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McCarver is beside himself, and Buck is joining in. It's like they just started watching the guy. This is what he does guys. Just sit back, have a laugh, and watch one of the best hitters of a generation do his thing.

Please. Anyone who's seen the drivel from when you posted regularly knows that this is the only possible answer you would opine. You're on record stating that the Sox always run their heroes out of town while the Yankees "honor" them until the end. Wake up and smell what you are shoveling. There are ugly goodbyes for every franchise, and the way Torre was treated was ugly. Don't worry, I don't expect you to see it for what it is. The realization that your self-imposed air of superiority is a farce might make your head pop.

Are you really expecting to get value out of a kicker? I don't feel like adjusting the raw data for games played, but once everyone has completed their bye week, I'll show you how little variance there is between the top 20 kickers in comparison to the top 20 RBs, WRs, and QBs. There's a reason just about every fantasy "expert" tells you to take kickers in the last round.

But there were hints of this non-performance last year. I'll admit, I thought they were best available too, and I was optimistic about what they could do for the team. But, just because they fit the "best available" moniker, it doesn't mean the FO didn't seriously overvalue these players, and they did do that. They were hot for these players years ago, and despite some hint of potential struggle (the injury protection clause for Drew, Lugo sucking the 2nd half of 2006), they inked them to big $$ long-term deals with no reported competition in the market. I think, and hindsight is helping here - although so is a shift of attitude, they need to do a much better job of risk management. They got the best players available, but the worst case scenario happened, and now they stuck with them. Hopefully, they can turn it around. However, I'm starting to think prudence would dictate they avoid the big/long contract unless its for elite players, and, while these guys have talent, I think they are just short of elite (maybe Drew has elite talent, or did at some point, but he looks like a shell of the player he was in Atlanta).

The idea of moving Ellsbury to RF shows how little baseball acumen TW101 has. He covers a whole lot of ground which is needed in RF at Fenway, but there's a reason he was in LF while JD was in RF when subbing in for Manny. Jacoby lacks the arm needed for Fenway's RF. And if anyone thinks keeping Cabrera around was the right choice, then they need to make sure they don't root for the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, or Jed Lowrie (if he doesn't get traded, but if he does you can't root for his replacement). The Sox had a very depleted minor league system and several type A free agents with expiring contracts after the WS victory. They replaced each and every one of them with another type A free agent, but in doing so they went from having a pick in rounds 1, 2, and 3 to having 2 in round 1 and 3 in round 1s. With those picks they selected Ellsbury, Hansen, Buchholz, Lowrie, and Bowden. That said, I think this season is showing one weakness in their player evaluation methodology. They are too apt to fall in love with players. They've had their eye on Lugo and Drew for quite some time. They couldn't sign Drew when they initially wanted to because Nixon was in the way, and they couldn't get Tampa to be reasonable about Lugo when they initially wanted him. Instead of moving on, they still pined for these players despite them showing some signs of warts. They are two talented players who very well could turn things around, but the adoration of three years ago is looking like it will be an anchor from here forward.

That said, you can see a substantial difference between their lineup and ours, and theirs is better suited to win in the playoffs. We have a deadlier heart of the order, but everyone contributes for them. Our 3-5 won't see a good pitch to hit if anyone is on base the rest of the series. Won't happen. Nobody is afraid of Drew and the pack of suck that follows him.

Selfless? Dave Winfield disagrees. He help usher in big-money free-agency with all of his selflessness. Do you think it was because he gave two shits about player rights? Good riddance.

Thing is, the guys getting jumped on haven't helped .... at all. The guys who appear to be getting a pass have something in the bank. That's generally how it works.

Wow, 7 runs. Three guys who should not pitch again until March.

Drew, Tek, Crisp. Not optimistic.

And Lopez continues to show his worthlessness. The LOOGY who can't get lefties out. Even ones with awful splits.

He is so monumentally bad.

It's looking like the important thing is, who do we bring in? Gagne? Bleh.

Smoked. Sit, Peralta.

Can't be serious. Can't.

f***. At least Betancourt and his Steve Trachsel impersonation are done. On to the dregs.

Now he's in scoring position, and the count is in your favor. Send us to bed happy, Youk.

Take lessons, Wedgie. That is the kind of guy it's OK to pinch run for in a tie game.

Smooth as the come. Win it, bitches.

Pinch running for Hafner? Thanks, Wedgie, this thing could go extras, you know?

Shake off the rust, Paps. We win this thing for you in the 9th.