Lester, Papelbon Report to Camp

[Dipre]

He can be. Not hitting cleanup though.

[Plumpamania]

Josh Reddick Vote for him for Clean Up Hitter in 2010...

[BSN07]

ready for another run doesnt mean I am guaranteeing a victory there numbnuts. I am psyched that the season will be starting shortly as we all should be. Another run is essentially another season. I cannot wait. I think we can all agree on that one

 

Couldn't agree more mate :thumbsup:

[Dojji]

He can be. Not hitting cleanup though.

 

Who's arguing that? Aren't my arguments optimistic enough without you guys resorting to pathetic strawmen to find an excuse to give me crap?

[Dipre]

I think you have gone mad from cabin fever. Maybe Reddick could bat cleanup to protect Youk. Jeesh!

 

3-4 years down the road' date=' this quote might come back to haunt you lol. Reddick's got legit power, if his pitch selection improves the sky's the limit.[/i']

 

Straight from the horse's mouth.

 

You're the one who says he might "Bat cleanup someday". Maybe you should take a couple seconds to think before you post gems like that. :dunno:.

[a700hitter]

Straight from the horse's mouth.

 

You're the one who says he might "Bat cleanup someday". Maybe you should take a couple seconds to think before you post gems like that. :dunno:.

:lol:

[Dojji]

Straight from the horse's mouth.

 

You're the one who says he might "Bat cleanup someday". Maybe you should take a couple seconds to think before you post gems like that. :dunno:.

 

I stand by that. 3-4 yeasrs from now, Reddick could be an excellent ballplayer, what's wrong with saying that?

 

By the way, nowhere did I say he'd bat cleanup. I said he'd be a capable power hitter. Many capable power hitters do not bat cleanup. There's plenty of hay to be made by creatively misquoting me without going that far.

[Dipre]

Not this year. Ever. He can be an excellent ballplayer, but as per your MO, you're massively overvaluing his abilities.

 

It's one thing to be optimistic, another to live in fantasy land.

[Dojji]

I never said he'd bat cleanup. Not now and not in 3-4 years. That's something you're reading into my words that never had a place there.

 

what I said was that he would be a power hitter. There is a difference.

 

I also said he should be given a chance to prove himself before the organization spends assets on a power hitter from outside the organization. This seems to be the part you take issue with. It's also standard practice for every organization to call up their near-ready 40-man roster prospects on a replacement basis.

 

If you're going to keep this up, could you at least have it have some kind of tangential relation to words I actually typed at some point?

[Dipre]

I never said he'd bat cleanup. Not now and not in 3-4 years. That's something you're reading into my words that never had a place there.

 

what I said was that he would be a power hitter. There is a difference.

 

I also said he should be given a chance to prove himself before the organization spends assets on a power hitter from outside the organization. This seems to be the part you take issue with. It's also standard practice for every organization to call up their near-ready 40-man roster prospects on a replacement basis.

 

If you're going to keep this up, could you at least have it have some kind of tangential relation to words I actually typed at some point?

 

a700 made the joke about him batting cleanup, you followed that up with a "that might come back to bite you" gem. What did you mean, Reddick would be protecting Youk from the 8 spot?

 

Also, part of the importance of prospects is allowing the parent club to acquire proven commodities shall they feel the need to do so. The real issue here is that Reddick is, in fact, a good prospect, but like any other prospect, he's expendable for the right player.

[Dojji]

a700 made the joke about him batting cleanup' date=' you followed that up with a "that might come back to bite you" gem. What did you mean, Reddick would be protecting Youk from the 8 spot?[/quote']

 

We were talking about what happens if Ortiz (note: NOT our cleanup hitter) goes down with an injury. a700 said something skeptical of Reddick's ability to fill in. Since he's already eaten similar words on Pedroia and Youkilis, I played that card. I wasn't keying in on a700's specific words but more on his overall skepticism of Reddick's power potential, which I feel is undeserved based on what the kid has done in our system at his age.

[Dipre]

We were talking about what happens if Ortiz (note: NOT our cleanup hitter) goes down with an injury. a700 said something skeptical of Reddick's ability to fill in. Since he's already eaten similar words on Pedroia and Youkilis' date=' I played that card. I wasn't keying in on a700's specific words but more on his overall skepticism of Reddick's power potential, which I feel is undeserved based on what the kid has done in our system at his age.[/quote']

 

You could have clarified that. But the issue here is that if Ortiz shits the bed, none of the kids (Reddick included) is prepared to offer the kind of production the team would need from either a corner OF position or the DH spot.In Reddick's case, he's an unfinished product.

[a700hitter]

We were talking about what happens if Ortiz (note: NOT our cleanup hitter) goes down with an injury. a700 said something skeptical of Reddick's ability to fill in. Since he's already eaten similar words on Pedroia and Youkilis' date=' I played that card. I wasn't keying in on a700's specific words but more on his overall skepticism of Reddick's power potential, which I feel is undeserved based on what the kid has done in our system at his age.[/quote']You should read what you are posting and the post to which you are responding. Dipre caught you with your keyboard in your mouth. And I don't recall ever having eaten any of my words about Youkilis as a prospect. I don't remember writing anything about Youkilis when he was in the minors. Stop deflecting and take the keyboard out of your mouth.

[a700hitter]

You could have clarified that. But the issue here is that if Ortiz shits the bed' date=' none of the kids (Reddick included) is prepared to offer the kind of production the team would need from either a corner OF position or the DH spot.In Reddick's case, he's an unfinished product.[/quote']Unfinished he is. I was talking about him being the cleanup hitter this year. If that were to happen, it will be a bad year at Fenway. In two or three years, who knows what happens with him. Maybe he's a star. Maybe he is a star for some other team. When talking about this years team and what happens if Ortiz become "Old Man River" and can't hit, Josh Reddick should not even enter the discussion.

[Dojji]

You should read what you are posting and the post to which you are responding. Dipre caught you with your keyboard in your mouth. And I don't recall ever having eaten any of my words about Youkilis as a prospect. I don't remember writing anything about Youkilis when he was in the minors. Stop deflecting and take the keyboard out of your mouth.

 

If I had to pussyfoot around every bit of reactionary hyperbole coming out of your mouth we'd be here for a long time.

 

And yes, you have eaten your words on Pedroia, Youkilis, and for good measure, Lester as well. You're hardly alone there, lot of us did, you were just more outspoken than average about it. You've been exposed too many times on this issue for me to be particularly interested in doing it again, so don't push this much further, k?

[Dojji]

Unfinished he is. I was talking about him being the cleanup hitter this year. If that were to happen' date=' it will be a bad year at Fenway. In two or three years, who knows what happens with him. Maybe he's a star. Maybe he is a star for some other team. When talking about this years team and what happens if Ortiz become "Old Man River" and can't hit, Josh Reddick should not even enter the discussion.[/quote']

 

As near as we can determine, the only one who actually felt the need to weigh in specifically on the concept of Reddick cleaning up for the Sox this year is you.

 

Oh, and Ortiz is not our cleanup man. Again, I reiterate this. I'm not sure how he even bats above #6 to start this season, since Drew, Youkilis and Martinez in some order (probably that one) are going to be the #3 - #5 hitters. If Drew bats fifth, which is the lineup we finished last year with, Ortiz probably hits seventh behind Beltre or Cameron because of the consecutive-lefties thing, meaning we're actually replacing what's basically a bottom of the order slugger. If he earns his way any nigher with his play -- and he might -- that kind of negates the concept of the question, which was based on a slump or injury forcing us to replace him.

 

The fact is that we simply aren't counting on Ortiz to provide very much offense in the final year of his deal.

[riverside sluggers]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?&articleid=1232370&format=&page=1&listingType=sox#articleFull

 

In the herald, they had the lineup as

 

1. Ellsbury lf

2. Pedroia 2b

3. Martinez c

4. Youkilis 1b

5. Ortiz dh

6. Drew rf

7. Cameron cf

8. Beltre 3b

9. Scutaro ss

[Dojji]

Not happening. Even with all else equal, they won't hit two lefties in a row especially not their two best lefthanded power hitters. And frankly, there's no need for their best hitter to be batting 6th in any case.

 

JD Drew needs to hit 3rd, Martinez 5th, Ortiz 6th or 7th based on the matchip with Cameron or Beltre taking the other slot.

[Dipre]

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Martinez

Youkilis

Papi

Cameron

Drew

Beltre

Scutaro.

 

 

Drew hitting in the bottom three lengthens the lineup.

[Dojji]

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Martinez

Youkilis

Papi

Cameron

Drew

Beltre

Scutaro.

 

 

Drew hitting in the bottom three lengthens the lineup.

 

Sounds Dusty Bakerish.

 

Hitting Pedroia 9th lengthens the lineup -- it's still crazy to do it.

 

This lineup is fairly long as it is. You put your best hitters where they can do the most damage. Let the bottom of the lineup look to itself.

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Drew

Youkilis

Martinez

Ortiz

Cameron

Beltre

Scutaro.

[Dipre]

Porque?

 

Well, i'm actually going for what i think Tito will do.

 

If it were up to me, this would be the lineup:

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Drew

Youk

V-Mart

Cameron

Papi

Beltre

Scutaro.

 

Papi 7th because: A) He needs to prove he can hit, B Can't have three vulnerable RHH in a row in the bottom of the lineup.

[Dipre]

First off:

 

Well' date=' i'm actually going for what i think Tito will do.[/i']

 

If it were up to me, this would be the lineup:

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Drew

Youk

V-Mart

Cameron

Papi

Beltre

Scutaro.

 

Papi 7th because: A) He needs to prove he can hit, B Can't have three vulnerable RHH in a row in the bottom of the lineup.

 

Second, three RHH in a row? Really?

 

Sounds Dusty Bakerish.

 

Hitting Pedroia 9th lengthens the lineup -- it's still crazy to do it.

 

This lineup is fairly long as it is. You put your best hitters where they can do the most damage. Let the bottom of the lineup look to itself.

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Drew

Youkilis

Martinez

Ortiz

Cameron

Beltre

Scutaro.

[Dojji]

Second, three RHH in a row? Really?

 

You know that the guy who I think should be our SS is the switch-hitting Jed Lowrie. And I accept that the team needs to play that one conservatively, but it's still how I feel about it.

 

Hermida will probably be a factor in left field to break that up if it becomes a problem. Varitek will probably show up there from time to time as well. Even if not, a lot of teams have to go R-R-R in the bottom of the lineup, if it becomes a big deal there's things we can do fairly inexpensively to fix it.

[Dipre]

You know that the guy who I think should be our SS is the switch-hitting Jed Lowrie. And I accept that the team needs to play that one conservatively, but it's still how I feel about it.

 

Hermida will probably be a factor in left field to break that up if it becomes a problem. A lot of teams have to go R-R-R in the bottom of the lineup, if it becomes a big deal there's things we can do fairly inexpensively to fix it.

 

Or you can just put a lefty in the bottom three and maximize the usefulness of your bench. Because no matter how much potential Lowrie has, he doesn't deserve a shot until he proves he's healthy. Otherwise we may have a Nick Green redux.

[Dojji]

While I agree that you can, that lefty should absolutely not be David Jonathan Drew.

 

I'd rather see a Hermida-Ells-Drew OF with Hermida batting 8th and playing left than see Drew batting 7th.

[Dipre]

While I agree that you can, that lefty should absolutely not be David Jonathan Drew.

 

I'd rather see a Hermida-Ells-Drew OF with Hermida batting 8th and playing left than see Drew batting 7th.

 

If you read my lineup, you'll notice i have David Americo Ortiz Arias batting seventh. He should stay there until he proves he's "back".

[Dojji]

I wish we could count on more offensive production out of third base. Being able to move Beltre up to 5th or 6th would really help us take pressure off people.

[Dipre]

I wish we could count on more offensive production out of third base. Being able to move Beltre up to 5th or 6th would really help us take pressure off people.

 

Beltre will probably perform right around Mike Lowell levels. But, like Ortiz, he needs to prove he deserves to be in the second third of the lineup. You keep underestimating the guy.

[riverside sluggers]

Drew is the best hitter? He'll probably put up a .270/20 HR/70 RBI season

 

I do think that V-Mart and Youk will be a very nice 3-4. Martinez has a solid history of hitting .300 or great and can easily put up 20-25 HRs and over 100 RBIs. This could be the year that Youkilis reaches the 30 HR plateau. Plus while Im a big advocate of Drew's, its almost a given that Youk and Mart will have healthier seasons

[Ray10]

Thanks god spring training is starting I can't take seeing Hockey on tv anymore this year.