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Over the Monster

https://www.overthemonster.com/ | 280 entries published

But Can He Pitch?

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OTM Open Thread 10/28: 18 again

What is with the Dodgers and 18-inning World Series Game 3s? I admittedly turned it off before extras started. I woke up at about 2 am to find the game still going, but made the mature decision not to tune back in. Back at it again tonight for game 4. Use this thread to talk […]

4 months ago | 0 reads

Red Sox News & Links: Sox sign free agent catcher Jason Delay

Last year, the Red Sox first free agent signing of the offseason was a journeyman reliever who had put up an ERA+ of 79 for the Cincinnati Reds the season before. The fanbase wasn’t pleased, but Justin Wilson ended up being one of the most reliable arms in the 2025 bullpen. This year, the Sox […]

4 months ago | 1 read

OTM Open Thread 10/27: Mad Max rides for the last time

After slogging through a horrifying 41-year-old season in which time once again remained undefeated, Max Scherzer somehow found a bit of his old self against the Mariners in the ALCS, logging 5.2 innings and keeping Seattle’s offense at bay. It was a hell of a way to cap off a Hall of Fame career. Except […]

4 months ago | 2 reads

2025 Red Sox in Review: Garrett Crochet is an absolute pig

2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell Sheer dominance just about every step of the way. An ace the Red Sox should be excited to have locked up for years to come. The Good How much more could Boston have asked out of Garrett Crochet in his inaugural season with the Red Sox? It goes beyond the […]

4 months ago | 2 reads

Red Sox News & Links: Ceddanne Rafaela wins Fielding Bible Award

After the slightest bit of suspense, the Jason Varitek situation has been resolved. Varitek will return to Alex Cora’s coaching staff in 2026, in the same position of game-planning coordinator and run-prevention coach (go ahead and feel free to roll your eyes at that one). Next year will mark Tek’s 30th season with the Red […]

4 months ago | 5 reads

World Series Game 1 Open Thread

It feels like it’s been a month since I last saw a baseball game. But a baseball game we finally have tonight! It’s Game 1 of the World Series. And guess what? You can still go see it in person if you want: So, yeah, $6,000 is obviously a lot of money. But what if […]

MLB

4 months ago | 0 reads

OTM Open Thread 10/24: The World Series begins today

Cooperstown, New York is a wonderful little town. Look at this place! Give me this lake, a small sailboat, some beer and I’d gladly spend the whole summer there. But Cooperstown, New York has absolutely nothing — NOTHING — to do with the history of baseball. You know what does have something to do with […]

MLB

4 months ago | 0 reads

2025 Red Sox in Review: Payton Tolle’s fastball is one to dream on

2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell Payton Tolle, a towering lefty who started his first professional season in High-A Greenville a few months ago, tore through the minor league system and showed a burst of promise before his lack of command on his secondary pitches got the best of him. He’s still not yet 23 and […]

4 months ago | 2 reads

OTM Open Thread 10/23: The long layoff before the World Series continues

Despite the ALCS going a full seven games and the Blue Jays not needing to travel anywhere before the World Series starts, we’re now sitting through day three of no baseball. The reason for this is of course money. MLB and the networks pre-determine the World Series dates and want them locked in ahead of […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

2025 Red Sox in Review: The Highlander Masataka Yoshida

2025 In a Discarded-On-The-Dugout -Floor Nutshell Facing injury, rehab, and a crowded roster, Masataka Yoshida had to wait as long as possible every step of the way in 2025. The Good In 20 games during September, Masa came to life, hitting .333/.351/.486. The batting average might be a bit fluky but his OBP was .338 […]

4 months ago | 8 reads

2025 Red Sox in Review: The inconsistent glory of Ceddanne Rafaela

2025 In a Discarded-On-The-Dugout -Floor Nutshell His Linsanity run before the trade deadline solidified him as a fan favorite, and his defense remains above Gold-Glove caliber, but his offensive struggles this season were obvious and detrimental. The Good Ceddanne Rafaela remains one of the best defensive outfielders in the entire sport. He genuinely deserves a […]

4 months ago | 1 read

Lessons learned from the 2025 Red Sox season

They say you learn more from losses than you do wins, or something like that. 29 of 30 teams end the season without hoisting a trophy, and therefore walk away more educated than the World Series Champion. While I can’t help Jarren Duran learn to catch better or Connor Wong to hit home runs, I […]

4 months ago | 1 read

OTM Open Thread 10/21: The Stage is set

Happy Tuesday, Red Sox Nation! Last night, the Blue Jays defeated the Mariners to set up a World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately, the series doesn’t start until Friday, so we’ve got three days with no baseball until the Fall Classic kicks off. Personally, I’ll be rooting for everyone to have a […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

2025 Red Sox in Review: Trevor Story was saved by money

2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell One of the most valuable players on the 2025 Red Sox was, for two months, one of the worst players in baseball. But at least he was playing baseball at all. The Good Trevor Story was saved by money. Amidst a Red Sox tenure that had been defined almost entirely […]

4 months ago | 2 reads

OTM Open Thread 10/20: Game 7

So who are you rooting for? I have a soft spot for the city of Toronto in general and Blue Jays fans in particular, even though an underage teen vomited Labatt Blue all over my back on my first visit to the Rogers Centre back in 2010. And watching a packed and raucous Toronto crowd […]

4 months ago | 2 reads

Red Sox News & Links: Manny Ramirez wants to get back into baseball

In case you missed it, Mookie Betts turned himself into one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball this year, and he did it in a history-making fashion, becoming the first player in baseball history to start at least 140 games at shortstop at age-32 or older after having made fewer than 100 career appearances […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

2025 Red Sox Postmortem, Part 6: What are the team’s biggest offseason needs?

Welcome back to our 2025 Red Sox Postmortem. After talking about the things we loved and hated, grading Craig Breslow and Alex Cora, reevaluating the Rafael Devers trade, handing out individual awards, and assessing whether the season was a success, today we turn our attention of the offseason. What should be Craig Breslow’s top offseason priority? Acquiring a #2 […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

OTM Open Thread 10/18: Shohei

Good morning. The greatest baseball player of all-time did the greatest thing that’s ever been done on a baseball field last night. Talk about what you want and be good to one another.

MLB

4 months ago | 0 reads

The Red Sox lineup could look radically different in 2026

If you asked me six months ago what I thought the Red Sox lineup would look like by season’s end, my answer would have been shockingly wrong. Going though each section of the diamond, here’s where my general thought process stood in April: If you stack all this up, I was probably thinking of a […]

4 months ago | 6 reads

Happy stealiversery, everyone!

October 17th, 2004. The Boston Red Sox are down three games to none in the ALCS against the Evil Empire, their dreaded rivals — the New York Yankees. Kevin Millar, who has already made his now-famous “Don’t let us win tonight’ quote, leads off the bottom of the 9th with a walk. Terry Francona makes […]

4 months ago | 9 reads