Zenny

Williamson should've stayed in for the ninth. He has been filthy this season and only threw 4 pitches against Hunter. Stupid call by Tito, in my opinion.

Shoppach and Youkilis will be everyday players for someone (hopefully the Red Sox) in 2005. Anastacio Martinez should be a middle-reliever for someone then also. Juan Perez, the Sox lone representative in the Futures Game, might get a shot in someone's bullpen in 2005 as well.

I think this trade is going to get done within the next 48 hours.

Shoppach went 0-2 with a BB, HBP and K. He's finding ways to get on base, but he hasn't done so with the bat in the past two games. Season line: .239/.338/.439/.777; .38 (28/73) BB/K ratio; 11 2B, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 35 R

David, Manny and Schill are just incredible. What a team, let's hope they can keep it up.

Well, I got to watch Shopp in person today. He wasn't all that great, but he was solid. He played flawless defense throughout the game, but he wasn't overly tested. He closed the second inning with a swinging whiff. On strike two, he let go of the bat and it went flying into the crowd. It was pretty funny. In the fourth, he walked. He ended the fifth-inning with a fly-out to center-field. In the seventh, he hit a hot shot to the shortstop's right. He did a good job just to get the ball knocked down, but he should've caught it. It turned into a weird double-play ball. Every single time he was up there, he always seemed to work the count. Even when he gets out, it always seemed to be at least 6 pitches into the at-bat. Season Line: .241/.335/.443/.778; .38 (27/72) BB/K; 11 2B, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 35 R

Anyone have any idea why John Burkett... I mean Pedro has been so awful in the first inning this year, but very effective most innings after that?

Games should never be decided by umpires like that. By the way, I hate Edgardo Alfonzo.

Season line through Sunday: .245/.336/.450/.786; .37 (26/71) BB/K ratio; 11 2B, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 34 R He's hitting a lot of homeruns, but he had three whiffs on Saturday night. No big deal.

You just posted that on NetSports, so I might as well put my responses on here as well: Post 1: There are no guarantees that Beltran and Varitek re-sign, that is the huge sticking point. Varitek has been a big part of this franchise since 1998. Don't you think he would have re-signed by now if he had every intention to return? He's going to test the market and see what he can get. With the money he's asking for and the high level that Shoppach has been playing at since mid-May, I don't see Varitek returning. So, if a player who's been a cornerstone of the franchise for 6 years doesn't re-sign before the season is done, what makes you think that the superstar center-fielder who would have only been here for 3-4 months is going to do so? They have the same agent and the exact same intention: to test the free agent market. Folks, this doesn't make any sense. Beltran is going to go on the market and the Yankees are going to make a huge bid for him. We know the Sox can spend, but they cannot spend like the Yankees can. We would be giving up two great, cheap players and positions of need for the Red Sox (who are both ready to start in '05, probably even later this season) for a three to four month rental who will just go to play for the Yankees next season. What the Sox need to do is shore up their rotation first. Let's get Schill's ankle, Wake's thumb, Kim's back and Lowe's psyche back on track and then see where this pitching staff is. We do not need to make changes to the offense that broke the all-time SLG% record. We need to start preventing runs. Post 2: Another thing to consider are the holes that we would create in other aspects of the team after the season is done. So the Sox sign Beltran for $15 million a season. That means Pedro, Williamson, Lowe, Varitek and Nomar would all have to be sacrificed in order to do so. Now we need two more starting pitchers, a set-up man, a SS and a C (because Shoppach was foolishly traded away). Hey, at least we have the super star center-fielder. Guys, if we do this we are turning into the Texas Rangers. We should wait for Kim to come back, see how he performs and then make a trade for a pitcher based upon his and others' performances.

That's true and for good reason. I'm serious, this deal is really stupid for the Red Sox. Ten years of service a piece from Shoppach and Youkilis and a hard-throwing lefty are far more valuable than three months of Beltran. Man, this deal drives me crazy.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...ke_beltran_bid/ Dammit, this sucks. Baird is really hot on Youkilis, Shoppach and Juan Cedeno. Don't do it, Theo!!!! Jesus, does anyone know of any way that we could contact these guys to tell them that we hate this deal? He's not going to sign with us until he tests the free agent market and you know the Yankees are going to do everything within their power to steal him away from us. And as Jose Contreras shows, they certainly have the means by which to outbid us. I'm not ready to give up next season's everyday 3B and C (both of which are outstanding, by the way) for three months of the most over-hyped player in baseball. If this deal gets done, I may have to become a Royals fan.

I'm going to be at Monday night's PawSox game and I will be intently watching Kelly Shoppach behind and at the plate. He's been on fire since mid-May, hopefully he'll be able to keep it up (very likely).

Men stop growing at about 20-21. The stats soxpropsects has for him are probably his 18 year-old stats, so he could, in theory, grow another two inches in those two years. David Robinson grew almost a foot in college, so it's definitely not out of the question.

Another thing to keep in mind about Abe is his age. He's only 21 in a standardly 23 to 24 year-old's league. So, take in the ~3.85 ERA and ~1.30 WHIP and you say, "he'll be OK". Then factor in the age, the great hitter's league that the Eastern League is and the fact that his pitches are still developing and you have a lot of factors working against Abe, yet he's doing great.

Shoppach had a nice game for himself tonight; 2-3, 2B, HR, R, RBI. Daily Season Line Update: .249/.339/.446/.785; .37 (25/67) BB/K ratio; 11 2B, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 32 R I guarantee that his OPS will be just about or above .900 by the end of the season and he will be more than worthy of taking over next season's starting catching role.

KC wants some combination of pitchers, thirdbaseman, catchers and outfielders (in that order): Juan Perez- 25 year-old lefty who's been stellar for AA Portland (~1.80 ERA) with upside comparable to Damaso Marte, 2005 ETA Jon Papelbon- 22 year-old righty who is leading the FSL in K's (89?) and has a 2.89 ERA and was an All-Star, mid-'05 ETA Chad Spann- 20 year-old righty 3B; quick, good defense, patient at the plate and shows projectable power, currently on DL but should return soon, '06-'07 ETA Granted, that's less than the previously proposed package, but it is far more reasonable for a three-month rental. I don't know Allard Baird and I haven't had contact with him to ask him what he specifically wants, but this is what I would propose and gaging from his reaction I would add or subtract. I wouldn't worry about the Yankees getting Beltran at any point this season. They have only one true good prospect in Dioner Navarro, but he'll be lucky to be 1/2 the player Shoppach will be. Eric Duncan is tremendously overhyped because he's a NJ product and if he does make the bigs, he won't be ready until 2008. Robinson Cano is the only other player who has even a remote shot at being a regular, but he'd be a below average one at that. Hell, Kenny Perez is better than Cano and he wouldn't even crack the Sox top 30. They have literally nothing useful for anyone, including themselves. No worries there. My guess is that Beltran is going to go to the Padres with Joe Randa for Sean Burroughs, Xavier Nady and a PTBNL. I think SD is getting shafted if they do that, but I don't think Kevin Towers is smart enough to realize that this is a stupid deal for him.

I think 'Tek needs a couple days off. He gets tonight while Wake pitches, but I think he's getting worn down. We can't lose him just yet, Shoppach needs another couple months at Pawtucket.

Insider sources close to Allard Baird says he wants "ML ready 3B's and C's as a must in any deal". The Sox have the best 3B/C tandem in Youkilis and Shoppach and both will be ready next season. Still, I doubt that Youkilis and Shoppach would be enough and Abe Alvarez would have to be thrown in as well. In my opinion, this is way too much for a guy who is absolutely going to test the free agent market and there are no guarantees out there. We're giving up a left-handed #2 starter, a .300/.450 3B and a Gold Glove caliber 25-homerun catcher for Beltran? No f'ing way. With the way things are going now, all three of those players would be starting next season or able to start. You guys know me, I'm the prospect nut, so my opinion may be a little biased, but I just see this as way too much for the most overhyped player in the game with no guarantee at signing him long-term.

PS- Williams' ERA is 4.63, not 6.43. He's not that bad.

They worked wonders for Armando Benitez. Let's see what McKeon and Co. can do for Billy Koch's fragile melon.

AHHH!!! Why is Yahoo screaming at me!?!? Damn CapsLock. That's very unfortunate for Beckett. I still stand by my conviction that the Marlins have the best rotation in baseball when fully healthy, but that's been the problem thus far. My guess is a strained rib-cage and he'll be OK for his next start.

Williams is a good, young pitcher. He just hasn't shown it thus far this season. Don't take him too lightly, because he can be great.

Murphy has been atrocious this season. He's got a .240/.302/.305/.608 line in 45 games. Not to mention the fact that he's been in and out of the line-up with a foot injury and hasn't played a game since June 1st. He's teetering on the edge of 1st round disappointment. Some specualte that it's because of the injury and he'll be back. Others say that he can't adjust to wooden bats. Others think it's because the competition he faced in college was weaker than the rest of the country, which I don't necessarily buy. Before the year started, he was the next Fred Lynn. Now, he'll be lucky to be Darren Lewis.

Pedro had the most dominant six-year run of any pitcher. Ever. It's Pedro. Period. Done. Out.