I'm not even mad.

[TheKilo]

Honestly. I'm not. If you told me before the season started that:

 

We would get NOTHING out of Schilling

Buchholz would s*** the bed

Drew would miss a month and a half

Beckett, DiceK would go on the DL for extended periods

Hansen, Timlin, Aardsma, etc. would s*** the bed constantly in the bullpen

Ellsbury would regress to Mario Mendoza levels

Ortiz would miss six weeks and never be the same

Manny would run himself out of town

 

And you still told me they made it to Game 7 of the ALCS in the manner they did, I would have called you crazy.

 

The Red Sox do not have to answer to anyone.

 

2009 is the year to be here. Believe that.

[jacksonianmarch]

forgot Lowell

[Cocos Disciples]

See my post in the game thread. This season was awesome. We had a ton of injuries, we still made the playoffs, we still won the first round and came within a game of the World Series. We're not going to win it all every year, nobody does that. It was a good year.

[yeszir]

Also, Kotsay looked like a badass snapping that bat across his leg. So we've got that going for us...

 

Unfortunately, this Rays team has 1-2 more years left in them before they get utterly dismantled. David Price is actually a better pitcher than he's shown thus far, which is scary. (Ask me about my "The Price is Right" shirt I got at a Vanderbilt game). Maybe the Yankees will be the ones to bear the brunt of that. 2009 will at least be interesting.

[MANNYHOF24]

Yeah, we really had a great season. Still hurts though to come alll the way back, and then kind of fizzle out in the final game. I think if Lowell had been healthy we would have one this series.

[The Dustball]

Good season but I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I'm not completely dissapointed right now. I know that this was an unbelievable run but right now I'm crushed. No Red Sox baseball until March. That's a depressing thought.

[MANNYHOF24]

We have a lot of descions to make this offseason. There are so defencies in this offense that I think could be adressed.

[yeszir]

Good season but I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I'm not completely dissapointed right now. I know that this was an unbelievable run but right now I'm crushed. No Red Sox baseball until March. That's a depressing thought.

 

This being the toughest part of the loss. Now what are we gonna do!

 

Edit: And I'm just sitting here comparing the emotions I feel right now to what I felt in 2003, and it's not even close. This was not a catastrophic failure of a team, nor was it a collapse. Like some people have said, this team was lucky to have gotten this far.

[TheKilo]

Good season but I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I'm not completely dissapointed right now. I know that this was an unbelievable run but right now I'm crushed. No Red Sox baseball until March. That's a depressing thought.

 

That is depressing, but the season was going to end in two weeks anyway.

 

I'm looking forward to this offseason.

 

I'll look back on this season fondly, no doubt.

[jacksonianmarch]

As with every season's end, things will change. I dont think the sox are in for a major overhaul, like the yankees will be.

[Dojji]

My philosophy is that no team that makes it out of the first round of the playoffs has any call to be disappointed beyond the result of games played (IE, to consider their season anything but a 100% success).

 

This game hurt, but I'm sticking to that.

[Cocos Disciples]

This being the toughest part of the loss. Now what are we gonna do!

 

Edit: And I'm just sitting here comparing the emotions I feel right now to what I felt in 2003, and it's not even close. This was not a catastrophic failure of a team, nor was it a collapse. Like some people have said, this team was lucky to have gotten this far.

 

Yeah, 2003 was far far worse. And I think we'll muddle through, we still have a championship basketball team and a pretty good football team. If you're into that stuff.

[Dojji]

This was a loss with honor of a battle of equals. Both teams can be proud of this series.

[MANNYHOF24]

This being the toughest part of the loss. Now what are we gonna do!

 

Edit: And I'm just sitting here comparing the emotions I feel right now to what I felt in 2003, and it's not even close. This was not a catastrophic failure of a team, nor was it a collapse. Like some people have said, this team was lucky to have gotten this far.

 

Nothing can be that devestating, because we won it all last year. I mean we arnt going to win everyseason. We are starting to become spoiled as Red Sox fans over the last 5 seasons. The last five years of watching this team has been an incredible ride, and I dont think it is going to end anytime soon.

[Sam Malone]

Who knows what the status will be with Lowell's health next year but the Sox need to look to get a starter, a shortstop and catcher. If they can't get Peavy, try and sign Sheets and Teixeira(sp?).

[YanksHater213]

I agree with everything that's been said. I'm not the least bit upset. The Rays were obviously the better team, and we didn't have it. I'm glad we went down fighting though.

[Dojji]

Leave Teixeira alone. Someone will offer more than we're willing to pay, and Anderson's too close for me to be comfortable going after him.

 

If I was going to go after a big name infielder I'd make a trade offer for Carlos Guillen and take the opportunity to offload Lugo. (DET needs a SS and is one of the few teams that might be willing to take on Lowell's and Lugo's $$$)

[Cityofchampions33]

Yeah, completely agreed, this team showed a lot of courage and perseverance through not only this series but the entire season. They could have fallen by the wayside like so many other teams who were hit with the injury bug, and let the Manny distraction consume them. If anything we'll be much much stronger next year.

A healthy Beckett, Daisuke with yet another season under his belt, and hopefully he'll improve, a newfound ace in Lester, and a very promising arm in Masterson. Maybe Buchholz can contribute next year, as he's working on his command and while it's against AA hitters, has shown good results so far. Papelbon needed the season to end, Oki was back to his old self 2nd half of the year, a lot of positives.

Maybe the most important is the health of Ortiz and Lowell. I think Bay will be a solid contributor, as well, and who knows hopefully one of Coco/Ellsbury will be consistent.

But all in all a very good and fun season, I'm proud of our guys, especially in denying what seemed like the inevitable for two more games. I'll be back when they are next season.

[yeszir]

Who knows what the status will be with Lowell's health next year but the Sox need to look to get a starter' date=' a shortstop and catcher. If they can't get Peavy, try and sign Sheets and Teixeira(sp?).[/quote']

 

I think the Red Sox proved that the way to win is through internal player development. Relying on huge name free agents is what killed the Yankees. Sheets and teixeira aren't happening. One or both are going to NY.

[Cocos Disciples]

I think the Red Sox proved that the way to win is through internal player development. Relying on huge name free agents is what killed the Yankees. Sheets and teixeira aren't happening. One or both are going to NY.

 

I would say it was more relying on giving long contracts to aging veterans is what killed them. Getting big names helps, if you know what you're doing.

[Dojji]

You realize we have homegrown solutions to all the things you want to go afield for.

 

By the end of 2009 we could have defensive wizard Argenis Diaz behind Jed Lowrie at shortstop, and one or both of Kottaras and Brown with the team as catcher (based on their 2008 AAA numbers I'd take either), and Anderson clearing the roster by midseason in the event of an injury is very feasible based on the show he put on in AA this year. And Buchholz and Bowden, either one of these could fill your SP needs next year depending on how they progress (especially Bowden, I really loved his work in his debut against the eventual AL Central champ).

 

The only position I'd have any qualms about filling internally if necessary is catcher, since Kottaras and Brown aren't precisely proven commodities and catchers' offense can be volatile from level to level. But still, those two are better than most of the external options when you take a real look at what they're capable of and compare it to the likes of Jason Kendall or Rod Barajas.

[TheKilo]

Dude, even the most ardent farm system supporter knows not every prospect pans out.

[The Dustball]

Yeah' date=' 2003 was far far worse. And I think we'll muddle through, we still have a championship basketball team and a [u']pretty good football team[/u]. If you're into that stuff.

 

Uh, sadly we really don't anymore.

 

We haven't felt this way since 2005. It's tough to swallow playoff series losses. But I trust this front office to do everything they can possibly do to get us back to this point next year.

[Gom]

Dude' date=' even the most ardent farm system supporter knows not every prospect pans out.[/quote']

 

Not true. Look at Jacko.

[Cocos Disciples]

Uh, sadly we really don't anymore.

 

3-2 and having a playoff shot is a pretty good team.

[ToddKalas]

Just wanted to chime in and say I'm not even mad either.

[Cocos Disciples]

[moomoo]

Also' date=' Kotsay looked like a badass snapping that bat across his leg. So we've got that going for us...[/quote']

 

For a first post, just wanna say what a damn fine point.

[Dojji]

Dude' date=' even the most ardent farm system supporter knows not every prospect pans out.[/quote']

 

I'm not really asking them to --- just exhibit skills they've already shown they have. For the most part I'm talking about guys in AAA, not top prospects -- these are guys who are practically there as it is.

 

Brown is already good enough to be a major league light-hitting backup catcher, Diaz has a major league SS glove so he can hold a roster spot even if he can't hit, and I'm sure one of Buchholz, Bowden and Masterson next year will meet the exacting standards required of a #5 starter. They're in the minors (less Buchholz) to patch up the remaining holes in their game as best they can and to be replacements in an emergency, not because there's that much doubt that they could come up and be replacement level players.

 

The only guy who even needs to develop much more to "pan out" is Kottaras, and if the potential payout is a lefty powerhitting catcher I'll take that chance.

[schillingouttheks]

I'm not mad either. Every Yankee fan on my floor just tried to piss me off. They only pissed themselves off when they realized they weren't bothering me. I just smiled and asked if they wanted to play a game of FIFA instead.