GhostofMalzone

OK...So what your saying is The Red Sox Don’t need to sign a 1st Basemen ( If Millar and Olarud are let go?) or a Center Fielder (If Damon moves on?) and we don’t need anymore (Quality) starting pitching or (Quality) bullpen help? Or maybe your saying we can get more bargain basement players just to fill in. Baseball is like the real world if you want Quality you have to pay for it. If you want to Win you have to pay for that also. The Red Sox aren’t broke, Not by a long shot....So why is everyone trying to save them money? People talk like the players salaries are coming out of their own pockets. If they drop one players salarie are The Sox going to pass the savings along to the fans? I Think Not.

The thought of money and prospects for what or who?

As crazy as they my sound.......... 1. Let Big Papi play first base....He learned how to hit, He can learn how to play first. 2. Sign Piazza as the DH.....Good hitter, Plus emergency catcher. 3. Do Not Trade Manny....Him and Ortiz have a special chemistry that should not be tinkered with. All Manny needs is love...Love is all he needs.. Love is all he needs. 4. Sign Soriano AVG.268 HR 36 RBI 104 SB 30.... Papa Jack can teach the kid how to be more patient at the plate. Sign Graffanino as a bench guy. Make it lucrative enough for him to want to be in the dugout. This is Baseball....Money Talks. 5.Offer Damon 3 years at $10 million a year with a team option for a 4th......He loves Boston, Boston loves him......Nice fit for both. 6. Give Youkilis his shot at third. With enough playing time Youk could turn into a solid ball player. 7. Resign Ron (Papa Jack) Jackson, The best hitting instructor in the AL...if not all of baseball. 8. Reevaluate the Offense...Stealing is not a crime in baseball. ”Speed Kills...The Competition” It would be nice to have a player on this team that could steal 30 or more bases a year and what would be even nicer is to have an organization that would actually encourage it. Power and Speed, Now wouldn’t that be a novelty for Sox fans. 9. Pay Theo......and lets move on. 10. Get rid of “Wally The Green Monster” mascots belong in college football stadiums not in baseball parks. You don’t see a enormous headed oversized thing running around Yankee stadium doing stupid things. Other then George. 11. Pitching....Papelbon is going to be in the starting rotation this year no matter what, He’s got to much upside for them to keep him in the bullpen. Wells is as good as gone and so is Arroyo. I see the starting rotation as being, Schilling Burnett Clement Wakefield Papelbon I also see them going after (Flash) Gordon and Kyle Farnsworth. I also think they’ll monitor Foulke over the winter and by the beginning of spring training pretty much know his status on the staff (If Foulke is healthy and has his s*** somewhat together.....He’s are closer) Personally....I don’t see Timlin coming back, Why? They lived through the Embree meltdown this year and don’t want it to happen again. If Mantei, W Miller and Foulke are healthy and with the addition of Burnett and Papelbon to the rotation this could be a pretty formidable staff. This is why the offseason is so wonderful, The possibilities are endless :thumbsup:

Sides apart on deal Major money gap between GM, Sox By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff | October 14, 2005 During negotiations for a new contract, Theo Epstein undoubtedly would like Red Sox ownership to at least reference the extravagant offer they made to Billy Beane three years ago, when the Oakland Athletics general manager was their first choice to become GM of the team When Beane said no, the brass turned to Epstein, who rewarded them with a World Series title in his second year and trips to the playoffs in each of the three seasons he has been GM, while making great strides in meeting his pledge to rebuild the farm system. But that success is not translating anywhere close to the $2.5 million annually the Sox reportedly were willing to pay Beane over five years. While a pragmatic Epstein is believed to be asking for considerably less, in both salary and years, the offer the team has made Epstein is not far removed from what Chuck LaMar, who was just fired after seven last-place finishes in the eight seasons he ran the Devil Rays, made in Tampa Bay. LaMar was being paid $750,000 a year, which isn't much less than the figure the Sox are offering Epstein, according to an industry source with knowledge of the talks each of the last three days between Epstein and CEO Larry Lucchino. And it is considerably less than what Epstein has proposed to the Sox, with just over two weeks remaining before the Oct. 31 expiration date on his current deal. Public information on GM salaries is sketchy. The Sox were prepared to make Beane the highest-paid GM in baseball history, though the cerebral Beane, working under far greater payroll constraints in Oakland than Epstein, has yet to win a World Series. His team fell short of a playoff berth for the second straight season this year after four straight seasons in which the Athletics averaged 98 wins and won three division titles and a wild-card berth. Months before the Red Sox came after him, Beane had signed a contract extension with the Athletics that calls for him to be paid $1.1 million in each of the next three seasons (2006-08). This past April, new owner Lewis Wolff extended Beane through the 2012 season and gave him slightly less than a 5 percent ownership stake in the club. Texas Rangers GM John Hart, who just stepped aside and was replaced by 28-year-old Jon Daniels, was the highest-paid GM in the game at $2 million. Atlanta's John Schuerholz, whose team has won 14 consecutive division titles (excluding the strike-shortened '94 season), is around $1.5 million, and the Yankee's Brian Cashman, the only GM in history whose teams won World Series in each of his first three seasons, was reportedly making $1.1 million a season. Cashman, like Epstein, is at the end of his contract, and unconfirmed speculation in baseball circles is that he will stay only if the Yankees give him a huge raise to the $2 million range. Veteran successful GMs such as Walt Jocketty in St. Louis and Brian Sabean in San Francisco are both around the $1 million level, but neither has a World Series title. And the Dodgers are believed to have given first-year GM Paul DePodesta $800,000 a year, much higher than the $350,000-$450,000 range customary for new GMs. Sox ownership and Epstein have pledged not to comment publicly during ongoing negotiations. © Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company. Are the Sox going to let the Yankees set the bar for Theo (Money Wise) or are they buying time to see what happens with Cashman ? :dunno:

ARod 2212 I didn’t say Damon plus Ortiz were better then A-Rod. I compared individual stats (Damon and Ortiz) against A-Rods stats for the year. Offensively if you compare the three players (offense translates into production) you’ll find that all three players are very comparable in production from their spot in the lineup. (With the exception of Damon, Out of the three Damon is the only unprotected hitter, hence, less RBIs) But, He ends the year with more hits then A-Rod and 7 fewer runs and a 5 point difference in Average. Plus, Damon played fewer games. Big Papi, Has and most likely will in the future carry the Red Sox from time to time on his shoulders. The same can not be said for A-Rod. They say that V-Tech is the heart of the Red Sox, If that’s so? Then Big Papi must be it’s Soul. Without question, A-Rod is a great ballplayer. That can not be argued. But he’s not a leader, It’s not only what you bring to the plate, But the effect you have in the club house and the effect you have on your team. Big Papi has much more effect on the Red Sox then A-Rod has on the Yankee’s. Question, Is A-Rod really the Most Valuable Player on the Yankee’s ? Is he the Most Valuable Player in the AL ? Is he the one clutch guy for the Yankee’s ? Do the Yankee’s routinely rally around A-Rod like the Sox do around Ortiz ? Is he the most productive player in the AL ? If you can truthfully answer “No” to any of the questions above then A-Rod is not the MVP. If you do your homework you’ll see that “redsoxrules” is right, A-Rod leads in about half of the catagories, Go to MLB.com 05 stats. I’m not saying he’s not deserving of the MVP, I’m saying he’s not as deserving of the MVP as say Ortiz. And YES, Intanglibles count for a lot in baseball as they do in life.

A-Rod for MVP (Most Vanishing Player) In five games against the Angels he hit 133. no RBIs In last years ALCS in the last four games he was 2-for-17 not very Valuable for a $25 million-a-year player. Lets hope that A-Rod pulling his Houdini act in the playoffs will finely wake up the sports writers and announcers to the fact that he’s not “The Best Player in The Game” MLB Fielding Stats 2005 3B 3. Bill Mueller .972 E 10 ZR .786 5. A-Rod .971 E 12 ZR .735 MLB Hitting Stats 2005 Johnny Damon had more hits 197 A-Rod 194 Doubles, Damon 35 A-Rod 29 Triples, Damon 6 A-Rod 1 Runs, A-Rod 124 Damon 117 Average, A-Rod .321 Damon .316 Big Papi (BP) had 40 doubles A-Rod 29 BP 148 RBIs A-Rod 130 BP 102 BB A-Rod 91 Runs A-Rod 124 BP 119 SLG, A-Rod .610 BP .604 OPS, A-Rod 1.031 BP 1.001 HR, A-Rod 48 BP 47 If you look at the numbers (numbers don’t lie) both Damon and Ortiz (individually) were infinitesimally less productive then A-Rod in some categories. But, Much more productive in others (RBIs, Extra Base-Hits) and Johnny Damon who lead all AL center fielders in batting average and had a higher fielding percentege .985 at his position with less errors 6 and a better ZR .874 then A-Rod. But, Johnny's not receiving the lip service that Alex is getting for MVP. WHY?

Blaming the manager for a loss is a relatively easy and safe way to convince people that you know something about the game. There is no statistic for managers other then wins and losses. The Red Sox are W-83 L-59 a 585 Winning Percentage. Going strictly by percentage, That alone would make Tito a winning manager. Baseball is a game of statistics/numbers, If the Red Sox win the East by only 1 game you would still have to consider Tito a winning manager (seeing as how all teams start at 0 in a 162 game season) The Playoffs and World Series are a second season. “Throughout the playoffs Francona was consulting with them, especially with Brad Mills who was the real brain, on almost every decision.” Correct me if I’m wrong?......But, I was always under the impression that, Consulting with your staff as a manager was the correct thing to do, I don’t give a rats ass if he consulted with Brad Mills or Brad Pitt or The Ghost of Elvis, They got the job done. I’ll take a manager any day that won’t let his ego come before his team. For a man in the spotlight to publicly come out and say “I Don’t Know” isn’t dumb or stupid..... it’s Honorable “School to learn baseball” Would that be? Sparky Anderson U, Connie Mack Tech, Lou Gehrig Prep? Tito has been around baseball from day one, His dad was a ball player....remember? Then again maybe you don’t? Maybe we’re not watching the same Terry Francona? But, I’ve never seen Terry Francona The Manager of The Boston Red Sox hide behind anyone, I’ve heard him say, He was wrong, I’ve seen him, Take blame, He’s a stand up guy....That’s good enough in my book.

I guess I’ll have to take my “Yankees Suck” bumper sticker off my truck now.................NOT. I had a Florida State Trooper give me a thumbs up on I-4 last week. I only have 2 stickers on my truck “Yankees Suck” and “04 Red Sox WS Champs” and I don’t think it was for the WS champs?

And our Children’s Children :thumbsup:

College basketball is the minor league of pro basketball. Some of these kids aren’t in school for an education. They play big school ball to get seen by the scouts. It’s a show case for future NBA talent. NCAA basketball is huge money for the universities and the NCAA knows that. I would imagine that most of the kids that get into trouble are from low income families and low income neighborhoods. They got through high school on raw talent and all college is, Is a spring board to the pros. It’s the Bling-Bling and the Mercedes and the Rich Hip-Hop life style that’s appealing. Is it their fault? No. The blame rests solely on the shoulders of the NCAA and pro basketball for germinating the type of environment where education is secondary to a big pay day. where having your name on basketball shoes is preferable to having a degree in literature. The NCAA and the Colleges and the Media act so surprised when these kids get in trouble. I can’t understand why they don’t get it? Colleges recruit these kids and the kids aren’t equipped to be in college. I love college sports, But, I can’t stand the hypocrisy of the NCAA or the Colleges when both know it’s only about the money, Not the kids.

Howdy MrJimH.............Welcome

Why in the world would you feel like a schmuck? This is Red Sox Nation and just like any other Great Nation we take care of our own.

I found the McFarlane David Ortiz this morning at the ESPN shop in downtown Disney, It was the last one. Now this News. Could today get any better?........................I Think Not! There are only two kinds of people in the world. Red Sox Fans, and those who want to be.......

Thanks for the notification on the ticket giveaway. I have a question? If I were to enter the drawing and won. Would I be able to give the tickets to another person in the drawing? If I won? Could I give them to Tek_me_ out_to_the....... I’m retired with a generous pension and the wife’s a registered nurse and not into baseball.....shopping she’s into. Tek’s going to be a Dad for the second time and he’s also a student (I do read the profiles) and I’m certain they don’t have a lot of cash lying around. Besides, His wife’s a Sox fan with a little one in the oven and your never to young to go to your first Red Sox game.....Right. If this can be done?.....Great, If not?......I’ll pass on this one. Good Luck to all the Red Sox fans here in Florida, Thanks again. There are only two kinds of people in the world. Red Sox fans, and those who want to be.

Not at all, What I meant was Remlinger has experience in this setting. He’s seen it before “Been There.....Done That” Delcarmen hasn’t. I think Tito would just be happy to get innings out of Remlinger. Late August and September baseball is a lot different game then it is in April, May or June

The simple fact in my opinion is, The Sox are running out of alternatives. The Schilling experiment, Kind of worked. It was a good idea in theory. But, In practicality? Schill’s not a closer. You knew it, I knew it and they knew it. They had no choice. Foulks disappearing act kind of caught them napping. The team kept waiting for the real Keith Foulk to show up and he never did. By the time he went on the DL it was a little to late and Embree going south just compounded the problem. What was one of our strong points during the playoffs and the series is now nonexistent and right now The Sox are trying any ill to find a cure. Theo would have got us help before the treading deadline if he could have. But the price was just to high. He didn’t sacrifice the future of The Red Sox for the quick fix and I admire him for that. When you see the Yankees picking up Nomo and Embree you know the pickings are slim. Delcarmen’s not ready yet. He came up to give us some innings. I think Tito feels a little safer with Remlinger. He’s been in the majors for a while and knows what the stretch run is all about. He may not have much left in the tank, But, He’s got the experience. With Papelborn, Again its necessity. Wade’s on the DL, Lets throw this kid in the water and see if he can swim and I’ll bet my last bottle of Cabo Wabo he can. I just hope they don’t keep jerking him around, Bring him up, Send him down, If the kid shows anything tonight let him unpack his suitcase. It might get a little tight at times with this pitching staff, But would you rather be 15 games ahead of the Yankees and have a boring next month and half? I wonder if Keith Foulk has ever heard the name? Hensen.

Hey Boston4SportsFan, Will this be your first time in Florida? Ft. Myers is a nice City and City of palms park is really nice also. You'll have a great time.

Thank you Yeszir, It's nice to be here.

Hot days, Warm nights, The Sox on my computer and a never empty glass of Margaritas.....What’s not to love

I get a little long winded sometimes. I’m 58 Tarpon Springs is about 150 miles from me. I live about 7 miles from Disney world. Thanks for the welcome

Hey Sox Fans......I’m a life long Red Sox fan now living in Florida. (This is where they send us old Sox fans when Mass gets full) No more Snow or Ice......Just, Fun an Sun an Hurricanes and I’m not talking about the over hyped team from the University of Miami.....GO GATORS, Opps, I hope I’m not offending any Alligators on this site who might be reading this. If I am? “I’m Sorry” I don’t want the NCAA down on my ass. So, I guess I Should say? Go Aquatic Reptiles of Prehistoric Origin. Again..... My apologies for my insensitivity. One can never be to careful. Anyway...Last year The Gods of Baseball finely deemed us worthy of wearing the Crown of World Champions. I was so happy that I gave them my first born. But, Much like his first wife, They also gave him back (I’ll try again this year, But, This time with cash considerations and a grandchild to be named later) But don’t you just love this team? I’ve even got a soft spot in my heart for Bellhorn, I know that’s an unpopular stand to take. But the kid gave it everything he had when he was at the plate. Maybe he is a little short when it comes to hand/eye coordination.....But he had Heart. Do I want Tito to put him back in the lineup when or if he comes back from the DL? “Hell No” keep Graffanino right where he is. I’ve seen a lot of Bellhorn bashing on some other Red Sox boards. Some of it was justified and some of it was just plain brutal. Whatever happens to Mark Bellhorn he’ll always have my thanks and my respect for being part of the 04 team that gave me a Championship that my Father and Grandfather only dreamed about. Renteria, I really think his critics will be singing a much different song in time. He’s got all the tools. Kevin Millar, I know I’ll probably get some flack for this. But, I like the guy. He gives this team something more then just hits (or lack of) something intangible. I don’t think last years team would have been the same without him or this team either. whatever he brings to the table........It works. Terry Francona, This is Just My Opinion....Not Fact......Just My Opinion. With the way he handles players (old or young) and his attitude trod the game. Given time I think we may be looking at another Bobby Cox, Crazy? Maybe. But, I’ve been through a lot of Red Sox managers Herman, Kasko, Popeye, Williams, Kennedy and Little and some with arguably better teams. So, Why this guy? Why did we win the World Series with Tito and not with the others? Some say it was Theo’s deals that won it for us. That certainly had a lot to do with it. But it wasn’t the whole picture. Theo didn’t pull the strings on a game to game basis. Anyway I like Tito....That’s just my opinion. I believe in, “If you don’t have anything good to say about someone, Don’t say anything at all” I don’t ridicule any ball player from any team even The Yankees. They make a living doing something I only wish I’d had the talent to do. I’m a life long and loyal fan of The Red Sox. But, I’m also a fan of the Game.