seabeachfred

Fenway Park to me is a cathedral!!!!!! There is no other place like it. Since I am slim anyway, I have never found the seats stifling and haven't ever sat in right field where you have to twist to see home plate. The is a pisser, I know. I wonder if they could replace those seats in a different configuration? With all the engineering knowhow today it might be possible. Believe it or not not, I love the standing only section just beyond third base. You can lean against one of the posts, get into a running conversation with other fans next to and behind you and even cavort with those seated in front. I don't know how many of you have gone the Red Sox Destination Route but they sit you up by the Coca Cola sign and when the wind blows in from the Bay you're freezing your ass off. A lot of us have beaten that by goind down to the standing room only section. Not a bad place to watch a game. As for Fenway, it was the ballpark that turned me into a Red Sox fan in 2000. I don't ever want to see torn down

I think it is fair to say that over the past four seasons the front office and ownership has made some pretty miserable moves and a lot of mistakes. This off season seems to be a turn in the right direction. The signing have been pretty damn good and we've covered a lot of bases. We need to get the Napoli thing settled and I would like another decent starting pitcher but to me it will all come down to good health, fewer, much fewer injuries than we've suffered the past four seasons, and especially Lester, Buchholz and Lackey pitching very effectively and ably backed up by Doubrant and Dempster. I know that's a lot to ask for but maybe we could swing it. I recall that in 2004 I don't think any of our starters missed their spot in the rotation and didn't the Rays do the same thing in 2008?

Anyone out there actually believe that Lackey might just come back and have a solid season for us? Call me nuts if you will but I think he just might turn out to be a very pleasant surprise. I know he was blamed by many people for crap that went on in the clubhouse that miserable September in 2011, but the more evidence that comes out the more it seems that it was Beckett who was the real dickhead leader in all that. We have to keep in mind that Beckett himself said that baseball was not that big a priority in his life anymore and he started acting very strange during the 2010 season. At any rate, we need to hope that finally Lester and Clay finally have big years and that Lackey and Doubrant have decent seasons. It might be a longshot for all four of them to have great seasons, but who knows? Maybe one of the young prospects will accelerate his development and make it to the Red Sox this summer. Hell, I know I may be grasping at straws but aren't we due for some good breaks after all the s*** that we've endured the past four seasons?

Random or not, Ellsbury should not have been moved to LF in the first place. Take Beltre out of it, it still was a stupid idea and I insist it was done to give cover to Mike Cameron who was pretty much Bay's replacement in the OF. Putting a guy who hit 301 with about 60 SB in LF to play the position Bay played would look a lot better than Cameron who could no longer hit worth s*** and proved he couldn't play CF any more either. Or have you forgotten his numerous misplays at Fenway before he too got injured. I have not forgotten.

Kidding you? I thin it would be a great idea for you to come out from the cold and see the events as they played out. The fact IS I AM BLAMING THE RED SOX FRONT OFFICE FOR THESE SCREWUPS.....every one of them. Kalish? He could have been our RF in 2011 but the FO went with Drew and his bloated salary, fully knowing that he was injury prone, a whiner and candy ass who most likely would be on the shelf very soon....as he usually was. And he was!!!!! Kalish, however, had been hurt down at Pawtcket where he shouldn't have been because he had earned his way to the Red Sox by hisfine play in late 2010. Of course, you say he might have gotten injured if he was with the Red Sox instead of Pawtucket, but he might not of. He was hurt because he was in the minors where he should not have been. He wouldn't have gotten that same injury most likely had he been with the Red Sox. That is a FACT!!!!!! This was a front office screwup based only Drew's bloated salary, not who could have done a better job. That is also a FACT!!!!!! As for Elllsbury, he would not have gotten his ribs crushed if he had been playing CF where he should have been. Could he have gotten injured some other way? Perhaps, just as he did in 2012, but he wouldn't have gotten injured that badly. He was injured because of a disatrous decision by Epstein to supposeldly "save his legs". Anyone who believes that is more screwed up than they can imagine. He was put in left to give cover to the miserable signing of Mike Cameron. To have put the fast declining Cameron in left would have been to compare the 210, power sapped Mike with Jason Bay, who had hit 36 homers and driven in 119 runs for he Red Sox in 2009. Ells in LF was a safe move since he was coming off a 301 season and close to 60 stolen bases, leading the ALin that dept. The ramifications go deeper than that. Sure Bay got a concussion playing in that airport of Citi Park. But maybe it was because he was not familiar with that wall since he was new there. He knew the Monster like the back of his hand, and though he might have gotten some kind of injury had he stayed in Boston the fact is it most likely wouldn't have been that kind of one. For the record, Cameron stunk in CF too, misplaying many balls early in the season and got hurt as well. With a year he was waived off the team. Great move in signing him, right? WRONG!!!!!!!!! How about some more ramifications. After we lost Bay what did we try to do? We tried to sign Matt Holliday to play LF. Apparently feeling lowballed, he went to the Cardinals instead.....so what did we do? We signed John Lackey, which up to now has been anotheer disastrous move by the Red Sox. Still lookingfor a LF we then made the biggest bungle of all----we signed Carl Crawford, who just about everyone now believes was a total inept move.....a bad fit for us because he did not fit in with our lineup in any way. So yes, I see our front office making one move after another that has blown up in their faces the past few years. You can try and defend the but I would suggest you look at this realistically and get your head out of the sand.

Just like last season when the front office's inept handling of Bard pretty much ruined him for the year and maybe permanently (which is what I think), they did the same to Ryan Kalish before the 2011 season. He had proven himself well after he was brought up and installed in CF; hit well, fielded well, ran the bases with aplomb. So what happened before t he 2011 season? They decided to send him down "for some more f***ing seasoning" and kept super underachiever J.D. Drew who was only an ingrown hair from going on the DL, not to mention another lousy year. It happened, and when they called for Kalish he was already banged up and out of action at Pawtucket. Had he been in Boston where he belonged he might not have gotten hurt, just as Ellsbury wouldnt have been in 2010 had he been in CF instead of left to "save his legs", and Bard would have been had they not tried to make him a starting pitcher, a role he was totally unequipped for. And some of you out there wonder why I'm not negative and down on our front office. They have turned out to be one inept clusterf*** of an organization the last few years making one miserable decision after another. I hope Kalish is finally healthy and get a good chance to show what he can do this season. It may be his last chance w ith this organization, through no fault of his own.

Just like last season when the front office's inept handling of Bard pretty much ruined him for the year and maybe permanently (which is what I think), they did the same to Ryan Kalish before the 2011 season. He had proven himself well after he was brought up and installed in CF; hit well, fielded well, ran the bases with aplomb. So what happened before t he 2011 season? They decided to send him down "for some more f***ing seasoning" and kept super underachiever J.D. Drew who was only an ingrown hair from going on the DL, not to mention another lousy year. It happened, and when they called for Kalish he was already banged up and out of action at Pawtucket. Had he been in Boston where he belonged he might not have gotten hurt, just as Ellsbury wouldnt have been in 2010 had he been in CF instead of left to "save his legs", and Bard would have been had they not tried to make him a starting pitcher, a role he was totally unequipped for. And some of you out there wonder why I'm not negative and down on our front office. They have turned out to be one inept clusterf*** of an organization the last few years making one miserable decision after another. I hope Kalish is finally healthy and get a good chance to show what he can do this season. It may be his last chance w ith this organization, through no fault of his own.

Let's keep in mind Bellhorn that Farrell will be no panacea for what ails our pitchers if he is in the same mindset as he was when he was our pitching coach. I can remember reading blogs from Firebrand and Dugout Confidential, among others, late in the 2010 season when they were saying what the Red Sox needed to do to get back in contention. One was that we needed a new medical staff, a second a new pitching coach. To be sure, in Farrell's first season with us in 2007 we had the best pitching in the American League. The last three years of his tutilege, not so good. Was it him? Was it the pitchers not listening? Was it the pitchers' talent eroding? Was it the hitters catching up with our pitchers? It could be any one of those or a combo of those answers. All I do know is that our pitching fell off badly in 2009 and 2010, and keep in mind we now have a pitching coach that has never been a ML pitching coach before, only an assistant. My guess would be a better defensive catcher would help us more in that regard.

Well Dojji, the Stros made a gigantic step in he right direction when they canned Francona crony Brad Mills as manager late last season. The guy was as challenged in the dugout as anyone in baseball and notice that no team stepped up to hire the guy as their manager. He's a bench coach or a gofer at best. The Astros made a great move there.

Well Dojji, the Stros made a gigantic step in he right direction when they canned Francona crony Brad Mills as manager late last season. The guy was as challenged in the dugout as anyone in baseball and notice that no team stepped up to hire the guy as their manager. He's a bench coach or a gofer at best. The Astros made a great move there.

And I think a good catcher can even be a bigger influence on the staff and that is why I want the Red Sox to trade Satalamacchia. The guy in his two years with us has proven to be a miserable defensive catcher. Not only his throwing, but his pitch calling and field generalship has seen our pitcher much less effective when he is behind the plate. I want the Red Sox to bite te bullet and turn the catching job over to Ryan Lavarnway. He suffered with his hitting as compared to 2011 when he was instructed to concentrate on defense. My guess that if he were installed at catcher our pitching might improve and by the middle of the season he would be crashing some balls over the monster. We put Middlebrooks in the lineup last year, we should do the same to Ryan this season, Boegarts the next and Bradley and Brentz after that, with hopefully two of our pitching prospects developed enough that we could add two of them to our rotation. We do need to get younger and promote our young talent and blend them in with our solid veterans.

OK BSN, pretty damn good retort--but it still means that our staff, especially Lester and Buchholz have to step up big for us and they didn't do that last season. We need then this year and, yes, Lackey could be much better now that his elbow is sound---hopefully. I do agree that the AL East is wide open and, yes, we COULD ACTUALLY COME ALL THE WAY BACK AND WIN IT (are now listening SCM...how's that for optimism). I still think we could have signed Marcum and made our rotation stronger. Here is a guy who pitched in the AL East and did rather well. Instead we signed Dempster who had trouble in the AL when he came over last summer until his last few starts. OK, point well taken. Still I have doubts about Lester and Buchholz. Those two have to win big this season if we are to have any real chance at all. Gee, I guess even I can pollyann it once in awhile. Thanks for the retort.

Now this is some news to whet our appetites for Red Sox baseball this season. First we're looking at a twit named Bobby Abreu who is finished but apparently not according to the Boston front office and now we're looking at Javier Vasquez, who was a human pinata the two years he pitched for the Yankees against the AL East. Seems I recall him getting the s*** knocked out of him in the ACLS---now what year was that? And he was eight or nine years younger then. Well he fight fit the new Red Sox bill......old, out of shape and ineffective..Let's put him at #5 in our rotation. Well how about Shawn Marcum or Kyle Loshe? Think they might be a mite better than Javier Vasquez

We ARE going to sign Napoli and we ARE going to make the playoffs this coming season. Fine SCM, that sound swell. Now pray tell, how are we going to do it? You have that kind of confidence in the pitching we have? I guess if I were to describe you it would be as an optimistic critic, so have at it. Tell me if you will why we're making the playoffs this season. I'm all ears.

The only thing more ridiculous than these phantom negotiations is when some of our pro-Cherington colleagues around here start preaching the party line of, well, there still time, these things don't get settled right away, it took longer to get the Drew thing settled in early 2007, and we have confidence out front office knows what it's doing----DESPITE ALL THE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY. This should have been adjuticated by now---either get him inked or move on and get another first baseman before all are taken up and we're stuck with a worthless loser like Mauro Gomez. How the hell long is going to take before one side or other either blinks or walks out of the room for good. All this does is fortify those of us who are convinced that the Red Sox leadership doesnt know s*** from Shinola.

Why is it hard to believe these guys can bounce back? Let me be very frank here. Lester last season and the month of September the year before was a total s***, both on the mound and in the dugout and club house. Instead of dedicating himself to make up for his folderoo in late 2011 he came to ST with a chip on his shoulder, spent most the season bitching and complaining about calls with the umpires and most of the time melted away on the diamond. He became a very hateful character and in Dan Shaunessy's own words to me....a first class *******!!!!!!!!! Buchholz, mr nervous nelly. Can this guy put even one f***ing season together without breaking down like an old car? Can we expect a different Clay this season instead of the one we've seen since he became part of the rotation. Lackey??? Coming off major surgery, can be really be expected to be a quality pitcher after two seasons of s***ing the bed for us? Doubrant? When will potential finally emerge as talent? Dempster? In the AL East? You've to be friggin' kidding me!!!!!!! That's why my friend.

Some people in all walks of life like to fool themselves about things until it hits them in the face. Their take on this is that why worry and just be happy until the building finally falls on them. At least they were assured of good things by keeping up a brave front. Remember, falling off a 30 story building can be exhilirating at hell, but its when the body meets up with the ground that reality sets in----way to late though. Some of us know what's going on Ted. Pollyannism will never take over this board.

Sorry, I don't realize NAPOLI will play 1B for us--------not at all. Glad you have confidence in the front office getting this done once and for all, but I don't have that confidence in that bungling bunch. Yes, I hope it does get done because I don't like the idea of having a stumblebum like Gomez playing first base for us. Here's to getting Napoli signed and sealed.

Well no matter how you slice it guys, most of us are of the opinion that Nava shouldn't be one of the 25 men on the team when it comes to Boston in April. He's a fill in and nothing more. What we better concern ourselves with is having enough solid arms in the bullpen to be able to carry on for our starters if they wind up being less than what we need them to be. And if Napoli is finally signed we cannot keep four catchers and in my opinion we have to give Lavarnway a good long look this year.

Abreu and Lee platooning for us on first base? One can even play good defense in the outfield, can't hit anymore and was rejected by his last two teams because he couldn't do the job. As for Lee, look at his power numbers the past two years. He is fading faster than a pair of 20 year jeans. These two are even worse than having Gomez playing first for us, and I don't want any part of that bum either. Sign Napoli and get a decent first baseman Cherington. Stop playing your assinine games.

Is this the thread that simply will not die or go away? Look, I know we all have intelligence is various quantities on this board, but why are we talking about Daniel Nava. He is not a ML starting outfielder. He gets off to a good start and then fades badly. He is a nice story in that no one signed him and it took him eons to make the grade, but let's just let them make a movie on it and send this guy off to Triple AAA to finish out his career. If Nava is a co-starting outfielder, platooning with Gomes this coming year, we are dead in the water. He is not a Major League ballplayer and Lucchino has to stop dreaming that he is, or whoever the hell likes this guy.

OOOOOPPPPPPSSSSSS Lucien, I meant the summer of 2000, not 2010. I'm more of a veteran of the Red Sox wars that 2010. Should have proofread it better.

This is only something idiots like Cherington and Lucchino could think up----looking at Bobby Abreu. My God, the guy stunk and was released by the Angels. The Dodgers got him and he played so piss poor that they DFA'd him. When no one claimed him he gladly went down to the minors. I mean did he really want to play that bad and prolong his diasatrous closing part of his career? He then was called back up by the Dodgers, failed miserably and was again released....AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HIM TO PLAY FOR US AT A POSITION HE HAS NEVER PLAYED BEFORE? The guy can no longer hit, can't run, and never was much of a fielder when he played the OF. And we want him to play 1B for us? If this is true and he is signed, which I cannot believe is true, both Cherington and Lucchino should go out to the woods and blow their f***ing brains out.

I didn't get to Fenway this past season and instead took in a three game series between the Red Sox and Cubs in Chicago in June. Like you I was planning a September trip but when we are talking about between $2,500 and $3,000 to see a pig team play, well the better part of valor is to use what brains I have and just kiss it off---which I did. Hope the team is better when you go iortiz.

As I've mentioned a few times (maybe too many for a couple of our compadres on this board) I have a Red Sox baseball room that I converted from my team room of the players I once coached. If you ever come to California I would be delighted to show it to you, or anyone else who comes out here for a visit or a vacation. MVP said he was coming out last summer but we never touched base on it. One wall is all about 2004, another is 2007, and I have pictures t aken with newly found friends I've made on my trips to Boston, not to mention some with Red Sox players like Youk, Timlin, Papelbon, Cora, Loretta, Masterson and Kotsay. If you could get the wife to give the ok I say go for it Ted.