2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[example1]

It just gets old man.

 

If you want to be respected, why not just stop with the stupid nicknames?

[a700hitter]

It just gets old man.

 

If you want to be respected, why not just stop with the stupid nicknames?

What is so bad about the nicknames? They are not offensive. Is Cherries Jubilee a term of derision. It is just a play on his name. Berman makes up very similar types of nicknames. They are meant to be hunurous and they have nothing to do with the substance of the post.

[User Name]

Some of you people do your absolute best to turn this board as unreadable as possible. Shut the f*** up about your stupid squabbles and let's talk baseball.

[example1]

What is so bad about the nicknames? They are not offensive. Is Cherries Jubilee a term of derision. It is just a play on his name. Berman makes up very similar types of nicknames. They are meant to be hunurous and they have nothing to do with the substance of the post.

 

I'm not bothered by you using them. SBF's constant use of them in such negative tones just overpowers any logical arguments he might be trying to make.

 

I'm not the only one who has noticed it, so I would chalk it up to communication styles or something, but it just doesn't work for me. I find it to be juvenile.

 

When Chris Berman does it he usually does it when something positive happens.

 

I don't care that much, but it just gets under my skin, makes me respect one of my fellow posters much, and I think it contributes to the already annoying "realist" vs. "optimist" split going on here.

[a700hitter]

I'm not bothered by you using them. SBF's constant use of them in such negative tones just overpowers any logical arguments he might be trying to make.

 

I'm not the only one who has noticed it, so I would chalk it up to communication styles or something, but it just doesn't work for me. I find it to be juvenile.

 

When Chris Berman does it he usually does it when something positive happens.

 

I don't care that much, but it just gets under my skin, makes me respect one of my fellow posters much, and I think it contributes to the already annoying "realist" vs. "optimist" split going on here.

It's SBF's style, his shtick. I look forward to seeing the new nicknames he comes up with. There are more serious problems on this board. Tonight we had some pretty good trolling going on that had nothing to do with sports and everything to do with insulting board members. Calling people "scumbags"? Really? What about the personal insults that are hurled around by certain posters? That gets under your skin less than "Benny Boy" or "Cherries Jubilee"? I find it disturbing that some veteran posters post lol's and thumbsups after a personal attack has been leveled. Nicknames for the manager, GM or owners are not personal insults to other posters. I find the personal insults to be more disturbing and at times it borders on bullying.

[SCM33]

Some of the new people on this board are almost unbearable.

 

I am a realist, and I dont get 1/10 of the complaints these guys get.

 

I wish almost all of the sawxheads or whatever they were would go back to their s***** forum. The reason why their forum sucked was because they were idiots, now they are littering this forum.

 

Go away, you contribute nothing and all you do is piss everyone off.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

And the war begins. We need another championship to keep this board calm.

[iortiz]

The Rangers remain interested in Prince Fielder, but Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News says it would likely take a creative, short-term deal to make it happen.

“I’m intimately aware of our budget and it’s very unlikely," said GM Jon Daniels to reporters (including MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan) when asked about Fielder. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports corroborates these reports (Twitter link), saying the slugger's price must come way down.

 

If Texas signs Fielder the spotlight next year will be in the West. Maybe They're already there.

[example1]

If Texas signs Fielder the spotlight next year will be in the West. Maybe They're already there.

 

It's already there.

 

I'm convinced, however, that a baseball team can only get so good. Teams can look remarkable on paper but the game still comes down to series of matchups between a single hitter against a single pitcher.

 

If the Yankees of the early 2000s and the Phillies of the past year or two can't win with their teams, no "paper" team will ever convince me that the rest of the teams should give up.

 

That's what keeps me optimistic about the Red Sox. There's a long way to go between where we are now (in late January) and where teams are 162 games later in September/October.

[User Name]

It's already there.

 

I'm convinced, however, that a baseball team can only get so good. Teams can look remarkable on paper but the game still comes down to series of matchups between a single hitter against a single pitcher.

 

If the Yankees of the early 2000s and the Phillies of the past year or two can't win with their teams, no "paper" team will ever convince me that the rest of the teams should give up.

 

That's what keeps me optimistic about the Red Sox. There's a long way to go between where we are now (in late January) and where teams are 162 games later in September/October.

 

Excellent post. Games are played on the field. The Red Sox were "paper" champions last year and look at how that turned out.

[example1]

Excellent post. Games are played on the field. The Red Sox were "paper" champions last year and look at how that turned out.

 

And they're still pretty f***ing good on paper.

[User Name]

And they're still pretty f***ing good on paper.

 

Best lineup in the league, one of the best top-threes, and a decent BP. Agreed.

[iortiz]

Well, I just read all this fight. We should move on guys. All of you are great posters, the old, the new and the newest. Everyone has the right to emit an opinion. We can agree or disagree, in the end, this is all about, but we should respect each other.

 

Back to baseball.

 

Seems like the wild card is in the west guys, what do you think?

[SCM33]

And they're still pretty f***ing good on paper.

 

The lineup card looks pretty good.

 

We still have some serious issues/questions in the rotation and the pen.

 

Salty still sucks

[a700hitter]

And the war begins. We need another championship to keep this board calm.

Things will calm down a lot if we acquire a starting pitcher.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Adequate

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Things will calm down a lot if we acquire a starting pitcher.

 

We'll just have to wait and see.

[a700hitter]

The lineup card looks pretty good.

 

We still have some serious issues/questions in the rotation and the pen.

 

Salty still sucks

But he is tall.

[example1]

The lineup card looks pretty good.

 

We still have some serious issues/questions in the rotation and the pen.

 

Salty still sucks

 

Let's be honest here. Salty may "suck", but he is roughly average in terms of catchers. The state of catchers is either really poor these days, or many of us underestimate the difficulty of playing the catching position well. One would think that with the money available in the sport we would see lots of catchers who can get close to .400 OBPs and good overall OPSs. Instead, we have a situation where catchers who hit in the mid .700s get praised as having a good bat.

 

I'd say our expectations are too high. Most catchers aren't good.

[iortiz]

It's already there.

 

I'm convinced, however, that a baseball team can only get so good. Teams can look remarkable on paper but the game still comes down to series of matchups between a single hitter against a single pitcher.

 

If the Yankees of the early 2000s and the Phillies of the past year or two can't win with their teams, no "paper" team will ever convince me that the rest of the teams should give up.

 

That's what keeps me optimistic about the Red Sox. There's a long way to go between where we are now (in late January) and where teams are 162 games later in September/October.

 

I agree. That's the beauty of this game. Anything can happen.

 

Nevertheless and trying to be realistic, our team is not in the same tier where TEX, NY, LAA are right now. IMO We are in a second tier. We are with DET, TB and if you rush me Toronto and the White Sox. We'll see.

[User Name]

The Angels are so overrated right now.

[iortiz]

Things will calm down a lot if we acquire a starting pitcher.

 

If we sign the SP and if this team stays healthy, we will run likely a top tier team next year. The problem is that we have not signed the SP and some of our key guys like Crawford and Kalish are between cottons and the season has not even started.

[iortiz]

Just watched the HR that Cespedes did in DR. This guy is a beast.

[FredLynn]

Some of you people do your absolute best to turn this board as unreadable as possible. Shut the f*** up about your stupid squabbles and let's talk baseball.

 

No.

[FredLynn]

Some of the new people on this board are almost unbearable.

 

I am a realist, and I dont get 1/10 of the complaints these guys get.

 

I wish almost all of the sawxheads or whatever they were would go back to their s***** forum. The reason why their forum sucked was because they were idiots, now they are littering this forum.

 

Go away, you contribute nothing and all you do is piss everyone off.

 

I am a realist, and I dont get 1/10 of the complaints these guys get.

 

You will. By the end of the season. I don't think that any of us has any plans to leave, despite your kind invitation.

[example1]

I agree. That's the beauty of this game. Anything can happen.

 

Nevertheless and trying to be realistic, our team is not in the same tier where TEX, NY, LAA are right now. IMO We are in a second tier. We are with DET, TB and if you rush me Toronto and the White Sox. We'll see.

 

I dont entirely get this. The White Sox? Toronto?

 

The Red Sox actually beat the Yankees head to head last year and it didn't look close. They were the better team on the field most games. Seasons and championships aren't won head to head but I have a hard time saying they are totally different tiers right now. TB BOS and NY are very close IMO, and the love for the Angels is remarkably similar to the love of the 2011 Sox last January if you ask me. Let's see how it plays out first.

[iortiz]

I dont entirely get this. The White Sox? Toronto?

 

The Red Sox actually beat the Yankees head to head last year and it didn't look close. They were the better team on the field most games. Seasons and championships aren't won head to head but I have a hard time saying they are totally different tiers right now. TB BOS and NY are very close IMO, and the love for the Angels is remarkably similar to the love of the 2011 Sox last January if you ask me. Let's see how it plays out first.

 

In paper we are a better team, but if we go like this and one of our top 3 get an injury/underperform (likely) IMO we will be in their level. (reason why I put "if you rush me" )

 

On the other hand, right now I see 2 things, 1. the wild card is in the west and 2. NY is one or maybe 2 steps a head us in the run for the division, and yes, we are very close to TB. Next year will be very tough, if we go like this, vey tough. Only time will tell, though.

[example1]

There are supposed to be two wild cards.

 

Also, why is it likely that the Sox top three will falter but the Blue Jays and/or Rays staffs are assumed to be as good or better than last year? James Shields has a career year and we all prepare for more of the same. Beckett does too and we assume it's a fluke, even though most objective (non-red sox) observers would prefer Beckett on the mound.

 

Who do the Blue Jays have that gets you so confident they could overtake the Sox even with a season ending injury to Lester? I just don't see it. The Rays have a very good club but even they will need big performances to keep up with a team like the Sox, with or without Sox injuries. That could absolutely happen but I see no reason to think other teams can just skate to 94 wins but the sox need luck.

 

If the sox need luck then so does everybody else.

 

I think its a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Pumpsie stop adding fuel to the fire please. Let it die and lets talk baseball please. This is nonsense.

[RedSoxFan84]

I just read the last half-dozen pages. Great reading guys, I really feel like I picked up a lot of useful info. Hopefully we sign another SP so that a lot of the negative people will stop complaining, and the sooner the season starts, the better. Maybe then we'll all be able to focus on baseball rather than whether nicknames are or are not insulting.