r/redsox

Hi all, Yankees fan here in peace. I’ve been a big fan of Payton since I first heard of him. He seems like such a sweet, hilarious dude (emphasis on the dude). I just recently watched the interview where he explains the “You’re so pretty” on his glove. He is a role model, one that shows being a true “man” means acknowledging all parts of yourself. Not just the tough, gritty parts that got you here, but also the hardships and emotional battles that got you to the person you are today.

Sorry if this doesn’t fit the theme of the subreddit right now, but I felt so captivated by this that I felt a need to post something. Some things are bigger than the ballgame, and Payton demonstrates that more than any player I’ve ever seen. If everyone in the world exuded even a fraction of what Payton Tolle does, it would be a much better place.

It was June 29, 2026. The Red Sox were a whopping 11 games behind .500, and it seemed their season was all but over. But a slight glimmer of hope remained for the Red Sox—the team was on the verge of sweeping the Yankees. Up 2-0 in Game 4 until the ninth inning, with elite closer Chapman up next, the sweep seemed simply to be a fait accompli.

But then the unthinkable happened, or perhaps, given how the team was performing all year, the expected. Chapman made a stunning choke, giving up two runs for the Yankees to tie the game. Then the dreaded Yankees quickly scored two in the top of the tenth, practically dashing all hopes of a Red Sox season comeback. The baseball gods, it appeared, assigned a Sisyphean fate to our beloved team—as soon as it seemed we had climbed out of the dungeons of mediocrity, we inevitably came tumbling right back down.

Enter Masataka Yoshida. After the team scored the Manfred runner home, we were still down 1 in the bottom of the tenth, and with only one runner on first base, the baseball analytical machines that be also destined us likely to lose. But Masataka Yoshida was at the plate. The man with elite plate discipline, with superb contact skills, the man who simply gets on base. The Yankees pitcher, and the Yankees fans, expected a weak GIDP, as the experts and fans commonly derided Yoshida for. And yet, Masataka Yoshida defied them all. He hit a beautiful, cleanly struck double down into right field, advanced the first base runner to third, with immaculate running form, himself slid into second. I urge everyone to rewatch that play in his memory here.

With the runners no on second and third with nobody out, and only one run down, all of a sudden the Red Sox were expected to win. And we did win. Our season turned around, and we know the rest of the story (we are now a winning team). But it came at a steep cost. You see, when Masataka Yoshida slid into second at the play, he did so with the most immaculate, most perfect running form ever conceived of when mankind was created. Take a closer look at his sliding form here. I’m not a scientist, but I reckon the sheer forces of such a play indubitably gave Yoshida a small hamstring tear, through which Yoshida has played through several months. Since that Yankees series, Yoshida has hitting .324 with 36 hits, 4 homers, 18 RBIs and 18 runs scored in 34 games. He knew he was injured, yet gave it his absolute all in everything he had yet in the precious little time he had left. He helped lift our team from 11 games behind .500 to over 10 games above. He sacrificed his hamstring, but in doing so saved our season.

I hope this sub remembers his sacrifice. When we go to the World Series this year, it must be “For Masa.” Every time we win, it will be “For Masa.” He did the same for us, it is now high time to do the same for him.

3 games in a row!!!! Let’s close out the sweep boys 🧹🧹

Abreu's .261 xBA and .491 xSLG exceed PCA's .252 and .472, respectively. His 24 DRS also lead PCA by 10.

I think this was posted on here a few months ago, but felt topical. I would go to war for this man