MC Hammer

It's really gonna depend on what happens the rest of this season and in the spring. There are just far too many variables. Right now, considering Papelbon should be a starter next year, there are atleast 6 people fighting for 5 spots. Schilling, Wells, Hammer, Wake, Miller, Papelbon. I'm pretty sure we have an option on Miller next year, and since thats when he will be 100% I can't see the Sox just letting him walk. Wells may retire at the end of the year, but the way this season is going I can't see that happening. It's just too hard to say right now.

I don't understand why the Red Sox are trying to be so PC this season. First they don't want to have the ring ceremony when the Yanks were at Fenway now they're banning T-shirts and chants. Give me a break. The best thing about sports are rivalries, and this is the best rivalry there is. I don't see how the word "suck" is going to warp a childs mind. Fact of the matter is you can turn on the TV and hear, and see much worse. This country is becoming very soft, and constantly ignoring our so called "freedom of speech"

It's really not that ignorant of a statement. Bonds is a terrible teamate(see his personal locker with recliner and big screen in the corner of the lockerroom). Not to mention that the Giants have had to find out everything about his injury this season through MLB.com. Would you really want someone on your team that doesn't associate with anyone ... not even the coach? Anyway, I really couldn't see any team taking a chance on Bonds. One, he's a former 'roid user so theres no telling what he's going to be like next year without them. Two, he's got arthritis in both knees, and that doesn't go away no matter how much you work or how many surgeries he had. Third, I'm not sure any team wants to add the big ugly face of steroids. Last, whoever wanted him would have to over pay.

I just want to make 2 comments about the Pirates that are listed above. 1. The Pirates don't want Mesa as the closer next year ... they just want to make it look that way. Mike Gonzo is all set to take the job next year. The Pirates have no use for Mesa after this year. 2. Dave Littlefield(Pirates GM) said last year that he will not make a trade that will benefit the Yankees. Unless the Yanks decide to make the Pirates an offer that clearly favors them, then that deal won't happen. I don't belive a lot of the things that come out of Littlefield's mouth, but I do when it comes to this. The Pirates ownership has been pushing for a salary cap for the last few years, and time and time again they point to the Yankees as the reason they cannot compete. So unless the Yanks want to over pay they won't be getting Redman.

Already have a thread about this http://www.talksox.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4035

Wow kinda goes to show what UCONN looks for when they recruit people, talent alone. This is another reason why I like Duke. They don't just recruit kids because they have talent, you have to be educated, respectful, and be intelligent enough not to break the law. This is one of the problems college sports are going through right now, colleges taking kids completely based on talent. Oh well, I hate UCONN anyway.

NFL (MLB is close but the Steelers are more important than anything in my life so NFL goes number 1) MLB NCAA Basketball NCAA Football NHL NCAA Baseball NCAA Hockey I don't know if anyone noticed but I took the NBA off my list. What a boring sport, played by a bunch of guys who only care about how much they're getting paid, and what kind of shoe contract they have. I hate "Me First" sports and the NBA leads the list in the category. Not to mention that traveling, double dribble, and a handfull of other rules just aren't called anymore in the NBA. Really kills the credibility of a game when you don't call fouls that are in the rule book.

Your right ... he only got a hit in every single playoff game ... but who needs that. Cumulative Postseason Numbers 2004: .423/.500/.350 Current 2005 Line: .385/.594/.287 If you think he was bad in the playoffs last year then you've gotta be awful disapointed with him this year.

I'd be fine with getting rid of Millar right now. I'm only concerned that Olerud may get hurt again, and then Petagine has to play every day. Honestly though I feel much more comfortable with Petagine than Kevin, where'd my power go, Millar. I've been tired of hearing how great he is in the club house for quite a while now and I'm starting to think it's all BS. I don't understand how a player as bad as KFK can still be in this lineup on a consistant basis. Are they honestly trying to convince us that KFK can help this team more than Youk can? Because if so then I think everyone from the front office down to Tito needs to have their heads checked.

I understand your reasons for disliking Manny but the only reason that matters to me is his numbers. I've said it here before, Manny could take a lawn chair with him out to LF and I wouldn't care. If you can put up 40+/140+ every year then I could care less what you can do in the field. if you want to get on Manny for a lack of range, and speed then talk to Ortiz too. Ortiz doesn't even have the range or speed to play in the field so if your going to throw Manny under the bus you've gotta throw Ortiz too. I honestly don't see a lack of effort when I look at Manny. I see a lot of frustration at times(not running out pop ups) but I don't see a lack of effort. He does make some lackluster plays in LF, but he also makes some amazing plays. Like I said Manny can do whatever he wants as long as he's hitting 40+/140+. BTW from all the reports I've read and heard Johnny is looking for a 5/6 year deal. If Theo does move Manny so he can resign Damon for 5/6 years then I will no longer look at him as one of the best GMs in the league because a move like that would just be silly.

I remember hearing a lot of people bringing up Clemens name when Canseco said that pitchers also use steroids. I actually remember Clemens being used as an example of a pitcher who might have. I really don't harbor any bad feelings towards Rocket since he screwed over the Yanks, but if it's gotta be someone I'd rather see Clemens than Schilling.

I agree with els, there is no reason to bring him up this year unless Tony G has an injury. I don't want him to be in the same position as Youk where he gets 1AB a week if he's lucky, and bounces between AAA and MLB. I think it would be much better to let him finish out the year in AAA honing his skills, and maybe bring him up for a cup of coffee next month, but nothing more. Chances are that if he continues to kill the ball like he has been doing in AAA he'll be the starter at 2B next year, so why not just wait.

I don't think theres any question that Hansen will be with the club ASAP. Theres no reason to keep him in the minors if he even has a hint of being ready, which he does. He may come up and be the glue that holds the bullpen together, or he falls apart. Either way we've gotta give him a shot, because this bullpen is not going to work in the playoffs.

If it's true that players have tested positive and because of an appeal they were aloud to slide then I'm extremely pissed off. What appeal process could there possibly be? You test positive, your results are made public PERIOD. Why are players even having appeals about this? I don't even understand what you could appeal ... that the piss wasn't yours? I don't understand that at all. Every time a hear something about baseball covering up steroid use my love for the game dies a little. If I find our that MLB is helping players hide their positive tests via the appeal court then I'm going to write daily letters to my congressman begging for them to step in and take over. Can we please get everyone involved with the front office of MLB thrown out already, and the head of the players union? I mean clearly they could careless about cleaning up the game.

No, actually I didn't hear that. I guess they'll be using the next 2 starts to figure out if he's ready or not so basically they're doing what I said. Good stuff, like I said earlier, hopefully he's able to throw 2 gems and win a spot in the rotation.

If you want to get rid of Manny then we might as well trade Ortiz too because all he's going to see is intentional walks. Manny is hitting behind Ortiz for a reason. That reason being, atleast I think, because Ortiz does not have a great eye at the plate. So, putting Manny behind him will lead to him seeing more pitches in the strike zone. If you take Manny out of this lineup Ortiz will not hit 40 HRs ... he will not drive in 140. Simply put without Manny, Ortiz is not Ortiz. Without Manny Ortiz is Barry Bonds, only seeing pitches when the bases are empty. Do you really think teams are going to pitch to Ortiz because they're scared a Mike Cameron? Come on. Not to mention how money Manny is in the playoffs. Trading Manny to keep Damon makes no sense to me what so ever. Resigning Johnny doesn't make a whole lot of sense to begin with. Although Johnny is having a great year, his days as a lead off hitter are numbered, while Manny still has years left to play in the OF ... then probably several more as a DH. Damon may help the team for, maybe another 2 years, where as Manny can still contribute for several more years. Once Johnny is no longer effective in the leadoff spot he has very little value in a lineup. He has average range, a weak arm, and he's going to continue losing a step or 2 every year. I don't see why you would let one of the best right handed hitters of all time go, so you can keep a guy thats going to be worthless for the last 3/4 years of his contract. I would rather pay manny 40 million than trade him and resign Johnny for the 6 years he's asking for.

If he would have taken the whole year off then he would have been even worse next year. I must have posted this same statement 50 times now on this board, with the type of injury he had, it will take an entire season of throwing for his arm to be back to 100% How any of you can say Paps is better after 2 big league starts is beyond me. You've seen the guy pitch what ... 13 Innings? Yes Wade had injury problems but I'd much rather stand behind the vet who has experience, than jump on the back of a rook with 2 big league starts. Now, I'm not saying that Paps isn't going to be great, I'm just saying that jumping off Wade's bandwagon is a bad idea. I want Paps to succeed in this league, but I don't think proclaiming him as a regular starter on a first place team is a good idea right now. Maybe give him a few more starts and if he pitches well then you can name him as the 5th starter, but by no means should we be doing this after 2 starts. What if Tito names him a starter and he goes out and fails miserably? Then we have to send him back down, which will completely ruin any confidence he had. We all want to jump to conclusions so quickly. How many of you wanted Rents gone after the first 2 weeks of the season? Happy he's not now? Again, I want Paps to succeed and I really hope he goes out for his next start and tosses a Gem. I just don't want to see the Sox to put too much faith in this kid too soon, and then have to take it away. The decision you guys want Tito to make is a decision that a team like the Pirates, or Drays would make. Great teams don't make kids starters after 2 good games.

No it'd still be cheating because it allowed him to get back to the game quicker, or not miss any time. I don't believe that Sheffield used steroids to improve his power, but I do believe he used them to recover from injuries, and that is cheating.

Not only do these Yankee fans disapear when the team is doing bad, but as soon as we question them about it, they disapear again. Why don't you guys/girls disapear for good.

I didn't say they were. I said they very well could be. Foulke certainly looked washed up before he went on the DL, and it's certainly been a lot longer than 15 days since he's gone on the DL, anyone else worried about that?

A win, is a win, is a win, is a win. I don't care if we let up 45 runs to the Tigers, as long as we scored 46 thats all that matters. You say that the Yankees still have a chance because their pitching blows and they're still staying in the race. Then you say that the Sox are in trouble because their pitching is bad, and they haven't been playing well. Well, wouldn't that mean that the Sox are going to pull away once they stop playing so bad? You can't use the same argument two different ways. Look the Yankees have been very lucky to get quality starts out of Small, and Chacon, but clearly thats not going to last. I'm not very worried about a team with 1 healthy starter and 4 guys who wouldn't even be starting at AAA. Confidence is a good thing, not a bad thing. Would you rather see 5 threads about how it's over? Being positive is better than being negative.

Yeah Im sure it would be a good idea for the Devil Rays to try Papelbon as a closer, not the Redsox. You cant put a rookie on the mound to close out big ball games for the defending world champions. Thats WAYYY too much pressure. He locates so well that he allowed 5 BB in 5.1 IP in his first start. Thats not good location, and that leads to blown saves. First of all I just wanna say that you're a jackass. Looking at stats from someones first start in the league is a really s***** way to gauge their potential. Go look at Curt, or Petey's first start ... bet they didn't blow you away. Can I ask you what great baseball knowledge you have that lets you know that Paps can't save a big game? Do you know him personally? Seen him play a lot? What? How do you know that someone can't do something unless you give them a shot? You think the Nats thought Chad Cordero would be lights out? How about the Stros and Brad Lidge? The Dodgers and Gagne? Were any of those 3 players big names before their first seasons closing? Had any had any pressure on them before? Are the 2(minus Gagne) better than Schilling is right now closing? How do you expect players to grow if you never give them a chance? Look we have a very s***** closing situation right now. It's basically a choice between what may be a washed up closer, Foulke, what may be a washed up pitcher, Schilling, or a kid that could be a superstar, Paps. I think the choice is obvious. You have to at least give the kid a shot.

There are a few holes in your arguement there bro. First of all Tejada had 21HRs in his first full season, and was only 25 when he had his break out year. I don't think there's any way he used steroids simply because his numbers consistantly rose, and he was a phenom his first full season. Did Tejada, or Helton, or Pierre, or Roberts suddenly go from 4HRs in 3 months to 16HRs in 1? I don't think so. Was it proven that any of those players used steroids in the past? I don't think so. Did any of those players lie about taking steroids? No. Have any of those players heads grew consistantly wider, causing their eyes to appear where their ears used to be? No. Now lets ask those questions again. Did Giambi suddenly go from 4HRs in 3 months to 16HRs in 1? Yes. Was it proven that Giambi used steroids in the past? Yes. Did Giambi lie about taking steroids? Yes. Are the HGHs Giambi is taking forcing his eyes to touch his ears? Yes. That's why we can accused Giambi, because he's a cheat, and a liar, and he fits the MO. Case Closed.

I hate to go back 2 pages but ... ASK BARRY BONDS HOW MUCH A CREAM CAN HELP! He went from about 105 to 250, and 310 foot wall scrappers to 550 foot moon shots. BTW I don't think Sheffield using was about gaining size or strength. I think that was more less for injury, maybe even the shoulder than that has been nagging him for quite some time.

From everything people are saying it looks like Ca$hman will walk at the end of the year, and I don't blame him. He is supposed to be the GM of this team, but everyone knows George is really running things. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he tells George to eat s***, and he leaves. I think teams looking for a GM may be a little skeptical about hiring the Ca$hman because they may not be sure who was really pulling the strings on some of the worse moves the organization has made. I'm sure teams looking at his signings last offseason (namely wright, and pavano) will be a bit concerned. I really could care less what Ca$hman does.