Are you willing to wait?

[a700hitter]

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.

When a team gets this bad and hopeless, there is almost nothing to discuss. But most of the pom pom wavers have been gone since the beginning of August. They returned briefly to discuss the huge trade.

[mvp 78]

People didn't get banned for being negative, they got banned for being dicks to "optimists."

 

I've posted less because I'm a lot busier now than I was a few months ago. When I have downtime at night, it's more enjoyable to go out back, start a fire in the fire pit, drink a beer and relax than post on here.

[jacksonianmarch]

I hear ya there MVP. I'd be busting on some of the patsies who gave me s*** earlier in the yr, but time is one thing I no longer have

[a700hitter]

People didn't get banned for being negative, they got banned for being dicks to "optimists."

 

I've posted less because I'm a lot busier now than I was a few months ago. When I have downtime at night, it's more enjoyable to go out back, start a fire in the fire pit, drink a beer and relax than post on here.

I didn't know that you fell in the optimist category. I have never viewed you as one. I just consider you to be a snarky prick often times.

[mvp 78]

I didn't know that you fell in the optimist category. I have never viewed you as one. I just consider you to be a snarky prick often times.

 

I had no problem with the posters who were banned. You're right, I'm more snark than anything else and don't think I'm a pom pom waver.

[a700hitter]

I had no problem with the posters who were banned. You're right, I'm more snark than anything else and don't think I'm a pom pom waver.

I never considered you to be a pom pom waver. Although you are posting less (we all are posting less), you are still here regularly. My remarks were not pointed at anyone in particular and certainly not you. I was just referring to the overall dynamic of the forum.

[Palodios]

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.

 

More often than not, the "posters with critical analysis" are just pissed off fans who come here, rant, and leave. The ones who stick around are generally older, more cynical fans (I'm not pointing any fingers, but demographics are what they are:lol:) People who are optimistic about the team's future are generally more likely to be here for the purpose of enjoying their team, no matter how terrible, and they'll stick around and say stuff like "This is going to be our year".

 

I think that the majority of the posters who were banned deserved it. When was the last time you saw a major argument on TalkSox? Lately, the entire discussion has been about baseball, and I think that's the best way to open a discussion. Oddly enough, there haven't even been that many gloating Yankee fans around either.

[Behindenemylines]

Amen! All of the hate should be saved for the $pankees. You have to have hope that it will get better or there is no sence of following the Sox. It is all of the down years and bad loses that make 2004 and 2007 all the more enjoyable. You have to keep the faith or find another hobby.

[SCM33]

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.

 

Pink hats. Thats all they were. Im willing to guess that I am in reference to at least part of your post........I wish those people were still around, all those people who said I was negative/wrong. I always argued that I was simply being realistic. I called this s*** from day 1.....although I never thought theyd be this bad, I did however make a bet with one member of the forum that they would not finish .500, which I have won.

 

Can't wait to see the bandwagon pinkhat homers come back over the winter predicting a world series victory because they add a backup infielder, a left handed reliever and a platoon LF.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

People didn't get banned for being negative, they got banned for being dicks to "optimists."

Who even got banned? Only banning I can remember is pumpsie green.

[Behindenemylines]

I guess that is one good thing about a season like this, all of the bandwagon fans jump off and are not seen or heard from until the next great season. Its easy being a Sox fan win they are winning, but its the loyal fans that are still here when we go through a 2012.

[Elktonnick]

This is the time to test the mettle of the true fan. Right now this team could be the worst W-L percentage since the 1965 team. This is almost as bad as that team That team had only 62 wins. While I am not a cockeyed optimist, and I am not suggesting that this will happen two years later the Sox did win the AL title. The red sox could be a real contender 2014. It is possible.

 

At the beginning of the year I thought his team was somewhere between 83- 89 wins and between 2nd and 4th in the division. So while I am disappointed with this year's performance, I can't say I am totally surprised either. My real doubts are whether Henry is capable of putting together the FO team that can return the Sox to conteneder status in two years. The 04-07 success was built on the foundation that Dan Duquette created.

 

Ben Cherrington is no Dan Duquette.

[VA Sox Fan]

Who even got banned? Only banning I can remember is pumpsie green.

 

Yep and then seabeachfred went away, thankfully. Improved the board SO MUCH!

 

The others that came with them have have either been banned or improved their posting style so they wouldn't be banned.

 

I knew our season was over mid-July. But I still watch every game and will always love the Red Sox!

 

I have always been one of the more optimistic posters out here. It's so hard when our team implodes so badly.

 

I can't access the site from work much anymore and there is really nothing to discuss IMO. Tough time for us all.

 

GO NATS and O's!! f*** the NYY as always!!

 

Here is looking forward to a better 2013!

[Brennan]

Yep and then seabeachfred went away, thankfully. Improved the board SO MUCH!

 

The others that came with them have have either been banned or improved their posting style so they wouldn't be banned.

 

I knew our season was over mid-July. But I still watch every game and will always love the Red Sox!

 

I have always been one of the more optimistic posters out here. It's so hard when our team implodes so badly.

 

I can't access the site from work much anymore and there is really nothing to discuss IMO. Tough time for us all.

 

GO NATS and O's!! f*** the NYY as always!!

 

Here is looking forward to a better 2013!

 

 

 

 

 

I'm with you on the go O's. I can't believe that there are fans that would rather see the whankees go further than the O's just because of last season. There are 29 teams I would rather see EVER win ANYTHING before the bronx frauds.

[SCM33]

I'm with you on the go O's. I can't believe that there are fans that would rather see the whankees go further than the O's just because of last season. There are 29 teams I would rather see EVER win ANYTHING before the bronx frauds.

 

The only other teams I root for, are the Orioles since the Duke is running things there, and shockingly, they are having success with the same building process he has in Boston.....you know, since DUKE built the 2003 and 2004 teams.....which trickled to the 2007 team. Duke always worked with small funds so he always did the best he could. Eventually they opened up the wallet and he got Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez......but it was always the garbage type heap that he brought in. Many of those reclamation projects worked out.

 

He inherited a s***** team in 1994. By 1995 the whole roster was turned over. Mike Macfarlane, Luis Alicea, Troy Oleary, Willie McGee, Reggie Jefferson, Erik Hansen, Tim Wakefield, Rick Aguilera and Stan Belinda helped that team win the AL East.

 

In 1996 he added Mike Stanley, Jeff Frye, Jose Canseco, Wil Cordero, Nomar (who he drafted), Tom Gordon, Jaime Moyer, Rich Garces and Mike Stanton.

 

1997 was a poor team. They replaced Clemens with Steve Avery and did little else. A bridge year.

 

1998 brought in Mike Benjiman, Darren Lewis, Darren Bragg, Damon Buford, Pedro Martinez, Bret Saberhagen. They also traded Heathcliff Slocumb for Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek. They finished 2nd in the ALE with 92 wins.

 

1999 saw the additions of Rod Beck, and Brian Daubach. Again they finished 2nd in the ALE with 94 wins.

 

2000 saw the additions of Carl Everett (who was great for this year), Dante Bichette and Jose Offerman ( who were supposed to take some of the blow of losing Vaughn).

 

2001 saw the addition of Manny Ramirez, David Cone, Hideo Nomo and Frank Castillo. They drafted Kevin Youkilis. They again finished 2nd in the ALE.

 

2002 added Johnny Damon, Cliff Floyd, John Burkett, Uegueth Urbina,and Alan Embree That year they also drafted Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon. They finished 2nd place and won 93 games.

 

I root for the Orioles, because the Duke knew what he was doing.

 

The other one is the Braves. I used to watch all the their games on TBS. Braves were once the Boston Braves, and it was nice to see that Babe Ruth started his career in Boston, and ended it in Boston.

[mvp 78]

Giving Duke credit for 07 is hillarious... Really.

[Elktonnick]

Giving Duke credit for 07 is hillarious... Really.

 

The 04-07 success was built on the foundation that Dan Duquette created.

 

"Duquette is also noted for several major acquisitions that would ultimately play a part in the Red Sox 2004 World Championship, including acquiring knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in 1995, Pedro Mart?nez in 1997 from Montreal, the 1997 trade with Seattle for both pitcher Derek Lowe and All-Star catcher Jason Varitek the free agent signings of Manny Ram?rez in 2000 and Johnny Damon in December, 2001 and the Sox traded over 35 players in Duquette's farm system to staff the team including LHP Jorge De la Rosa traded for Curt Schilling."

 

Do the Sox win in 07 without Varitek, Wakefield,Youkilis and Manny Ramirez? I don't think so!

,

QED

[Brennan]

The 04-07 success was built on the foundation that Dan Duquette created.

 

"Duquette is also noted for several major acquisitions that would ultimately play a part in the Red Sox 2004 World Championship, including acquiring knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in 1995, Pedro Mart?nez in 1997 from Montreal, the 1997 trade with Seattle for both pitcher Derek Lowe and All-Star catcher Jason Varitek the free agent signings of Manny Ram?rez in 2000 and Johnny Damon in December, 2001 and the Sox traded over 35 players in Duquette's farm system to staff the team including LHP Jorge De la Rosa traded for Curt Schilling."

 

Do the Sox win in 07 without Varitek, Wakefield,Youkilis and Manny Ramirez? I don't think so!

,

QED

 

Absolutely. Too bad more people can't figure this out. Epstein stepped in s***. He will never see success again and it will be compounded because he will never have a giant payroll to play with.

[TutGadol]

Douby and Morales can't both be starters, they wouldn't be efficient three months into the season, they both can't go deep into games, and it's an injury hazard. In my opinion, they should each start for half of 2013 and long-relief for the other half. I can see them having a combined 3.6 ERA with something like 130 IP each.

[a700hitter]

Absolutely. Too bad more people can't figure this out. Epstein stepped in s***. He will never see success again and it will be compounded because he will never have a giant payroll to play with.

He was nothing more than LL's gopher, and yes, he did fall in s***. He also left us with s***, and now his gopher is in charge. Duke had to go when the new ownership took over, because he was not a puppet. He's doing very well with the Orioles. He could take Theo and Jed and Ben to school.

[Elktonnick]

I think the Duke's performance in Baltimore demostrates his competency. That franchise was a mess.

[a700hitter]

I think the Duke's performance in Baltimore demostrates his competency. That franchise was a mess.

It was such a mess that the prior GM killed himself, because he felt he had screwed things up so badly.

[Bellhorn04]

There's no denying that Duquette put a lot of the big pieces in place for the championships. But let's not get carried away here. In his last 3 years as GM Duquette had one of the biggest payrolls in baseball and the team missed the playoffs those years. Duquette's Red Sox won one playoff series in his 8 years. And he was acting like a nutcase toward the end of his tenure.

[Elktonnick]

Here is another reason to like Dan Duquette,

 

In an interview with Steve Melewski that is destined to provide content for weeks, Dan Duquette outlined the Orioles’ philosophy when it comes to the cut fastball. In essence, the pitch won’t be taught in their minor league organization. “We don’t like it as a pitch,” the Baltimore GM said.

 

I have maintained that the single biggest reason for Beckett et al decline in velocity is their over use of the cutter. There is evidence that it has an adverse affect on lng term arm strength.

[a700hitter]

There's no denying that Duquette put a lot of the big pieces in place for the championships. But let's not get carried away here. In his last 3 years as GM Duquette had one of the biggest payrolls in baseball and the team missed the playoffs those years. Duquette's Red Sox won one playoff series in his 8 years. And he was acting like a nutcase toward the end of his tenure.

He's not the greatest thing since sliced bread. That's for sure. He got a lot of bad press and heat for letting Rocket and Mo Vaughn walk, which was unfair. Rocket revived his career by cheating and Vaughn was indeed done. Although he did miss the playoffs in his last 3 years, by 2002 he was building something special with Pedro, Manny and Damon among others. The bad season in 2001 (82 wins) was largely due to the absence of Pedro for the last half of the season, and the horrible job done by Joe Kerrigan when he took over for Jimy Williams. I still think that he can run circles around Theo as a talent evaluator and roster construction.

[rjortiz]

It was such a mess that the prior GM killed himself, because he felt he had screwed things up so badly.

 

Is that true?

[a700hitter]

Is that true?

http://www.wbaltv.com/Mike-Flanagan-Found-Dead/-/9380084/8909480/-/10ne81rz/-/index.html

[mvp 78]

Because of 4 players, 2 of whom were on a downward spiral, Duke gets credit for 07? I'm sticking with no. He deserves 25-40% credit for 04, but barely a blip for 07.

[mvp 78]

Since Youk, Wake and Tek were here last year, might as well blame Duke for the downfall as well, right?

[jacksonianmarch]

http://www.wbaltv.com/Mike-Flanagan-Found-Dead/-/9380084/8909480/-/10ne81rz/-/index.html

 

Did you notice who the reporting officer in that article was? Gerry Sandusky. That guy's life must be crazy right now, he's not the pedophile, but I am sure he gets called daily