ahhchon

mark my words, john lester will pitch again. 70-80% recovery is fantastic with cancer. my grandmother has cancer, though it has made her a hemiplegic, destroyed her voice and gave her a .001% chance of survival 2 months ago she has fought through multiple chemo sessions and will continue to fight it to her last breath. if a 77 old lady can take a .001% chance to 2+ months and going strong, knock on wood, lesters 22 year old body with a 70-80% chance and being a tumerous cancer is going to be fine. look at it this way, they caught it at an early stage, they caught it at his strongest point in life, they caught it at an early age. he's being seen by doctors at dana-farber ( 2 min walk from my place, friends work there, gf works at brigham womens next door) is definately looking good for him. he'll be pitching again in the majors in about 2 years. john

rotisserrie is silly, (i play it in my for shits and giggles league) play head to head, it takes a lot more skill. so i just lost liriano for the season, boo to that. oh well, i got double digit wins from him. i'm really hoping my young guns hold together. verlander, lester, liriano, all rookies. kazmir, harden and peavy, all under 25. gotta love the keeper leagues. john

oh man, great info. i had no idea you needed a 95 mph heater to be successful in the bigs.. john

a blown save is nothing more than a pitcher finally givin up runs. it's going to happen sooner or later. blown saves are blown out of proportion. any pitcher who is filthy can be a closer, which is what papelbon is. but he's not god, he'll give up runs here and there. there is NOTHING to worry about. john

that is a bold statement.. he is not better than trot nixon right now. (healthy trot nixon right now).. maybe next year, maybe the year after, but not right now. he was rocking a .355 OBP against lefties and .400 + against righties. john

arroyo: 7ip 0ER: COLORADO 2nd Last Place NL west 16ip 0ER: WASHINGTON Last Place NL east 20ip 4ER: CUBS 2nd Last NL central 7ip 2ER: KC Last Place AL central 29ip 14ER: BREWERS 3rd Last NL central http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/standings?year=season_2006&type=wild+card KC is in LAST place in the AL washington and the cubs are 2nd and 3rd last in the NL MIL and COL are 6th and 9th last respectively CLE 6ip 4er ATL 10ip 11er HOU 12.2ip 7er LAD 6.0ip 4er NYM 17.0ip 4er PIT 6.0ip 4er (dead last in NL too) STL 14.0ip 6er ARI 12ip 7er http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6498/splits;_ylt=AgWPjQ10fSc1VV6VjRb..XCFCLcF his era+ was 98 last year, average. http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/arroybr01.shtml don't get me wrong, arroyo isn't garbage. i can't say that he would be doing as well as he is in the AL, especially if still with the sox. i think he had some extra motivation, at the beginning of the season he was pitching with much more focus and much more confidence. he was better pre-break, most teams in the nl have never faced him. just look at his stats against the better teams? most of his dominance is agaist last place or teams under .500 90 (about) of his innings are against poor teams. that's more than half of his IP. not to mention all of the teams he pitched well against are in the BOTTOM 3rd of Runs scored, hits, rbi's etc.. he's doing well, or was doing well. it's not looking as great now because we need a SP, but at the beginning of the season we had too many (i know, i even said you can't have too many and had my doubts about willy mo) but the point is that arroyo was just not that good. john

you should and they'll tell you how friggan awsome it was.. http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/smoltjo01.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/maddugr01.shtml at 22 both smoltz and maddux were both amazing.. their rookie years were simply used to shape them up and get their pitches mlb ready. the same goes for lester.. but lets not think he can turn out like maddux or smoltz, both 1st ballot hall of famers. lets cross our fingers and hope he can though. john

i just realized that i'm probably argueing with kids.... i am retarted.. but this was a nice break away from studying for my neuro anatomy pratical tomorrow morning.. goodnight everyone, wish that i get C or better. (anything under a C = fail) john

you are reading each and everyone of my post with a predisposed biased and hatred.. SFOC said it best in his post here: BINGO! like i said MANY TIMES. i realize it is fantasy, but there are some very competitive leagues that you can't just join because you have the money to. there are leagues that you have to qualify to join. obviously you have to do so much more in real life. that's why they call it REAL life. a GM is a GM, but there are MANY other people who help run the sox, unlike in an advanced fantasy league where you run EVERYTHING. business management school? you're kidding me RIGHT? business school is a JOKE. don't get me wrong, not all business major students are tards, it's a easy major, the ones who become rich are the ones that are bright. i have my business minor, i bet you didn't know that. i completed that 3 years ago while i was majoring in ECE (electrical and computer engineering). the business minor was something the engineering program runs with in order to put their students slightly ahead of the other grad classes in the US. you know what strikes me as funny? the fact that you INSIST that i think the sox would hire me as a GM. I NEVER stated that AT ALL. all i stated was that IF given the opportunity i feel i could do as well given enough time. first off, never us that comparison. the nsync club was probably pretty nuts, imagine all thos 14 year old girls.. that can't be good news.. especially with BUSH running this country, he has less brain cells than my mouse. as for your first comment: what fantasy leagues do you play? yahoo? espn? please. those are kid fantasy leagues. of course you don't have to worry about payroll, minor leagues etc. a real fantasy league DOES deal with payroll, it DOES have a farm system, it DOES deal with park maintenance, attendance, beer + hotdog sales too. there are some very advanced simm and fantasy leagues out there. you might not know of it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. you don't think anyone with a good amount of baseball knowledge can run the KC royals? what kind of crack are you smoking, how about the nationals? half the majors are run by knuckleheads. i'm not saying that it takes watching 2 games a night to become a good GM. you guys are REALLY REALLY missing the point. i'm saying that you have to really give baseball your all to be a good GM. like i stated OVER AND OVER. IF i had theo's job i would be decent. IF all i had to do was eat/sleep/think baseball i would be able to educate myself to the level of decency as a red sox GM. given time i could be just as good as theo. for starters i would have NEVER given renteria that contract, i would have never given tek (even though i love him) a 4 year 40 mill contract with a NTC etc etc. i'm sure i would have made my mistakes too (before you guys point that out). BINGO! a lot of GM's need that garbage to qualify, that's why A LOT of gm's SUCK. don't you guys notice all the terrible moves teams make? how is billy bean running a 1st place team with such a low payroll? because he finds talent, billy bean was one of the best at finding talent and now has some of the best scouts in baseball. that's how a lot of people start, being a damn good scout and being promoted up the ladder. that's where some of the best gm's come from, being able to see talent before everyone else. there is a reason why i have had liriano, weaver, kazmir, peavy, sheets (who's hurtin now) and many more young stars on my squads.. lets put it this way, i have had pedro in the SAME league since 1995 when i traded smoltz for him. granted smoltz has had a VERY fine career, pedro was the most dominat pitcher for the better half of a decade. that was BEFORE i turned 16 too :-).. of course i had a little help from my uncle ken. he was the person that actually taught me how to "watch" baseball and evaluate talent. john

the PLAYOFF greatness is so overrated it's not even funny. i don't know how long it'll take, maybe it'll be never but people need to realize something called sample size. john

why does everyone quickly assume that people who says something that they find untrue online to not have a girlfriend? the fact is that i do have a girlfriend. one who i have been dating for almost 4 years. not to mention i DO have a life. well not really, i work 25 hours a week, i have a 19 credit load (full summer semester), i do community service and i volunteer at a nursing home while visiting my grandmother 2X a week. when i'm not training for my XC races i watch baseball and read baseball. btw, i am proud of being a geek, i study a lot, that's because people's well being are going to be in my hands. assuming only makes an ass out of you and me. i don't play against my friends, i have been playing in money leagues for years, ones which cost 75 to play and the other 100 (payouts for 1st and 2nd). you people need to get off theo's cock. i like him, he's a good GM, but there is NOTHING wrong with having confidence in oneself. i have a pretty good baseball knowledge, i've read many baseball books and i've been following baseball for many years. it's not a crime to say that i feel that i can run a baseball team. if you actually READ what i wrote "granted fantasy baseball is different than real baseball" i had allready stated the fact that they were different, no need to restate it. not to mention that i didn't say "give me his salary and I can do just as good as him". i said "give me his salary and his job and i bet i could do a decent job" don't twist my words in order to help your petty arguement. as i stated before, the guys LIFE/JOB is baseball. if baseball was my LIFE/JOB i would be able to do a pretty damn decent job at it, probably as well as theo. who has no life? the guy who thinks he can run a baseball team because he believes in himself or the guy rejecting his statements on an online forum? john

LH is garbage this year. he's pitched well against THREE TEAMS.. ORIOLES PADRES (small sample size) GIANTS STL (small sample siz) the guy walks more people than a crosswalk cop. i wouldn't let him get near fenway park, let alone our rotation. john

how much time do you devote to baseball? REAL baseball? while most people are here chatting away, posting what ortiz is doing in the dugout during the game instead of watching the game i'm: watching the game on tv, watching some game on mlbtv (usually with a young pitcher that was just called up) running one of my 6 fantasy squads, 2 of which are keeper leagues that i've been in for years and play for with money. granted fantasy baseball is different than real baseball i can say that anyone who can run a successful fantasy squad for numerous years (i'm talking about top 2 finish) and does their OWN scouting on players to draft should be a half decent GM. you need to realize that most people (me for example) work 25 hour weeks, carry a full school load (19 credits, pathology, neuroscience, motor control, middler year writing, labs for all 3), do community service, volunteer at nursing home, visit my grandmother 2X a week and run my own charity organization don't have as much time as theo epstein does. give me his salary and his job and i bet i could do a decent job, maybe not as good at first, but give me a season or two and i bet i could be as good if not better. john

Pffft, with that lineup we won't need a shortstop, we'll find a hot dog and put it out there. fenway franks are awsome afterall. john

http://stevescars.digitaloutsider.org/captain_obvious.jpg john

idiots, how many times do i have to correct people on this board? Pre All Star .321 .370 .482 .852 Post All-Star .273 .351 .576 .927 Pre All Star 3.12 1.18 .247 Post All-Star 4.86 1.35 .290 uh ohhh.. arroyo isn't as scary the 2nd time around is he? don't get me wrong, arroyo is a solid pitcher and should be a 2nd or 3rd on some NL staff at this point of his career, but his future as a sub 3 pitcher is over. willy mo on the other hand is young and will get better (to an extend). use stats to backup what you have to say. don't just say jibber jabber and expect people to listen. i could easily play devils advocate and convince people that arroyo MIGHT be a better player for the next year or two than willy mo. use and manipulate stats to get what you want. at least you don't sound like a moron that way. john

my favorite talksox post to date. john

because both of them combined make 20 million a year. anytime you can get rid of that when you're 12 games back is a good idea (yes, i realize they are only 3 back from the WC). freeing up 20 mill = plenty of money to throw at free agents, they could probably sign smitty AND zito if they throw in a couple more mill. smart move by the phillies. houston would not to do the same, ever, the whole point in paying the rocket a almost 20 mill per season salary was so they could make the playoffs. it wouldn't be smart for them to trade 2 key pieces of success on their team when they are in the chase the way they are. john

sushi, as much as i love perez he has shown no sign of being anything he was. i have mlb tv and i've seen all his games this season (i have a young pitcher fetish) he had pretty much one game which he was vintage op, that was against the houston lineup. his control has been awful, whip of more than 1.8, opponents are batting almost at a 300 clip against him. he's shown NO signs of improvements. giving up crisps for the both of them would be a bad move considering he's out CF for the future. never did i say i WOULD trade papelbon, i simply stated that is what would need to be done to land those 2 players. btw, oswalt is not OLD, he's 28 and in his PRIME (29 at end of month). at 24 oswalt struck out 208 in 233 innings and had an era of 3.01. papelbon is 26 in november. http://www.baseball-reference.com/o/oswalro01.shtml we DREAM that papelbon can become a roy oswalt. trading him for one is a guaranteed ACE on your staff. papelbon is filthy, don't get me wrong, but we are not certain that he can be an oswalt material starter, we think so. assumptions only make an ass out of you and me. think of it this way, you trade papelbon for oswalt and crisp and lester for berkman. it's a fair trade, it's something we need for this year but not something we want for the future. schilling, oswalt, beckett would be scary in the division series. youk, berkman, manny, ortiz, willy mo, lowell, crisp, loretta, tek/lopez would be devastating anytime. that's a: R, S, R, L, R, R, L, R, S (tek) R(lopez) ortiz would be where he belongs (imo) the 4th spot, not the 3rd. the first 5 would be the most devastating five to face in the history of baseball. youk----------damon---- edge sox berkman-----jeter------- edge sox manny-------abreu------ edge sox ortiz----------a-rod------ tie (sox fans are going to kill me) willy mo-----giambi----- edge yankees so ok, maybe th first 4 would be the most difficult ok, back to earth, sorry for the rant. john

i don't agree that theo needs to be fired nor do i think he is doing a bad job. but i definately do not think theo understands baseball better than any of us. i would not be surprised if a few guys from here could manage the sox as well, if not better than he could. john

my fantasy team would destroy any fantasy team out there (16 team league teams, obviously a 10 or 12 team might have better players). my pitching staff is: Starters: peavy harden (dl) kazmir (dl) verlander liriano lester robertson RP: heilman putz shields linebrink otsuka gonzalez (pirates for you baseball nubs) lidge fuentes J. Mauer A. Pujols B. Phillips T. Glaus B. Hall R. Ibañez A. Dunn J. Damon N. Johnson B. Hawpe: just dropped him for jim edmons who is playing like the old edmonds. i had giambi and traded him for damon since runs and sb were more of an issue for me, i had NJ and Puljos at 1b so either giambi or johnson had to be benched at a time and i always benched the guy who went 3-4 with 4 rbis. i was going to pick up 2 guys since i have 2 pitchers on the DL but i'm leading the league and actually don't even miss them :-D john p.s.- holds are a category, hence the importance of lidge, heilman, shields and linebrink.

to land oswalt AND berkman you'de probably need crisp, lester and papelbon. you're getting one of the best pitchers and hitters in the league... john

javy lopez is garbage, his contract year was a fluke (roids probably) since then he's dropped off the face of the planet. john

i would have to agree. i really hate the dramatics of world cup soccer. the players act like such wusses. but that's part of the game. with the field so large and only 1 on field ref playing the "wuss" can mean the other guy getting a card. that type of "acting" is only done at the professional level. if you were to ever act like that in high school or college you'de get benched by your coach so fast it's not even funny. john

you do realize that 100% of the pitchers out there are 100 pitch men right? every now and then guys will throw more than 100 but the way managers are pulling pitchers off the mound there are only a few that are allowed to go into the upper 120's. john