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I don't know about "most overrated starter of all time". Seems like an easy claim to make but a difficult one to measure or back up. That said, you and I won't disagree about whether he is still useful for this club. He's not. Bargain Basement Tim should be a pitching coach in Greenville or something... I'm hopeful that Theo gets the strong reminder that he needs to boost the pitching on this club. Dice-K is a non-factor for 2012, Lackey cannot be relied upon for anything, Lester is a very, very good #2, Buchholz should be okay and Beckett put together his best season yet (but is notoriously inconsistent). I see 2-3 starters who should be better than average and 2 spots that need an overhaul. If Theo wants this offense/defense to get the credit they deserve (a World Series) then he needs to bolster the rotation. When was the last time the Sox had a pitcher who was a consistent strike-thrower/innings eater who went deep into games consistently like James Shields is this year? I don't mean "good" pitchers like Beckett or Pedro or Schilling, I mean a decent pitcher who gets the most out of his stuff with effecient pitches, few walks, groundballs, and 7-8 IP? I assume that's what they thought Lackey would do, but he hasn't. He throws softballs.

CC stays with Yankees. No doubt. He certainly isn't coming to Boston.

Just win, again. Don't care about who is pitching or the lineups, now is the time to win. Go Sox.

Sigh

Sox couldn't throw out a 3 legged hippo stealing 2nd.

2.

1.

Ugh. Here's hoping the umps keep their nice strikezone going.

As much as he might be "little game James" the guy has really turned himself around this year. He's super efficient. Wish the Sox had someone like that.

Nice job Bard. Add a run. Add two. The Sox have to close this game out and get this W. The season could be in the balance. C'mon Paps.

Jacoby sprints away, crying, feelings hurt.

Sweet, Reddick hitting 5th, Scutaro hitting 6th and Aviles hitting 9th. Power. House. Just win.

Thread necromancy aside, the Sox really need Crawford to step up. It is getting relatively little focus here (perhaps because we all LIKE Crawford and want him to do well) but looking at his numbers this year there is really nothing to like here yet. He's been a huge disappointment on a team that could really use an explosive offensive weapon when their pitching is faltering. Clearly he doesn't deserve all of the blame, but he has a 0.2 WAR this year. He's literally been like having a replacement player in LF all year. I really want him to do well and was very optimistic about this signing. I'm hopeful the numbers will be much better next year too. I just hope he doesn't have eye problems or something that will remain for the next 5-6 years of his contract. vs. RHP: .281/.307/.442/.749 vs. LHP: .184/.242/.303/.545 1st Half: .243/.275/.384/.659 2nd Half: .256/.298/.412/.710 Home: .256/.289/.386/.675 Away: .243/.281/.406/.687 RISP: .228/.264/.368/.631 Men On: .232/.269/.365/.634 High Leverage situations (108 AB ): .222/.248/.315/.563 The best things that I can see are that he bats decently when he's hitting 7th in the order: .284/.336/.517/.853 and he has done well in day games (35): .307/.340/.521/.861 Can anyone offer a ray of hope?

Hopefully with a win tonight we will have a chance to combine moji on Saturday and Sunday and give the Sox the boost they need. Thanks for being a nice guy.

Aww, man. He can go ahead and make the next thread. That's fine. I didn't know.

I've been saving my next gamethread for a time of real need. I've had two 3 game winning streaks this year and am 6-2. Time to turn this s*** around. Now is the best time of the season for a 3 game winning streak. Don't really care about the lineups or the starting pitchers, just win. I have faith.

This f***ing club. Down 0-4 in the 3rd and can't put a seasoned starter on the mound in September despite this payroll and roster. Game is far from over but they can't let Tampa dominate them like they have lately. Inexcusable. It is September for everyone.

I say no. I would happily replace Lackey with Bedard but since they can't do that I would advocate being very aggressive for a good trade. He's injury prone, seems like a malcontent (or just disinterested) and not elite. I see another year of Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Lackey and Wake/Miller.

Beckett-Lester-Lackey-Bedard Lackey has been a huge disappointment but they're going to need him to do well if they want to get anywhere in the playoffs. It doesn't bode well for their chances though. I think they need to find another SP for 2012.

I have no problem investing in Ellsbury, I've always been a huge fan of his (since before he was drafted when he played at Oregon State). I also don't think the power surge is a fluke. He's one of the world's best athletes. That his hand-eye coordination would finally come together is not shocking. Nor is his increased ability to work a walk. I just don't necessarily believe that a hard-and-fast rule about never trading a very good regular for a pitcher makes sense. Ellsbury may be a "star" but so is Crawford, so is Pedroia, Gonzo, possibly even Youkilis. I think the scarcity of an offensive star vs. the limits of a 5 man pitching rotation presents soem challenges to that hard-and-fast rule, but that's just me. Probably not worth arguing about indefinitely. I would feel pretty confident about this team having Felix and Lester pitch 4 games in a 7 game series, or having Felix pitching the deciding game of a WS game and there aren't many pitchers I would say that about.

Shocking! Just shocking! Oh, wait, it's Lenny Dykstra. Nevermind. Not shocking.

I agree with this, but would you trade a player like Ellsbury for, say, Pedro in his prime? I probably would. Especially if Kalish and Reddick provide a suitable replacement in CF. I was just thinking to myself and one of my friends the other day about the possibility that Ellsbury will ultimately be traded. I think he would be the perfect player to include in a deal for Felix. He's from the NW, Seattle would need to get a legitimate star back to placate teir fans, they have no reason to keep Hernandez if he could help them build a decent team. The main reason they would trade him is if he won't be willing to work on an extension with them. With Boras as an agent I suspect this could be the case. If they can get Felix back in a year or two then they would have to consider it very, very strongly. Imagine having Felix and Lester for the next 6-10 years, along with Beckett. No matter who the opposing team put up there the Sox would be able to match with an ace of their own.