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Don't worry man. With the way this place operates, I suspect you will still be on this board when you are 30 and you will agree with me then.

And you will be 30 before you know it my friend. Time really starts going fast from your mid-20's on. I was 22 on 9/11 and that seems like yesterday.

They embarassed themselves. No help from Theo needed. Theo just added made their dumbassness more embarassing because he so clearly knows what he's talking about and didn't even have to touch on the depths of the Sox system to talk circles around those clowns. I loved how he brought up JD Drew out of nowhere and then didn't drop it when they were trying to joke with him and change the subject. He's clearly frustrated not only about how poorly so many people understand JD Drew's production, but also about the implications that this means that so many people just don't understand what is important in baseball--thus meaning that the he will have to deal with this s*** with other "Red Sox type" players, whether drafted, traded for or signed as FAs. It sounds like he's thinking to himself "if these people can't understand why JD Drew is a good value on a team, they'll never understand why a cost-controlled Jed Lowrie is a good value or why we care about so many of the things we do." I think his explanation about Gonzalez's contribution to the team was very balanced and makes a lot of sense... a team that's well below average defensively can be improved a lot just with average performance at key positions. Gonzalez is a better than average MLB fielder in a few very important areas, like hands, release and throwing accuracy. I think this speaks to the enthusiasm that some people felt about him. His improvement on the team seems obvious, especially when he's not making outs every time he's up. That said, I think Theo was also very honest in not overstating Gonzalez's skills or overall talent. I appreciate him because he doesn't tend to speak in platitudes unless it is warranted and he's good at admitting mistakes.

I'm not sure if anyone has posted this call by Mike Blowers yet. It's pretty cool: http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=374&sid=218287

This is a great accomplishment for this team. Against the Yankees and Rays, a very good Texas team for most of the season... I'll give them the credit they deserve. A very, very nice result. I love it that we will all get to watch postseason baseball again. It is certainly something to look forward to and it should be an interesting postseason.

Part of this is because I feel like I would rather have Buchholz on the mound in a deciding game and I don't think game 3 would be a deciding game... if it is then they either lost 3-0 or are about to win 3-0. If they are down 2-0 then it is possible that both Dice-K and Buchholz would need to win, or we'd be looking at starting Beckett or Lester, both of whom would have lost already. I like the idea of Clay winning big games as a 4th starter this year and developing that confidence in the future. Dice-K gets paid and is expected to win as a #3 starter on this club. If he's healthy (which he appears to be) then throw him this year and have Buchholz as the #3 next year and on... Long story short, I see the playoffs this year as a year of development for this team. I simply don't feel like they are a WS championship team. I really hope I'm wrong.

You know, I'm actually going with Dice-K on this one if he can come out and have one more good start.

Just for tonight that's fine. As pessimistic as I may be about the Sox, I think they deserve the WC and I have no interest in stretching it out unnecessarily. Just win, Angels. Then lose.

I think they're pretty evenly matched. There is just nothing that feels "magical" about this team this year. Everyone has pretty much played up to their expectations, some players a bit below. Even Buchholz (this start aside) has really only produced what we could have hoped of him two years ago. He could have been their #2 or #3 starter going into the season if he had been productive last year. The Angels have one of those magical moment twists with the Adenhart passing; the Yankees have the much-increased payroll and have been phenomenal this year; the Sox and Tigers have both been about as good as their rosters say they are, but neither is particularly special in my opinion. Both are on the cusp.

f***ing Francona. Why didn't he have Youkilis swinging at that pitch?

I think the Mets might do Ellsbury for Beltran straight up. Ellsbury isn't nearly the player that Beltran is/was, but at 32, with a huge contract, injury prone etc., and Ellsbury being cost controlled and flashy, I could see that being a fine match for the Mets, who are having money problems as far as I know. I'm not sure the Sox would take that on, though looking at Beltran's numbers he's a very good player, even with reduced speed. At 25 + HRs and 100 + RBI he'd be another Victor Martinez type... nothing to scoff at. Reyes might be in a similar boat. Both are riskier for the Sox than the Mets, so that could give them some leverage.

You are absolutely right on about them. I am well-aware of the restrictions one has when you're in a "cluster"--specifically not having booze or cigs or certain kinds of foods. They are absolutely horrible and they make me feel like I'm going insane. I writhe around on the bed squeezing my head between two pillows and begging for them to stop. They only last about 45 minutes, but nothing makes them go away. Usually I take some strong painkillers and when the headache subsides I'm in la la land for a few hours sleeping afterwards. They come with regularity, every day at the exact same time for about a month or two. Unfortunately, the past few times that has been at about 11am, so I eventually had to take FML at work for a few weeks. That sucked and only adds to the stress of having them. Anyway, not to ramble on about medical conditions (though this one is a freakish one). My point--and you hit it on the head--is that playoff baseball adds a certain kind of stress that really doesn't help them at all. I will be hoping for swift victory or swift defeat.

Really? Take a picture and post them here. If you don't we'll know you're a liar.

This makes a lot of sense. At the same time, this is a man who had an OPS over 1.000 for three straight seasons in 05, 06 and 07, and who has a .789 this year. It is true that his OPS is approaching .900 since the ASB (.861) but that's still not the same guy as before. I realize that my expectations are very high, but I'm just not ready to believe that he can carry the team again if his luck changes a bit. The playoffs will tell one way or the other...

I'm curious about this part Jacko. What does "worth" mean to a Yankee fan? You discuss moves in terms of "worth" for other clubs, but when the Yankees do it who cares how much it costs? I'm probably reading you wrong, but I'm asking in all seriousness. The extension you're talking about, do you mean Gonzalez's? He's signed for a number of years IIRC. He would be a great addition. I agree he would make things more complicated, but I think he would also make things "more better" ( ) because he's a tremendous talent. Personally, I think the Sox FO realizes that the most effective way to keep up with the Yankees is through pitching. If they can have 5 elite starters on the team that can be the equivalent in wins overall to the Yankees entire dominant lineup over the course of the season. Again, it will be a very interesting off season... Personally, I'm not really looking forward to the post season as much as I thought I would. In 2003 I got the worst headaches humanly imaginable after the Sox lost to the Yankees. I later discovered that every few years I get a cyclical type of headache called "Cluster Headaches" which are quite literally intolerable. They make migranes look like a walk in the park. Their occurance combined with my Sox obsession and their loss in 2003 has forever made me kind of fear the fall and the playoffs in particular. I got them last year again, so hopefully I won't this year. I don't think the stress of the playoffs helps at all. As most of you probably know, it is hard to think about much else during the day before an ALDS or ALCS game. It is hard to imagine that intensity now, at the end of the season, but it is coming... yes, it is coming. And I kind of dread it.

You did manage to have faith in papi throughout the season. Kudos. I don't think Ortiz is his former formidable self. If he were we wouldn't be talking about this team needing additional bats moving forward and he would be batting 4th. His .347 OBP in the second half is a far cry from what he used to put up, and it is not helped by his .252 BA. I don't think he's enough to carry this team in the playoffs, but I'll certainly be rooting for him. It is remarkable that he is close to 100 RBI despite his PUTRID first part of the season. Again, congrats on being right. I had faith in him through the first 1/3 of the season or so, but I lost it eventually. I still don't think he's much to build the team around and I think a team with the resources of the Sox should have the best DH money can buy. I will be advocating for them to add more offense in the offseason and to plan to be done with Ortiz after next year (if not before).

It's interesting, because fangraphs doesn't show it as a pitch he uses much more than he has in past years, but to me (and you apparently) it seems like a much more important part of his repetoir. I agree with you whole heartedly. It gives him that wrinkle that he can throw and a pitch in the mid-upper 80's to complement a 93-94 FB, and a lower 80's CH and CB. A great mix of speeds.

Lots of innings. I'm willing to give him a pass and reevaluate his skills next year. I'm not willing to say he should be a starter for this team. He's being a good soldier and eating the innings asked of him.

It is really too bad his first name isn't Thor. That would be one of the coolest names... Thor Schwindenhammer. Sounds more like a Rugby player.