example1

nice turn by Dusty.

Overall, yes. But give me a draft today and I'm taking Zumaya.

I don't' think I WANT to see everyone I've known. That's a freightening prospect. Is there a game on tonight?

off topic: what is facebook?

the sound of one fan clapping.

Example1: the only example of someone still watching this game, apparently.

Does Youk have ANY power? I love the guy, but he just doesn't seem to have the strength to hit it out like an average 1B would.

Part of me wishes Ortiz could hit a bomb here, part of me wants him to save the clutch shots for next year... (as if he can do that!)

That's what I heard/read, but it is confirmed now apparently. Is it because he has better speed, or a stronger arm, or better positioning??? Sorry to ask so much, but I'm trying to get to know our 2B of the future.

Is Pedroia's range better than Loretta's?

I don't have a problem with Manny caring about his stats. Honestly, its the least of my concerns. He was probably pissed that his team sucks, his pitching sucks and this team is hopeless while he and Papi are putting up MVP type numbers. I couldn't care less.

Unimpressive strikeout by Pedroia. Lots of pressure on da' kid.

Why does this team suddenly decide to run? Honestly, the only reason I want to watch this game is Pedroia.

I find the word demeaning and offensive, but this red sox team is retarded. Literally.

Do the sox want a player who would rather play for more money for a team like tampa Bay than a contender like the Sox?

I don't think people are giving up on this team needlessly. I think people are giving up on this team because they have watched inning after inning of horrible baseball. Good teams score A run with the bases loaded and 1 out in extra innings. Good teams don't give up passed balls to lose games. Good teams don't have their supposed 1A ace give up 9 (NINE!) walks in a must win game. Nobody is giving up on the Red Sox forever. However, I've largely given up on them for this year. I'm not finding it enjoyable to watch 5 hour games only to have my team fold time after time after time. The Sox have 6 positions that are absolutely incapable of hitting for power right now (C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, CF). They have two decent starting pitchers, one of whom is David Wells--of all people--and two decent relief pitchers, one of whom is Keith Foulke--of all people--who I call "decent" only because he has had 2 decent outings recently. The team contended well with injuries and a depleaated pitching staff for much of the season. If the team picks it up from here on out then great, I'll cheer them on. However, I'm not going to waste my time getting baited into discussions about "who is better the Sox or Yanks" when the better team is obviously the Yankees. I know its fun 26 to 6 to feel like other people are on board with the competition and spirit of the season, but 85% of people on this board seem like I am: tired of late nights and frustrating (and unforgivable) losses.

Time to provide some life to this group of lifeless ballplayers. C'mon Pedroia!

Limping from his vigorous stretching routines the last few days, or what? McAdam is not always right on point.

Clearly. You see where I'm going with it though. I'm not sold on having to move Crisp. I actually like him a lot and feel that if he had been able to keep playing all year his season would have been different. He got off to a great start this season and looked patient and confident at the plate, then he got injured and has taken awhile to get back to form. That being said, he is pretty valuable as a trading piece.

I agree with you about Damon. I don't agree with you about Pedro. Both of those guys were selfish and wanted deals that were unrealistic. Damon was the bigger loss in my opinion as Pedro is a consistent injury risk, as he has proven time and time again. I'm not sure who you would propose moving for "relief help", or who you propose they should have gone after. The better question should be "what the f*** happened to Seanez and Tavarez?" Nobody could have predicted their horrible collapse, its as simple as that. Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20 and Damon looks pretty good right now. Pedro would be a nice complement to Schilling and Beckett too, but not for 15 a year. Otherwise, good post. You and I agree on a lot of things (and don't worry about beating dead horses... its a long season worthy of horse-abuse)

This is a team that has tried again and again and again to move 20 million of that payroll in the form of their LF. They pay Schilling something like 15 million a year due to his WS incentives (it should be 12 or so), and Foulke 6 million a year to blow games. Add to that the 5 million that Tavarez and Seanez make and you're looking at a team that should realistically be around 100million. If money were the ultimate factor than your argument SHOULD be "the yankees spend more than the sox by a HUGE margin, therefore, I shouldn't be stupid enough to expect them to win". Instead you want the best of both worlds. It's not all about salary. The Yankees traded their #1 pick from last season to get Abreu to add to an already bloated OF. Yes, they lost Sheffield and Matsui, but many of us have argued in the past that the best teams are NOT made exclusively of superstars but rather need a mix of superstars and role players. That's what the Yanks are right now. s*** happens guys, and some seasons your team isn't going to win it all or even make the playoffs. I understand that's a fact of life. Would you rather the Sox NOT spend a lot of money to take the CHANCE of making the playoffs or winning the WS? 2003: Sox don't win the East and lose by a hair 2004: Sox win the WS after BARELY and LUCKILY winning the ALCS 2005: Sox BARELY make it into the playoffs and lose in 3 straight. People around here tend to look at things that are a combination of luck and talent as being nothing but good planning and talent. Even well run teams do not always find the pieces to win year after year after year. How many teams have EVER repeated as WS champions? Your expectations appear short-sighted and do not respect the luck that is involved in making and winning in the playoffs. The 04 team made some moves that ended up being helpful, got a lot of help from other teams, and stayed remarkably free of injuries. Anyone who says otherwise about ANY TEAM THAT WINS IT ALL is being unrealistic.

Pedroia and Loretta should not co-exist on the same team. Move Loretta and let Pedroia establish himself. I like Beckett, I really do. i want him to be a sox pitcher for a long, long time. He just needs to develop as a team's #3. For his salary on THIS team that's about what he should be.

:shock: really? (that's sarcasm, in case it wasn't really obvious)!

People are just looking for a scapegoat and Theo is the last one people should point fingers at. This team has the players it needed to be competitive this season.... not necessarily win it all (which is largely a matter of luck), but to be competitive. Tavarez and Seanaez, two proven MLB relievers, have blown. Tek and Trot (the spiritual leaders of this team) have been injured of late (before that this team was in 1st and looked like one of the top 3 teams in baseball). Coco was hurt and has been slow coming back. Clement has been hurt and disappointing. Wells has been hurt. Arroyo is overrated and blessed by the same factors (namely the NL) that allowed Seanez and Tavarez, along with Beckett, to LOOK so good. That trade is NOT the worst in history. It was Larry L. who wanted the Beckett deal. Not Theo. The entire sox FO understood that this season was going to be a retooling season, whether you guys like it or not. In other words, the guys who are SPENDING 120 million dollars understand that its about retooling, but the fans can't be patient enough to deal with it. The biggest shame is that Pedroia has not been up and contributing to the big-club, and that Lester has been forced to. This team has something like $30 million in payroll locked up through 2010, while the Yankees have something like $130 million locked up through the same time. There is considerable flexibility there.