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Why would Jason Bay want to play for anyone else next year? Answer: he shouldn't. Resign him.

He's putting together a nice little season here.. Eck: "You should give up a 3 run HR when you throw a pitch like that!"

Usually at this point in a slump guys are not guessing at the plate. He should be starting to get it figured out.

Iwamura and Pedroia have a secret pact to not get each other out...

I find the Rays to actually be a likeable team. Last year I was depressed about the Rays, wondering "how can a team with THAT payroll beat a team with all the advantages like the Sox?" Now I think I know. They have used their draft picks well and have added some nice pieces along the way. Adding Kazmir, Navarro and Pena has been huge, and drafting guys like Upton and Longoria will make any team very good.

This Rays team just kills the Sox. They consistnetly look like the most fundamentally sound team that has ever played the game. Frustrating. The Sox have a very good team, but we have to hope they don't see the Rays in the playoffs or they could be sent home early again this year.

It's funny when the best franchise in sports is reduced to this. Rivera in the high 80's with a sore shoulder, clearly the 3rd best team in the AL East, a stadium that can't sell out seats behind home plate, disappointing production from 400m worth of contracts, a disappointing farm system and repeated steroid concerns of their own, and it's "a great day for Yankee fans".

It's about f'n time. Dude is a robot. When Mariano is done I think Joba will take his job more than adequately.

They're already backing down from attending games and I'm willing to bet that in a few months we'll hear reports about how many fewer $200+ jerseys are being sold during this recession. You laid out a blueprint of what lower popularity would look like... let's wait and see how it plays out.

It's really simple. The pool of money that Boras has to pull from is directly related to the popularity of the game and the fans' ability to see the game as based on fair competition. Steroid and PED usage reduce fan interest and tarnish the game. If, as ORS hypothesizes, the fans start to turn away from the game--either in a united effort as by attrition--then teams will start to lose revenue. Combined with the s***** economy and a rigid players union and we're talking about lots and lots of money that Boras will not be getting for his players. Manny already got less than Boras wanted, as did a bunch of non-Boras players like Abreu and Dunn. It isn't going to get any better.

That's exactly what I"m saying too ORS. No team should put up with this s***. First, big market teams start refusing to sign those guys; next, those players' agents (like Boras) start enforcing it, doing their own testing, etc., to ensure that their guys come with a stamp of approval. BoSox21, I think your "this rests solely with the player" approach negates the role that the players association has and that the cutthroat agents have in promoting their players and the game itself. Between A-Rod and Manny this is plenty of reason for teams to just avoid Boras altogether. He brags about how much his players contribute to winning, but does he give a f*** about how much his players have impacted fans trust of the game itself? THe game is extremely popular, yes, but it is losing popularity compared to football--a sport that doesn't seem to have the same impact of steroids despite its obvious usage. To me, steroids get to the heart of what is valuable to many baseball fans: numbers, consistency, records, individual performance within a team framework. Football can get away with an OLB being suspended for 4 games because the games that Shaun Merriman misses aren't filled with "merriman would have made that tackle" comments the same way that replacing Manny Ramirez with league average LF is an obvious pain for the team.

One can't help but wonder what this says about Manny's past use. Did he regularly show up at Spring Training late so he could clear his system? I really hate that Manny is nailed, like everyone else disappointed but not surprised. This should be a referrendum on Manny--of course--but it should also be one on Scott Boras, whose clients have continually been caught up in this s*** and who keeps playing as if he has the strongest hand at the table. Hopefully teams will soon start finding ways to get assurances from the all-knowing Boras that his clients aren't using. This is really a shame for the Dodgers, who are getting screwed already by Manny and his contract demands. I agree with the earlier post: Jason Bay > Manny Ramirez.

We've been down this line of speculation before, and I can't think of many who don't want him. I think Hanley is the type of player the Sox would give up those prospects for. Hell, they could probably get Lars, Bowden or Bard back in a few years anyway when those players are not the face of the Marlin's franchise either. I don't think many teams could afford the prospects it would take to get him in their lineup... prospects are simply too valuable. From what I've read though, The Sox are less interested in Hanley as a SS and more as a CF--possibly because Ellsbury would be included in the deal. Personally, I don't think Ellsbury should be dealt and that he should be locking down CF for the foreseeable future. CF is a tough position in Fenway and he plays it very well.

Our 3rd string SS makes plays Jeter couldn't. Nice.

... and along the 3rd base side, and along the 1st base side... The Yankees certainly figured they would have fans in the lower bowl to start the season. Certainly in games against the Sox. It makes them look bad and their fans look worse--even though the fans, unlike the ownership apparently, have limits to what they are willing to spend.

I can't afford to go. It looks like plenty of people are choosing to not go, with lots of empty seats even in the biggest and near most wealthy city in the country. That speaks for itself.

I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but is BOS/NYA called strike referring to that team's hitters or pitchers? i.e., does red triangle mean strike called for Joba? I assume it does.

Right, because Joba's never thrown at anyone before.

Hey Joba, stop being a bitch and focus on pitching. You're a conceded douche. Get over yourself. You're not a great pitcher yet. You're an unproven thug with a meth-head mom.

That said, THANK GOD FOR THE HIGH HEAT!!!

He just isn't as overpowering as he has been in the past. Still a good pitcher, but too many runners and not enough deception.

Is there reason to believe that Joba has had much to do with her over the years? I think most of what I've read about is that he's very close to his dad, and his mom's different last name makes me think she's been off on her meth binge for awhile. Just giving Joba the benefit of the doubt... meth is horrible. A drug for complete losers.

I'm not so sure. At some point the Yankees will realize that they're spending a lot more money than they need to. Mauer is Mr. Injury. To me, he's a perfect example of who the Yankees shouldn't blow others out of the water to sign. I've thought they were getting ready to smarten up a few times over the past few years, but the franchise seems to get nervous at the last minute and always pulls the trigger on FAs. Papelbon seems like a guy the Sox will make a solid offer to and who might turn it down. Possibly going to the Yankees as the highest bidder. There will then be a discussion about how crappy the FO is, about how the Yankees are once again the better franchise because they're willing to spend and the Sox aren't, etc., Meanwhile, Papelbon will break down a few years later no matter what team he is on.