Youk Of The Nation

Good luck. If the staff at Fenway are as mentally alert as the team it will be forwarded to a science station in Antarcitca labeled as food.

Station 13 is right. Yes, the Sox suck right now, but if Crawford steals, there is the chance, just as there is every time someone steals a base, of a bad throw or a missed catch error, or even just a lucky bounce that puts him on third or even at home if the throw goes badly enough. In that situation there is no reason not to have sent him.

If Tony LaRussa was managing this team, they would drink him to drive.

No, "Snakes on a Plane" is laughably bad. "Holla Back Gurl" is laughably bad. The Red Sox are somewhere between "painfully bad" and "I wonder how hot the melon baller needs to be to remove my eyes without brain damage".

Please stop flooding us with threads for every stray thought that crosses your mind. There are several existing threads in which you can discuss issues that you have raised. Also, please check that you are posting in the correct forum.

Never bring a machete to a bomb fight. Or something. Eh, I don't know, I'm not feeling witty. My point is, that sucked.

He may not be the definition of a "winning manager", but right now I think a little Lou Piniella is just what this team might need. Hell, he managed Crawford before, as a matter of fact. Maybe all this Sox team needs is someone to scream and curse and call them worthless, to unite them all in performing admirably just to shut him up. Actually, is R. Lee Ermey doing anything right now?

Will Middlebrooks is cool

Uh...he didn't yell something stupid, he used a racial slur for, according to his boss, the third time. This guy is obviously a racist. Part of being a racist is an inability to judge all people equally upon first meeting under neutral circumstances. Part of being a racist means making inaccurate and offensive judgements about people without facts or interpretation of experience. Since a large part of the job of a police officer is determining the apparent guilt of someone possibly involved in a criminal activity, or assessing danger in society at a split second notice, impartial behavior is important. So what does it change? It takes one more person out of uniform who is personally incapable of being objective during the commission of his duties. Yeah, there are others, but if I have a chance to beat a rapist to death with a chunk of cinder block, I'm not going to let it pass just because it 'won't end rape'. Half the problems in civilized society could be solved if everyone actually did s*** instead of shrugging and saying "what is one person to do?". (Actually, come to think of it, most of our problems could also be solved by beating people to death with chunks of concrete...)

So he can see the writing on the wall?

This reminds me of the time my mother was getting ready to leave for work. She was packing stuff up in the kitchen and I had just made breakfast, but forgot to turn the exhaust fan in the wall on while cooking. She sniffed the sleeve of her jacket and said "Great, now I smell like bacon." I just sat there, trying to keep a straight face but failing, and she finally realized what she said, and saw me smirking. We both ended up laughing our asses off.

I have never heard the word "Monday" used in that context before (as a nickname or insult, racial or otherwise). I guess I should browse Urban Dictionary more often. Given the current state of affairs, uncommon racial slurs are probably the nicest things being said about Crawford on the streets of Boston. If it was meant as a racial insult, and from what I've read so far online about it's use in police circles, it was, then obviously it's no excuse. What's ridiculous is that it has happened before and it took this guy using the term on a famous person for action to be taken. Granted, I am usually a strong supporter of law enforcement (for obvious reasons), but I know that there tend to be less progressive views on minorities prevalent among departments in big cities. Prevalent in the sense that those who share the views draw themselves together, not in the sense that the whole department is racist. Personally I believe that the number of racist pricks in the ranks of police is likely a representation of the population as a whole. The reason it seems more prevalent is that, much like incidents of criminal behavior and general assholism, you hear about it much more often due to their position. Just remember, folks. For every story you hear about a police officer doing something stupid, illegal, or immoral, there are a hundred unreported stories from that same department about other officers clocking in, doing their job quietly and respectfully, and clocking out. In other words, no news is good news and bad news is site traffic (or newspaper sales, but honestly, who left without tufts of ear hair still buys the newspaper?). To make a long opinion short (oops, too late), don't let the actions of idiot police officers make you distrustful or hateful of the police. They are there to enforce the laws and take the bad guys down, and while some of those laws may not necessarily be agreeable, because honestly, I should be able to urinate wherever the hell I want you commies, on the whole our society is better for the 95% of these men and women who go out there every day and do their jobs correctly and with skill. This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood narc.

Just play him all the Sox games from August '11 until now on a loop. That should give him the runs enough to ensure a constant shedding of excess weight.

Pedroia. If they traded Pedroia I'd just stop watching baseball.

I love that arrogant mouthy little bastard.

It's always seemed to me that every team has their guy that is the target of the rest of the league. The personification of your team that the opponent uses as the target instead of choosing randomly. For the longest time, it was Youk for the Sox. Jeter is usually the Yankees guy. A lot of times it's the most well-known player, it seems like, but sometimes it's the mouthiest or most disliked guy, the one who always makes his opinion known. That's why it's usually Pierzynski for the White Sox.

I would assume Pedroia, being the unofficial team leader and mouthy little bastard (but I love the guy), will be hit, now that the designated Sox target for the league is playing for another team.

In all seriousness, I don't know a lot about the business end of baseball. The only decisions I know I would have made are: 1. Hold on to Youk at least until the deadline, and try to get at least a semi-decent starter or infielder for him 2. Agressively pursue another starter in the offseason and keep Bard in the pen.

Fake my death, change my name, move to North Dakota and open a small store specializing in woodcarving and landscape supplies. Do not purchase a television or internet connection. Live in peace away from witless hordes of armchair executives. Die happy in bed next to loving wife of several decades.

I can see it now. A-Rod, after so many years of looking into the mirror, finally detaches from reality and attempts to make out with the man he finds so attractive in that window. When his advances appear to be rebuffed, he angrily tries to slap the man, much like a woman slaps at a purse snatcher (or, like A-Rod slaps at people attempting to tag him out on the baseline). When the mirror shatters and his hand is both broken and lacerated, he snaps out of his funk and falls to his knees, crying at what his life has become. However, this is only a brief catharsis, as sinking to the ground and looking downward, he immediately throws out his back in an attempt to fellate himself.

I can't say I'm surprised, they were obviously going to deal him considering how poorly they have played, and also given the Marlin's preference to be able to pay their players in Chuck E. Cheese tokens and pats on the back. I figured they'd get a little more than this, though. One prospect seems like a steal for LA.

Are you actually complaining now that Aviles got a hit to put the Sox ahead? Is there anything you people won't complain about? I swear the Sox could stage an historic comeback and win the World Series and half of you would demand the firing of every coach and player because it took them 6 games to win.

The word "underwhelmed" comes to mind.

No way that just happened.