4/28 @ Toronto

[a700hitter]

When you say it like that' date=' its like yore referring to McDonald doing jack squat in his stay up here[/quote']Does Mr' McDonald need a favorable review from me? I wouldn't want to hurt his self esteem. I've talked to, listened to and read interviews with old Brooklyn Dodgers about their relationship with the fans. I also know many old Dodger fans. Those fans and players were very close. Without all the stupid noise of today's game (e.g. constant loud music), the players really heard it from the fans. If they did something stupid, they didn't need the manager or the coaches to tell them, they heard about it from 25 fans before they got back to the dugout. Things were more colorful back then. Today everyone is too sensitive. If you don't like the way I express myself, well that's just my style. I think I called Cecil a piece of crap today too. I'll call guys bums, retreads, slugs and all sorts of things. That's how I feel at the moment and I don't have to justify my feelings. If he proves my emotion wrong, then I am very happy, unless he is on the opposition. Let me say for the record, I think Mr. McDonald has done an admirable job despite the fact that he is a career bush leaguer, but if he is in the lineup on Friday I will be unhappy about that.

[a700hitter]

McDonald's done a terrific job. If it wasn't for him' date=' we'd probably be 2 or 3 games under .500. He's both driven in a run and scored a run in 4 one run games for us in his 9 games in the majors.[/quote']Agreed

[Chamomile]

This stuff has a way of evening itself out and I'm sure at one point we'll have our rotation pitching like they're able, our lineup will be hitting at their normal clip and we'll be playing good defense and we'll still lose some games. But, it's been a lot of fun to see this team win 7 of their last 9 while most of our best hitters and pitchers were struggling. I think this team is a force to be reckoned with. With the improved defense, I don't see any reason why Lester, Beckett and Lackey can't post ERA's in the mid to low 3's and if our offense even scores 800 runs, we should be a 95+ win team.

 

I've been a Red Sox fan for a while. I've seen plenty of horrible teams who I knew had no shot at making a postseason run, even early in the season. This is not one of them. This is a special team.

[Chamomile]

Let me say for the record' date=' I think Mr. McDonald has done an admirable job despite the fact that he is a career bush leaguer, but if he is in the lineup on Friday I will be unhappy about that.[/quote']

 

Would you rather have Hall or Hermida play center? It isn't ideal to play McDonald in center, but I think he's the best option we have considering we have most of our outfield on the DL, Hermida is a corner outfielder and Reddick is better served getting regular at bats in the minors.

 

It's not like McDonald's done badly. He's hitting .333/.407/.667 and playing a good center field after getting off to a similar blazing start in the minors.

[riverside sluggers]

Does Mr' McDonald need a favorable review from me? I wouldn't want to hurt his self esteem. I've talked to' date=' listened to and read interviews with old Brooklyn Dodgers about their relationship with the fans. I also know many old Dodger fans. Those fans and players were very close. Without all the stupid noise of today's game (e.g. constant loud music), the players really heard it from the fans. If they did something stupid, they didn't need the manager or the coaches to tell them, they heard about it from 25 fans before they got back to the dugout. Things were more colorful back then. Today everyone is too sensitive. If you don't like the way I express myself, well that's just my style. I think I called Cecil a piece of crap today too. I'll call guys bums, retreads, slugs and all sorts of things. That's how I feel at the moment and I don't have to justify my feelings. If he proves my emotion wrong, then I am very happy, unless he is on the opposition. Let me say for the record, I think Mr. McDonald has done an admirable job despite the fact that he is a career bush leaguer,[b'] but if he is in the lineup on Friday I will be unhappy about that[/b].

 

Ok so, lets see, Ellsbury and Cameron are still on the DL . So youd prefer in his place-- Bill Hall, or (your fav guy playing defense) Hermida, or another career minor leaguer Van Every?

[a700hitter]

This stuff has a way of evening itself out and I'm sure at one point we'll have our rotation pitching like they're able, our lineup will be hitting at their normal clip and we'll be playing good defense and we'll still lose some games. But, it's been a lot of fun to see this team win 7 of their last 9 while most of our best hitters and pitchers were struggling. I think this team is a force to be reckoned with. With the improved defense, I don't see any reason why Lester, Beckett and Lackey can't post ERA's in the mid to low 3's and if our offense even scores 800 runs, we should be a 95+ win team.

 

I've been a Red Sox fan for a while. I've seen plenty of horrible teams who I knew had no shot at making a postseason run, even early in the season. This is not one of them. This is a special team.

I've seen some special teams dig themselves an early hole due to injuries and other unforeseen stuff and not be able to climb out of the hole to catch a strong opponent. The 1976 team comes to mind. That team was loaded. There were 4 future hall of famers on that team that were still very good, and they had several other players who were very very close to hall of fame caliber. Maybe some of them will still get in. That team dug itself an early hole behind the Yankees that it couldn't climb out. Man for man, that team was much better than this years team.

 

On the bright side, the team has played tough and eked out a number of close games and some lucky wins. They need to stay close until everyone is back and healthy and the better weather warms up a few bats.

[a700hitter]

Ok so' date=' lets see, Ellsbury and Cameron are still on the DL . So youd prefer in his place-- Bill Hall, or (your fav guy playing defense) Hermida, or another career minor leaguer Van Every?[/quote']I didn't say that. If the only thing for dinner is meatloaf, I eat the meatloaf, but I don't like the meatloaf. I didn' t say that there were lots of good options. I'm not quite sure what your argument is about. Do you want me to start a McDonald fan club or something?

[riverside sluggers]

No but to say that youll be unhappy if hes in the lineup, thats indicating that you have someone better in mind to be starting

[a700hitter]

No but to say that youll be unhappy if hes in the lineup' date=' thats indicating that there are better options[/quote']I'll expect him to be in the lineup, because there are no better options, but I'll be unhappy that there are no better options. Just because he is the best available option (i.e., meatloaf) doesn't mean that I should be happy about that. I am unhappy that Ellsbury is taking so long to heal and he continues to be out of the lineup. I will be unhappy every time I see McDonald's and Hall's names on the lineup card even if there are no other options.

[Chamomile]

I've seen some special teams dig themselves an early hole due to injuries and other unforeseen stuff and not be able to climb out of the hole to catch a strong opponent. The 1976 team comes to mind. That team was loaded. There were 4 future hall of famers on that team that were still very good, and they had several other players who were very very close to hall of fame caliber. Maybe some of them will still get in. That team dug itself an early hole behind the Yankees that it couldn't climb out. Man for man, that team was much better than this years team.

 

On the bright side, the team has played tough and eked out a number of close games and some lucky wins. They need to stay close until everyone is back and healthy and the better weather warms up a few bats.

 

That was before the wild card. It's a lot easier to compete against two teams than it is to compete against the best team in baseball, which usually comes from the AL East.

[jacksonianmarch]

The sox have been playing just a bit better than their opponents, and these teams are due to be cellar dwellars. They have done well to beat the teams that they should and start righting their ship. Starting May 3rd, they enter an absolutely brutal stretch and will need to play much better than they are now.

[a700hitter]

... And will Ellsbury and Cameron be back for that stretch? It's not looking good, and if they are back how will their timing at the plate be. How long do they roll out Hall and McDonald without making a move. If those guys do not come back until the end of May, the pitching (bull pen included) is going to have to be lights out to keep the team close. A guy like McDonald is a stopgap option for a few games or at most a week or two. He's not a guy who should be in the lineup for a month or six weeks, especially if he is in the lineup at the same time as another fill in like Hall,

[bsox0407]

Lester Looked great. This is what we need to have him like all the time.

[a700hitter]

From today's Globe:

Mike Cameron (abdominal tear) and Jacoby Ellsbury (fractured ribs) both did some jogging in the outfield yesterday. The pair followed with some agility drills, and hit off a tee, and had balls flipped to them. The plan for Cameron is to start running with more intensity this weekend. He seems pleased with his progress, and doesn’t believe he’ll need surgery . . .

It doesn't sound like the return of either is imminent. I guess we are going to play McDonald and Hall against the Angels and the Yankees. This doen't give me a good feeling. We need to at least break even in those games until Ellsbury and Cameron come back. It sounds like Cameron could still miss significant time. It's been a few days since we have had an update on whether it still hurts Ellsbury when he breathes.

[Palodios]

From today's Globe:

It doesn't sound like the return of either is imminent. I guess we are going to play McDonald and Hall against the Angels and the Yankees. This doen't give me a good feeling. We need to at least break even in those games until Ellsbury and Cameron come back. It sounds like Cameron could still miss significant time. It's been a few days since we have had an update on whether it still hurts Ellsbury when he breathes.

 

Latest reports say mid-May for Cameron, probably a bit later for Ellsbury. The schedule doesn't peak (@Phillies/@Rays/@Yankees) till the 17th. They've been making the best of righty/lefty matchups, and this week of garbage opponents hopefully will stabilize this team that was drowning for a while there.

[a700hitter]

Latest reports say mid-May for Cameron' date=' probably a bit later for Ellsbury. The schedule doesn't peak (@Phillies/@Rays/@Yankees) till the 17th. They've been making the best of righty/lefty matchups, and this week of garbage opponents hopefully will stabilize this team that was drowning for a while there.[/quote']Between now and May 18th, we play 4 games against the Angels and 5 games against the Yankees.

[Palodios]

Between now and May 18th' date=' we play 4 games against the Angels and 5 games against the Yankees.[/quote']

 

Right, but all of those games before the 17th are at home, and the angels arent what they were last year. As I said, the schedule doesn't peak until the 17th-- right around when we should have a stronger outfield.

[a700hitter]

Right' date=' but all of those games before the 17th are at home, and the angels arent what they were last year. As I said, the schedule doesn't peak until the 17th-- right around when we should have a stronger outfield.[/quote']I wish that i was as optimistic as you are. I really don't see this developing well.