Some good news?

[RedSoxRooter]

Matt Waxman - Sports Illustrated

 

Don't fret Red Sox nation, Boston will be just fine

 

Posted: Thursday December 29, 2005 12:09PM; Updated: Thursday December 29, 2005 12:09PM

 

Red Sox nation is flocking like lemmings to the edge of the Green Monster. "Abysmal" is the word I'm hearing most often to describe the team's offseason, with "dreadful" and "atrocious" close behind. Listening to the masses, you'd think the team was going to take the field on Opening Day with still unresolved issues regarding centerfield and shortstop, that Manny Ramirez's and David Wells' trade requests were still pending and that the third place team in the division had started printing its own Loonies. Some of them even agree with those dimwitted scribes who have suggested the Red Sox are (mouth trembling)... rebuilding. That Johnny Damon's defection to the Yankees was the anvil that broke the camel's back.

 

Relax. It's not that bad. Other than the fact that he'll be 37 at the end of the contract, has no arm, doesn't steal bases anymore and was breaking down last season, Damon was a steal for the Yankees. Yes, he'll help the Bronx Bombers immensely next year, but on the back end of that deal, they'll basically be dealing with Bernie Williams redux.

 

If I was GM of the Red Sox (and with a mastery of statistics and an Ivy League diploma, I probably could be), I would have two theorems written on my wall: 1) Sign players on the way up, not on the way down; 2) It's the pitching, stupid.

 

Theorem 1 explains how letting Damon go showed prudence. When building a team that can survive the rigors of 162 games in 183 days, think Van Wilder and not Van Winkle. The Sox and Yanks were both running on fumes in last season's playoffs and it showed. This theorem also explains why Edgar "Stone Hands" Renteria (a league-leading 30 errors in '05), Kevin Millar (HRs down from 25 to 18 to 9 in the last three years) and Bill Mueller (decent player, but he's 34-years-old) were not retained. Conversely, you could make an argument that the Yankees have but two players (Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang) on their 25-man roster whose best years are ahead of them.

 

Theorem 2 explains why trading for Josh Beckett was a heist. Let us not forget that if Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke give the team anything in 2006, that'll be an improvement over their contributions to last year's team, which still made the playoffs.

 

Whether young Theo returns on his white horse or not, the Sox will be more than fine. They're getting younger, their pitching is improved and their farm system is finally producing fruits for the big club.

 

Conversely, the Yankees average age keeps going up like George Steinbrenner's blood pressure every year his team doesn't win the World Series. New York's rotation is a strained back and a pulled oblique away from being in shambles. As long as the Sox don't give in to Manny's trade request, I'd say they will be on their way to their first American League East title since 1995.

=======================

 

 

Well, if we can fill SS/1B/CF without letting go of prospects and pray Schill and Foulke return at 100%, then ok, it will be close. I guess it could happen........

[ORS]

Good article. I've been saying some of the same stuff. Although, he'd be a lot more believable if he got this little tidbit right, Damon will be 35 at the end of the contract, not 37

[Optimist]

New York's rotation is a strained back and a pulled oblique away from being in shambles.

 

Change 'strained back and a pulled oblique' to 'blister and a ankle injury,' and the same can be said for Boston's rotation.

 

As long as the Sox don't give in to Manny's trade request, I'd say they will be on their way to their first American League East title since 1995.

 

I really think the article is decent until this line; it is backed up with alot of 'ifs' and seems to come more from his own personal bias (not the word I'm looking for, but I'm sure you all get what I'm trying to say) than logic/reality.

[RedSoxRooter]

Actually, of all the IFs, that's the one that worries me the least. At least the Sox can control that, unlike Schill and Foulke (who I do not believe can again be the closer).

[He Hate Me]

Thats gotta be one of the most optimistic articles I've read in a while.

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

Matt Waxman - Sports Illustrated

 

Don't fret Red Sox nation, Boston will be just fine

 

Posted: Thursday December 29, 2005 12:09PM; Updated: Thursday December 29, 2005 12:09PM

 

Conversely, you could make an argument that the Yankees have but two players (Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang) on their 25-man roster whose best years are ahead of them.

 

 

 

 

Conversely, the Yankees average age keeps going up like George Steinbrenner's blood pressure every year his team doesn't win the World Series.

 

 

 

I think farnsworth and chacon could possibly be added to the 'best years ahead list,' of course only time will tell.

 

About the age thing, the yankees have actually gotten younger this year. Of course, signing anyone under 35 makes this team younger. We are still definitely too old, but we are making progress.

[adam123]

Actually, of all the IFs, that's the one that worries me the least. At least the Sox can control that, unlike Schill and Foulke (who I do not believe can again be the closer).

I LIKE YOUR COMMENTS .... so how is it in the green monster .. so how is the feeling inboston ..i live in vegas ..i went to the parade last year do you think we even have a shot a geting theo or tejata back ??

[RedSoxRooter]

I LIKE YOUR COMMENTS .... so how is it in the green monster .. so how is the feeling inboston ..i live in vegas ..i went to the parade last year do you think we even have a shot a geting theo or tejata back ??

 

It's dark in here, but thankfully Manny stops by every once in a while to say "Hey".

 

I live in Atlanta, so I don't know how it is in Boston. If it's anything like CT (where I was last week), then it SUCKS.

 

Yes to Theo

 

No to Tejada

[26 to 6]

Change 'strained back and a pulled oblique' to 'blister and a ankle injury,' and the same can be said for Boston's rotation.

 

 

 

I really think the article is decent until this line; it is backed up with alot of 'ifs' and seems to come more from his own personal bias (not the word I'm looking for, but I'm sure you all get what I'm trying to say) than logic/reality.

 

Yea kind of biased about the Division champs statement if you ask me. Granted, NY media often jumps to that same conclusion, but its usually when our team is in good shape, not falling apart (talent wise and organizational wise).

[Cityofchampions33]

Thi is the way I've felt about the Sox offseason put into words and proper sentences. I've repeated over and over again about how it wasn't a catastrophic offseason at all, and we have improved greatly from last year's team at most positions, and the bullpen.

[ORS]

 

Yea kind of biased about the Division champs statement if you ask me. Granted, NY media often jumps to that same conclusion, but its usually when our team is in good shape, not falling apart (talent wise and organizational wise).

Falling apart? Some wishful thinking on your part, I suspect. Oh, that's right, they didn't sign the most expensive FA at every position of need. How silly of me to think there was an alternative to the 21st Century Yankee model of success.

[yeszir]

Wait. I just realized something. No one's made a Geico joke yet...

[Optimist]

Falling apart? Some wishful thinking on your part, I suspect.

 

You don't call losing the catalyst of your offense, losing your GM (who was one of the better minds in the game), trading one of your top prospects for an injury prone NL pitcher (you guys are like the Yankees!), a (it would seem) bumbling FO creating hole after hole on the field, and a rotation, which is shaky at best, not being bolstered...'falling apart?'

 

Saying this off season will harm the Red Sox in 2006 isn't, necessarily, wishful thinking; saying they're on their way to winning an AL East title, in this condition, is.

[yankeessuck013]

trading one of your top prospects for an injury prone NL pitcher

 

this made me laugh! it's not like he's KEVIN BROWN! he is the 2003 World Series MVP, what has hanley proved in the major league's?

 

let's see um...we still have the 2004 ALCS MVP, the 2004 World Series MVP....Falling Apart? b-b-b-b- ullshit

 

a rotation not being bolstered? wtf are you talking about.

[yankeessuck013]

Oh, that's right, they didn't sign the most expensive FA at every position of need. How silly of me to think there was an alternative to the 21st Century Yankee model of success.

 

[Optimist]

he is the 2003 World Series MVP

 

He's also a 9 time resident of the DL.

[jsinger121]

hanley hasnt even backed up his top prospect status with the stats in the minors. they acquired an even better prospect in andy marte. the red sox will also have 3 quality starters under the 30 the next few years in beckett, papelbon and lester. by the time those 3 are in the rotation together randy johnson and mussina will be practically done. they may already be close to done already. other teams will also not let their top starters hit free agency as they will lock them up prior to free agency. the yankees failure to develop a farm system is going to come back to bite them as they continue to get older and older and continue to fork over draft picks.

[Optimist]

let's see um...we still have the 2004 ALCS MVP, the 2004 World Series MVP....Falling Apart? b-b-b-b- ullshit

 

"We have the 2004 this...we have the 2003 that..."

 

Awards from seasons two/three years ago mean jack in 2006.

[yeszir]

He's also a 9 time resident on the DL.

For blisters.

[yankeessuck013]

so those other 26 championships mean nothing, yet you are always talking about them?

 

and I won't hear anymore talk about Alex Rodriguez as the MVP, that seems unlikely....there are other teams out there besides the your "so-called team"

 

It's kind of nice to have some players under 35 but I guess you'll never know that feeling.

[Optimist]

For blisters.

 

Not exactly a small problem for a pitcher and one that's not likely to be helped by moving to the North East.

[yankeessuck013]

Not exactly a small problem for a pitcher and one that's not likely to be helped by moving to the North East.

 

Health Lesson, warm conditions assist blister formation.

[jsinger121]

actually moving to the northeast will help a pitcher that has blister problems as their is less humidity in the air that sometimes are the cause of blisters problems.

[Optimist]

so those other 26 championships mean nothing, yet you are always talking about them?

 

When we're talking about the 2006 season, absolutely. And when have I ever talked about 'those other 26 championships?'

 

there are other teams out there besides the your "so-called team"

 

What?

 

It's kind of nice to have some players under 35 but I guess you'll never know that feeling.

 

Actually, both teams have an almost identical number of players who are under 35 (Boston has 2 more, I beleive.)

[ImissPedro]

Have you all completely lost your minds?? I have a question, when does the FO's incompetence become so much that we start to see things for what they really are?? and the answer to that is the revenue that the owner and organization care to generate, and the fact that they could care less about the team they have on the field, what matters to them is that the tickets get sold. How many great players have gone by the wayside, only to villify Boston afterwards, is this purely coincidental?? And we simply take the Red Sox side of the argument, rather than accept the fact our organization has once again shown it's inability to perform. Nevermind free agent acquiistions gone by the wayside, (most notably millwood, burnett) we can't keep players within our own organization happy, and it shows in the looming players we have to trade, as well as those who knew better than to come back. The Herald had an eye opening picture this afternoon that showed the team photo of what WAS a world championship team, In place of those who have since left was a black outline. Needless to say, things looked just as dark in the paper as does this teams future. My advice to those concerned like myself, Wake up, the glory days are over, and the reason why they are is because things are left in the hands of Larry Lucchino & Co..... I'll believe that things are looking up when I see the team is at least no longer in THIRD place in our division, which looks indefinite at this point..... 2004, one and DONE

[jsinger121]

cool down. the red sox had a short window of opportunity to win a title. its not like that team was constructed to win multiple titles because they were not. they had a lot of old players who were close to free agency. it was impossible to sign them all. i am happy they did not overpay to bring back pedro and damon because frankly they are not worth it and there contracts would have crippled the red sox towards the end.

[26 to 6]

this made me laugh! it's not like he's KEVIN BROWN! he is the 2003 World Series MVP, what has hanley proved in the major league's?

 

let's see um...we still have the 2004 ALCS MVP, the 2004 World Series MVP....Falling Apart? b-b-b-b- ullshit

 

2003 World Series MVP. IF I recall correctly, he hasnt been too impressive since then. :wink:

 

And regarding the 2004 World Series MVP, correct me if i'm wrong, but doesnt he appear to be on his way out of town??

 

How can you say they are nto falling apart? They have no shortstop, no leadoff man, no center fielder, a closer who blew in 2004 (when he was healthy), an ace who blew last year (also when he was healthy, but if I recall correctly, wasnt he spending some tim ein the bullpen when he was healthy because he SUCKED as a starter?), and a number 2 who gets blisters like men get facial hair. A slugger who wants out, and has threatened a holdout if he is not traded, a very shaky rotation, a third baseman coming off a pretty bad year, a first baseman who is actually a 3rd baseman, platooning shortstops (Tony G and Cora, unless they decide to platoon those 2 at second and let Loretta play short), and a front office who is having a pretty difficult time since Theo was chased out of town BY that front office (good move guys).

 

Maybe falling apart was too rough a term, but I wouldnt exactly call them the organization of the year.

 

...and I knew ORS would call me out on that one too

[jsinger121]

just because manny has asked for a trade doesn't mean he is going to be traded. i am actually happy with the future of the red sox as they start to bring in more youth to the team as the yankees continue to get older and forget about a farm system.

[ORS]

You don't call losing the catalyst of your offense

This offense is driven by the Ortiz/Manny combo, who gets on base ahead of them is immaterial.

losing your GM (who was one of the better minds in the game)

Perhaps the brightest mind of the last 30/40 years, Bill James, was advising Theo, and is still working in the FO. I'm not worried about player analysis.

trading one of your top prospects for an injury prone NL pitcher (you guys are like the Yankees!)

Blisters are an injury concern? Many of the best power pitchers in the game suffer from blisters when they are younger and are never bothered by them again once the skin hardens. Beckett is 25, which is right on the cusp of peak performance years. This comparison to the Yankees trades is laughable.

 

Vazquez is the youngest guy they traded for, at 27 years old, but he had a lot of mileage on him for his age. The Expos burned him out. He pitched 160+ innings as a 20 y/o, Beckett had less than 60. At 21, Vazquez had over 150, Beckett had less than 100. At 22, Vazquez pitched over 170 innings, Beckett pitched less than 120. See the trend. He lead the league in pitcher abuse points the year prior to his trade. It makes sense that he started both last year and this year good, but didn't have the stamina to finish strong.

a (it would seem) bumbling FO creating hole after hole on the field

Renteria's production from last year is not very difficult to replace. He was average offensively and piss-poor defensively. He was only 1.8 WARP (wins above replacement player). Replacement level is drek you can call up from the minors or sign off of waivers. Hardly a huge hole created there, and they picked up a top-5 prospect in the process, who is an upgrade from the previously mentioned top-prospect.

and a rotation, which is shaky at best, not being bolstered...'falling apart?'

Schilling's doctors have always said that it would take 14-18 months to fully recover. He didn't get to workout last offseason because the surgery made it impossible. This offseason he can. It's no stretch to say that the 2006 Schilling will be better than the 2005 one, since last year's version sucked (except for the last two weeks of the season where his velocity, splitter, and location started to come back).

 

Beckett is better than anyone in last years rotation. Wakefield is Wakefield. Clement had the worst BP support in the league and really horrible luck on BABIP, so it will be interesting to see what his year could be like if those things are around league average (BABIP fluctuates wildly for pitchers' throughout their careers, and the BP is improved, again...not a stretch). Arroyo is Arroyo.

 

By what logic is the 2006 rotation worse than the 2005 one?

 

 

Saying this off season will harm the Red Sox in 2006 isn't, necessarily, wishful thinking; saying they're on their way to winning an AL East title, in this condition, is.

Saying they will win the east is retarded, but so is saying they are falling apart. I have done neither. Too bad you can't say the same thing.

[Cityofchampions33]

You don't call losing the catalyst of your offense losing your GM (who was one of the better minds in the game), trading one of your top prospects for an injury prone NL pitcher (you guys are like the Yankees!), a (it would seem) bumbling FO creating hole after hole on the field, and a rotation, which is shaky at best, not being bolstered...'falling apart?'

 

Saying this off season will harm the Red Sox in 2006 isn't, necessarily, wishful thinking; saying they're on their way to winning an AL East title, in this condition, is.

 

Damon has a career .353 OBP, terrible for a lead-off hitter, and was a self-proclaimed "catalyst" of our team when he hit terribly in the first few games of the '04 ALCS.

Yes, losing Theo was emotionally bad, but I'm confident that our FO is pulling the same moves he would, being that his minions are running the show now.

Beckett is in no way injury prone, blisters are ot an injury, and can be easily taken care of.

Our FO has done nothing wrong IMO, except for not getting a lefty-specialist, but thats it. At worst we have Loretta play SS, and Gaffy play 2B, and in no way is that weak at all.

And how is our rotation not bolstered with the addition of Beckett, Papelbon, and a healthy Schilling?

 

If anything we have improved from last year with a new and improved bullpen, full of 3, maybe 4 closers if you count Hansen, a re-vamped and offensively superior IF from last year, and a good core of 3 pitchers who have the potential of winning a few Cy Young's in your day.

 

What is it that you have? a 32 year old who will possibley be a Bernie Williams repeat? A 42 year old ace with no cartilage in his knee, a declining catcher, and a 36 year old closer who has stacked up 600+ innings? Oh wait you got Fansworth...He's 30, and has a career ERA of 4.45