August 6th @ Tampa Bay

[a700hitter]

Sometimes I have a hard time telling if you're a sox fan or not. Suffering? The sox are in this game and in a playoff race. You're so damn fatalistic sometimes 700.

I'm not a glass half full type of guy if you haven't noticed, but I am most assuredly a DieHard Red Sox fan. A win in this game is important, but it would be another Houdini escape, and not the kind of win that will make the team feel good about itself, since they had it in the bag and let it slip away. If this game goes another couple of inning and the Red Sox lose it will be a devastating loss for team confidence.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

I saw smoething in the news recently. Of the 4 teams fighting for 2 spots, the yankees have the toughest august and the easiest september. The sox have the easiest august but the toughest september, going off what they called a weighted stregth of sched.

Yeah the Yankees are coming up on a VERY tough 26 game strech.

[RoyNHSox]

Nice steal Coco. Keep up the pressure.

[riverside sluggers]

Are you assuming that they are not capable of beating the good teams? If they showed an inability to beat good teams I would understand, but this isn't a team that depends on beating crappy teams to make the playoffs. The last few years the sox have played well against the Yankees, and the entire AL West. We have played Detroit and ChiSox well this season. I see it as a slump too, but when you slump to .500 things are okay, especially when your team shows an ability to beat the best teams out there.

 

didnt they just lose 2 out of 3 to the Angels? If not for Papi's walkoff, it wouldve been a sweep

[a700hitter]

a700 is the definition of a bandwagon fan...or he could be a spy

Yeah, I've been on the same bandwagon for 39 years, *******. Where were you 39 years ago?

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

BTW, A-Rod is really in therapy because of what happened in KC.

 

"lolz! Gay-Rod! props, lolz!"

poor guy

[example1]

a700 is the definition of a bandwagon fan...or he could be a spy

 

I don't see him as a bandwagon fan necessarily. He kind of sounds like he still has the pre-04 mentality of everything being a stupid decision, a dumb acquisition, a fatal flaw, a relief pitcher that will never do anything, a team that is bound to fail.

 

I just don't see it that way. I see this as a team that has won 90+ games for the past 3 seasons and is likely on pace to do it for a 4th season in a row. I see this as a team that puts more thought into its moves than any Sox team I've ever watched, and they do it better than any other team in the game right now. So they don't make a move at the deadline... perhaps they know something we don't.

 

For those who are pissed that the sox didn't trade Hansen, Lester and Pedroia for Clemens (or some such deal), what do you propose we do next year, when clemens is retired and we don't have any young players? Do we go overpay for another Matt Clement?

[example1]

didnt they just lose 2 out of 3 to the Angels? If not for Papi's walkoff, it wouldve been a sweep

 

Yes, and this is in the midst of their so called slump. It isn't clear which team from the West is the best right now, but none of them have a record like the Sox do. Therefore, I don't consider them among the best teams at this point. Perhaps I'm nitpicking, but I don't think so.

[example1]

LET'S GO PAPI!!!!!

LET'S GO PAPI!!!!!

LET'S GO PAPI!!!!!

[jacksonianmarch]

do you walk ortiz here? I think so

[a700hitter]

I don't see him as a bandwagon fan necessarily. He kind of sounds like he still has the pre-04 mentality of everything being a stupid decision, a dumb acquisition, a fatal flaw, a relief pitcher that will never do anything, a team that is bound to fail.

 

I just don't see it that way. I see this as a team that has won 90+ games for the past 3 seasons and is likely on pace to do it for a 4th season in a row. I see this as a team that puts more thought into its moves than any Sox team I've ever watched, and they do it better than any other team in the game right now. So they don't make a move at the deadline... perhaps they know something we don't.

 

For those who are pissed that the sox didn't trade Hansen, Lester and Pedroia for Clemens (or some such deal), what do you propose we do next year, when clemens is retired and we don't have any young players? Do we go overpay for another Matt Clement?

Perhaps the Yankees know something we don't.

[MC Hammer]

I'd just like to add that if we've been slumping since the start of July and we're only a game behind the Yankees we must be a damn good team.

[RoyNHSox]

IBB to Papi to go after Manny. Please, please, please make these f***ers pay.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

This is kind of a weird idea but with 2 outs why not just walk both Ortiz and Manny and take your chances with Youkilis? Its a weird idea and it might sound dumb but both are so good.

[Buckeye]

do you walk ortiz here? I think so

 

Of course they will. They're scared to death of him.

[example1]

I'm not a glass half full type of guy if you haven't noticed, but I am most assuredly a DieHard Red Sox fan. A win in this game is important, but it would be another Houdini escape, and not the kind of win that will make the team feel good about itself, since they had it in the bag and let it slip away. If this game goes another couple of inning and the Red Sox lose it will be a devastating loss for team confidence.

 

I know you're a good fan man. NOBODY would spend as much time as you do on this board if they didn't have a deep passion about the team.

 

And you're right, this would be an important win for this team... absolutely. Every year there are a number of games that go like this.... it seems like they have been occuring more regularly of late

 

That said, the season is far from over no matter what happens so I find it best to take things day by day.

[CrespoBlows]

poor guy

 

True story. My old manager always used to say that when describing Alex Rodriguez. After the 20th time, I walked out of the door, and never returned, but not before questioning his mental state of mind, or if his IQ was lower then Rodriguez' jersey number.

[MC Hammer]

This is kind of a weird idea but with 2 outs why not just walk both Ortiz and Manny and take your chances with Youkilis? Its a weird idea and it might sound dumb but both are so good.

Well theres still a chance a run won't score on a Manny single. If you walk the bases loaded any hit takes the lead.

[a700hitter]

I'd just like to add that if we've been slumping since the start of July and we're only a game behind the Yankees we must be a damn good team.

Two games in the loss column, possibly 3 after today. Our arrow is pointing down and theirs is pointing up.

[a700hitter]

I hope Manny hits a three run jack, because one or two may not be enough with who is left in our pen.

[MC Hammer]

Two games in the loss column, possibly 3 after today. Our arrow is pointing down and theirs is pointing up.

I apologize ... we've been "sliding" for a month+ and we're 2 losses behind. I still stand by my point.

[Buckeye]

Two games in the loss column, possibly 3 after today. Our arrow is pointing down and theirs is pointing up.

 

True enough. But the Yankees are due for a slump of their own and we'll be back in business.

[yankeessuck013]

Yeah, I've been on the same bandwagon for 39 years, *******. Where were you 39 years ago?

 

first of all, its a completely logical assumption with all of your negative enegry you've been throwing aroound here lately.

 

and 39 years ago, i was in a world where babies arent born yet.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Well theres still a chance a run won't score on a Manny single. If you walk the bases loaded any hit takes the lead.

All true but I would feel much better against Youkilis then Manny. The bottomline is dont give up a hit.

[yankeessuck013]

I hope Manny hits a three run jack, because one or two may not be enough with who is left in our pen.

 

 

gotta love the negativity

[MC Hammer]

gotta love the negativity

With him and Schillingisthenatural thats all there is on this board anymore

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

They get Manny anyway.

[riverside sluggers]

Tavarez for the 10th...

[MC Hammer]

All true but I would feel much better against Youkilis then Manny. The bottomline is dont give up a hit.

I agree, but as a manager you just can't take the risk of walk walking the go ahead run to third.

[example1]

Perhaps the Yankees know something we don't.

 

Yeah, but the Yankees are the only team people are pointing to about doing things at the deadline. The Yankees have much less to lose, in my valuation, in terms of young players by trading them away. The Yankees mantra is not so much "on base percentage and long at bats" (like the sox) but rather "get the best available player" in the old-school sense of the term.

 

Perhaps what the Yankees know that we don't is that THEY need to buy another high-priced overhyped slugger in order to placate their fans who are not intelligent enough, nor patient enough to wait for a good thing to develop. Perhaps they care a lot more about what the fans think than the Sox FO does. The only reason they were willing to stick with Jeter and Posada and that crew coming up in the 90's was because their team was horrible for so many years before hand. Most of the good teams at this point are retaining their best talent rather than trading it away: the Sox, Mets, Angels, Twins, etc., none of them believe that any overpriced FA/Trade is worth doing at the expense of younger players who could be cornerstones for years to come.