially slept on by the national media, can count a Pope and a President among its fans. Obama proudly wore his Sox gear as a Senator and as the President and gave the franchise some needed cachet after they stopped winning. Guillen was the shortstop of the 1990s, a Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star with the gift of gab. His hiring before the 2004 season was one of Williams and Reinsdorf's best moves. The White Sox went 678-617 in Guillen's eight seasons in charge, with five winning seasons. Their 11-1 romp through the 2005 playoffs looked dominant but included a host of close games. Seven of those wins were decided by one or two runs, including all four games of a World Series sweep. Advertisement Guillen should still be managing somewhere, but he's turned into the best studio analyst in the city, the Charles Barkley of White Sox games. I would love to hear Ozzie the analyst critique Ozzie the manager's moves after a game. (Photo of Mark Buehrle, A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko after Buehrle pitched a complete game against the Cubs in 2006: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Angels at Red Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 4
Its Wednesday, June 4 and the Angels (28-32) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (29-34). José Soriano is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Lucas Giolito for Boston. The Angels have taken the first two games in this series. Each game has been decided by a single run. Last night, LA won in ten innings, 4-3. Five Angels' relievers combined to allow just two hits over the final five innings to lead the Halos to victory. Lets dive into this afternoon's matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Angels at Red Sox Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Time: 1:35PM EST Site: Fenway Park City: Boston, MA Network/Streaming: FDSNW, NESN, MLBN Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Angels at the Red Sox The latest odds as of Wednesday: Moneyline: Angels (+110), Red Sox (-130) Spread: Red Sox -1.5 Total: 10.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Angels at Red Sox Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: José Soriano vs. Lucas Giolito Angels: José Soriano (4-5, 3.41 ERA) Last outing: 5/30 at Cleveland - 6IP, 0ER, 4H, 4BB, 2KsRed Sox: Lucas Giolito (1-1, 4.78 ERA) Last outing: 5/30 at Atlanta - 4.2IP, 1ER, 5H, 2BB, 3Ks Angels: José Soriano (4-5, 3.41 ERA) Last outing: 5/30 at Cleveland - 6IP, 0ER, 4H, 4BB, 2Ks Red Sox: Lucas Giolito (1-1, 4.78 ERA) Last outing: 5/30 at Atlanta - 4.2IP, 1ER, 5H, 2BB, 3Ks Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Angels at Red Sox Kristian Campbell is 2-14 over his last 4 games Jorge Soler is 1-16 over his last 4 games The Under is 7-3 in the Red Sox's last 10 games The Angels have covered the Run Line in 3 straight games against the Red Sox If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for today's game between the Angels and the Red Sox Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Angels and the Red Sox: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Red Sox on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Los Angeles Angels at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 10.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
