Official "Eat My Words" Thread

[HeadOfSoxNation]

I think that it's only appropriate that, after we're all big and bad enough to shoot our mouths off throughout TalkSox, that we should have a forum where we can come out and say "s***, I really screwed that one up" or "Boy, was I WAY off." If we're going to state our opinions, we've also gotta own up to it when we're incorrect. I'll start off...

 

Mark Freaking Loretta. Now, I knew who this guy was when he came over from the NL...and I got reaaaaaaal pissed when he wasn't producing on offense or defense at the begining of the year. I gave him a couple of weeks to iron out the wrinkles, but he stilllllllll wasn't cutting it. I threw out every possible scenario from steroids to not being able to handle the pressure of Fenway to simply being past his prime. I was advocating a trade for pretty much anyone so we could fix the hole in the boat before it sank. Well, I'm eating my words.

 

Loretta is freaking fantastic. Obviously you've got better hitters in Ramirez and Ortiz, but can you think of a guy who gives you more consistent at bats EVERY SINGLE TIME he's up? The guys patience is ridiculous. If he's swinging early in the count, you can rest assured he's going to bang out a base hit, but the vast majority of the time, he's not putting a ball in play until the pitcher has thrown AT LEAST 3 or 4 pitches. The guy can spoil good pitch after good pitch with two strikes on him. He's the most proficient hitter I've ever seen with a runner on first. You can always catch a couple of swings where the big guys go chasing and try to hit the ball 2,000 feet...not with Loretta. He knows his roll and goes with the pitches and is putting together an AWESOME season. Here's to you, Mark, for making me look like an idiot :thumbsup:

 

Not a bad deal for what ended up being Cla Meredith and cash, eh??

[yeszir]

This isn't about this year or the sox really, but I've always been a proponent of Byung Hyun Kim. I was insistent that, due to his high k/9ip ratio, he would turn it around and become dominant. I was wrong. He's mediocre at best.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

This isn't about this year or the sox really, but I've always been a proponent of Byung Hyun Kim. I was insistent that, due to his high k/9ip ratio, he would turn it around and become dominant. I was wrong. He's mediocre at best.

 

Haha, you and Theo both thought that way...

[RoyNHSox]

I’d pick Mike Lowell for the person who I had the most doubts. When the Sox acquired him I had the perception he was “extra baggage” as part of the Beckett trade. 2005 must have been an aberration as he’s turned it around big time this year. He’s a classy guy who doesn’t seem bothered at all by the limelight of playing in Boston. With what his veteran presence has added to the team, along with the numbers he’s put up so far, I’m starting to forget about Bill Mueller.

[schillingouttheks]

I really don't understand why people were so quick to write Lowell off. He had one bad year.

[Sizzlin22]

Lowell is getting on in years, and it wan't jsut a bad year it was a terrible year.

[BoSox21]

I'll just say I'm not as happy now about the Arroyo trade as I was when I heard about it. We could reeeeeally use Arroyo in the rotation now, even though Lester's emergence softens the blow a bit.

 

I'm sure Pena is gonna prove to be very valuable but Kapler is a very serviceable 4th outfielder

[Cocos Disciples]

I thought Julian Tavarez was going to be a servicable setup man. Whoops.

[Papelbon58]

i said we should have released Tavarez before the season

I meant to say that we should never have signed Tavarez

[HeadOfSoxNation]

i said we should have released Tavarez before the season

I meant to say that we should never have signed Tavarez

 

Hahaha I think we all echo these sentiments.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I was almost certain that Matt Clement would turn himself back into what he was before last season's All Star Break.

[a700hitter]

I did think Lester would contribute in a meaningful way in '06. He's in the process of proving me wrong.

[jsinger121]

I did think Lester would contribute in a meaningful way in '06. He's in the process of proving me wrong.

 

Don't you mean that you said he would not contribute for 2 years because I swore you said that.

[a700hitter]

Don't you mean that you said he would not contribute for 2 years because I swore you said that.

I said at least one or two more years, although I did admit that he would probably be up for a cup of coffee this year. Right now, he is still at the cup of coffee stage, and two wins is not yet a significant contribution. However, my opinion has changed, and it is not based on his stuff (which looks Plus) or his command (which comes and goes -- he needs to refine that). I have changed my opinion based on the pair of balls that he has shoed, particularly in the AB vs. David Wright. Good nerves and big balls will accelerate his development.

[ksushi]

Yeah, 700 should be filling this thread right now. Loretta is good, Lowell is good, Lester is good, Schilling is good. All guys who I remember being ripped this year by 700 from spring training until now.

 

I'm eating my words on Julian Tavarez. I thought it was a good signing, I thought he'd be a nice addition to the bullpen but so far this season he has taken a #2 on every game he has been a part of.

[ORS]

I thought Seanez had found something in SD the last year and a half. Turns out that the only thing he found is that Petco is the only place he can pitch in order to consistently get batters out. Think the Pads want him back for anything?

[a700hitter]

Yeah, 700 should be filling this thread right now. Loretta is good, Lowell is good, Lester is good, Schilling is good. All guys who I remember being ripped this year by 700 from spring training until now.

 

I'm eating my words on Julian Tavarez. I thought it was a good signing, I thought he'd be a nice addition to the bullpen but so far this season he has taken a #2 on every game he has been a part of.

Yikes! Your memory is faulty. SeaBeachFred would call it a senior moment, but you are too young for that. Y ou can search all the threads on this board and you will find nothing from me criticising Loretta (who I have liked since he was in the NL and he was hitting around .500 during ST when I was in FT. Myers), or Schilling (who has a lifetime pass from me if he never threw another pitch after 2004, plus I liked his velocity and mobility in ST-- I even defended him for hitting that Pirate in the head), Lowell (who I thought everyone was burying way too quick-- I didn't think his bat was slow. I thought his problem was recognizing the off-speed stuff which he was jumping at). The only guy I questioned as a contributor in "0g6 was Lester. After you research the threads, I'll accept your admission of error. In other words, you can "eat your words".

[ksushi]

I think you just slam so many people your memory is clogged. Every post you make drives me nuts and is the very definition of fickle. I didn't name enough people. You have referred to so many players as a 'POS' its unbelievable. The search funtion is broken but oh man, if it gets fixed I will drag back quite a few quotes.

[a700hitter]

I think you just slam so many people you're memory is clogged. Every post you make drives me nuts and is the very definition of fickle. I didn't name enough people. You have referred to so many players as a 'POS' its unbelievable. The search funtion is broken but oh man, if it gets fixed I will drag back quite a few quotes.

Search to your hearts content. You'll find nothing but praise about Loretta, Schilling, and Lowell. Then you can eat your words. I am glad my posts drive you crazy. I want to stir the passions and get the baseball discussion lively. I have regularly slammed the following guys on this board: Seanez ( I slammed him from the day he signed) Tavarez (I am not the only one who calls him POS) and Willie Harris (does anyone disagree?). I have also slammed Francoma who has managed like an idiot this year. I've been hard on David Pauley, who is not ML ready and the FO for it's bargain basement acquisitions of Kyle (whathisname from KC) and Jason Johnson. Other than my opinion of Lester, I don't think the majority of posters disagree with these other assesments. I can hardly wait for the results of your research.

[ksushi]

If you say so, but I distinctly remember you tagging Schilling as too old and not capable of a turn around. It might not have been one of your famous rants where you totally sell the farm on the guy, but its worth a good foot in mouth treatment.

[BoSox21]

I was proud to say I figured Schilling was gonna have a bounce back year after a normal off-season schedule and being healthy in ST

[riverside sluggers]

I wasnt too happy about the Alex Gonzalez signing

 

--I was focusing too much on his low avg he's had in his past

--I never really watched him on a consistent basis before this season

 

Get him resigned this offseason, please Theo.

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I thought Clement & Foulke would collect their bearings

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J.T. Snow would be a solid backup

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Julian Tavarez would be the perfect guy to fill in the 7trh inning

 

 

I'm happy being right about Schilling, Lowell and Loretta making solid comebacks this season for the Sox. And that Lester would make the vacant rotation spot his own when he came up to Boston.

[a700hitter]

If you say so, but I distinctly remember you tagging Schilling as too old and not capable of a turn around. It might not have been one of your famous rants where you totally sell the farm on the guy, but its worth a good foot in mouth treatment.

You got me mixed up with some other ranter. My friends kid me all the time because I refer to Schilling as "God." I was even optimistic about Foulke. In my prior post, I told you the guys that I hammer. The only one that I might add to that list would be Wake. I like Wake, but I find it nerve-wracking to watch him pitch, and I am usually guilty of wanting to pull him at the first sign of trouble. I am still expecting your retraction.

[ksushi]

No retraction on the horizon. I think you're a good poster and at least have a reasonable foundation of baseball idea's. You're not in the 'trade any guy who goes 0-4 today' group and you're not a yankee fan. You do bash just about everyone though, which is why I'm pretty certain I'm not mixing anything up.

[a700hitter]

No retraction on the horizon. I think you're a good poster and at least have a reasonable foundation of baseball idea's. You're not in the 'trade any guy who goes 0-4 today' group and you're not a yankee fan. You do bash just about everyone though, which is why I'm pretty certain I'm not mixing anything up.

Well, if you want to be lazy about it, you shouldn't make accusations. I challenge anyone on these boards to research my threads to find posts bashing Schilling, Loretta, Lowell or even Foulke. I only bash the guys I noted earlier. Schilling is God. I've always liked Loretta although he has below average speed and range, and I love Lowell, whose only shortcoming is a lack of speed. You should either back up your accusation or retract. That would be the big thing to do.

[ksushi]

I'm not being lazy about anything, as soon as I don't get a data base error every time i try to search your posts, I will quote you. Calm down. Its not like I'm accusing you of something serious like murder or ruining your reputation.

[pudge]

I didnt think kevin youkalis would develope into the great player he is .Time to eat some humble pie.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

I didnt think kevin youkalis would develope into the great player he is .Time to eat some humble pie.

 

Yea, I'm down with this one, too. I knew Youk had potential...but he's been phenomenal this year.

[Anuj09]

i thought Tavarez was a great pick up and that we shouldn't put Papelbon into the closer's role because i thought it might harm his future as a starter

 

o yah and i thought Manny was going to have a terrible year

[Youk Of The Nation]

I didnt think kevin youkalis would develope into the great player he is .Time to eat some humble pie.

 

Woot! Woot!