Josh Ball

Covering the Portland Sea Dogs and all things Red Sox for @BeyondtheMnstr || Husson University ‘24

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Highly irresponsible to let Craig manage this deadline. He knows he’s a deadman walking. Buying/ not selling will have serious implications on a future he will not be a part of.

[Rob Bradford @bradfo]

Hearing RIGHT NOW teams are being told no when asking about Chapman, Whitlock and Slaten.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Boston Red Sox ERA by catchers:

Mickey Gasper - 3.14 ERA, 43 innings

Carlos Narvaez - 4.10 ERA, 296 innings

Connor Wong - 3.51 ERA, 174.1 innings

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Former Red Sox draft selection Phoenix Call keeps the Bruins alive.

[11Point7 College Baseball @11point7]

PHOENIX CALL WALKS IT OFFFFFF 🔥🔥🔥

#1 UCLA SURVIVES AND ADVANCES WITH 3 RUN 9TH. VIRGINIA TECH IS ELIMINATED

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Very obviously this is different messaging than what the current hitting infrastructure provides, and regardless of which idea you may subscribe to, it’s hard to run a team that does not subscribe to the ideas you are trying to implement.

[Foul Territory @FoulTerritoryTV]

Dom Smith said he was approached by Peter Fatse about retooling parts of his swing back to his high school days.

"A lot of coaches said this wouldn't work, and he said this is how YOU swing, how YOU create power, and this is how YOU are."

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

His job is on the line, he knows it, and he won’t sell. If they are still this bad in July, it would be highly detrimental, and borderline irresponsible, to allow him to be the man in charge at the trade deadline IF you know he’s not going to be here in 2027.

[Tyler Milliken @tylermilliken_]

Craig Breslow told @ChrisCotillo that he hasn’t considered an early season sell-off:

“Right now, we’re focused on doing everything we can to turn our season around… It’s a group I’ve got a lot of confidence in. I know we haven’t been playing up to what we’re capable of doing. That’s the focus.”

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

It’s Memorial Day and all 5 NL Central teams are above .500.

There’s 5 teams in the entire AL above .500.

[G.G. @ggeiss_mlb]

Really solid start from Payton Tolle tonight given the fact he was BABIP’d to death early vs. MIN:

6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 9 K
• 15 whiffs (32%)
• 29% CSW
• .294 xwOBAcon

4.50 ERA/1.10 FIP tells you all you need to know. Hell of an arm. 🐷

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Franklin Arias just hit his 2nd home run of the night. That’s now 10 on the season for the shortstop.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Wilyer Abreu is tied for 15th in baseball in positional player fWAR at 1.8. He’s a platinum level defender, walking the most and striking out the least of his career, and is now hitting lefties.

This is comfortably a top 20 player in baseball.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Zack Wheeler has thrown 16 pitches through 3 innings. He will throw a Maddux tonight if Donny Baseball lets him.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

At this point, there’s no reason for Trevor Story to be hitting ahead of Ceddanne Rafaela and Marcelo Mayer.

[Chris Cotillo @ChrisCotillo]

No Contreras today. Mickey Gasper hitting second against Zack Wheeler.

Duran LF, Gasper 1B, Abreu RF, Yoshida DH, Story SS, Rafaela CF, Mayer 2B, Narváez C, Durbin 3B

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Patrick Bailey is the most Guardians catcher. This makes sense.

[Jeff Passan @JeffPassan]

BREAKING: The Cleveland Guardians are acquiring two-time Gold Glove-winning catcher Patrick Bailey in a trade with the San Francisco Giants for the No. 29 pick in this year's draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, sources tell ESPN.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Which was more likely tonight?

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Red Sox fans hearing “Campbell skies one to left-center field.”

[Chris Henrique @ChrisHenrique]

Kristian Campbell’s homer earlier tonight off Carlos Rodón.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Maybe this was the spark that the Red Sox needed.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

The rain has unraveled a dazzling effort from Payton Tolle.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Maybe trying a backpack in a monsoon is not the best of ideas.

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

One of the most under-discussed dynamics of the Red Sox is Trevor Story’s need to throw the ball on the run. Ground ball right at him, squares it up, but has to throw on the run. That has to be some sort of form of the yips, right?

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Do you think Laz Diaz is embarrassed?

[Josh Ball @JoshJBall_]

Joel Embiid just throws himself on the ground every possession. Biggest loser in the sport.