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The Red Sox are known as an organization that has embraced some of the "Moneyball" ideology, and for good reason. This lineup has been full of guys who are great at working counts and drawing walks over the past decade or so. However, it seems this year's version of the Red Sox are getting away from that plate discipline. (Brian MacPherson; Providence Journal)
- If any of you fine OTM readers have read Boston.com's Obnoxious Boston Fan column, you probably know how insane of a schtick it is. My good Twitter-friend did a great job of dissecting OBF's latest piece and showing it's many flaws. (Chip Buck; Fire Brand of the AL)
- Seam McAdam tells us that Cherington and company are waiting a bit longer to decide their strategy at the deadline. One interesting note from this piece is how highly Jose Iglesias apparently ranks in Boston's farm system according to other teams. If he is truly this well-thought of, I'd think this is the time to move him. (Sean McAdam; CSN New England)
- One hundred years ago, the Red Sox won the World Series. Now, the trophy from that 1912 championship is being put up for auction. It's an amazing piece of Red Sox history, and I'm sure sports memorabilia fanatics will be all over this piece of history. (ESPN Boston)
- The Red Sox were involved pretty heavily in rumors involving their former shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez. As it turns out, he was traded to the Dodgers early Wednesday morning. Many are viewing this as yet another baseless fire sale from Miami's ownership, but Dave Cameron cautions against that. (Dave Cameron; Fangraphs)
- Ever since he came to the team last season, Mike Aviles has been one of my personal favorites. I was never sure why, but he seemed like an extremely likeable guy. This story about his perseverance while awaiting his shot at the big leagues made me like him that much more. (Alex Speier; WEEI.com)
- A fan-favorite here in Boston, Alex Rodriguez recently went down with a fracture in his hand. This adds to the long list of injuries the division-rival Yankees have had to endure this season. With the lack of depth in their farm system, here are some potential external upgrades they could make in his absence. (Jay Jaffe; Sports Illustrated)
- A lot of Red Sox fans are still holding out hope for this season based on talent-level and preseason expectations. I would include myself in this group, though my hope is waning after each game. It's refreshing to hear that Boston's not the only AL East team in this position. (Grant Brisbee; Baseball Nation)