2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[User Name]

I'm actually glad i let myself get dragged to that Valentine's dinner thingy now. Whew!

 

On topic: The more i read, the more unlikely it seems Ortiz can win this arb case. All of his best comparisons (except Dunn with his miserable 2011) had similar stats while making a lot less money for 2011 and 2012, including his best stats/age comparison in Paul Konerko.

[Palodios]

I'm actually glad i let myself get dragged to that Valentine's dinner thingy now. Whew!

 

On topic: The more i read, the more unlikely it seems Ortiz can win this arb case. All of his best comparisons (except Dunn with his miserable 2011) had similar stats while making a lot less money for 2011 and 2012, including his best stats/age comparison in Paul Konerko.

 

What seems to damn Ortiz is the history of contracts for his position. The highest cost a player who is solely a DH was Hafner at 13 million. I just don't think a 36 year old can justify asking for 25% more than the highest paid player at his position ever. When Hafner got that contract, he had hit 1.000 OPS for pretty much his whole career at that point, and was coming off a year with 1.100 OPS season with 40+ HR and 117 RBIs. Did I mention the .440 OBP? He had beastly numbers at the time he signed that contract.

[SoxSport]

Overheard at Yahoo sports:

 

"The Red Sox pinched pennies in the wake of their beer-soaked collapse."

 

Who writes this crap at Yahoo? Never anything positive there about any Boston team--it seems.

[User Name]

Maybe the writers are comprised of certain posters from Talksox?

[Palodios]

Overheard at Yahoo sports:

 

"The Red Sox pinched pennies in the wake of their beer-soaked collapse."

 

Who writes this crap at Yahoo? Never anything positive there about any Boston team--it seems.

 

Jeff Passan is a whiny little bitch. He's usually very negative towards teams that spend lots of money. I've read a lot of his staff, and it is clear that he does not like the Red Sox. He went to college in Syracuse, so maybe he picked up a bad habit there.

[Palodios]

Maybe the writers are comprised of certain posters from Talksox?

 

:joke:

[VA Sox Fan]

Maybe the writers are comprised of certain posters from Talksox?

 

 

No need to encourage those who already think sports writers actually get their ideas from reading their posts!

[VA Sox Fan]

Jeff Passan is a whiny little bitch. He's usually very negative towards teams that spend lots of money. I've read a lot of his staff' date=' and it is clear that he does not like the Red Sox. He went to college in Syracuse, so maybe he picked up a bad habit there.[/quote']

 

Maybe they are friends of Dan Shaughnessy.

[seabeachfred]

The fact is that the Sox have given no indication in the press that they will be cutting ties with these guys. Bobby V has said that they probably would not make the team' date=' but then the FO offers them minor league deals and invites them to camp? They have certainly left the door open. You are not crazy or paranoid in the least to be questioning what the Sox are doing in this regard. Larry L addressed the issue yesterday and acknowledged that they offered them minor league deals. That is not how you cut ties and move on.[/quote']

 

No it is not how you cut ties and move on, but I am not surprised. I've said all along that these two would not be cut, released or sent away and that they would be invited to ST---and they will show up. PROBABLY won't make the team? You can bet your last dime if they show up pressure will be put on Valentine to add the to the team and only BV showing some balls and saying no way will result in these two over the hill bums being released. This could get real ugly. Keep in mind that neither has had an offer from another team no matter what they've said. There is no report of any team offering them a contract. What we will see is Varitek lobbying the pitchers and Wakefield demanding enough innings to get his arm in shape so he can join the rotation---and just like last year he will if the team is dumb enough to put him on the club. As far as I'm concerned it will be open season on those two if they are allowed to pollute the ballclub for another year.

[seabeachfred]

It's real nice that you and Fred and Muggah all know each other outside of the message boards, it doesn't matter to the rest of us.

 

All we know is what we read out here. Bellhorn was spot on about Muggah after that post.

 

No he wasn't VA; not even close. Pumpsie knows Muggah and me personally; I know Pumpsie personally and talk to Muggah on the phone periodically. They are two of the best baseball fans I know. You know neither of them and neither does Bob. You do know me but if you are honest with yourself I think you should admit that I didn't come across as someone with horns.

[seabeachfred]

I would suspect that the problem is that if a good number of the posters who post here, post there as well, it spills over. There is a very tight community here, and the regulars generally know eachother fairly well. You'll notice that there are vendettas started... Fred gets bashed for his days as a Dodger fan, and a700 and E1 very often disagree about the quality of the front office/GM/success of the organization. It happens.

 

I have had many heated discussions with some of the best posters around here, and I would imagine that the kind of freedom you're hoping for would cause more problems than it would solve--especially considering many arguments ARE simply about baseball, and need no further conflict.

 

And that what makes this whole episode totally ridiculous. I haven't rooted for the Dodgers since they left Brooklyn after the 1957 season. I was about 17 then, but some dickwads from an LA board tried to give me s*** because they believed once a Dodger fan always a Dodger fan........not so when 3,000 miles removed. Hell some even came on this board and Dirt Dogs to give me s***. We drove that pack off that board but I recall that on this one yes zir had to ban the hell out of all of them. I think he even suspended me for a time. The irony is that two of the biggest *******s from that group are now my friends. Go figure.

 

Look, we should respect each other's opinions, at least the right to express them. I promised one poster that I wouldn't use FrancoMa or Blunder anymore and another I wouldn't use pollyanna, but good differences of opinion should be welcomed on this board. Some are more patient than others, some less verbose, some less psychotic, but I don't think I have used the word idiot or imbecile and I don't think those type of words should be used. You want to disagree with my opinion of Cherington, or Lucchino, or Henry, fine, that's your right but I'm not a moron to disagreeing with your assessment of those people.

Let us all try a little more civility from here on in, although I go on record that I will defend those I consider friends when they are attacked.

[seabeachfred]

I disagree' date=' unless you're considering last season to be "recently." Remember how great those gamethreads were? It was a constant bitch fest with people posting crap like "eat a bag of dicks" and such.[/quote']

 

Admittedly this has been a hot thread since the season ended but in my opinion VA Fan has a deep animus for a few of the posters who came from another board. We did come on here and started firing away but that's always the way it's been with us and we knew it was the same over here. That's why I wondered why VA kept saying the board was going to the dogs. I just can't help believe it was because of her feeling about the new guys on the block.

[seabeachfred]

Yeah' date=' some people take opinions too personally.[/quote']

 

Emmz, that's why I am grateful you didn't take one of my posts to you as being sexist. Some of the guys did and it could have been construed that way even though that was not my intention. I should have left the gender part out of it. You proved that you DIDN'T take some opinion too personally when you could have. I appreciated that.

[seabeachfred]

Reports say that there has been no progress between Ortiz and the Red Sox. I wonder if I can get this streamed live during work tomorrow

 

When is the arbitration hearing anyway? It looks like it is headed that way because Ortiz is not going to accept the team's offer and there is no way that the Red Sox should offer him a two year contract. Even though the Red Sox seem to find it impossible to cut ties and move on (Varitek and Wakefield anyone?) they need to give Diva his money now and let him fend for himself next season where his market value will be very very low. We also have to consider that it is t ime to get some new young blood in the lineup by 2013.

[User Name]

No it is not how you cut ties and move on' date=' but I am not surprised. [b']I've said all along that these two would not be cut, released or sent away and that they would be invited to ST---and they will show up.[/b] PROBABLY won't make the team? You can bet your last dime if they show up pressure will be put on Valentine to add the to the team and only BV showing some balls and saying no way will result in these two over the hill bums being released. This could get real ugly. Keep in mind that neither has had an offer from another team no matter what they've said. There is no report of any team offering them a contract. What we will see is Varitek lobbying the pitchers and Wakefield demanding enough innings to get his arm in shape so he can join the rotation---and just like last year he will if the team is dumb enough to put him on the club. As far as I'm concerned it will be open season on those two if they are allowed to pollute the ballclub for another year.

 

They can't be cut, released or sent away because they are FREE AGENTS. They are not on the roster. As of right now, they are in no way, shape or form part of the Boston Red Sox.

 

As for the rest of your post, what did you expect? They weren't going to tell two guys who are legends for the Sox to go f*** themselves, they had to ease the blow, and that's what they done. IF they show up to ST, they'd have to prove they have something left in the tank, and neither of them do.

 

Also, i understand the dislike for Wake because he's sucked so bad the last three years, but the Varitek hate baffles me.

[FredLynn]

Maybe the writers are comprised of certain posters from Talksox?

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/willysmb44/beatingA_DeadHorse.gif

[FredLynn]

:joke:

 

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll25/ArwingAce21/beating-a-dead-horse.gif

[mvp 78]

No he wasn't VA; not even close. Pumpsie knows Muggah and me personally; I know Pumpsie personally and talk to Muggah on the phone periodically. They are two of the best baseball fans I know. You know neither of them and neither does Bob. You do know me but if you are honest with yourself I think you should admit that I didn't come across as someone with horns.

 

I'm sorry Fred, but I just read all 151 posts of his and there isn't one glimmer of being happy about something. When all he brings to the table is "this sucks, that guy is an *******, rumpswabs, tub thumpers, etc.," people won't give him the benefit of the doubt. It's not our job to follow every poster from board to board to learn their backstory. All we know is what we read here. If he wants to be taken seriously, he needs add something more to Talksox than he currently does.

[VA Sox Fan]

No he wasn't VA; not even close. Pumpsie knows Muggah and me personally; I know Pumpsie personally and talk to Muggah on the phone periodically. They are two of the best baseball fans I know. You know neither of them and neither does Bob. You do know me but if you are honest with yourself I think you should admit that I didn't come across as someone with horns.

 

I am well aware that you, PG and Mugg are all great friends, have met in person and talk on the phone. Out here, that does not matter to anyone. That doesn't change what Muggah posts out here and how he is perceived by a lot of us out here.

[Bellhorn04]

Pumpsie, take it easy on those animated pictures, please. I'm not trying to censor you on this, seriously, but I find them really distracting and hard on the eyes...they give me a headache.

[Elktonnick]

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll25/ArwingAce21/beating-a-dead-horse.gif

 

A picture is worth 10,000 words. Well put!

[User Name]

Truth: The most painful of weapons.

[FredLynn]

Pumpsie' date=' take it easy on those animated pictures, please. I'm not trying to censor you on this, seriously, but I find them really distracting and hard on the eyes...they give me a headache.[/quote']

 

Are you serious? They really bother you? CP used them all the time at Sawxheads and I never read a complaint about it from you over there. If the GIFS really bother you I will cut back on their use.

[Bellhorn04]

Are you serious? They really bother you? CP used them all the time at Sawxheads and I never read a complaint about it from you over there. If the GIFS really bother you I will cut back on their use.

 

Thanks, and you're right about CP's pictures. I didn't bother saying anything there because the place was so out of control.

[a700hitter]

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told WEEI after the Ortiz settlement that he doesn't expect any major moves between now and when pitchers and catchers report Sunday, but added, "We're still working on some stuff." WEEI's Rob Bradford hears there's still no traction with Roy Oswalt.

[SCM33]

Are you serious? They really bother you? CP used them all the time at Sawxheads and I never read a complaint about it from you over there. If the GIFS really bother you I will cut back on their use.

 

This isnt Sawxheads......and the pictures have to go.

[seabeachfred]

This isnt Sawxheads......and the pictures have to go.

 

SCM, just as I suggested to Muggah that he refrain from trying to antagonize you, may I also suggest that you SUGGEST that Pumpsie desist from putting those pictures on the board. Telling him they have to go is like waiving a red flag in front of a bull. I'm sure he would be willing to take that into consideration but's lets's all try to have a little respect for each other from here on in. I'm trying to do my part; let's see if all evolve into having friendly arguments without the bile and flamage.

[yeszir]

Let's not be idiots about this. Yes, the pictures have to go. They're annoying and serve no point.

[SCM33]

SCM' date=' just as I suggested to Muggah that he refrain from trying to antagonize you, may I also suggest that you SUGGEST that Pumpsie desist from putting those pictures on the board. Telling him they have to go is like waiving a red flag in front of a bull. I'm sure he would be willing to take that into consideration but's lets's all try to have a little respect for each other from here on in. I'm trying to do my part; let's see if all evolve into having friendly arguments without the bile and flamage.[/quote']

 

Deal.

[seabeachfred]

Let's not be idiots about this. Yes' date=' the pictures have to go. They're annoying and serve no point.[/quote']

 

Well that settles the hash my friends. No more pictures. I wish we could settle all arguments this quickly.

 

Taking the rest of the afternoon off. My pal Bob is driving in from Vegas and we plan on having some fun that guys our age have. He's a Yankees fan so you know there will be arguments galore before the evening is over.