seabeachfred

Cherington will have to be looked upon as a serious candidate for Executive of the Year for his work last off season in getting the reinforcements that made the Red Sox a team with a tremendous chemistry along with their terrific recovery from the dregs of the 2012 season. Needless to say to those of you who remember my deep distrust and disrespect of this guy after his less than stellar handling of the 2012 personnel, this is a mea culpa on my part. I don't know where this season is going the next month or so, but for a team that was 69-93 and dead last in the AL East last year to come back and be one win away from an AL East Title with a 93-61 record this season, well it stands to reason the guy has done a helluva job. He got players that knew how to win, who knew how to get along, who created a positive atmosphere in the clubhouse, and who had a pride in playing for the Red Sox. He deserves a lot of credit and will get just that. I might add, though, that it appears from what I've read here and on other boards and blogs that this season Lucchino, Werner and Henry kept their grimy hands off the baseball part of the operation and let Farrell and Cherington run the show. The lack of meddling certainly didn't hurt a bit.

Here's one for you on that one. Good pick. I ought to kick myself in the nuts for forgetting about Oki. He was money in the bank that magical year of 2007....my favorite Red Sox team. In fact he gave us two and a half solid seasons before the league started to catch up with him. You got me there.

Well it goes even farther back for me Bellhorn, long before I became a Red Sox fan. As you know I lived my first 14 years in Queens before our family began the trek to California (59 years tomorrow). Back then I had to endure the same old s*** almost every fall......The Yankees beat the Dodgers to win the World Series, like in '47 '49, '52.'53. It got freaking old and when I joined you guys in 2000 I was already a fervent Yankee hater. To me any Red Sox who has terrific success against the Yankees is someone who is pretty effective against other teams as well. The pressure Red Sox players feel when they play the Yanks has to be enormous because of their past history and because of the desire our guys have to beat the s*** out of them. I think the young guys here will get that in them as the years roll on by----unless suddenly the New Yorkers hit the skids for a long dry spell and wouldn't that be a real hoot ?

I keep hearing from you how you hate the Yankees, yet you seem to underrate him as a player. Well the fact is he will wind up with about 25 homers this season and close to 100 RBI's, and a serial killer against the Yankees. One thing Cherington is going to have to be very careful about this winter is who to keep and who to let go. We have a tremendous chemistry on the ball club, a solid clubhouse and a very successful team up to now. I'd be very careful about breaking it up, especially since we don't know how some of those young prospects are going to do. Thumbs up on Bogearts but serious doubts about Bradley's ability to hit Major League pitching for example.

Been looking for you on the board all day Dojji. You deserve a lot of kudos for your take on Nava. You hit a home run with that one. Good show!!!!!!

Well we all seem to agree on that. This team doesn't need a captain. They are adept at picking each other up and helping their teammates without hesitation. Why gum up the works? It's working well the way it is right now and if it's not broken it doesn't need to be fixed. As I recall painfully we had Varitek as captain in September of 2011 who was acclaimed as a good leader. Yet he was powerless to do anything to stem the tide of disaster that engulfed the team. When you have a pack of *******s as we did then a captain does no good. When you have the kind of club we have now a captain isn't necessary.

OK mastermind, now pick one of those LRHR types that we got who succeeded after 2004.

Boy Orange Juiced, I may be going out on a shaky limb here but what about Morales? I wasn't that high on him last season but since he's come back from his injury he has pitched very well for us and seems to have a presence on the mound. Confidence!!!!! He seems to have it when he's out there. He might be the guy you're looking for.

Please Bell, stuff that one in your ditty bag. I heard that phrase ad nauseam when Epstein and Francona were patrolling the premises, and I can't recall one of those LRHR ever working out for us under those two save for Dave Roberts and Doug Meinkiewitz (sic) back in 04.

You and Beaneater seem to have it right from where I sit. The fact is this team has been terrific at picking each other up, and if a guy is having a rough day at the plate he finds a way to help the team in the field or on the bases. This club of ours is not a one trick pony; they can beat you in so many different ways. I kept wondering when the prince would turn into the pumpkin but not only hasn't it happen but the team, dare me say it, seems to be getting better by the week. The way we manhandled the Yanks these past two series had to be an eye opener for any doubts some of us may have had.

Right you are SFF. We don't want to lose our momentum as the Dodgers seem have done and the Braves who are also blowing hot and cold. The Red Sox are once playing with terrific success at Fenway Park and we need to have that going for us in the upcoming playoffs.

That fat ass looks like he's never heard of the word diet. Can you believe what that slob has become? Either the Yankees ruined him or he ruined himself. Well, let's give both of them credit.

Seems like we had those types not so long ago ourselves. Remember our Stewart, the pitcher? How about Lillibridge, Repko, Thomas, Hottovay, Gethright, Bonser, Hermida and Pena? Thank God it's the Yankees who have those types now.

Perhaps you should take a good look at the stat sheet. Lavarnway is hitting over 300 in his rare appearances for the Red Sox and has show a flair for hitting with men on base. Delarosa stunk for the Dodgers and he has stunk for us. The stats say so. It has nothing to do about not liking the guy personally. I don't like the way he throws, I don't like how he gets lit up and I don't like what he has shown so far. Anytime you want to wager me on your boy DLR I will bet you he never wins 15 games for the Red Sox in any one season or saves 25 games. You're on. OTOH, I'm really in a good mood after what happened tonight, so I am not pissed off at you personally. We will have to agree to disagree....AGAIN!!!!!!!

Just as long as Farrell refrains from using Delarosa in a clutch situation. I have gone round and round with some on this board who have been royally pissed at me for running this guy down but I haven't changed my opinion on him at all. He throws a straight as an arrow fastball, a radar ball that seem to find bats. He gets hit hard just as he did when he pitched for the Dodgers and his arm operation doesn't change the fact that he is another Manny Delcarmen in the making. The Red Sox would be wise to see what team thinks the guy has some potential and get rid of him this winter. I do not believe he is going to make it and I'm not certain about Webster either. Both those ex-Dodger darlings have shown nothing but failure when pitching for us. Very little promise in a Red Sox uniform. Sorry for the rant but I just don't like these two.

I'm stunned that Koji could be this effective. He has been absolutely lights out for us and what amazes me is that User is bragging up a storm right now. He was the main guy insisting that this was our closer. A couple of us fell in line but certainly not with the enthusiasm of User. Koji could actually be our MVP, but let's give a few kudos to Clay. I mean he's missed three full months of Major League competition but goes out there and gives us five solid innings and picks up a vitally needed win for us. This is what I call a very nice evening-----but tell me honesty my friends, how many of you actually believed we would win this game tonight? Face it, the odds were stacked against us with Price going for them. Wow!!!!!!!!!! BIG WIN, BIG WIN!!!!!!!!

All you have to know my friend is that my wife Linda will NOT go to a Red Sox game with me. When her Angels are playing the Sox out here she encourages me to go and have the time of my life but leave her out of it. She has had some weird experiences in the past with me at Red Sox-Angels games. Well what are you gonna do? The wife says no, so you either go with some friends or by yourself.

Don't get me wrong VA----I would have settled for a split in the Yankee series before it started. No question about that at all, and I was elated beyond words that we took the first three games of that series. It is just that I believed the game yesterday was winnable, and I want to keep the Tampas as far in my rear view mirror as I can. I have conceded that it will be them or us for AL East Champions this season, but the sooner we take care of business the better. The Yankee loss tonight pretty much puts them out of business for any chance of the division title but there is still a small chance Baltimore can make a real move and Tampa is still within striking distance. I'd say we need to win ten or 11 of our remaining 17 games to guarantee ourselves a four day rest and a decent chance to make a run in the Playoffs this year. Just my opinion from where I'm sitting.

Holy sheeeeeeet Youk, I finally found someone on this board who has been a Red Sox fan after I became one. My epiphany came in August of 2000 and maybe that is why some of my friends here and on Sawxheads an STFU give me hell when I complain about how things have gone. Last season was the only one since I came on board when we just plain stunk to high heaven, and like you I think it is fair to say that I've been a little spoiled. What has become obvious to me and hopefully to you as well is that when you take this team into your bosom you become a fanatic to the point of walking the floor at night when they lose a tough series, and, yes, even a tough game. I can tell you this with all the conviction that I possess........Red Sox fans are a breed apart. We are more fanatical, loyal and to a point even nuts about their team. I know plenty of fans of other teams and they support them but not with the same enthusiasm as we have. Many fans of other teams fall by the wayside when their team hits the skids. That doesn't happen with us and I don't think it can. Now damn it, let's see how far we can go this season.

I'm still a little worried VA; still haven't fully recovered from 2011, but I hope you're right. Kuddos to you for your upbeat take on things. I hope I can fall in line within a week.

Well said Jung. I coached both sports when I was a teacher. During football season when I was coaching that sport I was thinking of baseball. I never thought of football when I was coaching our favorite sport. I think baseball has football beat 2-1. It is a better radio game and better in person. Football might better as a TV game but it is so predictable. You either throw the ball or hand it off. When the pitcher throws the ball there are dozens of scenarios, and when it comes to talent nothing is harder than hitting a round ball with a round bat. That talent alone has driven countless athletes to the football field.

A few ago I predicted that Napoli would get hot and start contributing to the cause but I did not think he would get this hot. He has absolutely been on fire and that is one reason I'm pissed off at Farrell, who I, as a few others on this board, think of as a poor field manager. With a day of today there was no reason to sit a hot hitter like Mike and then compound it by sitting Victorino as well. I think with both of those in the lineup yesterday the chances of us sweeping that Yankee series would be been increased considerably. Now having lose a game in the standings we face Price tomorrow and that is a tough game to win no matter how anyone looks at it. I just hope Farrell didn't pull another strategical blunder that will cost us the division if we start falling back.

Kuddos to you Jacko; you had it pegged from the beginning. Too bad a player like that has to be ruined beyond redemption, but in Bard's case he did most of the damage to himself.

Can't help myself User; I just think this guy can still be a productive player. I think this may be an example where the Red Sox organization might have impeded this guy's progress. Not the first time such a thing has happened. Apparently the FO does not hold him in the esteem that I do. I still think they're making a mistake. Oh well, let's head for Cairo and see if the Pyramids are still standing.