noonanberg

I'll add my little bit too. The Sox seem to finally have found their '03 form, and with better pitching than last year, this can be an unreal team. The deadline is fast approaching, and so far Epstein hasn't disappointed me much (except for Sauerbeck). Heck, look at Leskanic, when we acquired him I was puzzled, but he has been a very pleasant surprise. As far as Foulke goes, if he continues to choke I have just one name for you: Scott Williamson. If he can stay healthy, he could easily assume the closing role should Foulke continue to Foulke up. Meanwhile here are some other little notes. Damon: On fire. He will fizzle at some point, but he was hot in the postseason last year. Bellhorn: Decent hitter. Decent fielder. Decent speed. Better than Pokey (and Offerman). Nomar: Hopefully we keep him because he looks like he's trying to prove something. Manny: The hamstring bit bugged me, but he does have a shot at the triple crown if I- Rod suddenly tanks the second half. Ortiz: Well worth keeping. Nixon: I've always loved the dirt dog. Varitek & Belli: Could be the best catching duo around. Either one can get the job done. (And let's lay off Tek, he'll come around). Mueller: I've seen worse #9 hitters. Actually I don't think I've seen a better one. McCarty: I still hope his bat comes around, but he is a great bench guy. Pokey: Always good for pinch running and fielding. He was safe on that pick- off. Youk: He's done well so far, and is a great guy to have when Mueller needs a rest. Kapler: Similar to Pokey, with a better hitting upside. Embree: If he can return to early season form, look- out. Williamson: We need him healthy because he is just nasty. Timlin: Still reliable. Still throws gas. Only Sock reliever with a ring. Foulke: He can't get much worse. Leskanic: Sick curveball. Great surprise. Schilling: His attitude seems a bit rough at times, but his pitching has been great. Pedro: You say he lost his fastball? He's throwing 94. A reasonable drop- off from 97-98 considering his age. Still almost a lock. Lowe: Inconsistent, but the Rangers game gave me hope he may be becoming less of a mental case. Arroyo: Don't let his record fool you, he's solid. If we add a new man to the rotation, he is great from the 'pen. Wakefield: Similar to Lowe without the head problems. Francona: Please bunt sometimes. Maybe a hit and run or two. Use your 'pen more wisely. PLEASE. Epstein: I have a feeling he'll get something that will help at the deadline. I only hope it doesn't come at the expense of Nomar or a great prospect (i.e. Shoppach and/or Youk)

Trade him (Pokey) and keep Nomar. All that a good majority of Sox fans' have done is bash Nomar. 1st for his injury and then when he returned for his poor play. Instead of being logical and realizing he might need some time to re- adjust, Sox fans attacked Nomar and said he wasn't trying. Now, since the Braves series he's been almost as hot as Johnny Damon, yet he is still in every trade rumor. Maybe we won't be able to sign Nomar when his contract is up and miss out on possibly getting something decent in return. However, without Nomar there is a big whole in the top of our lineup and although it may be overcome, the loss of Nomar's production will put more pressure on the pitching staff. So let's lay off Nomar, keep Nomar and hope that it will pay off with a World Series ring.

I have to get this off my chest. I think it's about time the Sox and their fans get over this whole Moneyball bit. You see the A's now, and they aren't exactly what I would call a great team. Sure they win and often make the playoffs, but they are never a serious contender. If the Sox want to shape their team in that format (like the Bruins do) then fine, but don't expect us to ever win if all we're looking for is guys who get on base and then just knock them in without ever bunting or hitting and running.

I never want to see Kim in a Sox outfit again, first off. And secondly, I'd love to get rid of Lowe, but it could be too late now cuz now every team thinx he sux and we wouldn't get jack for him.

I actually wouldn't mind giving Mirabelli and occassional slot at first. If he can catch the knuckler on a fairly consistent basis, I don't think he'll have too many problems at first.

To quell the Manny issue, he has said he has no interest in the derby cuz it screws up his swing. So he's out. But go Ortiz. My money's on him.

Why is Millar in both of your lists? Even last year he was only good until about June. It's time to forget about him. Here's how I would do it: 1) Damon CF 2) Bellhorn 2B 3) Garciapara SS (esp. if he keeps his hitting streak) 4) Ramirez LF 5) Ortiz DH 6) Nixon RF 7) Varitek C 8) Youkilis 3B 9) Daubach 1B (Get Dauber out of the minors. He's better than Millar on every level, and when hot can be a solid hitter, esp. for a number nine.) Rotate Reese in at second and Mueller at third every once in a while. Mueller also gives you a great guy of the bench if you need him. If Nixon is hurting, give Kapler some playing time in right. He has potential at the plate, and brings solid fielding and speed to the lineup. McCarty can occassionally fill in for Dauber, but let's start using him out of the 'pen too. Give Embree a rest once in a while. As for Millar: keep those sunflower seeds coming.

I agree with you all, the wild card is still attainable. Here's what I think could/should happen. The Sox have two six game stints before and just following the ASB. The six before are at home, and the following six constitute a short West Coast trip. If we can win 9 or ten of these games (8 could be OK), then we should plan on making a run for it. However, if the Sox end up finishing below .500 in the next twelve, I say dump some players (Nomar, Lowe, Mueller and please Kim and Millar). Even in that scenario we'd still have a decent team with a shot at the playoffs, but if it doesn't work out, and least we have a foot in the door for the future. Even if the Sox collapse this year, as long as they honor the contracts of Ortiz, Manny and Schilling, they still have a solid lineup. We'd still have Foulke as a closer, Youk has proven he can play third, Bellhorn and Reese are fine with me and Nixon would be in right. What you do with Pedro and/or Varitek will be key moves, but we're all waiting for Shoppach, and losing Pedro's contract (although I'd like to sign him for about two more years) would allow us to sign a few solid pitchers. This team has the tools to do it this year, but if this year goes down the tube, I wouldn't expect a long wait for us to be a potential contender again.

Hey A- Rod 2..., go screw. This is talk sox, not brag about the Yanks. Let's see if you make yourself known when we knock your precious Yanks out of the playoffs and send this 'dynasty' into a downward spiral. By the way, Sheffield is a whining little bitch. And so is Jeter. So they got hit by pitches, suck it up. The Sox have seen plenty of there own. The only respectable player in the whole Yankees franchise is Jeter (I hate to say it but it's true.) Everyone else is either on 'roids (Giambi), a whinebag (Sheffield, Posada) or overpaid (A-Rod). At least the Sox have some class.

Nomar's problem is not in his head, it's all Mia Hamm's fault. It was because of her Nomar sucked last year in the postseason (he didn't shave his head for his wedding). And I still blame her for his awful play since then. Thanks a lot Mama Mia.

Not to be repetitive, but at some point it will all come together for the Sox. Last night I liked some certain aspects of the game. I thought Leskanic pitched quite well. He got out of that ugly jam with the leadoff triple with strikeouts against two quality hitters. The only time he was hit off of was when he kept the ball high. I thought he pitched well, and if Millar could move his fat arse in right, maybe he would have gotten the win instead of the loss. McCarty is a great fielder at first and made a great scoop on Bellhorn's s*** throw with the bases loaded. McCarty also hit the ball fairly well. I know he only had one hit, but he hit two others a pretty long way. I say you play him more often. Pedro looked pretty good. Youk made some nice plays at third and was solid at the plate (it will be sad for me to see him replaced by Mueller). And Manny of course almost saved the day. There were three big mistakes I think were made last night, and both fall on Francona's head: 1) Pinch running for Ortiz at third. Ortiz was at DH not 1B, there was no reason to pinch run for him. I know he's not exactly a speed demon, but in general pinch running for someone at third gives you little if any advantage. Second base is different because a gapper that doesn't reach the wall could result in a run. However, at third no matter who is running the ball has to be hit a certain distance for the runner to score, and that distance is almost the same for any runner. Bad result: Next time Nixon had to pinch hit in what would have been Ortiz' spot. I like Nixon too, but I would have liked Ortiz up there with the bases loaded. 2) There's another reason Nixon shouldn't have been up there, he should have batted the inning before. For almost the entire extra session, Nixon sat with a bat in his hands. What happens? Millar (MILLAR!!!) gets up with the bases loaded instead of Nixon. What happens? No runs. So instead of putting Nixon in, who might actually get a hit, we blow another bases loaded opportunity. 3) Mistake three is that Francona did not put Kapler in right. What the hell? You're in extra innings were every base matters and you leave the second slowest guy on the team in a crucial fielding position?! Francona should have pinched for Millar (with Nixon) and then Kapler could have taken his spot in right and Nixon could have been switched to DH. Instead, Nixon doesn't PH until later, unfortunately screws up, but Millar is STILL PLAYING. I don't like him playing when we're up by 10 and we have him in when every run a potential final out for a Kapler turns into a game tying double and inevitably the game winning run. NICE JOB MILLAR AND FRANCONA, HOPE YOUR HAPPY WITH EACH OTHER.

I thought Francona would be an alright manager. He was supposed to be similar to Grady, and Grady did alright except for his post- game interviews and that little game 7 blunder. Turns out though, Francona has less common sense than Little. He is no better at handling pitchers than Little and he's a much worse lineup coordinator (for lack of a better word). Bellhorn at third? Youk on the bench? Millar at first? 0-for-3 Terry. Where does he get these crazy ideas? Youk should be playing third. Bellhorn should be rotating with Reese at second and Millar should be sent to the grocery store for sunflower seeds. Millar of course is the most important. With him on the bench you have two solid options: 1) McCarty at first (he's a very good fielder and has potential at the plate) or 2) Ortiz at first with any number of options at DH (although I'd prefer Bellhorn if Reese is at second). Meanwhile, what is Francona doing with the pitching staff. He has no idea when to pull the starter (great example: Schilling's overstay early in the year that led to a granny) and often puts the wrong guy in from the pen. Why is Williamson getting almost no playing time? Whenever he plays he dominates. Rarely does Williamson get shelled. He also likes to bring in Foulke mighty early, as well as bring him in when there's not a save on the line. I know Foulke still needs playing time, but when Williamson hasn't pitched in five days and Foulke in three, let Williamson get some work. Terry is making me think it's not just the guys on the field that aren't doing there job.

The Sox have enough speed, but they don't use it. I don't even know if I've seen many hit and runs. The key to scoring runs is getting guys in scoring position. Francona has got to start stealing and hitting and running more. Maybe if he would put Kapler in more than Millar...

Getting Johnson would be amazing. Who knows if it'll realistically happen, but let's not forget a good former teammate (Schilling) may play a part on whether he comes if the Sox make a pitch for him.

Yeah, even if Wake is bad, we should be able to shell Lieber. Let's also remember that David Ortiz loves Yankee Stadium and loves the bleachers there as well. If our lineup can produce as they did in games 1 and 3 against the Phils, there is no reason we shouldn't win or sweep the series. We do need to win it though, and a sweep would be even better. Altho, another sweep of the Yanks is unlikely.

I have always said the Sox need a lefty in the rotation and I would love to have Glavine. I think a Sox uni would be a big boost for him and may see him return to a bit of his old form.

I never want to see Kim in a Sox uni again. I will never forget that infamous finger and I don't think anyone should. If you don't like Arroyo fine, trade Kim and get a new pitcher to fill that #5 role. Plus, even if Kim is brought back he's useless to us come playoff time for he may be the worst pitcher when it is crunch time (as he has displayed on numerous occassions.)

Pedro is the better performer when it matters. His perfect relief against the Guardians in '99 was amazing. Never seen the Rocket do that. Pedro has won most of the much hyped Pedro/Rocket battles. But for me the deciding factor was one particular battle, in October. While the Rocket was lit up for 5 runs early as well as an early exit, Pedro pitched a great game and if only Grady could have taken him out he would have won that battle as well. Pedro is #1.

I hated Millar before he was even a Sock. He is the reason Hillenbrand is gone (although I do like Youk). He is slower than Ortiz, scary but I think it's true. He can't play first base, is too slow for left field, and although brought in for third base, I think he's played about two games there (I'm estimating). On top of all this, he couldn't hit a beach ball. Sure his attitude is good, but so was Tony Clark's and he's gone. Yet he had a better upside. I don't care if he's traded released or sent down, but Millar is taking playing time from more deserving guys such as Daubach, Kapler and McCarty.

I know next time I'm at Fenway I'm starting the M-V-P chant.

I've never liked Manny as much as I do this year. Despite the trade rumors he has been in an exceptionally good mood. He is always joking on the bench and now even talks to the media once in a while. Almost all of his Fenway homers have ended up outside the park and his batting average is amazing. The most impressive thing though is his fielding. Although he still makes some blunders, he at least puts effort into every ball hit near him, even those that aren't hit near him too. I'm glad we decided to keep him (and Nomar too.)

Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is this? A bad stretch in the early part of the season and we're all ready to toss in the towel? The Sox have a lot of home games until the break, and they are much better at the Fen. Let's also not forget a little thing called the Wild Card. No other team will compete with us for that. The West is in a collapse after Texas, and the Central is a joke. If I am correct, and I am, both the Marlins and Angels went all the way from the Wild Card slot. Hell, we were a Grady Little away from it last year. Our team is better than last year's brand and they still have a more TEAMlike environment than before. As always the only thin standing in our way is the Evil Empire. The path to the Series will go through them one way or another. We've dominated them to this point and they no longer have the pitching that can compete with us. Even if they did, let's not forget that last year we outmuscled two All- Star and future Hall- of- Fame pitchers (Mussina and Clemens) to get 5 outs away. Let's also not forget that there was little optimism for the 'pen last year since Williamson was shaky, the Kim breakdown and we had no closer. So what happened? Williamson and Timlin were lights out the entire playoffs, we battled back from a 2-0 deficit to go to the ALCS and Wakefield was dominant except for one pitch. Pedro pitched well, Lowe was actually good and Arroyo was lights out. Ortiz was only 2 for 21 in the ALDS, but one hit saved our playoff hopes. This team pulled it together when they needed to last year and they'll do it again this year, only this time with more talent.

I saw that PTI too and I was ripshit. I- Rod? Sure he's good and has helped the Tiger's, but I'd argue Varitek is better than him. As far as Vlad goes, he is a good choice, but if you take away that one night he had against us he is nowhere near Ortiz in the RBI column. Ortiz can possibly hit the 120 RBI mark with 30 homers to boot. He is again a league leader in doubles and extra base hits, and is undoubtedly the clutchest player in the MLB. I think the managers will be smart enough to put him in the All- Star game, and maybe with that recognition the rest of the league will recognize the game's best clutch hitter.

The Sox were all revved up at the start of the year with many guys looking to take advantage of playing time due to injuries. It seems to me as though they put so much effort into taking 6 of 7 from the Yanks that they only had a little bit left afterwards. Instead of exploding ahead of the Yanks with their series against the likes of Cleveland, KC and Tampa (while they were struggling), the Sox choked in a lot of those series, as they are now while the Yanks turned it up. The Yanks are going to cool off soon, and now that the lineup is healthy for once, there is no reason to think that starting with the Yanks on Tuesday, the Sox may hit a hot streak that could get them back within striking distance of the AL East.

The Sox will probably be in the rumor mill until the deadline, but I think for once they should leave their everyday roster as is. I would like to see a trade involving Millar, Mueller and Kim (Mendoza too if possible), but I'd rather get prospects or draft picks in return. With the roster almost perfectly intact this team has few, if any flaws. I've always wanted a lefty in the rotation, and trading Lowe may not be a bad idea, but I can live with him for the rest of the year. Otherwise, the rotation, when all pitchers are on, is scary. The only question mark is Arroyo, but he's not that bad for a number five, especially when you consider the Yankees have Lieber. The lineup leaves opposing pitchers with little room for error. The only flaw is at DH (when Ortiz plays first), but McCarty can have good nights, as can Kapler and Daubach (if they'd ever keep him up in the bigs) when hot can really tear it up. Meanwhile, the pen is loaded with great young and experienced talent. I'll even be crazy enough to say that the biggest weakness has been Foulke. Williamson looks great after a stint on the DL. Timlin is very reliable. Embree had a rough month, but his early season performance shows he's quite capable. I like DiNardo and Malaska, and they are great for games that are not close so that the more used pitchers can rest. I do hope the Sox don't get rid of Damon. He's one of the best lead- off hitters in the game as well as a fan favorite. His speed is a great dynamic. What's more is that he is a great fielder. His ability was displayed against the Twins in a game in which he made two great running catches which displayed his amazing range. This lineup wsa put together with the assumption that it could take us to the promised land. So why toy with it?