Are you willing to wait?

[Youk Of The Nation]

I don't see that I have another option. My time machine is still years away from even the theoretical stage, and even when it is complete I have a list of things to accomplish before I use it in any baseball-related endeavors. I have to observe the comet impact that brought about the extinction of the dinosaurs, kill Abraham Lincoln, watch the pyramids be built, and stop Fox from cancelling Firefly.

[Brennan]

Since May 11, Clay Buchholz has put up this line:

 

18 g, 126.1 ip (7.0/g), 3.28 era, 1.12 whip

 

I'd say the only real thing to worry about with him is his health. He's certainly pitching quite well.

 

 

 

No doubt. I would love to see him get through an entire season without his head coming off at some point. He's always confounded me, he has s*** loads of raw talent.. maybe he has finally got the confidence to go with it.

[Spitball]

I am willing to wait. I am 59-years-old and have been a fan for a long time. I have seen a lot of bad times and a lot of good times. I can wait through the rebuilding process.

 

Before 2004, it was always about being willing to wait. I remember the pre-1967 teams when I was in elementary school watched the Sox finish in 8th place for years. There was still a passion among the true fan base.

[Brennan]

Here we go.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Yeah I'd wait. If it means I don't have to watch this team get their teeth get kicked in every night, by all means, please take your time.

[SCM33]

Ok Sox fans. Another thread plus a TV show today prompted me to throw this out to everyone. How willing are you to wait for the Sox to once again become a premier team? If they go with more of a youth movement, the talent is there for this club to have a very exciting, mostly home-grown team in the mold of Tampa Bay. But in order to get there, they'd likely suffer through a couple of down years. But at least they'd be down years as we watch the kids grow up.

 

Are you willing to wait for that kind of scenario? Or are you of the mindset that, look, they can afford to go get guys like Grienke and Hamilton and they need to make the playoffs in 2013 - after all, they've missed the playoffs three straight years now?

 

What say you, Sox Nation? Willing to wait, or win-at-all-costs in 2013?

 

What do you mean?

 

The Redsox are my home town team. I don't have a choice. Waiting is the only option.

 

For those who are not willing to wait, then you were never a real fan to begin with.

[BOSOX11]

I am willing to wait. I am 59-years-old and have been a fan for a long time. I have seen a lot of bad times and a lot of good times. I can wait through the rebuilding process.

 

Before 2004, it was always about being willing to wait. I remember the pre-1967 teams when I was in elementary school watched the Sox finish in 8th place for years. There was still a passion among the true fan base.

 

My sentiments exactly. I started following the Red Sox during the twilight of Ted Williams' career and endured a lot of disappointment until 1967, when my loyalty was finally rewarded. If it takes a couple of years to regain a winning form, I'm in it for the long haul.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Exactly. Whether or not you want to wait is a valid opinion, but being unwilling to do so is not. We have no control over the decision of the team, unless and until my mind-control ray is completed, and that's further behind than my aforementioned time machine, as well as my volcano lair. Since we have no say, being unwilling to wait is not an option. We can complain endlessly (which some of us undoubtedly will), threaten to murder select members of the front office (which some of us undoubtedly will), and insult anyone associated with the team and anyone who defends the decisions that are made (which...well, you get the point), but we can't just stop rooting for the team if we are true fans. If they decide to wait until 2015 or 2030 or the heat death of the universe to be competitive again, then I will suffer through it as best as I can. And when the heat death of the universe begins, and I am comfortably encased in the invincible exoskeleton I have constructed to house my consciousness and make me functionally immortal, I will glady witness the destruction of all existence and the birth of a new universe in which the Red Sox are a playoff-caliber team and the laws of physics are slightly different, allowing objects released at eye level to fall sideways on occasion, just because I would find that hilarious.

[TylerD]

We have a choice?

 

This!

 

We don't have a choice.

 

The way I see it is I am a fan. Plain and simple. I don't have a choice. I am not going to root for another team.... Only the Sox... So I don't have a choice. I have to wait till they are a contender. I would rather they would make the playoffs now, but apparently they suck ass tremendously and won't make the playoffs. So here's hoping next year they are at least half decent.

 

I know it sounds obvious, but any Red sox fan really had no choice but to put up with this ******** team till then.

 

Dont get me wrong I like the NHL AND NFL but MLB Is my favorite to watch lately, so when my team sucks its upsetting. But all I have to do is be patient. As painful as it is........

[Orange Juiced]

What do you mean?

 

The Redsox are my home town team. I don't have a choice. Waiting is the only option.

 

For those who are not willing to wait, then you were never a real fan to begin with.

 

What I mean is this: The Red Sox have some nice talent in the minor league system, but they appear to be a ways away. The Sox are in shambles currently. They have a lot of money freed up to make major moves. The question really is this: Do you want them to spend the money on big-ticket items (like Grienke, Hamilton, Upton, whatever) in order to make a playoff run next year, or would you be content to have next year be a developmental year for players like Bogaerts, Bradley, Barnes, Webster, De La Rosa, etc., in the hopes that come 2014, they are ready to field a quality MLB club full of homegrown talent?

 

It doesn't have to be all one or all the other, of course. I have listened to the talk show guys say that Red Sox fans would never tolerate "rebuilding". I'm trying to see if they're wrong about that. Because while I was the least excited ever about a Red Sox season at the start of this year, if they went out and got a top-shelf manager, and started building the team with a core of young talent, I would look at next year as being pretty fun, even if they're not quite that good yet. I am seeing the Tampa model and I like it. A lot.

[Palodios]

I'm very much convinced that the Sox can still be competitive in 2013, and playoff caliber by 2014-2015 by picking up mid-to-high tier players for high AAV, and low years. When they identify players that are bonafide stars with good character--even to the most critical of armchair GMS--they should go long.

 

Look at the farm system-- Most of the top prospects are in AA or above. Bogaertz, Bradley, and Brentz are not that far off. Barnes, Owens, Rubby, and Webster will take a bit longer to develop, but there is a good chance for the Sox to find some gems in that group.

[Behindenemylines]

Until 2004 Sox fans were use to the losing. The 2007 season gave us the feeling that this would happen a lot in the future. Without those two seasons this season would have been that much harder to deal with. It is because of those seasons that most of the nation is willing to wait for the rebuild. Its not that we wouldn't have done so without 2004 and 2007, but those seasons will make this a little easier. Sox fans are who we are!

[NativeBostonian]

I don’t think we need to wait. The Dodgers did us a huge favor; they took all of the money that the Red Sox owed to the offense off our shoulders. This isn’t the steroid area anymore, offense isn’t as important. Being down here in Tampa, I get to see the Rays a lot. Let me tell you, they don’t have anybody outside of Longo that is a power threat. They do it all with pitching and speed. The old Angels way; back when Joe was on that staff (that’s where he learned it from). They need to spend money this off season or they are going to lose it. No one is going to go see the Sox next year if this is what they are going to put out on the field for a 162 games. But, they need to spend it mostly on good pitching. Screw getting a bunch of power bats. Maybe get one to put behind Ortiz, but that’s it. The rest of the lineup should be filled with guys with good OBP. But, again it's the pitching that is going to be the thing that puts this team back on track.

[redsoxfan3]

My sentiments exactly. I started following the Red Sox during the twilight of Ted Williams' career and endured a lot of disappointment until 1967, when my loyalty was finally rewarded. If it takes a couple of years to regain a winning form, I'm in it for the long haul.

 

EXACTLY. Is this a serious thread? How can one even ask if we are willing to wait. If you are a true fan, you stick with your team no matter what. Red Sox fan until the day I die, even if we are the worst team in baseball. We have had some recent success, so there are a lot of fans who expect us to make the playoffs and compete for a World Series every year. In reality, that is not going to happen.

[Palodios]

[wyo-sox]

I am not willing to wait. I give them one month next season and if they do not turn things around I will become a big fan of the Dodgers, maybe Nats.....I am in the vetting process now. I may just find a new sport altogether, that Phelps guy would be a fun swimmer to root for.

[SoxSport]

Screw them. Henry has a bad organization and won't admit it. Wish he would sell the team.

 

They can't possibly turn it around even in a few years because they haven't kept up with improving the team with youngsters, and have signed too many bad free agents. They are just about where the Orioles were a few years ago.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I am not willing to wait. I give them one month next season and if they do not turn things around I will become a big fan of the Dodgers, maybe Nats.....I am in the vetting process now. I may just find a new sport altogether, that Phelps guy would be a fun swimmer to root for.

Oh yeah, that ought to wake them up.

[Spitball]

"Always root for the winner. That way you won't be disappointed."

-Tug McGraw

 

I have been a fan for a long time. I remember the very poor teams of the early 1960s very well. After 2004, the Sox seemed to attract a lot of new fans. The Sox were winners and became popular. Those fans who decide to find a new team at this point are missing the point of being a true baseball fan. If you stick with the team through the bad times, the good times are all that much sweeter.

[RedSoxNC84]

Those fans who decide to find a new team at this point are missing the point of being a true baseball fan. If you stick with the team through the bad times, the good times are all that much sweeter.

[wyo-sox]

Oh yeah, that ought to wake them up.

 

I was being a bit sarcastic. In all seriousness I'm sticking with Sox.

[Beecke]

I don?t think there ever is a reason to not stick with your team, but this Red Sox edition makes it hard to truly root for them IMO.

 

All I want from my team is being sensible. I want to look at the way the team was build, the way the players play, and the FO acts and think to myself that they all are pursuing a strategy that means well. You won?t win all the time and I don?t expect that. I just want to watch a team that is honest and hard-working and see them progress and deal with the inevitable struggles.

 

However, this season it is tough. There is not a lot of stuff to really watch out for because you want to see the progression or maturation of a player or a team or the likes. It?s just a struggle with no purpose.

[YAZMAN]

This is sad. If you're not willing to wait, then the Sox aren't really your team.

 

If you feel otherwise, please pursue greener pastures so it's easier for the real fans to get tickets without paying through the nose.

[YAZMAN]

This is sad. If you're not willing to wait, then the Sox aren't really your team.

 

If you feel otherwise, please pursue greener pastures so it's easier for the real fans to get tickets without paying through the nose.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

"Always root for the winner. That way you won't be disappointed."

-Tug McGraw

 

I have been a fan for a long time. I remember the very poor teams of the early 1960s very well. After 2004, the Sox seemed to attract a lot of new fans. The Sox were winners and became popular. Those fans who decide to find a new team at this point are missing the point of being a true baseball fan. If you stick with the team through the bad times, the good times are all that much sweeter.

 

Well said.

[ibot2much]

Based on the crap I read from this board over the winter, I am surprised at how few peolple are posting through the lean times.

 

When I joined in Dec, one was scolded for being negative about anything Sox related, was criticized for not quoting chapter and verse the sabermetric mode of judging a player and chastised for not being as good or as long term a fan as anybody who had 10,000+ posts here.

 

It is a very hard to board to warm to. People were told they couldn't post the line up because one person does it...and what happened to that? Anybody new faced derision if his posts didn't measure up to the expectations or opinions of the "real" fans.

And the banning....I have never seen a board as banning-crazy as this one.

 

Big changes in a few months. Anxious to see what happens in the off season when the deserters crawl out of the woodwork again.

[Laser Show]

Go Yankees!

 

 

Wait, what?

[a700hitter]

Based on the crap I read from this board over the winter, I am surprised at how few peolple are posting through the lean times.

 

When I joined in Dec, one was scolded for being negative about anything Sox related, was criticized for not quoting chapter and verse the sabermetric mode of judging a player and chastised for not being as good or as long term a fan as anybody who had 10,000+ posts here.

 

It is a very hard to board to warm to. People were told they couldn't post the line up because one person does it...and what happened to that? Anybody new faced derision if his posts didn't measure up to the expectations or opinions of the "real" fans.

And the banning....I have never seen a board as banning-crazy as this one.

 

Big changes in a few months. Anxious to see what happens in the off season when the deserters crawl out of the woodwork again.

This forum does have tendency to brand people thus making it hard for them to stick around very long. Pom pom wavers have a much better chance of staying than posters with critical analysis.

 

Usually, banning is not rampant and many poster get away with stuff that shouldn't be tolerated. However, in a trying time like this season, there was less tolerance for negativity. I think negativity is appropriate when there is a solid basis in fact for negativity. There was absolutely no rational reason to think that Bard would be a solid starter with a mid-3's ERA, yet people posted those projections. There were plenty of facts and good reasons to believe that he would fall on his face. The posters who thought the Sox were toast on opening day are all gone with one exception. SCM is the only one left, and he probably would have been banned if he had posted more regularly. All of the pom pom wavers are still around and some are still looking for excuses, but the utter and complete failure of this team makes it almost impossible for even the most positive fanatic to find scapegoats. As some of the negative posters correctly pointed out, the organization has been poorly run in almost every aspect for several years already. This FO took over a talented roster, a competitive deep team, and after its initial notable successes they have driven the organization to the level of the teams like the Guardians and Mariners at all levels. They have returned this team to its status of the late 50's and early 1960's in a few short seasons. They had to be extraordinarily inept to manage such a precipitous fall in stature with a payroll of $170 million. Those who saw the signs and were willing to say so were denigrated as lousy fans and banned because they made us uncomfortable. There is a possibility that we could suck for a few years, because the same guys that helped to ruin the team are still in place. Maybe Cherington was not the problem and he will finally get his chance to shine. We can hope. If we suck for a few more years, we will have some pom pom wavers posting in April and May each season only to disappear when things go bad and this will be a lonely place with just a few tolerated posters who allowed to engage in critical analysis.

[Bellhorn04]

Based on the crap I read from this board over the winter, I am surprised at how few peolple are posting through the lean times.

 

When I joined in Dec, one was scolded for being negative about anything Sox related, was criticized for not quoting chapter and verse the sabermetric mode of judging a player and chastised for not being as good or as long term a fan as anybody who had 10,000+ posts here.

 

It is a very hard to board to warm to. People were told they couldn't post the line up because one person does it...and what happened to that? Anybody new faced derision if his posts didn't measure up to the expectations or opinions of the "real" fans.

And the banning....I have never seen a board as banning-crazy as this one.

 

Big changes in a few months. Anxious to see what happens in the off season when the deserters crawl out of the woodwork again.

 

I think part of the reason there is less posting going on is that there is precious little to talk about when the team is so bad and so decimated and there are no moves that can be made until the season is over. That applies whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. It's the same thing on the Boston Globe forum. The game threads have all but vanished.

 

Things should pick up again when the season is over and the offseason gets going.

[jung]

I like the game threads. I wish there was more traffic there but I can understand the lack of enthusiasm for watching.

 

Day games are real rough now with folks trying to take advantage of the weather.