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I agree for the most part, except that I don't think that giving a guy a shot at everything he's dreamed for is a recipe for collapse. Some players actually jump at the opportunity. It's what legends are made of. Ask Josh Beckett. f*** Barry Bonds. Don't go after Bonds and if you can't get him look at Teixiera. Get Teixiera right away. Send them Crisp, Lowell or Youkilis, Bowden, WMP, and Hansen. ANY combination of money and players not including Ellsbury or Buchholz. Bring Ellsbury up and plant him in the order, eventually moving him into the leadoff spot by the end of the year. Eventually... (ideally)... Ellsbury Pedroia Manny (time to switch them up) Ortiz Teixiera Drew Youkilis Varitek Lugo Last year they had essentially one worthwhile starting pitcher in Beckett. 06 Beckett. This year they have 07 Beckett and rookie year Dice-K. It looks pretty desperate when #3,4 and 5 are in there, but it has been worse and was worse last year. Their relievers have been largely awesome and are pitching like they have something to prove. If the sox manage to hold on to get into the playoffs it will largely have been thanks to the middle relievers, especially Okajima and, apparently, Manny Delcarmen. After a few solid starts you bring Buchholz up, and he comes up into a very strong rotation of: Beckett Dice-K Schilling Wakefield Buchholz Deal Tavarez or Pineiro (plus $ if necessary). I know it is a risk to bring him up, but he's the best available pitching option now. I am hopeful that we will see Dice-K really step up and take care of business down the stretch the way he has in the past. No need to wait for the deadline, Theo. Go ahead.

So, KC takes the series. Where have I heard that before? ouch.

Still need manny to do something. Nothing new this season

So... Papi. We could really, REALLY use one here man. It has been awhile, and this team could really use it.

This game is maddening. Drew is NOT a leadoff hitter. I don't care what else he is, he ISN'T a leadoff hitter.

The sox haven't had the abillity to sit him for stretches of the season before. I'm just telling you Jacksonian, I still feel a lot more confident putting Schilling out on the mound than Gabbard or Tavarez or Wakefield. You want Kei Igawa or Mike Mussina starting your games? That's what I thought.

I'm just not everyone, I guess. I didn't even care if Grady Little was fired after the Pedro thing. It didn't seem like an obvious call to me, despite everyone else's apparently 20/20 vision at the time. I have a hard time knowing who to blame for losses in baseball when it is so hard to know who to blame for wins. If the professionals on this team didn't come through, then I would blame the professionals. Not the guy who hired the staff that ended up coming up a hair short. Does Mike Krzyzewski get blamed for not winning the tournament every year if Duke gets to the Elite 8? No. How about John Schuerholz in Atlanta? It is understood that at times the ball bounces strangely or people get injured, or whatever, but that the best you can do is put your team in a place to win. This front office (and other front offices, including I bet the Yankees) starts the season with a wins goal. They hope to attain that goal. If they get there they will be happy, if they don't they won't. This team's goal is uaually in the mid 90's in wins. They should attain that this year. The past few years they have attained their goal (except for 06), one of those years it all went well, others it didn't go as well. The Red Sox are playing like they should be expected to. They are currently 19 games above .500. The Yankees have SHAT the bed. If they yankees come back it is because they are a good team who SHOULD finish the season with a W% in the .600, not because the Sox choked and gave up some enormous lead. if the Sox finish with a .600+ w% and don't win the division there will be no heads rolling. Well... follow through with your thought... why is Brian Cashman still GMing that team? He has destroyed expectations as well. I agree, if there is somethign to be done. You don't need to make moves just to make moves. By the end of the season Tavarez should not be in the rotation. Other than that I'm unsure what will happen. I remember back in 2004 this team literally had Abe Alverez to come up for a spot start. This team has probably 5 pitchers who have seen MLB action before who could come up from the minors or bullpen to start (Hansack, Gabbard, Pauley, Lester, Snyder). ALL of them are better options than the once highly touted Abe Alverez was. Tell that to the Oakland A's. Yes, you have to prepare for it as well as you can. But given that there aren't any obvious better options I don't know what that answer is. This is such a stupid argument, because you're trying to criticize a GM who REFUSED TO EXTEND SCHILLING'S CONTRACT because he won't let him go or stop using him at midseason!!! He knows that Schilling doesn't have a whole lot left. He is exploring other options, but please, please, PLEASE name a starter who is more effective than Schilling and who is available. Schilling in April: 3-1, 3.27 ERA, 33 IP, 23 K Schilling in May 2-1, 4.03 ERA, 38 IP, 37 K His first two months were certainly solid enough for a #3 pitcher. He just took a few weeks off, says he's feeling healthy, I'm prone to believe that he can be a 4-4.5 ERA guy the rest of the way. Or a recipe for adjustment. Let's see: his career is on the line, he's a smart pitcher who--even in 04--had to adjust compared to his old style. Do you think he will stubbornly proceed with the same strategy, or try to change? Hmmm, well, since he's a stupid Red Sox I know which way you would vote. I agree that this would be nice, at the right price. He's old and needed some rest to be effective down the stretch. A diplomatic answer. YOu aren't alone no matter what side you take on the Schilling situation. Most pundits and analysts would most likely choose to have Schilling in the rotation over any of the "back end of the rotation" guys you're talking about. I agree. My view is that Clay Buchholz could be that answer, as teams haven't seen him before, he's got electric stuff and it appears that Phil Hughes--who is considerably younger--is clearly going to be able to do the job. Buchholz might not be the best option, but he'll be more than fine as a #5 addition to this team or spot starting out of the pen.

How does youk turn over on that ball that's up by his shoulders and off the plate away? Just line it to right Youk, c'mon man.

There's the power Manuel!

Papelbon will be in the rotation next year or the year after. He's potentially better than any of the other options, cheaper, currently owned, and more easily replaceable. He needs to get more than 70 IP in a season.

At this point the Red Sox are 19 games above .500. The Yankees are 3 games above .500. Just shut up and take it like a man like we have for so many years. Yeah, they might come back, but the Sox aren't a team of chumps.

He will be as soon as they get a serious alternative.

f***ing Tavarez. Goddamn it. You're throwing MEAT BALLS. Seriously, meatballs. Is there ANYONE here who doesn't think that Jon lester and clay Buchholz could do better than this and what we've seen from Wake and his 6+ ERA the last 2 months?

A whole lot of baseless speculation. You think Theo would get canned if the Yankees overtook the Sox? Really? At best that is speculative, but I think it is so far off base it is laughable. You think this FO would can him when the team is making more money and has its reach into more places WORLD WIDE than it ever has? Joe Torre, who has watched his grossly fat paychecked team fail year after year after year hasn't been canned yet even though in terms of expectations his team has been MUCH more disappointing. I don't see Theo going anywhere because the Red Sox--as a whole--are doing quite well, thank you very much. Now about whether I'm willing to throw schilling in a big game down the stretch, yeah, Im comfortable with that. I have seen flashes of brilliance from him this year, and flashes of being really bad. Sounds like Wakefield. I'm sure it would be nice for you to think that a guy who has been a stud in the playoffs isn't capable of pitching a game that is just good enough to win, but I'm pretty sure he is. it's not like control is a problem for him. If he used to throw 98 but now he only throws 89 and didn't have great control I would be worried. However, he throws strikes and makes things happen. He will be MUCH better than what they're using now. The thing I think is funniest is you talk about this as looking at it as a 'fan' rather than how Theo has to look at it. However, Theo knows what is available. you don't. I don't. If there is only s*** available I don't expect him to get s***. If there is something valuable available then I expect him to go after him. it's not that complicated. The fan in me could give two shits about Schilling, honestly, except that he pitches for the Sox. His political ranting and limelight seeking turned me off quite awhile ago--this does not negate my ability to see him as a decent pitcher. I think it is YOUR fandom that makes it easy for you to naysay toward the Red Sox while supporting the Yankees at all costs. OF COURSE it would be stupid to put my eggs in the Schilling basket. Of course, you won't have a comment if Schilling wins a playoff or world series game. He doesn't have to be perfect he just has to be good. Remember when you bragged about how much better the yankees bullpen was than the Sox, with their "corps of power-armed relievers" :lol: HiLairious! How about absolutely dragging me over the coals for saying I would rather have Matsuzaka than King Felix after Felix had that great outing against the Sox. you pretended it wasn't even an argument. The list goes on... needless to say, while I like you (I think) and like your posts and perspective, you have a pretty solid track record of making posts that sound important and analytical and rock solid, but which just fall by the wayside when they turn out to be wrong. I don't care, of course, because nobody is just right all the time. However, I'm going to take what you write above with a grain of salt (with a little tiny NY emblem on it).